34S HII.K;.i;LYMIIC AM) 



sidered as the inventors of it ; every species of hieroglyphics being 

 recorded in their history. 



Hieroglyphic writing, strictly so called, is a simple representa- 

 tion, or mere picture. The abridgments afterwards introduced 

 may be divided into three kinds. 



First, when the principal circumstance was made to represent 

 the whole. In order to signify a battle, two hands were delineated ; 

 one holding a bow, another a shield : a tumult, or popular insur- 

 rection, was expressed by an armed man casting arrows ; and a 

 siege, by a scaling-ladder. This may be stiled a picture character ; 

 or, as the learned Dr. Warburton, bishop of Gloucester, called it, 

 *' a Curiologic Hieroglyphic." 



The second, and more artificial method of contraction, was by 

 putting the instrument fer the thing itself. Thus, an eye in the 

 clouds, or eminently placed, was designed to . represent God's 

 omniscience, as perceiving all things ; an eye and sceptre, to re. 

 present a king ; and a ship and pilot, the Governor of the universe. 

 This may be called the Tropical Hieroglyphic. 



The third, and still more artificial method of abridging picture- 

 ivriting, was, by conversion, or making one thing stand for, or re. 

 present another ; for example, the Bull Apis stood for Osiris, and 

 not the picture or image of Osiris *. This hath been denominated 

 the Symbolic Hieroglyphic +. 



* S une authors have said, that, at first, symbols had some quaint resemblance 

 of, or analogy to, what they represented. Thus, among the Egyptians, a cat 

 stood for the moon ; becavise the Egyptians held, that the pupil of her eye was 

 enlarged at the full moon, and was contracted and diminished during its de- 

 crease : a serpent represented the divine nature, on account of its great vigour 

 and spirit, ils long ajc and revirescence. 



f- That these improvements are not imaginary, is proved from a fragment of 

 Sanchonialho, preserved by Euscbius, recording, " That Tuautus, having imi- 

 " tated Ouranub's art of picture-writing, drew the portraits of the gods Cronus, 

 <l Dagon, and the rest; and delineated the sacred characters, which formed the 

 " elements of this kind of writing. For Cronos, particularly, he imagined the 

 " symbols of royalty : four eyes ; two before, and two behind, of which two 

 " were closed in slumber; and on his shoulders four wings; two stretched out, 

 " as in the act of flying ; and two contracted, as in repose. The 'first symbol 

 " iignificd, that Cronus watched though he rrposed, and reposed though he 

 " watched. The second symbol of the wings, signified in like manner, that, even 

 " when stationed, he flew about ; and, when fl>mg, he yet remained stationed. 

 "To each of the other gods he gave two wings on their shoulders ; as the 

 "satellites, of Cronus, in his excursions; who had likewise two wings on hit 

 " head, to denote the two principles of the mind, reason and passion." Here 

 we see that Ouranus practised a kind of picture-writing, which Taautus after- 

 wards improved. 



