'Some years travels into divers parts of Africa, and Asia the great. Describing more particularly the empires of Persia and Industan: interwoven with such remarkable occurrences as hapned in those parts during these later times. As also, many other rich and famous kingdoms in the oriental India, with the isles adjacent. Severally relating their religion, language, customs and habit: as also proper observations concerning them.' [‎237] (258/448)

The <tAjfyrian
z
Field-Officers of the Scythians to a banquet, and picking a quarrel with fomc in their
cups> upon a lignal given by Cyaxares ail their throats were cut ? which was of that
dread to the other Scythians, that they willingly found the way back again into their
ownCountry, with this charader from Jufiin lib. i. Scyth* magis ebnetate quam hello-uin-
cmtur. Aftyaves his Son upon his Fathers death was proclaimed, and with all due cere
mony crowned King. Afiyages is mentioned in that Apocryphal Itory of Bel and the
Dragon'-^ and by Ibme luppofed to be that great Prince Ahajhuerus who married Hejler
the Jew, but the ground of that conjedure I neither find nor credit v feeing that by the
.belt Authors either Barim Hyftapis, or Artaxerxes by the Greeks called Macrochyr, one
of them was undoubtedly that Prince : Befides, the diftance of time betwixt thofetwo
Kings is not lefs than an hundred twenty nine years. Of this Aflyages little is recorded,
fave that for the richnefs of his Apparel none ever excelled him. His Daughter Manda-
ne whom he had by Ariana his Wife, he gave in marriage to Cambyfis the Perjtan, Father
otCyrus the great. AByages firft dreamed. That his Daughter made fo much Water as
drowned ail Afia *, and another time, that the Sun being under his feet, thrice he pro-
fered to embrace it, but ftiil it avoided him: Which upon the Aftrologers acquainting
him that it related to his Grandfon Cyrus which fignified the Sun, he endeavoured (but in
vain) the Childs deftrudion. To him fucceeded Cyaxares by fome called Darms the Mede : }
whom Cyrus fucceeded A- M. 3406.
To Be loch hs (now fettled in the Aflyrian Empire about the year of the World 3 146.)
fucceeded Put Affur, called Tiglath Pilefar •, who in 2 Reg. 15. 29. is recorded to have
ruined Galilee, one of the three principal Provinces of Canaan ; of which Province
Samaria was the capital City; and carried all the inhabitants of Nephthali and Damafcus
Captives into Affyria. After three and twenty years rule he gave place to Salmanaffer
by fome called Nahonaffer, whoprofecutmg his Fathers defign plundered Samaria : and
in the Reign of Ho fa a King of Jfrae I (who negleded the payment of his Tribute) after
three years fiege took Samaria *, and the Almighty (being provoked by his people through
their Idolatry and conforming themfelves to the Heathen that were round about them ) fo
ordered that the ten Tribes were alfo removed out of his light, none being left but the
Tribe of Jadah onely, 2 Keg- 17.18. thofe of the captivity were placed inand &-
hor by the River Go^an, and in the Cities of the Medes.
This Aifyrian Prince after ten years rule was fucceeded by Sennacherib ^ who going to
fight againll Tirhakah the <^£thiopianKmg, in the way lent a blafphemous fummons to
/Cmg Hezekiah by his Servant Rabjhekeh', for which, upon the Prayer of good He^ehiah
and purfuant to the Prophecy of tfaiah, one hundred fourfcore and five thoufand of the
Ajfyrians were in one night ilain by an Angel of the Lord; which made Sennacherib haften
back to Nineveh, where worfnipping in Nifroch's Temple he wasflain by his Sons Adra-Me-
lec and Sha-rezer who efcaped into Armenia, and (after feven years rule) Efar~Haddon
his Son reigned in his ftead, 2^.19. 35. Efar-Haddon having taken revenge upon the
parricides, by that confufion then happening between the two Brethren gave occafion to
Merodachthc Governour of Babylon to rebel,and fucceeding therein depofed the King, and
thereupon retransferred the Seat-Royal from Nineveh to Babylon, Merodach or Bcrodac
Balladan as called 2 Reg. 20.12. fwayed the Scepter,of whom little mention is made, albeit'
he raigned 4oyears,andleft the Imperial Crown to Ben-Merodach his Son •, who after 20
years gave \Az.QQ toNabop!loz,ar the Triumpher over Pharaoh-Necho the<^£gyptian King,and
at the end of 25 years was fucceeded by Nabtichodonofor,who byreafon of his many Vidories
and triumphant Reign was called the Hercules of the Eait.This great Prince was the Gold
en Head of that terrible Image mentioned in Dan. 2.32. To whom the Higheft gave a
Kingdom, power, ftrength and glory, commanding not onely wherefoever the Chil
dren of Men dwelt, but alfo the Beafts of the Field and the Fowls of the Pleaven were
given into his hand as Ruler over them all, Dan. 2. 38. fo as it will be too great a labour
in thisimall circle to enumerate his conquelts,- his vidorious arm fubduing where-ever
it was extended ; ^Egypt he made a Province of his Empire-, Jerufalem hedeftroyedy
and fired the Temple carrying Zedechias and his people prifonersto Babylon, thelaft
of the four Kings of Judah, (viz. Manajfes, Jehojakim, Jeconias and Zedechias) who by
the Affyrian Kings were led captive to Babylon. Syria and Arabia were likewife fubjed-
ed under the ftroke of his Scepter*, and part of (^Ethiopia. The pride of he
abafed, agreeable to the prophecie of Nahum 3.9. and Tob. 14. ult. flew Arphaxadznd
fpoikdEcbatan. In a word, the extent of his Dominion was not ftraitn'ed within lefs
bounds than the confines of the then inhabited World. But to particularize his many
fumptuous and magnificent ftrudures, elpecially that at Babylon, would be no lefs tedious:
For he not onely beautified old ^7/wz but* added to it a new City upon the oppofite fide