Charles William King - The Gnostics and their Remains, Ancient and Mediaeval, 1864 by gnosisclassics

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HARVARD UNIVERSITY

UJBRAKY OP TBB

PEABODY MUSEUM OP AMERICAN

ARCHAEOLOGY AND ETHNOLOGY GIFT OP

Un. RcociMluIj

Qrlo

BatM

1,1937

THE GNOSTICS. Ataa AYTO tH*ON AEYKHN KAI EDI THN 4H*0N ONOUA KAINON TBTPAMMBNON O OVAIB ETNO H MH O AAMBANON^ Apoc.

ii.

17.

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THE GNOSTICS AND THEIR REMAINS, ANCIENT AND MEDIAEVAL. Bt

W. KING,

M.A.,

nCLLOW OF TBUnTT OOLUEOE, CAMBBIDOB, AVTBOB OW " AXTIQCB

LONDON: LL

AND DALDY,

186,

FLEET SIHEET.

OAMBBIDQBt DRIOHTON, BEII^

00.

UDCCOLXIT.

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PREFACE. TfiiLT nodiiDg

apon

this saljeot Bboold

hHHhsho

hun ben

attempted in ihe Engiinh langnnge, encept by Dr. Walah, aoeiiMi to

me a safficient

excuse for andertaking the same task on a

more comprehensive nothing more thaa

Dr. Walsh's

plan.

a baie epitome

fnm the ray scantj store for granted, upon

the several

hit'ts ul"

bouk

principle altogedier fijnadow.

the aaBertkm of their opponents, that

the Gnosis were mere heretics, that

penerters of the Christiaa doctrines that they had

embfaoed as a I>i?ine

ofat

is,

oriii^inally

leTelatioiiy he^ like his guides

not trouble himself to tiaoe theories,

fact

is in

of meterialB at his commaDd, and

like hi8aiithmily,baMdiqK)ii

Taking

little

of Beausobre, iUnstrated

does

the true origin of their

bnt is content with sketching their principal features

whilst in explaininpr their

monuments, he

really diverse in nature, to one and the

inte^^nets

them aoooiding

to his

refers all,

same

however

and

school,

own migroanded and pn^

coooeiTed notions of their ohancter.

sooh a system,

neither the doctrines themselTes, nor the relics they have left

behind in such profusion, are susceptible of even a plausible

much

explanation,

qidring mind.

less of

The phm

one capable of satisfying an

in-

therefore proposed to myself but

nduoh nnfortanate dienmstanoes have pcerented

fiilly

executing, has been, flist to reyiewtfae grand religioiis systems

of the EiLst

tlourishiiifr at

the time of the establishment of

Chiistianity in thoue regions,

and

their necessary influence

FBBFAOB.

the modes of thought and expression both of

and of itsfiiBtooiiverto ;

meatt,

to the Oentfles" himsell, cileady to eiifaiMfdi all

the

gems

scene of

missionaries

its

by the testimony of the Apostle tlie

eziBtenoe of

of the Gnosis, In those dtieB wbidi were the

most important laboms.

Iiis

sketch of these systems I have done

little

more than

ooaidense Matter's admirable Introduction to his 'Histoire

Ontiipie

da GnostioiBnie

but thenoefonrMd I

on my inTesligations aooQiding to a

liieoiy,

hm earned

m my eonyiotMai

the only true one, which, although he once alludes approyingly to

it,

he has

entirely nop^lected to follow out to its necessary

consequences.

and elegant aiohs,

Restricting himself to describing in his lucid

styles

the qieciilationB of the lespeotiTe heresip

and going no

the Sabala

fttt

the

ftnther

back than the Zend-aTesta and

store-hoiases

whenoe they bonowed

mystic principles, he errs in representing novel,

all their

their

systems as

and the pure compositions of the teachers themselves.

That the aeeds of the Gnooui were oiiguMdly of Indian

growth, and oaxried westward

by Ike mflaenoe of that

Tast

Budtihist moveiiieut, wliich iu the fifth century before our

era had overspread all the East irom Thibet to Ceylon, was

hinted at by Matter,

me on iymj

and beoame apparent to

dig^ anqnamtanofl with the ftandamental doctrines of Indian theosophy. To diew tids, the two systems in their two most perfected forms, that of Valentinus imd that of the Nepaulese

Buddhists, are brieily described and confronted

;

and through-

out innnmmUe points of anah^ will be found indicated.

In the history of the flnt four eentories of the Churdi, eferything that was denoonoed as hsntioal, to Indian speculative philosophy, as

how much ^iai passed current

its

maybe traced np

genuine fountain-head

for orthodox,

had really flowed

Digitized by

FBIFACB. from the

wme

soone^

fO.

neither eipedwiit not deoonnis

it is

now to inqime. In order to

obtaiii

dw fkm of the prmcipai forms of

Gnosticism, as well as to escape relying upon second-hand descriptions (in this case

more than ever untrustworthy),

whilst ooUeotiiig material^

I b^gaa by canfolly peraaing the

Vast

Ptmmicn of Epiphanioi: a

laborioiis

tukf Ink

irell le-

paid by the Tiyid pietnre it eyerywhere presents of the inner state of society

under the Lower Empire, and of the war then

so fiercely waged between Bcason and Faith.

a cannected

dnring the ibrt three oentories. Ireoflns

fttr

the earHer ages

Talue, being

This treatisa

history of the Onosis in all its devQlo|iinenli

drawn from

having in early

life

;

Iti

author tramoribee

the later part is of the gieatest

his personal experience, the writer

joined the Marcosians.

After his daya^

nothing noYsl sprang np in thefieldof theoIogiQal philosophy, 80 drransified before with the strange and Inznnant weeda

or flowers of the Gnosis; the ecclesiastical {K>wers,

aeenilar

having made

to eradicate all such dailDg

and

eombmfng with the

their duty to crush

and

irregular growths of the

human mind. 2. After oonsidfl(Eing the

oksa that owed its faWh to

In^

next in importanoe for her oontribationa to the opinions, and vastly

more to the monuments before

her primfi&val its

religion.

its

us,

comes Egypt with

Bomanised and

prodnotiona are often ooofonnded with the

of the Gnoeis.

latest disguiae^

tme

Theae are disoriminated, their

diaraeters pointed out,

offipiing

distinetiTa

and ranged nnder their sereral

heads, according as they were designed for a religious or -

for a medicinal object.

Mnoh spaoe has been

doToted to that ingeniooa figment

of the Ateumdfian myatio^ the AJhrtam

PmAub, who

haa

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PBEFAOE. giyen lus

nsme to the entite qUub of taligminw, many of tiiem manj

long antevior in dote to his aeatioii in a visible fbnn»

belonging to ideas totaDy imooniiected with

the figure,

meamng

name and

of his

has been collected, and

diiferent titles,

much heretofore

much

iufbrmatioii

bat little known, pre-

sentedinaoompaotibRn tothosecinioDvtoIeain been

satigfiictorily

The Mithraic

religion.

i)ersonage thereby typified, and the true

tlie

all

that has

eetaUished upon these abstmse qaestidns.

religion,

under whose kindly shelter so much

of Occidental Chiistiaiiity grew up unmolested,

Tiewed, and the canses pointed out for this allianne, at '

-a^ht so ineducable. aflBnity

this aie conneoted

the singobr

between the cersmonial of the two, and the transfer

much

of so

and

With

refirst

oi i«jiuallv

Mithraic into the ns^ige of the orthodox

several curious memorials will be found

adduced that

bear testimony to this gradual transition. review of the several elements which the

4. After this

various ohiefe of Gnoeticisni worked

np with so mndi

in-

genuity into one consistent whole, incorporating with them

such parts of the Christian doctrine as harmonised with the rest,

we come

^pnbola

better prepared to the consideration of the

and the iernmob^, whereby

their ideas were

com-

Binnicated to those initiated into their aicana: composite figures •

and

nfflai

''having a voice to the wise, but which the

vulgar heareth not." Astrologjf justly claims as its relics

own a

large proportion of the

popularly termed Gnostic, for Gnosticism fxtm the

beginning had united

its

own

specolatiqps with those of the

Magians* national sdenoe, and borrowed vehicle for cani,

its

own

machinery as a

peculiar ideas, the Astral Genii, the De-

and the Myiiogeneses; and under

this head, also, I

have

endeavoured to separate the purely astrological from the bor-

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PBBPAOB.

Then poor

rowed types.

in,

widi ommtoB mohitadeB, ihe

trae ofispring of the Eabala, the long strings of bare legends wliicli

betray tho handywork of the image-hating dreamers

of the Jewish schools of Alexandria and Babylon; spells^

then ascribed to SolomoD, that seemed the

0?eii

piroteoticm

and fufoot " of those damoot that tre fcoad or under gnmnd Whose power bsfli a tme oooMit Wiih planei or wfih dement**

JxL flra^ sir, flood,

One

object kepi in Tiew thioii§^ioiit this tnatiBe, is to

show how the distiugiiished

prodnetioiis of the different

samoee are to be

from each other, a point to which

})articular

attention has been paid in the description of the lelica

eoUected in

plates

;

numerous

and thus in some degree to

femedy the confasion that raigns at preeent in the whole departmeni As Hatter treats of the doctrines alime, and only quotes the monnments in illnstTation of his remarks, and the present essay

designed to be subsidiar}' to his invaluable

treatise, I refer the

him

reader to

for the

complete elociilation

of the philosophy of the subject^ and haye given

chief

attention to the anshflBolpgioal portkm (irineh ia ouxBorily

passed over

by him),

in whidi nothing haa been

done rinoe

the pubiicatiouii of Chiflet and of I^Ionttaucun. 6.

The Gnosis

its

last

and greatest manifestation, tho

oompoflite religion of JlfaMet, remains to be considered; its

wondeiM revival and

difibrion in

medi»val Enzope^ and

its

supposed eoonection with the downfall of the Templan.

The assigned grounds to give

for this event are

any opinion upon

;

although

most

With their scandal and

their

difSonh problem in all history. fiite is

adduced

their validity is about the

coupled that moit aingdar &ot of

modem

tnnei^ the

PBBFAGE.

leteation by their asserted euccessors the Freemasons, of so miioli tiiifl^

gymboHam immistekably Gnostio in

its

For

ongin.

bonmr, unfintonately fat the lows dmyataiy, a yetj

mattef-oSMMsty but doobtlcaB tnio canaa^ can nitiiovil nrach

research be brought to light

;

and the sohition of the enigma

brings irresistibly to mind iEsop'a a|K)logue of the fox, and

he had gqmmmied op oommge to

hia ftTftlamation after

Teatigate the intarior of a oertein

maak. I liave

subject

Una

aectkm

TeneraUe and

ia iUiiBtrated

by aU the iiifbfniatKm

"Mbuom* Mark»;"

those enigmatical symbols* which

common nae amongst

amongBt the Hindeoa in theb dafly

onxaeLTes^

teligioiia naagea,

tnused baokwaida through Gnostio employment retention, through old

and thus

Greek and Etruscan

attest convincingly

liie

same mffiiM,

this sdbjeet ftntiier,

the

all

lij^ts

and have

and

oan be

and Gothio

art to their first

what country gaye birth

to the theoaophy that made^ in Imperial times^ so laige

that

been able to glean from various sources, on that curious

yet eTisHng and in

source,

in-

aife^iiiapiiing

assist inquirers deairoDs

a nae

of pmniiing

I have been oareftd to give referenoea to

of those " murks " that have fallen in

observ ed the

same

my way

rule with regard to other

mono-

grapha illostiatiTe of the different points diaonased in the

way the ahortoominga of my easay am ireU aware how ill I am equipped

fidlowing pagee.

thia

may be sapplied;

ftr

for entering

on these investigations, except in the point of

practical acquaintance with the actual theless, it being

le boigne est

monuments.

Never-

most true that ^'dana le pays des aveoj^

loi,**

there ia

room

for hoping that

my attempta

(more suggestive than anything else) will prove both novel

and

interesting.

Belated to these in nature are geneially.

TcHimam and AmuleU

Their employment and the aopetatitioDa to whioh

Digitized by

PREFACS. they owo their origin, are noticed under this head, and ihe deriTatioQ of

many

legends

supplied

fam a

of the MedisBfral

Gboetio somoe

to tome of ihoir Eabalistio

Is oBtaUidied, wbilflt tiie

Mkming out

tiiis

prind|4e ; in a

way

probably more to the purpose than any hitherto suggested. ().

The idea

fimiliaike

ilself

tiie

fancy endeaTomring to oipross and

to the

notkm of

mortality,

Besidflf

tUs being a subject of tmirofsal

relation to art,

Death has famished the richest crop

of such imagery,

interest,

colhctauca on the head are somewhat extensive, and

embrace many points neglected by Lessing inquiry

<Wie

die Alton

den Tod gebildet'

in his curious

The

pecnlitt

importanoe of every relic that can be referred to the primitife ages of Ghristianity cessive rarity. art in this

augmented by

their ex-

the examples produced by the glyi)tio

branch that I ha?e been able to examine are

described, and some remarks are offered on the singular

penniitBtka of the primary sesie in vbieh oeitiin amongst

them came to be With

aooepted.

respect to

soipiised at

illustrations,

some doubtless

being drawn almost

their

will

ezoliisiYeiy

from

records of such small iqpparant importanoe as engraved glooes; plete,

and Uiink

and

Uame

this portion of the iroi^ theiefine

remains of a more public character. is,

incom-

the anthor for not having had reeonrse to

But

this

restriction

in truth, the necessary result of the nature of the things

here treated

of.

Seotet soeietiei^ eqiwcially that one of

which the maxim was, as Glemens

tells ns^

the truly wise

one,

* Leim to know aU, Int keep thyself unknown,'* erect no

monuments

to attract the public attention ; they deal

•

zii

PREFACE.

symbols to be privately circulated, in pass-words known only

to the illuminati

embody

their tenets iu mystiQ

I>iagraiiiiiia»

and in papyri long

or else they

drawiogp like the Ophite

The nan-ontiqTiary will doohtp

flbce oommittedtotfaefliuneB.

leas ezclflim against the radeneas of litliographic plates;

most cases

which

but in

drawings in the

as they are, they in

fact, nitle

the extreme barbarism of

flatter their originals,

was often imposnhle to leprodnoe^ and yet make

Be it lemembeted that

the design intelligiUa

" Gntia non babitst^ non hoo QyUaniiii axitro;**

Pallas

longer, as in the elder ages of the art, guided the

engraTer^s hand, but

Hermes and ful,

Isis)

Siva and Bhavani (iU-diflgnised as

suggested his designs

or else the spite-

;

mouster-imagcd genii of the Kabala.

under

feat,

and was

its

various modifications^

fast banishing

now

The

religion of

reigned supreme,

the beauteous, sensuous mythology

of the old Greek natme-woiBhip^ into whioh nothing that

yna malignant^ or hideons in

The in

its

nature,

was erer admitted.

virtue of the talisman lay in the ty^e

its

own

embodied, and

material substance; the* manner of the execution

of the potent

sigil

was altogether unconsidered.

About half the nnmber are from drawings made by myself of snoh examples as years

;

—the

afterwards Irin^^fwffF

under

my notice during the last few

when my own

sight

may be

relied on

no longer availed me, the

of the then owner of the originals

asBiBtanoe,

They

fell

scrupulous fidelity of these

came

and fbmished the remainder of the

aketchee.

In feot were ehiefly derived from the estensiye and

unpublished series comprised in the ancient Praun Cullectiuu

(formed

thi-ee centuries ago),

poned.

old

and valued

and friend

last

year unhappily

dis-

who had recommended

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FBRPACE.

the reprodnction of tlie first

three plates

conspicuous.

work;

into

collection of outlinee, lithographed

the

8iii)eriority of

these to the rest

These were the foundation of the present

£ar after

oonteiLtB, it

;

diawing up the detailed deBcription of thdr

became neoeaBBiy to pot my nnmenms oollectaaea

an aTailable shape to iUnstrate

grounds on wliieh they were based the treatise assumed

its

;

explanatioDfl,

and the

and thus by degrees

present ibmi.

In those nure instanoes where the beauty of the work of

bya more ddlM hand,I hare been B. Uttiiig, who has ezeonted

art doBerved reprodnetkm

indebted to the grarer of Mr. the woodcuts

witli

a spirit as well as accuracy that leave

nothing to be desired.

G. «

MlCUAEUlAB,

W. KING.

CONTENTS. PAQK Gtaoflticiam tlofinetl

The Zcmlavi

sta

The Kalulg

TheTalmad

Tnt^inn

The

a urces of Gnoatic ideas

Biuldbistic Bystem

The Ophites

21 26

or Serpent- worehippere

Abraxas-?;em8

Abraxaa

The

tnie etymology of the

;

ifloDS

._.

Procession of the Logoa, or

name

Word

Symbols explained

42 45

Descent of the Soul

Moiuimcnts

The Twelve Tortures

or Tests

Mitlirnic

Mitltriir:

T aliHmans

The l{oman

il 55 5fi

Mitliras in his Chapel

68 64

Serapis

MoDumenta

Egyptian Deities, how represented Ki:g;^ptian

tlio

Scrapis-worship

Gnosticism, Alexandrian and Syrian

AgathodcTmou Talismans

Abraxas-gems, properly so called

The god Abrox^ how Tilt; namo lao

fignred accordiag to the Fathers

The Schema of the Ophites

Abraxastcr, or later adapted Egyptian

89 93

The Sewn Vowels Legends and Foruiulre

94-

102

Legends, interpretation of

ABRACADABRA

Other Types adopted by the Gnostics

104

106

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CONTENTS.

xvi

Zodiacal Decani, or Abraxoida Isiac

106

Symbols..

•

109

Materials and style

112

The Evil Eye

113

Talismans ami Amulets

115

Localities

where fonod at present

Rccoffliition

119

by means of symbols

120

Sepulcrum Mariio Honorii

123

Gnostic Talismans placed in Sarcophagi

Fonnulg from

the

Diagramma

126

of the Ophites

127

Medimvftl Talismans

Gema

of the orthodoi QbritrtiMm

Heads of Christ

144

Leaden Book of the

Mnseum Kircherianmn

C.An\. TV>iiillf>n*a T^iulpn

TMupniv

Tlift finnat.in

Tho Tho

how

Xame "

principle of

Yftma'a

titles

and

„

its

Art

of the Hindoos.

The Gayatris

„

Throe Tcreons ..

163

IncAntatinns to raise

Ififi

168

169

tlic (lt?ad

lOfi .

Tanrobolia, or Baptism of Blood

The Ma^i and Brahmins

Li3

155 165

Penances, the merit of

Ifil

152 ...

Dualism

attrilmtflg

Ilindoo Triad

„

represented in Ancient

" Ineffable

147

Hindoo

Tho

TW>k

Va.sc of Sins

Death,

135

Ififl

known

to the

Romans

172

Preservation of Gnostic symbols by the Freemasons

173

Charges brought against the Templars

192

Six Articles alleged against the Italian Templars

Eleven Articles

j;iven in the

Chronique de

St.

Denys

195 196

The E Dclphicmn

198

Description of the Plates

200

Description of the Woodcut^i

232

Addenda

239

Ikdex

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EEBATA. In

tike

TotiTe maoriptioii of Aliffi^mimoB (p. 90)

Mj notice in tiie text wu

deU

taken from a verbal eoooont

TON-

gtvm to

me at the timeliy a penon who liad inspeotod the dzawing on ifai fint diflooveiy; henoe ito deficiepoy lately piooored the fiw-Bimile, details.

The deity ia,

Anobia-ChziBtoe

as I

was

m euetneti.

am now

But hafing

able to oomplete the

oertain from the tint, the Gnoatio

]ieiBiM<onioified,batatandB freely onaoippoa,

and aapporta, in hia ontBtretohed handa, hia ancient iTmbol, tiie Tan, over which aie zemaina off the aaored l*X«0-Y« aftarwazda adqited by the Ohziatiana to their

on No.

The

own

CSompaie legend

ideaa.

votaiy atanda at the aide of the deity with his

Umd lifted to hia lipa, in the naoal attitude of worahip, adoraado. He wean the tonic of the vulgar ha.** Vi-

;

one of the

tonicatiia popel-

ThedrawixigiaBciwtdiedQpontbeplaaterofahoiiee'front

a narrow atreet

filled

np and

built over witii

a part of the

Falatimn acme time imder the Lower Empire.

It waa evidentiy

placed there to protect the inmate, in the same

way aa waa

very deity on the leaden

aorolla in the

Page 119, note—/or "Sebert" chester Cathedral, a.d. 1159." seal is evidently a

read "Soffricl buried in Chi-

Servatius died a.d. 389, but his

work of the tenth

therefore a valuable example

this

Massini tombs (p. 149).

or eloventh century,

of a mediaj^al intaglio.

and

It is

suspended from a small slab of porphyry traditionally known as the saint's portable

altar.

The

cuts are

impressions kindly communicated to

whom I have also

made from

me by Mr.

gtitta

percha

Albert Way,

to thank for the cast of the Gnostic Qorgon.

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THE &NOSTICS

AJ^CJENT

MD THEI& REMAINS, AND MEDLEVAL.

GNOSTICISM DEFINED, m

The gBDenl name GnoitiM is used to dmffuAe ieneml aeeti thai spnoig up in the Euiem parts of the Soman empire almoat nmnltaneouslj ivifh the eetaUiihment of Chiutiamly ; ftnn, and langed themaelTea

nanwa

Ihflj

tinit

aMomed a deiinite imder diifineot teaohen, hj whoae

to say* theee woIb then, for the

fizet

beoame known to the

time,

irarld, although

in xealitj

their ohief dootrineo had heen held for oentmiea before in aiai^

cf ih»

ettiea

in Aaia Minor.

There^

it is

probable, thej font

npon the eataUiafament of a direot tnteroonzae with India imder iSb» SeleooidB and the Ptolemiea. The collegea of Emenea and Megabyan at Ephanu,

oame

into eziatenoe aa '*Mj8ltt,''

the Oiphioa of Thraoe, the Owetea of Orete are bfanohea of one aatiqiie and

oommon religion, and

all

merely

(hat oziginally

Aaiatio.

The word Gnoatioian

derired firom the Greek, Ono$ii,

knowledge, a teim naed ftom the -veiy dawn of philoeophy to

dengnate the aoienoe of things divine; thus Diogenea xeoQfrda that Fytliagoras

his doctrinea

name given

Laertiiia

tenned the tnmaeendental portion of

Timne rmv m/r^v. And later, Gnoaia waa the what Porphyry oalla "the AntSqne or Oriental

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QNOfinOIBlf DSVIMBD.

2 philosophy,"

distingnuh

Matter thinks tho term was

**tiq^or or

celestial

it first

from

Grecian

the

used, in

its

systems.

technical sense oC

knowledge," by the Jewish philosopheit

belongiag to their famous qchool at Alexandria.

These* follow-

ing the example of a noted Babbin, Azistobulus, Feripatioian, endeavoured to prove that all the

sumamed

the

wisdom of the

Cheeks was immediately derived fixna the Hebrew Scriptnree,

and hy their allegoiioal node of interpfretethm, which enabled them to elicit any aenae deiired from any panage, tbej aoo^^

Una

they proved that Plato during

hia aojonm in I^gypt had been

Aar adhoUr ; and yet Ibrthar to

to estaUiah their theory.

aappoct hia pfretenoona, Ariatobalnfl forged abondanoo of poems

nnder the names of Orpheos, Homer, Linus, and Hesiod, strangly impvqgnated with the prinoiplea of Jndaism. B«t his

Judaism was m vezy different thing aimplioity of the Pentaleiidh; it

froqi

was the

tiie

materiaiistie

elabonate, tnnsoen-

dental system of the Eabala and the Talmud, a creed formed

dniing the Fenrian domination, and

little

more than n

slii^illy

modified adoption of the Zendavesta.

Epbesos* again, was one of the most in^porlant meetiqg-pointt

Wilh legud to eommeroeand riflhes, though it fell short of Alfliandria» yet at least it was the rival of Cknrinth, and Ckt ampassod the latter city in its lioasmos of religion and soienoe. Its oopiooanesa in theosophie ideas and ritea had long been manifi9sted in its fiunoos of Gieoian cmliaation and Oriental dootrinea.

