CHAP. XIII. OSIRIS MANIFESTED ON EARTH. 3'25 



communication witli such beings as are liable to 

 corruption and death. As, therefore, the souls of 

 men are notable to participate of the divine nature 

 while encompassed with bodies and passions ; so, 

 when they are freed from these impediments, and 

 remove into the pure unseen regions which are 

 not discernible to our senses, it is then that this 

 God becomes their leader and King, and they be- 

 hold that beauty for which Isis has so great an 

 affection." 



" Osiris," says Diodorus *, " has been con- 

 sidered the same as Sarapis, Bacchus, Pluto, or 

 Ammon. Others have thought him Jupiter, many 

 Pan ; and some look upon Sarapis as the same 

 with the Greek Pluto." The historian also en- 

 deavours to identify him with the Sun, as Isis with 

 the Moon ; — an opinion maintained by other an- 

 cient writers ; but wiiich I have already t shown 

 to be at variance with the authority of the monu- 

 ments, and the well-known character of Osiris. 

 Many fanciful notions have been derived from his 

 fabled rule on earth ; and comparisons have been 

 made with Osiris and other Deities, which, as in 

 the case of Isis, are mere speculations of a late 

 time, totally at variance with the opinions of the 

 Egyptians, — at least, of those who understood 

 their religion and the nature of the Gods. Di- 

 vested, then, of all the fancied connection with 

 the Sun and the many Deities to whom Osiris is 

 compared, we see in him the goochie.ss oi' the Deity, 

 which was supposed to have been manifested upon 



* Diodor. i. 2.3. f Vide supra, p. 289. 



Y 3 



