Egyptian MSS. which have reached us as yet, and even from the nature of those we have, mostly, if not wholly, of a votive and sepulchral kind, we are not to consider, as some of your writers have done, that this was the only sort of books or writings of the ancient Egyptians; for the fact is quite otherwise. From Diodorus we learn, that the tomb of Osymandias contained a library in which, according to Seleucus, as it is related by Iamblicus, there were 20,000 volumes, and according to Manetho, 3525, which on account of their antiquity, or of the importance of the subject, were honoured with the title of Hermetic, that is, belonging to the god Shoth or Hermes.

Amongst these sacred books they reckoned, and paid a particular veneration to, those which treated of the nature, the order, and the worship of the gods. Such was, according to Manetho, the book written by the Pharaoh Suphis, to whom he attributes the building of the greatest pyramid. This prince had been at first a great despiser of the gods, but wished afterwards to atone for his impiety, by the composition of this book, which was held in great veneration by the Egyptians. Of the same sort was another book, which explained the rites and the worship which were to be paid to the gods, and other such topics, upon which the priests had written an immensity of volumes by way of commentary.

Besides these, they had another set of books, which they styled Pseudo Hermeti, containing

hymns, or lyric poems, in honour of their gods and their heroes, the most ancient of which seem to have been the hymns of Isis. By means of these, Diodorus says, the priests used to instruct their sovereigns, and by the record of the great and pious deeds of their predecessors, excite them to the practice of virtue. These books, from their contents and purport, were entitled "Institution of the Royal Life," that is, rules of life for a sovereign. They were written in lyric measure, a custom which in our Lecture on lyric poetry, we saw to have prevailed among the most ancient nations, and consequently followed by the Egyptians, from the earliest period of their monarchy. They had also books of astronomy, cosmography, geography, medicine, and others, which they called astrological books; these were a kind of encyclopædia, containing the whole science of the hierogrammatæ, who in Egypt were, as they afterwards became in Greece, both grammarians and sophists. In these books there was every thing which belonged to the measure and valuation of the land, to the manner in which the income of the sovereign, and of the different colleges of the priests should be let out, the description of the whole of Egypt, and of the Nile; the catalogue of the public revenue, as well as of the different articles which were used in the service of the temples, and the record of the several measures for all commodities.

These, and other books of the same species,

were divided into as many classes, as the priests themselves were divided into; and it seems that each class of the priesthood was obliged to learn and cultivate one particular department of science. For this we have the authority of Clement; and as the passage is curious, and throws a great light on this part of our inquiry, it may amuse you to hear it at full length.

Talking of the most sacred books, which were considered as the works of Hermes, and confined to the different classes of the priesthood, our historian thus proceeds:

"In Egypt each individual cultivates a particucular branch of philosophy; and this principally appears in their sacred ceremonies. For, before all, goes the Singer, carrying in his hand one of the symbols of music. He is said to be obliged to learn two books of those of Hermes, one of which contains hymns of the gods, and the other the rules by which a prince ought to live. After the singer comes the Horoscopus, holding a clock, and a branch of a palm tree, which are the symbols of astrology. He must have perpetually in his mouth, that is, he must know well by heart, the books of Hermes that treat of astrology, and these are four in number. One of these treats of the order of the fixed stars; the second of the motion and phases of the sun and moon; and the remaining two, of their rising. Then follows the Hierogramma, with two feathers on his head, and a book and a ruler in his hand; in which there are the instruments of writing,

some ink, and a reed. He must know what are called hieroglyphics, and those sciences which treat of cosmography, geography, and astronomy; and, particularly, of the sun, moon, and the five planets; the chrorography of Egypt, and the description of the Nile, together with the description of the furniture of the temples, and of the consecrated places which belong to them; and, lastly, of the articles as well as the measure of these articles which are used in these places. After these persons, follows the man who is called Stolistes, and who bears a square, as the emblem of justice, and the cup for libations. He knows every thing which belongs to the education of children, that is, every thing that has any relation to sacrifices, first fruits, marking of calves, hymns, prayers, religious pomps, days of festivals, and the like; the whole of which is contained in ten books. After them all comes the Prophet, who wears in his bosom an open waterpot, or bucket. This, according to Apuleius, was the venerable effigy of the Deity, but more likely of the Nile." [Indeed, you may read in the eleventh book of the Metamorphoses of that writer, the superb description he gives of this costly emblem, which is also confirmed by Vitruvius and Plutarch.] "He was followed by those who carried bread, cut into slices. The duty of this prophet, or rather of this prefect of the sacred rites, was to know the ten books which are called sacerdotal, and treat of the laws of the gods, and of the whole discipline of the priesthood. He also presides over the

distribution of the religious income; that is, the income arising from, and dedicated to, the the purposes of religion. There are therefore, forty-two books of Hermes, which are absolutely necessary; of these, thirty-six, containing the whole philosophy of the Egyptians, are learned by those whom we have mentioned; and the remaining six are learned by the Pastophori, or tent-bearers, as they belong to anatomy, to diseases, to instruments of surgery, to pharmacy, to the diseases of the eyes,

and to the maladies of women."

So far Clement; and what he says requires no commentary. For although he does not mention what the contents were of each class of these books, or why they were divided into volumes; yet upon the whole, what he says of the subjects of each class corresponds with the relation that other writers have given. The whole philosophy, therefore, of the Egyptians, according to Clement, may be divided into the following sixteen heads: First class.-Hymns of the gods.

Second class.-Rules for the life of a monarch. Third class. Astrology, which was divided into four books, or volumes; the first of which treated of the order of the fixed stars; the second of the planets; the third of the phases of the sun and moon; and the fourth of their rising.

The fourth and fifth classes consisted of two books on hieroglyphics.

The sixth turned upon cosmography, that is, the description of the world and of the heavens,