ed by any ancient authors capable of
conducting me through this darkness and confusion. Diodorus will entirely
abandon me, after having been my guide for some time; and no other
historian will appear to take his place. No proper series of affairs will
remain; the several events are not to be disposed into any regular
connection with each other; nor will it be possible to point out, either
the motives to the resolutions formed, or the proper character of the
principal actors in this scene of obscurity. I think myself happy when
Polybius, or Plutarch, lend me their assistance. In my account of
Alexander's successors, whose transactions are, perhaps, the most
complicated and perplexed part of ancient history, Usher, Prideaux, and
Vaillant, will be my usual guides; and, on many occasions, I shall only
transcribe from Prideaux; but, with all these aids, I shall not promise to
throw so much light upon this history as I could desire.

After a war of more than twenty years, the number of the principal
competitors was reduced to four; Ptolemy, Cassander, Seleucus, and
Lysimachus; the empire of Alexander was divided into four fixed kingdoms,
agreeably to the prediction of Daniel, by a solemn treaty concluded
between the parties. Three of these kingdoms, Egypt, Macedonia, Syria, or
Asia, will have a regular succession of monarchs, sufficiently clear and
distinct; but the fourth, which comprehended Thrace, with part of the
Lesser Asia, and some neighbouring provinces, will suffer a number of
variations.

As the kingdom of Egypt was that which was subject to the fewest changes,
because Ptolemy, who was established there as governor, at the death of
Alexander, retained the possession of it ever after, and left it to his
posterity: we shall, therefore, consider this prince as the basis of our
chronology, and our several epochas shall be fixed from him.

The fourth volume contains the events for the space of one hundred and
twenty years, under the first four kings of Egypt, _viz._ Ptolemy, the son
of Lagus, who reigned thirty-eight years; Ptolemy Philadelphus, who
reigned forty; Ptolemy Euergetes, who reigned twenty-five; and Ptolemy
Philopator, whose reign continued seventeen.

In order to throw some light upon the history contained therein, I shall,
in the first place, give the principal events of it, in a chronological
abridgement.

Introductory to which, I must desire the reader to accompany me in some
reflections, which have