19 



Third Meeting — November 7, 1849. 



F. AitCHER, Esq., V.P., in the Chair. 



Mr. S. Peekes was elected a member of the Society. 



In the theatre of the Eoyal Institution, where many ladies 

 and gentlemen had assembled, a Lecture upon The Sabaan 

 Origin of the Whiged Lion and Winged Bull, of Nineveh, was 

 delivered by the Rev. St. Vincent Beechey, M.A., illustrated 

 by his trinoptric lantern and dissolving views. 



After some preliminary observations the lecturer went on to 

 say : — The process by which I believe the religion of the 

 Sabaean nations to have advanced, is simply this : — 



1st. The study of astronomy, and its application to hus- 

 bandry. 

 2nd. The perversion of astronomy to astrology. 

 3rd. The worship of the planets and stars, which were 



thus supposed to influence the lives of men. And 

 4th. A metaphysical refinement upon this system of 

 idolatry, in a more advanced age, in which the initiated 

 were taught to rise above the vulgar idolatry, and to re- 

 gard the visible and natural agencies as merely symboli- 

 cal of the spiritual and invisible powers of nature, or 

 even of supposed divine intelligences. 

 Whoever has read Sir J. Gardner Wilkinson's excellent 

 work on Ancient Egypt, will be struck with the prevalence of 

 this latter system, particularly as the dates of the several 

 monuments come nearer to modern times. The subtle and 

 complicated distinctions between the different gods of his 

 Pantheon will baffle the most careful investig^ion. One god 

 is continually assuming the form of another, or becoming an 



