z6o Ohfervations on the Lotus of Egypt. 



from antient fculptures as from the account of hiflorians. 

 The rofe lotus, or i?gyptian bcao, is verv corrc£lly repre- 

 fented in the niofaic of Palefirine, an fxplanation of which 

 has been given by Barthclemy in the Memoirs of the Aca- 

 demy of Infcriptions and Belles ■ Lettres *. The fruit, the 

 flowers, and the leaves of that plant are exceedingly like. 

 They float on the fiirface of the water in a lake which carries 

 feveral l)arks during the lime of a feflival. This painting 

 brings to remembrance a pnifige of StralK)-}-, who fays, thai; 

 people made excurfions of pleafure in boats on the lakes co- 

 vered with beans, and that they liieltcied themfeU'es from the 

 fun with the leaves of that plant. On the Esiyptian monu- 

 ments Harpocrates is rcprelcnted above the flower of the fruit 

 of the rofe lotus. This plant, fo well known in antient 

 Egypt, is at prcfent celebrated in the religion of the Bra- 

 mins, and is often placed among the attributes of the Indian 

 deities J. 



It is not poffible to fay to what kind of lotus the flowers 

 feen reprcfenttd on the heads of the Egyptian kings or dei- 

 ties in feveral medals belonged, becauie the fpecies of lotus 

 difler chiefly in regard to tlie colour of their flowers, and the 

 form of their fruits or leaves ; but on the walls of the tem- 

 ples of Ji^gy pi, and on the cafes containing the mummies, 

 they may be eafiK dillinguiflied when the painting is in good 

 prefervation. The Egyptians often reprefcnted the leaves of 

 the while lotus {nytupha-a lotm) of thQ fame fize as the flow- 

 ers, though naturally the leaves are nuich larger; but they 

 have omitted to mark the indentaiions.of thefe leaves^ which 

 indeed are wanting when the plant is very young. I have, 

 however, feen in the table of Lalopolis this lotus reprefeuted 

 with the leaves indented. 



But it vvoidd be \n vain to feek for fcrupulous exa6fnefs in 

 .allegorical fculptures. Thus on tliebafe of the ftatue of the 

 l»Jile, placed in the gardens of the Tuilerics, the irnil of the 

 lotus is very exaftly reprefcnlcr.1, but the leaves which ac- 

 cornpany it are not thafe of that plant. 



The fruit of the white lotus, which has the fame form as 



"* Hiftoire de PAcAd. des Infcrlpt. »)tjb. The Pieniff mriiche c/i Pittro 

 S. Burtholi, which r-.prtlent the moljic with iib colnurs, may be feen in 

 the hbrary of the I'anthcon. 



■\ SnabOt lib, xvii. The Greek text h,is been badly interprtttd by 

 tranflators, who fui^pofed that the i'oats rowed aiont; under tht ftiadc of 

 the it avcs, which role to. a great hiight above the water, Thtfe leaves 

 float < n the furface of the water; and art Very broad. It appears that the 

 boats were covered with them in order to form a fliHde,as they are cov'fre4 

 in Etypt at prefcnt with the leaves of the date-tiiie and with reeds. 



J Syftema Brahmanictim Fr, Paullinii, a Banholom. tub. 9 & 10. 



