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less than the fanes of Egypt, assumed the form of his all-vivifying ray. In succeeding ages, FIRE, and the other elements, of which their rapid advance in physical knowledge led them to explore the latent and wonderful properties, upon similar principles, received a kindred homage. The form of the sacred edifice varied with their varying theology, and temples were now erected of a quadrangular fashion, as well from their veneration of the four elements, which began so universally to receive the homage of superstition, as in allusion to the four cardinal points of that universe, the system of which they began more accurately to comprehend. The pyramids of Egypt, built with such astronomical precision as to front the four quarters of the world, and the quadrangular pagoda, with its lofty pyramidal gateways, exhibited in the former portion of this work, are remarkable instances of the union of these two predominant notions in the ancient systems of theology; and the period in which the former were erected, could it be ascertained, might possibly point out the precise æra in which they were first blended together in that system.

In these public erections for the performance of the national worship, the piety of the old

Egyptians singularly manifested itself; for, it is very remarkable that nearly all the ancient accounts of the astonishing splendour and magnificence displayed in their buildings are wholly to be considered as referring to the temples of the gods and to sepulchral edifices. The former, their sublime notions concerning the Deity and his attributes, taught them it was impossible to erect, in a style too costly; and, with respect to the latter, Diodorus Siculus informs us, they paid little attention to the building and decoration of their domestic habitations, for they esteemed them only as inns in which their residence was transitory; but the sepulchres of the dead they considered as everlasting habitations, and therefore bestowed upon them all the decorations of art and an unbounded profusion of expence.*

It was impossible for astronomy not to have had great influence with the ancients in forming the plans of their buildings, but especially their temples, because, upon that astronomy was principally founded the basis of the popular superstition. In the course of the extensive astronomical disquisitions, into which it will be absolutely necessary for me to enter hereafter, in order to render the ancient Sanscreet history

* Diod. Sic. lib. i. cap. 4, p. 156.

of Hindostan intelligible, I shall have various opportunities of evincing how deeply their physical, and especially their sidereal, speculations regulated their proceedings in this point. Two or three instances of this kind only shall be here particularized from the two most ancient and authentic historians, Herodotus and Diodorus Siculus.

In the extensive and beautiful plains of CHALDEA, I have before observed, astronomy probably had its birth, and on those plains were certainly made the first accurate celestial observations. According to Pliny, "Belus inventor fuit sideralis scientiæ:"* that is, Belus first collected together and reduced into a system the scattered observations of the astronomers of his time, and those handed down by tradition from the preceding race and his ante-diluvian ancestors; for, there can be little doubt but that mankind, struck with the beauty and splendour of the heavenly bodies, soon after the creation began to count their number and observe their motions. The conjecture is by no means improbable, that one intention of erecting that immense PYRAMID, the tower of Babel, was with a view to render it, what the pyramids of Egypt in succeeding ages were doubtless in

* Plinii Nat. Hist. lib. i. cap. xxvi, Aldi edit.

part intended to be, stupendous theatres for such astronomical observations, as their limited acquaintance with the principles of that science enabled them to make. The walls of the great Babylon itself are said by Diodorus Siculus to have been built by Semiramis of the extent of 360 furlongs, to mark the number of the days of the ancient year.* If that historian may be credited, the future invader of India employed in that vast undertaking no less than two millions of men, and one stadium was erected every day till the whole was completed within the period of that year, the length of which the measure of their circumference was intended to represent. In justice to Diodorus, it should be added, that he professes to take this account from Ctesias; for, he subjoins, that, in Alexander's time, those walls were in circuit 365 furlongs; a circumstance, however, which by no means destroys the credit of the first acIt rather serves as an additional testimony of the great attention of the ancients to astronomical inquiries, since it is most probable, that, when they had more accurately fixed the duration of the solar year, the circuit of the city walls was, by some succeeding sovereign, enlarged, that the number of furlongs might *Diod. Sic. book i. p. 120, 121, Edit. Rhodomani.

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exactly correspond with the aggregate amount of the days added to the ancient year.

There is another very extraordinary instance, recorded by Herodotus, of the speculations of astronomy influencing the architectural designs of the sovereigns of the ancient world, which is exceedingly to my present purpose, but withal is so strongly tinctured with the marvellous, that I scarcely dare to insert it. I cannot however avoid laying it before the reader, who will credit the whole relation as a fact, or reject it as a fable, in proportion as he may entertain a high or inferior degree of esteem for that historian. The palace, erected by Dejoces, according to this writer, the first king of the Medes, in the great city of Ecbatana, was situated upon an eminence, the sloping declivities of which were surrounded by seven circular walls, one beyond the other, and the outermost of such prodigious extent as to be sixty stadia in circumference. Here it is deserving of notice, that sixty was a famous astronomical period in all systems of Asiatic astronomy. Hence it was, that it became afterwards so important in all their chronological calculations; it particularly attracts our notice in the great sexagenary cycle of China, and is, Sir William Jones informs us, the usual divisor of time among the Indians. These seven walls,