CHAP. XII. EARLY KITES IN EGYPT. I iS 



and then carefully watching those of a similar 

 nature, they predict the issue from analogy, being- 

 persuaded that it will be the same." In like man- 

 ner, observes tlie historian, to the Egyptians is con- 

 ceded the honour of teaching mankind the proper 

 mode of approaching the Deity* ; and Lucian t as- 

 serts, *' that they were reputed the first who had a 

 conception of the Gods, an acquaintance with reli- 

 gious matters, and a knowledge of sacred names;" 

 an opinion expressed in the words of an oracle of 

 Apollo quoted by Eusebiust, which declares that 

 *' they, before all others, disclosed by infinite ac- 

 tions the path that leads to the Gods." And lam- 

 blichus§ not only considers them "the first of men 

 who were allowed to partake of the favour of the 

 Gods, but that the Gods when invoked rejoiced in 

 the rites of Egypt." 



The inspection of the entrails of victims, the 

 study of omens, and all those superstitious customs 

 which the religions of antiquity so scrupulously 

 observed, were deemed highly important among the 

 Egyptians ; and the means adopted for divining 

 future events, or the success of any undertaking, 

 were as varied and fanciful, as the derb e* 1'ummel, 

 4uul other trials of chance used by Oriental people 

 at the present day. || 



* Herodot. ii. 58. f Lucian, de Syria Dea. 



i " Anrtivri yap ooo<; i^iaKctpiov, Tn7])(ita n ttoWoi' 

 'Ka\Ko?>iTOiQ ra rrptora Siotyfievyj TrvXioinnr. 

 ATpaTTiTOL ce laaniv ctOtacpaTot tyytyaviat, 

 Ac ijpdiToi nipoTTioi' tir (tTTiipora 7rf)ij'^ii' Kjnitud', 

 O'l TO K-a\oi> TTii'OVTfr vcojf) Nf(/\(.jr(("os «(//s." 



§ Iambi. (Ic Myst. sect. vii..j. 



[| yUie Lane't) Modern Egyptian.'^, vol. i. [>. .311. cl ncq. 



