CHAP. XII. STATEMENTS OF THE GREEKS. 215 



and according to their explanation of this mys- 

 terious figure, the feathers denoted the hidden and 

 invisible nature of this intelligence, the power, it 

 had of giving life, the dominion over all things, 

 and the spirituality of its movements; and the egg 

 which came from his mouth indicated the world, 

 of which he was the maker. This opinion is 

 confirmed by the testimony of lamblichus, who, in 

 the time of Eusebius, applied himself to the study 

 of Egyptian theology, and who endeavours to 

 prove \vhat Cha^remon had stated, that the general 

 belief of the Egyptians was not that an inanimate 

 Being was the cause of all things, but that in the 

 world, as well as in ourselves, they recognised the 

 soul superior to nature, and the intelligence which 

 created the world superior to the soul." 



But I have already shown how unsatisfactory are 

 the opinions of Greek writers respecting the religion 

 of the Egyptians ; and, with the exception of a few 

 notions, which may be gleaned from the tenets of 

 those who had studied, and were initiated into, the 

 mysteries of Egypt, little can be learnt of their 

 philosophy, or their religious system. lamblichus, 

 Plato, and some others, indeed, have contributed 

 to throw some liglit on the subject, and the former 

 gives the following account of the Cosmogony of 

 Egypt from the ancient Hermetic books. 



''Before all things that essentially exist*, and 

 before the total principles, there is one God, prior 

 to the first God and King, remaining innnoveablo 



* This is the translation j^ivcn in Mr. Cory's valuable collection of 

 " Ancient Fragments," p. 283. 



p 4 



