THIRD LETTER.

"Dear Cousin, Though my hand be almost past writing, as you will sufficiently see by this letter, yet I cannot omit thanking you for the kindness of your last. I hope ere this you have received my book. I am sure it will no where find a more observing and judicious reader than yourself. I had sufficient experience of this in your learned remarks on the former part. They have instructed me for the making some alterations against another edition; but however, I cannot recede from placing the Zoroastres, who was Zerdusht of the Persians, and the author of the book, Zundaveston (which is the Bible of the Magians) in that very age, where my book has placed him. To say otherwise would be to contradict all the ancient histories of the Persians, and the general tradition of all the East. What you object out of Xanthus Lydius, who lived in that very age, in which I place Zoroastres, looks like an unanswerable argument, it being by no means likely, that this author should assert Zoroastres to have lived six hundred years before the expedition of Xerxes, if he was his contemporary. One answer hereto is, the history, that in the time of Diogenes Laertius went under the name of Xanthus Lydius, was none of his, but written by Dionysius Scytobrachion, who lived a little before the time of Tully and Julius Cæsar. This Athenæus tells us, lib. XII. and quotes for it Artemon Cassandreus, who wrote a treatise on purpose to make a distinction of the genuine authors from the spurious, which were then extant. But I am rather apt to think with Pliny, (lib. XXX. c. 1.) that there were two Zoroastres, the elder of which was the founder of the Magian sect, and the other the reformer; and that this latter was the Zerdusht of the Persians, and lived in the time where I have placed him. Pliny, in the chapter last quoted, tells us of a Zoroastres, who lived but a little before (paulo ante hunc, are his words) that Ostanes, who came with Xerxes into Greece. Plato, in the tenth book of his Politics, spoke of a Zoroastres, who was Herus Armenius a Pamphylian. This same was the Armenius Pamphilus, who, Arnobius tells us, was

familiarly acquainted with Cyrus. (See Clem. Alex. Strom. V. p. 436, Edit. Hins. Arnob. lib. I. p. 31.) I acknowledge the passage in Arnobius is very dark; but if it signifies any thing, it must signify thus much, that there was a Zoroastres, who lived in the time of Cyrus. I may add hereto, that the antiquity, which most of the ancients among the Greeks and Latins attribute to Zoroastres, is notoriously fabulous, as that of five thousand years before the wars of Troy, and another of six thousand years before the times of Plato, &c. In most pretences to antiquity, it may go for a general rule, that they, who say the latest, say the truest. As to your other objection against Alexander's having been at Jerusalem, the place you refer to in Pliny, manifestly makes against you; for the words there plainly prove, that Alexander was then at Jericho, when that incision was made in the balsam trees, which he makes mention of; otherwise these words, Alexandro Magno res ibi gerente, would be very impertinently inserted; and if he were at Jericho, he could not go from thence to Gaza, without taking Jerusalem in his way. The words in Pliny to me plainly imply that Alexander was at Jericho, when that incision was made, and that it was made at that time for his sake, to gather some of the balsam. That an extraordinary providence has always attended that people for their preservation is manifest. That they are now in being, is a sufficient proof hereof. I am, &c."

Norwich, July 10, 1718.

FOURTH LETTER.

"Dear Cousin, I do most heartily thank you for your kind letter, especially for the observations, which you have sent me of my mistakes in the last part of my history. I must confess that about Octavius' posterity is a very great one. It is a downright blunder of my old head; and I am glad so accurate and learned a reader has not observed more of them. This makes me hope that no more such have escaped me. I have mended this and all the others you have taken notice of; only I cannot make Socrates a Sodomite. The place in Juvenal, which you mention, reflects on him

for his affection to Alcibiades, as if that were a Sodomitical amour. I am past labouring any further, being now past the seventieth year of my age; if I outlive the ensuing winter, it is more than I expect, or indeed desire; for I have now upon me those decays both of body and mind, as make me fully sensible, Gravis est et dura senectus. Every body cannot live so long as my aunt M. M. though perchance I might have lived much longer, and in full vigour, had not my great calamity come athwart me: considering that, it is much, that I have lasted so long. I bless God for all his mercies hitherto. I am, dear cousin, &c."

Norwich, Sept. 6, 1718.

