doctrine, come from Egypt, or where it will, or whether or not fuppofed by Philofophers to be well founded, has been adopted by many of the ancients and moderns.

"The ftoics fay the Sun heats the waters "of the sea with his rays, and the Moon "attracts the mild humidity of lakes and “fountains (i)." Pliny fays (k), "Soft

"waters are the element of the Moon, and "falt that of the Sun."-" At the full of "the Moon (/), the air diffolves in rain ; " or, if the sky is ferene, diftills abundant "dews, which occafioned the lyric poet,

Alcman, to call the dew the fon of the "Air and the Moon." Among modern Naturalifts, M. Mile (m) has adopted this opinion. "In a fine day, and, especially,

in Spring, a cold and fubtle vapour is "attracted by the Moon, into the middle "region of the air; whence, foon con"densed to imperceptible drops, it falls to "the ground, in abundant dews, and yields "the neceffary nutriment to plants."

(i) Plutarch.

(k) Lib. 2.

(1) Macrob. Saturnal. lib. 7.

(m) Hift. Nat. tom, 2.

I do not cite thefe, Sir, as indubitable authorities. No one can deny the Moon greatly to influence the atmosphere; but, I believe, it would be difficult to prove it attracts water. This is the property of the Sun, which, by expanding humid particles, renders them lighter than the air, through which they rife, till they find an equilibrium. But were the ancients ignorant of this attraction, or do not the cited paffages tend to prove they were not, and that they knew it was greater when the Sun and Moon were in oppofition? Whether or not, the Egyptians, living in a hot climate, seldom refreshed by the falutary rains common to others, and which would be uninhabitable did not night dews (n) give life to vegetables, carefully obferved how they were produced; and, perceiving them heavieft at the Full Moon, created a prefiding deity. "Dew "falls moft abundantly at the full of the "Moon (9)."- "In Egypt, Bactria, and

(1) They are fo abundant, efpecially in Summer, that the earth is deeply foaked, and, in the morning, it might be fuppofed to have rained during night.

(2) Plutarch.

at

"at Babylon, where it seldom rains, plants

are fed by dews (p)." For this reafon the Scripture often promised the Ifraelites, who inhabited a climate much like that of Egypt, dew, as a 'fignal favour; and foretold its want, as a chastisement.

The Egyptians were attentive observers, and divided the time (g) between the New and Full Moon into three equal parts. The first was called the imperfect gift; and the third, from the 11th to the 15th, was dignified with the title of the perfect gift; becaufe the dews then fell abundantly. The name of Butis, a symbolical deity, precisely marked what they fuppofed the cause; for it fignifies the planet that attracts humidity, or the mother of dew (r). Here we discover the genius of the priests; natural effects under allegory. is the fable they invented (s)

:

ever concealing The following "The Egyp

"tians fay that Latona (Butis) one of their "eight great deities, inhabiting the city of "Butis, where her oracle is, received Horus

(p) Theophraft. Hift. Plantarum.

(2) Proclus. Comment. in Timæum. (r) Jablonski Panth. Egypt. tom. II. (s) Herodotus, lib. 2.

"in charge from Ifis, and hid him in a floating island, preferving him from the attempts of Typhon, who came here in "search of the son of Ofiris; for they pre

"tend that Horus, or Apollo, and Bubastis, "whom we call Diana, were the children "of Ofiris and Ifis."

I have spoken, Sir, of the destructive fouth winds, which raise vortices of fcorching dust, and fuffocate man and beast in the deferts. One of their most pernicious effects is abfolutely to prevent the falling of the dews, fo neceffary to vegetation in Egypt. Here is the tyrant Typhon, fearching the son of Ofiris, to put him to death; but Ifis confides him to Butis, whose abode is amidst the waters. That is to fay, the exhalations of the Sun, and the influence of the Moon on the atmosphere, preventing thofe ills the Khamfin would caufe, beftow the falutary dews which renovate nature. This I believe to be the natural interpretation of the facerdotal fable.

I have the honor to be, &c.

LETTER

LETTER

XXIX.

THE NILE, AN ANCIENT EGYPTIAN GOD.

The Nile deified; had cities, built in his honour, priests, feftivals, and facrifices. His firft name Yaro, river; but, after obferving the phænomena of his inundation, they called him Neilon: i. e. increases at a certain feason. A banquet publicly prepared for him, at the Summer folftice; without which ceremony the people believed he would not overflow his banks.

To M. L. M.

Grand Cairo.

I HAVE defcribed the Nile, Sir, as the river to which Egypt owes its fertility and wealth. I must now depict it as the deity to whom superftition erected altars. You are aware of its importance; fince, were it not for its fruitful waters, the country would be a defert. These high advantages are indicated by the veneration of the people, which became folly. "No god is more folemnly worshipped

"than