328 THE ANCIENT EGYPTIANS. CHAP. XIII. 



I refrain from revealing any, as well as those re- 

 lating to the institutions of Ceres, called by the 

 Greeks Thesmophoria ; and I shall only mention 

 as much of them as my religion permits. The 

 daughters of Danaiis brought them from Egypt, 

 and taught them to the Pelasgic women ; but at 

 length, the Dorians having expelled the ancient in- 

 habitants of Peloponnesus, these rites were lost, ex- 

 cept amongst the Arcadians, who, not being driven 

 out of the country, continued to preserve them." 



*' At Sa'is," says the same author, " they show 

 the sepulchre of him whom I do not think it right 

 to mention on this occasion : it is in the sacred in- 

 closure, behind the temple of Minerva, and close to 

 the wall of this temple, whose whole length it occu- 

 pies." " They also meet at Sai's to offer sacrifice * 

 during a certain night, when every one lights in the 

 open air a number of lamps around his house. The 

 lamps consist of small cups filled with salt and oil, 

 having a wick floating in it which burns all night. 

 This fete is called of the burning lamps. The 

 Egyptians who are unable to attend, also observe 

 the sacrifice and burn lamps at home ; so that not 

 only at Sa'is, but throughout Egypt, the same illu- 

 mination takes place. They assign a sacred reason 

 for the fete celebrated on this night, and the re- 

 spect they have for it." 



Of the ceremonies during the fete of Busiris, 

 I shall speak m describing the Goddess Isis. It 

 was held in honour of her and of Osiris; Busiris, 

 like Philae, Abydus, Memphis, Taposiris, and other 



* Herodot. ii. 62. 