Diana, that pantheistio figure so oonfimnaUe to the genius of the ferthest East: in the existence of the ooUege of Esnenes, dedicated to

heir service,

origin is dedlaied

the

and of the Hegal^ynB, whose Foaiaii 8ach alsowas the soaoa of

I7 their nama

m^^ foramlgfcnown eveiywhere by the term of

writingi" or speOa ; and

how

aeaLooaly magic

was

Bjphssiaii

cultivated

Bl Luke's incidental mention of the valna* of ** who used miem mlt**~T ra vipupya —(the terfmical name for soroeiry and divination), when con* wrted by the preaching cf 8t PtaL Soch converts, indeed* irhm the first heat of their seal had eoded down, were most there appears from

the books burnt bj^ those

wyOOO dndnHi.

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ONOenOIBlf DBKOnSD.

tmlikely to resist the temptation of endeft'Tcniring to reconcile their

aadent

fiuvfinned

short, to follow the

wiidom

aine

witii the

new

revelation

;

or,

mb already had been invented

BjBteim,

hy the Alexandrian Jewa, in their leoonoQement of Plato with MoMB. In Ejphflaas,** eays Matter, *' the notiooe of the Jewiebi^;7ptiaa aehool, and

the aemi-Fenian epecnlatjong of the

had then reoently oome to swell the vast oonflnx of Oieoian and Aaiatio doctrines, so there is no wonder tiiat teaehem should have sprung up there who strove to oomhine the religicn newly pveaohed hy the apostle with the ideas there so Kahallati

kng

eaftablished.

early as the year aj>. 58, St. Fan!, in his

Fint E^^istle to TSmothy,

oqnjeres

him

towim oeortalnperaonsto

abstain firom twirhing strange doctrine, those

minable geneak^gies that oidy bred division.

and genealogies'

tipplj wilhont

myths and interThese ' my(hs

any doobt to the theoiy of the

emanation of the Eons-Sephiroth, and to all the Indilions respecting the good and bad angels that

KabaKets had

tiie

adopted ftom the religion of Zoroaster."

AgMn,

afler

nososrity of

oondemnmg

oerlein dootrines

perfiMit asoetioism,

oonoeming

adopted liteially from the

Bwcnes, the Apostle adds: '^Keep safb the pieoioas ohsige inii asted to tbee^ avoiding

proAne novelties and the tmHihmm

of the knowledge (Gnosb) fidssly so osUed,

qfwUA aom makkg

gnfimkm^ have gone astray from <be laxtfa of Christ.'' B was oertainly not the mere frbles by whioh the new oonverto soogb* to enzidi and complete the Christian dootrine-nrooh as we sifll have samples of in the i^woiyphal goipels ledge that set tion

itself,

;

itself

ffbildiA,

thoogh pious

fictions of the

sooh were assnrsdly not the iUse know-

against the

tme knowledge," or revela*

as something superior to tins rsveUtion ;

batitwas

adoefrinepiofiBasingtomskeaMMiietoiit of the Ohristiaiwfrith,

snd that a soienoe finmding its principles npon iiihnm. What aare these antitheses ^tenlly, oppositions) bat the principles of the Zeodavesta and Eahala, oonoeming the two empifeeof Li|^

and of DarioiesB, the two great olawwis of intelligences, the good snd the evil spirits, snd the perpetual ocntest going on

QNOsnonsM definbd.

4 between fhem? dualism,

€hkOBtioiflin ;

Now that

theee antitiieaea, or the principle

forms

the

most

feature <^

cfmspioooiiB

and in the Apostle's words, we traoe ime of the most

obvious ways in which such doctrines were commimicated, and

how tiiey innnuated themeelTes into the infant ChnrdL The andent oommentators, Theodoret and Chrysostom, who were ihoxoughlj ooQTenmt with the GnostioiMn of their own times, apply these warnings of St. Paul to the actual precursor rival, Simon Magos himself— whose lingalar tenets had hj that time been widely difiiised

of Qnoetioiam—his indefatigable

throughout Asia Minor.

So deeply xooted were anoh speonlatioDs in the minds of many Ephesiami that the Apostle, in his Second Epistle to Timothy, written six

yean later,

returns peipetiially to the soljeoti whilst

in his ISpistle to tlieEphesianGharoh, he entreats the flodk not to

be sednoed by vain disoomses (Ihe myths above named),' nor by doctrines, having no more sdlidity in themselves than the wind, of wbioh no one knoweth whenoe it oometh or whither it

hnman goetL says,

even uses the veiy tenns of Qnostioism, as when he

Ye were dead

in evror end in sins; ye walked aooording to

the Jfion of this world, aooording to the atckom* that has the

domination of the air."

Here we have the Devs and Elippoths

of Zoroaster and the Kabala, whose hosts

fill

the

air,

deceive

TnanHnd, blind their nnderstandings, and lead them into temptation.

Again, where he adds,

We wrestle not against flesh

and

blood, btrt against the dominations, the powers, the lords of dsrkness, the misdhievonsness of spirits in the i^per regions "—all

fhese are terms of Gnostieism and originated in

tibe

notions of

Ihe Eabalistio theology.

The it,

later Gnostioism is in ftet, as Ghiflet

has well expressed

the spirit of Asiatio antiquity endeavouring to

pire over the

nsup

hmnan soul by imrinnating itself into

tiie eay-

the Christian

CSmroh. In its primitive ftnn it had already to a great extent snp-

phmted, by qpiritoaiish^;, the beantifol

' One rcadinc^ would make the term " new-coiiied uppeUatioiiA " an expres-

sion

n^ more

ttji|)lienble tothft

aotoal

Goortio nomeuciiiture.

Digitized by

QliOSTICISM

simplicity, of Catholicism, in flicting

DEFIED.

The

Greek aod Italian mythology.

unity, aided

its

greater

end triumphed over the con-

tlio

Gnostic creeds, which, as a professed religion, became

extinct in the sixth centnrv as far "Vrboee relics in

m Europe is concerned,

and

Asia were at (ho sanie time covered over with an

impenetrable veil by the sudden

deluge of Mahometanism.

Kevcrtheless, even iu the former regions of

not to bo eradicated without leaving

its

l)eliind

dominion

was

deep traces easy

to be recognized in the writings and symbols of the magicians, astrologers,

and

t>cekors after the Philosophers'

Stone iu the

Middle Ages.

The Christian

who have

Avriters,

treated

upon the

origin

and

nature of these doctrines, were (Origcn excepted) ignorant ecclesiastics,

who

could discern nothing in any religion beyond

outside forms,

which

ever seeking for

lie

tlicy

its

cunstrnod in the worst possilde sense,

most unfavt>urublo interpretation of which

such outward appearances were susceptible.

Epijihanius, the

author of the most detailed accoimt of the Gnostics extant, the **

Fanariun,"

was uf Jewish extraction, and perpetually exhibits

in his exjihinations that incapacity for logical reasoning

which

so markecHy distinguishes eveiy writer belonging to his nation.

One

rule always oliserved

represent

a mere

by the

(.»tfshoot

historians of Gnosticism is to

and forniption of Christianity,

invented, usually out of disappointed ambition, by apostates from

the religion as established in various churches by the apostles a representation than which nothing can be more

false.

For

its

earliest forms, such as manifested in the doctrines of Basilidcs,

merely adiU d upon a most ancient foundation such portions of the

new

doctrine as were capable of being assimilated and com-

bined therewith

;

whilst by the

machinery of the old they

proluibly the systems of

new faith and such were Simon Magus and Cerinthus, Basilides

indeed, to judge

the acajunt left

sought to ex])lain the mysteries of the

frt>nj

;

by his contemporary,

Clemens, appears never to have been a Christiaa at I Written shortly before the jear 400. It to a bnge ftlio. and of the highest interest aa a picture of the straggles of the htunan miad to de>

yiee

all,'

but to

a religi(m that shall aatlrfhoknflj

sohsaDtiieprobleBMOoneflriifogBuai'h other nature. ^

TertuUiaa

osllg

him a PlalooiaL

GNOSTICISM DKFIliED.

6 htsfB

mpendded

vfon. ihb «iotorio doefcrinM of

Egyptian

tiie

movB nofini notiiXM of Boddhini, liiolnM

priMfliood ihe

of 111U17 of tiw

primuy

The

Gnoitao idaoa.

Mnb

inteodnotkik of

BiMtdlMMn into IfSgyptaad Meitiiw aiRMfdatiia otdjfxwmhBtiaa

at innrniMHiHo difBooltiM In tin luitoiy of nligioii; and

1ih»

oomMolad tridi it ahall b> Jiaeoaaad in aanfilMir libMpkar, Bnt to setoni to ike popidar MX}Oiini of Hie riae and gnad faatoiea of iSbiB Cfauaiio heresy. Simon Xagoa and bia diadple ftfOli

Oerinthns

repreaented

hy Hie Falihen

as its actual founders.

Menander was Sinum'a anoooaeor; BasQidea in Alexandria; whot dying a.d. 188, mm anooaeded bj Yalantiniia, a man of Jewish parentage, bat bom and educated in that oily, and whom IrenaeuB stylea the chief of the Gnostics, on acoonnt of the

importance and the wide diffasion of his doctrines in the follow-

ing

In Syria other aeota were

century.

founded

contom-

poraneously with these, taking their name from Marcion aiul Bardesanes,

Fersians

both of origin,

whom

universal tradition represents as

and therefore Magians

in religion.

It is

needless to mention the numerous other founders of sects less important, until

most

daiiiijj;

wo come

to the uprising of

Manes, author of the

and most i>ermanent theoRophy of

fou<r}it,

twice over, so long and obstinate a bat tic

cisni.

U'hi.s

portance of

Hect,

its

origin

nature

their

and

name

figures so

and wliich

iih

Catlioli-

im-

consequences, shall

fruni

considered more fully in another chapter; Ophites, whose

great

tenets,

and iheir

all,

the

shall

also the

largely in the church-history

of the third century.

What

has been mentioned above as to the countries producing

the founders of

all

us to expect one

these doctrines, either

common

Egypt or

Persia, leads

principle to pervade the sj-stems of

all,

and such proves actually the case. Tlie fundamental doctrine held in common by all the chiefs of the Cinosi.s was, that the visible creation was not the work of th(! Supreme Deity, but of tlie

Dcmiurgns, a simple emanation, and several deg7-ees removed

from the (Judhead.

Unknown

the latter, indeed, styled

by them

" the

Father," they attrilmted the creation of the intellectual

world, the Intelligences .Kons and Angels

uigos they referred merely tho creation

;

whilst to the

Demi-

the world of matter.

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GKOSTICISM DEFUSED. flil{|Mt to imporfcotion

fton

But in csdw ftally Hit abiomam featmas of the two vdigkma

Ite

to vnclentttid the tene prino^plM htlely neooMMiy to

ponea tiie

ivbenoe thej draw the

ntftiiM.

liioaB

dootrines,

off tiieir

imttoTialii lor

ouiMlr ucliiig thete ajitoma;

the Zendaiveflta, and Ha modification

and

fioiand

in tha Kaibala,

of llie rafinmed Biilmiinioal rali{pi^

Bnddhiat miiifiiiwiiT!f)n Altiicnig^ to expreaa their idaaa TiaiUyiipon their

oomndexstion of whioh ia

llie

monnmeni^

proper objeot of thia trealiaa,

they boRowed the goda and ^ymbola of the andent Ijgjpliaa mythologjr, moat atrikinglj in the oaae of the

oi the

Bon^^ Jao

;

AgathodMnon and a new

yet aooh qnoabob were employed in

aenae, if indeed their eaoterio

nwaning had not adtoaUy been

oomiBtent wi0i the newly-roTived Hindoo dootrine, Cram their

eiy fiiat aooeptatioiti

THE ZENDAVESTA: The Supreme Being is called " lioiindlcss Tiiuo" (Zeniano he is 80 to him no bej:;imiing can bo assigned gurrounded by his own glory, and kg far exalted above all hnman intelligence, that he can only be the object of silent The beginning of Creation wu« madu by moans of veneration. emanatiouH. Tlie fuKt. i-inanution of the Eternal One was Light, whence issued Onnnzd, the King of Light. Oiiuu/.d is styled Akreno), because

the First-bom of Boundless Time, and bis Ferouer, Boul, type, or Idea in the I'latonie language,

eternity within

the primitive light.

I>y

Ormuzd

created the pure World, of which

and the

j'ldgo.

Next, ho created, in his

c)r

pre-existing

had existed from

means of lie

own

all

his Wcn-d^^

the prencn^er

image,

the six ^

Amshaspands, who stand about his throne, and are his agents with the lower offer

tlic

spiritx

him, and to

and with mankind, whose

whom

revelations of Zorututor, wlto

preachtKl

UystaBpos.

tiio

religion its

under Dariiu

proeout form

prjiyers

thoy

they serve for models of perfection.

tiic

Saaanniaa dynasty, from oral tra-

dition,

when ho

ro-establiidied tbo

auuieui rortiiau religioni

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THE ZENDAVESTA.

Th«w Amdia^aadt, ciirbcm OnsauA (^vp die

Mj^jen,

are of bofih aezea;

Kahalintg adopted them, aa

the toA, flnu

maUng

and die GmoelMB and

ilie

ahall see fiirtber on, into iheir

own ayrtenMiy witii aiioh a diatinotion* The next aeriea of aniHiationa 'Were the Iceda, nimihar, oiirbum Hitiina ia the chiet

twenty-eight in

Like the anperior oider»

they ifatoh over the pnzity and the happineaa of the world €$ which thej are the genii and goardiana.

The thifd

They mind befbie he

8eriea,l3ieI!WnieT%aro in nnmher infinite.

are the flion^ta or ideaa oonoeiTed in Oimnad'a

prtioeeded to the oreation of Ihinga. Tlftey are the proteotora of mankind dnringtiieiriiiortallife^ and -will purify their aoida on the day of the reaaneelion. The creation of theae ohieb and angelio hoata had beoome

Akrimam, the aeoond horn of the Eternal One, like

neoeaaaiy.

Onnud, an emanatian firom the Primal Li|^ and equally pore^ hot amhitioaa and

hom. foae

flill

of pride, had become jealooa of the fint-

Therefore, the Sapreme Being condemned

twelve thonaand yeaia theapaoe that

him to inhaiUt

iUnmined by no ray

of light^the Mack empre of darkneaa. Thia interval will anffioe to decide the atmggle between lig^t and darkneaa, between good

and eySL of evil in

Ahriman, to oppoae hia rival, created alao three aeriea

office to

The

oorreaponding in nnmber,

ipirita,

and

ant^^oniatio

each one of the good, and like them, male and female.

fint aeriea ia fliat of the Arbh-Deva, chained each to hia

respeotive planet,

aeipent of Uea."

and whose head ia AabMogh, the " two-footed llieae Beva are the aothoia of all evil, both

material and moral, throoghont the nnxvene.

Ormiusd, after thflC

reign of three tiumsand yearn, then created

material worid in aiz perioda : creating fint, light—a USaA

image of the light-oeleetial, then water, earth, planti, beaata, and laady—Man. Ahriman had concnired in the oreation of earth and water; finr darkneaB being already inherent in theae elementB, Ormoad waa imaUe to ezolode ita nature. Onmiad had produced by hia word a being; the type and sonroe of nnivereal Ij/e,

or the

BuB

life for all

ereatica

;

thta being

waa named

the aame word atanding for both in Zend.

Thia oreatqre Ahriman contrived to deatroy; but out of

ita

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THE ZEKDAYESTA. Boattered seed Qnnnad, I17 the

Sapandomad, or Wiadom, fonned the

and Mesohiane. Then,

he opposed by

The

liis

strug:(;lo still

superior

;

first

the Amahaspand

-of

having

and

frnits

animals made by Ormuzd, many mischievous and venemoua.

the good

all

creation as

goes on

the power of Darkness often

the

but the pure souls are assisted and defended by the

and ovil all-powerful appear and restore the lo6t

at their worst,

prophets shall

Soeiosch, shall regenerate the world

Then oomes the

excellence.*

good

pair

gained over the

first

good genii, and will ultimately triumph.

seem

—Meschia

human

Ahriman, by a bribe of

Thiei couple

milk, succeeded in corrupting; feniiilo.

agency

shall

;

into

and Ahriman,

things

One

light.

th^,

restore it to its pristine

general resurrection,

immediately enter

regenerated earth

and

when

For,

in the creation, three

when the

happy abode

this

— the

and his angels, and the

wicked, be purified by immersion in a lake of molten metal, so as to

render them

Henceforward

all

fitting

will

members

new kingdom.

of the

unchangeable

enjoy

and

happiness,

headed by Sosiosch, ever sing the pmises of the Eternal One. This religion of Zoroaster was a reformed version of the ancient"^ doctrines held by the inhabitants of Eriteno;

blished religion of the Persians and, to a great extent,

was the

when they conquered

esta-

Ass^Tia,

superseded the material idolatry of tho

Babylonians, whose gods Darius and Xerxes accordingly molted

down without any

scruple.

Matter thinks that tho College of

Magi, established long before tho conquest the

now

religion

upon tho change

of inasterH

;

Babylon, accepted retaining nothing

And

of the old but what reLited to astrulogj' and divination. this

more than

probable,

for

Daniel

find

accepting

(though so abhorrent of image-worship), without scruple, his appointment nn chief Magus, and the Magi, as a matter of * course,

attending the iconoclastic Persian kings

campaigns.

must bo remembered how largo a

in all

their

jxirtion of the

Jewish nation remained in Assyria, only two

tribes, .Judah

Levi, being sent back to Jerosalem by Cyrus

and Babylon long

HenoethebelMfor the Jewi**

that

;

and

Eliu ahaU lint onie^ Hid fMfe^

thiaga."

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TAB ZGNDAVfiSTA.

oontixmed

tlie

of m moil ftniridiiiig BiMbniiotl lohool:

wbilrt JeroHlflDi liMl^ until Alezandei^s OQiiqiieit» sian city.

at a

much

How

wtm • Pesw

important a part of the Penfani population^

later period,

appears from the

were Jews, or coimeotecl with them« mention by Josephus, that the

incidental

people of the Jews were encouraged to face all extremities

by the

in their final struggle against the Romans,

expecta-

tion of aid from their brethren beyond the Euphrates."

centuries later,

Ammian

notes that Julian's invading

upon a

city entirely inhabited

Hence

by Jews,

tlie

how much

easy to pcrceivo

Three

army came

centre of Persia.'

of tho Zoroastrian

element pcrs'aded tho Jewish religion at the timo of the promulgation of Christianity, when its princijial t<.'aclier8 wore tho Pharisees, or " Intorpretors ;" if, indeed, these doctors did not actually take

thc-ir ajipellatiun

from tho word, Pharxi or

These doctrines, as then taught, are

set forth in the

Pei^sian.

Kabala, or

" Traditions," ao caliod from Kuijai, to " rooeivo.**

TEE KABALA, The origin of the EabaU haa been placed by some anthon later than that of Ghiistianiiy ; and, indeed, ita dootrinee

may haye

epoch; bat their elements go back to a antiquity.

not impoasible that

it is

reoeived aome devalopmentB after

tiiat

mnoh more remote

The Book of Daniel bean the moat evident

traoea

of it, and to the atteatation of this record are added other proola

leaa oonvinoing.

aonl, the esaential

The

idea of Emanation

element of the Kabala;

is,

ao to flpeak, Ihe

have Been, the ewential character of Zoroaatriam;

Aftor tho CaptiTity, ihe prini ipul estabUdunentsof file JewH uppear to have iK'lonjifd to Central Asia: the Bchoiils of Nahatdi^, of Sora, of Pombiditba, were at leoflt as famous ail tile oc»leni|nnaMU iehoott in FriesThe latter tine (Job. Ant. xviii. 121. even appear to Itave paid a sort of deferencetotheleanuDgofthefixiner;

aa we we mnat

it is likewise,

the Chaldee venkm of the Poniateuch, mado by Onkeles, of Bftbylon, was

Ittorarf

accepted as niithoritativf by all the Ji

ralt'stino;

iiivl

tlio

raMii

comiiig from tliot capital to J«nM]eiB,inMieoeiTed byfhedoelon iliilul,

of the holy city as a incml>er of tho

some |

natiaiial school shortly before the

birth of Christ

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THE KABALA.

ibroogh fhmr Toiy Intimafte oo»>^ Jews imlnbed Ibis idea.

UMirefixre ocnwider tiuit it iras

neotum with P«nia thai

tiie

Aooording to the Ksbsls> as aooonding to iTstem, all that coste bas umanated

bom

tiia

ZoroastrfBn

<h« sonroe of the

Infinite Tiig^ft.

Before all DajB^"

tlie

tblncpi* existed

eternal

the Fkimal B«BBg» '<th6 Aneieutof

King of Li{^i.

is ihe JU: he is the seal eanse of all he is the infinite (Ensoph) ; he ah»e is &^ there in him no Thm, hat he oannot be known, be is a **o!losad

Tins King of flodstenoe is

;

eye."

The oniverBe

snhsisiB in him.

the rerektion of the Eing of Lights and only

His

qnalitiee aie manifiBsled in it 'variously

modified and in Tarioos degrees: it

is,

therefore, his holy

splendour, as it were bis mantle, wherewith he most be olad in

an emanation from this being: the nearer, there* is it, and beooraes less so as it xeoedes. This idea of gndatiflB is eminent^ Persian. Before the ereation of the wodds, the Primal Light filled all, so that there was no Toid at all; but when the Supreme Being, residing within this lights resolved to display and to msnifost his peifeotions in the worlds, he retired within bimself and

silenoe. fine,

All

any i^pproaohea lam the more peifbot

Conned around him a void epaoe. first

Into this void he let

iSfiU

bis

emanation, a ray of li£^t wliioh is the oaose and principle

finoe^

ezistenoe, nniting in itself the geneiatiTe

and oonoeptive

being both fother and mother in the snblimest sense^

pervading

all,

and without which nothing can for an instant

snbsisk

Vtam this doaUe fosoe, dinsignated by the two first letters of name Jehovah, emanated the fint-bora of God, the TSkhmt the nniveisal Foim or Idea, and the general oontainer of all the

by means of the primal ray. and prime animator of the worid.

beingB, united with tiie Infinite is the creator, presorvor, is

Be He

the light of light, possessing the three primitive foroes of the

and the

divinity; the light, the spirit,

life.

Inasmnch as he

hss reo^ved what he gives, the light and the Ufo, he

sidered as equally a generative and aoonoeptivo principle

;

primitive

man(Adam Kadmon) and as man isoslled ih» ;

oon-

as the **

little

THE

KARAT.A-

vorld," or Uicrooomi, tius Being

justly styled

*'grBst

or MaoroooBm.

'World,''

iliiB

Adm

Kadwinii, this principle

pad ol Wd, Ormnid end of

the EabbaliatB have united the atlrilmtoe of

Eeiomorts, the eune prinoiplee amongrt the Petnana.

Adam

numiMed

KednKHi has

in ten emanations,

himaeilf

whioh are not indeed aotnal beings, hni'aooroee of Ufe, almighty power,

Tbey

of ikb oreation.

t^-pea

Wiadom, Pnidenoe, Magmiioenoe^ Gloiy, Fomdation, Empire.

veesels of

are the Grown,

Severity, Beauty, Yiotory,

To Wisdom they

give the

titie

Jehs to Ihndenoei Jehovah; to Magnifioence, El to Severity, Elohlm; to Yietoiy and GI017, Zaboath to Empire, AdonaL These are aU attribotes of the Supreme Being, displayed in his ;

;

works, by whioh alone

oeive him.

it is possibile finr

the hmnan mind to oon-

these emanations the XahsJIsIs g»ve other

titles,

which oontinnally present themselves In the Gnostio systems. -The Crown (Parmenides also gave the name of Zre^^oc to the Siipreme Being) takes the synonym of Or, Light: Our, likewise,

a genius in Sabeism.

Wisdom

called

Noua and Logos

She takes also the names of

and bccomos the Gnostic Sophia.

Fear, Depth of Thought, Eden, according to the passions that

Fmdence

actuate her.

the " Eiver flowing out of Paradise,

Magnificence has for symbol a

the source of the oil of miofcion." lion's

head

;

Severity, a red and black fire

green and yellow

—Beauty's

emblem

Husband

th(^

(

an illuminating mirror, and

'hujch

Beauty, the colours

;

such favourites with the Jewish WLUien)

(still

;

Victory

the right culniun, the Pillar Jachin

Jehovah Zabaoth, ;

Glory

its

title

its 8ymb(.)l

the left column,

the Pillar Boaz, called, too, the Old Serpent, entitled also Cheru-

bim and Seraphim, and corresponds with the later systems.

