riously cultivated, witness that stately edifice, surnamed the
Museum, where the literati used to meet, and were maintained at the public
expense; and the famous library, which was augmented considerably by
Ptolemy Philadelphus; and which, by the magnificence of the kings his
successors, at last contained seven hundred thousand volumes. In Caesar's
wars with the Alexandrians, part of this library, (situate in the
Bruchion,(320)) which consisted of four hundred thousand volumes, was
unhappily consumed by fire.(321)

Part The Second. Of the Manners and Customs of the Egyptians.

Egypt was ever considered, by all the ancients, as the most renowned
school for wisdom and politics, and the source from whence most arts and
sciences were derived. This kingdom bestowed its noblest labours and
finest arts on the improvement of mankind; and Greece was so sensible of
this, that its most illustrious men, as Homer, Pythagoras, Plato; even its
great legislators, Lycurgus and Solon, with many more whom it is needless
to mention, travelled into Egypt, to complete their studies, and draw from
that fountain whatever was most rare and valuable in every kind of
learning. God himself has given this kingdom a glorious testimony, when
praising Moses, he says of him, that "He was learned in all the wisdom of
the Egyptians."(322)

To give some idea of the manners and customs of Egypt, I shall confine
myself principally to these particulars: its kings and government; priests
and religion; soldiers and war; sciences, arts, and trades.

The reader must not be surprised if he sometimes finds, in the customs I
take notice of, a kind of contradiction. This circumstance is owing either
to the difference of countries and nations, which did not always follow
the same usages; or to the different way of thinking of the historians
whom I copy.

Chapter I. Concerning The Kings And Government.

The Egyptians were the first people who rightly understood the rules of
government. A nation so grave and serious immediately perceived, that the
true end of politics is, to make life easy, and a people happy.

The kingdom was hereditary; but, according to Diodorus,(323) the Egyptian
princes conducted themselves in a different manner from what is usually
seen in other monarchies, where the prince acknowledges no other rule of
his actions than his own arbitrary will and pleasure. But here, kings were
under greater restraint from the laws than their s