Ohfervat'wns in ligypt. 409 



thers', Palm-Leaves' &c. that are fet above them, have each 

 their fvmbolical Meaning and Defign; being, in general, fo 

 many Types of the Power, Nature and A, tributes of that Deity 

 or Genius, upon which they are placed^. The Beard, that isofinsv 

 fometinies given to 0/iris\ hath likevVife .it's Meaning, being 

 fymbolical of the Summer Solftice, at which Time the Sun, 

 having afcended to it's greateft Height, is, as it were, ar- 

 rived at a State of Puberty. But Siknuss builiy Beard ^ was 

 the fame Symbol with the Treffes of ///^'sHair. Nay, tho, statues of 

 very black Marble, out of which fome of thefe Figures are hil 

 made^, typified, by it's Colour, the Invifibility of their Eflence ; 

 as in others, the Head and Feet being black and the Body of 

 a lighter Colour, might probably be fymbolical of the Deity's 

 lying concealed to us in his Defigns and Actions, though he is 

 apparent in his general Providence and Care of the Univerfe. 



Thus have I siven a (liort Sketch, and That chiefly from the '^^i"^'^'^'' '''"^^ 



'-' _ . , . attempted to 



Antients, of the fymbolical and hierodyphical LearninG; o^ t\-iQi»ttTprcttbefe 



7- • r 11 T^ • T-. 1 r 1 /I -11 - Charaaers. 



Egyptians ; a Imall Portion, no Doubt, or what Itill remams to 

 be difcovered. Kircher indeed, an Author of extraordinary 

 Learning, indefatigable Diligence, and furprizing Invention, 

 hath attempted, in his OEdipus and Obeltfcus Tamplrylius, to 

 interpret ^ all the Sacred Characters and Figures that came to 

 his Hands. But as it cannot certainly be known, whether He 

 might not take the outward Figures themfelves, for fuch Things 

 as they were not intended, by the Sacred Scribes, to reprefent, 

 miftaking, for Liftance, one Anim.al, Plant, Inftrument, Uten- 

 111 &c. for another; all Reafonings and Inferences, drawn from 

 thence, can be little more than mere Conjed:ures, and therefore 

 the remarkable Boaft of Ifis, will Itill hold true, that no mortal 

 hath hitherto taken off her T^eil. 



077 ^aoTo;of, )t) 077 BetOTA&vs-, iL, ovvoifaf niviTOj . E/z/fi. Prxp. Evang. I.3. p.fJp. Penna, quod ccclelle 

 eft, declarat * propteiea quod furfutn feratur. Dionjf. Areop. he^^^a/jifxaiiMf «ej!npj(^s7ai, lyay 

 OTspa EOT '} n't?a\iif, ^iCkiov 7i h ■^i^tn t^ icai'6i'«. Clejn. Strom- 1. 6. p. 269. )k^va 71 mA/r ^ ■} Ki^af^c 

 •^ifu Jioj iv Sa <n !iyi;MviKo-mn vix, ^iv^ -rrif cuStvnaf . Eiifcb. Prsp. Evang. I. i. cap. 7. circa 

 finem. 2 Caput decora corona cinxerat, Palm.s candidae folijs in modum radiorum profi- 

 ftentibus. Apul. Mttzm. 1. ir. p.z6p. fic ad inftar folis exornato & in vicera fimulachri 

 conftituto &c. 3 Vid.Not.io. p.408. 4Statuitur Soils f. Bacchi aetas pleniffima effigie barbiE 

 folftitio 3Ell:ivo, quo tempore (ummum fiii confequitur argumentum. M.icrob. Sat. l.i. cap. 18. 

 y Tots tA T»'/ loti To» depa Tru^imnv!. a|«(i •^ M.i/iiti KOfMi; t2 yivein, {^^S'Hiifufdtm.) Eufeb. Prxp. Evang. 

 p. 67. 6 no?^o/ Ji iu, j^ i^i?'a)iiKi5c/>, TV ipaiii aZm -t mmof IJihaimv. Porphjr. apud Etifeb. Prjep. 

 Evang. p. <5o. 7 To S'' Iv Xin 4 h^wai {%v j^ la-iv voiA'Couriv^ 'iS'Qf ^■)^ipv li-^c TO/w^T^v, EPii EIMI 



nAN TO reroNos, kai on', kai esomenon- kai ton emon nenAON ot^^eis n^ gnhtos 

 AHEKAAT^EN. F/«f. de Ifid. & Ofir. p. 3^4. Ed. Par. 



LUll If 