/ symbols of so, for

Thcno two

tlic

genus Ophis in

pillars figure largely amoi]<:;st the

all tlte secret societies

modem

times, and naturally

these illuniinati have borrowed, without nii(b rstanding

the phra^seology of the Kabalists and the Valeni inians. tion

the tree of

Solomon, the Messiah

tlic ;

all

knowledge of good and terms

it,

Founda-

evil,

Noah,

xpressing the eternal alliance

subsisting between the kSupremo Peing and

all

that

emanates

trom him, and in virtue of which he briugb back into himself

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THB.KABAItA. the aonb that

oonsaiiung

hm kst their ongbal pnrily. the

fire,

empih^ed In the

The

Chuoh;

the

vriSo,

all

Empive it tiie namee to be fomid

mheme.

Yaifuntiiihm

lelatuma of the Sephiioth, or Jfiona, to one another the

Kabalisti tepwueat

by a number of oirdea inteneoting in a

mjBteriom manner ad

ii^fimiiim,

or elae bgr the figure of a 110% or

a tsee, formed ont of aadi oirolea. This figm» of the Miui, Seir Anpin, oonsieli of 248 nnmben, tiie nnmerioal valiie of the letten in the name Aifmi^ signifying the difibrent oiderB in the celestial hierarohy. The oiiginBl idea 'wae apparentlj talcen fioin the Hindoo fignie of Bialmia and tiie'?ariowoastee typified bgr the seyenl parts of his body : in Udt, the names Abiam and Biahma are equivalent in nnmerioal ^ne. llie ten Sephlroth served as ^rpesfiDr the onation; fiwn them emayurted the fbor wodds* Anloth, Bnah, Jeziiah, and Aalah, each world snoceasrvely prooeeding out of that above

lower one enveloping Plato's

soperior.

its

it»biit

eaoh

theoiy this sunilar to

oonoeming the anangement of the ipheres, desoribed in

his vision of Er.'

These woilds beoome

less

purs as they desoend in the soale,

the lowest of sll being the material woild.

purely material,

penetiating through creation, whioh is the

Qod,

But nothiag

subsists through God, the ray of his light

This univeisal All

life

life,

therafise

divided into tiiiity-two fftdm^

all beings are formed. The by the Farsnpheim, the purest emana-

the Elements or Energies whence worid« JsArfl^ is inhabited

tions of the Deity, having nothing matorial in their composition.

Briak

but

inhabited

still

Jmnk,

by an

inferior order, the servants to Aifluth,

immaterial beingk

of whom are the

and Beneh Mohim.

But

Yet lower are

inhabttants of

Ghemlnm and Ser^him,

the Elohim

peopled by gross, material

existences of both sezes, the Elippoth, delighting in evil, whose chief Is BeliaL

These

at war with

pure

tiie

last beings are fall of

spirits

ambition and ever

of the three superior spheres, whose

empire they unoeasingly endeavour to usorp,

He compaiw

itlii« kMNMly

fiMOn to a bet of the hemiaphericai

ow ivfifiuB the otiMi.

bowU used

l>y juj^^glera,

^ ^,

^ .

^ ,

THE KABALA The

vast

three superior orders answer exactly to the Amshaspanda,

and Ferouers of

2joroaBter, as do the Klippoth in their numbers and malioioiu nature to his Devs. This discord

Izeds,

did not exist in the beginning

—

^it

was the

result of

a reTolution

in heaven, the **Fall of the Seven Kings," from

Creator extracted the principle of good and of

bestowed

whom li^pht^*

the

and

on the inhabitants of the three superior worlds.

After the contest shall haTO endured the time determined from the b^pnning, the Supreme Being shall deliver the spirits of

Asiah from

tlieir

material envelope, shall fortify the feeble ray

<rf

light that is within them, and shall ea*ahli«h thronghoctt oreatkm its pristine

hatmony.

The human

composed of parts borrowed from each of

soul is

the four worlds.

From Asiah

the physical appctiten

gets the Xephesch, or seat of

from Jezirah, theBoaeh, the seat of the

;

from Briah, Keslutmah, or reason; ftom Anluth

passions;

obtains Chaiah, the principle of spiritual

All the

human

life.'

man« that is, as which were necessarily contiOned

race having sinned in the fint

regards their souls,

all

mttm him at the time

of his fall, these tools are exiled hither into

on and

priMons of matter, caUed bodies, in order to eipiato that

Such as on

to practise themselves in good.

quittfaig the

body

are not snffioienily purified for Aailnth, have to reoommenoe a

new penance upon earth.*

THB TALMUD, The

doctrine of

Angols

ifi

respecting the

Taliinul

tlie

nature of the

much

extremely important for the underetanding of

Gnosticism.

Hie whole

system, in this particular, is borrowed

from the ZendaveHta: and could not have originated before, or indeedi without

Similnrly

the

Ophit<»

Captivity:

diK-trino

contrary

n-siM-ctivo faeiiltiea

IBsIew Achauiotii extract frum Udu1»ofh and Ms six genii the inherank

oiplcM wliethcr the

of the Divine li^lt, in Older to

bestow '

The eum

theory as

ml'i

the Neoftm

to the

from the

plsnifll^

doioeudji through them.

Henoe

tiie

qnestion of flie dis-

mis a puuiiihmeut

upon man.

FlaionbL of

Ueing

ham hOod

fur the sing

individaul, which, if so, miuit hotii oomniitlsd in

of the

bavo

a pisyhwi life.

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THB TALICDIX

mitemUstio genius of the Mosaio Law. Aooovding to it, the govonunent of all thingi is intmsted to the antj^els, of whom there are aeventy PrinoeB watching over each clement, nation,

and language. Thus, Jehtiel is the Prince of Fire, and has under him seven subordinates; Seraphiel, Gcinidy Nurid, Temmadf SIutMhadf Mculamit'l, and Sarmel. of Water,

and

is similarly

Thero are moreoTer, an guardians

Prinoe

inferior spizits.

the winds, hail,

animals, plants,

Also over the several passions of the mind, as love,

nun, Ao,

6ar, gracep favour, &c.

SQgel

by seven

infinity of angels yet lower in degree

YKtkm

the

Again, Michael

attended

who diieots

tlie

Henoe

it is not astonishing that the

Sun's course, has 296 armies

by the Hebrew nnracrals

number expressed Slaanbt (the Earth).

The

chief of all

undw lum» a ^ ^ ^ the words

Tslne of his name being 314, and therefore equivalent to that of Skadded^ the Almighty.

mniing

I%71

MettUrony^ the nmnerioal

All this fully explains

to his converts against being seduced into

Paul's

a voluntary

or nncaUed-for hnmility, and the wonhipping of angels

^'^/

whilst

the freqnent occnrrenoo of their names upon our amnletB, proTes

xj(, 3

/ *^

the veneration in whioh their power was held.

Vox

all

these

monuments proceed from

great sohools of Magi mentioned by Pliny

tvro

somoes, the two

the most anoient, the

dialdesin or Magian, founded by Zoroaster and Osthanes, and the

more recent by Moses and Jambres. Thus Juvenal, after bringing in the proud and pompons Chaldean, the maker of " CiijuB amidtia conduccndaquc tabclla

MngntiB

makes the

jxxjr

cMa obit ct

form!datua Othoni "

trembling Jewish fortune-teller steal in with

whispers for the lady's private

car,

whose

jirovinco

went uo

further than the interpreting, or seuding of dreams **

HUslsihe

Quuliucuuque voles Judni soiuuiu vondunt,"*

Peraiaa Mithras: the

ancient doctor of the childrea of Israel in the wiMi rness," hsivs that the

names of all the other angels arc compoanded with £1, tlie Hebrew for God, and eoatefai iitlM or invocstttms to him.

Such nocturnal

revelations

were

obtained by sleeping with aaigil under «De's pillow.

Thai

TmU ^a

figure of a woiuau with lit-r liair hanging Vxmo, and a BMa appraMliing bier making a sign of love, engraved on a crystal or jaciutli, if place<l under one's

head on going to sleep,

make one

will

n» in a dvnm vlMlefw hs

(

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THE TALMUD.

Hmoe,

In the following pi^es,

it oooundered

tlie

lobject of these

The

religions notions that produced them.

with the

mommMBta

under different heads, according to the epeoial

commences

scries

being the most ancient in

Mitliraic, as

its origin,

and

in whioh the Magian and Jewish, or £abeIistio ideas most

htqatoiAj exe united. stones,

modified by the theories old Egyptian theology.

this

snccood

class

AbsBm

tlu^

which the Magian ideas are of Basilides and a strong tincture of dkB

properly so called,

To Ejgypt

itself

more peculiarly bekng

the Agfttbodasnon talismans, with the fignre of the serpent

Chnuphis

end

;

a symbol which gave

its

name

to that vei^ nomeroiis

Last of

olesrly-defiued sect, the Ophites.

all

oome the

works connected with the worship of Serapis, the most leoen^ under that name, of all the gods in the E^^tun Pantheon, and in whioh the Bnfanunioal

reUgUm almost

mialtered, is most

evidently to be tnoed.

INDIAN 80UBCES OF GNOSTIC IDEAS, The Penian ocigin of creed having

may be

now been

so oonsidierBUe set

ascribed to a

finrtib,

a portion of the Gnostie

remains to show

pnrdy Indian aoanse, and

how mnbh

mannsr was established between India and the/w of Qnostioism, Alexandria, and Epbesns. Tlie identitj of some ot the Qnostio tenets, whioh will hereafter be ooDsidered, as to the dnsli^ of the divine emanatjons, it

llie

in which so direct an interoourse

asoetioism, penances,

self-collection,

and absorption into the

godhead, with the Bnddhistie views on the same points, sofBoiently obvious.

Tbe

aotoal oiromnstanoes of their intro-

a case having doabiby Eptpbanins, in bis *'Life of Hanes" (Hasr. Ixv.). This &moas bnresiarbh, eqnaUy abhorzed liy Ghzistian and Zoroastrian orthodoxy, was by birth a Fersisn, named Onbiioas ; but who^ on oommenoing his mission, sssomed the title of ICanes, signifying, in the Bal^lonian tongue^ ** The dnotion from India sve folly detailed (in Iflss

many

parallels),

finr the same reason, we may sappose, that the Vessel men gave to St Panl the epithet '•Yes Eleotionis.*'

sohool-

Onbrions had been the slave, and afterwards, the sole heir to a

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INDIAN SOUBOBS OF GNOSTIC IDEAS. wealthy widow who had heraelf inherited to*« oeortuB TearbmihiiB,

BDnamed

all that

had belonged

in AaByxian, Budda.

This

had likewiae been the aerrant of a wealtfaj Saiaoen, named SoythioQS, who had studied the Greek language and literature in some place on <he oonfinee of Palestine (perhaps in the adhoob of Palmyra), and "had there attained to eminence in the empty learning of this world." By constant journeys to and fio into India, this Spythions had amassed enormons wealth. With this he settled down at Hypsele in the Thehais, where he married a heantifnl oonrtesan, whom he Had emancipated. Here, oat df sheer idleness and debaaoheiy, he began to preach new doctrines, not derived from Scripture, but from mere human reason.** There can be little doubt that these doctrines were no inTentkns of his own, but what he had learnt in India. A mere Eastern trader, a ornnmon Arab merchant, who, after making his finime by long and dangerous trayels to the East, last

could afterwards set himself

down

to study,

when advanced

nay more, even to attain proficiency in Greek philosophy, must have been a man of no ordinary intellect Assuredly it was not the want of anything better to do, as the sour-tempered Oretan bishop pretends, that made him set up for the founder of a new religion. It must be borne in mind that the great years,

Indian emporia* at this period lay in the northern provinces,

where Buddhism, as the Topes and their enclosed relics still was the prevailing religion even when that region was possessed by the fiassMiiaTi kings of Persia. <* Taking Py thiv attest,

goras for his

guide,

he composed four books,

The Summary Pythagoras was oniversaUy

Mysteries;'

reason), to have visited India,

believed

vis.:

The

Treasures."*

(and with

very good

The Gospel;'

and thence to have obtained the

elements of his peculiar philosophy; certainly of a stronglymarked Brahminioal ehavaeter. "After this, Scyiiueiis made » jofumey to Jenaalem in the very times of the Apostles, and held conferences with the eldem of the Church there upon the Origin of Evil, and such like points. But not being satisfied by their

aiguments and explanations,, he took

Saoh

to piuctiiiing magic, the

M Baroche and Paltanah. 0

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INDIAN BOUBOBS OF aNOSTIO IDEAS.

knowled^ of whidi

lie

had

gotten, togetlMr wiliL

mee, iam ihe IndHNit and Iq^giiiSaiif

atfaer

But as be was ehowing off a mkiadle from the roof of Ida honae, he fell down and -waa killed. Upon fhia, hia akve and adU diadple^ TeifanitiiiiB, instead of letozmng^to liia miatzeaa at Hjpaele» lan off ivxih aU hia monej into Persia, where he assomed, in order to avoid deteotioo, ihe name of AkMb, whioh aignifiea the Sage." Una last fiut

prorea inoonteataUy what were Hie doobinea hia late

master had been stndTing in India.

Bndda alao^ in

Sansorit^ is

Qreek Hermea, the god of ^IHadom: a moat fqppropriate title for the nmftwaj slave to asBome. ''ThiaTerbinthnawaahimsdf aman of laanung^and convewant with his mastei^s fbor treatises. He lodged at a the planet Meroniy, eqmTalent to

tiie

widow^a house, where he need to hold oonfereacea with the priests of Mithras, eepeoiaUy

oonoeming the

Two

with two^ Farons,* and Labdaoos,

Frinoiples, Ao.

He,

too,

being killed by

oM&Bl like hia master, his landlady kept poasearion pwpetty , veiligioas treatises indnded, end in her tnin

all hia

left

them

to her servant, Oabnoas, the afterwards so oelebmted ICanea."*

In ih» hiatory of SojthioDS the individual, we have in one view die oomplete hiatoiy of the origin and jpowlh of QnostiWe find an Arab mernhant, of a sabtle and inqidriBg oisnu genins^ ooonpying himself

dunng

his frequent sqjonms in

India, probably at Baroohe, Poltanah, Baroellore, or the fiaotrian oapital, in

studying the philosophy of the then pre-

dosoinant religioniste,

tibe

Bnddhists, and equally inveatigBling

the mysteriea of S^gyptian lore during his oooanooal lesidsBoe at the head-qnarten of Ihe Indian tnde, Alenandria. returing from

bnameea, he

Then,

goea to Palmyra to study the

Greek phikaopl^ aa then tani^t'in iti sdhodlsb which most have Thenee returning to Ijgjpt, he been the later Plaionism. oooapies himself (not out of idleneai, as the spiteftil histodan asserts) in shaping into

a oonflistent body, the Yanoas theories on he had derived from the

points too high for man'a inteUeot, which

> -

Probably Pacoim Tlic alwvo is the substanro of the

long and Kona what oonfosed history detaOdd by Epipbaaina This Soy-

thicuswastheforcrannerof Mahoout; is a sinsrulnr annlogy ia mtay

there

circum»tauceu of Uicir

lives.

INDIAN SOmiOIS OF OH06I10 1D8A&

knowledge—Lidia, Egypt, by tbe ftme of a new levalatioii, tiiat profciedtooaat tbe cilearMt Ughtnpon aUIKTine myateriea^ lumng been pioiirolgated at JenMakm, he immedialefy aeti off leaTug behind him wift^ and all Cor the focne of the new hia poanaarimn; only aooompamed by tme aenrant, himaelf an ednoaied man, and hIa own traaaimd woite on theology. On

ihiee gratft finmtain-hMcIs of antiqiid

Finally sttnoted

and Aihfliw.

hia anxral ai Jeraaaleai, altogeflifir

di8Bpp(nnted in hia

find

hi^

Um,

natonlly enonjj^

of at last obtaining thai

ehMBdatiflP of aooh inaanttaUe pointa aa the Origin of ByO, Ao.,

on ^Hiieh hia thooghtahad eo long dwelt : for on these aeoretB the Ohriatian Pieabytom oonld teD him no move than what he had alxeady learnt from the rahfahn of Alexandria. He fherefinre appeals to have set up for a teaoher himaelf; and, aa mig^ be eiqpeoted, had hia oateer apeedily ont abort; not howeTor by an aeoUent; for Jeraaalem waa not a plaoe, about tbe middle of the fixat oentnry, where a new religion oonld be preaohed with iuponily by » aingle indxvidnal, and he an AiaK Bereupon, hia diaoiple^ TatUntinia, raaolTea to yiait anolhar aohool of &r-

ftmed wiadom, aa yet mtried by hia maater, and oon&n with the Magi at tilie head ooUege of Bahj^on, aeeldng fat an elneidation of hia diflloidtiea in the teaddng of Zoroaater. Itiafoiy probable he engnfted npon hia teaohei^a qpatem, irfiatover pop* tiona of the Zendaverfa appeased moat aatiafiMtoiy and oonairtert

with hia pieoonoeived ideaa of trnth.

know whether he.moidded all hia

wonld be onioDa to

reoent aoqviaitiona into

a oon-

fbsmity with the origfaial Indian baaia of hia maatei^a lyatem;

anoh

mif^

well hate been hia gniding principle, for all the

pimiling in Aaia haeve a latent oonneotlon, and to one aonree, and that oentered m India. From hia aannning the name of Badda» it would appear that anoh waa hia course. Terbinihna, too^ oomea to an nntimely end : the Magi were not haada of * poweiM eatablidmient to anffer theooMlTea to be posded and oonftited by an over-wiae fixreigner, and to aUow him to depart eznlting in hia Tiotoiy ; aa hia anooesaor Manea ftund

leligioaa ideaa all finally

oonmge

to hia coat

Manea aeema himaelf to have behmged (piohahly after.obtain0 2

INDIAN SOURCES OF GNOSTIC JDEAa

ing Us freedom and obaaiging bis name) iofheoxderof Magi,

fiir

a8tix>l<^ be ifl mid to hs?e been fianoDs fnr hia ddU magio, and painting.' 'WlieUier be oonoeived ibit aoheme from iheacoidetttal aoqniaitionof tbeoldiiwtiaea of ScyibioaaCT be at length g«ve to tiiaae dootrinea • definite fimn, and built up bia ^yitem witbaaob aldll that it ^ead with mairellooa n^ndily, not merely throned tbe East, bat all Europe, and after aeflming to diaa^pear nnder tbe longH)ontinned peneontion of tbe JSSmperoora,

biased forth again with extraordinary finy in the

The main

Middle Ages.

object of his scheme

was the reoon-

oilement of the two religions that then possessed the two great

empives of the world, tbe iloarishing, tboogb Obristiuuly of the

Boman emfdiei

nnreoognised,

still

aaid tbe equally vigorous

and

newly-estaUisbed Zoioastriaa of the Rasmnian monazchy.

Gall-

ing bimaelf the promised Paraclete, be accepted the Gospels

after*

them from all taint of Jndaism, whilst be ntteriy lejeoted the Old Testament Bat while in tbe Zendttvesfa all bsgina in barmoi^ and ends in a final leoonoilemeat of the Two PHnoiples^Msnes makes theae Prindplea immutable and eadsting from all eternity as they shall oontinne to exist His Good is, as Zoroaster's, the Lord of Lights bat bis Bad is Satan^Matter. pnzifying

DeliTeranoe from the bondage of the last sliioteat aaoetioism only.

rowed

its

From

is to

be obtained by the

the Christian Choxob be bor-

organisation of preal^yters

and deacons,

sensible

how

greatly that organisation had oondnoed to its rapad development;

and, in bis

own

enterprise,

with similar saooeas.

waa speedily bronj^ to a dose, aboat the year 275, alarmed at

Batbiscareer

Thb Peiaian king, Vazanes I., the r^id spread of these new

sommoned a general coancQof the Magi, by whom the was oondenmed as a heretic and a traitor against bis own order, and by Ihear sentence was flsyed slxve.

dootrinea,

nnfartnnate apostle

One of

bis theories is so singnlar in its character aa to deaerve

notice hera.

When

Son came into the world to effect the a maobine containing tweWe whidh, being made to lerdWe by the motion of the the

aalTation of mankind,

bowls

(cadi),

contii'ved

it shows

that

nwdbwal nunka.

Thin laaiiBCUxioiu;

the Magi, like tbe

monopolized the arts as

woU

as tbe

sdeBoesof IheirtiBMa

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INDIAN SOUllCES OF GNOSTIC IDEAS. spheres, attnots info iisolf ihe souls of the dying.

21 Tliea» 4I10

grest Ivniuutfy (the son) takes and purifies with his rajs, and

then tnosfeiB them to the moon, snd this the disk, as ive call

it,

of the

moon

the

ynj in whioh

is lepleniehed.

Epiphanins

how yean

evidently prides himself on xefitting this theory by asking

ihe moon's

l^t was xepleniahed dnring the

nine himdxed

any dsalihs took pleee? Bithe ides of this maohine we maytraeetikeinfloenoeoffhe AzaVs stody of Neo-Flatonism at Palmyra, for it is eyidently taken from the oontri-vanoe of theel|^ eonoentrio hemisphetied bowls (cadi), fitting one inside the other, and pnt in motion hy that eli^sed after the oreation, helbve

tfaeFates,

described hy Plato in Us'viBion of Er, the Pamphyliaa,

whioh liie **BepiibUo " elosas. • lianes was a gennine Panflirist, teaohii^ that God pervaded all things, evon plants, and setting forth the entire scheme of Bmanations, as we have already considered it in the more witii

ancient tiieosophies.

THE BUDDEI8TIC SYSTEM. For the sake of oompariaon with the above-deeoribed doctrines of SQOoeanve Emanations from the First Prinoiple» the means of tfft^wig from the trammels of Matter, and the strqgi^ of the soul

in ultimate absorption into

its original sonroe^

I shall here

sokjoinavery brief sketohof the distingnishing featnres of the Bnddhist titeology. Here we find a First Bnddha, in his proper state of eternal repose, Nevritti (the

oorrespanding with the **BoandlesB BgOio$.

indoUmUa of Epiooros)

Time" and

the Yalentinian

hk order to create the nniverae be pzodnced the Fwe

divine Bnddhas, the makers of the elements^ and these again

piodnaing the Five Boodhesativas, material world.

The grand aim

by their ^ganoy oreated the

of this relijpon is to effect the

release of the sool from ita oonneotion with Matter.

All things

retam into nonexistence, or repose, by means of Tme Knowledge (or the Qmmky exist only in iOmiom, therefine they can only

Obision is

flie

belief in the reality of the eternal world.

The

degradation of the soul towards matter is the effect of a saooes-

THB BUDDHI8TI0 8TBTBM.

skm

of aote; hence its roloMe is effiMsted

ligr

idinqoiilimg Uie

notion of iba VMlily of eztonnl oljeota.

The Bnddhiits of Nepal,

irbo hare pneerved

dootrineaofihaaeotintheirgnateat purity, teach

ooamogony

tibe

original

fioQowing

tiia

Padnapani, one of the original lire Bmaaationi^

created Brahma, Viihnii, Siva, or tiba Frinqiplea of Chroation,

rmaui t ation, Deetmotion.

Adi-Bnddha fint created thirteen

mansions for hie own etranal abode, and fixrlhedweUing-^^

Below theee aia eighteen manriomi made hj Brahma; lower yet are aix made hy Yidmn; and death of Buddha's followers.

loweat of an, three the woric of Siva.

Theee throe

aeriea of

ahodea leoei^ the nmla of the followen of their zeepeotive fbnndeia*

Below all these aie the mansions of the Planetary Oods, Indra and Ohandra (Uranna and Dena Lonas); then oomea the Earth, floating npon the waten like a boat Below these waten are Ae aeren FMalaa, or leguma of Hell, the ahodea of evil

apiriti

and

the damnefl.

