1825.] 
for sin and uncleanness.” In the rites 
of Mythra, of Ceres, Isis and Tropho- 
nius, the initiate passed through a bap- 
tism of water: and put on a new gar- 
ment. Thus it appears that the cistern 
and fountain, referred to in the quoted 
passage of Solomon, were like the wheel, 
bowl, and silver cord, types of sacred 
rites and mystic arcana. 
Anp THE GaTEs aRE TWO.—All the 
antient ORACULAR caves seem to have 
had two entrances, one superior on the 
north face, and one inferior directed 
towards the south. Such was the case 
with the cavern-temples of Mithra, the 
cave of Trophonius, -and all the pyra- 
mids. Some of the Egyptian excava- 
tions, called the tombs of the kings (and 
which were also HERGUMs) are similarly 
constructed, having a secret southern 
exit, beyond the Lybian chain of rocks. 
This peculiarity involves an arcanum of 
astronomical theclogy. The whole ar- 
gument of Porphyry, respecting the 
northern and southern gates of the sun, 
and the descent of souls from the north, 
is derived from the Egyptian priesthood, 
who shared, with the theocracy of India 
and Persia, in the same peculiar theory. 
The angle of descent in the pyramids, 
which is always from north to south, 
and generally 26° (the new oblique pas- 
sage discovered by Caviglia, is of this 
kind), nearly agrees with that of the 
earth’s axis: and the inclination, doubt- 
less, when applied to initiation and fune- 
real rites, was intended to symbolize 
the lapse of the soul, through the north- 
ern gate of Capricorn to the southern 
regions of Cancer, Hades and Death, 
in which regions the Sot InFervus or 
Seraris, the terminating point of the 
mysteries, was reputed to rule, in con- 
tradistinction to the Sox Surrrus, or 
Osiris. 
Hic vertex nobis semper sublimis ; at illum 
Sub pedibus Styx atra vidit, manesque pro- 
fundi. 
NEITHER DO MORTALS AT ANY TIME 
PASS THAT WAY: FOR IT IS THE WAY 
or THE IMMORTALS.—Thus the palace 
of Somnus, in Virgil and Homer, has two 
gates, one devoted to the entrance of 
true apparitions, the other of false; 
one, of osseous fabrication, ivory—the 
other of corneous—horn: the first re- 
lated to material things of fact, and 
therefore implied delusion; the last to 
visual and ideal things, and so was 
deemed true. It is probable that the 
priests only, or “ the immortals” entered 
by the southern entrance of the oracu- 
lar caves. Indeed, Pausanius says, that, 
. The Cave of the Nymphs. 
203 
the cave of Trophonius had a secret 
entrance peculiar to the priests. This 
is found to be the case in Belzoni’s 
* Tomb of Psammis;” and in the great 
pyramid, such is the inference fairly de- 
ducible from Cayiglia’s late discoveries. 
Now with regard to the other details 
which relate to this initiatory cavern, 
or “ Hieron Antron,”’ all the circum- 
stances have clear and pointed reference 
to the secret rites and mysteries per- 
formed in such oracular caves. The 
candidate represented a defunct person. 
So Ulysses sleeps a “ death-like sleep” 
the whole voyage. He is conveyed, as 
the myst were, to the seat of initia- 
tion in a machine, instinct with secret 
springs. That this machine was, some- 
times, in the shape of the Arkite ship 
of Osiris, and, sometimes, in the shape 
of a sarcophagus, may be gathered from 
extant Egyptian sculptures and paint- 
ings, and particularly in the second cor- 
ridor of the excavation called by Bel- 
zoni “ The Tomb of Psammis.” The 
candidate, in the mysterious cavern- 
rites of all nations had a new garment 
given to him. Thus Arete (Virtue) 
gives a new garment to Ulysses. The 
same metaphorical usage for regenera- 
tion is employed in that series of sacred 
hieroglyphics, the Avocatyrss. Tertul- 
lian distinctly says, that there was an 
offering of BrEap and wine during ‘initi- 
ation. Bread and wine are placed ‘be- 
side the sleeping Ulysses, in the sacred 
bark. There is also deposited, besides, 
an Ark or Cista, containing tRirops 
and sacred cups, which was also a con- 
stant appendage of the Mystic Rites; 
the word Orgies itself being derivable 
from Argos, a chest or Ark, and was, 
doubtless (as in the instance of the 
Morous Cerens at Eleusis) a memento 
of the Noachic Ark, and of the seeds of 
a New Life which it contained. In the 
rites of Osiris and Adonis, the effigy of 
the defunct deity, (with whom the ini- 
tiate was, during the mysteries, identi- 
fied) was placed on a splendid couch. 
Many extant paintings of this rite re- 
main in Egyptian temples and on mummy 
chests. So Ulysses, still ina “ death- 
like sleep’ is left within the “ Hieron 
Antron” reclined on a rich couch (Pe- 
rikaltea chelon rHaLamoio). The couch 
employed in the secret rites was called 
Thalamus, or the mystical bridal bed, 
and the chamber Thalamis, and was held 
to represent the reproductive repose of 
nature, or the womb of the abyss be- 
fore creation. The appearance of the 
morning star points to the period of the 
2D 2 celebration. 
