The government, laws, religion, learning, customs, &c. of the Assyrians are involved in great obscurity. Their kingdom at first was undoubtedly small, 'have continued so for many ages ; for the adventurers, who shared the fortunes of Ashur when he settled in that country, though represented by many historians as numerous, must have been few, as that migration took place a short time after the flood. When they had af terwards extended the boundaries of their empire, we find their kings were hereditary and despotic ; and hence their laws must have been few and arbitrary. The whole kingdom was divided into provinces, over which viceroys were appointed ; the people were distributed into tribes ; and occupations or professions were here ditary. There were great councils appointed by the people for the management of public affairs ; but though these claimed the privilege of acting in conjunction with their sovereign, yet they appear to have been altogether under his controul. The first was composed of military officers who had retired from the army ; the second of nobles ; and the third of old men. The king likewise appointed three tribunals : the first disposed of young women in marriage, and punished adultery ; the second took cognizance of theft ; and the third of every other crime. The manner in which young women were given in marriage, though prevalent among other nations, is too remarkable to be omitted here. As no parent had the power of disposing of his own children, all the young women, when marriageable, were assembled on a certain day at an appointed place ; and the most beautiful were sold, one after another, by public auction, to the highest bidder. The money which was thus acquired, was por tioned out among those, whom no person would accept without some pecuniary consideration, and who were af terwards offered to those who would take them with the least sum. As no person was allowed to use his wife•
ill, or to carry her to a foreign country, when any party could not agree, they were permitted to separate, and the money which the husband had received was to be repaid. In the religion of the country, idolatry was so firmly rooted as to lead their kings to affect divine hon ours, and induce the people to offer even human sacrifices to their gods. Their learning partook much of the na ture of superstition, and was chiefly employed in explain ing the phenomena of nature as portending good or evil ; in expounding dreams, and in using enchantment. They, however, as well as the Egyptians, claim the honour of inventing alphabetic writing, the origin of which must for ever remain in obscurity. The few remains of writing which these nations have transmitted to us, prove that their characters nearly resembled each other, and were arranged in the same manner from right to left. But as the government and manners of the Assyrians were almost, if not altogether, the same as the Babylonians, we shall speak of them more particularly when we come to the history of that people. See Strabo, lib. xvi. Herodotus, lib. i. ii. Justin, lib. i. Diodorus Sic. lib. ii. Pliny, lib. vi. cap. 13. and 26. Ptol. lib. i. cap. 2. Pompon. Melt:, lib. i. cap. 2. ./Elian. Var. Hist. lib. iv. cap. 1. Newton's Chronology. Rollin's 4ncient History. Fourmont's Refiexions sur L'Origine, Sze. et des .4ociens Peoples. Cumberland's Origin. Gent. ?Intiq. Goguet's Origine des. Loix, vol. i. Univers. Hist. vol. i. p. 287 ; vol. iv. p. 242 ; vol. v. p. 17. (s)