Preface.
In venturing to open a new path in historical researches on the earth and mankind, it is incumbent on the bold pioneer to state his views, or at least to furnish adequate reasons for deviating so far from the usual track.
While every science and branch of knowledge is improving, and has, with rapid strides, made continual advances for fifty years past or more, is the noble muse of history to be kept stationary forever, by compilers and classical plodders? and for America by the foes of the ancient and modern nations of a whole hemisphere? No ... it is time to improve history as every thing else; to seek the truth and tell it.
As the human mind is yet more swayed by authorities, than genius or wisdom; high authorities will be given instead of long explanations. Ever since the time of Juvenal, it has been an ungrateful task to write historical truth: men often prefer to be amused, deceived, or helped in strife; than to be instructed, or receive sketches of former times. Yet there is always a secret delight in viewing faithful pictures of ages past, of our ancestors on earth, and our predecessors on the soil of our homes, or where we spend the scenes of our own lives.
The worthies who have been taken for models or guides in this arduous undertaking, are Solomon, Moses, Job, St. Paul, St. Augustine, Plato, Niebuhr, Humboldt, Malcolm, [pg 004] Gebelin, D'Olivet, Bryant, Adelung, Drummond, Pritchard, Champollion, Klaproth, Jones, Wilford, Akbar, Price, Bailly, Russell, Beattie, Herder, Carli, Barton &c. They shall speak for themselves, in quotations of their own words, instead of elaborate reflexions.
From God comes wisdom, knowledge and understanding—Solomon Prov. 2. v. 6. Those who will seek early wisdom will find her—Sol. Pr. 8. v. 17. Hear instruction and be wise, and refuse it not—Sol. Pr. 8. v. 33.
ZE this is. SFR book. THU symbol. LDTH progeny. ADM mankind. BIUM in manifestation. BRA in realization. ALEIM angels. ADM mankind. BDMUTH in identic passage. ALEIM angels. OSHE worked. ATHU such symbol.—Moses. Genesis ch, 5. v. 1. Genuine mosaic words, and genuine translation word for word.
When I laid the foundations of the earth ... the morning stars sung together, and the sons of God shouted for joy.—Speech of God Himself in Job ch. 38., Vulgar translation: the original is still more striking.
The Hebrew philosophy divided the world in two hemispheres, the upper was SHMIM or Shamaim, the Heavens—the lower was SHEOL; but Sheol-tahtith or inferior, was the place of bad souls and Rephaim. (The true Sheol was America, or the southern hemisphere). The [pg 005] Jesuit Sanetius thought that Job had spoken of America.—Peters, Dissertation on Job.
It is very possible for modern learning to understand better the books of Moses, Orpheus, and those of all ancient nations, than the Egyptian, Greek and Roman commentators: because the intellectual knowledge of languages is improving; and those ancient writers have, by their genius, approximated to us, while removed from the blindness of their ages.—Gebelin, Primitive World.
The letter kills, but the spirit gives life.—St. Paul Corinth. II. ch. 3. v. 6. We use great plainness of speech, and not as MOSES who put a veil before his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished.—Cor. II. 3. v. 12, 13.—and even unto this day, when Moses is read, the veil is upon their heart, nevertheless when it shall please the Lord, this veil shall be taken away.—Cor. II. 3. v. 15, 16.
To have a right apprehension of words or names, is a good step to the knowledge of things.—Plato in Cratylo.
The confusion of words is the cause of all disputes and sects.—D'Israeli.
The obscure ages demand bold hypotheses or total neglect, contradictions are inseparable from days of tradition.—There exist no instance of a people really savage having spontaneously advanced to civilization. [pg 006] Savage men are degenerated or imperfect creatures.... Words and even few are the rules of analogies in nations.—Niebuhr, Roman History, Vol. I.
