s6 ANESSAYONINDIA, 



the Egyptians fable Hercules to be placed in the fun, and to re- 

 volve with it." For, from thefe premifes, it might juftly be faid, 

 with Nonnus of Panopolis, 1. xl. p. 683, " that Hercules rolls 

 round the whole earth in the glittering orb of the fun, and carries 

 round with him the year, the fon of time." Every common 

 year, therefore, is a year of God ; and the great year, the /on of 

 time, which, in the Egyptian language, would be Dfpbenceifch, 

 and, on account of the harfbnefs of the firfl: letter, the Greeks 

 would make it ^oin^, Phxnix. This origin of the name adds 

 ftrength to my opinion, fince it is perfeftly agreeable to the doc- 

 trine of the Egyptians concerning thefe things, and at the fame 

 time exadly expi;elTes all the facred fables of their priefts relative 

 to the Phcetiix. 



That the fabulous Phaviix of the Egyptians has nothing in 

 common with the Birds of Paradife, will be fufficiently manifeft 

 from what has been faid ; yet it is not altogether without reafon 

 that we have here treated on the Phxnix -, for the firil Portuguefe 

 navigators to the Indian iflands called the Birds of Paradife, paffa- 

 rcsdafol,Birdsofthefun,in. the fame manner as the Egyptians- 

 had regarded the Phxnix as a fymbol of the annual revolution of 

 the fun, and the converfion of the great year. The inhabitants 

 of the hie oi' Ternate cail thefe birds Manu-co-Dewala; Birds of 

 God. The French, Englip, and Germans have adopted the name 

 of Birds of Paradife, All thefe names feem to attribute fomewhat 

 of a celefiial origin to the birds. The name Manu-co-Bewata has 

 induced fome writers of natural hiftory to call the bird Manuco- 

 diata (Edwards, t. no. Marcgrav. Brqfil, 207. Rail Synopf. 

 Av. 21. n. 7. Briffon Ornithol. ii. p. 130.) and the illuftrious 

 count de Buffon^ by cutting off part of the name, has made from 



it 



