402 On Egypxand the Nile 2 



•" Cadmus #3s horn, , ifays DioDlostfs, (a) at fFbebes -in ^Egypt : he had 

 " feveral fonts^ and a -daughter named Semele, who Became pregnant, and» 

 "'■•in xh&'fevent-B month, brought forth an imperfed;. male child greatly refem- 

 " Ming Osiris ; whence the Greeks believed, that Osiris was the fon of 

 '*' Cadmus and Semme." Now l, cannot help believing, that Osiris of 

 Thebes was Iswara Springing, after his' concealment for /even years,, from the 

 mud (Cardama) of the river • SydmaJa,- ybhieb is a Paurank name for the 

 '"■Nile; whatever might have been the grounds of fo Urange a legend, it pro- 

 bably gave rife to the popular Egyptian belief that the human race were produ- 

 ced from the mud of that river ; fince the appearance of Card tamers war A 

 revivified nature and replenished the earth with plants and animals. 



p ■": 

 XIL The next legend is yet ftranger, but not more abfurd than a itory s 

 which we mall find among the Egyptians, and^ which in part refembles it. 

 Maha'de'va and Farvati' were playing with dice at the ancient game 

 ©f Chaturanga, when they difputed and parted in wrath; the goddefs retir- 

 ing to the foreft of Gaurl, and the god repairing to Cujhadwip i they 

 federally performed rigid ads of devotion to the Supreme Being; but the 

 fires, which they kindled, blazed fo vehemently as to threaten a general 

 conflagration. The Devas in great alarm haftened to Brahma', who led 

 them to Maha'de'va, and fupplicated him to recall his eonfort; but the 

 wrathful deity only anfwered, that fhe mull come by her own free choice: 

 they accordingly difpatched Gang a', the river-goddefs, who prevailed on 

 Pa'rvati" to return to him on condition that his love for her mould be 

 reftored. The celeftial mediators then employed Ca'ma-de'va, who 

 wounded Siva with one of his flowery arrows; but the angry divinity re- 



r«; b. t.-c.ij. 



