CHAP. XV. SACRIFICES. 337 



was surprising. The most rare and curious ani- 

 mals from all countries were conducted in it ; and 

 the statues of the Gods, as well as every thing 

 which could give dignity and interest to the spec- 

 tacle, were brought together on the occasion. 

 There is reason to suppose that it resembled, in 

 many respects, similar pomps of the early Pha- 

 raohs ; I therefore refer the curious reader to the 

 full account of it in the work of that author.* 



EARLY OFFERINGS. 



I have already mentioned, in a preceding chap- 

 tert, the nature of sacrifices offered in early ages, 

 and have shown at how remote an era the mode of 

 addressing prayers to the Deity, the adoption of 

 the peculiar forms and attributes of the Gods, the 

 establishment of oracles, and other matters con- 

 nected with religion, were introduced among the 

 Egyptians. If at the earliest periods of their history 

 they were contented with herbs and incenset, tliey 

 afterwards admitted animals § into their sacrifices, 

 and victims were bound and slain on the altar, and 

 either offered entire or divided into portions before 

 the statue of the God, together with cakes, fruit, 

 and other offerings prescribed by law. To some 

 deities oblations of a peculiar kind were made, 

 being deemed more particularly suited to their 



* Athen. Deipn. v. p. 196. ct scq. -f- Beginning of chap. xii. 



X Vklesnjml, Vol. 1. (2d Series) p. 144. 146. 



^ See Pausanias (lib. i. c. 24.) on the remains of a prejudice against 

 slaughtering oxen; and Varro, de He Rustica, ii. 5. 



VOL. II. — Second Series. Z 



