CHAr. XIII. HAIIPOCRATES. 405 



Sun, like the Greek Phoebus ; and if his connection 

 with Re is not sufficiently obvious, the statements 

 of Greek writers, added to the testimony of dedi- 

 catory inscri])tions at Ombos and Apollinopolis 

 parva, authorise this opinion, while the younger 

 Horus may enjoy an undisputed claim to the cha- 

 racter of Apollo. 



HOR-PHOCRAT ?, HaRPOCRATES, THE InFANT 

 HoRUS. 



Harpocrates was born of Isis after the death of her 

 husband, and is therefore distinct from Horus, her 

 elder son by Osiris, who is said at that time to have 

 been engaged in war with Typho. Plutarch tells 

 us*, that " Harpocrates, being the offspring of the 

 intercourse of Osiris with Isis after his death, and 

 having come into the world before his time, was 

 lame in his lower limbs." This allegorical fable 

 he explains t by interpreting " Harpocrates, whom 

 she brought forth about the time of the winter 

 solstice, to be those weak and tender shootings of 

 the corn, which are as yet feeble and imperfect; 

 for which reason the Egyptians dedicate the first- 

 fruits of their lentils to this God, and celebrate the 

 feast of his mother's delivery just after the Vernal 

 Equinox." " We must not, however," he addst, 

 " really look upon Har])ocrates as an infant and im- 

 })erfect Deity, or as the young and tender shoots of 

 the pulse, but rather as the governor and rectifyer 



* Pint, lie Is. s. 19. t Pint, lie Is. s. 60. 



X I'liit. lie Is. s. G8. 



U D 3 