The learned and ingenious Mr. Warburton has likewise differed from Dr. Prideaux as to the age of Zoroastres, in his Demonstration of the Divine Legation of Moses.

In Hilary term, A. D. 1717, he published the Second Part of the Connexion of the History of the Old and New Testaments, and dedicated this part, as he had done the former, to the earl of Nottingham, in acknowledgment of the favours he had received from that nobleman.

This history was the last work he finished for the public; for he being now past his seventieth year, he found infirmities grow very fast upon him; and these were hastened on by what he had suffered in being cut for the stone, and the ill management he had afterwards fallen under. About this time, he was seized with a paralytical shaking in his left hand, which six years after seized his right also, and at length weakened it to that degree, that he could no longer hold a pen to write with; and as these weaknesses of body crept on him, they much impaired and weakened the vigour of his mind, so that he could no longer carry on his studies with his usual strength and assiduity, which made him think it time to give over, as one superannuated for any further undertaking; and therefore though he had other works in design, and for some of them had materials in a great measure in readiness for the composure, he thought it properest to drop them all, as not expecting he should

live long enough to finish whatever he should begin; and that, if he did finish any thing under these decays and infirmities, it would be liable to great errors; and he did not think it proper either to hazard his own. character, or affront the public so far as to offer any thing of this kind. And therefore for the remaining part of his life, he was resolved to send nothing more to the press, but confined himself solely to the duties of the station, to which he was called; and faithfully to discharge these, and bear the burden of his infirmities, was work enough for him during the latter part of his life.

For some time after the publication of his Connexion of the History of the Old and New Testaments, seldom a week passed without his receiving letters with remarks and observations upon it from the learned, in different parts of the kingdom; some raising difficul ties, others desiring information as to the explaining some difficult passages in it. To all these he constantly returned answers, and gave the best satisfaction he could, till by his age, and other infirmities, he became incapable of bending his mind to any matter of difficulty.

Of all these, who made objections or remarks, there was no one, who did it with more learning or strength of argument than his worthy kinsman Walter Moyle, Esq. of Bake, in the county of Cornwall, who has been mentioned above. This gentleman for his great learning, judgment, and wit, mixed with uncommon humanity and sweetness of temper, was justly esteemed by every one, who had the happiness of being acquainted with him. In the younger part of his life, he had served in parliament several years during the reign of king William, where he made a considerable figure by his great knowledge and learning, much beyond what could be expected at his years. Afterwards he retired into the country, and lived at his seat in Cornwall, upwards of twenty years before he died, where he collected together a well chosen library of books, and among these spent the remainder of his life. He was one of those persons, who, unhappily for the learned world, had no opinion of his own

writings; and therefore, not long before he died, destroyed most of his finished performances. He died on the 9th of June, A. D. 1721, in the forty-ninth year of his age.

From the year 1686, to the time of his death, Dr. Prideaux constantly resided at the cathedral, of which he was a member, excepting only the four years that he lived at Saham. How he employed himself there, appears sufficiently from what has been said above. During all the time, that he was dean, he never had the least difference with the chapter, or any of the members of it, which other deans, his predecessors, were hardly ever free from. This was owing to the prudence and integrity of his conduct towards them; for he always treated the prebendaries with all the respect that was due to them, and was as careful of their rights as of his own; and never took upon him to determine any thing of the common right and interest of the church, without the common consent and advice of the chapter. In all his transactions with them he never hid or concealed any thing from, but constantly laid all their affairs openly and fairly before them, as having no views or by-ends of his own to serve; and this was a method of proceeding, which that church had not always been use to, and so far gained him their confidence and esteem, that they trusted all their affairs in his hands, without any reserve, as having never found themselves deceived by his management. His residing constantly at the cathedral gave him an opportunity of looking after the fabric of the church, and seeing that it was kept in good repair: and this he took care of as well before, as after he was dean; for, while he was prebendary, he was generally treasurer; and to repair the church was one main part of his office. His method was according to the direction of the local statutes, to order the church every Lady-day to be carefully reviewed by able workmen, and, if any decays were found, he took care to have them repaired by the Michaelmas following, unless they were so great, as to exceed what the revenues of the church could bear; and then, what could not be done in one year, was done in two.