John Conduitt's description of Newton's draft of 'The Original of Monarchies'

M^ss of S^ir Is. Newton.

A parcel of papers regularly number'd from No ¹ to No ³⁷. \It consists of 70 Folio pages, &/ - If printed into the same manner as the Chronology, this M^s wou'd \probably/ fill about fourscore \113./ pages.

On the first Folio page of this M^s, is written

Chapter II.
The Original
Of the Kingdom of Egypt
and Chronology of the first ages

It is to be observed that a line is drawn thro' the last six words: as here. It is also observable that the words 'The Original' seem to be inserted after the rest of the title was written.

By the words Chapter II, it is plain that this M^s was designed to make part of a larger work: probably of the \viz. pas. 4.l.8./ work, entitled the Original of Monarchies of \to/ which there are among the loose papers, two that relate.

One of a sheet, being a kind of plan of the three first Chapters. Chapter 1^st the Original of Monarchies (suppos'd in general). Chapter 2. Phœnicians & their Colonies: Chapter 3. Of the Monarchy of Egypt.

The other of a sheet & an half being the first Chapter more at length: but imperfect the M^s breaking off in the middle of a sentence at the words - for Bochethes.

N.B. In relation to the second or Phœnician Chapter; it is \seems to be/ totally wanting; except some two imperfect & confused notes among the loose papers.

S^r Isaac seems \perhaps/ in the prosecution of this work to have dropt the design of the 2^d \or Phœnician/ Chapter; & to have placed in its stead, the Original of the Kingdome of Egypt, which accordingly we find in the M^s mark'd Chapter 2: tho' in the plan-sheet it is laid down as Chapter 3.

Notwithstanding this, this \Chapter/ may in itself be consider'd as a complete work: as it seems to comprise the history of Egypt from the remotest antiquity down to the final overthrow of that kingdom by the conquest of the Persians.

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{illeg} the following manner.

Eygpt called in scripture Misor, Misraim & the land of Ham is a long & broad valley or meadow on both sides the Nile between Mountains & deserts, running North & South from Syene to the Mediterranean. It consisted of two regions &c

The three first folio pages contain a \contain something of a/ Geographical account of Egypt \& Ethiopia/ & of the Course of the Nile

The fourth folio page contains a description of the kingdom of Pharaoh in the times of Iacob and Moses.

The fifth (marked No 3.) contains reflexions on the 17 first Dynasties of Manetho

In the sixth is a paragraph relative to the Canon of Eratosthenes.

In The seventh (marked No 4) tends to prove \from the Contents of the two preceding pages/ that the Reigns \sometime/ of the Shepherd Kings were after Israel's going out of Egypt.

The eighth gives some \short/ account of \some part of/ the history & \some/ customs of these Shepherds.

The ninth (mark'd 5) tends to prove that these Shepherds were Phœnicians or Canaanites.

The tenth Continues the same argument.

The eleventh (mark'd 6) tends to prove that the Expulsion of the Shepherds was before the reign of Solomon \in the times of Eli, \x/ Samuel, & Saul/ — N.B. — some very curious observations in \the bottom of/ this page relative to the \planters of the/ /Greek Colonies\

The twelfth relates {sic} to the history of the Philistines during these times

The thirteenth (mark'd 7) tends to prove that the Shepherds came \returned/ out of Eygpt \into Phœnicia/ in the \Chiefly in the/ reign of Saul, & assisted the Philistines in their wars against the Israelites.

The fourteenth enforces the same from some observations on the Tyrian history.

The fifteenth (mark'd 8) the sixteenth, & most part of the 17^th (mark'd 9) relate to the conquest of Edom by David, & the junction of the fugitive Edomites & with \16th word disscations/\viz the beginnings of \Hesiod// the Phœnicians.

The remainder of the 17^th & most part of the 18^th seems to enforce the truth (of the Shepherds coming out of Eygpt in the reign of Saul) from some arguments drawn from the history of Argos.

Zephar wrong quoted.

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{71} Reign of B{illeg} these times {illeg} & also the 20, the 21^st (marked 11) & most of the {illeg} The remainder of the 18^th Folio page, the 19^th (mark'd 10)\/ enforce the same \by long deduction/ from the Athenian history; particularly \from/ the history of Cecrops, who seem'd to S^r Isaac to be one of those Shepherds; several parallel arguments \also are introduced/ to confirm the same from the Achaiæa, \& Laconian/ {illeg} the histories

Towards the bottom of the twenty second Folio page {sic}, S^r Isaac settles his deduction relative to the Shepherds of Eygpt from the above arguments drawn from the Grecian \Athenian/, Phœnician, /& also\ & Edomite histories.

The 23^rd (mark'd 12) \seems to tend to/ prove {sic} that Cadmus also was \by long deductions lead to/ one of these Shepherds from Eygpt.

The 24^th contains \relates to/ the history of Boœtia {sic} from Cadmus down to the times of Etrocles & Polynias

The 25^th (mark'd 13) mostly related to the Kingdom of Sicyon.

The upper part of the 26^th relates to the Kings of Argos. — The lower part \tends to/ shew {sic} that Caphus was also one of the Egyptian shepherds residing at Ioppa.

The 27 (mark'd 14) begins with the same argument. The remainder of the page is a interpretation proving that Sesostris & Sesac were the same persons.

