from which the Meffiah might descend From this originated the custom obferved afterwards in Ifrael, that on a certain feafon of the year, the virgins affembled themfelves on the mountains to bewail the daughter of Jepthah, for the space of four days.

Let us now consider the leading characters of the table of Iphigenia. According to good chronological reckonings, the time of the one and of the other very nearly agree. The opinion that the name of Iphigenia is taken from the daughter of Jepthah, appears well founded. yea the conformity is pal pable. By a very inconfiderable transposition Iphigenia makes Iphthygenia which fignifies literally, The daughter of Jepthah. Agamemnon, who is defcribed as a valiant warrior, and admirable Captain, was chofen by the Greeks for their Prince and General against the Trojans, by the united content of all Greece, affembled together at Aulis in Beotia.

As foon as he had accepted the command, he fent Ambaf fadors to Priam, king of Troy, to demand fatisfaction for the rape of Helen, of which the Greeks complained. The Trojans refufing to grant this, Agamemnon, to gain over to his fide the gods who appeared irritated against the Greeks, and opposed to the fuccefs of their enterprize, after having facrificed to them, went to confult their Interpreter Chalchas, who de clared that the gods, and particularly Diana, would not be ap peafed but by the facrifice of Iphigenia, the daughter of Agamemnen.

Cicero in his Offices fays, that Agamemnon, in order to en gage the protection of the gods in his war against the Trojans, vowed to facrifice to them the most beautiful of all that should be born in his kingdom: and as it was found that his daughter Iphigenia furpaffed all the reft in beauty, he believed himself bound by his vow to facrifice her. Cicero condemns this, rightly judging, that it would have been a leffer evil to have falfified his vow, than to have committed parracide. This account of Cicero renders the fable entirely conformable to the hiftory.

Agamemnon

Agamemnon was at firft ftruck with, and troubled at this order, nevertheless confente i to it: yet afterwards regretted much the lofs of his dangher. He is reprefented by the Poets, as deliberating, and being in doubt whether the gods could requie fuch a parracide; but at last a fente of his duty and honour overcame his paternal affection, and his daughter, who had warmly exhorted him to fulfil his vow to the gods, was led to the altar amid the lamentations of her companions: as Ovid and Euripides relate. Met. lib. 13.

Some authors have thought he was really facrificed: but others more humane, fay that she was caught up in a cloud by the gods, who contented with the intended facrifice, substituted a Hind in her place, with which the facrifice was accomplished. Dilys Cretenfis fays, that this animal was fubftituted to fave Iphigenia.

The Chronology of times fo remote cannot, in many respects, but be uncertain. Both the Greeks and Romans grant that there was nothing else than fables before the first Olympiad; the beginning of which was at least four hundred and fifty years after the deftruction of Troy, and two hundred and forty years after Solomon. As to the time of Solomon, nothing can be more certain than what is related in the sixth chapter of the first book of Kings, that from the going out of Egypt under Mofes, till the time in which he began to build the temple, was four hundred and eighty years.

According to the common opinion, the taking of Troy is placed one hundred and eighty years before the reign of Solomon: but his reign preceded Homer three centuries, according to fome learned men, and always at lealt one century, by thofe who related it lowest. Indeed there is much uncertainty in. fixing the exprefs time in which Homer flourished. Paufanias found fo much difference concerning this in authors, that he was at a lofs how to judge of it. However it was fufficient for us that it is granted, that Solomon was at least a century before Homer, who wrote more than two centuries after the

1

taking of Troy, and who is the most ancient writer of this famous fiege..

This is a prefumptive proof, that these and numberless other fables owe their origin to the facred Scriptures, as the oldest and most approved of the Heathen writers flourished fo long after the facts they celebrated; and the times to which they attributed these transactions, are found to correfpond nearly with thefe parts of the facred Chronology: all which plainly evidence the facred writings to be unquestionably more ancient than these Fables, and their Authors.

[To be concluded in our next.]

A Relation of the CURE of MARY MAILLARD,
Lame almoft fince she was born.

