Picard's due care in the experiment gave fuch fatisfaction, that the king ordered the whole meridian of France to be measured in the fame manner; which was performed by Caffini the mathematician, in 1718. He divided the meridian into two axes, which he measured feparately; and the whole arc from Dunkirk to Callioure gave him 57060 toifes to a degree, the very fame as Picard. Muffenbroek likewife measured a degree in Holland, and found it to be 27 toises less than Picard. While the earth was believed to be a perfect sphere, it was enough to find the true length of any one degree of latitude becaufe one would confirm all the reft: but fince the establishment of Sir Ifaac Newton's philofophy, the figure of the earth is understood to be that of a fpheroid, gradually flatted towards the poles: fo that a degree of the meridian at thofe places must be longer than any f where else (D). f Complete System of Geography. (D) In all maps the north is at top, the fouth at bottom; the east on the right, and the weft on the left: or, if it be otherwife, it is always expreft either by words on each fide, or by a mariner's compafs, wherein the mark of a flowerde-luce always denotes the north. Maps are laid down and proportioned to a certain fcale, which is always taken from the degrees of latitude. The degrees of latitude are always marked on the east and weft fide of the map. The degrees of longitude are always marked on the north and fouth fide of the map. A degree of latitude is always of the fame breadth: wherefore the distance of two places feated directly north and fouth, is immediately known by knowing the different latitudes. But a degree of longitude is of different extent. The latitude and longitude Having of a place being known, you may find it immediately in the map by drawing a line or thread cross the map both ways, and where the two lines cut one another, the place ftands. The earth being a globe, a map of the whole earth muft neceffarily confift of two parts, both fides of the globe not being vifible at once: accordingly in a univerfal map, the right hand circle fhews the old world, or Europe, Afia, and Africa: and the left hand circle fhews the new world, or America. Upon the general map are marked the circles correfpondent to thofe in the sphere, namely, the equinoctial line, the two tropics, and the two polar circles, all which cross the map from east to west; and the first meridians furrounding the two hemispheres from north to fouth, the parallels lying from north to fouth at Having thus sketched out the general lines of geography, together with the divifion of the globe, we shall now proceed to the more particular hiftory of the first human pair, whofe pofterity now inhabitate under fuch a variety of religions, laws, customs, tongues, temperaments, and complexions. at ten degrees diftance; and the meridians at the fame diftance from weft to eaft, are alfo marked upon general maps. Particular maps, being parts of this, retain the meridians and parallels belonging to that particular part; which are made smaller or larger, as the paper on which it is drawn will admit, and the distance of places mentioned in it are always exactly proportioned to the breadth of the parallels. So that let a map be ever fo fmall, the distance of places is exactly fhown, if meafured according to the degrees of latitude in that particular map. In both general and particular maps, the thick fhadowing denotes the sea coaft. Rivers are marked by large fhadowed ferpentine lines; roads by double lines; divifions of countries by dotted lines; larger for provinces, and fmaller for fubdivifions; and divifions of nations are often fhewn by chain lines. Forests are reprefented by trees; mountains by rifing fhadows; fands by dott ed beds; marfhes by fhadowed beds; lakes by fhadowed coafts. The names of provinces are written in large capitals; and fmaller divifions, in fmaller capitals; great cities in round. Roman characters; fmaller towns in Italic. The exact fituation of a town is fhewn by a little round o, but larger places have the addition of a church for a market town, if the fize of the map will admit. A city is noted by a church with houses about it, as much as the scale will allow. Particular qualifications of cities are diftinguifhed by marks, as a bishoprick has a crofs, or fometimes a mitre over it. An archbishoprick, has a double cross over it. An univerfity has a star, or fometimes a caduceus. An abbey is fhewn by a crook, or paftoral staff. A fortress, by angles like baftions. A castle, by a little flag. A gentleman's feat, by an houfe only. Other marks are affected by particular engravers, which they explain in the margin. SECT. A M. 1. Ante Chr. 4004. Adam placed in paradife, and forbid den the tree of know lege. Takes Eve to wife. The conti SECT. III. Of the Fall of Man. GOD having placed Adam in the garden of Eden, to drefs and to keep it, gave him leave to eat freely of the fruit of every tree, except that of knowlege of good and evil, which he ftrictly commanded him not to tafte, upon pain of death, the certain confequence of his dif obedience. The first thing which Adam did after his introduction into paradife, and the very day of his creation, was to give names to all the beafts and birds, which presented themselves before him, to perform their homage. God, having formed Eve out of his fide, brought her to him when knowing her to be bone of his bone, and flesh of his flesh, he took her to wife, and lived with her, free from any fenfe of fhame, though they were both naked. How long they continued in this happy condition, is nuance of very uncertain: it is probable they did not immediately the fate of tranfgrefs the divine command; but it should feem, by innocence. the narration of Mofes, that their fall was not long after their creation. The Jews in general, and most of the Christian fathers, believe it to have been on the very day they were created, but this is next to impoffible; for a day would be a great deal too short for the several actions, that must on that fuppofition have been comprifed in