migration---Difference between the souls of men and
inferior animals.

LETTER LXV.

Of the existence of Deity---necessity of supposing a

first cause---Mind the source of all motion and ac-

tion---The phænomena of nature inexplicable with-

out the supposition of Deity---Atheism the offspring

of vanity and prejudice---Various opinions of the

ancients---extravagance and absurdity of modern

atheists---these not to be confounded with sober

deists.

LETTER LXVI.

Universal agreement of mankind in the belief of a Deity
--this the effect of obvious traces of divinity in the
established order of things---the universe not the work
of chance, but of intelligence---The divine essence
unknown, but agency manifest---futility of atheisti-
cal reasoning---Of time and eternity---The unity of
the divine nature---folly of scepticism---arrogance
and mischievous tendency of atheism---characters of
goodness written on all nature.

The

LETTER LXVII.

age of the world uncertain--- Various changes in

its surface by fire and water---The Atlantides a

people who existed before the Mosaic deluge, and

whose island is lost---The South sea islands the re-

mains of an ancient continent---The most ancient

fables founded on natural phænomena, or suppose a

cultivated

3

cultivated state of society, prior to that of written re-
cords---Numerous proofs, natural and artificial, that
the present surface of the earth has been covered with
waters---The state of America no objection to this
notion---high antiquity of Peru and Mexico---Marks
of affinity between Europe and America.

LETTER LXVIII.

The Scythian monarchy the most ancient on historical
record---the superior elevation of the country a strong
argument for the superior antiquity of the people---
the vast extent of its dominion---monuments still re-
maining in this country of an ancient civilized nation
---its interior situation no objection---its elevation
superior to that of any other part of the globe---his-
torical accounts of the Scythian empire---astronomy
probably first known here.

LETTER LXIX.

Historical memoirs concerning the antiquity and ac-

curacy of Indian astronomy---derived from Scythia

---The Sanskreet language of the Brahmans, not

the primitive language of India, but transmitted from

a more ancient people---The knowledge of the wes-

tern world derived from the east---Bacchus, a Scy-

thian conqueror, the Brahma of India---European

superstitions of Asiatic origin---Pure and sublime

notions of Deity among the ancient Indians----

their superstitions symbolical---their early discoveries

in the arts.

LETTER

LETTER LXX.

Asiatic sources of information concerning the origin

of nations much more ancient than those of Greece

and Rome---View of the ancient empires of Asia,

Babylonia---Persia---China---Errors of the ancients

concerning the Caspian sea---extent of the Scythian

empire --- Certain European names of places of

Scythian derivation---Proofs of the ancient migration

of Scythians into other parts of Asia and into Eu-

rope.

LETTER LXXI.

Different accounts of the origin of European nations---
all either from the aboriginal stock of Celts, or from
Scythia---The Teutonic nations, and the Goths,
colonies from Scythia---The Scythians and Celts often
improperly confounded---distinct characters of each.

LETTER LXXII.

Mental energy of the northern nations exemplified---

Great revolutions have commonly originated from

the north--- irruption of the Goths---conquests of

Timour---The Goths more civilized than is com-

monly supposed---review of the dissolution of the

western Roman empire.

LETTER LXXIII.

The course of migration from north and east to south

and west---Europe indebted to the east for its civi-

lization---the northern parts of Asia the source of

arts and letters---the history of letters involved in

great

great obscurity---poetry antecedent to prose---its ori-
gin in the east---ancient methods of writing---al-
phabets---Greek and Latin tongues of Scythian
origin.

LETTER LXXIV.

The Celtic languages radically different from the Gothic
---the ancient Britons had letters, which they proba-
bly derived from the Phoenicians---The Britons in a
considerable degree civilized before the Roman inva-
sion---The Gauls and Britons originally Celtic, but
underwent changes in language and customs, from
emigration, colonization, and conquest.

LETTER LXXV.

Review of the character and doctrines of the Druids---
these probably not from the east---character of the
Celtic nations different from that of the Scythiac---
The first inhabitants of Great Britain and Ireland
from the same stock ---Miscellaneous observations on
the ancient state of Britain.