s meant the account of all transactions not included
in the sacred volumes. Ancient history relates the events that happened
from the creation of the world to the birth of Jesus Christ: Modern
history, those from the birth of Jesus Christ to the present time.
Ancient history is divided into the four periods or aeras of the four
successive monarchies called universal.

_Anne._ Why were they called universal monarchies, mamma?

_Mrs. Harley._ Because they extended over the greatest part of the
_then_ known world. The first was the Assyrian monarchy, founded by
Nimrod, the grandson of Ham, who, you know, was the son of Noah. Nimrod
was a very courageous man, and a famous hunter of wild beasts, which
impressed his friends with so high an idea of his abilities, that they
agreed to elect him their king; he taught his subjects the arts of
hunting and building cities, besides several other useful things: he
founded the Assyrian monarchy about 1800 years after the creation.
Nimrod was succeeded by his son Ninus, and at his death the crown
devolved to his Queen Semiramis, remarkable for her extraordinary
valour; she was slain in battle by the Indians, who, in those days, made
use of elephants in their armies. This monarchy ended under
Sardanapalus, who was a very weak prince. The capitals of the Assyrian
empire were Babylon upon the river Euphrates, and Nineveh on the Tigris.
It was divided, after the death of Sardanapalus, into three kingdoms,
called, the Median, Babylonian, and the second Assyrian. Belshazzar, the
last king of Babylon, was a very wicked man, and treated the Jews (who
had been brought captive to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar, a former king)
with great cruelty. At a splendid entertainment which he one night gave
to the lords of his court, he ordered the vessels that had been taken
from Solomon's temple to be brought to him, and, with his guests,
insulted the Jewish religion by drinking out of them; his impiety was,
however, speedily punished, for that very night Cyrus entered Babylon
with a powerful army, made himself master of the kingdom, and
Belshazzar was slain.

Cyrus becoming, soon after this event, by the death of his father and
uncle, king of Persia, Media, and Babylon, established the second
universal monarchy called the Persian. He was a very good prince, and
permitted the Jews to return to their own land and rebuild their city.

_Anne._ Which was called Jerusalem, was it not, mamma?

_Mrs. Harley._ Ye