be feen, the left hand raised, as in other figures, with the finger to the mouth, to denote the ineffable nature of divine provi dence, and as a leffon to mortals to wait without murmuring for future events; in her right hand is a feutica, raifed pretty high to denote that justice which punishes vice. This whole emblem reprefents Egypt, previous to the overflowing of the Nile, the wife men watching with filent expectation for an event upon which depends the plenty of the infuing year; that altho the crimes of the people are deferving of the divine wrath which now appears suspended, none of the usual prognostics appearing which preceded the overflowing of the Nile; altho the fcourge of divine providence threatens, yet are they taught to look up with hope to the Supreme Being, who is great in power; for fuch the infcription fig nifies. This Symbolic Representation is explained by Jamblicus, Sect. VII. Chap. II. συ, και c ΑΚΟΥΕ δη ουν &c. &c. Hear, therefore, the mind and interpretation of fymbols, agreeable to the opinion of the Egyptians themselves. But beware left the mere idol of those symbols make an impreffion on on your senses; but let your close attention be drawn to perceive the truth in your un derstanding: Know then that all corporeal and material bodies, whether nutritive or genital, alfo every material form, however fubject to fluctuating change; whatever occupies the nutritive flux of generation, or is coincident therewith, together with all material powers, owe their prime elementary caufe to mud. But the God of all nature and generation of powers and elements, is to all these the fuperior caufe, and comprizes all within himfelf; for he is more excellent, immaterial, incorporeal above nature, ungenerated, indivisible, entirely abforbed or hidden in himfelf; and because he embraces all things, and communicates himfelf to all parts of the world, he fhews himself through thefe; and by this means he who is wifely expanded beyond all things becomes manifeft, becaufe. he is distinct, fublime, and diffused beyond mundane powers and elements. The following symbol teftifies this --Becaufe God fits upon the Lotus, obfcurely fignifying his eminence and power, as he does not touch the mud, and alfo his intellectual government and his EMPYREAL: For all that belong to the Lotus are circular, the leaves and and the fruit, correfpondent to which is the operation of the mind (as moving in circular direction, and displaying itself in one and the fame ordered direction, according to reafon.) But God himself fits alone expanded above this empire and operation, being venerable, holy, and entirely quiefcent in himself.-Such are the words of famblicus. In the fecond figure.-Harpocrates is turned with a fide afpect to view: the Scutica held careless under the arm; the infcription hebrew in greek characters he hath ceafed from his anger; there is already a fign in the heavens approaching, in Fig. 3. The favourable fothis or the dog ftar appears, the Nile reprefented by the lion moving with rapidity, has begun to overflow, in the month of July; and the infcription in Greek characters A BRACAECICIRIM. The firft word is Alpacas, the last letters being anagrammatically difpofed, and were meant to exprefs the year, as being expreffive of the number 365 thus, Bafilides was the difciple of Menander, and a gnostic, who taught many dangerous and abfurd errors, which he had contracted in Egypt, or from Egyptian literature. He said that in the creation there was a fucceffive creating power, that every being was created by an immediate preceding one, and had the creative power in itself, and that in the fame fucceffive manner originated the divine Being himself; that there exifted 365 heavens between the Empyreum and this earth, each having one creator, or angel, who had been created by a fuperior one: from hence it is thought the mysterious name ABPACAN OF ABPAZAC was invented. υπερ άνω τότων δύναμις και άρχη, whose power and beginning was above all. This word is alfo fuppofed to mean the Perfian mithra, or fun, whofe annual courfe was accounted to be 365 days. This word also was frequently substituted instead of mythra. Unufquifque fingit, quod voluerit Bafilides, qui omnipotentem DEUM hoc est SHADAI, portentofo nomine appellat Abpažas et cundem fecundum græcas litteras et annuos curfus numerum dicit in folis circulo contineri, quem ethnici aliarum literarum vocant mithras, S. Hieron, c. 3. in Amos. CICIRIM, which reverfed is MIRICIC, the latter part evidently evidently fignifies Ifis, or the moon, which is expreffed by, thus at the fyllable ci and again by the lion's tail, which takes the fame form reverfed at the fecond fyllable c1, which different reprefentations exprefs the beginning and termination of the month; the new and the waning moon having a fimilar reverfed fituation. The infcription on the oppofite fide: APXEO IA MEP-MENNw, of old God bitter in anger; perhaps alluding to the general delugeGræco-hebraic infcriptions of this kind have been often noticed-or elfe MEP-MENNW is expreffive of the Greek MEPIMNA, which fignifies anxious folicitude or the utmost care. This is my opinion, and I would therefore read the infcription thus: Ja, or Jehovah, of old providentially careful. P SKETCH |