called it Rythra i. e. Red, which the Greeks turned in Erythra or Erythras, and the Latins into Mare Erythraum, i. e. the RedSea. But in the Hebrew it is called Suph, i. e. the Sea of Sedge or Weeds, which grow and float upon it in Abundance. This Sea parts Egypt from Arabia, and therefore it is called alfo the Arabian Gulf.

(b) Bufiris; Lat. from the Gr. i. e. A Manager of Oxen; because he butchered Men like Oxen. A cruel Tyrant of Egypt in the Time of Mofes, who under a Pretence of intreating Strangers, facrificed them upon his Altars. He built the famous City of Zoan or Tanais, and made it the Seat of his Kingdom. This Fable fignifies that Pharaoh, who put the Ifraelites to a very hard Slavery like Oxen; for which Hercules, the true Mofes, deftroyed him and all his Attendants in the Red Sea. Some call him Amenophis, but others Cenchres.

(i) Memphian; of or belonging to Memphis; Heb. i. e. A populous Country or great City. In Heb. it is called Moph and Neph, which the Greeks turned into Memphis. This great City was built, as fome fay, a little before the Flood; and being af terwards repaired and enlarged, it became the Royal City of Egypt, 'till the Time of the Ptolomies, who refided at Alexandria ; because it was built by Alexander the Great. It was a great City, feven Leagues in Circuit; becaufe in Length of Time four Cities became one; and flood on the Weft Side of the Nile. It was destroyed by the Arabs, as the Prophets foretold; and out of its Ruins they built another on the other Side of the River, called Alcair, Heb. i. e. the City; which the French call Grand Cairo, i. e. the Great City. Here it is taken for the whole People of Egypt, in the Days of Bufiris.

CHAP,

(m) Egypt, Lat. from the Gr. i. e. The Land of the Egopti, Cophti, and Copti, from Coptus the Metropolis of Thebais, a City mentioned by Strabo and Plutarch; or from Cobtim, the People and firit King that fettled in that Country, and of the Pofterity of Ham; or from gp tus, the Brother of Danaus, and an antient King of it. This Monarchy lafted 1300 Years 'till Alexander the Great. In the Old Teftament 'tis called the Land of Ham and Mizraim. (Mixraim fignifies Afflictions, and is a Prediction of the Tribulations the People of God were afterwards to fuffer there.) The Greeks call it Egyptos, q. Ge Captoon, and Chamia or Chemia, i. e. the Land of the Copti and of Cham; the Turks and Arabs call it Mizri and Mifr. to this Day. An antient and fertile Kingdom of Africa; having Ethiopia on the South, the Red Sea and Ifthmus of Suez on the Eaft, the Mediterranean Sea on the North, and the Defarts of

Lybia on the Weft. It is about 650 Miles in Length, and 310Miles in Breath. It was peopled foon after the Deluge, had Kings in the Days of Abraham, Gen. xii. 1o. celebrated for the

great Skill of the People in po

lite Literature. Nebuchadnezzar vanquished it, Cambyfes brought it into the Power of the Perfians, A. M 3479. Then it fell into the Hands of the Grecians for 300 Years. The Romans reduced it into a Province, and called it Augufta, who held it for 313 Years. The Saracens, then the Mamalucs, and at laft the Turks became Masters of it. There is little Rain, but the Overflowing of the Nile yearly renders it very fertile : So that it was always a Granary to Canaan, Arabia, Greece and Rome, and is now to Conftantinople; though fometimes there have been Famines there. The Har-. veft is in our March and April. The evil Day of Egypt was under the ten Plagues mentioned Exod. vii, viii, ix, x, and xi.

black

(n) Locufts; Ital. Lat. q. Loca ufany, i. e. Burning or laying Places wafe. They are mischievous Flies, like Grafhoppers, that destroy the Grass, Corn, and Fruits, wherever they go; very common in Egypt, Africa, and other hot Countries; they live about five Months only: But thefe were extraordinary, both for their Number and the End for which they were fent. The ninth Plague of Egypt fent by God to humble that proud Tyrant. Pli ny reckons thirty Sorts of them; fome are three Feet long, which the Jews, Arabs, Africans, and Americans do eat, See Mat. iii. 4. Cockburn's Journey, p. 58. And fays a whole City in Africa was laid wafte by them; they deftroyed Part of Germany, A. D. 852. To thofe Milton refembles the Fallen Angels for the vaft Multitudes of them; for they come in Clouds, about 18 Miles in Length, and 12 Miles in Breadth, which eclipfe the Sun, darken the Air, cover the Earth, make a fad Stench when they die, and are exactly defcribed, Exod. x. 4. Prov. xxx. 27. and Joel ii. 2, 12.