it. Befides, God himself, after the fixth day was paft, declared (as at the end of the preceding days) every thing to be very good; which is not reconcileable with truth, if fin, the greatest evil, had then entered into the world. Some therefore conjectured, that this calamity happened the eighth day, and others the tenth, of the world's age; fuppofing that, in commemoration thereof, the great day of expiation, being the tenth day of the year, was inftituted in after-times. If we can fubfcribe to the opinion of those who make a day and a year to have been the fame before the fall, there is indeed no difficulty in fuppofing it even on the fixth day. The fall as related by Mofes. The fall of man is fuccinctly related by Mofes, in the following manner: the ferpent, being more fubtile than Vid, Whiston's Theory, lib. xi. p. 95, &c. any Im✩ A. M. I. 4004. any beast of the field, asked the woman, whether it was true that God had not granted her and her husband leave to Ante Chr. eat of every tree in the garden: fhe answered, that God. had allowed them to eat of all, except only the fruit of the tree in the midst of the garden; which he commanded they should not tafte, nor fo much as touch, left they fhould die. The ferpent replied, that they should not die; for God knew the virtue of the tree; and that, fo foon as they eat of it, their eyes would be opened, and they would become like Gods, knowing good and evil. Eve, feeing the fruit tempting to the view, took of the fruit and ate; and gave alfo to her husband of it, and he did eat. mediately the eyes of both were opened, when perceiving they were naked, they fewed fig-leaves together, and made themselves aprons. Adam and Eve, hearing the voice of God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, hid themselves among the trees; but, on God's calling for Adam, he excufed himself for not appearing, becaufe he was naked. God demanded of him, who it was that told him he was naked; and whether he had difobeyed his command, in eating the forbidden fruit. Adam confeffed that the woman had offered him the fruit, and he had tafted it. She, being examined likewife, acknowleged what the had done; but said, the serpent had feduced and deceived her. God then proceeded to judgment; he first curfed the ferpent above all beafts, and condemned him to go on his belly, and eat the duft; adding, that he would put enmity between him and the woman, and their offspring; that the feed of the woman fhould bruise the serpent's head, who fhould bruise the other's heel. The woman was fubjected to the pains of childbirth, as well as to the dominion of her husband; and as to the man, God curfed the ground for his fake, declaring, that it should bring forth thorns and thistles, and he should earn his bread by the sweat of his brow, till he returned to the dust, from whence he was taken. At laft, having clothed them both with skins, he turned them out of the garden, left they should take of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever: then, to prevent any attempt to return to their former habitation, he placed cherubim at the east of the garden, and a flaming fword, which turned every way, to guard the paffage to the tree of life h. This concife account being, at firft view, incumbered with fome improbabilities, feveral learned and pious men • VOL. I. b Genef. ch. iii. have Objections to the let ter of that relation. A. M. I. 4004. have been inclined to believe the whole ought to be taken Ante Chr. in an allegorical sense, and not according to the ftrictness of the letter: they allege, that the ancients, and parti-cularly the eastern nations, had two different ways of delivering their divinity and philofophy, one popular, and the other mysterious; that the Scripture ufes both occafionally; fometimes accommodating itself to the capacities of the people, and at other times to the real, but more veiled truth; and that, to obviate the many difficulties which occur in the literal hiftory of this fad catastrophe, the fafeft way is to understand it as a parabolical ftory, under which the real circumstances are disguised and concealed, as a mystery not fit to be more explicitly declared. The cir Though it cannot be denied that fome of the ancient philofophers affected fuch an allegorical way of writing, to conceal their notions from the vulgar, and keep their learning within the bounds of their own school; yet, it is apparent Mofes had no fuch defign; and, as he pretendsonly to relate matters of fact, just as they happened, without art or difguife, it cannot be fuppofed but that this history of the fall is to be taken in a literal sense, as well the rest of his writings. . When the effect produced by the intoxicating juice of cumftances the forbidden tree wore off, and the criminals began to of the retrieve their fenfes, the eyes of their understanding were aprons and opened, and they perceived their own nakednefs (E), and coats exthe foul degradation of their nature; to conceal which, as far as they were able, they twifted or platted the flexible branches of the fig tree round their waifts; so that the broad leaves hanging down might ferve them instead of aprons (F). plained. (E) By perceiving their nakedness, a late writer conceives, no more is meant than that they were fenfible of their tranfgreffion. Thus, after the golden calf was confecrated, Mofes is faid to have feen the people naked, Exod. xxxii. 25. And in the New Teftament yuvos is fometimes taken for a dinner. Others, indeed, fuppofe, that the fruit of this for bidden tree provoked our firft parents to luft, and fome indecent motions of the body: for, according to the modesty of the Hebrew tongue, nakednes may well enough denote an irregular appetite to venereal pleafures; and this is the opinion of St. Auftin. (F) The original word, which is tranflated fewed, fignifies no more than to put together, to apply, or fit, in which fenfe it is ufed Job xvi. 15. and Ezek. xiii. 18. And, that which we render leaves, fignifies alfo, branches of trees, fuch as were fit to make booths or bowers, Nehem. viii. 15. Judgment |