£06 
to collect the members of my family 
together from different parts of the pre- 
mises, to participate with me in. the 
contemplation of an aérial exhibition so 
splendid and so extraordinary. 
The effect, indeed, was most: singu- 
larly grand and impressive: so much 
so, that I could not help considering 
it, as worthy to have found a. place 
among the sublimities of the northern 
Edda, as one of the indications of that 
approaching Twilight of the Gods, when 
every thing is to yield to Surtur the 
black, the demon of consuming fire; 
and when the sun, the moon, and the 
deities themselves, are to be swallowed 
by the enormous jaws of the Wolf Fen- 
rir, to make, way for a new and more 
splendid creation. How easily might 
the Scald, or any other believer in that 
rudely wild, but magnificent scheme of 
superstition, have imagined, while gazing 
upon this phenomenon, that Bifrost (by 
which name the rainbow was by them 
distinguished), the beautiful arch by 
traversing which the gods held inter- 
course -with. the race of mortals, was 
already fired, and the twilight of desola- 
tion begun. N. B.C. 
——— 
For the Monthly Magazine. 
The Rars of Herovores. 
OTHING is more astonishing in 
history, considering the limited 
communication that existed among the 
nations of antiquity, than the universal 
diffusion of the same fables and super- 
stitions among them, while the know- 
ledge they respectively possessed scarce- 
ly ever spread beyond the limits of their 
different empires... The more our ac- 
quaintance with the nations of middle 
Asia, extends the more we find this 
truth verified; and the reader will, 
therefore, not be surprised to perceive 
a version of the singular Egyptian rat 
story, related by Herodotus, contained 
in the ancient annals of Khotan, in Little 
Bokhara, transmitted by the Chinese ; 
and a translation of which has been,re- 
cently. published in Paris by M. Abel 
Rémusat. 
The following is, the story of Hero- 
dotus : 
At the death of Aausin, he was succeeded 
by a priest of Vulcan, named Sethon, This 
king greatly neglected. the order of the war- 
riors, When, soon after, a numerous army, 
commanded by Sanacharib, king of the As- 
syriaris and Arabs, came to attack Egypt, 
none of the’ Egyptian warriors would march. 
The priest-king, alarmed’ at this refusal, 
and uncertain what resolution he was to 
take, entered into the temple of Vulean, 
The Rats of Herodotus. 
[Dee. 1, 
and bewailed at the foot of the statue of 
the god, the misfortunes that threatened 
him. While he was uttering his complaints, 
sleep fell on him, and he dreamed that he 
saw the god standing by the side of him, 
and who, encouraging him, told him that 
with the help he was about. to receive he 
should have nothing to fear from the Arab 
army. ‘The king, trusting to this vision, 
assembled all those who consented to fol- 
low him, and marched towards, Pelusium, 
which is the point from which Egypt may 
be entered, having with him, no. scJdiers, 
but a mob of merchants, artists, ad trades- 
men. He had scarcely arrived, when an 
infinite number of field rats spread in the 
enemy's camp, and in the course of one 
night gnawed so completely the strings. of 
their bows, their quivers, and even the 
straps of their helmets, that the army, de- 
prived of every species of arms, was com- 
pelled on the next day to take flight ;. and, 
being followed by the Egyptians, lost a 
great many people. In commemoration of 
this event we see, in the temple of Vulcan, 
a stone statue representing Sethon with a 
rat in his hand, with the inscription ; “ On 
seeing me, learn to reverence the gods.” 
The Chinese story is rather more 
curious, in as much as it tells us about 
a king of the rats, who makes the, pro- 
mise of assistance in his own person. 
But au fait 
A yery numerous army of Heeoang-nov 
(Turks) was invading the kingdom of 
Khotan. The king of this country was 
too weak to oppose such an enemy. He 
therefore ordered a sacrifice to be offered 
to the rats of the desert, and begged them 
to be his auxiliaries. The same night’ he 
saw in his dream a large rat, which said 
tohim: ‘you have claimed our assistance ; 
prepare your troops to fight a_battle,.to- 
morrow, and you shall be victorious!” The 
next morning the king attacked the THee- 
oang-noo unawares. These, thus suddenly 
roused, ‘hastened to mount their horses, and 
put on their armour; but it was found that 
the harness of their horses, the clothes of 
the soldiers, the strings of thei bows, the 
straps of their cuirasses, in short every 
thing made of wool or linen, had been com- 
pletely gnawed and torn to: pieces by) the 
rats. Thus deprived of the means of de- 
fence, they fell under the blows of their 
enemies. Their general was killed, and 
the whole army taken prisoners. The king 
of Khotan, wishing to show his gratitude 
for so important a service, built a temple, 
offered. sacrifices, and since that ‘time the 
people never ceased to make ‘offerings 
in it.* i SAG 
These 
* Since the country was conquered by 
the Mohammedan Turks, and subjected to 
their religion, this worship of rats has, of 
course, ceased. D0 2 
