€98 Obfervations on the Zodiac at Dendera by Mr. Henley. (Nov. 1, 
as correfponding with the winter folftice, 
December 21, whence Julius commenced 
his reform, and the 1 of January, or his 
new year’s date. 
But, as under this reform, the Egyptian 
year correéted the Roman, fo the Ro- 
man year, thus corrected, was made by 
Auguitus the ftandard of the Egyptian ; 
for, as that confifted only of twelve 
months, of thirty. days each, with five 
days in addition, its commencement re- 
ceded one day on every quadrennium ; 
confequently, from the year of Nabonaf- 
far, and that of the reform of Augufus, 
by Julian reckoning, fixty-four days, 
twelve hours (the year of Nabonaffar, which 
was the Egyptian, beginning at noon, ac- 
cording tothe Canon of Ptolemy), will thew 
that the 1f of Thoth, five interceding 
days being allowed between the Julian 
correction, taken as beginning from 707 
of Rome, and that of Auguftus, eftablith- 
ed in 725, the biffextile four days, twelve 
hours (or, reckoned from midnight, five 
days), had varied from the 21ft of June, 
or fummer folficial noon, to the 29th of 
Auguft,three in the morning, at which time 
Auguftus had fixed it : for fixty-four days, 
twelve hours, and four days, twelve hours, 
making fixty-nine days, and exceeding the 
fixty-feven days of Julius by two, Au- 
guftus intercalated between the year 709 
of Rome, when Julius’s reform was com- 
pleted, and his own, fixteen: years after, 
one day, every third year, inftead of every 
fourth, and fo, inftead of four biffextile 
days, fix were inferted. Between threein the 
morning, when the dog-ftar rofe, and 
twelve at noon, when the fun was on the 
meridian, were nine hours to cemplete the 
canonical day; thefe are accordingly ex- 
prefled by as many lines on the laft fold of 
the bandage winding round the forehead of 
the Pan. 
Having then found, by thefe difcrimina- 
tions on the zodiac, the opening of the 
year, from the rife of Taurus, at the fet- 
ting of the dog-fiar, which is exemplified 
by the folar circle, in a crefcent on the 
bull’s neck, it will be feen that the Thoth 
thence preceeding is reprefented as a bull 
in a boat (fer the heavenly bodies, which 
were the Egyptian divinities, were held to 
perform their revolutions inthis manner), 
andasit hasbeen feen from the ftar depriv- 
ed of two rays on the fhoulder of the up- 
er 1&3, as well as from the two months. 
¥ 3 
difference between the year of Romulus and 
Wuma’s, that the fun’s place had been al- 
tered two fions, the third boat or month 
proceeds from Gemini to Cancer, accord- 
ingly, the foremoft figure in it reprefents a 
prieft taking auguries from the rife of the 
ftar, whilft the other is evidently Aqua- 
rius, or the overpowering of the Nile, at 
the apparent new moon of Cancer. But 
Cancer withdrawing from the zodiac, the 
overflow fails in with Leo; and here, ac- 
cordingly, Harpocrates appears as on the 
day aniwering to biffextile, which is alfo 
intimated to belong to that year by the fix 
leaves on the head of Aquarius, or the 
Nile. This being fupprefled in the Egyp- 
tian calendar, makes Cancer and Leo run 
into each cther, orconfounds the laft day of 
one with the other’s firft. ‘The figure pre- 
ceding Leo has the ftar of five rays, 
which, indicating five months, marks Leo 
as the fifth fign, whilft the ferpent, rifng 
from under his feet, exhibits the Nilotic © 
year thence beginning, as does the ferpent 
behind the Harpocrates, with his head | 
erected from the fourth fold, a quadren- 
nium. The rifing and fetting dog-ftars 
follow, as thus correfponding in refpect to 
fixed and moveabletime. From the over- 
flow of the Nile, in the fign Leo, we are 
brought on to: the commencement of the 
year in Virgo. This is exprefled by the 
torch with two flames, followed by a 
prieft taking auguries at the year’s be- 
ginning, which the bull’s head, whofe 
horns fymbolize the apparent new moon, 
and ftar of five rays above them, fuffici- 
ently evince. This alfo does the haw«, or 
revivifcence of nature, with a dog’s head, 
and the two units above the tame ftar. 
The two figures with ftars, to intimate 
the five months between the rifing and fet- 
ting Dog, introduce Libra. ‘The pedeftal 
beneath the {cale, with the fun 6n it, and 
a fitting figure, as if watching the fhade 
of an obelifk, under the index of the equi- 
nostial balance, together with the fun be- 
hind, and the other attendant figures, de- 
note the Thoth, or new year’s day, as 
from that fign, whilft the fourteen articula- 
tions in the tail of the dog, will be found 
to agree with the fourteenth year of the 
folar cycle, concurrent with the firft hu- 
nar, when the fun entered Scorpio. The 
hieroglyphics next fucceeding characterize 
again the beginning of the year, for fuch 
are the hawk, crowned with the lotus ; the 
wolf, facred to the fun; and the ceraftes, 
rifing from an oar. 
rifing and fetting ftar are intelligible as 
before. We now come to Sagittarius, an 
hieroglyphic, compofed of 2 human body, 
with a bifrontal head of a man and a lion, 
the Nilotic plant, which indicates the over- 
flow, proceeding from the veil under which 
beth 
The figures of the 