Thia anrangement preaenta a moat atrihing aimilatity to the oonatmotion <tf the Ophite Diagram, aa deaorihed

liy Origen,

and

by Matter, in hia Hist Grit du Gnoat,?!. X. The promulgation of these Indian tenets from a aomoe so remote—an iq[»parenily inaoimonntable olgeolion--may be readily explained. The Bsaonea, or Heaeenea, Bnddhiat monks in evttiy paztioalar (aee the aooonnt of their religion and mode of aaoetio lilb aa detailed by Joaephoa, Ant. Jnd., zv, 10), had been eata> Dead Sea **fiir thonaandaof agea"* bliahed <m the ahorea of

figured

before Fliny'B timea.

**Ab oooidente

Esseni ftagiant

littora

naqne qna nooent^ gens sola et in toto orbe prater ceteraa mira, sine nlla femina^ omni Tenero ahdioata, sine peoonia, aooia

palmarmn: in diem ex ssqiio oonTenaram torba renaaoitnr largB, freqaentantibna qnoa yita&aaoa ad morea eorom fortona flnotiboa agat

Ita per aeooloram vdOia, incredibile diotn gena

A most €Stl«?agUltexaggcratiou,

serfieg to wtabliah the antiquity ofiheaeet It may indeed have been jflt

luercly u cuutiuuatiun uf tioos

known

»tema eat

tlio aaaocia-

Sona of the Fio>

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THE BUDDHISnO SYSTEM,

nemo DMoitnr, tun fiBoanda illis alioram vitn poenitentw

in qua

eet (v. IS)."*

That Buddhism had actually been planted

dominions of

in the

the Seleucidas and Ptolemies (Palestine belonging to the former) before the beginning of the third century

demonstration

by a paa«ige

proved to

in the Edicts of Asoka,' grandson of

the fiunons Ghandragnpta, the Sandracottus of the Greeks. These edicts are engraven

on a rock at Gimur, in

the words of Prinsep, to **

whom

am now about to produce

To quote

Gu7:orat,

tho discovery is due

{ArL

xvii,),

evidence that Asoka's aoqvaintanoe

widi geography was not limited

to Asia,

and that his expansive

benevolenoe towarda living creatures extended, at least in inten*

tim, to another quarter of the globe that bis religious ambition amight to apoetoHzo Egyi^t, and that wo mnst look hereafter for ;

traces of the intzoduction of

Buddhism

into the fertile

repons of

the Kils^ so productive of metaphysical discussions from the earlieit Bgea,

bottom

The

line

which I allude

to is the fifth

from the

"And the Greek king (Youa* liaja) besides, by wliom tho Chupta (Egyptian) kings, Ptolemaios and Guugakenos' (Antiochus) and Magas, have been indooed to allow that both hero and may

in foreign countries eveiTwlMie the people

doctrine of the religion of Demnanpiga,

The Buddhist nence

fr«)in

priest is

bound by his tows

to celibacy, absti-

meat, and to the obtaining of his sustenance

The word "Essenes"

alms.

follow tho

whCBPcaoever it reaoheth."

also appeara

as the title of the

anuually-elected prisets off the Ephesian Diana) wbo, during their

tenure of

office^

were supposed

oKscrve peifbot ohastiij ; for

the name oomes from tho Arabic Hcmtm, pure.

Pausanias

(viiL 18) mentiiws this Ephesian institntioin

the priest

when qpeaking of of Diana Hymnia, near Orehomenos, who was bound

to <diastit7

&r Ufe^ and

to loeep himself poie in all thingi else

This Afloka, at ftnt a cMiaiielioe luwi embniced tlio iiewly-

and tymnt, preacb<'il upociitai

doctriin H

lJu«Mhisni, a

of Bralimuucul prutc^tautuun,

'-^^tAmU them thnmgh

Ui •U^*"*^

fcy

|i— I—ii» and

all Iqr

fane, with all

flie

seal of

v«rt.

Tho

envoy

Arutopbanes (Aobarn.) luea the aaoie wurd Mmn* kt the Gtaeek natua. "

PersiaD

iii

THE BUDDHISTIG

8T8TE1C.

ra aXXa ayytormo'), observing a pectiliar

(cc

mode

forbidden to enter the baths,' or a private house strictions

life

monldsh

re-

one enooimters in the Ilcllenio religion with astonish-

ment, bat proviiig beyond mistake the identity of the Orcho-

monan worship with the Ephesian. The infloenoe of the Jewish Essenism, as to roles of life at least upon primitiTe Christianity, is a thing that camiot be dispnted hy any who ha^ pemsed the aoooont of tiie former, given b7 Josephns, and above alluded to. How mnoh more inflncwtial was their bug-established anthorily with the semi-dhristian Gvostios of Qyria.

It is easy to discover thus the souroe of the

slavish notions as to the merits of ascetieism and penances, of

which fiSmon

Stylites is the

grand example, even in their nature

by the Hindoo Ealma. His penanoe^ nndeigone upon tiie summit of a

exactly those psaotised

long before been Imown in

pillar,

had

Looian, in his '^Bea Syria,"

filyria.

notices the lofty phaUus, or obelisk, in front of her temple,

the point of wfaidi the devotee sat sleepless

finr

days and nights, keeping himself awake by rmgktg a hdL ideas pervade the Christianity of the stitnte the

to see in

came

how many points

Snoh

Lower Empire and

veiy essence of the reli^on.

Neither is

twenty-ooe

con-

it difficult

Manes, with his rigid Indian tenets,

into collision with the

more hmnane and

rational

A'^'^g

of Zoroaster, and what good cause Yarsnee and his general coonofl

hsd

fbr

omidemmwg his hereqr*

So long ss philosophy was cultivated in Qreeoe, India was ever r^gaided as the ultimate and purest sonree of trae wisdom, or the knowledge of tinngB divine.

ISven so late ss tin times of

Luoisn, the middle of the second centoiy, his,

evidenUy

making tiie

true, stoiy of Antiphifais

latter,

to his friend

author condndes and ]>emetrius, by

a Cynic by pra&ssion, leave aU his property off to India to live wiUi the Braohmans

and go

(Taxairis, 84).

Li aU

lellgibiiB

wnmmtfaig

tnm

tho East, personal dlrtini-ss luis over bcca the reoogniiod outward und fully visible sigu of inward purity

medlMval

SBfait&

Tho Gnek Mben

inveigli against nothing so

tho

anoieat

vehemently cuatom of .regular

batUng.

ezanplifled in fiddn^ dervin%

and

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THE BUDBHIBTIC STBTBlf

In the same centmy the ftmons pilgrimage of ApoUonius and

TjraneiiSy

his deep oonfiuranoefi with larchus, as reooided

well known; and memoranda has been filled vp hy the fancy of Philostratns, the main fiMSts of his expedition are nndoubtedly anthentio. His piooeediaga show how the dilBoolty of mch a jonmey -Taiiiahes upon a knowledga of the

his

companion Bamis, are

although

mnoh of

oircnmstances.

aoffioiently

the lattet^a aoaotj

ApoUonias presents himself at the oonrt of the

ashe boasts yet upon his medals^ and as great an admiier of the Greek saTants aa any of his Aohmeniaa ptedeoesson, and obtains fnm him a finnan :irhuh seomea ssfety and enteortainment to the pilgrim aa fior as the Par-

Pinrtiuan Baidanea, aPAtSbeBeae,

thian Umits, extending i]ifln,periiap8,bey<md the Indos. ThenoefinrwBida his letten of reoommsndation

from the king of kings to

prooare him an equally and easy oonmraniaatun between each extiemity of the Fenian empire had from Ihe ^**g^»^"g been the great osve of its powerful ralera, the first estabUshevs of postmg-tftagea, post4i0ases^ and roads paasing throof^ a popoloiiB and weU-eultivated ooontry. 80 &voiued with a pas^Mirt from the soyerelgn, trayelling was both eipeditioDa and

the Tarions Indian pHnoea, his

fiiTouaUe leoeptian.

allies,

A safe

Me.

agieoa

These ihoiHties

wme

likewise

made nse of by the

Hindostan. It is curious to observe

who frand his way into

natives of

how the oonamonal BraAmam

Gieeoe was there regarded as a model

philosopher, like that Zsnnanos Gfa^gan, from Bsigose (Baioohe),

who bunt himself aUve upon a

pyre at Athens, in the reign of

Augustas, of whioh speetaole, Nioolans Dsmasoenus was sn eyewitness, (Strabo. xr.)

His eaample waa followed in the next

eentniy by the Peregrinns Proteus, ridiculed so happi]^ by Luoian,

who ohose fbrthe scene of his self-immolation, the oooasion of the Olympio gunes. This last worthy had been a philoso|pher, then a Christian, and finally thelbimder of a new qrstem of hie own> The fihots addnoed in the foregoing Aetoh wfll snffioe to indioate the manner in whioh the germs of the several Gnostic doctrines were imported from the East, how they were engrafted npon previondy existing notions, and how yigoroosly they sprung itp and flourished in the congenial soil of Alexandria

and Ephesns.

OPHITES.

oomploto the genend view of the snbjeot,' before proceeding to consider the aotoal momuiieiits left hb

these ideas, it will be

neoeasaiy to give an aooount of some fonn inwhidi they iMnmniod tlieir fillleit

development, and for this purpose noHiing can be

more suited than the ao fiynoua name of the Ophitea or Seipent wonhippera.

OPHITES. Tlua ieot asaQmed a definite exiatenoe abont the aame time aa fhe Baailidana, or the middle of the aeoond oentmy^ although the elementi of their dootrine aie deriyed from a aomoe infinitely

more anoient

Ihey

are paartionlarlj deaorihed lay Irenmoa,

writing at the end of that oentoiy, in CShaptefa 81, 82, 88, of hia ITint Book.

all tibe

other Gnoatiea, fhej lejeoted the Old

Teafeament entirely aa emanating from an inftiior beings and containing nothing of the levdation of tiieir AgxIUs or Bi

the New, thon^ originally of higher authority, had been oompted by the intenpolationa of the .^^oadea, aa to have loat all ita Talne aa a revelation of divine troth. Diey dednoed

wfailat

the atrongeat rapport for their tenets out of the variona

GMa-

menta, and similar books then onirent and aaoribed to the Eatriaibha,

and

moat anoient prophets, aooh aa theBook of Ibooh.

things from the One Sopreme,l€i^ entirely unknown to m^Ff^nd,.

and atlaat only revealed nnto a veiy amdl portion, worthy to leoeive snoh enlightenment Henoe he is ^o«*gnMi!d by the aigni* floant title of .^^Aot.* or the Depth: toezpxesahiannftthomable, Following the Zoroaatriana, and the Kabba-

insorotable nature.

LesTliig oat of (he quntion fhe the immigra-

Enrope and became the Oypiies still retaining language nnd ctistoma They

themflelrei fluovfl^KNit

now received theory as to

tion into the furthest reoossee of Europe

their

of the Indo-Germanio race; modem Uitory famishes ihv cxaiiijile of tho

same thing perfomietl

untU-r intinitely

yet take to

greater difficulties by tho hordes of lov-«Mto Hindoos, who, flying firom the infsdon of TmerlMie, diAued

tiicmiiclveii "Sind«" or fhe proper appoUattoD of and (lif name of their ancient caste, the Coles, surriTes io the traditioii of fheit antiqpie and

Bindia, i

tho

race;

Jovial loferaign.

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OFHITKL liatB, thflj

alM odkd liim the BooraeoC Idc^ **

llie oommenoenientof Orattk^

wm tiie Thm^ Bmoia, of ^Tfihot, iMiniig dbo namo, ihft

iSB0«^

or ASmms;

BinBttiYe

Man Is

llm."—Ennoift

the

lignifioaiit

This IdaaboiiigtiiB flntaotoforMitionof {hoiraCnre pzoperly thuignfttflfl **ilie

8eoond

as the oonKnrt (the Hindoo DozipO of Bythoo,

produoedPiiiiiMia, or the Spirit;

whibh being the aomoe of

all

nUeriorbein^ilaaigrled *«ihe Mother of all living things" and

**tiieinad«mifiamonhigh,"or,AailUa. tfaing>»

Aalfother of all living

Sophia is the maan between the inteOeotnal and the me-

Inoonaaqnenoeof thla, ivfaen ^Ttboa andEhuuria, chanwed with ber beanty, laoondated her willi the divine light, Sophia prodnoed two new Emanetiona, one pei6et,Ohriatoa: the

terial world.

mperieot

oflier I

Sophie-Aehamoth.*

Of OieBe^GhristoowBa designed fivr the gnide

of all that pro-

eeedfromCkid: Scpldi^Aebamnth,tethegirideofanp«)oeedfng

ontof Matter: yet the perfbot being waa intoided to aneoonr and to load npwaida his iniperfbot sister*

Agun the Spirit, Fneama» lestiiipon Ohaofl^ or the elements of Abjn. ISiis GIttoe was devoid of aU life, for thai prooaeds nlthnetely from the Snpieme, who hasno oannezion whateveor vrith Matter. Ndiher

Onotiiin, vis., Matter, Water, Darhnea, the

could his pmeljinteUeotaal it;!

dan^^itear

Sophie aot direoti^npon

she therofoie employed, ftr her agnt, her

own Emanation

Sophie-Aohamoth, whose mixed, impexfeot- nature tiiat

fitted

her for

purpose.

In the meanwhile the lifst Tetrad or Qnaitsnkm; Bythos, Ainoia, Sophia^ and OhrisloS) were eieaiting Tkwleaia, or the

Idea of the

Hdy Ghnroh.

Bnt the imperfeot Sophia-Aehamoth

on descending into Ohaos, there lost her way, and beoame ambitaons to oreste a world eutiiely for heneUl She floated abont in die ebyaii, delic^tting in iniparting life and motion to the

BeoMMiiittWM«Mlad'»inthe

imago of God," that ilk

eOnrai ]ilB»-

Buddhistic : BfOioi^aBiiPwIikg to the first Baddlia; Sigie, Sophia, Cliristiw,

mm. * Thb nhoBM

evideotly the

Aohamoth, lld»baotfa, oonive five e(hm

tbo

goo-

opuiim

elements, until she became so liopelessly entangled in

]\latter as

trammels.

In this

1)e

nnablo to extricate herself from

its

condition she produced the creator of the material world, or the

DcmiurgtUi, Ildabaotlu

After this

So)*liia

Achamoth, feeling

then of her mate-rial length

belonged

after

]>art,

out

struggled forth

to the

where she entirely shook

her material

off

to erect a barrier l>etween

repeated

efTorts,

hud

She

("haos.

IMemma, but she attained

bur-

intolerable

the

and

long

ni ver

the Middle Spare,

]>art;

and dotermined

the world of Intvlligences and the

Ildabaolh, or "the Son of Darkness," creator world of Matter. and tymnt of the lower world, follows the example of liythus in lie first of all generatis an

producing sulioidinate Emanations.

Angel the

in his

number

own image;

of Six.

thi.s

Angil a second: and so on up

These are

all

reflexions one of the other,

but thoy inhabit with their father lldabaoth Seven different regions

which the Miildle

Achamoth, forms the Kighth.

vSpace, the

Adonai, Eloi, Ouraios, Astaphaios.

I'hese V)ecame

seven worlds, or planetary spheres, mystic

titles

domain

of their origin

Their names were: lao, Salxioth,

llie

of the (Jod of the Jews,

tlio

first

genii of the

four

are

the

thus degi'tided by the

Ophites into the appellations of the sube»rdinates of the Creator: the

two

last signify the Genii of Fire,

and of "Water.

Besides these Spirits of an elevated nuik, lldabaoth created

numerous over

all

Archangels, Angela, Yirtues, Powers, presiding

cfthers,

the details of creation.

lldabaoth was far from being a pure spirit pride dominated

his

composition.

connexion with

lie

ambition and

n solvcd

Mother Achamotli, and

break

off all

create

a world entirely for himself.

liis

;

therefore

Aided by his owti

Six Spirits ho created Man, intending him for the imap;e of Ins jx)wer

vast,

Spirits

but he failed utterly in his work, his

soulless,

were obliged

animated

Han

proving

The

Six

bring their failure before lldabaoth to bo

he did so by communicating to him the niy of divine

light he had himself inherited from

vation

Mau

monster crawling upon the ground.

now punished him thutt

Achamoth, who by

for his pride

and

this depri-

self-sufficiency.

favoured by Achamoth, at the expense of her

own

OPHITES.

on, MIowed the impulse of the diTine ferred to lum, ooUeotod

more out of

aha had thus tram-

tiid orafttioii,

and began to

preaent not the Image of hia oreator ndabaodi, Imt ntlier that of {lie

Svpreme Being,

Beminrgiia wae •

bda^

the PiimitiTe Man.**

At Una apeotade the

with lage and envy at having ptodooed a ao anperior to himaelf. Hia loolo^ imprinted with hia filled

were reflected in tJie abyaa aa in a miiror, and the image heoame animated and forth anwe Satan Seipent-fbnned OpkicmotflMi the embodiment of envy and of onnning; He ia paawiona,

the

muon of aU that iamoet baae in Matter, with the

and onA^ of a apiritoal inteOigenoe. Ont of their hatred fbr Jndaism the Ophitea gave

hate, envy,

thia

demon

the name of Michael, the goardian angel of the Jewiah nation aooordii^ to Daniel (v. 21).

of Bamadf the

Hebrew name

Th^ alao

oalled

him by the

title

Ibr the prince of the Devils.

Inconseqiienoe of his apite at the peiftotion ofMan, Ildabaoth set to

wnk to create the three kmgdoma of

Natore, the Animal,

Vegetable, and Mineral, with all the defbota and evila they

now

present Host, in order to regain possession of the beat of things

he resolved to confine man within his own eacoliiBive In order to detach him firom hia proteotresa Aohamoth, and from the oeleatial r^gkm, be forbade bun to eat of the Tree of Knowledge, which conld reveal to him the mysteiiea, and conlisir the gracea from above. Bnt Achamoth, in order to defeat created,

domain.

his achemea, aent her

own genina Ophia, in the fonn

of the Ser^

pent ' to indnoe him to tmnsgressthe commsnd, andthoa to break the

Law of Jealousy.

^IfgHtf"^ by eating the frnit^ Man became prehending beaveulj mysteries.

capable of com-

Nevertheless, Ildabaoth

was

strong enough to revenge himself; which he did by imprisoning

the lirst Fior in the dnngeon of Matter, in the body ao vtworthy of his natoze, wherein

Man Is

still enthralled.

ever continned to protect him

Achamofh how-

ahe had extracted from hia

nature, andabaorbed into herself, his partide of Light

;

and cesses

not to supply him therewith, and defend him in all his trials. '

Tbrmr^li not so

stated, it

Kicm tlii-M tnnn was Achamoth'h agent lo

wotiM by

anamed

deeeiTe the

vigilance of ndahaoth, by appearing like hiB

phoa.

own

vtSSsgnof^ the 0|diioiiMr>

OFBftSS.

And of HoM {hm ivw foil ineed. the field: the genius Ophit,

A new m&mj hm oomo into

wham

ndabaoCh bad aeised and

pnniflhed for hit diaze in the batineM of tlie Tree of Knowledgo, Yry

owting him down mto

iSb» afagrw,

beoomes Ihtm

immenum into matter, and ia ocmveorted image of Ma fbUow^ptsMmer, Satan, Ophiomoiphoa. hy

his

oaaimaauM into

an exact

Thelatteria

the type; Ophia, tiie antitype ; and the two were often oonfinmded.

ThoB we have another dnaliam in thit tdieme; fiopfain and SophiaAohamoHi, Adam*Eadmoin, and ^^^fPf ; Ophi tiiorphiM Oplui* Ophia, at firrt Mmi'b Mend, now be|^ to hate him as tfie oanae (thooc^ innooent) of hie own dcgnkdation. With Ildahaolh and hie Spiriii, he oonthniaify aeelB to chain him to the body, hj inapiiing all eoonntpt deaiiea, and mom emecially earthly lore, and the iqppetitea. But Aduunoth aopplied mankind with the divine li|^ tiiiioqg^ whieh iiiej heoome aenaiUe timt is, the miaeiy of their eonditioa , imof tfaflir priaonad in thia body of death, where their aole oonadlation ia tj

mMmw;

the hope of nltimate releaae.

The

aednetioina of Udaliaoth

and hie orew gained over die

olbpring of Adam, exoept Seth, the true type of the Spiritual

Man, and whoaa deaeendantB kept alive the aeed of Light and the knowledge of Divine Wisdom Ihioiig^unit all fbUowing generationa.

When

mandmanls and fjiaAKitig

in the ^nidemefli they reoeived the oom-

inalilationa of

Ddabaoth, and afterwaids the

cf the prophete, insfdied

hia aona the planelaiy

Aohamoth inftued into their psedsotions aomething hi|^ier, not even oompnhended by tiiebr Master, and made tham preach the advent of the Primitive Man,tiie Btemal JliOD,ihe Heavenltjr Ohrist Thia same notion waa a Ikvoviite one widi the Oatliari genii,

of the Middle Ages.

Aohamoth waa so aJllietad at the atata of Men that she never had pravailed vfoti her mother and type, the fwlfi**^^ Sophia, to move Byfthoa into sending down Ghriatoa to rested until die

the aid of the Spritnal zaoe of Seflt

Ildahaoth himself had been indeoed to prepare the way for his ooming by hia own

John the B^ptist^ in the belief that the kingdom Christos oame to estaUiah was merely temporal : a supposition fostered in him hy the devices of Aohamoth. Besidea indmang him to send agent,

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OPHFTES. the Premmor, she

made him oame the

birth of the Jfiow Jeeos

from the Yiigm Maiy ; ibr the orefttioD of a material peraonage oodd only be <he irork of the Demiugiu, not ftlliDg within the

pRmnoeof ahi|^ierpOfw«r. Aaaoon aaJeaoaifBaboni, Chriitoe, nnhuig Umielf with Sophia* deaoended ihxoii|^ <he seven awmming in eaoh an analogous finrm,* and fiomnwiling his true nature from their geiiii« whilst he attraoted

planetaiy ngiona,

into himself the a|iadB of divine light they retained in their

Msenoo.

Thus

CShxisfeos

entered into the

moment of his baptism in the Jesna bcigni to work miraoles ;

Jovdan.

Viam

Jeans at the

that time Ibrth

before that he had been oomBat Bdabaoth, now discovering that he was snhverting his own kingdom upm earth, stirred up the JewBi^gsinsthim,andoansedhimtobepiittodeath. When on the cross, OhiistDa and Sophia left hia body and retomed to Ihenr own sphere. Uponhisdeath, the two took the Han Jesna^ abandoned his material body to the eaitt, and gvre him another, made np of oAer. TheoMefiirward he oonaisted of merely sonl and spirit, which was the cause tiiat tiie disciples did not recognise him after the resnrrection. Daring his sojoom open eavdi of eighteen montfaa after he had risen, he received from Sophia that perfbci knowledge, that trae Gnosis, which he iwiwTOimt^iMi^ to the snnaQ portion of the iqpcsUes who were capable of receiving the same. Thenoe asoendins up into the Kiddle S|paoe he sat down on the right hand of Ildabaoth, bat anpereeived by him, and there collecta all the sods which shaU have been porified by the knowledgs of Christ When he has colleoted all the ^iritnal, dl the Light, ont of B&abaoth's empire, redemption is accompUshed, and the end of the world come; whiohianothiiigmorethan theie^bsorpticiiof all Light into the Fleroma, whence it originally descended. The sect was divided in their opinkna as to the natmre of Uphis.* Though agreed thatthb genius was originully the agent

pletely ignorant of his mission.

In the Ophite Diagram (Origen 25) Michael is figured

Odram, vi

as a iida. Snriel ui

a bdl, Baphael as a serpent, Gabriel as nn oaglc. Thantikbaoih as a bear, Eiatooth as » dog,

OmielasaaMa

The

Ophites

woi8lui^>ed

serpent as the author of a]l '

the

know-

ledge, teaching which they held flu following doctrine: "That tlio

—

pnaae Aeon, having prodooed other Aaaaa, one €f tfam, a 9nuH JViia»

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OPHITBS.

32 of Achumoth,

Ophites in 'riicixlon

tlio

times held that he had

t/s

been converted into the enemy of Man, althougli by inducing

him

to disobey the

final

cause of

hi.s

commands

had proved the

of Thlal)rioth ho

deliveranro from that

Bnt the older

In uidai^e.

