a title or writing affixed to any thing, to give some farther knowledge of it, or to trans- mit some important truth to posterity.

Antiquaries are very curious in examining ancient inscriptions found 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 Pisistratus engraved on stone pillars precepts use- ful for husbandmen. Pliny assures us, that the first public monuments were made of plates of lead; and that the treaties of confederacy concluded between the Romans and the Jews were written upon plates of brass; that (says he) the Jews might have some- thing to put them in mind of the peace and confede- racy 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. Reinesius has compiled another huge volume of inscriptions. M. Fabretti published an- other volume at Rome in 1699, wherein he has correct- ed abundance of errors which had escaped Gruter, Rei- nesius, and other antiquaries, &c., and added a great number of inscriptions omitted by them.—Since all these, Gravius has published a complete collection of inscriptions, in three vols. folio.