looked upon it as their chief blessing; yet it was ever attended with mystical tears, and lamenta tions. This was particularly observable at Coptos, where the principal Deity was Isis. * Coptos est civitas Mareotica Ægypti, in quâ lö versa in Isidem colitur: cujus sacris sistro celebratis Nilus exæstuat.-Proventum fructuum Egyptii quærunt usque ad veros planctus: namque irrigatio Nili supradictorum fletibus imploratur. This writer imagines, that the tears, and lamentations of the people were to implore an inundation: and the tears of Isis, according to " Pausanias, were supposed to make the river swell. But all this was certainly said, and done, in memorial of a former flood, of which they made the overflowing of the Nile a type.

25

As the Patriarch was by some represented as a king called Naachus and Nauachus; so by others he was styled Inachus, and supposed to have reigned at Argos. For colonies, wherever they came, in process of time superadded the traditions, which they brought, to the histories of the countries, where they settled. Hence Inachus was made a king of Greece; and Phoroneus, and Apis brought in succession after him. But I have more than once taken notice, that Inachus was

24 Lutatius Placidus in Stat. Theb. 1. 1. v. 265.

not a name of Grecian original. It is mentioned by 26 Eusebius in his account of the first ages, that there reigned in Egypt Telegonus, a prince of foreign extraction: who was the son of Orus the shepherd, and the seventh in descent from Inachus. And in the same author we read, that a colony went forth from that country into Syria, where they founded the antient city Antioch: and that they were conducted by Casus and Belus, who were sons of Inachus. These events were far more early than any history of Greece; let it be removed as far back as tradition can be carried. But otherwise, what relation can a prince of Egypt, or Casus and Belus, who came originally from Babylonia, have with a supposed king of Argos? By Inachus is certainly meant Noah: and the history relates to some of the more early descendants of the Patriarch. His name has been rendered very unlike itself, by having been lengthened with terminations; and otherwise fashioned according to the idiom of different nations. But the circumstances of the history are so precise and particular, that we cannot miss of the truth.

He seems in the East to have been called Noas,

26 In Egypto regnavit Telegonus Oris pastoris filius, septimus ab Inacho. Euseb. Chron. Vers. Lat. p. 14.

27

Κασος και Βήλος, Ιναχε παιδες, προς τῳ Οροντες ποταμῳ κτλ. Euseb. Chron. p. 24. See also Zonaras. 1. 1. p. 21.

28

Noasis, Nusus, and Nus, and by the Greeks his name was compounded Dionusus. The Amonians, wherever they came, founded cities to his honour hence places called Nusa will often occur. Hesychius says, that there were both cities and mountains styled Nusean in many parts of the 25 world: and he instances in Arabia, Ethiopia, Egypt, Babylonia, Eruthrea, Thracia, Thessaly, Cilicia, India, Libya, Lydia, Macedonia, the island Naxos; also a Nusa near mount Pangæus; and a place of this name in Syria, the same, which was called afterwards Scythopolis. There was also a place called Nusa upon mount Caucasus; and upon Helicon: also in the 29 island Euboa; where was a notion, that grapes would blossom, and come to perfection in one day. Of the Nusa in India, Philostratus takes notice; and says, that from thence Dionusus had the title of Nusios. 3ο Νύσιος γαρ ὁ Διονύσιος απο της εν Ινδοις Νυ ons ovoμaleraι. But this, if the author says the truth, must have been owing to a great mistake:

23

Νυσα, και Νυσήίον ορος, 8 καθ ̓ ἕνα τοπον εσι γαρ Αραβίας, Αιθερό πιας, Αιγυπτο, Βαβυλωνος, Ερύθρας, Θράκης, Θετταλίας, Κιλικίας, Ινδικης, Λιβύης, Λυδίας, Μακεδονιας, Ναξε, περι το Παγγαιον, τοπος Συρίας. Hesych.

29 Ενθα δια μιας ημερας την αμπελον φασιν ανθειν, και τον βοτρυν Taola. Steph. Byzant.

30 Vit. Apollon. Tyan. 1. 2. p. 56.

for there were, as I have shewn, many 3 cities só called; which did not give the name; but were all universally denominated from him. These, though widely distant, being situated in countries far removed, yet retained the same original his tóries; and were generally famous for the plantas tion of the vine. Misled by this similarity of traditions, people in aftertimes imagined, that Dio nusus must necessarily have been, where his history occurred and as it was the turn of the Greeks to place every thing to the account of conquest; they made him a great conqueror, who went over the face of the whole earth, and taught mankind the plantation of the vine: 3* Διονύσον ἐπελθοντα μετα τρατοπεδε πασαν την οικεμε νην, διδάξαι τε την φυτείαν της αμπελο, και την εν τοις ληνοις Aπodifiv TWV Borguwv. It is said, that Dionusus went with an army over the face of the whole earth; and taught mankind, as he passed along,

31 There was a city Noa, built by the antient Dorians in Sicily; called by Stephanus Noαι το εθνικον Νομιος.

The Scriptures speak of cities called Amon-No, and No-Amon in Egypt. Ezek. c. 30. v. 14, &c. Jerem. c. 46. v. 25.

The city Naucratis in the same country was probably NauCarat, similar to the Kiriath of the Hebrews; and signified the city of Nau, or Noah.

A city Noa was near Syene. Plin. Nat. Hist. 1. 6. c. 29. 32 Diodor. Sic. 1. 3. p. 197.

the method of planting the vine, and how to press out the juice, and receive it in proper vessels.

Though the Patriarch is represented under various titles, and even these not always uniformly appropriated; yet there will continually occur such peculiar circumstances of his history, as will plainly point out the person referred to. The person preserved is always mentioned as preserved in an ark. He is described as being in a state of darkness, which is represented allegorically as a state of death. He then obtains a new life, which is called a second birth; and is said to have his youth renewed. He is on this account looked upon as the firstborn of mankind; and both his antediluvian and postdiluvian states are, commemorated, and sometimes the intermediate is spoken of.

33 Κικλησκω Διονυσον, εριβρομον, ευατήρα,

34

ΠΡΩΤΟΓΟΝΟΝ, ΔΙΦΥΗ, ΤΡΙΓΟΝΟΝ.

Πρωτος δ' ες φάος ήλθε, Διώνυσος δ' επεκλήθη.

Diodorus calls him Deucalion; but describes the

33 Orphic Hymn. 29. p. 222.

34 Orphic. Fragm. apud Macrob. Saturnal. 1. 1. c. 18. Sometimes Пgwroyovos is changed to a female, and then made the daughter of Deucalion. Πρωτογένεια δε Δευκαλίωνος και Πύρρας. Schol. in Pind. Olymp. Od. 9. v. 63.