Q. By what means is that knowledge to be acquired?

A. By means of the proper sciences instructing to that knowledge.

Q. What is the science which instructs to the knowledge of the times when the different transactions related in history took place?

A. CHRONOLOGY, or the science of the divisions and distributions of Time.

Q. And what is the science which instructs to the knowledge of the places where those transactions took place?

A. GEOGRAPHY, or the science of the divisions and distributions of the Earth.

Q. What compass of time does history embrace?

A. History embraces the totality of Time Past, from the creation of the Earth and the beginning of time, to the present period of the World, or the beginning of the nineteenth century of the Christian Era.

Q. How is historical time divided, and how computed?

A. Historical time is divided by Epochas, and computed by Eras.

Q. What is an Epocha?

A. An Epocha, is any fixed period of time, from which a series of years may be regularly and successively computed.

Q. And what is an Era?

A. An Era*, is the series or succession of years actually so computed. Thus, for example, the period of the Birth of

* As the term Era is commonly supposed to have been derived from Spain, we cannot do better than recur to Spain for the signification of the words Epocha and Era, in order to note their difference. .6 EPOCA, principio fixo y deter"minado, del qual se comienzan à numerar los tiempos. "ERA, cierta computacion de años." Diccionario, por la Real Academia.-" Epocha, a fixed and determined period from whence time is begun to be computed."Era, a certain and peculiar computation of years."

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"EPOCHA, the time at which a new computation is begun. "ERA, the account of time from any particular date or epoch."- -JOHNSON.

Christ constitutes the Christian Epocha; and the present year is the 1812th year of the Christian Era, or of the series of years computed from the Christian Epocha. It is the more necessary to observe this distinction, because we frequently find the terms Era and Epocha confounded, even by some of our most

eminent writers.

OF THE USE OF HISTORY, AND OF

PROPHECY.

Q. What is the use of History?

A. The general and perpetual use of History, is to guide the PRESENT generation by THE EXPERIENCE of the genera tions which are PAST.

Q. The use of history thus appears to have a twofold respect: to time past, and time present?

A. Time present is so short and fleeting, and is in such continual transit, that we shall speak with more propriety if we say, that the use of history has a threefold respect; viz. to time past, time present, and time future.

Q. In what manner can the use of history have respect to time future?

A. It is the nature of man to look forward to the issues of things, in order to secure the continuance of any present good; and, in preparing for the present, to lay his measures, with more or less providence in the future. Hence, the use of history is, properly," to guide the foresight of the present generation, by the experience of the generations "which are past;" and thus, the real use of history extends itself from time past, to time present and time future.

Q. But is the experience of former generations so ample and sufficient a warrant of future contingencies, as to afford us full and entire assurance concerning the principal events, and chief issucs of things, which are advancing upon us in futurity?

A. No, most certainly it is not. That experience is, indeed, able to supply us, with very good and sufficient rules of probability, for judging of the general issues of things, so long as the same.