308 THE ANCIENT EGYPTIANS. CHAP. XV 



distinctly tells us that they are mere idle tales, 

 directly at variance with the nature of the Gods. 



The festival of Minerva at Sa'is was performed 

 on a particular night, when every one who in- 

 tended to be present at the sacrifice was required 

 to light a number of lamps in the open air around 

 his house. They were small vases filled with salt 

 and oil *, on which a wick floated, and being lighted 

 continued to burn all night. They called it the 

 Festival of Burning Lamps. It was not observed 

 at Sai's alone : every Egyptian who could not at- 

 tend in person was required to observe the cere- 

 mony of lighting lamps, in whatever part of the 

 country he happened to be ; and it was considered 

 of the greatest consequence to do honour to the 

 Deity by the proper performance of this rite. 



On the sacred lake of Sais they represented, 

 probably on the same occasion t, the allegorical 

 history of Osiris, which the Egyptians deemed the 

 most solemn mystery of their religion. Herodotus 

 always mentions it with great caution. It was the 

 record of the misfortunes which had happened 

 to one whose name he never ventures to utter ; 

 and his cautious behaviour, with regard to every 

 thing connected with Osiris, shows that he had 

 been initiated into the mysteries, and was fearful 

 of divulging any of the secrets he had solemnly 

 bound himself to keep. It is also obvious that the 

 fetes he describes with the greatest reverence were 



* Perhaps water, salt, and oil. Tlic offering nientionccl towards the 

 end of this chapter is probably of a lani|). 

 ■j- Herodot. ii. 171. 



