The Hieroglyphics of Horapollo Nilous

[Josie Linde]

To signify a man that is ungrateful and quarrelsome with his benefactors, they delineate a Dove, for when the male becomes the stronger, the drives his father away from his mother, and mates himself with her. This creature however seems to be pure, because when any pestilential epidemic rages, and every thing, animate and inanimate, sickens with disease, those persons alone who feed upon this bird do not share in so great a calamity. Wherefore during such a time nothing is served up to the king as food except the dove alone. And the same food is served up to those who are under a course of purification,

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that they may minister to the gods. It is likewise reported that this creature has no gall.

[Josie Linde]

LVIII. HOW AN IMPOSSIBILITY.

[Josie Linde]

To signify an impossibility, they represent A MAN'S FEET WALKING ON THE WATER; or when they would signify the same thing differently, they delineate A HEADLESS MAN WALKING. And since these are both impossibilities, they have with good reason selected them for this purpose.

[Josie Linde]

Footnotes

79:1

Well known hieroglyphics not yet interpreted. The second is from the ceiling of the Ramesseion.

[Josie Linde]

p. 80
LIX. HOW A VERY BAD KING.

[Josie Linde]

To denote a very bad [a very good? a very powerful?] king, they depict a SERPENT in the form of a circle, whose tail they place in his mouth, and they write the name of the king in the middle of the coil, intimating that the king governs the world. The serpent's name among the Egyptians is Meisi.

[Josie Linde]

Footnotes

80:1

I. An oval decorated with the basilisks, containing the prenomen of Amunoph III.

II. A plain oval containing the name of Ramesses II. 'Amun me Ramses.' The oval is considered to hate been originally a serpent coiled.

[Josie Linde]

p. 81
LX. HOW A VIGILANT KING.

[Josie Linde]

And otherwise to denote a vigilant king, they depict the SERPENT (UPON THE WATCH), and in the place of the king's name they depict a watcher: for he is the guardian of the whole world; and the king ought to be vigilant everywhere.

[Josie Linde]

LXI. HOW THEY DESIGNATE A RULER OF THE WORLD.

[Josie Linde]

Again when they would

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signify and designate a king who rules the world, they delineate the same SERPENT, and in the middle thereof they represent a LARGE HOUSE, and with reason for the royal abode from him - - - - - - in the world.

[Josie Linde]

Footnotes

81:1

I. After the king's name has been once or twice given in an inscription, a serpent seems to be sometimes substituted.

II. From Belzoni's tomb.

III. Golden house or palace.—Sh. 380.

IV. King's house or palace.—Sh. 379.

V. God's house or temple.—Sh. 371.

[Josie Linde]

LXII. HOW A PEOPLE OBEDIENT TO THEIR KING.

[Josie Linde]

To denote a people obedient to their king, they depict a BEE, for this is the only one of all creatures which has a king whom the rest of the tribe of bees obey, as men serve their king. And they intimate from the honey's - - - - - - from the force of the creature's sting - - - - that

p. 83

[Josie Linde]

 - - - - should be both lenient and firm in - - - - and administration.
Footnotes

82:1

Champollion interprets this as 'King of an obedient people;' Sharpe, as 'King of Upper and Lower Egypt.'—Sh. 417. 419.