antique shapes of the ancient patterns, and that the carvers were by law restrained from all attempts which looked like innovation. The art of carving being thus limited, was never carried to any perfection; but, as the same author remarks, their most modern statues were as ill shaped, as poorly carved, and as uncouth in figure, as those of the greatest antiquity. However, the chief reason for thinking that the relics which are now described as gods of Egypt, are modern, is, that most of them are of human shape; and we find by universal consent of all good writers, that the ancient Egyptian images were not of this sort. As they had sacred animals dedicated to their several gods, so the images of these were their idols. A hawk was their ancient image for Osiris, a sea-horse for Typho, a dog for Mercury, a cat for the Moon, and in the same manner other images of animals for other deities; and this introduced a practice analogous to it, even in their pictures and statues of men. As they represented their deities by the figures of such animals as they thought exhibited some shadows of their divine qualities or operations; the moon by a cat, because a cat varies its eye, in their opinion, according to the various phases of the moon; so they drew or carved men, in figures which might represent, not their visage, shape, or outward form, but rather their qualities or peculiar actions. Thus a Plato de Legibus, lib. 2. p. 789. sword was the known representation of Ochus," Scarabæus was the picture of a courageous warrior ;* and we may observe, that the priests of Egypt in Ptolemy Soter's time," about A. M. 3700, were so little acquainted with sculptures of human form, that they could form no conjectures about the Colossus which was brought from Sinope, but by considering the figures of the animals which were annexed to it. Strabo expressly tells us, that the Egyptian temples had no images, or none of human form, but the image of some animal, which represented the object of their worship; and he recounts the several animals, whose figures were the respective idols of particular cities ;* for some cities paid their worship before the images of some animals, and some before those of others." Pausanias says, that Danaus dedicated Λυκιον 'Απολλωνα, perhaps an image to Apollo, in the shape of a wolf. He remarks, that the statue which was in the temple of this deity, when he wrote, was not that which Danaus had made; but was the workmanship of a more modern hand, namely of Attalus the Athenian. In Attalus' days, the images of the gods might be made in the human form; but it is more agreeable to Strabo's observation, to think that the most ancient * Ουτως εν τω καταλογῳ των βασιλεων & κυρίως δηπε την εσίαν αυτό σημαίνονίες, αλλά το τροπές την σκληρότητα και κακιάν οργανω Φονικω παρεικάζοντες. . . Id. ibid. * Id. ibid. Strabo. Geograph. lib. 17. " Id. ibid. a Delubra had either no image at all, or the image of some beast, for the object of worship." The Israelites, about the time of Danaus', setting up a calf in the wilderness, of which sort was most probably the wooden statue, which Danaus erected to Apollo; and perhaps from a statue of this sort the ancient Argives stamped their coin with a wolf's head. F.Montfaucon has given the figures of several small Egyptian statues swathed from head to foot like mummies, which discover nothing but their faces, and sometimes their hands; which I think can never be taken for Egyptian deities. Plutarch informs us, that they delineated their judges and magistrates, in this dress, so that these were probably the images of deceased persons, who had borne those offices. We have several representations in the draughts of the same learned antiquary, which are said to be Isis holding, or giving suck to the boy Orus; but it should be remarked, that Orus was not represented by the Egyptians in the figure of a new-born child. For Plutarch expressly tells us, that a new-born child was the Egyptian picture of the sun's-rising; and if so, why may we not suppose, * Strabo. lib. 17, p. 805. See Montfaucon, Antiq. fig. 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20. с a Marsh. Can. p. 125. Vol. ii, part ii, B. i, plate 37. Plate 38, fig. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. c Lib. de Iside & Osiride, p. 355. d Montfaucon. ubi sup. plate 36, fig. 3. Plate 37, fig. 11. Plate 38, fig. 9, 10, 11. e Lib. de Iside & Osirid, p. 355. Orus, when in later times, images of a human form were introduced, was that these figures were the monuments of some eminent astronomers? They might be represented with the faces and breasts of women, to signify, that the observations which they had made, had been the cause of great plenty. They have commonly some plant sprouting and flourishing upon their heads; which probably, if well explained, would instruct us, what part of agriculture or planting was improved by the benefit of their learned observations. One of them has the head of a cow, and a bird's head upon that; but I think we are not to guess from hence, that the Egyptians had received the Greek fable about Io, as the learned antiquary suggests; but that the person hereby represented was so eminent, that he had the names of two deities given to him. As Daniel obtained such reputation in the court of Babylon, as to have a name given him, compounded of the names of two of their deities, namely Belteshazzar; so this person, whoever he was, was so eminent in Egypt, as to be called by the names of the two deities put together; the heads of whose sacred animals were for that reason put upon his statue. We meet with several figures," said to be designed for Harpocrates. All these figures are re represented by a quite different figure.—Εν Κοπίω του Αγαλμα τις Ώρος λεγεσιν εν τη ετέρα χειρι Τύφωνος αιδοια κατεχειν.-Plut. lib. de Iside & Osiride, p. 373. f Montfauc. ubi sup. plate 36, fig. 3. Dan. i. 7. See Vol. i. B. 5. h Montfauc. plate 40, fig. 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, in plate 41, these figures are numerous. presentations of young men with their finger upon their mouth, as a token of their silence; but why may we not suppose these to be monuments of young Egyptian students, who died in their novitiate, or first years, whilst silence, according to the ancient discipline, was enjoined them? There are a variety of figures of this sort in various dresses, and with variouss ymbols; all which, I imagine, might express the different attainments and studies of the persons represented by them. Jamblichus remarks, that Pythagoras, when he rejected any of his scholars, and after the five years' silence, turned them out of his school, for their defects and insufficiency, used to have statues made for them, as if they were dead.i This perhaps might be the ancient practice in Egypt, where Pythagoras long studied; and some of the mages, which go for Harpocrates, might be Egyptian students thus dismissed their schools; and the defect of symbols and want of ornament in some of them, may perhaps distinguish those of this sort from the other. Plutarch indeed hints, that in his time they had human representations of Osiris in every city; and Montfaucon gives us a figure, in some respects well answering to Plutarch's description of the statues of Osiris; but if that be a statue of Osiris, it must be a modern one. The ancient image of i Jamblichus de vita Pythag. k Lib. de Iside & Osiride, p. 371. ανθρωπομορφου Plutarch's words are, 'Пaviaxe de xou ardeuroμoppor Οσιριδος Αγαλμα δεικνύασιν εξορθιαζον τῷ αιδοίων |