The history of the world

§. VI. Of CHEMMIS, CHEOPS, 〈◊〉〈◊〉, and other Kings recited by HERODOTVS and DIODORVS SICVLVS, which raigned betweene the times of REHO∣BOAM and EZEKIA. [unspec 30]

FOllowing therefore the Greeke Historians, I place Chemmis, or (accor∣ding to Diodore) Chembis, first in the ranke of those that were Kings af∣ter Sesac. Hee raigned fiftie yeeres, and built the greatest of the three Pyramides, which was accompted one of this worlds Wonders. The Pyramis hath his name from the shape, in that it resembleth a flame of fire, growing from the bottome vpwards narrower and narrower to the toppe. This of Chemmis being foure-square, had a Base of seuen akers euery way, and was aboue sixe akers high. It was of a very hard and durable Stone, which had lasted, [unspec 40] when Diodore saw it, about a thousand yeeres, without complaining of any injurie that it had suffered by weather in so long space. From the raigne of Chemmis, vn∣to the age of Augustus Caesar, wherein Diodore liued, are indeede a thousand yeeres; which giues the better likelyhod vnto this time wherein Chemmis is pla∣ced. As for this and other Pyramides, late Writers testifie, that they haue seene them yet standing.

After Chemmis, Diodore placeth Cephrenes his brother; but doubtfully, and en∣clining* 1.1 rather to the opinion, that his sonne Chabreus succeeded. Herodotus hath* 1.2 Cheops (who might bee Chabreus) and Cephrenes after him. These are said to haue beene brethren; but the length of their raignes may argue the later to haue beene [unspec 50] sonne to the former: for Cheops 〈◊〉〈◊〉 fiftie yeeres; Cephrenes fiftie sixe. These were, as Chemmis had beene, builders of Pyramides, whereby they purchased great hatred of their people, who already had ouer-laboured themselues in erecting the first. These Pyramides were ordained to be Tombes, for those that raised them;

but the malice of the Aegyptians is said to haue cast out their bodies; and to haue called their Monuments by the name of an Heardsman, that kept his Beasts there∣abouts. It may be, that the robbing them of their honour, and entituling a poore fellow to their workes, was held to be the casting out of their bodies: otherwise, it is hard to conceiue, how it might bee, that they, who had not power to auoide the like 〈◊〉〈◊〉, laid vpon them by the yonger brother, or sonne, should haue power or leisure to take such reuenge vpon his Predecessor. To the like malice may be ascri∣bed the tale deuised against Cheops his Daughter; That her Father, wanting mony, did prostitute her, and that shee, getting of euery man that accompanied her, one stone, did build with them a fourth Pyramis, that stood in the middest of the other [unspec 10] three. Belike shee was an insolent Lady, and made them follow their 〈◊〉〈◊〉, for her sake, longer a while than they thought to haue done, in raising a Monument, with the superfluitie of her Fathers prouisions.

