black Cloud of Locuft, (n) brought on by the Eastern Wind, that over the Kingdom of wicked PH aRAOH (0) hung like Night, and darkned all the Land of NILUS; (p) as numberlefs were feen those bad Angels C 3 moving (n) Locufts; Ital. Lat. q. Loca aftans. i. e. Burning or laying Places wafte. They are mischievous Flies, like Grafhoppers, that deftroy the Grafs, 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 9th Plague of Egypt fent by God to humble that proud Tyrant. Pliny reckons 30 Sorts of them fome are three Feet long, which the Jews, Arabs, Africans, and Americans do eat, See Mat. 3. 4. Cockburn's Journey, p. 58. And says a whole City in Africa was laid waste by them; they deftroy'd 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 eclipse the Sun, darken the Air, cover the Earth, make a fad Stench when they die, and are exactly defcribed, Exod. 10. 4. Prov. 30. 27. and Joel 2. 2, 12. (0) Pharaoh; Old Egyptian, i. e. A Crocodile; for the Peo ple 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 1660 Years, under 47 Kings; as that of Abimelech, Heb. i. e. my Father the King, among the Philifines; Auguftus and Cajar was among the Romans; yet many of them had proper Names, as Sefoftris, So, Neco, Ophra, &c. After Alexander 12 Princes reigned, who were called Ptolomy, Gr. i. e. Warlike, for 300 Years; and Cleopatra, Gr. i. e. The Glory of the Country. She was vanquish'd by Julius Cæfar, A. M. 3974. And then Egypt fell into the Hands of the Romans. This King's proper Name was Ramafes Miamum; whọ came to the Crown 58 Years after the Death of Jofeph; and Bufiris by the Greeks. (p) Nile; O. Egypt. or contracted from Nahal, Heb. i. e. The River; for that Language came near to the Heb. and in the Old Teft. it is called Nahal 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 chiet River fo. Thus the Ganges in India, thus Mefchacebe (which the French call Miifippe) from Cebe, i. e. The River; and Mef cha, i. e. The great; the Great River. The Nile is alfo called Sehor, Joh. 13. 3. from thence the Ethiopians named it Sheri, Shibri, moving flowly on the Wing, under the Concavity or hollow Canopy of Hell, between Fires that were above, below, and on all Sides, 'till the Spear of S aTAN their great Commander was lifted up, as a Signal given to direct their Courfe: They alighted down in exact Order on the firm Brimftone, a Multitude greater than ever the populous North, GOTHS, VANDALS, HUNS, or other barbarous Nations, pour'd from her frozen Climes of NORWAY, SWEDEN, or DENMARK, Shibri, 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 Ri ver in all Africa, rifing in and running through Ethiopia from South to North; it divides Egypt in the Middle, waters it all over once a-year, viz. June, July, Auguft, and Part of September; and difcharges itself into the Mediterranean Sea, at feven Mouths formerly, See Ifa. 11. 15. But only two of them are navigable at this Time, one at Damietta, and another at Rofetta; the other five being fmall ones, fill'd up with Sands or artificial Canals; after a long Course of 1000 German Miles, and 4000 English. The Spring of it was unknown to the Ancients, even to a Proverb.- -Alexander the Plain at the Foot of a Mountain in Abyffinia, furrounded with high Mountains, from two Fountains about the Wideness 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 addrefs'd him fo frequently during the ten Plagues; theydedicated a magnificent T'emple to it in Memphis, with many Priests and Rites, because they thought it was the fole Caufe of all their Plenty. But Conftanfine demolish'd it, and difpers'd the Priests; 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 cauGreat confulted the Oracle of fed by vaft Snow and Rains falJupiter Ammon to find it; Sefo- ling upon thefe Mountains of Eftris and Ptolemy, Kings of Ethiopia, which being melted by gyt, 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 the Heat of the Sun, render the adjacent Countries most fruitful; other Rivers do the like. DENMARK, to pass the RHINE (9) or the DANUBE, (r) when her barbarous Sons came like a Deluge into the South, and spread beneath GIBRAL TAR, () as far as the utmost Limits of AFRICK. FORTHWITH the Heads and Leaders from every Squadron and every Band haft where their great Com mander stood, godlike Shapes and Forms, much furpaffing the Beauty and Perfections of MA N ; princely C 4 Dignities (1) Rhene, or Rhine; Teut. i. e. Pure, because of the Clearnefs of the Waters; or Gr. i. e. the Flood or River; because it is a vaft one. A large River in Germany, rifing in the Alps, parts France and Germany, and after. a long Courfe of 1000 Miles, throws itself into the German Ocean, in two large Mouths near the Briel; therefore Virgil calls it Bicornis, i. e. Having two Horns or Paffages. (r) Danaw, Danow, Danube, and by the Natives, Tonaw, Teut. i. e. Thunder; because of the thundering Noife of its rapid Current and three grand Cataracts. Or Danubius, Lat. q. Danivius, i. e. Snowy, from the Abundance of Snow that falls upon the adjacent Mountains, and fwells the River; or from Danai, an antient People that are faid to have dwelt thereabouts. A grand River in Europe; it rifeth in Suaben, runs thro' Germany, Bavaria, Auftria, Hungary, Bulgaria, &c. into the Euxine Sea in 6 or 7 Mouths, (but only two are navigable) after