310 THE ANCIENT EGYPTIANS. CHAP. XIII. 



The story of the birth of the children of Saturn, 

 mentioned by Plutarch*, abounds with contra- 

 dictions. " Rhea," who is Netpe, " having had 

 intercourse with Saturn by stealth, was discovered 

 by the Sun, who thereupon denounced a curse 

 upon her, ' that she should not be delivered in any 

 month or year.' Mercury, however, being like- 

 wise in love with the same Goddess, in recompence 

 for the favours which he had received from her, 

 played at tables t with the Moon, and won from 

 her the seventieth part of each of her illuminations. 

 These several parts, making in the whole 5 new 

 days, he afterwards joined together, and added to 

 the 3()0, of which the year formerly consisted; 

 which days, therefore, are even yet called by the 

 Egyptians the epact, or superadded, and observed 

 by them as the birthdays of their Gods. For upon 

 the first of them, they say, was Osiris born, at 

 whose entrance into the world, a voice was heard, 

 saying, *The lord of all the Earth is born.*" .... 

 *' Uj)on the second was Aroeris born, whom some 

 call Apollo, and others distinguish by the name of 

 the elder Horus. Upon the third, Typho came 

 into the w^orld ; being born neither at the proper 

 time, nor by the right place, but forcing his way 

 through a wound which he had made in his 

 mother's side. Isis was born upon the fourth, 

 in the marshes of Egypt ; as Nephthys upon the 

 last, w^hom some call Teleute and Aphrodite, and 

 others Nike. Now, as to the fathers of these 



* Plut. (]e Is. S.I ■^. t "m-ta." 



