ound on stones and other monuments of antiquity. Sanchoniathon, contemporary, as it is said, with Gideon, drew most of the memoirs whereof his history is composed from inscriptions which he found in temples and on columns, both among the Heathens and the Hebrews.

It appears, indeed, that the ancients engraved upon pillars the principles of sciences, as well as the history of the world. Those mentioned by Herodotus show, that this was the first way of instructing people, and of transmitting histories and sciences to posterity. This is confirmed by Plato in his Hippias; wherein he says, that Pittistratus engraved on stone-pillars precepts use- ful for husbandmen. Pliny affirms us, that the first public monuments were made of plates of lead; and that the treaties of confederacy concluded be- tween the Romans and the Jews were written upon plates of brass; that (says he) the Jews might have something to put them in mind of the peace and con- federacy concluded with the Romans. The Greeks and Romans were great dealers in inscriptions, and were extremely fond of being mentioned in them: and hence it is, that we find so many in those countries of ancient learning, that large volumes have been com- posed, as the collection of Gruter, &c. Since Gruter's collection, Th. Reinfeius has compiled another huge volume of inscriptions. M. Fabrety published ano- ther volume at Rome in 1669, wherein he has correc- ted abundance of errors which had escaped Gruter, Rei- nfeius, and other antiquaries, &c. and added a great number of inscriptions omitted by them.—Since all these, Grevis has published a complete collection of inscriptions, in three vols. folio.