a Course of near 2000 Miles, wherein it receives 60 other Rivers, whereof 30 are navigable. It is very broad, and 200 Feet deep in divers Places; and abounds with many large Islands and Villages. At the Confines of Illyricum it changes its Name, and for 400 Miles is called the Ifter, q. Efter, contracted from Eftreon, i. e. The Flood, or River, as I think, for I cannot find the original Derivation in any Author. Dionyfius calls it the Sacred Ifter. The Country thereabout is called Iftria, and the People Iftri. (s) Gibralter; Arab. Fibil Tharek, i. e. The Mountain of Tharek Captain of the Moors, A. D. 718. when from Africa they invaded Spain, and pitched first upon that Promontory, which is upon the Mouth of the Streights between Spain and Africa. Thefe Streights were formerly called the Streights of Hercules and of Gades. From that Time the Moors poffeffed Spain 760 Years, 'till 900,000 of them were expelled by Ferdinand and Isabella, A. D. 1492. But the Moorish is still spoken in fome Parts of it, and many of their Customs and favage Difpofitions continue in the Blood of the Spaniards to this Day. Dignities and Powers, that once in Heaven had fat upon Thrones, though now in the Records of Heaven there be not the leaft Memorial of their Names, by their Rebellion blotted out from the Books of Life: Nor had they yet got themselves new Names among Mankind, 'till after a Time wandering o'er the Earth, through GoD's high Sufferance, and for the Trial of MAN, they corrupted the greatest Part of MANKIND, to forfake their GoD and Creator, and to transform the invifible Glory of him who made them, oftentimes to the Image of a Brute; which they adorn'd with gay Ceremonies, and Rites that were full of Pomp, and Gold; and fometimes worshipp'd the Devils themselves for Deities, who were then known to MEN by various Names, and figur'd under various Images and Idols thro' the Heathen World. THEIR Names then being known, it is not difficult to fay who was the firft, who laft, that rouz'd from their Astonishment and the Gulph of Hell, at the Call of their great Emperor; who next in Worth came fingly where he ftood, on the Brink of the Gulph, while the inferior Multitude of the fallen Angels, promifcuous and affembled in Disorder, ftand far diftant from him. The Chief who approach'd near him were thofe, who roaming from the Pit of Hell to feek what Prey they could devour on Earth, durft (though long after this) fix their Seats next the Seat of GOD, and their Altars by his Altar'; () adored as Gods among the Nations, (t) Altar; Tut. Dut. Fr. Lat. i. e. high; because it was raifed high above the Ground: Or to burn; becaufe Sacrifices were offered upon Altars. From the Heb. Arar, i. e. to pray or and imprecate; or of El, God, and Tar, a Place appointed for the Worship of God. A Place raifed up with Stones and Earth, whereon Men facrificed their Oblations to the true God. Altars were and durft abide the LORD thundering out of SION, thron'd between the Cherubim: Nay, they often placed their abominable Shrines (u) within his Sanctuary, (x) and profaned his folemn Feafts and holy Rites with accurfed Things, daring to affront his Light with their Darkness. FIRST of all MOLOCH, (y) that horrid King, wet with the Blood of human Sacrifices, and with the Tears were used for the Worship of God by Adam, Noah, and all the Patriarchs from the Beginning of the World, and long before Temples, Gen. 4. 4, 5, 8, 22, 23, 29, 9, 10. Exod. xx. 24. Andfrom themthe Heathenstook the Use of Altars, whereof they had three Sorts. 1. Those to the Celestial Gods, which were as high as a Man of a middle Size might ufe, and erected upon Hills, Groves, the High-ways: That of the Olympian Jupiter was 22 Feet high. 2. Thole to the Infernal, which were placed upon a little Trench below the Ground. And 3. for the Terreftrial Deities, which were erected upon the Ground; but low, flagged with Sod, and covered with facred Vervaine. Altars were esteem'd moft facred; for upon them they made their most folemn Vows and Oaths, by laying their Hands upon them in a very folemn Manner, as we find in the Practice of Hannibal, &c. See Corn. Nepos, Cicero pro Flac. Tit. Liv. &c. They never permitted Whores and Murderers to approach them. (u) Shrines; Fr. Sax. Lat. i. e. Defks, Cabinets, or Clafets. The Saxons meant thereby Clofets or Temples, like the Lares among the old Romans; wherein they kept the Reliques of their Saints, and the latter their Gods. In these they made their Prayers. Shrines were the Altars or Temples of those Idols, where these Devils were worshipped. Here, the Temple of the true God was made a Repofitory for those Idols; for fo Solomon, Manaffes, and other wicked Kings of Judah did. (x) Sanctuary; Fr. from the Lat. i. e. A holy and fanctify'd Place. The most holy Part of the Tabernacle, within the Veil, and in the Weft End of Solomon's Temple, adorn'd with two Cherubim, the Ark of the Covenant, and the extraordinary Prefence of God. It was unlawful for any Man to enter into it, but the High-Prieft only, and that but once in the Year, on the great Day of Atonement, which anfwered to the First of our September. The most facred Place was call'd the Holy of Holies, i. e. The most Holy Place, Levit. xvi. 23. (3) Moloch, Molech, Milcom, and Melcom; Heb. i. e. A King. ་་་ An |