300 REMARKS OX TAV NAMES 



like the Pingacjhas (of whom we fpoke in a former 

 effay on Egypt.) and perhaps may be the fame peo- 

 ple ; certain it is the Pingacjhas worshipped the Ca- 

 birian gods. Diodorus Siculus fays, that the invention 

 of fire, and the working of mines was attributed to 

 them : and we rind a Cablrus represented with a 

 hammer in his hand. 



At the conclusion of the myfleries of Eleusis, 

 the congregation was difmifled in thefe words : 

 Koytj ' ( ^tJ>i P«^ ; Conx y Om 9 Pax. Theie myfterious 

 words have been confidercd hitherto as inexplicable ; 

 but they are pure Sanfcrit, and ufed to this day by 

 Brahmens at the conclulion of religious rites. They 

 are thus written in the language of the Gods, as the 

 Hindus call the language of their facred books, Canfcha, 

 Om 3 Pacjha* 



Canscha fignifies the object of our moft ardent 

 willies. 



Om is the famous monofyllable ufed both at the be- 

 ginning and conclulion of a prayer, or any religious 

 rite, like Amen. 



Pacsha exactly anfwers to the obfolete Latin word 

 Vix : it fignifies change, courfe, Head, place, turn of 

 work, duty, fortune. It is ufed particularly after 

 pouring water in honour of the Gods and Pitris. 

 It appears alfo from IIesychius, 



I. That thefe words were pronounced aloud at the 

 conclulion of every momentous tranfaction, religious 

 or civil. 



II. That when Judges, after hearing a caufe gave 

 their fufrrages, by dropping of pebbles of different 

 colours into a box, the noife, made by each pebble 



was 



