In order to do this, the beft method that occurred to me, was to follow the migrations of Noah's iffue respectively to every place they occupied, when the increase of their numbers forced their departure from Armenia; and this according to their gradual progrefs, in fucceffion to each other, to very modern times; by which I was able to trace their language, which, we muft allow, they carried with them every where and alfo the feveral deviations and changes it underwent in their divifions, fubdivifions and poftumous mixtures with each other, in after-ages; and this method appeared, all along, to be the most likely to arrive at the wifhed-for haven, in this research into very high antiquity, as well as less perplexed, and consequently more easily understood, than any other whatsoever.

As the most ancient parts of the Irish records were delivered in poetry, their facts are, in many places, blended with fable; which, in some measure, may have leffened the confidence they very juftly claim from impartial readers; but nothing is more eafy than to distinguish the historical facts from the ornaments they are dreffed with. It was the noble manner of the ancient Gomerian and Scythian poets, before Homer was born, or the language, he is supposed to have wrote in, was formed; and, indeed, there is great reason, in the sequel, to believe he was no stranger, either to their language, or poetry; for his manner of writing carries with it the ftrongest resemblance of theirs and it is as certain, the Trojans were of the Scythian race; and the auxiliaries of Troy, confeffedly

6

feffedly Scythian princes, feveral of whom Homer enu

merates.

WHEN the historical parts of their poems are confidered, and divested of their poetical flowers, they are found to treat of the feats and genealogies of their heroes, and to coincide exactly with the most authentic hiftories in the world, as well profane as facred. The ingenious author of the Differtations on the Ancient History of Ireland has produced feveral very ftriking inftances of this, which fhall appear in a proper place, and many more as remarkable have occurred to myself, which carry the strongest teftimony of truth along with them; and, indeed, it is as hard a task to glean out fuch parts of history as may be depended on, of the Greek writers, from their extravagant mythologic fables; nay, more difficult than from the Irish fileads, or philids: and, if the world had not been happy in what Moses and the prophets have left us, the Grecian history would have wanted the lights which the Sacred Writings have thrown upon them. the work before us, they have proved a noble comment upon Greek, Irish and Gomerian history.

In

It will also be made out, that, at the building of Babel, the confufion and difperfion did not affect any of the iffue of Japhet or Shem; but was the fate of Nimrod's people,, the descendants of Ham, only: which, with fome other material notices of very high antiquity, are cleared up in following the iffue of Noah's fons, in their feveral migrations.

ANOTHER

ANOTHER step, which I thought necessary towards obtaining the defired end, was to examine by what names fome of the defcendants of his fons were called by the Greeks, and to reconcile them with those of Moses and the prophets; by which I was infenfibly led into the knowledge of many of the heroes of Grecian hiftory, and thrown upon an amazing agreement between this and the records of the Irish filids; who, by preferving the genealogy of Milefius up to Phenius, and to Magog, his grandfather, have opened fo clear a paffage to the history of the transactions of him, both in Scythia and Shinar, as well as of his fon's adventures in Egypt, as can scarce admit of a doubt; to which may be added, that the notion, entertained by fome hiftorians of eminence, of Shefbac and Sefoftris being the fame perfon, is proved to be erroneous.

THE next advance was, to find out something of the first peopling of Britain and Ireland, and by what routs they arrived at thefe Iflands. It will appear, that the Britons came by fea from Greece through the Mediterranean first, and that was very early after the flood, and that Ireland had its firft colonies from Scythia by a north-west rout; and others, afterwards, from fome parts of Afia Minor, through the Mediterranean; and by taking notice of the government, laws, bards and language of the inhabitants, we shall be able to fhew from whence they, as well as the Britons, came, and their future connections with those they parted from. We shall also find out how far the language was fpread towards the North east, by one of the fons of

Gomer,

Gomer, in the explanation of the infcription and figure upon a Siberian medal; which alfo points out fome anecdotes of the religion and opinions of the people of Tangutia and Tibet, concerning a TRIUNE BEING they worshipped; with some attempts to fhew from whence they derived that doctrine. This leads us to confider feveral relations of Jofephus Acofta, in his account of Mexico and Peru, where the fame notions were found among the natives, which undoubtedly were carried to these countries, with the first inhabitants, from Tartary. This was always thought impoffible, till the feveral Ruffian discoveries made it appear pretty certain; for the distances from fome parts of North-eastern Tartary to the North American fhore are very fhort, in several places, and easily passed over : whereas, heretofore, the distances of longitude between these parts were laid down by geographers to be fo great, as to leave no room for a fufpicion that there. could be any communication between them. Later difcoveries, however, have brought it to a certainty.

HAVING had fuch strong reasons for suspecting that the Irish and Welsh languages were originally the fame, in the houfe of Japhet, it was neceffary to be careful in comparing them, and confidering the roots of both; that what. I have ventured to affert, concerning them, may not seem a mere ipfe dixit: wherefore, after having enumerated pretty largely the causes of the deviations of languages. from their originals, which produce, in time, different dialects, the reader will find a lift of about one thousand,

words, which, with fome fmall allowance for fuch accidental deviations, will appear to have been originally the very fame, and carrying the fame fignification. I might have carried this to five thoufand, if it were neceffary, or I inclined to fwell this work: but the number I have brought will preve fufficient to ascertain my opinion; for it is impoffible for any two languages to have so close an affinity by chance, and the roots of both to be the fame almost throughout the whole.

AFTER this examination of both languages, I fell upon a thought which carries the proof, of these being from the fame fource, much farther; and find, that the languages of other nations of Europe have had their origin chiefly from them. To make this evident, I have drawn together the names of the numerals of moft of the nations of Europe in one table; and have made remarks upon the differences they were subjected to by length of time, and changes of the feveral people throughout this quarter of the world. I confidered, that numbers being convenient to every nation, their names were most likely to continue, nearly, the fame, even though other parts of languages might be liable to changes and alterations; this I find to answer my expectation furprizingly; and, indeed, one would imagine that this alone would be fufficient to anfwer the end propofed, when confidered with care.

BUT that did not hinder another enquiry of great importance, in the pursuit of the affinity and origin of languages. Something was to be done concerning alphabets,

and