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the present production a date anterior to 1455; and that the testimony of early and nearly contemporaneous witnesses, however imperfect, as well as the partial lights thrown upon the work by subsequent writers, are strongly corroborated by the more fortunate discoveries of recent Bibliographers.

In regard to the volumes themselves, they will be described with bibliographical minuteness, and illustrated with a fac-simile of the type, in the work alluded to at the commencement of this dissertation. At present, I shall only repeat what I have there observed upon it that this Bible is "justly praised for the strength and beauty of the paper, the exactness of the register, the lustre of the ink, and the general beauty and magnificence of the volumes. As an early, if not the earliest, specimen of the art of Printing, it is a wonderful performance."

Kensington, Nov. 9. 1811.

T. F. DIBDIN.

To the Reverend Mr. Maurice, Author of the "Indian Antiquities," on Pagan Trinities, including Remarks on Passages of Herodotus, of Valerius Maximus, and of Pausanias.

LETTER III.

PART I.

Sir, I shall now proceed to make some observations upon a passage in the 176th c. of the 2nd Book of Herodotus'; we are there told that "Amasis was very munificent in his presents to the different Temples of Egypt, and that he placed before the Temple of Vulcan, the celebrated recumbent colossus, which is 75 feet long: on the same pediment stand two colossal figures, each 20 feet high, one on the one side, and the other on the other side of the Temple." Now, Sir, I think that this assemblage of figures was certainly intended to be a representation of the Egyptian Trinity: the size of the statues evidently denotes some superior Deities: the three statues are placed upon the same pediment, and the recumbent figure, which is placed between the two erect statues of inferior magnitude, represents the Creator as resting in tranquillity, and resigning the care of the universe to the other two: this piece of sculpture, it is to be remarked, was placed before the temple

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1 Ἐν δὲ καὶ ἐν Μέμφι, τὸν ὕπτιον κείμενον κόλοσσον, τὸ Ἡφαιστείς ἔμπροσθε τῷ πόδες πέντε καὶ ἑβδομήκοντα εἰσι τὸ μῆκος· ἐπὶ δὲ τῷ αὐτῷ βαθρῷ ἑστᾶσι Αιθιοπικῶ ἐόντος λίθου, δύο κολοσσοί, εἴκοσι ποδῶν τὸ μέγαθος ἐὼν ἑκάτερος, ὁ μὲν ἔνθεν, ὁ δ ̓ ἔνθεν τα Mayάpuo. Mr. Beloe thus inaccurately translates the passage: At Memphis, before the Temple of Vulcan, he placed a colossal recumbent figure, which was 75 feet long: upon the same pediment stand two other colossal figures, formed out of the same stone, and each 20 feet high.”

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of Vulcan. In support of this hypothesis, I shall be compelled to enter into an extensive discussion, to which I request your patient attention. You have ascertained (in vol. iv. p. 675) the Egyptian Trinity to be sometimes represented by Osiris, Cneph, and Ptha, and you remark that, as Osiris was a title a fterwards applied to the Sun, so Ptha was to the fire which issued from the sun you say in p. 677: "Let us investigate the character of Ptha: Suidas, on this word, will let us into the secret of his real character: he says that Ptha is the Vulcan of the Memphites, and Eusebius, citing Porphyry, confirms this; for he asserts the Egyptians thought that Ptha, the God Vulcan, was generated from Cneph, the most high Creator.'" This fact supplies us at once with a reason why this emblem of the Egyptian Trinity should be placed before the Temple of Vulcan, whom the Memphites particularly worshipped; for Vulcan is fire, and, under the symbol of fire, the Chaldeans, the Persians, and the Egyptians, worshipped the Deity: but the truth is that the Egyptians always placed a representation of the Trinity before their Temples thus these three colossal figures are placed before the Temple of Vulcan: you have prefixed to your third Volume an Engraving of the principal Portal of the grand Temple in upper Egypt, where we see the Wings, the Globe, and the Serpent, which constituted the Hemptha, or Egyptian Trinity, sculptured on the front; and you observe (in vol. iv. p. 695) that the fronts of all the Egyptian Temples in Pococke, and Norden are invariably decorated with this picturesque and beautiful hieroglyphic: I will add that they, probably, often sculptured different emblems in the front of the same Temple. That the Creator was often sculptured in a recumbent posture between the other two hypostases, needs no proof; at least to those, who have read your book, with the attention which it merits. It is a very remarkable fact that, at the solemnity of a Roman Lectisternium, the Image of Jupiter was reclined upon a couch, while Juno, and Minerva were placed erect on seats:' Valerius Maximus' (in book 2. c. 1. s. 2), who has recorded this circumstance, attempts to account for it by saying that it was anciently the custom at a feast for women to be seated, while men reclined upon a couch; but he, at the same time, acknowledges that this custom was more rigorously observed in the Capitol than in private houses: 1, Sir, cannot suppose that this Roman Trinity was thus disposed to comply with an