It is manifest that there are noble resources (for history) still remaining, if we will but apply ourselves to diligent enquiry. There are in every climate some scattered fragments of original history, some traces of a primitive and universal language. Even America would contribute to this purpose, the more rude the monuments, the more ancient they may possibly prove, and afford greater light on enquiry. Bryant, Mythology; conclusion of the work.
To accumulate materials without generalizing any idea is a method as sterile in history as in natural philosophy.—The geology of America does not differ essentially from that of the old world, the strata and the emersion from the waters are not newer: species long extinct have also preceded those now peopling the earth, the waters and the air.—The problem of the first population of America is no more the province of history, than the questions on the origin of plants and animals. When we shall better know the brown men of Africa, with those of the north and east of Asia, the American nations will be less insulated—They have extended from lat. 68 N. to 55 S. or 123 degrees of latitude, in plains and mountains, assuming various complexions and stature. If Africa has [pg 007] 140 languages, America has still more; resembling in this, the Caucasus, Italy before the Romans; but they are susceptible of classification into families. The multiplicity of languages is a very ancient phenomenon, perhaps those which we call American, belong no more to America, than the Magyar and Choud or Finn to Europe.—Humboldt, American Researches, Introduction.
If we desire to be fully informed of a nation's history, we must not reject the fables under which the few traces that remain of its origin are concealed. These, however extravagant, always merit attention they have an influence on the character of the people to whom they relate.—First words of Malcolm, History of Persia.
The Chinese often call the king, the kingdom and the nation by the same name, nay, even also the capital city.—Regis, History of Corea, in Duhalde China.
The cradle or first seat of mankind was in Asia, between lat. 30 and 50; which is also the native place of all the domestic animals, fruits and grains.—Adelung, Bailly, Higgins, &c.
The Genesis was a compilation of Moses from older annals, some perhaps by Noah himself.—Revd. Mr. Davies, Herder.
The patriarchs of Moses and Pitris of Hindus were nations, personifications of early tribes.—Drummond, D'Olivet, Wilford.
The early gods and kings of Greece and [pg 008] Italy, were probably tribes, the chiefs and followers being called by the same name. This is true also of the various Hercules or wandering Heroes.—Dodwell, Jamieson.
Trying them by the languages, the Americans will appear to be children of the earliest human families.—Barton, Physical Journal.
A flood of historical light has lately flown from India and Asia; but we lack still the real annals of Thibet: Polynesia and America may yet supply many facts and fill some blanks.—The original seat of civilization was between the Ganges and the Nile, the Caspian and the ocean.—The first tribes after the flood were fishermen and Frugivores, next hunters who did spread north east as far as America, and shepherds south west, as far as Cape of Good hope.—Pritchard, Physical History of Man.
The genealogy of the kings of England is derived direct from Noah in 25 generations only, to Cerdic first king of Wessex in 495; and through Sceaf born in the ark! giving more than 125 years for each generation, which is impossible, and proves these names, successive tribes or dynasties till Woden.—Ingram, Saxon Chronicle.
The Ethiopians, Nubians and Egyptians are a peculiar race, perhaps in Africa before the flood.—Champollion, Systeme Hieroglyphique.
The languages are better guides than physical characters for researches on mankind, [pg 009] and roots more important than grammars.—Klaproth.
Language belongs to man from origin, he never was a dumb animal, else he would always have remained so. All languages have something in common, and something peculiar.—Beattie, Theory of Language.
A thousand nations with a thousand idioms, are spread over a thousand places on earth. Thrown against each other like the waves of the sea, they blend and tend to unity. Several rival languages are formed, polished by contract, which overspread the earth; and break to pieces as well as nations and empires. Others arise from their ruins, and strive again for ascendency, until at last a people and language, son and daughter of all the previous nations and idioms, heirs of their dominion and wealth; shall perhaps invade the whole earth, and produce again the unity of speech and rule.—D'Olivet, End of Hebrew Grammar.
It is said, In the beginning God made Heaven and Earth, that is to say, the seeds of heaven and earth, since their matter was yet in confusion in a potential way.—St. Augustine on Genesis.
