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description of them. When language consisted of monosyllables only, a single stroke, dash or letter might be thought as expressive of a single sound, as various letters were afterwards thought of various and compounded words, or of polysyllables. And since the unos or imitation, which the ancients ascribed to their letters, was an imitation relating to the expressing well the word they stood for, and not an imitation of the form or shape of the thing; we err widely from their meaning, if we suppose that their letters had been pictures or hieroglyphics, because they ascribe such a mimesis to them.

V. It was customary in Egypt, in very ancient times, to call eminent and famous men by the names of their gods. This Diodorus Siculus informs us of; who, after his account of the celestial deities, adds, that they had men of great eminence, some of whom were kings of their country, and all of them benefactors to the public by their useful inventions. Some of these they called by the name of their celestial deities ; ? in which number he reckons the persons called Sol, Saturnus, Rhea, Jupiter, Juno, Vulcanus, Vesta, Mercurius; intimating indeed that these were not their Egyptian names, but only equivalent to them. The Egyptians in the beginning of their idolatry worshipped the sun and moon; and in a little time the elements, the vis vivifica of living creatures, the fire, air, earth and water. Perhaps the wind might be the

See vol. i. book 4.
Diodor. Sic. lib. 1.

► Diodor. lib. 1. p. 12,

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eighth deity; for they distinguished the wind and air from one another, and took them to be two different things; and as the Assyrians called their kings and great men, Bel, Nebo, Gad, Azar, after the names of their gods, so did the Egyptians. Whilst they worshipped only the deities, they had only their names and titles with which to dignify illustrious men ; but in after-times, when the men, who were at first called by the names of their gods, came to be deified, then the names of these men were thought honorary titles, for those who lived after them. Thus, as Osiris was called Sol, or Isis, Luna, by those who had a desire to give. them the most illustrious titles and appellations; so when Osiris and Isis were reputed deities, a later posterity gave their names to famous men, who had lived later than they did. Thus the brother of Cnan or Canaan; i. e. Mizraim, was called Osiris. I might add further as the Assyrians called their kings sometimes by the names of two or three of their gods put together, as Nabonassar, Nebuchadnezzar;" so the Egyptians many times gave one and the same person' the names of several gods, according as the circumstances of their lives gave occasion. Thus Diodorus remarks, that the same person who was called Isis, was sometimes called Juno, sometimes Ceres, and sometimes Luna; and Osiris was at one time called Serapis, at another Dionysius, at another, Pluto,

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Ammon, Jupiter and Pan. Now as one and the same 'person was sometimes called by different names ; so one and the same name was frequently given to many different persons, who lived in different ages. Osiris was not the name of one person only, but Mizraim was called by this name; and so were divers kings who lived later than he did; amongst the number of whom we may, I believe, insert Sesostris. But we may see the application of these ancient names abundantly in one particular name; which I chuse as an instance, because I have frequent occasion to mention it. The reader will find other names as variously given to dif ferent persons in all parts of ancient history. Chronus was the name of the star called Saturn, and most probably some Antediluvian was first called by this name; afterwards the father of Belus, Canaan, Cush, and Mizraim, i.e. Moses' Ham the son of Noah, was called by this name. The son of this Ham, the father of Taautus, i. e. Mizraim himself, was called Chronus." The father of Abraham was called Chronus, and Abraham himself was also thus called. I might observe the same of Belus, Bacchus, Pan, and of almost every other name; but abundance of instances will occur to every one who reads any of the ancient writers.

VI. The Egyptians, having first called their heroes by the names of their sidereal and elementary deities, added in time to the history of the life and actions of

y See vol, i. book 4.

■ Ibid.

* See vol. i. book 4. p. 176. See book 6. Euseb. præp. Evang. lib. 1 c. 10.

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such heroes, a mythological account of their philosophical opinions concerning the gods, whose names had been given to such heroes. This might be first done by the second Thyoth or Hermes; and to him must belong what Philo in Eusebius relates of the person of his name; that being famous for his great parts and learning, he raised the style (as I might say) which had been used in subjects of religion, and instead of a plain way of treating these points, accommodated to the capacity of the low and vulgar people, he introduced a method more suitable to the learning which was then in esteem and reputation. Most probably he did what the same author mentions that the son of Thabion had practised upon Sanchoniatho: to plain narrations of fact and history, he added mythology and philosophy. He put into a system the philosophy then in repute, concerning the stars and elements; and by inventing such fables as he thought expressive, he made a history of his system, by inserting the several parts of it among the actions of such persons as had borne the names of the sidereal or elementary deities, to whom the respective parts of his system might be applied. I might confirm all this, from numerous explications of the Egyptian fables, which Plutarch has

d Euseb. Præp. Evang. lib. 1. c. 10. The words are Τα αυτά οι Αιγύπλιοι Θαν. προσαγορεύεσι, σοφία διενεγκών-πρώτος

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τα κατά την θεοσέβειαν εκ της των χυδαίων απειρίας τις επισημονικής εμπειρίαν διεταξεν. Id. ibid. p. 39. The words are Ταυτα πάντα ο Θαβιων Θ. Παις πρωτος των απ' αιώνος γεγονότων Φοινικων ιεροφάντης αλληγορήσας, τους τα φυσικοίς και κοσμικούς πάθεσιν αναμίξας παρέδωκε τοις οργνωσία.

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given in his treatise upon Isis and Osiris. The ancient history of these two persons was most probably no more than this, which may be collected from Diodorus' account of them. Osiris married Isis, taught men to live sociably, to plant trees, and to sow corn; and he not only taught one set or company of men, these useful arts; but travelled up and down far and near, instructing all who would be advised by him, leaving his domestic family or kingdom to be governed by his wife Isis, and son Taautus, whenever he went from home to instruct the neighbouring nations, or rather families. Osiris, after several useful and successful expeditions of this sort, returned home greatly honoured and esteemed by all who knew him; but upon some accident or quarrel, he is said to have been killed by Typho. Isis raised her family, fought with Typho, got her husband's body and buried it. This might be the whole account they had at first of Osiris; and all this might be true of Mizraim, the first king of Egypt; but then, this Osiris having had the names of several of their gods given to him in afterages, all that was believed of these was added in mythology to his history. Thus Osiris, having had the name of the moon given to him, and it being believed that the moon completed its course in twenty-eight days; and that after the full, she decreases, and is diminished by some potent cause for fourteen days together; they called the moon Osiris, the cause of its decrease Typho, and they tell this story: that Osiris reigned twenty-eight years, and was killed by

f Ilist. lib. 1.

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