'Feminæ cum viris cubantibus sedentes cœnitabant: quæ consuetudo ex hominum convictu ad divina penetravit; nam Jovis Epulo ipse in lectulum, Juno, et Minerva in sellas ad cœnam invitantur: quod genus severitatis ætas nostra diligentius in Capitolio, quàm in suis domibus servat, videlicet quia magis ad rem pertinet Dearum quam mulierum disciplina contineri!

antiquated custom of common life: this mode of representing Jupiter recumbent between the other two hypostases was an oriental hieroglyphic; and let it be recollected that the Roman Trinity was brought from the East; that Jupiter was placed between the other two hypostases at this tisternium, though it is not mentioned by Valerius Maximus, may be concluded from this singular fact; that Jupiter's Chapel in the Temple was placed between the other two: thus in the engraving, which you have given of Mithra, and of Osiris, Mithra and Osiris are placed in the centre: thus "Philo," as you inform us (in vol. iv. p. 545) "speaking of the eternal Ens appearing to Abraham, acquaints us that he came attended by his two most high and puissant powers, Principality and Goodness, himself in the middle, and, though one, exhibiting to the discerning soul the appearance of three:" thus too in another passage, which you cite in the same place, Philo says that "the father of all is in the middle." It must, however, be confessed that sometimes one of the other two hypostases is represented as either recumbent or sitting: thus Mallet says in his Northern Antiquities (vol. 2. p. 71), that " in the Temple of Upsal Frigga is represented as reposing on cushions between Odin, and Thor:" probably Odin and Thor were represented in an erect posture: thus Pausanias' says in his Eliacs (book 5. c. 17), that,

in a temple of Juno, there was an image of Juno sitting upon a throne; there was an image of Jupiter in an erect posture [this circumstance is implied]; and there stood by the side of Juno a bearded man, who had a helmet upon his head:" he says in his Achaics (book 7. c. 21), that "in a temple of Ceres, the Goddess herself, and Proserpine, are placed in an erect posture, but the image of the Earth is seated upon a throne.”

PART II.

After the passage of Herodotus, which has been cited above, we are told that " Amasis placed another recumbent figure of the same size at Sais:" I know not whether it was placed in the celebrated temple of Isis, or Minerva, in the front of which was placed this inscription" I am every thing, which hath been, which is, and which will be, and no mortal can remove the veil, which shades my divinity from human eyes:" you have given an account of the Goddess herself, in p. 683: it is a remarkable fact, that Isis is there said to be sitting, in the representation of her on the Mensa Isiaca, the probability that Amasis deposited this recumbent figure in the Temple of Isis,

I

· Τῆς Ἥρας δέ ἐστιν ἐν τῷ ναῷ Διὸς ἄγαλμα· τὸ δὲ Ἥρας καθήμενον ἐστιν ἐπὶ θρόνω, παρέστηκε δὲ γένειά τε ἔχων, καὶ ἐπικείμενος κυνῆν ἐπὶ τῇ κεφαλῇ.

2 Τὰ δὲ ἄλσους ἱερὸν ἔχεται Δήμητρος· αὕτη μὲν, καὶ ἡ παῖς ἑστᾶσι· τὸ δὲ ἄγαλμα τῆς γῆς ἐστι καθήμενον.

I

or Minerva, is considerably increased by the fact, which Herodotus has recorded in the preceding chapter: "This prince not only erected at Sais, in the honor of Minerva, a magnificent portico, which exceeded every thing of the kind both in its height, and in its extent, both in the quality, and in the size of the stones, which were used for the work, but also consecrated several colossal figures, and andro-sphinxes of enormous magnitude." Now, Sir, we know that the Temple of Minerva at Sais was dedicated to Isis Omnia, and the representation of this Goddess on the Mensa Isiaca was, perhaps, copied from the sculpture on this portico, which Amasis erected: let us then suppose that this recumbent figure, which was, probably, the figure of Isis, was placed in the Propylæa of the Temple at Sais: Herodotus, as we have seen, says that Amasis placed in the same Propylæa colossal statues, and andro-sphinxes of immense size: now it is a singular fact that in the Mensa Isiaca we see two black sphinxes with white head-dresses, couchant under the wings of Isis. But I must reserve this subject of the Sphinx, on which I intend to submit to your consideration some remarks, for another opportunity. I am, Reverend Sir,

London, August 3, 1811.

