CHAP. Xlir. THE PARENT KING AND GOD. 339 



true, or ever to have happened in fact."* He treats 

 it, as it really was, in the hght of a metaphysical 

 question ; for, he adds, he alone is competent to 

 understand it, " who searches into the hidden 

 truths it contains, and examines the whole by the 

 dictates of reason and philosophy." t " And taking a 

 proper view of these matters, we must neither look 

 upon water, nor the Sun, nor the earth, nor the 

 heavens, simply as Osiris and Isis ; nor must we by 

 Typho understand either fire, or drought, or the 

 sea ; but, in general, whatever in these bodies is ir- 

 regular and disorderly, or whatever is bad, is to be 

 attributed to Typho ; as, on the contrary, whatever 

 is good and salutary is the operation of Isis and 

 the image of Osiris. "t 



Many, however, were disposed to clothe with 

 realitv all the emblematic characters of Osiris, 

 looking upon abstract ideas or allegories as positive 

 facts. With this view, they deemed him the Deity 

 of humidity, instead of the abstract quality or be- 

 nefit arising from it \ and lience " the votaries of 

 Osiris abstained from destroying a fruit tree, or 

 marring any springs of water. "§ A similar notion 

 also induced them *' to carry a water jar at the head 

 of the sacred processions in honour of this God." || 



In the fabulous history of Osiris, we may trace 

 a notion, common to all nations, of a God, who in 

 the early ages of their history 5F lived on earth, and 



* Plut. dels. s. 11.20. 



t Plut. cle Is. s. 3. X Plut.dels. S.64. 



$ Plut. de Is. s. 35. Il Plut. de Is. s. 36. 



h The Bisharee tribe of Arabs still speak of their founder Bega, 

 who was their first parent, as well as God. 



z 2 



