by a mulct. erf, lilashnak Fines for the fhedding of blood.

The first month Muharrem, the feventh Rejeb, the cleventh Dhulkaadé, and the twelfth Dhulbajjé, were esteemed facred in Arabia from the oldest times: and, excepting by one or two tribes, were fo religiously observed, that if a man met during that time the murderer of his father, he durft not offer him any violence. The hiftory or traditions of the old Arabs do not mention above fix tranfgreffions of this law; and these are ftiled Impious wars. As three of thofe facred months, however, followed clofe together, they used fometimes to dispense with the obfervation of Muharrem; keeping the next month (Sefer) facred in its room. Mahomet adopted these observances; with an exception to the mode of transferring a month; which he declared to be a profane innovation: but he gave his followers permiffion to attack at all times Infidels, or those who did not pay a proper regard to the inftitution. See Prelim. Difc. to Sale's Alcoran, p. 196. Battles fought during the facred months were called

.fajar Wickednefs فجار afjeret ; from افجرة

The Treuga Dei or Truce of God, was adopted about the year 1032, in confequence of a pretended revelationTM of a bishop of Aquitaine. It was published in the time of a general calamity; and it made so deep an impreffion on the minds of men, that a general ceffation of private hofftilities was obferved, we are told, for feven years; and a refolution formed, that no man should, in time to come, moleft his adversary from Thursday evening till Monday morning. The Pax Regis or Royal Truce was an ordinance of Lewis VIII. King of France, A. D. 1245; by which the friends or vaffals of a murdered or injuredi perfon were prohibited from commencing hoftilities till

forty days after the commiffion of the offence. Dr. Ro bertfon's Charles V. vol. i. p. 336-8.

с

P. 218. See Abulgazi Khan's Hift. Tatar. Part 9. c.3. P. 220. See D'Herbelot, p. 7, 333. Sale's Prelim. Difc. p. 38, &c. Code of Gentoo Laws, p. 88. See also Dictionary lum: ε lua: ε haa: jo mekerz : u leim: laman: hejeres: ms↳ nakes: jwezegh: which fignify A mifer; avaricious; covetoufnefs, cowardice, baseness, worthlessness, and every villainous

لوم

هاع
مكرز

nana nemek kbayini نان و نمک خايني .property of man

A bread and falt traitor; he who betrays his patron, mafter, hoft, or benefactor.

2

P. 221. See the Shah namé, under the title of

vinil og Sjl mig guzeshteni Siavekhsh az kuhi atish The paffing of Siavekhsh through the flaming pile. See alfo Preface to Code of Gentoo Laws, p. lviii, &c.

a

P. 223.

D'Herbelot, p. 688.

P. 225. blatu, Jub bertil,

refbu Bribing judge or great man, to obtain any thing contrary to justice. reshwet, ɔ yadé or zi↳ yazé, raislų berakendeh is badkund, baré, jer A bribe to corrupt a judge.raish A broker employed to bribe a judge. Ja mudli Offering money to a judge, in order to corrupt him. nezaret denotes the technical language of the Arabian lawyers. mehash Different tribes. il of Pagan Arabians affembling round a fire; cuftomary when they entered into treaties. hawlet A facred fire, over which witneffes ufed to fwear.

P. 226. nigariftan The gallery of pictures : a work fomewhat refembling the Guliftan; being an agreeable mifcellany in profe and verfe. The anecdotes in it are in general confidered as founded on real hiftory.

Supplemental obfervations on the Greek Hiftorians. Their general merit acknowledged. Their inaccuracies complained of by their greatest admirers. Singular difagreement of chronologers and commentators. Further frictures upon the expedition of Xerxes. Grounds upon which Afiatic authors might confider the Greeks as tributary or dependent upon the Perfian empire. Obfervations on Mr. Bryant's animadverfions on this head.

N the preceding fheets, I have ventured

to question the authority of the writers of Greece; chiefly with regard to Eastern subjects and have not, I am afraid, expreffed myfelf, on fome points, with clearness fufficient to be rightly understood. For although I have proposed doubts of some facts, I would T

not be thought to queftion all. What I have merely given as the relations of Afiatic writers, I would not be fuppofed implicitly to adopt. And whilft my purpose has been fimply to fubmit to the attention of future hiftorians the incongruities of Western and Eastern authors, I would not be understood to give a preference, where I have only meant an impartial investigation. *

a

THE animadverfions on this subject, which I have had any opportunity of learning, have turned principally - Upon the general credit to which the Greeks are intitled, from their antiquity-Upon the expedition of XerxesAnd upon the idea of the Grecians being tributary or fubject to the Perfian kings.

To these points I fhall beg leave to speak : and flatter myself, whatever difference of opinion may be entertained on fubjects fo remote, and fo full of uncertainty, that no man of candour will greatly condemn me, for endeavouring to explain or to fupport my former pofitions. I again declare, that I cannot have the least partiality for one single circumstance, which, on the balance of fair argument, may appear to be wrong: for whilft I fee no neceffity in the belief of any his torical abfurdity, I can fee as little propriety

in refufing my affent to whatever has folid pretenfions to truth or probability. "

THAT Europe is much indebted to the Grecian writers, every man of reason will be forward to acknowledge. They unquestionably did a great deal: but could they do all? Was nothing to be left to other nations, and to other times? Like a fine luftre in a large hall, they might diffuse their rays a great way around but could they illuminate all the extremities; could they throw light into every dark recefs? In plaçes and in times too remote for the observation of the European Ancients, can it be too great a stretch of fancy to suppose, that native writers of distant countries might, poffibly, furnish fome feeble lights, to guide us through obscurities; which, after all, we ought rather to regret than to wonder at? For, when we confider the infinite difadvantages under which, in those early times, a writer must have struggled : when we confider the comparative difficulty of intercourfe and information: when we confider the facility of impofition, to which a vivacity of imagination is naturally expofed: with the numberlefs fictions and prejudices, to which mifconception or fuperftition had given a currency: we fhall be lefs furprized,