A memorial of this knowledge which _Hercules_ had of letters, we find in _Hephæstion_ V. where he writes, “_Hercules_ gave the name of _Alpha_ to the first letter, in honour to the river _Alpheus_, when victor at the _olympic_ games.” My late learned friend, Mr. _Keysler_, in his _Antiq. septentrional._ guessed well that _Ogmius_ means _literatus_, a _man of letters_, as we commonly say; more properly spoken of _Hercules_ than of others. But Mr. _Toland_ shews evidently, that _Ogum_ is a word in the _Irish_ language, importing the secret of alphabet writing; the _literarum secreta_, as _Tacitus_ calls it, _de mor. germ._ So that _Hercules Ogmius_ fully imports the learned _Hercules_, and especially one that was master of alphabet writing; without which learning is but a vague and uncertain thing. This our _Hercules_ learn’d of _Abraham_ in the east, and this he brought with our Druids into the extremest west, in this very early age of the world, as we have all the reason imaginable to believe. That they had letters, we have _Cæsar_’s express testimony, and they were the same as the _greek_ letters, because the very same. They had them from the same fountain as the _Grecians_, tho’ somewhat earlier; for I take our _Hercules_ to be a little prior in time to _Cadmus_, who carry’d letters into Greece. _Hercules_ therefore was learned and eloquent, a great astronomer, and philosopher. A fragment of _Palæphatus_ in the _Alexandrian_ chronicle, calls him the _Tyrian_ philosopher, who found out the purple dye: _Suidas_ in the word _Hercules_, the like. And long before, _Heraclitus in Allegoriis Homericis_, says, he was a wise man, a great philosopher, και σοφιας ουρανιου Μυστης, one initiated into the wisdom from above; we may call him a professor of divinity. Thus he appears a worthy scholar of the great _Abraham_, and from him the Druids learn’d the groundwork of learning, religion, and philosophy, which they were so famous for ever after. But my purpose is to be very short on this head at present: nevertheless I must remark that our _Assis_ was not only acquainted with _Abraham_ in _Egypt_, but likewise in the land of _Canaan_ or _Phœnicia_; for he quitted _Egypt_ by compact with _Tethmosis_ _A.M._ 2120, carrying away with him 240000 men, which enabled him to transport colonies all over the _Mediterranean_ and the ocean. And he must dwell several years in _Canaan_ before his projects of that kind were ripe. But _Abraham_ dy’d _A.M._ 2183, so that there was abundantly time enough for the two great men to renew their acquaintance, and there is much reason to think they actually did so. Therefore as it was the patriarchal custom to raise temples wherever they came; so of our hero _Hercules_, whether thro’ his own pious disposition,or in imitation of _Abraham_: we hear of his raising pillars too, which means our temples. And thence he obtain’d the name in antiquity, of _Hercules Saxanus_.