334 THE ANCIENT EGYPTIANS. CHAP. XV. 



says the same author *, " as Osiris is the First 

 Principle, prior to all beings, and purely intelligent, 

 he must ever remain unmixed, and midefiled; 

 consequently, when his vestments are once taken 

 off his statues, they are ever afterwards put by, 

 and carefully preserved untouched ; while those 

 of Isis, whose power is totally conversant about 

 matter, which becomes and admits all things, are 

 frequently made use of, and that too without the 

 same scrupulous attention." This ceremony of 

 dressing the statues is still retained in the religious 

 rites of some people at the present day, who 

 clothe the images of Gods or saints on particular 

 festivals, and carry them in procession, like the 

 ancient Egyptians and Greeks. Nor can the cus- 

 tom of putting the kisioeh, or sacred covering, 

 upon the tomb of a Moslem shekh, fail to remind 

 us of the ispov xo(r[jLov (holy ornament or covering) 

 of antiquity ; as the " crowning the tomb of Osiris 

 with flowers t," which was done on stated occasions 

 by the priests of that Deity at Philae, recalls that 

 of carrying flowers and palm branches to the grave 

 of a departed friend, in the cemeteries of modern 

 Egypt. The same was done to individuals as well 

 as in honour of Osiris ; and sarcophagi are frequently 

 found in the tombs of Thebes, with flowers and 

 garlands placed in or near them, either by the 

 priests, or the relations of the deceased, who at- 

 tended at the funeral. 



* Pint. s. 78. t riut. s. 21. 



