51 OF THE ORIGIN OF CHEMISTRY. 



tores nominarunt, in figuram ovi conformatos. 

 44 Illico autem MOT, cum fole, luna, flellis, ac 

 " reliqua majorum aflrorum multitudinc cmicu- 



44 it. Cum igneum fplcndorcm aer emifiiTet 



44 ex ardenti maris ac terrarum inflammatione, 

 " venti nubes, magnoque nientium impetucce- 

 41 leilium imbrium ac nimborum effullones cx- 

 44 flitcre : Cum autcm hicc omnia, qure diiiincla 

 44 paullo ante, ac propter vehementiorem foils 

 44 arftum a propria fcde disjunda fuerant, in eo 

 * 4 committcrentur, tonitrua funul ac fulgura pe- 

 44 pcrerc; quorum ad tonitruum iragorcm, dc- 

 " fcripti antca intcllcdu pncditi animantcs ve- 

 44 kit a fomno excitati, liorrendoquc fonitu cx- 

 * 4 tcrriti, mares pariter ac fccniiiur, tarn in ter- 

 -" ra, quam mari, movere .corpere."* 



Here we find fome appearance of a tradition 

 concerning the creation of the world, which, 

 though fo near the period of which it treats, is 

 loaded with fictions, and difguilcd with peribm- 

 flcations. Cofmogony, which has, in a wonder- 

 ful manner, furpajlcd all the powers of nature, 

 muiV necefTurily be a great obllacle to the mod 

 fugacious invciligation, not founded upon the 

 principles of divine revelation* lieiides, they 

 feeiu to have attributed a triple nature to all bo- 

 dies, which they indicated hieroglyphic-ally, 

 .under the names of Ofiris, His, and Typhon, or 

 of God, Air, and Night, iignifying, gerhaps, 



the 



. . * Eufcbli Pnrp. Ev. I. i.e. ic. 



