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CONSIDERABLE EMPIRES, KINGDOMS,
AND STATES IN THE WORLD,

FROM THE EARLIEST TIMES TO THE PRESENT period.

INTERSPERSED

With a short account of the Prevailing Religions.

Ornamented with a Frontispiece, representing

HISTORY CONDUCTING PATRIOTISM, FORTITUDE and
WISDOM TO THE TEMPLE OF FAME.

PERSONIEIED BY

Generals Washington, Greene, and Hamilton;
AND THREE OTHER PLATES.

By D. FRASER,

Author of the Columbian Monitor, Select Biography, &c.

NEW-YORK:

PRINTED BY HENRY C. SOUTHWICK,

NO. 2, WALL-STREET.

1

PUBLIC LIBRARY
706448

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L. S.

BE IT REMEMBERED, That on the seventeenth day of October, in the thirty-second year of the Independence of the United States of America, Donald Fraser, of the said district, hath deposited in this office the title of a book, the right whereof he claims as author, in the words following, to wit:

"A Compendium of the History of all Nations: exhibiting a concise view "of the origin, progress, decline, and fall of the most considerable empires, "kingdoms, and states in the world, from the earliest times to the present "period....interspersed with a short account of the prevailing religions. Or. "namented with a frontispiece, representing History conducting Patriotism, "Fortitude and Wisdom to the Temple of Fame-personified by Generals "Washington, Greene and Hamilton-and three other Plates By D. Fraser, "Author of the Columbian Monitor, Select Biography, &c "

In conformity to the act of Congress of the United States, entitled "An act for "the encouragement of learning by securing the copies of maps, charts and "books to the authors and proprietors of such copies during the times therein " mentioned," and also to an act entitled "An act supplementary to an act en"titled an act for the encouragement of learning by securing the copies of "maps, charts and books to the authors and proprietors of such copies during "the times therein mentioned, and extending the benefits thereof to the arts of designing, engraving and etching historical and other prints."

66

...EDWARD DUNSCOMB, Clerk of the District of New-York.

YRARSLI

PREFACE.

THE great utility of an intimate knowledge of History is universally admitted; to young people it is highly essential, and should be studied by every one who would attain a liberal education. By tracing back the great events and revolutions of human affairs-the rise and fall of kingdoms and states-it will tend to expand the mind, enlarge the ideas, and render conversation more agreeable, interesting and instructive.

History being the faithful repository of the actions of men in all ages, who have performed any distinguished part on the theatre of the world, adds to our own experience a rich stock of the experience of others, and furnishes innumerable instances of virtues to imitate, and vices to be avoided: Every law of morality, and very rule of conduct, is submitted to its test and examination.

The accounts of the origin and progress in population of all countries, are involved in great obscurity.It is little more than three thousand years since the books of MOSES, the most ancient and the only genuine record of what passed in the early ages of the world,

were written.

iv

Herodotus is the oldest of heathen

historians he flourished a thousand

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ler than

Moses. If we extend our enquiries 1ond the æra when written history commenced, we enter upon the region of conjecture, of fable, and uncertainty.

In this publication, I have taken a progressive, brief, but comprehensive, view of the state of mankind from the earliest ages, of which we have any authentic account, to the present period; and have attempted to delineate the origin of States and Empires, the outlines of their history, the revolutions they have undergone, and the causes which contributed to their rise and splendour, as well as those which operated to their decline and extinction. It is hoped that this work will prove an acceptable REMEMBRANCER to those already well-versed in universal history; and be of considerable service to such youth as aspire at becoming the future LEGISLATORS and STATESMEṀ of this country.

In compiling this work: I have had recourse to some of the best authorities in. the English language; particularly the Rev. Doctors Mavor and Turner, and Mr. John Payne. Mr. John Crookes, of New-York, has also rendered me some valuable assistance. To these gentle. men it is but common justice to acknowledge my warmest obligations for the aid which they have afforded me.

D. FRASER,

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