tars, and sacrifices offered to him in common with 'Diana. The Phrygians made the like offerings to the Marsyas and Mæander.

2

But no nation carried their reverence to such an extravagant degree of idolatry, as the Egyptians. They looked upon their river not only as consecrated to a deity; but, if we may believe some authors, as their chief national3 god: and worshipped it accordingly. The people above Syene stiled the Nile Siris, and Sirius, which was the name of Osiris,

412.

4

Αλφειῳ και Αρτεμίδι θύουσιν επι ένος βωμε. Pausan. l. 5. p.

Εν Ολυμπια δε ὁ Αλφειος τη Αρτεμίδι συναφίδρυται. Scholia upon first Nem. Ode of Pindar, p. 321.

Φρυγες, οι περι Κελαινας νεμομένοι τιμεσι ποταμες δυο, Μαρσυαν και Μαιάνδρου-θυσι φρυγες τους ποταμοις.

p. 87.

Max. Tyr. Diss. 8.

3 The words of Heliodorus are remarkable.

Θεοπλασσι

τον Νείλον Αιγυπτιοι, και Κρειττονων τον Μέγισον αγουσι, αντίμιμον ουρανε τον ποταμον σεμνηγορουντες. Æthiop. 1. 9. p. 423.

4 They were the Ethiopians.

Σιρις ὑπ Αιθιοπων κικλήσκεται. Dionys. v. 223.

Nilus etiamnum Siris nominatus per aliquot millia. Pliny,

1. v. c. ix. p. 255.

Συήνη πολις μεση Αιγυπτε και Αιθιοπιας επι τῳ Νειλῳ, μεθ ̓ ἣν ωνόμαςαι Σίρις ὁ ποταμος. Steph. Byzant.

Zigios Hλios. Hesych. and Suidas.

Egios Heλios. Orph. Argonautics, v. 118.

and the Sun and upon solemn occasions made invocations to it as their chief' guardian and protector. They supposed, that it gave birth to all their deities, who were born upon its 3 banks: and that the Nile was particularly the father of Vulcan, * Ηφαιςος. Hence there were temples erected to his honour; and a city called after his name, Nilopolis ; in which he was particularly worshipped: and there were festivals and rites, stiled

6

Σειρ. Σιρος ὁ Ἥλιος, και Σείριος. Suidas.

Όσιρις ετιν ὁ Νείλος. Euseb. Præp. Evan. 1. 3. c. 11. p. 116. Πατέρα και Σωτηρα. Plut. Symp. 1. 8. p. 729.

2 Αιγυπτιε Ζευ, Νειλε.

1. 5.

Parmeno Byzant. apud. Athenæum,

Ρ. 203. Scholiast upon Pindar—Τον Νειλον αντι το Διος φησιν, επειδη παρα τοις Αιγυπτίοις τιμαται (ὁ Νειλος) ὡς Θεός.. Νειλον φησιν, ὡς Παρμενων -Αιγυπτιε Ζεν, Νειλε. Ode 4. v. 99. p. 219.

3

-Κρονίδην TOY Pind. Pyth.

-ποταμον Νείλον, προς ᾧ και τας των θεων γενέσεις

ὑπαρξαι. Diod. Sic. 1. 1. p. 12.

5 Νειλε πολις (ητοι Νειλοπολις) Αιγυπτό, — Και Ιερον Νειλο ποταμε. Steph. Βyzant. from Hecatxus.

χορουστε

6 Ανέγνων δε παρα Αριταίνετῳ τῷ ισορικῳ, στις ισορει, ότι ἑορταζεσιν Αιγυπτιοι τῳ Νειλῳ, ἑορτην πανδημεί πάντες και πασαι. συςησαμένοι άδουσι τω Νείλῳ ωδας ὡς τῷ Δια οδουσιν. Nonni Synagoge apud Greg. Nazianz. cont. Jul. edit. Etonens. p. 168,

169.

2

Neiloa Sacra, which were observed all over Egypt. As they received so much benefit from their river, they held water in general sacred, as Julius Firmicus has observed:Ægypti incolæ, aquarum beneficia percipientes, aquam colunt, aquis supplicant, aquas superstitiosâ veneratione prosequuntur.

Antiquity of this Worship.

These superstitions, and this veneration for the river prevailed, as we may presume, even in the time of Moses. This may be inferred from the like notions being to be found in the most early ages among the Syrians and Babylonians. The same prevailed in Greece. They were brought over to the last region by colonies from Egypt; and appear to have been of very early date. The ancient Grecians supposed many of their kings and 3 heroes to have been the offspring of rivers: and the Sea, or Oceanus, was esteemed the father of

Heliodorus Æthiop. 1. 9. p. 424.

2 P. 3. I believe, in many of these instances, it was to the deity, from whom the river had its name, that these rites and honours were directed. Yet the Nile undoubtedly was highly reverenced.

'Pelias, Neleus, Achilles.

2

their gods. This was borrowed from Egypt, for the natives of that country esteemed the Nile to be the ocean, and called it in very ancient times by that name. They pronounced it Oceames, or rather Oceanes-Oxɛavnss which by the Greeks was rendered 3 Ωκεανος, Oceanus, and from hence they deduced their deities. There was therefore a great propriety in the judgment brought upon this peo ple by Moses. They must have felt the utmost astonishment and horror, when they beheld their sacred stream changed and polluted: and the divinity whom they worshipped so shamefully foiled and debased. And these appearances must have had a salutary effect upon the Israelites; as they were hence warned not to accede to this species of idolatry: but to have it ever in contempt, as well as abhor

rence.

S Ωκεανόν τε θεών γενεσιν και μητερα Τηθυν. v. 201.

Homer. Il. 1. §.

2 Οι γαρ Αιγυπτιοι νομίζεσιν Ωκεανον είναι τον παρ' αυτοις ποταμον Νειλον. Diod. 1. 1. p. 12.

3 Τον δε ποταμον αρχαιοτατον μεν ονομα σχειν Ωκεανην, ός εσιν ἑλAnvist Quevos. Ibid. p. 17. From hence we may learn that the rites imported from Egypt to Greece were of very early date.

The Peculiarity of the Punishment.

It is to be observed, that God might, if it had been the divine pleasure, have many different ways tainted and polluted the streams of Egypt. But he thought proper to change it to blood, Now the Egyptians, and especially their priests, were particularly nice and delicate in their outward habit, and rites and there was nothing, which they abhorred more than blood. They seldom admitted any bloody sacrifices: and with the least stain of gore they would have thought themselves deeply polluted. Their affectation of purity was so great, that they could not bear to come within contact with a foreigner; or even to handle his clothes; but to touch a dead body was an abomination, and required to be immediately expiated. Martianus Capella mentions, that the priests wore sandals made

2

Porphyry περι αποχης. p. 168.

Nunquam fas fuit Ægyptiis pecudibus, et sanguine, sed precibus et thure solo placare deos. Macrob. 1. 1. c. 7. p. 150.

-nefas illic foetum jugulare capellæ. Juv. Sat. 14. * See Strabo. 1. 17. p. 1154.-Herodotus says, Ovde μαχαιρη ανδρος έλληνος χρήσεται, είδε οβελοισι εδε λέβητι, εδε κρέως @tos καθαρες τους τετμημένες ελληνικη μαχαίρη γεύσεται. Herod. 1. 2. c. 41. p. 123.