334 THE ANCIENT EGYPTIANS. CHAP. XIII. 



that just and seasonable temperature of the cir- 

 cumambient air, which preserves and nourishes all 

 things. Horus is, moreover, supposed to have been 

 brought up by Latona, in the marshy country 

 about Butus, because a moist and watery soil is 

 best adapted to produce those vapours and exhal- 

 ations which serve to relax the excessive drought 

 arising from heat. In like manner, they call the 

 extreme limits of their country, their confines, and 

 sea shores, Nephthys (Teleute, or the end), whom 

 they suppose to have been married to Typho. 

 Now, as the overflowings of the Nile are some- 

 times very great, and extend to the boundaries of 

 the land, this gave rise to the story of the secret 

 intercourse between Osiris and Nephthys, as the 

 natural consequence of so great an inundation 

 would be the springing up of plants in those parts 

 of the country, which were formerly barren. 

 Hence they imagine that Typho was first made 

 acquainted with the infidelity of his wife, by the 

 Mellilot garland which fell from the head of Osiris 

 while in her company ; and that the legitimacy 

 of Horus, the son of Isis, may thus be explained, 

 as well as the illegitimacy of An u bis, who was 

 born of Nephthys. 



"Furthermore, by the conspiracy of Typho and 

 his tyranny, are to be understood the force and 

 power of drought, which overcome the moisture 

 whence the increase of the Nile proceeds. His 

 being assisted by the Queen of Ethiopia refers to 

 the southern winds, blowing from that country ; 

 which, when strong enough to prevail against the 