Egyptian veneration for the Agatho-

sectarians, retaining the

dsBmon, the Chnnjihis Sei pent, regarded OphiK as identical with

Achamoth, or with

Thus thoy employed

("hristos.

a live

Hei-j)ent,

even when Epiplianius wrote, to encircle and GOUBeorate the loaves to bo eaten in

tlioir

Encharistic Supper.

Again, TertnlHan (Do Pnv.script.) has " Hcrjientem magnificant in tantum nt ilium etiam

(

"hri.vto

pra'ferant," a clear proof that

their Oj)his continued to represent the antique 8olar genius of

tho Egyptians.'

was

a peculiarity of that nation that, like

the present Hindoos, they were divided, as

each

»f

were, into sects,

which adopted some particular deity out of tho Pantheon

as the exclusive object of their worship

;

paying no regard to

all

tho rest. As, in Hindostan now, Vishnu and Siva have engrossed

tho entire worship of the country, so in tho

first

century,

Isia,

Anubis, and Chneph had b'-como the solo objects of Eg3rptian

adoration,

fho mnnnniftiits hereafter to be reviewed

iviil

abundantly evince.

To piove ihe identity of their g6Diiia» Ophi8,with tbe Savionr, inftmd into

nfow (Oonoflphcepce), deaoeoded into iBbB vrnU'rs

to escape,

;

whouce, not

slio

lieing able

Boul. Iiutnt

remaino<i tniHpcnded in

being too cluggod by to return above^ and nut lower where there wnfl Tiothinf^ of afliliity to her nature. Hero aho prodiioed her Mm IUUImmiUi. flie god of tho Jews, who in his turn produced mid-space,

matter falling

seven Aeona, or Angda^ who created the seven heavens. From thefle seven angols ndabaoth shut up .til tiiat was fllxivo

liitii,

lost

th<

y fihoiiM

know

auy thing superior to hiiiisuli'. They tikm oestod man in the image of their fiifher, hot prone mid cnwlin;^ on the earth like a worm. But tho Heavenly Mother, Pranniooa; wishing to deprive Ddabaoth of tho power she

had

iufoloataiily

endowed him wtth.

ma a oehMfal ipark, fb»

(liat<

ly nuin nts*'

up upon his

mind bc'vund the limits of tho eight bpberea and glorified tho Supreme Father, him that is altovc feet, B0(in-<1 in

IMahanfh.

Ilrnci"

Il<l;»l>ai>tli,

full of

down Im eyes upuu the knraet etmtam of HMlter, and hegot • Virtue in tho fonn of a yoqtt'Ht, wham

jouiouity, cant

tliey call his sou.

Eve, obeying him

as tho son of Grod, was readily perstuulfMl tocatof ttstoaeof knowkvlga" Such ia the i<inmii:iry of thoir views as given by Epiphuoiuii. That of the feareguiug pages is taken from ttemora d< tailf '

de.'H.Tiption in

Tertuiliau

Tlufxl n

dorc't

was soniB

Mj jtan

(

two and Theo-

fully

flourishe*!

oentoiies before Epiphanius,

later

tiiaii

EpifilMniaa,

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ABRAXAS-GEMS.

11^7 addvoed St Jolin'fl esprMBUui (xiL 14), "For as HoBee lifted up the Serpent in thd wildenieM, enran eo mnct the Ban. of

lifted

up.

The

eeotion that r^gacded the Seipent aa

had heen led astray from the original dootrine hy the equally prevalent and antagonistio ZoraaBtrianand Jewiah ideas upon that point e^il in its nature

Bedbre afetonptmg to classify the actual xemama of Gnoetioiam

vnder the xe^peoliTe leKgiona to which thej owe ihdr shall

now pirooeed to

origin, I

a genexal deacription of then—their natare,

—

and nnmhera ^taking for my guide the admirablyof BeUeimann, of which the two next ehapteza §n indeed little more than a condensatioiL* loealitieB,

ananged

treatise

ABBAXAS-GBMS. The genuine Ahrazas-gems

that

stiU possess

oome out of

Ifgypt; ont of Asia; some ikom Spain, where formerly

Basnidans had planted themselves,

Amongrt

many

this Ghxistian-

philosuphic sect, a hranoh of the Gncaiies, the figure of Afanoas

was held in hi^ esteem. They used it fbr a teadier» in ohedienoe

whom

they directed

their

inquiries and mystic doctrines

;

own pecoUar

transcendental

as a token or pass-word

amongst

the initiated, to show that they belonged to the same sect ; as an

amulet and taliKnmn

and

;

lastly as a seal for their

documents.

Basilides, the founder of the sect, and, as far as can be ascer-

tained, the deviser of the figure of the

god Abraxas (a repre-

sentation which, cxauiinntion proves, did not exist before his times), flourished

the

fivht,

and early

under Trajan and Tludriau, or at the end of jiart

an Eg}^ptian, living ity,

calling;

of the second century.

at Alexandria,

himself a

disciple

lie

was by birth

and had embraced

of the

apostle

('luit,tiau-

^Matthew, and

boasted of having had for his master Glancias, a disciple of

St.

Peter himself. Before his conver.slon he had followed the doctrines of the Oriental Gnosis, and endeavoured, like

new '

many

others amongst the

converts, to combine the tenets of the Christian religion

S.tS.

Bollermaun's Drei Progrumouia

iiber die

Abraza^-gemmcn. lkrIiD,1820.

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ABRAXAMBMS.

phUoaopby, both spiritoal sad natwml.

Willi ihe GnoBtio

pmpoee be dioee

this

ingenioaB ^ymboli.

oonoeniing

and the

God and

exprooriona of

In the

own

liis

inTentioii,

For and

pPfwniilgKtion of his peonliar notions

the Divine

atferibvfesa,

ooncerning hie

oieaiion, the emanation ol apiritB

Word

and of die woiida,

the azchiteot of the earth, and the mnltiCuionifl foroea of natme,

he took the same load aa his- oantemporaiy Satominna in Byntk, His complete f^yttom was a oombination of Ghiistian» Jewidi* Pagpm, and Ifgyptian notions; but in a more espeoial degree embrarang

tenets,

dzia^

of the present daj. -

still

existing

amonpt

Basilidea ctisnMninstnfl his

not merely as a aealoos teaoher of his school in

bat he was likewise a

demons **

of the Oriental Gnostio^

tiboae

BnhminB

the

prolific wiitsr.

Akzan-

According to

Alezandrinns, he poblished twenty-firar Tolumes of

InteipietationB

npon the Gospels," besides Odes and Spiritoal His doctrines are thns

Songi; aU of which. have perished.

skstdfaedbj Irenmos, hiscontemporaty (L 28) **

Basilidea, in order to

mvent something more elaborata and

plansiUe in the Gnostic speculative philosophy, poshed his inVBstigalaons even into the Infinite.

moreated, etemsl IWher, had

first

He asnmrted

that God, iho

bron^t forth iVbw, or Mind;

Word; this again Phttnmit, Intelligenoe; from qpnmg SofUaf Wisdom, and DpuamB, Strength." Irennns nndentands by this that his Qaintemioii signified five this the Logo$f

Fhxoaesis

Snbstances, Personal Intelligancest or Beingi «*M'nftl to the

Godhead; bat it would rather seem that they stood for the perGodhead; finms of his woikingi

sonified attribates of the

Again he asserted, '*When the nnnamed IWier saw the comtptioii of mankind, he

eztemally and internally.^ nnoreated,

sent his fint-bom, Hons, into the world, in the fonn of Christ, ioT the redemption of all

who believe in him,

out of the power of

those that have fiMoated the world (the Deminrgns, and his six sons, the planetaxy genii).

Man Jesos, '

appeared amangst

and wioni^t miiaoles.

According to this cxpLiimtion, BarIm.l Ix^rrowod this idea from

8ili<l('.4

the KuUvliubi ; it i&, however, moro prabaUe that he had gone to a niNh

This

Ofaiist did

men

as the

not die in

for it, and fliat we Uncrcntod and the QuinFint Buddha and the snooeatveFhe.

more remote source find in tho

turuiou, the

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ABRAXAS-GBMS.

peiBon, but Simon the Cyrenian suffered in his stead, to

he lent his bodily form

Divine Power, the Nous of the

for the

Whoso

not corporeal, and cannot dio.

eternal Father,

fore maintain.s

tliat

Ignorance; whoso

Christ iiii s

died,

luis

whom

tbo same,

tlio

still

is free,

there-

bondsman of

and hath under-

stood the purpose of the Father.*' Irenai'us addis uf his i"ollowei"s, "

They

use images* invocations,

incantutious, and all other thinc^s portaininj^ unto Magic."

In these words there

to all uj)pearanco

figure that luis given its ])opular

name

an allusion

tho Bel-

to the entire class.

lermann considers the composite imago, inscribed with the actual

name Abraxas,

be a Gnostic Panthcm,

representing the

Supreme Being, with the Five l^manations marked out by

From

priate symbols.

to the

tin;

human body,

the usual t'urm

Nous and

Deity, spring the two supporters,

a}»}>ro-

as.'-i.;nod

Jj<;gos,

expfL'Ssed in the scjqients, symbols of the inner sliisck, and tho

quickening understanding; on which account tho Greeks had

made cock

"His head

the serjjcnt tho attribute of Pallas.

—represents Phronesis, that bird being the

This

the shield of

system

where the

agrees

First

tliat

of a

of fore-

His two arms hold tho symbols of So])hia

sight and of vigikmco.

and Dynamis

—

emblem

Wisdom and

tho whip of Power.*

wonderfully with

Principle

produces in

Powers — Magaswia, Sadasiva,

Kudra,

the

Brahmin ical

succession tho Five

Bmhma

and

Vishnu,

held by some to bo mere attributes of tho godhead, by others tiikeu in tho materialistic sense for yEther, Air, Fire,

The

Earth.

Water,

entire Gnostic system wr.s not derived either trom

the Kabala, or fVum the Grecian philosophy, but firom the East,

Mosheim long ago maintained.

Another circumstance mentioned by Irentcus, wall be abundantly illustrated in tho progress of these researuhes.

•

Tleno'^

by the iats.

oplaiii ail the tholo^'

Docrix or IlluaLon-

tlmt

lagmds

arp

in their iny-

with

th'

inconaistont

Uiey were

fl;:^ures.

iogenioas hypotheais: but

fton animal tic

di^ty by saying aH Mbya or ninaioa. divine

Basilidana were called

tli(>

ortlitxlox,

Bimilarly the pious Brahmins

aiul

all

oonstitnentB have a mys-

gip:nificjinee il-i^'v,

" Further-

iiiiiy

tho

fiifh

Greek my1)1'

ri'ffrml to

thu liun-god, as will bu diiiciusod at

length ftolber on.

D 2

ABRAXAS— ITS TRUE ETYMOLOGY.

moTB, tiuy havo inTnted proper naoMB tax

dasB them under the Bedidfis thia,

lint, aeoond, third

th^ strive

to eiplam the

and

jBoDfl of their pretended

give

iti

own name (whom

the SaviooT

naam,

powen^

origis,

865 hea-vena.

Similarly they

thej oall Kavlaoay), has viaited, and than

the power^ of the .Alona,

which ihej

to the teireBtrial i^ere,

their respeotiye namae,

was.

and

tngala,

"Whoao undenrtaada thia rightly, and knows the

qnitted.

and

tiie

heayea, and so on.

ahall

he taeiMNa

io,

aa the Savioar, Eavlacay himaelf

jiiat

God remained nnknown

the Son of

to the world,

nnknown

ao mnst the disoiple of Baailidea alao remain

Aa Uiey know all thia, and

the real of mankind.

JBtm

and heyond

yet mnst lire

amongst atrangera, therefore mnst they oondnot themaelTee towards the vest of the world aa inviaiUe and nnknown. their motto

and

Leam

know

all,

therefine they are aoooatomed to

heing Baeilidana. heratioa,

Henoe

hat keep thyaelf nnknown;'

deny the

of their

fiust

Neither can they he detected as Ghxistian

hecanae they aaaimilate themaelvea to

aeoret oonstitation, however, is

to one in a thonaand, or

known

all aacta.

to hot

two in ten thonaaad.

Their

a few; peihapa The local sitoa-

tion of the 866 heavena they parcel oat like landraarveyonL

Their doctrine p/mrm.

ia contained

in a aecret hook, or in $ifwMiie

Their Sopreme Lord, the head of

AKwffwiM, whioih

all things,

they

call

name contains the nnmber 866."

ABlLAKA^rrS TRUE ETYMOLOGY. An

ingeiiiouH explanation of this mystic title has been pro-

as signifying in Coptic, *' The Blessed Name," compounded of Ab or Af, " Lot it bo:" Mak, "adore ;" and Sax for Sadshi, *'narae." This compound also agrees in a

posed by Bellermann

;

remarkable manner with the Jewish synonym for the Ineffable

Name of Jehovah, viz.

Shem Hamphiroah,"

A Mtiiftetaqr eipliMlion of

fteqWDOj of the iriUi

talisnians

llie

ooverod

kng fltuDg? of barfaaroofl names

flMj mnit InvBheen

the

the adept to enable

Holy Word :"

Um, on

ooeMfon,

reciting tlieir tiiieij^flnm to fllodB

their evil influenoe.

«anM abcat Igr

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THB

JfiONB.

which waH comproBsod by the iiabbins into

The It

also a

most singular coincidence that the Egyptian word

used by Mofics (Gtn.

mands

that Joseph shall ride in his

shall crj'lx'fure him, " 18

by an

The Name," or

Word.**

Abntk

wrd

Abrak

xli.

43),

where

I'liaraoh

com-

own chariot, and that they kneel down where tho Egy2)tian !

actually retained in tho

Hebrew

text

aod not expressed

equivalent in that language.'

Analogous Abrarura infeiTial

to this appears the circumstance that the

over

inscrilx'd

deitii'>s,

before

the consort of DUpater

whom

Vibia

name

tho two

conducted by Ilennes, in

the xory remarkable fresco existing in tho tomb of Vincentius

and

Vibia,

Viiiccntius

Sabazis

Abracnra

a is

in is

catacombs

tlie

described,

title

itself

evidently

tlie

Now,

Prietextatus.

this

epitaph, as "the priest of

his

connected

with

the

lao-religioii.

Latinized spelling of Afifxt

the latter, " the Virgin," the usual mystic

name

vopj;

for Proserpine

whilst Abra, jxjrhaps, bears the same meaniiij; as in the Gnostic tcnuiuology, where

also enters into the composition of the

fiuuous spell Afaraoadabra.

TEE

JEONS,

So mnoh ybdnb being attadhed to a trao knowledge of the names of the JBona, it would be nnpardonable not to soltjdn ihem; and fhe following may be oonndexed as their most anikovltitive register, being that drawn xtp bj Valentxans Aimseli^ the profinmdestdoolor of the Gnosis. in pans,

nude and

Heaznmges them

fiamale ;* in the order of their snooosrive

emanation from Bythoe, the pro erisient, eienial Fnoaijfie, nomber of Hie pairs is fifiMm; or the saored nnmeral Ave

* In Apoc. ziz. 12, we bavo tho praoedent Ibr flas aspveniiig a title

an unknown were as a flame

totifruc

" Tlis cyea

and on hiii head were many crowns, and he bad a of

ilrc,

written (thereon) that no

man

Immw iwi ht Mmtifi and he

name

Tbe tliree

clothed with a vcstare dipped in blood,

and his mnB

is odleil

;

The Wad oC

Otxl."

a i^ooMiity itt the Hindoo mythology thai every god hes a StoU or female caosorty fliioq|^ whooi he '

soti.

I I

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PROCESSION OF TUB LOGOS, OB WORD.

Their lamm,

tiiiiM repeated.

it will

be obaeryed, are Qyjuo,

the pa preoedhig the «ppelktioa of some of the female powen,

bemgiiMinlytheoopnhitiTe

Hatter eappoMs Yatoiitmiie

**iiid.'*

to hate been of Jewiah origm, althoiq^ bora at Alecuadria;

TertaUun ateteBthathenaailntofaUa Teit to Ohmtianity

;

Flatonlet,

but dinppouited In his

then aeon-

aspixatioiia to

lnihqprio»he frandedaxeligifmofhisowii.

Oimum

.....

Ampsin

Buciuin, Thiirtuu

Minti, Tnith.

Reaaw, liSe, Iha, Ohnreh.

nn<l

Ubucua, TLatUeadja

MBOoft, Artdwba

ff.

IJdu, Chrtn

6L Aropluiin,

EnnMa

BUbcrly, Hope. Mnthcrly, Charity.

TanJo, Atbomcs

Etfnial. Intolligiinco.

9. Bnaia, Allora

10. Bnciatha,

atul Silenoa.

Comfbrtor. Faith.

.....

7. Vannuini, Trainer 8.

Dopth

Light, Bottitude.

Dammaddaria

......

U. AJkn» Damno UL Orai, laniMpeohi 1& AnckoinlieetL TElwWiiiiMMAniMiJ

EuobaiiBtic,

WLwlMn.

PiuAiudify*

Mtrtwe.

Tbidfni^ IMon. BiKiiotiL TenoMnnoB.

Qnl^y^egotten,

15. DexHriobe^ itiiwwnn

JnmmMa, Fletmn*

Epij)]umin8 has evidently copied one ynir led

UuHj.

14. AsgiouacLc, IVifai

by a

difi'orence in

the spelling, which

(T))

mnVoft

twice over, mis-

one pair beyond

the proper fifteen.

FBOCESSION OF THE LOGOS, OB WORD. Periu^ Hie moet wngnlar,

oertainty the

moat ohazaoteristio

flhapter in this tnnaoendeiktal aoienoe ia the

Theogony disdloBed

in the "Bevelation of Maions," the apoeUe of the Marooaiani

**The Supreme Quaternion came

down onto him from

that

region that cannot be aeon or named, in a ftmale ahi^, beoanae

the worid would have been unable to bear them appealing in a maaonline form; and revealed onto

muTene, mitold leather, the

befinre to either

him the generaUona of

gods or men.

the

When firat the

Inooncwvable, Beingleaa, Sezleaa, begun to be in

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PR0GBS8I0N or THE LOGOB, OR WOBD.

tiiat hSa I&d&iliile AaaHA be ben, end bie InrkiUe dioold be idotbed witb fbim ; be fherefoie opened bis moiilb, tad nttared tiie Word like unto Himaelf This Word wfamdiiig befine Him ibowed wbat He mm, inaiufBiting bimaelf ae Ibe er l^im of tlie BtmaiUa **Noir, tbe ottering of tiie Nave oame to peai tiiia wise: He (tbe Saprame) ^oke die flnt imd of Hie Name, wbSdb leefljUeUe of fiynrlettera^ He then added tbe aeoond ayUable* abo of fimr letlen. Tben, tbe And, oompoead of ten lettera. Fmally, ibe Ibnrdi, made up of twelve lettaie. Tbnai flie vttanaoe of tbe ivbole Name oonriati of tburly letters, and of fiynr ayllalilea* Baob letter baa a ftm, p»H*w<WM*!etwtit spelt

labom; be deiired

ita oima;

the entire

but neitber bebolda nor nndeiateada ibat of

Name :

not even tbe powers of the letter stending

Now, tbeae nnHed aoimda make np tiie Bemgleas, UnbegotfeeD, iSon; and tbeae are the angels that alwija behold tbs ibee of tbe Father. Tbna tbe IVtfber, knowing blmaelf to be

next to itselt

TiMwii |MfA ffltfHf^. save to each of the letten.

oaOed .Aona.

iii

own

i^eooUar

aomd, jnamnTieb

none of

ite

oom*

tiiem, sini^j, is

potent to vtter the entue Name.**

sem

19ie aidiaeqiient Nfvelationa of tbeQnateinion to ]liKraD% to explain the fteqnent oooaiieuoe of the

naked

liunale^

ftomer Yenna Anadjomene, on Gnostio monnments. the Qnatendon added;

having declared tbeae

tfaingsb

show

whom I

rnrto thee Shrfl,

oeleetial mansioos, that

tbe

After

I will

down from the

hacfe brought

thou sbonldest behold her naked, acknow-

ledge her beauty, bear her lyeakinft and be astoniabed at her

Look up,

wisdoBB.

neok,

B and

her breasts,

therefine, at

and O; at her r and X| at E and Y; at bar bade, Z and

her bead,

at her ahonMers, with her bands^

A snd •

;

at ber obesi)

T; atberbellj. Hand 2; atherthic^ eaadP; I

and

;

at her lege,

K and O

;

at ber ancles,

at ber knees,

A and X;

at ber

ftetiMandN.* Thia ia tbe bodyof Trnft: tbia is the finm of Wbereopon tbe Letten: this is tbe dtsiaeter of the Writing.

Thi* figoie, it will be perooived* B**> Igr Iddng seooaanvo pairs letten tan each extremity of tbe »

alphabet

;

peduq^ thus

ooniititntiug

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EGYPTIAN DEITIBa.

Tnith, looking npon MazvUBi opened her montli, nnrl nttored

Word; and and speak

this

Word became

Name—•Name

which wo know

—Chiiat Jesos; and having named him

she held her

peace.**

Before quitting this subject, a rational doubt obtrudes itself

whether the primary application of the term Logos to the Divine Emanation, was not intended Babbinical term,

turn of *\Ineffable

meaning

Name

for the

Word

:'*

mere interpretation of the in fact, only the ahbrefiar

Name," or Jehovah; and later, the aeoondaiy

liOgoe,

tIb.,

Beason,

an immediate

aaggesied

analogy to the Flatonizing Jews of Alexandria, with tbelr fibphia-Adbamoih, the first-born of the Bapieme Oanse.

The oompoeitionof this Name extendingto the lenglli of thir^ may serve to afford some due to the meanmg of tiie in-

letters,

terminahle, polyayUabio

title,

which runs either in one tmhrofcett

oiide, or elae aaanming the carved form of

aroond the maxgin of

many

an erect

aerpent,

Gnoatio talimnani, anWln^ng

mystio design therein engrayed.

An example

of thia

iq;ipeaz8 to

be reoogniaable inthe calcedony I have drawn In Plate "vL,

SOTPTIAN DBTPmS, As the place

deities of the anoiont m}'tholo{^y contimic to liold their

npon the

earliest productions of flie r>a.silidan sect,

tiight into tlieir niVHtic pnrjxKsc,

the

new

system,

may ha

and

some

in-

rea.sons for their adaptiition to

obtained from a knowledge of the sense

which the powers and the attributes of these ancient gods were iutei^preted when their wurshij) was tlie sole and undisputed in

creed of the land.

brief notice

is tlierefore

principal deities, and the forms under

nized

— together with

subjuined of the

which they are

their Coptic titles so often

to be recog-

met with on onr

monuments, in strange juxtaposition with the holy names of the Jewish Angels, with those of the Magian Indian origin its

;

genii,

with

titles of

the very terminology of the religion indicating

remote and multifarious sources. 1.

Phthas: phonetic name Ptah,

represented in a close-fitting

robe^ his feet joined together, standing

upon a base of four

steps,

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EOTFTIAK DETTIEa

oalled iha ''Four FoimaAtioni,'' typi^riiig ihe etomentiL'

tboesbeappeanMadwii^ and Tore, wiiha floaxabena

fx a

Priapean;

head.

nmetiinea

Some-

as Ptah-

His proper aMribote

iha

baboon, the Qynooephaliia.

Ammon, phonetio Amn : withahiiiiianoraometiineBaxam^ plai^ Hehaaan

head, from wMtdiriaea adraUe, partiooloiad

and beaxa a aoeptre. He ia modiiiiid into Fan^ Hendee, Fii^teaDi and hruidiahisig a whip ; with hia feet bound together in ihe ohazaoter of AnmioitClhnab^

artifldal heaid,

and

often

he is figured as the Serpent, called by the (Greeks, His symbol, the -vaae Oanopiis, is so oaDed from his

thodjoman.

Ghnnbli, ikoi pnmoimoed bj the Gzeeka. United with the Son he beoomes Ammon-Ba. 8. Tb» Son^od, Fhze or Ba : with hawk's head supporting a disk and the serpent Unsiis. Plate ii, 2.

title

4, Thoth,

orThoyt; ibis-headed, the Scnibe of the gods. Some-

times he appeaiB with the head of a hawk, as Hennes Trismegistns.

