BOOK almost every point from those of other nations,

I.

Of the
Phenicians.

to renounce all intercourfe with foreigners. In confequence of this, they never went out of their own country; they held all fea-faring perfons in deteftation, as impious and profane; and fortifying their own harbours, they denied ftrangers admittance into them. It was in the decline of their power, and when their vene, ration for ancient maxims had greatly abated, that they again opened their ports, and refumed any communication with foreigners.

THE character and fituation of the Phenicians were as favourable to the spirit of commerce and difcovery as thofe of the Egyptians were adverfe to it. They had no diftinguishing peculiarity in their manners and inftitutions; they were not addicted to any fingular and unfocial form of fuperftition; they could mingle with other nations without fcruple or reluctance. The territory which they poffeffed was neither large nor fertile. Commerce was the only fource from which they could derive opulence or power. Accordingly, the trade carried on by the Phenicians of Sidon and Tyre, was more extenfive and enterprifing than that of any ftate in the ancient world. The genius of the Phe

b Diod. Sicul. lib. i. p. 78. ed. Weffelingi. Amft. 1756. Strabo, lib. xvii. p. 1142. ed. Amft. 1707.

nicians,

I.

nicians, as well as the object of their policy and BOOK the spirit of their laws, were entirely commer

cial. They were a people of merchants who aimed at the empire of the fea, and actually poffeffed it. Their fhips not only frequented all the ports in the Mediterranean, but they were the first who ventured beyond the ancient boundaries of navigation, and paffing the Streights of Gades, vifited the western coafts of Spain and Africa. In many of the places to which they resorted, they planted colonies, and communicated to the rude inhabitants fome knowledge of their arts and improvements. While they extended their discoveries towards the north and the west, they did not neglect to penetrate into the more opulent and fertile regions of the fouth and east, Having rendered themselves mafters of feveral commodious harbours towards the bottom of the Arabian Gulph, they, after the example of the Egypti ans, established a regular intercourfe with Arabia and the continent of India on the one hand, and with the eastern coaft of Africa on the other. From thefe countries they imported many valuable commodities, unknown to the reft of the world, and, during a long period, engroffed that lucrative branch of commerce without a rival'.

See NOTE I, at the end of the volume.

THE

BOOK
I.

THE vaft wealth which the Phenicians ac quired by monopolizing the trade carried on Of the Jews in the Red Sea, incited their neighbours the Jews, under the profperous reigns of David and Solomon, to aim at being admitted to fonte fhare of it. This they obtained, partly by their conqueft of Idumea, which stretches along the Red Sea, and partly by their alliance with Hiram king of Tyre. Solomon fitted out fleets, which, under the direction of Phenician pilots, failed from the Red Sea to Tarfhifh and Ophir. These it is probable were ports in India and Africa which their conductors were accustomed to frequent, and from them the Jewifh fhips returned with such valuable cargoes as fuddenly diffused wealth and fplendour through the kingdom of Ifrael'. But the fingular institutions of the Jews, the obfervance of which was enjoined by their divine legiflator, with an intention of preferving them a feparate people, uninfected by idolatry, formed a national character incapable of that open and liberal intercourfe with ftrangers which commerce requires. Accordingly, this unfocial genius of the people, together with the difafters which befel the kingdom of Ifrael,

Memoire fur le Pays d'Ophir par M. D'Anyillę Mem. de l'Academ. des Infcript. &c. tom. xxx. 83. prevented

prevented the commercial fpirit which their BOOK monarchs laboured to introduce, and to cherifh,

from spreading among them.

not be numbered among the

The Jews can

nations which

contributed to improve navigation, or to extend discovery.

I.

BUT though the inftructions and example of of the Car. the Phenicians were unable to mould the man- thaginians. ners and temper of the Jews, in oppofition to the tendency of their laws, they tranfmitted. the commercial fpirit with facility, and in full vigour, to their own defcendants the Carthaginians. The commonwealth of Carthage applied to trade and to naval affairs, with no lefs ardour, ingenuity, and fuccefs, than its parentftate. Carthage early rivalled, and foon furpaffed Tyre, in opulence and power, but seems not to have aimed at obtaining any fhare in the commerce with India. The Phenicians had engroffed this, and had fuch a command of the Red Sea as fecured to them the exclufive poffeffion of that lucrative branch of trade, The commercial activity of the Carthaginians was exerted in another direction. Without contending for the trade of the east with their mother-country, they extended their navigation chiefly towards the weft and north. Following the course which the Phenicians had opened,

I.

BOOK opened, they paffed the Streights of Gades, and pushing their discoveries far beyond those of the parent ftate, vifited not only all the coafts of Spain, but thofe of Gaul, and penetrated at laft into Britain. At the fame time that they acquired knowledge of new countries in this part of the globe, they gradually carried their researches towards the South. They made confiderable progrefs, by land, into the interior provinces of Africa, traded with fome of them, and subjected others to their empire. They failed along the western coaft of that great continent, almoft to the tropic of Cancer, and planted feveral colonies, in order to civi lize the natives, and accuftom them to com. merce. They difcovered the Fortunate Iflands, now known by the name of the Canaries, the utmost boundary of ancient navigation in the western ocean o.

NOR was the progrefs of the Phenicians and Carthaginians in their knowledge of the globe, owing entirely to the defire of extending their trade from one country to another. Commerce was followed by its ufual effects among both these people. It awakened curiofity, en.

Plinii Nat. Hift. lib. vi. c. 37. edit, in ufum Delph. 4to. 1685.

larged