Reprint Of Scarce, Or Curicus, Books On Freemasonry.

though Cyrus was more advanced in years than Tele » iachus , both heroes only treasured up instructions for practice , or made trial of what thej r were to put in use—the former in the management of a little kingdom , and the latter in the government of a vast empire . My author , on tho contrary , disjdays a complete -life , or the actual application of those principles and sentiments which his hero had imbibed in the course of a most excellent education ; so that in this history , which is divided into ten books , the

hero , from the fourth , is in a condition to instruct others , and in the whole sequel acts alone upon his own motives . Moved by a true heroism , ho employs the time of a tedious exile in the quest of unknown people , whom he frees from the bondage of the most barbarous superstitions , and becomes their lawgiver . In his return he , by his valour , relieves a mighty republic from an enemy that was at its very gates , but demands no other reward for his labour than the preservation of the people he had vanquished ,

whose king , or tyrant , had been the aggressor . Being at last returned into his native country he becomes a benefactor to those he had reason to look upon as his enemies and rivals , rejoicing in those junctures which engaged his honour to sacrifice his own interest to theirs , and made the happiness he obtained for them his duty . Sethos is not alone virtuous by a natural disposition or from a habit . The motives of his conduct are drawn from durable and enlihtened

g principles , which he displays in different rencontres ; and he forms to himself such decisions as , though always tending towards the highest perfection , and even to heroism , are more recommendable by their accuracy than their severity . Hence we have reason to suppose that our author , who lived in the second century , had some knowledge of morals far superior to those of paganism . From these morals , it is very plain , he borrows those adequate definitions of the virtues and vices which ho sometimes puts into the mouth

of his hero and some others of his personages ; and upon this it is I build the confidence I have , in affirming that this work contains a -more refined and profound moral than has hitherto been seen in any hook , the product of mere literature , or of the number of those which may be styled profane . As our author , hoivever , leaves his hero a pagan , he confines himself in this history or life wholly to moral virtues ; and the recommendation of such , to the practice of mankindis not without its advantage . It is by means

, of them , if I may be allowed the expression , we can have intercourse Avith the manners of those nations who differ the most from us in point of religion . It is by them that , even in religion itself * we are able to keep up that humanity and probity , so necessary- for the public good , in men who haA r e the unhappincss of not enough perceiving those motives of another kind , which arc of greater importance to them . To concludebthem Ave can

, y show those too zealous persons , who seem to despise such virtues as are merely moral , that Christian virtues are in regard to moral virtue ivhat faith is with respect to reason—superior , but neA'er contradictory . Another of our author ' s views has been to lay hold of the opportunity of an _ Egyptian hero to throw into his work a great number of learned curiosities concerning that once so famous people ; and , further , as he makes

his hero travel over a great part of the globe , ho had carefully got together the primary notions of the ancient geography . This Avas , without doubt , one of his reasons for giving his work the turn of a history or life , preferable to that of a poem or romance . In reality , tho examples of Herodotus , Polybius , Diodorus , and especially of Plutarch , sufficiently justified his inserting , in this narrative , not only political or military antiquities , but even historical passages relating to the rise and progress ; of human knowledge . These great writers looked upon such digressions as very curious for the common part of readers , who ivant time or patience to have recourse to other springs .