Mycerinus, the sonne of Cephrenes, raigned after his Father sixe yeeres. He would haue built as his foregoers did, but preuented by death, finished not what hee had begunne. The people thought him a good King, for that he did set open the Tem∣ples, which Cheops and Cephrenes had kept shut. But an Oracle threatned him with ashort life of sixe yeeres only, because of this his deuotion; For (said the Oracle) Aegypt should haue beene 〈◊〉〈◊〉 an hundred and fiftie yeeres, which thy 〈◊〉〈◊〉 knew, and performed for their parts, but thou hast released it, therefore shalt thou 〈◊〉〈◊〉 but [unspec 20] sixe yeeres. It is very strange, that the Gods should bee offended with a King for his pietie; or that they should decree to make a Countrie impious, when the people were desirous to serue them; or that they hauing so decreed, it should lie in the power of a King, to alter destinie, and make the ordinance of the Gods to faile in ta∣king full effect. But these were Aegyptian Gods. The true GOD was, doubtlesse, more offended with the restitution of such Idolatrie, than with the interruption. And who knowes, whether Chemmis did not learne somewhat at Ierusalem, in the last yeere of his Father 〈◊〉〈◊〉, that made him perceiue, and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 to those that fol∣lowed him, the vanitie of his Aegyptian superstition? Sure it is that his raigne, and the raignes of Cheops, and Cephrenes, were more long and more happie, than that of [unspec 30] Mycerinus, who, to delude the Oracle, reuelled away both daies and nights, as if by keeping candles lighted, hee had changed his nights into daies, and so doubled the time appointed: a seruice more pleasing to the Deuill, than the restitution of Idola∣trie durst then seeme, when it could speede no better. I finde in 〈◊〉〈◊〉 fiftie yeeres assigned to this King; which I verily beleeue to haue beene some errour of the print, though I finde it not corrected among 〈◊〉〈◊〉 such ouer-sights: for I know no Author that giues him so many yeeres, and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 himselfe takes notice of the Oracle, that threatned Mycerinus with a short life, as is before shewed.

Bocchorus is placed next vnto Mycerinus, by Diodore, who speakes no more of him than this, that he was a strong man of body, and excelling his Predecessors in wit. [unspec 40] He is spoken of by diuers Authors, as one that loued justice; and may be taken for that Banchyris, whom Suidas commends in that kinde: 〈◊〉〈◊〉 reckons foure and fortie yeeres of his raigne.

After Bocchorus, one Sabacus an Aethiopian followes, in the Catalogue of Diodore; but certaine ages after him. Herodotus, quite omitting Bocchorus, hath Asychis; who made a sharpe law (as it was then held) against bad debtors, that their dead bodies should be in the creditors disposition, till the debt were paied. This Asychis made a Pyramis of brick, more costly and faire, in his owne judgement, than any of those that the former Kings had raised. Besides this Asychis, Herodotus placeth one Anysis, ablinde man, before the Aethiopian. The raignes of these two are perhaps those [unspec 50] many ages, which the Aegyptians, to magnifie their antiquities, accounted betweene Bocchorus and him that followed them. But all this could make but sixe yeeres; and so long doth 〈◊〉〈◊〉, so long doth 〈◊〉〈◊〉 hold, that these two Kings, betweene them both, did gouerne. If any man would lengthen this time, holding it vnpro∣bable,

that the raignes of two Kings should haue beene so 〈◊〉〈◊〉 spent; he may doe it by taking some yeeres from Sethon or Psammeticus, and adding them to either of these. To adde vnto these, without subtracting from 〈◊〉〈◊〉 other, would breede a manifest 〈◊〉〈◊〉: forasmuch as part of Sesac his raigne, must haue beene in the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of REHOBOAM; as also the last of Pharao Neco was the fourth of Iehoiakim,* 1.3 and the first of 〈◊〉〈◊〉. For mine owne part I like it better to allow sixe* 1.4 yeeres only to these two Kings, than to loose the witnesse of 〈◊〉〈◊〉, who, con∣curring herein with the Scriptures, doth 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of Senacheribs warre: at which time Sethon was King of Aegypt. I will not therefore adde yeeres vnto these obscure names; for by adding vnto these men three yeeres, wee shall thrust the beginning [unspec 10] of Sethon out of place, and make it later than the death of 〈◊〉〈◊〉. In regard of this agreement of Herodotus with the Scriptures, I am the more willing to hold with him, in his 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Kings. Otherwise it were a matter of no great enuie, to leaue both Asychis and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 out of the roll; which were easily done, by placing Sesac lower, and extending his life yet sixe yeeres further, or more, (if the like abridge∣ment shall be required of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 his raigne) into the yeeres of Rehoboam.

