22 OF THE ORIGIN OF CHEMISTRY. 



However it may be decided with regard t 

 thefe Hermefes, it is evident, that they far fur* 

 palled their cotemporaries in learning and faga- 

 city, and that the Egyptians were indebted to 

 them as the authors of tint wifdom for which 

 they were afterwards fo much renowned. Ac- 

 cording to Herodotus, the Egyptians were the 

 wifeft of the human race. The tilings mod wor- 

 thy of b?ing known were retained by the priefb, 

 of whom there were three communities, in the 

 time of Diodorus, at Heliopolis, Memphis, and 

 Thebes. Among th?n^ diilcrent faiences flou- 

 riihed, cultivated by ditlereut perlbns*; but lo 

 folicitoufly were they kept a Uxrct, that not 

 even the Hierophanti, or the Kings, v.howerr: 

 often chofenfrom the facerdotal order f, were ad- 

 mitted to the knowledge of the fublimcr fludicrr, 

 unlefs they were riril ilrictly examined. They 

 were unwilling that their fecrets fhouklbe com- 

 municated to many, and punillied thofe who 

 ever revealed them. The letters called facred 

 were known to them only, having learned them 

 privately from their ancellois { . The people they 

 amufed with fables, but philolbphifed them- 



feives under the names of deities $. It is now 



proper to inquire, whether thefc myfterieu bore 

 anv iclution to the intinmc nature of bodu-s. 



Tl.::t 



Herod, lib. t'v. 



f Plutarchus tic Jfide. 



J Clemens Alex. Sir. 1. i. 



ci contra C :ifum, 1. j, 