With every sentiment of respect,
EDMUND HENRY BARKER.

Sending Portions to those, for whom nothing is prepared,” explained by referring to Eastern Travellers.

Mr. Harmer (vol. 2. p. 107. 4th edition) says: "The Eastern princes, and Eastern people not only invite their friends to feasts, but it is their custom to send a portion of the banquet to those that cannot well come to it, especially their relations and those in a state of mourning :" this is the account the MS gives us in a note on a passage of the Apocrypha, 1. Esdras, 1x 51: it is equally applicable to Nehemiah, v111. 10, 12. and Esther, IX. 19, 22: this sending of portions to those, for whom nothing was prepared has been understood, by those Commentators I have consulted, to mean the poor; sending for [of] portious, however, to one another, is expressly distinguished in Esther, 1x. 22. from gifts to the poor: there would not have been the shadow of a diffi

* Καὶ τᾶτο μὲν, ἐν Σαὶ τῇ ̓Αθηναίη προπύλαια θαυμάσια οἱ ἐξεποίησε, πολλὸν πάντας ὑπερβαλλομένας τῷ τε ὕψει καὶ τῷ μεγέθει, ὅσων τε τὸ μέγαθος λίθων ἐστὶ, καὶ ὁποίων τέων, τᾶτο δὲ, κολοσσὸς μεγάλους καὶ ἀνδρέσφιγγας περιμήκεας ἀνέθηκε.

VOL. IV.

No. VIII.

P

culty in this, had the historian been speaking of a private feast, but he is describing a national festival, where every one was supposed to be equally concerned: those then, for whom nothing was prepared, it should seem, are those, that were in a state of mourning: mourning for private calamities being here supposed to take place of rejoicing for public concerns; but it is not only to those, that are in a state of mourning that provisions are sometimes sent: others are honored by princes in the same manner, who could not conveniently attend to the royal table, or to whom it was supposed not to be convenient: so when the grand Emir found it incommoded Monsieur D'Arvieux to eat with him, he complaisantly desired him to take his own time for eating, and sent him what he liked from his own kitchen, and at the time he chose (Voy. dans la Palestine, p. 20, 1): and thus, when King David would needs suppose for secret reasons, too well known to himself, that it would be inconvenient to Uriah to continue at the royal palace, and therefore dismissed him to his own house; there followed him a mess of meat from the king. 2 Sam. xI. 8, 10."

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The conjecture of Mr. Harmer that mourners are intended by the words-for whom nothing was prepared, is very probable mourners could not be expected to attend at these feasts, but, if their relations sent to them, from their own tables, messes of meat, they would not so far violate the laws of politeness, as to refuse to eat of them.

With respect to the Eastern custom of sending portions of meat to those, who cannot conveniently attend the invitation, which they may have received, of which Mr. Harmer has given au instance from Monsieur D'Arvieux, we have another instance in the Chinese Travels of Mr. Barrow: "If a person invited should, from sickness, or any accident, be prevented from fulfilling his engagement, the portion of the dinner, that was intended to be placed on his table, is sent in procession to his own house; a custom, that strongly points out the very little notion the Chinese entertain of the social pleasures of the table:" p. 155, 6. I must enter my protest here against this se

The passage, to which Mr. Harmer alludes, is this:

"And David said to Uriah, Go down to thine house, and wash thy feet: and Uriah departed out of the King's house, and there followed him a mess of meat from the King." When David desires Uriah to go to his house, and wash his feet, we are to understand it to be the same as if he had said, 'Go, and prepare yourself for the mess of meat, which I am going to send to your house; for both the Egyptians and the Hebrews always washed both their feet, and their hands, before they ventured to take their meals: thus in Genesis, c. 43. v. 31. we are told that Joseph "washed his face, and went out, and refrained himself, and said, Set on bread:" thus our Saviour says to Simon, his host: "I entered into thy house; thou gavest me no water for my feet."

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