402 



EGYPT. 



ly made from picture writing to arbitrary mark*. The 



r .re imply he-ir- 



ing, and a foot or a hand would denote .:etioii ; but a 



mar!, at pleasure, to signify an object or a\>- 



strart (jii -lity, could only ho k::on, where the origi- 



ti -in .mi and arbitrary ;i*-umption was comnumi- 



i ' i. .V..-I .l l : e h 'e!M'.;lyp!iicx. \vhii-li :irr I'ound in 



r to be allied to tliis description ; and 



the knowledge of the arbitrary signs and inarku, 



which were adn]>ted to c\prc-s it meaning ot' 



the writing it-th' i- forever lust to the world In con- 



-ign. the formation of the 



Chinese language seems to IM- placed ; and from that 

 circumstance, the difficultiei which attend the learning 

 of it :i]>}x-ar to (low. According to linger, new . 

 ties sometimes introduced new characters; and thus 

 the extent and the difficulty of the language were in- 

 created. It appears from Staunton's Eml-:.. \ to Chi- 

 na, (vol ii. p. 57"*, ) that approximations have been 

 made toward converting the Chinese characters into 

 letters, or elementary sounds, after the in. nner of al- 

 phabetical writing. Whenever this im thoil shall be- 

 i rnl, the Chinese language will be as easily 

 acquired as other foreign tongues. 



Neither having come into the world by our own 

 pmver. nor being preserved in existence without other 

 ices than our own, it is natural to inquire about 

 trie Heing who made, and the Providence which pre- 

 serves us. l-'.ven in a rude st.ite, whilst sentiments of 

 an acute or very ratioivd nature are not to be expect- 

 ed, we should deem it impossible for the human mind 

 to be destitute of all those reelings and views which en- 

 ter into religion ; and hence, no nation has ever been 

 found without some ideas, more or less legitimate, con- 

 cerning the existence and nature of God Even with- 

 out the knowledge of our sacred books, we think it im- 

 possible, that an unbiassed und enlightened mind could 

 Unagine, that the Supreme Heing would form his ra- 

 tional creatures without an adequate knowledge of spi- 

 ritual things. Their instincts arc in immediate opera- 

 tion ; and though their religious views might be com- 

 paratively imperfect, yet we may be well assured, tint 

 lie who takes care of the body would provide also lor 

 the mind. The book of Genesis, which is by far the 

 earliest record of ancient things, represents the original 

 state of man as enlightened in the knowledge of God ; 

 and the mo-t ancient information which is handed 

 down respecting his religious condition, represents to 

 us the acknowledgment of one pure and supreme 

 cause. Of this there are many indications besides the 

 celebrated inscription at Sais. The first temples, too, 

 were built of unpolished stone, without any image or 

 sculptured figure ; and this not only in Egypt, but in 

 other countries. 



"But a pure and spiritual worship, abstract ideas, and 

 the exclusion of every material object from our view, 

 is a difficult exercise of the mind, and requires a higher 

 tone of exertion than could be easily maintained in 

 more rude and corrupt times. To aid the imagination, 

 and cherish the devotional affections, emblems, or sym- 

 bol?, of the divinity, were admitted into the worship of 

 the Deity. An unformed mass of stone was probably 

 the first memorial of the divine presence; and it is 

 said, that there are African tribes who .still worship 

 such massy blocks. Perhaps the large stones which 

 have raised RO many conjectures in our own country, 

 may have been objects of worship in the time of the 

 Druids, or at a more early and less informed season. In 

 this state of the human mind, more striking appear. 



antes of nature would naturally attract the notice of 

 men, and lie \iewcd as appropriate im . .!' the 



di\ine perfectii.ns. Hence, the MHI, the moon, and the 

 tars, held their station in the l:.-t of those ol jcctx wl.ich 

 red rcli;j .. anil we know, ih.it t 



of nature were much and generally worfhippcd 

 in tin- 1'ast. 



Taught to con.-idcr every thing as coming from the 

 Deity, his prcM-ncc wi.uld naturally be acknowledged 

 in every operation and ble--ing ,,|' nature ; and I 

 the woods and the .streams became sacred ; vegetables 

 and pl.'nt- wi re deified ; and, in Egypt, dhinc honours 

 were paid to M.IIIC ot the brute cre..tion. Vi e can i.i- 

 sily .ec how the ho>ts ot hc.ivcn. which commanded 

 iulmir.ition. might be object.- of divine regard ; we ran 

 feel how the .-liady grove, or tin- deep ti.n.-t. might ex- 

 cite v deration in a sultry climate; we in figure to 

 our-cKis. liow a sprii'g of watir might raise grateful 

 emotions in a thirsty land ; or how copious liver.-, like 

 the Nile and the (liiiges, might IM.- worshipped, and 

 washed in, us agri cable si i \ 10 - to the munificent Au- 

 thor ot' Mich delightful Mre..ms; but we cannot easily 

 comprehend how the bull and the cow, or i^ucli ; ni- 

 mal- as the crocodile, the uhneunion, the cat, and the 

 ibis, could command such reverence and .solemn rituals 

 as they did in Egypt. 



It i.s difficult to comprehend how Osiris, whether the 

 representation of a hero or the sun, bhould be worship* 

 ped under the figure of an ox ; but we may suppose, 

 that such sacrifices a* these were offered for the boun- 

 tiful supplies of nature, in yielding the means of sub- 

 sistence, and even the luxuries of life. The cow, and 

 other animals, in one period of the Egyptian history, 

 were common sacrifices ; and it may be difficult to 

 shew, how this animal, as well as others, became after- 

 wards so sacred, that to tike away their life was the 

 highest crime. It is generally understood, that the 

 earlier race of men subsisted solely on the fruits of the 

 earth, and that the use of animal food was introduced 

 at a much later period It would appear, that a reli- 

 gious sect had sprung up in Egypt, as well as in In- 

 dia, to'counteract this innovation in point of food; nnd 

 as religious scruples take the most lasting as well as 

 firm hold of the mind, the prohibition to use ani- 

 mal food, would naturally be extended to the taking 

 away of the life of the brute creation, cxceptin 

 cases which circumstances, or ascertained forms, would 

 prescribe. It is probably on this account that the Hin- 

 doos confine themselves to vegetable food. 



The people, in the early improved countries of the 

 East, appear to have had many sentiments and manners 

 in common ; and we presume, that the Egyptians, at 

 one period, had their manners and habits similar t 

 those of Hindostan. Each of them were divided into 

 different casts ; both of them venerated the ox and the 

 cow ; and the same superstition, with respect to this 

 worship, is found in Thibet. The consecrated bull, 

 which was most venerated in Egypt, was distinguish- 

 ed by many peculiar marks, and of a fine figure. It 

 was called Apis, and was worshipped at Memphis. 

 The other bull was blacx, wa> denominated Mucirs, 

 and kept at Heliopolis. These animals were treated 

 with much pomp, and maintained at great expenee. 

 Their death was lamented with bitterness, and obser- 

 ved with many marks of public mourning. Various 

 ceremonies were observed in finding a successor ; and 

 the consecrated calf was introduced into its situation 

 with much pomp, and certain cen-inouiei not to be 

 commended. 