(0) Pharaoh; Old Egyptian, i. e. A Crocodile; for the People worshipped that Creature out of Fear. Jofephus tranflates it a King. Pharaoh was the common Name of their Kings from the Beginning to the Conqueft of

Alexander the Great, for 1650 Years, under 47 Kings; as that of Abimelech, Heb. i. e. my Father the King, among the Philifines; Auguftus and Cæsar was among the Romans; yet many of them had proper Names, as Sefoftris, So, Neco, Ophra, &c. After Alexander twelve Princes reigned, who were called Ptolomy, Gr. i. e. Warlike, for 300 Years; and Cleopatra, Gr. i. e. The Glory of the Cauntry. She was vanquished by Julius Cafar, A. M. 3974. And then Egypt

fell into the Hands of the Romans. This King's proper Name was Ramafes Miamum; who came to the Crown 58 Years after the Death of Joseph; and Bufiris by the Greeks.

(p) Nile; O. Egypt. or contracted from Nahal, Heb. i. e. The River; for that Language came near the Heb. and in the Old Teft. it is called Nabal Mizzam, i. e. The River of the Egyptians; because it is the chief and only River there; from which the Greeks and the Targum call it Nilos. It is ufual in many Countries to call their chief River fo. Thus the Ganges in India, thus Mefchacebe (which the French call Miifippe) from Cebe, i. e. The River; and Mefcha, i. e. The great; the Great River. The Nile is also called Seher, Joh. xiii. 3. from thence the Ethiopians named it Shieri

Shibri,

Shihri, and Siris, 'till it paffes into the Confines of Egypt and the laft Cataract; thefe Words are of the fame Signification in the Ethiopic, and fignify Black; because the Waters of it are black and turbid. It is the nobleft River in all Africa, rifing in and running through Ethiopia from South to North; it divides Egrpt in the Middle, waters it all over once a year, viz. June, Juby, August, and Part of September; and difcharges itself into the Mediterranean Sea, at leven Mouths formerly, See Ifa. xi. 15. But only two of them are navigable at this Time, one at Damietta, and another at Rojetta; the other five being fmall ones, filled up with Sands or artificial Canals; after a long Course of 10co German Miles, and 4000 English. The Spring of it was unknown to the Ancients, even to a Proverb. Alexander the Great confulted the Oracle of Jupiter Ammon to find it; Sefotris and Ptolemy, Kings of Egypt, fought for it in vain; and Julius Cæfar faid he would give over the Purfuit of the Civil Wars, if he was fure to find it.

But now it is known to be in a Plain at the Foot of a Mountain in Abyffinia, furrounded with high Mountains, from two Fountains about the Widenefs of a Cart Wheel, 30 Paces diftant, whofe Bottoms are 16 or 17 Foot deep. These Sources the Ethiopians call Abain and Saccabela, i. e. The Father of the Waters. The old Inhabitants worshipped the Nile, Pharaoh paid his Devotions to it every Morning; and there Mofes addreffed him to frequently during the ten Plagues; they dedicated a magnificent Temple to it in Memphis, with many Priefts and Rites, because they thought it was the fole Caufe of all their Plenty. But Conflanfine demolished it, and difperfed the Priefts; whereat the poor Infidels made grievous Lamentations, faying, the River would defert them for ever. It overflows fome Parts of Ethiopia, and all Egypt every Year, which is caufed by vaft Snow and Rains falling upon thefe Mountains of Ethiopia, which being melted by the Heat of the Sun, render the adjacent Countries moft fruitful; other Rivers do the like.

DENMARK,