Of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the Aethiopian, who tooke the Kingdome from Amysis, it is agreed by the most, that he raigned fiftie yeeres. He was a mercifull Prince, not punishing all capitall offences with death, but imposing bondage and bodily labour vpon male∣factors; by whose toyle he both got much wealth into his owne hands, letting out [unspec 20] their seruice to hire, and performed many workes, of more vse than pompe, to the singular benefit of the Countrey. Zonaras calls this King Sua; the Scriptures call him So. Hosea, the last King of Israel, made a League with him against Salmanassar, little to his good: for the Aegyptian was more rich than warlike, and therefore his friendship could not preserue the Israelite from destruction.

It 〈◊〉〈◊〉, that the encroching power of the Assyrian, grew terrible to Aegypt a∣bout these times; the victories of Tiglath Phulassar, and Salmanassar, hauing eaten so farre into Syria, in the raigne of this one King So or Sabacus. Yea, perhaps it was in his daies (for his raigne beganne in the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of Menahem) that Phul himselfe did make the first entrance into 〈◊〉〈◊〉. This caused So to animate the halfe subdued [unspec 30] people, against their Conquerours; but the helpe which he and his Successor gaue them was so 〈◊〉〈◊〉, that 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Embassador compared the Aegyptian succour to a broken 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of Reede. Such indeede had Hosea found it, and such Ezekia might haue found it, had hee not beene supported by the stronger staffe of Him, that rules all Nations with a 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of yron. It appeares by the words of 〈◊〉〈◊〉, that the opinion was great in 〈◊〉〈◊〉, of the Aegyptian forces, for 〈◊〉〈◊〉 and Horse∣men;* 1.5 but this power, whatsoeuer it was, grew needfull, within a little while, for the de∣fence of Aegypt it selfe which So left vnto Sethon his successor, hauing now fulfilled the fiftie yeeres of his raigne. Herodotus and Diodorus haue both one tale, from the relation of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Priests, concerning the departure of this King; saying, that he [unspec 40] left the Countrie, and willingly retired into Aethiopia, because it was often fignified vnto him in his dreames, by the God which was worshipped at Thebes, that his raigne should be neither long nor prosperous, vnlesse he slew all the Priests in Ae∣gypt; which rather than to doe, he resigned his Kingdome. Surely, these Aegyptian gods were of a strange qualitie, that so ill rewarded their Seruants, and inuited Kings to doe them wrong. Well might the Aegyptians (as they likewise did) wor∣ship Dogs as gods, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 their chiefe gods had the propertie of Dogs, which loue their Masters the better for beating them. Yet to what end the Priests should haue fained this tale, I cannot tell; and therefore I thinke that it might be some 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of the fearefull old man, who seeing his Realme in danger of an inuasion, sought an [unspec 50] honest excuse for his departure out of it, and with-drawing himself into Aethiopia, where he had beene bred in his youth. What if one should say, that the Aethiopia into which he went, was none other than Arabia, whereof 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the King (per∣haps at the instigation of this man) raised an Armie against 〈◊〉〈◊〉, when 〈◊〉〈◊〉

meant to inuade Aegypt, within two or three yeeres after? But I will not trouble my selfe with such enquirie. This I hold, that So, or Sabacus, was not indeede an Aethiopian (for in his time liued the Prophet Esay, who mentioneth the antiquitie of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 house) but onely so surnamed for his education, and because issuing from thence, he got the Kingdome from Anysis, who was his opposite. The quiet and milde forme of his Gouernement; his holding the Kingdome so long without an Armie; and many other circumstances argue no lesse. But whether finally hee betooke to a priuate life, or whether hee fore went his Life and Kingdome at once, being now very old, it is time that we leaue him, and speake of Sethon his next Suc∣cessor, who is omitted by 〈◊〉〈◊〉, but remembred by 〈◊〉〈◊〉, by a sure token of [unspec 10] his hauing beene King.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Diodor. l. 1.
• * 1.2

  〈◊〉〈◊〉. l. 2.
• * 1.3

  1. King. 14. 25.
• * 1.4

  2. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. 12. v. 2.
• * 1.5

  2. King. 18. 24.