214 A NATURAL HISTORY 



of Wifdom ; but their greateft Solemnities were confecrated to 

 tlie God Apis, or Serapis, under the Image of an Ox or Bull. 



They had an Ox confecrated to the Sun, which they fed at 

 Heliopolis in Eg)pt : They had another called Apis, dedicated to 

 the Moon, and fed at Memphis, (for fome time, the royal City) 

 where he had his Temple, and the Devils gave out their Oracles. 

 In the time of St. Jerom, who flourilTi'd in the fourth Century, 

 they worshipped here a brafs Bull as a God, 



The famous God OJiris was adored under the Figure of this 

 Beaft, and when dead, it was buried with great Solemnity and 

 ■Mourning: And 'tis obfervable, that his Birth-day was celebrated 

 thro' the whole Kingdom. N.B. 'Tis very probable, that the 

 Ifraelites worfliipped the golden Calf in the fame manner as the 

 Egyptia?is did their Bulls, their Cows and Calves. 



iBiEFORE I proceed, give me leave to fpeak fomething of this 

 golden Idol, which was the Figure of a Calf, which the Ifrae- 

 •htes caft, and fet up to worfliip in MoJes% Abfence; who, upon 

 his return from the Mount, burnt the Figure, ground it to Pow- 

 der, and made the People drink it mixt with Water, Exod. xxxii. 

 The Learned are divided in their Sentiments on this Articlej that 

 is, the golden Calf, that was burnt and pulverized. 



T o pulverize Gold and render it potable, is an Operation in 

 Chymiftry of the laft Difficulty; and 'tis hard to conceive how 

 it fliould be done at that time, before Chymiftry was heard of, 

 and in a Wildernefs too, where they had no proper Inft;ruments. 

 Many therefore fuppofe it to be done by a Miracle. But the chy- 

 mical Art feems to be of greater Antiquity, and was very pro- 

 bably pradlifed in the antediluvian World by Tubal Cain. Mo- 

 fes is the next Chymift mention'd in the Bible, whofe Skill in 

 xhymical Operations, in pulverizing the golden Calf, feems to be 

 inconteflable, and artificial. 



The Art is now much improved. Bid a Chymift convert 

 ^Gold into Glafsj and by means of a burning Concave, or other- 

 wife, he prefently does it : Afk him to fhew you Gold in Powder, 

 and by mixing a little Antimony with that Metal, he will foon 

 render it pulverable *, 



B u T to return : Among other living Creatures, the Egyptians 

 .alio paid a great Devotion to Dogs zxidi Cats. We read of a cer- 

 tain: 



* Boerbaave's new Method. ProceJ. 26Z) i^f^ 



