Most certainly Noah was divinly qualified not only as a Preacher of Righteousness but the greatest Philosopher in the 'Historia Animalium' that ever was; and it was Work enough for his whole Family to feed them, and take care of the young Brood; for in a year's time there must be a great increase in the Ark, w^{ch} was food for the Family, and the Beasts of Prey. The first Peece of Civil Architecture we meet with in Holy Writ is the Tower of Babel. Providence scatter'd the first Builders, so the Work was left off, but the Successors of Belus the son of Nimrod probably finished It and made it His Sepulchre, upon his Deification. It was built of Burnt Brick Cemented with Bitumen. Herodotus gives us a surprizing Relation of it w^{ch} being set down by measure is not beside our subject to observe. It consisted of Eight several Stories; the First was one Stade, or 625 foot square, and of the same measure in Height upon which were rais'd seven more, w^{ch} if they were all equal with the First would amount to 2,500 foot, which is not credible: the Form must be therefore Pyramidal and being adorn'd on the outside with Rows of Galleries in divers stories diminished in Height in Geometrical Proportion; so the whole Mass would have the Aspect of Half an Octaedron, which is that of all the Egyptian Pyramids. These Corridors being Brick wasted in more than 1600 years: and it was these which Alexander actually began to Repair, not the whole Bulk, as I suppose. How Herodotus had his measures I question, for He flourish'd but 100 years before Alexander's Conquests of Babylon, so it was then 1500 years Old. I proceed next to those mighty Works of Antiquity the Wonderful _Pyramids_ of Egypt yet remaining without considerable decay after almost 4000 years: for 2000 years agoe, they were reckon'd by Historians of Uncertain Original. I cannot think any Monarch however Despotick could effect such things meerly for Glory; I guess there were reasons of State for it. Egypt was certainly very early Populous, because so Productive of Corn by the help of Nile, in a manner without labour. They deriv'd the River when it rose, all over the Flat of the Delta; and as the People increas'd, over a great deal of Land that lay higher. The Nile did not always Flow high enough for a great Part of the then inhabited Country, and without the Nile, They must either Starve or prey upon those who had Corn; This must needs create Mutiny and Bloodshed, to prevent which it was the Wisdom of their ancient Kings and Priests to Exact a certain Proportion of Corn, and lay it up for those who wanted the benefit of the Rivers when it disappointed their sowing.