In the whole Mosaic text there is no Eden, no tree, no apple, no rib, no woman, no snake, no ark ... but other words thus improperly translated to veil the sense.... Adam is not a man, but mankind, Aish intellectual men, Ashe mate or potent will, Hue our Eve is living existence!... [pg 010] The names of patriarchs are all expressive of operations of mankind.... Yet Moses' Unity of God, and Belief in Immortality is evident throughout; although so obscured by the translation as to have been doubted.... Moses with his veils is made absurd; raising the veils he appears wise, deep, consistent, even more enlightened than our age on many points.—D'Olivet, Notes on Genesis.
Whenever the numerical letters of Moses are taken in their material sense, inextricable difficulties have arisen; and which is the true version out of the 3 is doubtful: the deep mosaic meaning and import shall never be known, until the ancient lost science of numbers is restored, which was once known from China to Egypt and Europe.—D'Olivet, last note.
Eblis or Satan was disgraced from Heaven, where Rezoan was his successor, and exiled to Seyestan, with the Snake and Peacock tribes his followers, Adam was exiled to Ceylon, Eve to Arabia &c.—Price, Translation of Abijauffer's History of Arabia.
Menu was Adam, but there are seven Menus, the seventh was Noah.—Sir W. Jones, Laws of Menu. Wilford.
The Babylonian empire begun 530 years after the flood, 2790 years after Adam.—Russell, Connection of Sacred History.
Primitive history is under a veil, involved in fables; but all ancient fables have a historical base.—Bailly, on Atlantis.
Before Adam God created the Dives (angels) who had 72 kings or Sol-i-man for 7000 years, and after them the Peris govern for 2000 years.—Herbelot, Oriental Library.
Noah dwelt near Cabul and Cashmir, his Ararat was in the Imalaya mountains.—Shuckford, Wells, Sacred Geography &c.
As early as 4600 years before Christ, there was a communication between the Americans and the east by astronomical coincidences.—Carli, American Letters.
Two great wars or Mahabharat followed by dispersions of mankind, happened in India in 3236 and 2501 (before our era); and the Indian solar empire of Berhut at Inderput now Delhi, ascends 16 generations beyond the first, at least to 3750 years B. C.—Institutes of the Emperor Akbar, translated by Gladwin.
Such are my guides. Are not those quotations sufficient?
For my rules of criticism, I have taken for guide, Isaac Taylor's excellent history of the transmission of ancient books, London, 1827. They may be analysed as follows, from his own summary.
1. If the records of antiquity could be deprived of their authority, we should also be deprived of intelligence, liberty and religion!
2. Dates are of little importance; being anciently expressed by letters, they are liable to errors. The Greeks and all eastern christians reckon 5508 years from Adam to Christ.
3. Geography and natural facts are open to criticism.
4. Wonders, monsters, miracles, are not always fabulous, but doubtful. Natural phenomena if unconnected with omens, may be right.
5. Speeches and secret motives do not belong to history, they are ornaments of rhetoric or mere surmises.
6. Facts are only to be attended to, they become more certain, if corroborated by monuments, inscriptions, coins &c.
7. The silence of a historian does not invalidate the assertions of others.
8. Contradictions, exaggerations, prejudices, party spirit, national dislike, must be allowed for. The arrogance of the Greeks and Chinese, who call barbarians, nations as good as they, is shameful, and must be noticed, as well as errors arising from hiding defeats &c.
The independent sources of history besides writers are, 1. remains of literature. 2. Chronological documents and astronomical calculations, 3. Natural features of nature and mankind, with permanent physical facts, 4. Permanent institutions, manners, monuments, languages &c. Lastly, remote facts may be certain; although a long while elapsed: whatever be the consequence; and even if the first evidence may have been erroneously transmitted, or not perspicuous. But accumulated evidence ought never to be doubted.