iscoveries. I am now to
speak of another work, which, though more adapted to the capacity of the
human mind, does nevertheless display some marks of that creative genius
with which Sir Isaac Newton was informed in all his researches. The work
I mean is a chronology of a new kind, for what province soever he
undertook he was sure to change the ideas and opinions received by the
rest of men.

Accustomed to unravel and disentangle chaos, he was resolved to convey at
least some light into that of the fables of antiquity which are blended
and confounded with history, and fix an uncertain chronology. It is true
that there is no family, city, or nation, but endeavours to remove its
original as far backward as possible. Besides, the first historians were
the most negligent in setting down the eras: books were infinitely less
common than they are at this time, and, consequently, authors being not
so obnoxious to censure, they therefore imposed upon the world with
greater impunity; and, as it is evident that these have related a great
number of fictitious particulars, it is probable enough that they also
gave us several false eras.

It appeared in general to Sir Isaac that the world was five hundred years
younger than chronologers declare it to be. He grounds his opinion on
the ordinary course of Nature, and on the observations which astronomers
have made.

By the course of Nature we here understand the time that every generation
of men lives upon the earth. The Egyptians first employed this vague and
uncertain method of calculating when they began to write the beginning of
their history. These computed three hundred and forty-one generations
from Menes to Sethon; and, having no fixed era, they supposed three
generations to consist of a hundred years. In this manner they computed
eleven thousand three hundred and forty years from Menes's reign to that
of Sethon.

The Greeks before they counted by Olympiads followed the method of the
Egyptians, and even gave a little more extent to generations, making each
to consist of forty years.

Now, here, both the Egyptians and the Greeks made an erroneous
computation. It is true, indeed, that, according to the usual course of
Nature, three generations last about a hundred and twenty years; but
three reigns are far from taking up so many. It is very evident that
mankind in general live longer than kings are found to reign, so that an
author who should write a history in which