OF SERPENTS. 235 



Where the Country abounded with Wood, a Dog was fixt 

 in the Governor's Standard, to which the Egyptians gave no little 

 Veneration, efpecially Sportfmen .... as the Poet obferves *. 



That which gives fome colour to this Partition of Ofiris's 

 Kingdom, is, " that God ordained very near the fame thing to be 

 *' obferved in the Encampments of the Ifraelites^ when he divided 

 ** the twelve Tribes into four Bodies, and allotted to one of the 

 " three Tribes, belonging to each Body, the Figure of an Animal 

 ^^ to be placed in the Bafiner: Thus, that of Reuben carried the 

 ** Figure of a Man j that of 'Judah^ a hion ; that of T>an^ an 

 *' Eagle ; and that otEphraim, an Ox -f-". 



After this manner the Egyptian Monarch did place in their 

 Banners the Figures of certain Animals, which by degrees were 

 «{her'd into their Religion and Temples. 



N, B. These Banners thus painted with different Animals, 

 were fixt upon Poles, between their feveral Provinces, by which 

 their Bounds were determined. Se?niramis, being conquered by 

 StaurobateSy Antiquity feign'd fhe was changed by the Gods into 

 a Dove, the Bird of Ve?ius, which is the reafon why the Dove 

 was worfhipped by the BabylonianSy and why they gave it in their 

 Enfign . 



I Conclude this Part with fome In fiances, that are given of 

 the Sottifhnefs of Pagans in what they called religious Worfhip, 

 which indeed is almofl incredible, if they were not common, and 



well attefled.' The Egyptians did not only worfhip variety of 



Beafls, but alfo the Figures of them, as the Reprefentatives of 

 their Gods : Each City and Diflrid: entertain'd a peculiar Devo- 

 tion for fome particular Beafl or other, in honour of which they 

 built Temples ; yea, every one of the Pagan Deities had his own 

 Beafl, Tree and Plant confecrated to him. Thus the Pigeon was 

 confecrated to Venus ; the Dragon and Owl to Minerva j the Eagle 

 to Jupiter ; the Cock io JEjhilapius and the Sun. This, fays Ju- 

 rieUj is the true Origin of the Egyptian Idolatry, Ibid. Who 

 adds. The Egyptians aflign'd to their Gods certain Animals, as 

 their Reprefentatives, and being introduced into the Temples, 

 as the Images were in fome Chriftian Churches, they at laft be- 



H h 2 gan 



* Oppidatota canem veverantur^ nemo Dianam. Ju/Cnal. Satir. XV. 

 The Dog whole ToVinJ> Djana none implore. 

 t Jarien's Crit. Hifi. vol. ii. 



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