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with large revenues. Hence, Timon the Phliasian, who was cotemporary with Ptolemy Soter, used to call it the coop; denoting thereby, that the philosophers were fed in the museum, and fattened, like birds in a coop.— Thus, we see the museum was an institution, of the same kind with the colleges of the present times; and, as, to these, the kingdoms where they flourish are indebted, for so many of the great men, which they have given to the world: so, Alexandria owed to its museum the many eminent writers it produced.

The celebrated Demetrius Phalereus was the first president of this seat of learning; and, as the library was a part of it, he had, in all probability, the books likewise under his care.-Plutarch tells us, that it was he, who first suggested to the king, the idea of founding both the museum and library; and that the king readily embraced the proposal of a man, so eminent for his learning, and other extraordinary qualifications.-Demetrius was charged, with the care of collecting these books, an employment not unworthy of so great a man, since, the king himself placed therein all his pleasure and diversion; a diversion suitable to the taste of a prince, who was himself a man of eminent learning, and an encourager of it in others.—Livy, in speaking of this library, stiles it, a noble monument of the wealth of the Egyptian kings, and of their commendable attention, in propagating knowledge among their subjects.

The second Ptolemy was, like his father, a most diligent collector of books. He employed an indefatigable industry in augmenting, at an immense charge, the library founded by his father. Nor did he rest there— he dispatched various agents into Greece, particularly Aratus the Sicyonian, to collect for him statues, drawings, and pictures. He is likewise said to have maintained, at vast expence, and to have sent into different

parts

parts of the world, ilful persons, in search of interesting objects of nral history, particularly, of all sorts of wild beasts, and birds and is said, to have made a vast number .f new discoveries, respecting the nature and properes of animals.

This cond Ptolemy, who was ironically called Philadelphy by the Alexandrians, in their sarcastic manner, because he had put two of his brothers to death, was, abstracted from this act of cruelty, a great and accomplished prince; like his father, he possessed great learning himself, and was a liberal promoter of it in others. As he was a consummate judge of merit, and his liberality was equal to his taste, the fame of his generosity, not only drew to his court the famous Pleiades, but also a variety of other persons, distinguished for learning and genius, poets, historians, critics, philosophers, and artists. Here, among others, flourished Aristarchus the critic, Manetho, the famous Egyptian historian, Conon and Hipparchus, two celebrated mathematicians, and Zenodotus of Ephesus, who first corrected the works of Homer. To this prince, also, the world is indebted, for the Greek translation of the Scriptures, which is known by the name of the Septuagint.

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At the same time, this magnificent and generous prince applied himself, with unwearied attention, to business, studying all possible methods, to make his subjects happy, and raise his dominions to a flourishing condition. He exerted himself to draw to Egypt the trade of the east, which the Tyrians had to that time carried on by sea to Elath, and thence, by the way of Rhinocorura to Tyre. To draw this trade into Egypt, Ptolemy Philadelphus built a city, on the west of the Red Sea, whence he sent out fleets to all the countries, with which the Tyrians had traded. He called it after the name of his mother Berenice; but the harbour..not

being

being convenient, Myus Hormus, a city in the neighbourhood, was preferred. All the commodities of the cast were carried thence, on camels, to Coptos, a city on the Nile, where they were again shipt for Alexandria, and from that city disperst over the west, in exchange for the merchandize, which was exported to the east. Thus, the whole trade being fixed at Alexandria, that place became the chief mart of all the traffic, which was carried on between the east and the west, and continued to be the greatest empory in the world, for above seventeen hundred years. As Ptolemy intended to engross the whole trade of the east and west, he fitted out two great fleets to protect his trading subjects. One of these he kept in the Red Sea, the other in the Mediterranean'; and not only protected trade, but held in subjection the maritime provinces of Asia Minor.-Such was Ptolemy Philadelphus. It might naturally be expected, that Theocritus and Callimachus, who had witnessed the won ders of his administration, had enjoyed the splendour and pleasures of his court, and tasted freely of his bounty, should pour out the dew of courtly praise.

The great pastoral poet has consecrated, to the fame of Ptolemy, that fine composition, his seventeenth Idyll σε Ανδρων δ' αν Πτολεμαι. ἔνι πρωτοισι λέγεσθα

σε Και τυματα και μεσσῶν ὁ γας προφερες απο ανδρων, A &c.

Him first, him last, him midst, and without end. The poet, after a strain of sublime and ingenious panegyric, does not forget to expatiate, with all the feeling. of experience, on the liberality of the monarch.

"And yet, he hoards not up his useless store,
"Like ants, still labouring, still amassing more.
"The holy shrines and temples are his care,
"For they the first-fruits of his favour share.

To

"To mighty kings his bounty he extends,

"To states confederate, and illustrious friends. "No bard at Bacchus' festival appears,

"Whose lyre bas pow'r to charm the ravish'd ears.
"But he bright honours, and rewards imparts,
"Due to his merits, equal to his arts.

"And poets hence, for deathless song renown'd,
"The generous fame of Ptolemy resound.
"At what more glorious cap the wealthy aim,
"Than thus to purchase fair and lasting fame.
"The quick Atrida 'this alone enjoy,

"While all the wealth and spoil of plunder'd Troy,
"That scap'd the raging fire, or whelming wave,
"Lies buried in oblivion's greedy grave.

"Close trod great Ptolemy, at virtue's call, "His father's footsteps but surpass'd them all."--Fawkes.

Callimachus, in his hymn to Jupiter, after having deseanted, on the praises of the sovereign of the gods; in a strain of sublime flattery, and ingenious hyperbole, introduces the praise of Ptolemy; for, passing from the gods, to kings, the vicegerents of the deity, he is led, by an easy transition, to mention his own sovereign; and says of him

σε Περι προ γαρ ένρυ βεβηκεν.

"6 Εσπερια κοινά γε τελει τα κεν ήοι νοηση

66 Εσπεριδα τα μεγιςας τα μείονα δ ̓ ἐυτε νοηση.”

On which passage, I cannot forbear remarking, that, most probably, the poet had in view the sublime sentence in Genesis And God said, let there be light, "and there was light.”

"When mighty deeds his ruling genius wills, "What morn has purpos'd pregnant eve fulfils,

Each

“Each minor work on thought obedient waits, "His word is being, and his wish creates."-Callimachus, Hymn to Jove.

Such, in fact, was the ardour of this prince, in pursuit of his favourite objects, that, in the midst of a war with Antiochus Theus, king of Syria, he did not give over his search for books, pictures, and drawings.

The third Ptolemy, who was surnamed Euergetes, was a no less generous encourager of learning, than his father and grandfather had been, for he applied himself with the same care and attention to the enlarging of his library, and purchasing of books, at an immense charge; he invited with ample rewards to his court, all those who were of any note for their learning, and took great pleasure in improving his own knowledge by their conversation, for he was himself, as Athenaus informs us, well versed in all branches of learning, having been brought up in his youth by the famous Aristarchus, and he even wrote historical commentaries, which were in great repute.

One would hardly believe, that a prince, who is represented by historians as a monster, rather than a man, for such was the character of Ptolemy Physcon, should have deserved the reputation of being the restorer of letters, and the patron of learned men: yet this is attested by Athenæus, Vitruvius, Epiphanius, and others. Athenaus relates, that in the short intervals between his vicious excesses, and licentious orgies, he applied himself to the study of the polite arts and sciences. Nay, according to this author, he had a knowledge so extensive, and such case in discoursing of all kinds of literature, that he acquired the surname of Ptolemy the philologist. The same author adds, that he wrote a history in twenty-four books, and a learned comment on Homer.

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