His arfmbol is the winged disk (Tat) : answering to the

Jfir of the Persians.

a orooodile's head; or elS9 ^ymby a orooodile with the tail bent The Ifooni^ V^JUk (Pe is the Oqpiio deflnite artiele),

Soohos, or SoohoB : with

boSiaed 6.

with his feet olose together; asinglelookof hair upon the head,

and the

oreaoent.

Again, this deity is figured as hermaphrodite,

easting gold-dust over the heavens: that

with 7.

is,

beepangling them

stars.

by his The Eye is his flymboL

Onris; Oosii: as a Han, distinguished

holding a orook and a whip. 8. Aroores;

tall cap,

Aior: the Horns of tiie Greeks, hss a sing^ look

of hair on his head : he

is represented

suoUed by Ins, or

seated on the lotus; sometimes wearing the hawk's head. iymibol, the

hawk at the breast of Isis,

else

His

appesvs in abasalt toooin

the Borgia CoQeotion. 9.

Anubis; Anbo:

always jaokal-headed : and sometimes

human head besides, spiingiBg from a separate necik. This Coptic name^ Anbo» may often be xeoognised In our fimnulm. has a

AfterwftRb adopted by tbo Roaioruciaiu in the same twnae.

QODDl

42 10.

Bobon, or Babys, has a hippopotamuA'a head, or else a cro-

codile's

hand a Rword.

in his

Typhon.

lie

This figure osed to be taken for

rcpretenta the ooiMtellation

Una

Miyor in the

Zodiac of Dendexah.

QODJDESSEa. 1.

Ndth: expnmoi, hy

tbe

vnlftine^

hfltdof a-vnltarBor allon.

cathym ftnule

tlie latter otae

whh llio

ahe takes the

talio

Athcr : flgored with the head of a oow, or else a woman'e

She

arowiied,withtheTiiltaieoTenh«dowing it

a hawk within a square. 8. Ins: a fenude with oows*

denoted bj

hoins, hekween whioih rests 1h»

disons. 4. Sate

ssnts

the Greoisn Heta, with plumes on her head, lepre-

IVhA; and so

Ihe four Genii

i^^pesis in the

Judgment of the Bead.

of the Amenthes or Hades, haTing respeotiveilj

the heads of a man, jaofad, baboon, and hawk, are often pbMsed together, as

mnmmj-like

fignres,

upon the

CSanopio tbsss.

SYMBOLS EXPLAINED. Plutarch, in his treatiBe "

Iside et Oirido," has explained

certain of the most frequent symbols,

upon the best

Isis aomfttimen signifies the

by the crescent oi the Kile.

aso

that, it would

seem,

Moon, when she

represented

sometunes the Earth, as-fecundated by the wateiB

Hcnoe water, as the

issue of Osixis, is oanisd in

her processions.

Osiris is signified

name

and

authority.

Ix'ing

by a

figure of

compounded of

0»,

an Eye and a Septra :

many

;

and

his

Iris, eye.

Tlie Fig-leaf stands f<» King, or else for tbe South.

T}io T.izard,

which was supposed

to oonc^iTe

by the

ear and

to bring forth through the mouth, ia the type of the generation ni

the

Word iLe., of

tlie

T.ogos, or

Divine Wisdom. (A

satisfiMytoiy

ezphmsiion of the lisard placed upon ICnerva's breasti as seen on srano gems.)

The Soaiabeus,

in its

making globes

for the reception of its

Digitized by

SYMBOLS EXPLAIiiED. egg^ and

m its ntvograde inmmeiitB» nnitatoB

The

Shu.

insect

alaohu no female;

43 tlie

bo at leait

motkm of the

nm the popolar

opmum in Egypt Hie Asp capreaeea a Star;

like that Ivminaiy, it

ibar

awifUy without any organs of locomotion.

The Ibis stends

fcr the

Moon: Hs 1^ when

enfeended

maktag

an eqmlaiteial trian^e.^ Horas weaiB a wreath cf Powoa leaves, heeaoBe the fruit of that tree fosmnHns the hemi, as its learee do in shi^ the hmnan

The legend goes that the tiee (Ooidia Mjza»'or Sehesfirrt planted at Memphis by FeneaB,and henee In memosy of his mythioal anoestor^ Alexander or> its namBi dained that a wreath of its bxanofaee shonld form the prize in the games he insfcitoted at his new capitaL The tzee is never

tongue.

tend Flvm) was

withont a snooession of

fruit

and

leares; the former Fliny

oom-

paies to ared plum ; and also states that the tree will not grow

In JBnrope*

Honpollo's Inteipietation of the Saored Animals so often

on these

figured

ratios,

may he

briefly notioed here in oon-

nesion with the mora important q^holk Bat his whole treatise

bean cm its very ftoe the eridenoe of havi ng been exoqgitated by some pragmatioai Alexandrian Greek, perfectly ignoaiant of what he was writing about, hot impudently paaring off his own oon> jeotnres fer traditional interpntatknis of the i^hoils

wmks

of antiquity ganmmding him.

He most

upon lSb»

have written

nnder the Lower Empire, when the knowledge of hieroglyphioal was entirely lost: tnr it was slQl kept up in the

inscriptions first

oentury

Tadtospaxtiflnlarly notes that on aged pried read

to Gesmanioas the anoient historioal tablets, on his visit to It isonly In some rare instsnoes that Horapollo has

Thebes.*

gymholism nntl ofleu this figure appears set upon a column and adored hy tiM OfnootpbataWtliona'a ftnomitB

moUbus literiB Aegyptio) ]mon>m opuleotiam oomploM; jusi>UMjtu' e «^ nioHbu* saccrdotum patrium Hermnnem interpretttri," (Aii. ii. 60). This visit was matle a.o. 10. It would hence appear that already the knowledge of

beast.

iho

haxd to aeo the analogy be*

tuMD fte moon and a trkagle ; bat ach waa oertiiinly mropted in their ;

Mox

magna

visit

vetenun Thebarum

Teatigia: et nMoabiot abmotti

liicro^'iyphio

dying out.

ehaiactw traa

ftat

8TMB0LB EXPLAINED.

pnnrved some

anoient and oorrect traditions as to the pnrpoii

of symbols the moat popular

and

ohvioiia,

and theiefim the

last

to be forgotten.

The Baboon, Qynooephalus, a

denotes

tiie

Moon, because he haa

sympathy with that Inminary, and during her dark

oertain

qnaitear aits

without eating, his eyes fixed upon the ground, as

though moamuig for her

loss.

Also he denotes the prieaHiood,

being by nature ciroamcised, and abhoirini;

Breo^ and with paws

lifted up,

and a

fit^h

baaitiak

and fishermen. (Asp) upon his

head, be ajmbdises the New Moon, the first appearanoe of which he tbna ooograta]ate& By his voiding bis urine at fixed and xegnlar intemJs, be first sqggested to obeervers the regular division of the day into horns: and famished the first idea of

the invention of the Olepqrdra, or water-dook.

Ibe Dog

(Jackal) represents the Saorad Scribe, because

fimctionaiy baric

att

oof^

tiiat

always to be studying; and likewise dioold

and make himself disagreeable to eveiy bodj.

In an-

other sense be eipreesea a Prophel) from bis habit of afating fixedly at the statues of the gods.

Hawk

stands for Gh)d, or the Sun.

blanoe of bia

nnmd

Seuoe

throne of Horns, as the Egyptians

The

Lion, from the rosom-

to the solar disk, is plaoed imder

rising of the Nile, oalled in the Egyptian tongae

or NeWf ia denoted

by a

tiie

name the Sun.

lion, or

the flood attaina its greatest height

Nam

by three large vases^ beoaase

when tbe sun

in tiiat sign:

on which account also the disdhaigerB of the aaored finmtains sra made in the ibim of lions' heads. By the Ibis th^ tSgpafy tim beail» beoanse that bird la an

who presides over Ibe heart and own shape, resembles tbe flgnra touching which matter, there is e veiy long legend

attribnte of EaraieB (Thoth), all reaaon.

of a bearts

Tbe

Ibis also^ in its

oorrsnt amimgrt the Ejgyptians.

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DESCENT OF THE SOUL: PLATONIC.

DS80BNT OF TBB SOUL: PLATOmO. The powers and mflnenoe of the Fknotazj Bdebeoth, and the

asfcrolc^ical notioiui

Genii, aons of

u to the iufhienoft of the

planetB upon maa'a finrtime in ibis life, oome apperenily from the aame aooioe aa the atxange dootrine tonohing the planetary

by the later e^onndedhy MaaoliLiia (Somn.

origin of ib» ftooltiea of the himian aonl taught

Alexandrian Flatoniatu, and Soipi.

" The Soul,

12).

iaiUe aouoe

tfana

aa it deaeenda

fnm the one

of ita being, in ofder to be

passes ^taoof^

tiie

Hilhy

Way

mited

and

indir

to the body,

into the Zodiac at Ihe isteiseo-

tioaof the two in Cancer and Oqaioom, called the *Gai|es of the Ban* becanse the two adstioes axe placed in these signs.

Through Canoer, or the *Gate of Man,' the tool deaoends upon earth, whioh ia its (qpixitaal death. Throu^U Capricorn, the *Ckrfe of the Gods,' it roaseondi xcp to hewen, its new birlh taking place upon its release from the body. As soon as the sonl has left Gancer and -Ae Milky Way, it begins to lose its divine nature, and airiviug at Leo enters upon the flxat phase of its ftttom condition here below. Baring its downward progress the sool, at first e qifecre in form, is elongated into a eone^ and now begins to 0m1 flie inflnenoe of Matter, so that it joins the body intorioated and stupificd by this novel draught This ciroamstanoe is ty^fled by the Grater of Baochns placed in the heavens between Canoer and Leo. The Seal thns descending, as it

passes through each sphere, receives sncoessive ooatingH, as

were, of a Inminoas body, and fitcaltiee

which

Aocordiuglj, in

gence

;

it is

its

probation apon earth.

supplied with reason and intelli-

in Jupiter, with the power of action

y onus,

;

declaring and expressing faculty of generating

Hence make up

in Mars, with the

its

;

and speculation

;

Mercuiy, with the power of

thought«

;

in the

Moon, with the

and augmenting tho body."

as the Planets contain all the elements, so to speak, that

the Inner Man, the Oenii, their rulers, exercise their

tyranny over jected to

;

in the Sun, with sensation

with the appetites

famished with the several

has to exercise daring

Satam

irasciblo principle

through such agencies so long as the sool

them during its imprisonment in the body.

sub-

DES08NT OF THB SOUL: PIATOHia

•

Cognate to

tibia

iheoiy

the dootrine of the

ServmiB

off

Saturn," in the remotest North (ovidentlj a xelio of the Draidi« cal philoBophy), preserved

**TheFMem

by Plutarch

tiMMooa'sQEik*'

in hia

onriom Inatise on

ISiii iwi|^t»

latioa of Man the Earth aoppliea the body, the

the

Sua the

rove*

i«»c to the ^vxiv*

deatL

Li the

VihtA the ^wxv is to the body, tiie nme k flie This oon^oate nature undeigoea a doable

first,

Demeter, -whoee fellow

Hie

the earthly

^«x«» or eonl, ftou the body. certain penanee in the Middle 8paoe,in oider

Hetmea, fiuoiUy aeparKtea •

in the gene-

Moon, Hie ^vxVt

Sold, after a

ilie

to purify it fiom the peUntion of the body, is

oa^^ up by Hie

Moon, and passes thzoq|^ the Euth's shadow dnring the eolqpae, after a probation proportlonBd in time to its doaei a ; but the i

widked, aa they atrive to enter (before their pnrifioation plete), are aoared

away 1^ the teiriUe

ftoe.

oom-

The good abide in

the Moon* in the etyoyinant of tnnqvilHty; beoome oonTertad into Aeuftons, or Genii, affidiB

upon

bmy

themaelTea In regolatuig bimuai

But

earth, render onolea, Sto,

apirita ndsoondiiot themaelTea,

if these beatified

thej are pot again into a hnman

body, and aent babk to the eartL After a oertain time the vouc, or Mind, aipirea to xetom to its aouroe, the Son,

when Fenephome, wiUi her

oolleagae the

be^

Tenly Hennea, gently and gradnalDy aepaxatea it from the groaaer ^wXff.

Thia ia the aeoond death; the pwq flying np to the Son,

the 4^x9 abiding in the Moon in a dreamy eziatenoe^ until it ia totally absorbed into her substanoe, exactly aa the Earth absorba

theremainaofthebody.

Oalmandphiloaophioaoiilaareqiiicliy

abaorbed, but aotiye, paaaiomate^ erotio natorea with great diflU

wander abont in mid^paoe beooming Tityi and l?ypbonea, throwing onlty; they

Typhon doea at Dei^^ until at and abaoibed by Hie Moon."

last

direafeed

of their mwc,

oonfturion into onaolea,

they alao are attracted

into

This

the identical doctriue of

Hams: no wider timt {Hny itmck by thu anal(»^ between Dnidim and tlir ti net* of the Magi. * Jnstinuti Kemer, in his 'Sdwrin ooFkefinli'nMstfngBniandyaiialo*

nmee tiie inner num, ood makes lum couUk at 8eele, NerrBD-fcM, and Geist. The Xorven-fi^eiBt, or nervous energy, being: of a gnwiser natnre, continues united with the Seele on aapsiatiaa

from tte bi4y,

its

wudering it

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MITHRAIC MONUMENTS.

MITHRAIC MONU.MENTS. Tbam may be

considered aB reprcsentiiiig Hie purely Persian

element, so important an incrrcdient in Gnostunsm.

woTship at

fii-»t

indeed makes

its

The Mithraa-

appearance as a diatinot oreedy

aakl to have bean introduced into Borne after the oonqneat of

Pontus

by Fompey, whore

however

became 80

speedily

popular, aa with the oarUer-imported Serapis-worship, to have entirely usurped the place oS the ancient Hellenio deities.

fiwtr

Skapire, Seiapia

Italian

and Hitfaxaa maj1)e laid to hsve become the

dbgects of wcnihip even in the vemoteat

world.

and

dnxing the aeoond and third oenturiea of the aole

oomera of the Boman

waa the theoli^ of Zoioistor in

its origin,

but

gieatly simplified, ao aa to aasimiTata it to the previouly enating

WeaL Under thia finrn it took ita name ftom who in the Zoroaatsian oieed ia not tiie Snpzeme Being>

qratema of the Mithiaa,

Ormnsd, but the chief of the panda.

Htthiaia the Zend

sabcurdinate powers, or Amahae-

title

of the Sood, the peculiar domain

by the Greeks as thdr and Hyperion. Una Ovid ** Flaoat eqno FeniB ndiia Hyperiona cinofeam." In the asms chanoter he waa identified with Dionysoa and Liber, or Phanaoes, the Sun-god of the AsiatieB, and his mysteries leplaoed the ancient Dioqysia. How important the Mithraica had become in the seoond oentoiy, appears from the &ot leooided by Lampridios, that Oommodua oondeaoended to be initiated into tham. With their penanoes and tests of the oooiage of the oandidate Ibr admiwsinii, they have been maintaiwfld by a constant tndition tiuoogh the seocet societies of the Middle Ages and the Bosiamoiaiis, down to the of thia Spirit, and hence he waa admitted

finrmer Phflebns

modem

ftint reflex of the Utter, the Freemasons.

these

heads more partionlais will be given vdien their distinctive monn*

ments oome mider oonsideretion.

Tunble in the form of an apparition, !l toaflboliM^efU obnuiko noiaos, move articles, and

and CBsUiBg

ttfing

thinjps perceptible

sBBM^ia dMvt,to

to the

" spuoiDBB.*'

object

now

to trace

According to iU nature, this oompooite tAes a kegw cr dMxtar tfaie to be dissolved, file CWatalaoebeiag

bfling

jortf,

goch like

immortaL

lOTHBAIO MOKUlfENTB.

the gradations by which the Mithraio ideM merge into 1h»

Alexandrian aod semi -Christian GhlOStiQiam.

That the mysterious

by tha Egyptian

title

Jhrmoit Mid to have been devised

BasilidM* bimob

demonstrated by Bellennann.

bodying the idea

BxAj Name,'* has been falfy

symbolioal figure emThat the Sun is equally certain. Similarly,

refers to

the Hindoo

Inefibble Name," is applied in tiie Chglri to tiw and all-pervading San.** Baailidea was not by any means a CShrisliin lierotio, as tiio latar Fathon finmd it ei^edient to represent him, but rather as bis oontamponzy Clement relates,

**Fiaroe

;

'* a pbilosoplier devoted to the oonteniplation of divine things and in all likelihood imbued vvith the Bnddhistic notions, whidli the perpetual intevooiuse be twion Atoiandria and the ladlaa ooast had long before natoialiaed in Egypt and Palestine. Henoe we sometimes find Mithnio and Abnoas amnlets ooobbined in the same gem, the finest semple of ii^uoh is a green jesper (Ifarlbannigh Cabinet), exhibiting on one side Mithras lyfgiitqiring the Bull, on the otiier Abiaias f»^m#fti^ In Ihs t

later philosophy, as

shall presently find in the ease of

Serapis himself^ Ihe primaxy idea of all the pnnoipel deities

was

ea^phuned aa symbolising the solar Imninaiy; and their nv-

merons names designating not separate beings, but attiibntes of one and the same. A tmly Hindoo notion, whereby tiieir ajq^arsnlfy nwlimited polytheism is rednoed, for the enlightened

firehmin, to the acknowledgment of the

There

One Sopreme.

veiy good reason to believe that as in t2>e Best the

woiBhip of Seiqpis was at

first

oombined with Christisnity, and

gradually meiged into it with an entire ohange of name, not sob-

stBnoe,oanyingwithitmanyof itsandentnotionsandrites; soin the West a similar inthnmoe was exerted by the Mithiaio reKgion, 8eel (llith.p.287) is of opinion that **ss long ss the Bomsn domi-

nion lasted in Germany

we find also tiaoes of the Mbsaie Law;

there were sini^ Jewid^ sowers there also sinj^ Christian fimi* lies existing

amongrt

tiie

Gentiles.

The latter, however,

for the

most part ostensibly paid wonhip to the Boman gods in order to eecape perseontion, holding seoretly in their hesrts the religion

of Christ

It is

by no means improbable

that nnder the per-

mitted nymbols of Mithras they worshipped the Son of God and

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lOTHBAIC MQNUMBNTS. {heiBjBteriaBorGliziillaiuty.

IntliiBpomtof yiewiliAlGfhnio

sumimieate ao fra^uemt in Gennaaj axe evideooes of the tecret of the eady Ohriidaii Bamum,**

ftiiili

WW aototlly dedttred hy the partisuw off

Mtiindaiiiii

whan

in its dedUne,

prored hf the eayrye 7), **Ikiunr tfast <Be

Dk.

•tetemflntof Avgiutiiw (In JohaiL

him in fhe oi^ (iitiiiB pleati) used at one time to say, In ihia aawited is himself a Chzislaan.' " aflfaBtty we And also an explanation of the motive which induced Gonstantine to adopt for the moat general lererae upon hie priflBtB off *

/T,^ \

tiUif^

our capped one

copper ooinago^ leteined long affcer hie oonveinon, Ihe flgue of the Bon, with the legend, *'To the InTinoihle Son,

com-

as heing a penoDifioation aiOier of the

pinion (or guurdian)

Phohaa or the new Son of Bighteonneta, equally and Gentile, ftom the douUe interpretationof which that tg^ was soaoeptihle. Siniihurlj the andent lisstbal held on the 20th day of December in honour of the ** Birthday of the Tnvinrii'hiA and calebfatod by the *• Cfaceet Gmnee" of the Ginnu (as mariEcd in the ancient KalendaT Tm. xal. iar. v. nrnoD. oje.zxit.^ wis afterancient

aooflplabie to both Ohxiatian

wards transferred to the commemoiation of the Birth of Gfacist* the precise day of whush mai^ of the Fathers confess was then unknown,

llnis Ohiysostoni

(Hem. 81) qnotes^fhe above

direction of the Salendar, and rightly understands

as rsfening

limnoiUe Ifithias, adding^ •* On this day the Birthday of Ohiist was latd§ fixed at Borne in order that

to the Birthdi^ of the also

whilst the heathen were bnsied with their profene ceremonies,

the Ohiistians might peifena theb

hdy

rites undisturbed.**

day the Birthday of the Invinoible One: who so invinoiUe ss the Lord that overthrew and vanquished Death? Or because they style it the Birthday of the Sun f He is the Sun of Bi^teousnesB of whom Halaoiii Again he ernlaims, **Bnt they

call this

*Upun you, fearftd ones, the Sun of Bighteouaness ahall wiOihesKng in his wingk'* And Leo' the Great (Senn. n.

saith,

arise <ai

the

poLi

%Ui

of the Lord)

TNncTO COMTTI. aigai^ 24

C.M.XXIV.

Uamea

ooiuieciitive

those Ghristians

who gave

ronrsos in the (^harioi^aOM gifHl in

the Circiw Maximiu.

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MITHRAIO MONUHBirrS.

60 oflonce to

some by

tlic

weaker souls through the shameful persuasion of

•\vlioiu

this festival of ours is reverenced not no inu(

account of ChriHt's Birth as on that of the " Kisiiig of the

Sun," to use their the Three

Ma<i;i

own worjH.

appear

^of the Solar Deity,

= The White One, I'reasureb.'

to liavo

Again been

tlio

(Balt;u<ar

= King of

names of

traditional

mere epithets

in their origin

whose properties they express; ilfWc/nV/r

h on

New

tlius Gisjxir

Liglit, Baltazar

J. ord

the Septuagiiit bpelliug of Jlcl»hazxar,)

Mithras was naturally enough admitted as a typo of Christ, the Creator and jVIaintainer of the Universe, seeing that the Zoroastrian creed declares

him to be the

first

emanation of Ormnzd,

the Good Prinoiple,aadhk|iiaiufMtttumof litBitdf to II

nfM from lliii oeed

in Fenia^ in

tint

til pvobability

J«vn, dnziiig

tlie

tiieir

long sojonm

dsrined the piritnal portkn of Ihmr

vd^ioa lodk M we llnd it flooiiihii^ Then, and not before, we diaooTer them holding the fiitare

tato of rewaids and pmuahmentB,

flarjr

Ilia latter

belief in

» oomploto hioiazohj of

laka, the OTiafamoe of

oanied on in angela

aa well aa of demona, the aoid'a immovtality, and the Laat

Judgment; aU tdiaoh nolioiia were important ftatnxea of Zoioaohame» and aie reoogniaed hj Joaephva aa equally aaaentinl porfcioiia of the Jewiah xeligion of hia own timaa.

aatei^a

1\>aU4ieaeideaB Hoaea in the allnaUm; and even to

Lawmakaa

not the lemoCaak

dtjB <A Jenuilam

tiie laat

BaddMoeea oontinaing peifeot Seonlaiirta: and

iind the

repreaented

tiieaa

the moat anoiant and wealthiaat frmiliei of the xaoa^ priding themaelTes on keeping the Law of Koaas pore and imdefiled from the foreign doofcrinaa imbibed by the majority dmnag the^

my hero

amongat the Gentilea.

It ia hardly naeaa

allude to the ingeuona thaoiy of Biahop Warborton, aet forth in '

The

bas-relief over the gato of tbo

separate wunthip, which in later timea

Ba|ilM«7. ftena (Ufii 0101017). poiiomlly rpg:nnle(l as a Mithmic mouomeot; and certainly it is difficult to explain the daa^n on purely

eoliiMed that of

waa much

Bnfama,

Smpb

over the older gods of Egypt. Jvptter over dm priuMfe

the

The

deHiei have oIIbb wtniwd the honourii of thoee of the first rank, OS Viflhnu and Siva in the case of

ChnMtiun f^rounds. 3 Mithras used to be iavoked to-

object of

hfaaedf; aiid

known tlmn

MMoJMy

gether with the sun, and fliu earne to be oonfoundod with tliat lumiiuiry

vfanee he beoame tiw

Omnnd

better

original to the peo(ile of the Weet.

Itelicbte.