The 28^th relates Chiefly to \takes notice of the destruction of all the Antiquities, records &c of Egypt by the Persians, & from thence & other arguments infers the obscurity &c/ the obscurity of all the ages \history/ of Egypt before Sesostris.

The 29^th (mark'd 15) gives a catalogue of the Kings of Egypt, beginning with Sesostris

Here the M^s is divided. this first part concludes with these words

These (i:e: the Kings at Thebes) were deified & became the Gods of Eygpt, & next after the Gods reigned Menes. The history of the deified Kings {is} full of obscurity, but seems to be as follows.

The first folio page of the 2^d part relates to the conquests of Sesostris |in the reignsof Solomon & Rehoboam|

The second chiefly relates to the magnificent publick works \in Egypt/ of the same {illeg} king |in the times of Rehoboam.|

The third \first/ speaks of the Great Improvment of Navigation in the times of Sesostris.

The lower part of the same page & the whole of the 4^th relate to the identity of Sesostris Osiris /& Bacchus & Mars \

The same argument is continued in the fifth, — / Mem. the leaf of these \/ these weomen' comes in here./.

The sixth folio pages /tends to\

The seventh /sheet mark'd 7\ confirms the same from the history of Venus, & several other Heathen Gods / particularly \Thoth or/ Mercury. Hercules Atlas, Neptune

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{illeg} the same argument

The 9^th tends to prove that Osiris & the other Gods of Egypt were princes of Eygpt in the times of Ammon & Sesostris

The 10^th speaks of the death of Sesostris. — N.B. Sesostris brother to Solomon's Queen. & of the consequential civil war in Eygpt, which by the Poets is described as the war of the Titans.

The eleventh speaks of the reign of Orus, son & succesor of Sesostris, in whose reign Isis & Mercury made laws for Eygpt.^[1]

The 12^th 13^th & 14 & 15 contain a dissertation on the Antient length of the year, deducing from thence as a consequence that the beginning of Astronomy is to be placed in the times of Osyres \Sesostris/ & Mercury.

In the 16^th ye \is/ an account of the Ethiopian invasion after the death of Asa \& conquest of Eygpt/ in the times of Asa.

The 17^th speaks of the consequences of the power of Eygpt being now broken viz the flourishing state of Asa & Iehosaphat, & the return of the Philistines from Caphtor near Caucasus — Death of Orus — Amenophis or Osymandaes suceeds him.

The \sheet marked/ 18^th proves that Amenophis is the same with Menes — History of that king. — probably the same with Zesah the Ethiopian, or his ally. — (In this chapter is an argument in {favour} of the time of the Shepherds coming into Eygpt) — Great structures of Amenophis in Eygpt.

19. Description of his library \several other apartments of the/ Monument, with the golden ring of 365 Cubits around: that was an Emblem of the Eygptian Year; of which Amenophis was the perfecter.

20. Dissertation on the Egyptian year; tending to \further/ prove that assertion.

21.

22 The same dissertation continued.

23. Begins with some reflections with the story of Atlas & Saturn. The remaining part of this page, the 24^th 25^th tend to fix the æra of the taking of Troy about Threescore years after the death of Solomon.

26. Parallel between the generations of Hesiod, & those of the Eygptians. The fourth of each ends about the siege of Troy.

27. Tends to prove that Proteus who govern'd lower Eygpt in the time of the Trojan war was Viceroy of Amenophis. — \In/ The lower part of the page begins the reign of Ramesses.

28. Riches & power of Ramesses, & of his succesors Mæris, & Cheops the builder of the \Pyramids./

29. Begins with some account of Cheops, & proceeds to the other Pyramid-Builders, his succesor Cephrenus, Mycerinus, Asychis.

30. Begins with a \short/ dissertation on the building of the Pyramids: proceeds to the history of Anysis the successor of Asychis — Conquests of Sabacon; at which time Egypt was divided into several kingdoms; \such as/ Kings of Thebais, Tanis, Sais, Memphis.

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31. Reign of Boccharis \at Memphis/ — Great {razure}. —— The 19^th chapter of Isaia relates to these times of confusion & division in Eygpt

32. The Reign of the Ethiopians over Eygpt: contemporary with Hosea & Hezekiah & the Destruction of Sennacheril's army marching against Tirhakah the Ethiopian king of \Eygpt/ — Conquest of Eygpt (during the reign of the sucessor of Tirhakah) by the Assyrians; contemporary with the conquest of the Iews, & captivity of Manassea — Eygpt shakes off the Assyrian yoke — Interregnum — twelve kings \Princes/ of Eygpt share the government:

33. Psammiticus king of all Eygpt. — Pharao Necho. — Psammis. — Asmis — Amasis. & Psammenitus, who reigned only six months.

The M^s concludes with these words.

— Amasis died in the winter before Cambyses enter'd Eygpt, & Psamminitus was conquer'd & slain by him in the Summer following, & Eygpt has continued almost ever since in servitude.

P.S.

It does not appear &c

It does not appear, that S^r Isaac ever finish'd this \his/ work on the Origin of Kingdoms: —— But in his Chronology, (which book he prepar'd for the press towards the conclusion of his life) several passages are inserted, copied with but small alterations from this his \former/ work. on the Original of Kingdoms.

Such being the case, it is submitted to the proper judges, whether or no it wou'd be proper that these papers shou'd be \published./