OF THE ORIGIN OF CHEMISTRY. 51 



We fhall proceed to make fomc few obfcrva- 

 rions on the theory of the Egyptians refpcding 

 the principles and com pofition of bodies; as \vcll 

 as the mutilated fragments and enigmatical man- 

 ner of writing will permit, and the various alle- 

 gorical cxprcifions, wliich allow fuch different 

 interpretations. Not Oedipus himfelf would be 

 able to explain many of thcfc. In Philo Biblius 

 we find the following extrads by Sanchuniaton 

 from the commentaries of Taaut on the origin 

 of the world: " Principium hujus univerfitatis 

 44 ponitaerem tencbrofum ac fpiritu fcetum, feu 

 44 mavis tcncbroii aeris flatum ac fpiritum chaof- 

 44 quc turbidum, atraque caligine circumfufum. 

 14 Hajc porro infinita cffe, nullumquc nifi longo 

 44 Hcculoruni intcrvallo terminatum habcre. Ve- 

 44 rum, ubi fpiritus amore principiorum fuorum. 

 44 flagrarc cccpiffet, eumque fimul cffet mixtio 

 44 confecuta, ncxum hunc motuum Cupidincm 

 44 appellarunt. Is quidcm rcrum omnium pro- 

 * 4 crcationis principium fuit. Spiritus vero fuam 

 44 ipfius procrefitioncm minime agnofcebat. Ex 

 44 hac illius conjundionc prodiit MOT, id quod 

 44 lirnum nonnulli, alii aquofae mixtionis corrup- 

 44 tioncm effe volunt, ex qua fccutx produdlionia 

 14 femina, ipfaqueadeo rcrum univcrfarum gene- 

 44 ratio extitcrit. Ccterum animantia quacdam 

 44 crant omni fcnfu carcntia, qiu-c poflmodum 

 44 intelligcntia prxditos animantcs procrcarunt. 

 44 Eos illi Tiophafcmin, hoc eft, cocli contcmpla- 

 D 2 " tores 



