CHAP. XIII. ISIS IN COMPANY WITH APIS. 359 



not oppress and weigh down the more divine and 

 immortal." Their idea of the fecundating quahties 

 of the Nile water led the Egy])tian shepherds to 

 raise it from the river for tlieir flocks, especially for 

 ewes, or goats, which were not prolific* ; and to this 

 ^lian attributes their {)roducing hve at a birth. 



I have seen an instance of a bull, with the globe 

 and feathers between its horns, standing on a mo- 

 nument built at the side of a mountain, — probably 

 the Libyan range behind Memphis, — and over it 

 the name " Pthah-Sokari- Osiris, the God of the 

 West ; " which was probably intended to represent 

 Apis, in the character of that Deity. On the 

 opposite side was a Cow, also coining from a moun- 

 tain, with a similar head-dress, and the long horns 

 usually given to Athor, over which was the name 

 Isis. This is one of many proofs of the analogy 

 between the two Goddesses; the more remarkable, 

 from Isis being introduced with Apis, as she 

 usually is with Osiris. 



A black bull with a white crescent on its 

 slioulder, or a white spot upon the shoulder, and 

 others on the haunch, the nose, round the eye, 

 and on its legs, carrying a dead body, covered 

 with a red pall, is sometimes represented at the 

 foot of a mummy case, or on a board deposited in 

 the tomb. This appears to be the Apis, in some 

 office connected with Osiris, ars Ruler of Amenti. 

 It runs in haste over the hills, on its way to 

 the Western region, where Osiris })residcd : and 

 it is remarkable that the King, when running into 



* ^I'Llian, iii. '.V.i. 



A A 4 