MARY MAILLARD, the daughter of John Maillard a

Sword-Cutler, and Charlotte du Dognon, was born at Coignac in Xaintonge the 25th of September, 1680. She was fcarce a year old when her father and mother perceived that fhe was lame, having a hollownefs in that place where the bone of the left thigh falls into the hip. Thefe good people fent for a Surgeon, but there was found no remedy for her, looking upon her difeafe as incurable, they brought her up without applying themselves to any other Surgeon. As the girl grew up, her lamenefs increased, infomuch that there arofe a great tumor above the cavity of the chion. Her leg became fhorter by above four inches, her knee turned inwards, and her foot in fuch a diflorted manner, that the inward anclebone almoft fupplied the place of the fole of her foot. She lived in France till the perfecution obliged Proteftants to remove; her father and mother fled first to Lauzane, and carried their daughter with them; from thence they went into Germany, and at last came over into England.

Travelling

Travelling increafed the girl's complaint, fo that when she walked, the threw her body fit on one fide, then on the other; and felt very violent pains. Her deformed way of going caufed the little children to flock about, and abufe her with rude language; and not content with only giving her ill names, they frequently threw dirt at her.

Monfieur Debatz, a Surgeon of the poor Refugees, was called to vifit her, and did fo; but he thought her complaint was not to be cured, and therefore only advised her mother to chafe her with fome oils, to endeavour to alleviate her pains.

She went on Sunday in the afternoon to the French Church behind Leicester-Fields. As fhe returned home, the was again fet upon by children that befpa tered her all over with dirt, and followed her with feveral ill names, even to the houfe where Mademoiselle de Laulan lodged, (whom the ferved as an Interpretefs) in Saint Janes's Ailey, near the Church, in GermainStreet. This illufage extremely grieved her, fo that the wept, and complained of it to her mutrefs, who exhorted her to have parience, and to comfort herfelt in God.

Between feven and eight in the evening, fhe took the New Teftament; and reading the fecond chapter of St. Mark, the told her miftrefs that the wondered at the unbeliet of the Jews; and, If fuch a thing had happened now, (laid fhe, upon the wonderful cure that was wrought upon the fick of the palfy, mentioned in that chapter) I would run very quickly, and believe too. And fearce had the uttered those words, but a redoubling of her pain came upon her, which forced her to ftretch out her leg; and as fhe would have drawn it in, upon a reproof her mistress made of the indecency of that pofture, fhe heard a fnap that her bone made, her leg extended itself, her foot and knee were reftored to their natural fituation; her pains ceased, and the thought fhe had heard a voice faying to her, Thou art healed. Let that be as it will, the found hertelf effectually She conhealed, and walked up and down the chamber. tinued very well; her left leg being in as good a position as her right, and fhe walked very easily.

The

The witneffes who depofed that she was extraordinarily lame, before the 26th of November, were, her father and mother, the inhabitants of the place where fhe was born, and many others, both English and French of all ages, of both fexes, and of different qualities: children of five and fix years old, who are incorruptible, and not subject to be infincere: a taylor who made her clothes, and obferved the deformity of her body: the Shoemaker who made her fhoes, and who was obliged to make one fhoe for her higher than the other four or five inches and an honeft man, a Swifs by nation, who knew her from her cradle, and with whom the afterwards lodged here, who would have made an artificial leg for her, to have helped to fupport her body: alfo we will produce for a witnefs, the Surgeon who vifited her about two years before her

cure.

Mary Maillard herself difcovered a great deal more of religion, than is ordinarily feen in a riper age: fhe was very well inftructed in the first rudiments of the christian religion, and had for her years a competent knowledge of the holy Scriptures.

Another witness was Mademoifelle de Laulan, who had always a very good reputation; and lived a confiderable time in the family of Madam de Turenne, that incomparable Princess, who was lefs illuftrious in her high birth,* and rank fhe had in the world, than in that which her piety has given her name in the church, where her memory will be always celebrated. This inftance would be enough to recommend the reputation of Mademoifelle de Laulin; but if we add to it her leaving her hufband in France, and a confiderable eftate for the fake of her religion; and her having met with misfortunes here capable to hake almost any heart lefs fteady than her's; it must be confeffed that virtue is required for fuch a thing, and that a per. fon of her character could not be fufpected of inventing a lie, which befides the lofs of her reputation, was of no advantage to her in the world.

* She was the only daughter of the Duke de la Force.

A Letter