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MrraSAIO MONUUXNTS. his " Divine Legation of Moses,**

who ooiiTerts this entire ciuiaioii

c£ all spiritualifim from his teaching into the fititmgeBt aignment insnpfiort of its direct inspiration from TTeaven. 0Tier ionrce derived,

natnre and

how

closely does this

But from what-

Magian idea of the

of Mithras coincide with the definition of the

office

Saviour** xiatnre given

by the author of the Epistle

the

HefarewB, a profound Jewish theologian, as being **the lungh^ ness (or rather the reflexion') of

ITi'h

glory,

imago (or model) of His peraon, and upholding

word

;

His power " and, again,

bettor thau the angels, as

excellent

The

as being

all

things

made

muoh

iMithraic rites bore a strong resemblance to

quently established in the Catholic Church, and

model also of the

by the

by inheritanoe obtained a

hatli

name than they"

and the express

many

subse-

the

su{>])lio<l

initiatory ceremonies observed in the secret

societies of the

Middle Ages, and by their representatives in

modem

The

times.

were admitted by the

l)elievor8

rite

baptism, they had a species of Encliarist, whilst the courage

and endurance of the neoj)hyte were tested trials calltd

Toiiure^,

])y

twelve consecutive

undergone within a cave constructed

for

the purpose, before ho was admitted to a participation in the

by Justin Martyr (Apol. 1.) " The Apostles in the commentaries written by themselves, which we call Gospels, mysteries.

The.su rites are alluded to

in the earliest notice of

them now

extant.

have delivered down to us how that Jesus thus commanded

them

jDo tiiia in

had given thank$* said,

this is

my body. And having

having taken bread after

commemoration of me ;

and ntnnad thanka be aaid, This is my blood, and them aloDa. 'Wbioh tiling indeed the evil spirits

takm a

dflliTaved it to

hava

tsnglit to

be done out of mimieij in die injstaries and

inttiatoay ritas of Uithtas.

bread

For in

wrifloe or act of

wonh^ of the

a thing which ye

either

TUa

rcdexion

Suprorno, in

tiiesa

a onp of

tvatar

and

set out, with the additikm of oeitsin wovds, in the

liis

Firwt

the

InvLaible

EmRnation, ia n Gaoetic

distiDgiufiiiiug I'euture of the

peiaon abont to be initiated,

know by I

peraonal experience or

may

dam

' ThiB expreaskn that the notion of blewiing or conBermtin<jj tho elements waa as jet unknown tu the

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UITHSAIC MONUMBirrBL

leam by

Again on

tnqiliiy/'

pervert the tratb, mimics the exact circumstances of

Sacram^ts that

in the mysteiiee of idols.

is to say,

new of ADS

his believen

soldiers

Divine

ho promises forgive-

initiates

them

into the

he thus marks on the forehead his ovra

;

ho there celebrates the

tlie

He himaftlf beptiaai 8Qm6|

and foUcrwers

from the sacred fomi^ and thus

religion of Mithras

this point Tertiillian in tlxe

oentory has (Pnescript.) " The Devil, whose business

oblation of "bread

;

he brings

the symbol of the Kesurrection,' and wins the crown with the

The

sword."

usage ho thns explains

last

" Blush, niy TJoman

fellow-soldiers, even if ye are not to be judged

any soldier of Mithras, who when he

Christ, but

undergoing initiation in

camp of the Powers of Darkness, when the him (a sword being placed between as if in martyrdom) and then about In Ik* set on his head,

the cave, the very icreaih is ofl'ered to

semblaTiee of

wanied

transferring

to put forth his

it to,

only crown

wreath

and

* ;

Mithras.

this is a

to his initiation, for

Mithras

crown

And

wreath away,

mark he is

mmc

time,

h.as for

a tost,

whenever

tried as

immediately proved to be a soldier of oflfered to

him, saying his

Let us therefore acknowledge the

who mimics

Older that be

jtush the

thenceforth he never wears a

he throws down the wreath

in his god.

the Devil,

hand and

perehiuice, his shoulder, saying at the

craft of

certain things of those that be divine in

may oonfomid and judge us by

the faith of his

own

But » dfapaanbnate ezammer will disoover that theee two aealom Faihen somewhat beg the question in assumfiiUowaB.**

ing that Hw MithTMo rites wece invented as oonnteKfeits (d the Cbristiaa Beoranients ;

tiie

fonner having really been in esistenoe Ghristiaiiily.

So ftr from

this

very good reason to

siispeot that

the

long before the pvomnlgation of

being the case, there

imply oommemorative or

by Christ himsell^ were aftarwaids invested wiHi the myatio and svpernstonl virtues. In a later age inmsted upon as articles of &ith. distinctive rites institated

Meaning, no donht, Hut dmida. and of refltoration to life oxpreesed by the ooipae under the hone's feet^ so often deptoled on then *

tion of death

atoDfla

WUeh mm flw imfvenal

of the

cwhira

ancients at

all feattvalit SO being without one was in

that

the

itaelf

a most

distincttTe

badge of «n-

SeeFkten.!.

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MITUKAIC MONUM£NT&

SDOoeeding and mttorapuloiu mifwionaffaa

Mger to cmflnd fhe

attraotkoB of more anoieat oemmoniea of a oognate oharaoter.

Ibtmhy tliej

offered to the (xmTert, thimigh ihe fiilfUineiit as

were of certain magioal oeremoniea^ all thoae q[dxitaal advaniagea of wliioh the xHea themaelTee were originaUj designad it

as the symbols, not the instromsnti.

In the partioaJaza thai have oome down to ns of the oelehration of ihsse IGthzaio aanamenia, certain sjngnlar analogies

The "bread** nsed was a romtd

arrest oar attention.

emblem of the

cake,

and termed Ihe JBtd, in whioh woid Seel detects the el^mologj of the name JBim' appUed to the ** Bloodless saarifioe," ibr this Miad was certainly the prototype of the Host» whicb is oinmlar sokd of the same Avmpon^nrft^, ^nie ** cop " or ohaUce frnqpeaOj is Bgmed standing on the Mldw^tit altar, or mther **laU9;* and a onrioos piece of jngglsiy in ito employment is recorded by Epiphamns (Heeres. xxdt.). In the solar disk,

cdebration of the Enohsrist bj the Ifaroosii (a semi-Christian

made of tbe

sect) three vases

These were

filled

clearest glass .were introdnoed*

with white wine which, during the progress of

the rit^ instantaneonsly changed into a blood-red purple and

bine odour respectively.

Magos as Spiphanins

"Then

the officiating minister, or

styles him, hands one of these vases to a

lady in the congregation and reqnesto her to bless it

done he poors out of it into another

The

from

ptipiilar derivation

Mism

concludiug wohIh of the sorabsurd in the extreme. It is the object aacrifloed that gbw Hb to the lito (Meoidinj^ to the rule in such cases':, and this tlie

vice, " Ite, truBstv est," is

nMm

object, the Wafer, file

AmMb,

has ever been sfyled

fbe vioiim, hi

Hefanv

Me$tah. The first convertB, as ynH as the Gnostics, were fond of naturalisiog

Hebrew words, and nppljring them to ovm ciL^toms. Thus F'hafe is tlie

their

tcnn

for the "

" In bac meniia

Morum

nora>

Old

GawmoL"

Irgiit

I'Eacba novi R«gls

J 'Kate vetus tenninat"

The Latin term

Misw "

a neater

Whioh

we of mvob greater capaoilgr.

noun ; in

itself

a eomplclu refutation TheBabbilui tradition, mid a true

ofthavnlgtfdatiTBtion.

have preserved a

one, for onoe, of the origin of the

Wafer.

AlpbiaiMiBdefiiite, in

Fortaliciiim Fidei

IT.

sjiys that its

droular form is a symbol of the Son, and flMl it if oAnd to tlie gonial of that luminary as a Tictim. For the

Talmudists hold that Abraham and the Prophets were inspired by the genius of Saturn, a good and pan Imt Jesus by that of Mi-miry, Kpirit a malevolent one ; and the C'hrifitiiin icUgiin -was the w«di «f JiqiMer, Her^ niry, nnd the Sun, all rtmiiMng Iq. getber for tbe purpose. :

MITHBAIO HONUXBim.

with the prayer, *Maj the grace of Qod, whioh.u above all, inronceivable, inexplicable, fill thy inner man, and aufi^ont tho knowledge of ITim within thee, sowing tho c^in of imistardseed in good ground.'

"Whereupon the

BweUs and swells

until

The worship

runs over

much

and, doubtless,

Jerome, writing to Lseta, says CJracclius, n

held the

name

the larger vase

Kumo under

few

the

longer in the remoter After

of the eemi-indepcndent provinces.

districta

bum

liijuor iu

brim."

of j\Iithras b)Tig survived in

Chri.stiiin emjierors,

tlie

yeui-s

a.m.

400t

ago your kinsman

the very echo of patrician nobility,

when he

of Prefect of the City, did he not upset, break, and

office

the Cave of Mithras, and all those monstrous images that in llie

8er\'ed

initiatory

rite.s, tlio

figures of Corax,

Soldier, tho Lion, the Persian, Helios,

ijjhus,

the

and Father Bromius?"

In the representations hero enumerated we recognize symbols constantly occurring upon the

The raven serpent

garb

;

the

Corax

;

armed man

mm,

in ;

the lion

exprcoaod eiHier

Uie eight-rayed star; taA

^thrt

monuments under

Niphns, Chneph

Bromiw,

;

consideration.

the

lion-headed

the youth in the Persian

Sol in his quadriga, or by tiie JBfarar,

«b appropriate

of the GiecBan Dionysus; the aolir deity under his

Indian aspect, the Aaiatio Fhanaoea; idio appean as a jonft

iimatedwi&fheattrilrateBof ApdOoaiidBaod^ GhiflelfagBm (fig. 62) may on good grounds be explained as a potue of these mthxaio initia, and in it all ibe above-mentioned fignrss and sgrm-

bdbmsybedisoovored.

Two seipeiitsereotfoiniasortof finme

to the oonq Kisition, at Ihe top of wbioh we sse the basts of Sol and

Lima &oe to Cmjo, between them an eagle with expanded wings, at the back of eaob a raven. In the field are two crowned, naked men on borsebaok, trampling npon two dead bodies; between them a kneeling figore in the sttttode of sopplieation, over whose head appear two

stars. Behind each horseman In the exeigoe is set out a table eapporting a roe (a Baochio attribute), a ohalioe, a sword, and some-

stand two soldiets.

losf^

thing

indisfcinot,

bat seemingly intended fat the wreath spoken

The reverse of the stone presents a more two crested seipents (dnoonee) twined abovt wands and looking into a oap ; two stsrs over a table rneting of

Tertnllian.

simple design

MITHIIAIU MO.NUMEKTS.

Upon • hzger nikiing

^raae;

and an

In MtrpentB* IiMdi.

eaoli

Bene,

nde • bow, it

MMna

the end* tenni-

to mn,

an indioatod

oomage (the Twelve Degrees, or Tortarea, aa Soidas teana them) to which the neophjto waa aaljeotod, exaoUy, thoo^ in much Beverar reality, aa ia the ''^vprantioe'' op. hia aflmiarion into a Maaonio Lodge amongrt ooiaehrea. Dning ibia probation, wbioh laatod fortjf dagSf the neophyte waa teafced by the fimr elementB : he lay naked a oeriaiu nnmber of nights upon the anow, then waa aoomged Theee Twelve Triala are aoa^ptand fnr the apaoe of two days. oertam amongBt fhe aataAtUahed

trials of

on the border of the fiunons Mithraio baa>relief pawaar v ed in the Tnuaemn at Innqumok; and similar scenes are discovered by Von irammer in certain mysterious carvings atill existing in the

Templar ohnrdiea, figured In

anon.

otor

gem

in his elaborate essay of whioh

mysterious host of Mithras so remoraeleealy

all the terrific or

by the aealona Qzaoohua.

destroyed

the kneeling candidate ia aorronnded

Another ciromnatanoe

denoted by the two oospees trampled upon by the crowned

horsemm refers

—the

one recorded

among the other mad sake of inspiring

murder

terror,

—

for

oonrage

Lampridius mentions,

Commodus,

freakH of

Mithraic ceremonies, where the

test of the neophyte's

apparent approach of death

certain thing

ho polluted

that,

was

tln>

during the

to be

rites

done

by a

for reoi

" an cxpres-sion which clcjirly shows that a scenic roprouf stich an act entered into the proceedings.'

sentotion

raven properly takes

its

sun-gcnl of the IlcUenio

The

place hero as an attribute of Apollo, the

mythol(^, whence

it is

often engraved

seated on his lyre.

But the doctrines

as well as the rites of this religion can be

more intelligibly explained as we review certain monuments displaying

in the

f>in<li<lat<',

Uuulage

them

either

modem

ordered

ritOb

direct representation or symbolically.

wlwe

the

remove tlm a uum-

hia eyee, sees

ber of

modi potaM

threiifcnintr

in the nx»t manner iwriUki at his

lUTHBAIG TAUBIIAN8.

MITBBAIO TALISMANS. Mithraic gems are for the

most part earlier

than

date

those emanating from the Alexandrian Cinosis, and in no

connected with

doctrinrs.

its

T.ittlo

inspection in separating the two classes, the former being

by the superiority of

their style,

way

diftienUy will be foUTid

marked

and yet more so by the absence

of the Eg}'ptian symbols smd the long Coptic legends usually

accompanying the beat period of

perceive

how

Indeed,

latter.

Roman

art, tlie

many

them belong

age of Hadrian

;

and

it is

to the

easy to

the worship of Apollo gradually merged into that

of his more spiritual Oriental representative, as the religions of

Indian origin began to get the upper hand throughout the

Empire

—religions essentially speculative, and relating professedly

to the matters of the other

to the old

Weetem

world and Hie Invisible, so

notions, active, xnaterialistio,

themselTes only about

tlie

Preaent and the Yisible.

Aoooiding to the oonstant

mie

conti-aiy

and oonoemiug

as to the material aeleoted for

taliamana, the Jasper, green, mottled, or yellow, ia almott exolti-

sMy

employed for the inti^ conneoted with Ibe Uithnio which take the plaoe of PhoelraB and his attribatea in the woxis of the aeoond and third oentoriea. To judge from their ideaa,

good execution, the

fliBt

many of these intagjli date even from the time of

OoBsan, and tfaua form, as

the innumerable hoet of Gnoetio

were, the introduction to

gemiiB

amidit whose harbariam

the glyptic art of the anoienta e^jurea.

In their origin they

spring from the Fenian doctrinee ao widely difEhaed throuj^umt the

Boman world under

the Middle Empire, which

tang^ the

exduaiTe worship of the geniua of the Sun, the fountain of B^t

a notion philoeophioally true, if indeed the vital principle A focm of eleotnoity* Ab we Flatoniata, like Hacrobioa, laboured hard to make out the mul-

andlifo:

Irak

titudinona deities of the old religions, wherever eatabiiahed, to

he merely

epithets and expressions fur the

various characters.

same divinity

in bia

This they did to accommodate the old-

eatabiiahed ideas to the overpowering influence of the Buddhistio tfaeoBophy,

which taught that the innumerable

deities of the

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MITHBAIC TALISMANS. ffindoo mydiologf vera

MuuBM for liie «B0igiM of theFSart

Tnad in its niooMdve vralan or nmniftuhrtioPB to the wvdL Eulieit amongpt iheM

dodgn

ihe Lion, the Son'i Homia

Mtroloeioilly speakiiig, mnronnded vitii iten, holding in hig

jacwB

hall's

head; or trampling on Iho seipent, hete

tiie

ainbism not of wisdom, as £»ni«rlj, hot of the Evil Piindple.

For in

from the East, where poison

all notions ftmsnating

the Qhaiaotexistio qnslity of the seipent-xaoe^

been adopted as the most proper symbol of the in the

Wes^ where

tlie

raco

Destro

meet

lor the

is,

animal has

tiiis

er, whilst

part, innoownis,

and a mere object of wonder, it ever has symbolized wisdom and eternity (fircmi the popular belief in its yearly renewing its youth by the casting off its slough), hence the attribute of Apollo and Eeoiilapius and in the Gothio oreed ¥"d»"g together ;

the whole uniTerse in Again,

its

perpetual embxaoe.

we hare Mithras

himself,

a yonth in Persian

attire,

plmiging a dagger, actmren, the national weapon, into the throat of a prostrate bull

and the si^ns

the whole surrounded

;

by the

tion of Mithraic idea.s and Hymbols that has ever

notice

tho intaglio

engraved on a very wide.

the Bull, whose

tail

i.s

by Caylus (Roc.

terminates in three w'hoat-cars, mul between :

beneath

fir-tree

(which in

its

the

lion

and death.

shape represents a flame'),

against which are fixed torches, one j»uinting up, tho

down, emblems of the rising and of one

again

tli*^

a torch, pointing each in opposite directions. is

other

At the Above ejvch

setting sun.

a scorpion, of the other a bull's head.

principal group

It is

two inches long by one and a-half

the serpent, creature of darkness

fcttrangling

come under

vi. PI. 84).

the usual type of Mithras slaughtering

depends a vast scorpion

his hind legs

each side

fip:;Tm'(l

fine agate,

In tho centre

sun, and moon,

But the most complete representa-

of tho ZfKliac.

side

tree

The

flanked by Apollo in his <]uadriga, and Diana

Above the whole stand two winged figures entwined with serpents and leaning upon long sceptres, between whom in her biga.

A pine-oone was adopted from the

mort andeat

tn^

tiroes fur tlio

nd thenAm

emblem

appears hald.bj

certain

Aa^liia godl in

Msulptures. )

file

wtift

mTHRAIO TALI8MAN&

•re tbree flamet, besides four more at the aide of ibe rightJund

maTcmg np the

figure,

to the planete.

fiacred

number, aeven

;

her knees before the left-hand winged ligure to be protected this elaborate

or perhi^B alliunre

naked female, snnounded by ten

by the talisman

stars, is

— praying for purification.

composition bo fully

—evidently the soul

interi:)reted, it

Could

would doubtless

be found to contain a suiumarv of the Mithraic creed

;

but the

legends preserved in the Zendavesta supply a sufficient explanation of some portiouH, wliilst others derive light from a comparison with larger monunietifs of the same class.

giving

when

destroyed by Ahriinan.

up by the

her ]>eams, parents of ]>ion

sprang from the

pluntij that

carried

ITius the

terminating in wheat-ears expresses the

Bull's tail

all

The

tail

life-

seed of the same animal was

IzchIk (genii) to the niuon,

was formed by Ormuzd

where, pimfied in a

into

new

the creatures of earth, air, and water.

hangs between the hind legb

fifty

of the Trimeval I'ull

in the part of the

jiair,

The

the

scor-

body under

the influence of that Sign, lor Mauilius says

« Tha ilai7 Soaiptn ia the frsfe dflU^ r

and

this particular

connexion

serpent lying below does Winter.

Manilius

(iv.

217)

Autumn,

typifies

The reason

the

thua given by

" With fiery tail when Scorpio threatens war, Whilat throujxh tlit- ^'tar^^ hv f^nulcH the solar

CV;

Ue searches earth with pouettutiug rays, And Ilia adxad ned deep ia to ftmma iqra.**

The Torches

raised

and lowered signify the East and West.

the round altar of the Villa Borgheae ( Winok.

the bust of

Luna appears r^ing on a

Mon. Ined. PL 21)

crescent above an aged

head, in front £M)e} with crab's claws springing out of his fore-

head

or Oceanus,

;

The bust

symbol, the eight^rayed

flambeau

;

star,

of the Rising Sun, with his usual in front, resta

another lowered towarda the gronnd.

upon an elavatad upon

that of the Setting, looking downwards, rests

Or**LiJb'*iNnanffled:

The serpent winding four

Oa Zand havi^ but one aaiae te toO.

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lOTHBAIO TALffiMAHS. tiniM ftioniid the youth

may ngnify fbe Son's annual

reTolntion,

« maaning rendered evident by » iono of Mithna found at Ailaa, in which the Zodiacal signs ara placrd rtween the folda of the serpent. The Lion and the Rayen stand for the attendant I

rites the superior

for in these

piieats;

officials

wora atylad

Idtnu; the inferior, Batetu ; hence the litea themaelvet «ra

oAen

designated as Leonttca and Coracica.

The fibres, the planets, and the genii presiding over them, are nnmbcr Seven ; a number the moat sacred of all amongst the

But of the seven,

Persians.

an especial manner,

three are constantly

three are. the Firo of the stars, that

Anaid

— the

Firo of (he 8un, or the Fire Mihr^

GitJthtaiij},

nnmbcr

Anaitis in a

Now

wards.

— the Fire

uj)iter.

of the

The worship

or that of Anahid, figures as a very ancient

Zend books

woi-sliip in the

These

the planet Venns, called

lightning, or the Fire BtTsiov, the planet

of the Fire

represented in

most anciently adored.

as those

luid the Sh.ih

Nanieh, just as that of

Greek authors from TTerodotns

Mitra,* the feminine of Miihias,

doASTi-

and Anahid are

one and the same goddess; or the Chiming Star, a female genius, presiding over love, giving light, and directing the harmonious ,

movement

of the other planets

by the sound

strings whereof are the solar rays. his golden hair" (Creuzer,

Keh de

of her lyre, the

Apollo's lyre, strung with I'Autiq.

ii.

7;»1).

In this

statement we find the reason for the division of the Fires in Caylus's agate into two groups, the principal one consisting of

the three most ancient, the subsidiary one of the other four.

In the oft-repeated group of Mithzaa aaonfioiug the Bull, hia piaraing the thioatt with hia dagger signifiea the panetaitioii

the adar aatare licking

into

nooiiahed; the

up the Uood aa

hy which aetion all laat idea being eipnawd by the dog it flowa from the wound. The aiga

boaum of the

aorift,

Oapriooan, ao often introdnoed, denotaa the neoeaaity of moiatiixia

TUs k

Undere

;

wluch

simile of " the

with healing *

Penkna at fint wonhipped only the Mm, mooa, and sloiMBli^ bat had

Winged Disk ao frette Aajnian of-

the

Ken upon

quently

ty[n

ban

cxjilain.'^

of Bi^phteousDMB

m ki$ wbig$.''

BMotas

(L 181) asys flMt

learnt from the Ass^TiaoB the worHhip

the :

Yeans Urania, whum they called lUln. tfaa Mylitta of the Ansyrians of

fha

AUMs cv Ahkt offtfas Aialte.

MITHBAIO TAUgKANS.

to co-operate with the sohr influence in bringing about the

germiaatioD of Ihe

wed

sown, whilst the scorpion, in

above alluded

fioant ponition,

FraqiMiitly this p^-oup

noted animals

depioted

by a host of the

enclosed

a.s

its signi-

the generative heat.

Egypt, arranged by threei^ crocodiles, goats,

to, typifies

hawks, and roltoree, wtanding around in attitudes and gMsmg on the operation of thor sapnme head,

calves, ibises,

of adoration,

MithniH.

Mithraic bas-reliefs cut on the faces of rocks or on stone tablets still alx)imd in the countries formerly the western pro-

Homan Empire

vinces of the

and

in France,

;

many

in this island

exist in

Germany,

thoy have often been

still

ilisi

vored, on the lino of the Picts' W'nU, and the noted one at ilath.

Inasmuch

as Bel,

tlie

Semitic JSun-goJ, was the great divinity of

easy to 8ce what a ready acceptance the worsliij)

the Druids,

it is

of his moro

rcfiiu

d Persian equivalent would

when once intnxluced by the lioman many of them Orientals. races

Though

the

modem

liiul

amongst Celtic

troops

and

coloniflts,

I'arsoos, like their forefathers in the

days

of Herodotus, abhor idols and representations nf divine things,

yet they retain traces of the ideas above expressed in scnlptnre, in their veneration for the dog,

animal.

Tavornier

(i. 4*X'>)

still

esteemed by them a

says of the

(

iuebres at Sunit

have another strange custom, when a person death, to take a little dog and put

they perceive he

upon

is at

sjiered

— " They

the point v{

When

his breast.

at his last gasp, they apply the dog's muzzle

make it bark twice when in this make the person's soid enter into the

to the dying man's mouth, and position, as if they

dog,

meant

which they pretend will deliver

angel appointed to leoeive it

it Into the

Moreover,

hands of the

a dog happens to

of the town, and pray to God en behalf of oamon, as thong^ the hmte's Kml could derive any

die, they carry it out

thiB pieoe of

advantage from

tiieir

prayers after its death."

analogy, it may he ooigeotaied that

flowing

Uood

Intended

foot

Ae dog

Following tide

licking

up the

the vehiole nS departing

ball's

The a lofty

life.

