14 ANESSAYONINDIA, 



enabled, by his own obfervations and experiments, to give the 

 ' public fome accounts more ample and exadt than we hitherto 

 polTefs. 



It is moft certain that thefe birds were never known to the 

 antients ; and whatever the Egyptian prieils delivered concerning 

 their Phcenix, has httle agreement with the Bird of Taradije, Bur, 

 that there may not be the left doubt remaining on thefe point?, 

 we fliall colleft what has been faid by the antients concerning 

 the Phcenix-, and, after the paffages are brought in view, briefly ex- 

 amine them. Herodotus, the father of hiftory, relates (1. ii. 73.) 

 that the PhA'nix is a bird of the fhape and fize of an eagle, deco- 

 rated with gold-coloured and purple wings ; but he frankly con- 

 fefTes that he had never feen the bird, but knew it only by its 

 pidture. Pliny (1. x. c. 2.) confirms that the Phcenix is of the 

 fize of an eagle, with the fplendour of gold around his neck ; the 

 reft of the body purple; having a blue tail fpotted with rofe- 

 colored feathers ; combs adorning his face, and a creft of fea- 

 thers, his head. This was the antient opinion concerning the 

 form and colours of the Phcenix ; but the fame Pliny relates from 

 Manilius, that the converfion of the great year correlponds with 

 the Hfe of this bird, from which period the fame courfe of feafons, 

 and pofition of the heavenly bodies, is renewed; and that this 

 takes place about noon on the day that the fun enters Taurus. 

 HorapoUo delivers the fame notion relpedling the Phcenix. " They 

 (the Egyptian priefts) meaning to fignify the converfion of the 

 great year, paint tiae Phcenix." Thefe notions are then to be 

 explained from the theology of Egypt. 



The Suny -which produces the feafons, is the Egyptian Osiris, a 



iieity whofe name has the fame fignification ; for Oeifch-iri in the 



8 , ■ Egyptian 