Paiaees at present expose their dead on the nmniit of

tower, to be devonred by tlie htrds akne ; Imt nnder the SasBHilan

monarol^ it was the nde to lay them on the groond,

be oon-

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MTHBAIO TAUSlfANS. smned by dogs,' a mode of conquered nations,

all

fnr

funeral tlicy endeavoured to enforce ou

they viewed aa sacrilege

corpses in the bosom of the earth

with the sacred element, Fire. t(>

;

still

tlic

placing

more the consuming them

This idea -seems above

all otlu.rs

have scandalised the narrow-minded Bvztmtines, the historian

Agjathias in particular expressing his indignation at the Persian

usige of casting their dead to the dogs, whatever their rank, as iu the case of the great satrap, Mermoroes, exposed naked in tho fields to

be so devuurt

If the dogs rejected the carcase, this

wua looked on by the survivors

as the worst of uniens,

8ure token of tho damnation of his soul.

more decency make

The

Parsees,

and the

who with

the raven (an equally sacred creature) their

sexton and sepulchre iu one, derive a similar augury from

observing which eye tiie

is firat

attacked by the bird* iha

f^t being

sign of lalvwlloii, thB left of tiie vevevae.

Then is a talisman, whkh, ftom its fteqwokt repetition, would seem tD be a badge of some paitionlaT degree amoogit the nutiated, perhaps of the first aflmiosion. A maaWiiWHMflad, with hudfl tied behind his baok, is boond to a pillar, on whibh stands a giyphon holding a wheel ; tiba latter a moat aaoieiit emblem of the smL Probably it was in this manner that the oandidate was '

tested

by the i^^""***

^ imminent death when the handaff$ wat

nUtnfy nmcmdfnm hit After passmg viotoriooaly ihroi^ the ofdeel, the neophyte was nmitd in some indelible manner, the exact nature of which cannot now be aaoertained. The ei pioaaious of Augustine (In Johan. I. Bis. 7) lead us to ooneLude two things : first, that the engraved stones we have been oonsidering were given to the oandidate on tibeanooQSBftil flonelnsion of his probation, aa a token

of admission into the btrotheihood, and fbr a means of xeoQgnitioii

between

its

members; and, aeoondly, that each penon, on ad^

1 This VBS oaciyiiig out to the fUlMt eotent a fttf aaoieot priuciple.

Feisiaoa. file kfllii^

140^ from his own kuuwlc'd'^ that the cnq^so of a Magus

Ik rrKlotiu

ooald not be buried until it had boen atlMhed hf lone bml, or a dog; and

the

MBS

tiM npoilBd of the other

The Magi alao rogaided of a dog ud a nuun as

eqiially crimiiuil.

aiatc-i (i.

' |

the

In the example given by Raspo mgnificant motto, AIKA1X12,

**jull7,*' I

isaagiafedhiliieflald.

lOTSSAIO TALI8MAKB. misBion,

and

was marked with a

secret mark, stamped in his flesh, " Something of the kind has been copied by a

indelible.

in that he will

certain spirit,

blood, because he to be

redeemed

knew

]>y

shoAvs that this

that

have

his

own image purchased with

mankind were some time or another

the shedding of blood."

mark was not

The

and the same conclusion may be drawn from

word

the

-j^apayfia, engraving,

not

the badge of 6er\'itude, which

Beast "having horns like a

were forced

St.

John's use of

ariyfrn, hrand-rnark, to

all

lamb'.s,

to receive either in

palm), or upon their foreheads.

last expression

burnt in, but incised or tattooed

express

the subjects of ihv Second

and speaking

like a dragon,**

their right liauds

The author

(i. f.

on the

of the Apocalypse

probably had the Mithraicists in view in penning this allegory,

we may

yet

bo certain that the members of a

seci-et

society did

not receive the mark of momberKhip on any consfncmus part of the body.

Here

also

tlio

tjame necessity meets us, as in ever}'

portion of our subject, fur placing the origin of all hucIi sectarian personal

marks

in India, the true fount either directly or

indirectly of all the ideas and practices of Gnosticism. votaries of the several deities are

still

There the

distinguished

by Uie

proper symbol of their patron-god stamped upon their forehead,

ton, not Uood, bat in llie adiet of ooir dung, powder of moBul wood, or ooloimd eorilie, daily tmtiweA. with them an eqnilateiil triangle with tfao apex Tnawimfflh iipwaida ia the qrmbdl of Tin, it m»j be ooiyeetared that the in a milder

tiie

Mitliiaio

yvpay^ waa the

nme simple ton.'

Bnt theae Hindoo

Molerian eigna will be ibUy dieoaased nndsr the heed of ^ Maeon'a

Mvka.'*

The seven stars so oommon upon these gems probably have more than a mere allusion to the planets, and may denote the Seven Amahsapsnda, the highest order in Zoroaster'a oelestial hiezarohy, and the Seren Spirits of God amongat the later Jews, whenoe the Christians

later still obtained their **Septitoiiis

mnnere* as* an epithet of the Spiritns Sanotos. Their names and attribotea are, Qrmnad, sooroe of life and creation; Bahman,

SonpoHa^sMasNBlttal saeh tmi llis

Egyptitin symbol fir

OalfooB kas

been ahvady notioQd.

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A ROMAN MITHRAS king of the world metjils

;

IN HIS CHAPEL.

Ardibehoslit, giver of firo

;

Sapandomad

(the

(

JnoHtio Sophia),

;

Sliahrivar, of the

queen of the Earth

Kordad, presiding over time and the seasons

;

Amerdad, over

Of these the chief arc Bahnian, Ardibehesht, Below tliese are the Izeds, twenty-

trees and plants.

Shahrivar, and Saj)andouiad.

Beven in number, presided

Ized there

Mithraa, who rule the To each Am.shaspand and

over bj

heavenly bodies and the element«.

a corresj bonding evil spirit, his constant opponent,

or seven Axch-Devti and twenty-seven Devs.

A BOMAN MITHSAS IN HIS OEAFEL. Flaminius

\'acca.

No. 117.

rtiiniuber ilu-rv was fuund in

the vineyard of Sig. Ortizio Miiti (where the trwisure was discovered), opposite S. Vitalo, an idol in marble, about 5 jmlma

high (3i ft), standing erect upon a pedestal in an empty Arcnmd him were many chamber, with the door walled up.

Utde lamps in tem-ootta» aet with fhalr asmaSm towards the SdoL fllik had alWa ]Mad»*aiid ttiexeatof ihebodythat ofa man. Under his feet was a globe, wbmot sprang a eeipent whloh eaioompaasod all Uie idol, and its liead entered into Ins mooili. He liad lua handa onMaed i^on the Ineaat: a key in each, four wingi ftatened npon ihe ahonlden, two pointing npwaida» two downwaida. I do not oonaider it a vetj antique work, lieing done in a rode manner; or peAapa it ia ao ancient that at tiie time it wm made the good atyle waa not yet known. Big. Oiniio, however, told me that a thedogian, a Jeanit Fbther, eiqplained Ha meaning, aajing it aigniiied the Deyil, who in the timea of heathenism ruled orer the wodd; hence the hie ftet; the aexpent

month, his

Ibiretelling

{^be vnder

which begirt him and entered into hie the flttore wifli ambigoona responaea; the

k^j* in hia handa^ hie aoyereign^ over the world ; the head, the

Una

mler of

all beaata.

was Jenme's

mios,' the Roarer, a

who fimght imder

title

Pbter Broor Biicclins.

this di<gui«e ia the

War cf the QiMiti^ M Hones teoribai him:

Ihe wingi

lion'a

signified his preeonoe

8EBAPI8.

Such was the version given by the aforesaid

everywhere. Father.

have done everythint;

hut

to see the idol,

Sit^.

Oiuzio

being now dead, his heira do not know what has bo< uiuu of not unlikely that by the advice of the

It is

may

Orazio it

liave sent

some Ume^hiln

cure

had been buried many mid many a year." I'antlit

fe^iring,

conceited bigot,

said idol, in the

girdle

wa.s this

118.

but the

downwards clad

rest of the

in a thin veil

in ba.s relief,

body a man's

from the

;

having the arms extended,

;

a torch; with two wings pointing upwards, two

downwuidfl, Ikom between wUidi sprung a serpent. right,

most

enieml>er that after the afore-

same place was found another, but

lion's head,

in each hand

(hiwpncss, for

Its

Thus

us destroyed, through the stujtidity of a devil-

curious

with a

it.

theologian, Sig.

an alter with

fire

;

from the aaid

idol'e

At fm

manlh. prooeeded %

Ae fire."

xibbon or seroU, eaEtending over

SERAPIS. Tha next greet ftmSly of numnmente are

those ooimeoted with

the wonihip of SeraioB, that mjsterioiia deily, aevexal

had

who under

tana, dnring the fixit end eeooa^

and

entirely veozped the honoore of hie brother Jiq»tter,

redneed him to the rank of a mere planetezy genive,

who

generality of the deities

figure

his

en^iie,

UaHke the

on the Gnosiio stones,

behmg to the primitive Egyptian Mythology. Hie worship was, it may be said, only coeval with the city of Secapis does not

Alexandria, into whioh it first

was introduoed from Sinope by the

Ptolemy, in ooneequence of the command, and the repeated

threats, in oeee of

n^lect, of a vision.

fruitless negotiation,

Ptolemy

Scythotherius, king of Sinope

After three years of

at last obtained the statue

from

the citizens refusing to let it go,

;

a report was spread that the god had found his way spontaneously from the temple harbour.

The

down

prevalfent opinion

the Egyptian ships in the

amongst the Trreeks waathatitrc-

CAidonous), and

prcscntod

Jnjtiti r Dif^

serpine.

Tlie latter the £]gy]»tian envoys

vision to leave in

xitn.

Another

been introduoed later, and from

llir

storj-

iSeleucia,

iigure at his side, Pro-

was

were ordered by the statue

had

by i'tolemy ill., but

this

tliat

tlie

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SBRAFIS. on slighter authority.

rests

was Timotheus, aa

At)iciii:in

Eumolpid, and hence by hereditary right royal diviner, who had indicated Fontos as the abode of the

unknown

divinity that

hfd

appeared in a dream to the king, and bid him send to fetch himself

The

without telling where.

which

youthful,

tallies

Sinopio god (Tacitus,

but

ill

figure of the apparition

IV., 84).

ITist.

veritable Crlnhna, on the reverse of lion, cxeciitcHl at

was

with the majestic maturity of the

The Helios Dionysus, a

rhamaces

gold medal-

II.'s

Sinope in the next centiixy, agrees better with

this description. 8]><'t'(lily

now home,

did Serapis Iwx'ome the great god of his

and spoculations as philosojilicrs of

to his nature busied

Alexandria down to the

the ingenuity of the

latest

times of Paganism

;

every ctmflicting religion also endeavouring to claim him as the

grand representative of their

Macrobins

o^^^^ idea.

litis

preservx'd

one of the most ingenious of these materialistic inteiftretations

"The

(Sat. I., 2(3).

city of Alexandria pays

worship to Serapis and

Isis;

an almost frantic

yet all this veneration tliey prove

but offered to the Sun under that

title, iHitli

their plaeiiig tho

c*'m-measuro up<m his head, and acctmipauying his statue by the figure of

an animal with three heads.

the largest

a lion's

;

that

which

ritAis

the central and

these:,

on the right

a peaceful and fawning attitude ; whilst the

left

terminatee in the head of a la'vening wolf.

a dog's, in

part of tho neck

All these animal

limnB are ocmneoled together by tha wreathed hody of a serpent,

whioh

laiset his

head vp towprds the god's

whieih side fhis monster is plaoed.

hand, on

The lion's head

Present^ beoaose ils condition between the Past and is

strong and feirent.

Tbe Past is

signified

lypifieB flia

the

Fntore

by the wolfs head,

beoanse the memory of all things past is snatohed away from ns

and utterly consnmed. sente

The symbol of

the

&wning dog

repre-

Fntoie^ the domain of inoonstant and flattering hope.

Bnt whom should aathor?

Past, Present^ and Fntore serve except their His head orowned with the eakdknu typifiek the height

of the planet above ns, and his all-powerfbl d^Munonsness, since

nnto him tiiat

all things earthly

ho emits.

Moteorer,

rotnm, being drawn np by Ihe heat

when Nieocreon, hang

Qypmsi oon*

BBRAFIB.

which of the gods he ought

fmlted Serapis aa to

be held, be

tLwrMponded: '

IK-nce

A god I am soflh I show to thfie, Tim starry Heovens my hend, my trunk the Se«» Earth forms my feet, mine ears the Air sopplie^ The Sanli feMaitiag, IvilliMil mg«. ndae tjta.*

it is

appun

show

All this, however,

New

})eculiar to the firet

rows

ot"

the

udders,' to

by the perpetual nourish-

but the ingenious refinement of the AlexJis it is

with

riatouisui.

tlie

It is

introduction into Egypt,

Dis, or Aidoneus, the ])rovtj

TTenoc

Sun.

tlic

I'luitiiiuous

Eartlj or Nature.'*

andiian Greeks, tinctured

his

sultjected

covered with

that the universe is maintained

ment of the

so uiiivi rsally ^\•orshippod, is cither

Ikih,

Earth, or Nature, as

the

goddess's lx>dy

and of the Sun

that the nature of Serapis

iit

one and indivihiblo.

syrab(dic interpretation

evident that the god, on

was regarded

god of the bhmles.

as identical witJi

IJnt

his

have been of Indian origin, and no

attributes otlier

than

Yoma, "the Loul of Hell," attended hy his dog Cerharu, "the Spotted," styled Trikaaa,

His name

StutlM.* titles,

"the

three-hflAded,'*

bat the Cfamoiaed

and his serpent

tarn, of

one of Tama's

Ar-4HUb, «*IiOid of die ObaeqiiUB*'or aaorifioea (Sradab)

made to the Pin or Manei. TaaM,a]ai>»i8llie*«LoidofSoii]a»'' and the ** Judge of the Dead,* anoHiear obaraoter aammilating him to Serapia in the light in which the latter came to be anbaeqnaiitly regarded ; a point to be treated of in alao

derivation of the

tiilea, Sri-pa, **the

fttnUe one. Ulyaaea*

name

Blood-dxinker,*'

It ia aopported

mode of evoking

ita fitting plaoe.

There ia

Serapia from another of Tama'a

and cm aone aoooonta » preHonker^a old tradition aa to

the ghoata, and their eagemeaa to lap

the victim'a blood (Od. xL, 35). ra ft

It appenrs

fmm

fiHtft^

thin

biOB regjurdiid Isis aud

fj.ii\a

Kafivv artSttpor^naa

n^ m Vwftfum

ftt Vmttm lu ma

tlintMacro-

tlie

Ephesion

and the nme; te

flit

anoiont Egyptian goddess liad nif rely tlie

proper complement of a womau.

* Entiflad

" Oie

BagmtflrHUL"

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The Qxosnc Goanosr.

(BtllmiHUiu'a AdwiiMrth.) I

;

Fioin a cnit: arttml Mze.

byznntiix.- k*j;eud lor

+ Aytoi ayios

Koas

ipautB

; i

To/am

I'agttl.

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GoogU

SERAPIB*

Yama, aa Shidah-deva moimroh of

Patala, the infernal r^ions,

has for his consort Bhavuni, here entitled Patala-devi. earth ahe is Bhu-devi, in heaven Swar-devi.

be owns another dog, Sjfomu fhe medieval familiar

Uie Black one **

the

Beodea Cerbam (now we see why

the famous one of Cornelius

spirit, like

As the Judge

Agrippa's, chose this form to appear in).^

of Souls

he displays two countenances, the one benign, the other

terrific.

Another of his

titles is

Kal-antika or Destroyer of

Time

can

hardly be a mere accidental coincidence that icuXavriro should be

name f^iven to the head dress worn by the Eg]^'ptian priests when officiating in later times a puipio cloth covfii ing the bead and falling down the neck, and surmounted by two plumes. the

;

Kali-Bhavani, the Destructive Female Principle,

represented

in this her character with a head exactly agreeing witli the original

and most ancient typo

of the (irecian Gorgon, such as

see

guarding the Etruscan sepulchres, as in the notable example

still

the

tomb

the

tirst

eyes,

huge

this

only in

Yolumni, Perugia.*

tusks,

throat.

back

of the

concejttion,

wings

in the hair,

remembered

that in

a region of Africa.

of a tiger's lu^ad in

and asps twining about the the legend Perseus brings

tniphy from Ethiopia, or the

Ionian times that the

Formed

exhibits the same protruded tongue, glaring

fart host

East

name Ethiopia became

His weapon,

too,

;

was

confined to

the harpe, the gift of

Hermes (I'uddha), is precisely inform the ehangra or elephanthook, an attribute borne by so many Hindoo divinities. Even Phidias xetamed ihe original ^ype of the Gorgon, softened down it is

true;

llie

Mednsa's head, the exprassioii of expiring volup-

taoos Beauty, does not appear

perhaps

its first orastcff.

till

slier fhs times of Prazxtdsi^

SnJBoient ecqklaiiatioa here

Not to mention Fau.stu9'8 "puflel." Where it fbroks the ceatre of the eelKi^oraialaigv ofauabar.

l)eforo

nr.

why

Pevas-

r,m\ "behind Pdynices

Btauds a female having teslh aa fietoe-

Kwm

looUag aa a wild beasTa. and

flia

taken also for the tyjw of sc'v.^al c< linages at Fopoknita, Fuos, &c. Luciau an amakt gidnat lha Bvfl it

naila of h< r finp rs like unto talons; HkB iaachptiou over her, thty «ay,

what could be more potent fliaa the face of the Queen of Hell ? In that moat aDcient monument of OmlPait,tiieOaArorQrpadaa(iBacto

Her nao^

my wn ESjB

naeaaa

Ear

Fate)" (PaoMB. t. 19).

must hare been a foreign word, translated to Paoaaaiaa bj the ciutodian of the temple. therefore,

r 2

8BIUFIB.

Skyer) BboQld be assigned by the oldest Greeks as the partner of Aidoneiifl, and also why Ulyaaes dunild

phoneia (Doetroyor

have £Bared,

In the second oentniy the ^ynoretistic sects that had spnmg np in Alexandria, the Teiy hot'bed <^ Qncstioiam, found out in Serapis a prophetic type of Christ as the Lord and Creator of all,

and Judge of the living and the dead.

For the response to

Kiooereon shows that the philosophers at least ondentood Senqpls nothing more than the

whom mdverMl

Anima

Mundi,** that qpirit of

Nature was the hody, holding the doctrine of

the— ** One harmonimis wbolo WhoaebodyNAtoreiaMMlOodibeMaL''

•

Thus at length Serapis had heoome merely the idea of the Si^reme Being, whose manifostation vpoa Earth was the Christ In this manner are we to Tmderstand the onrioos letter of Hadrian to his friend Serrianns, preserved

hy Vapisons (Vita

Satoniini)

Those who woxahip Serapis are also Christians; even those

who

style themselves the bishops of Christ are devoted

Serapis.

The very

Patriarch

when he comes to Serapis, hy others to adore

himself

by some to adore is but one God for them all; him do the Christians, him do tiie Jews, him do all the GentilcR also worship." lliorc can be no donbt that the head of Serapis, marked as tho face is by a grave and pensive majesty, snpplied tlio fii-st idea for the conventional portraits of the Saviour. The Tigyjftt i^

Christ.

forced

There

Jewish ]^jadioes of the

first

convorf s wore so priwerful that

m iy

he Bare no attempt was made

to d. pict

until

8ome generations

had beheld

pasted away.

after all that

Nev(MtlKleK.s- the

tho pretended letter of Lcntuliis

to tlio

of the chief part thereof, although

iucredible as it

chnnsy

e^irth liad

Koman

learned

Senate, describing

to insert a literal translation its

monkisli Latinity elcarly

forpjerv of s^uu-

may seem, a

importance so long attached to

his persfmal appeiirance, induces

fjfamp.s it for a

His eountenaiioo

muu

nudii'val divine; yet, like Grjuasus has

been

Digitized by

Googl

8BRAPI8.

ao dazzled

his pious desire for it» authenticity

as to persuade

himself that Lentuhis, a Senator and a distinguished

hiKt<^rian,

could have written in the exact phraseology of a Franciscan

" Lcntulus, governor of the

pn'acher.

Homan

the Senate and

our

and

time.s,

who is whom his own and healing

exists,

still

Jesus,

People,

jjcople of Jenisaleiu, to

There has apjK^ared in

p^reetinp;.

Man

of great virtue

named Christ

by the Gentiles a 'Prophet of Truth/

ealL'd

ditciples call the

disojises.

man,

Son of (rod;' raising the dead,

iiidtcd, of lofty stature,

handsome,

having a venerahle countenanee, whieh the beholders can both love

and

fear.

Ills hair verily

somewhat hrightish and n sph up(m

his shoulders,

somewhat wavy and

curling,

tident in its {ulunr, (lowing

down

having a parting in the middle of the head

after the fashion of the

Xaauxnes.

forehead

flat

and

full of

calmness, without wrinkle or any blemish, which a slight tinge

of red adorns.

a beard

full

'I'iiu

nose and mouth beyond all blamo.

and ruddy, of the colour of his

forked; his eyes quick (variis) and brilliant. (Giynaeus, Orthodoxifti

rible^" Ao.

vcL i

Having

hair, not long,

In reproof

but ter-

p. 2.)

coloanl statue of Serapis was formed out of plaiee of

The

d^ennt metals* artfidly joined together, and plaoed in a ahiine oiownin|( the vnmmit of an artifioial hill ascended bj a hundred steps ;* a style of temple totally different from the natiTe Egyptian or Gveoian model, but eacaotly agreeing with that of the Hindoo pegoda, as the &mons one of Siva at Tsnjore. The popular belief

that to profhne tide statue would be the Big;Dal for

heaven and earth to &XL into their original chaos ; a notion bear-

"Fariont non tmdibM ndtas afamt in

Pliny jiutly obaervw, dettderia

larly

oompoied image in Nubodiadueo-

SM^ Dream;

fat his deioriptiao

nasi

mxd

haTe been penned long after the ooming of Serapb from Pontus, aa ia evident fiom the antlior's minute

liy

details

scrutinizing

b«'fvvf'«'ii

Honero

cvenit.

The winh

fiUber

to tho pfirtniit nf Uic voiierated object;

ilio odji])ritig is gludly accepted the loving soul withoat too cloecly its legitimMy ; fo MMttUl right in snyiug

" Qui* enini

<l.iniii.it

sua vota libcnt^r?

This statue probobly suggested to the Afcwandrian Jew-wfao-vnle the Btook cf Saaiel the ideaof Ow simi-

respecting the couataat

AutiuoliiiM Kpiphanes and Ptolemy Pliilometor, tuid the tinal intwrentioiD of th^ ' TIio viist interior was flividcd into

vaulted haibi, coutaiuiiig

ndrisa Lifaniy.

tho AleX'

MONUMENTS OF THE SERAPIS W0B8HIP.

WM the IdM ihia idol mte

ing teatnnoi^ to idiAi

Finillj,

howwer, ihcni^ hkt worahip had been tolerated long after thai of the other goda of I^grpt was aboUflhed, thia wonderfol eoloasaa was broken to pieces by "that perpetual eneujcff peace and Archbishop Theophilns, in the reign of Theodoaius.

virtue** the

Like that of

liithras, the

wonhip

was widely

of Serapis

Ammian remarks (xvi. 12) that Mederich, king of the Akmanni, had learnt, when ahoafcage in Gaul, certain Greek myateries, and h«d in conaegropoa cbanged the wune of diffused in the West.

bia aon Agenarich into Sen^pio,

MONUMENTS OF THE 8EBAPI8 W0B8HJP. Innumerable arc tho

them

and gems, many of

statues, bas-reliefr,

in the finest «t} lu of

Roman

art,

connected with the wor-

ahip of Serapis, a thing to be exported with regard to a divinity whose idea involved tlio two most powerful principles that t])e love of richos and the fear actuate the conduct of mankind

—

For the god of tho subten uK an world

of death. its

treasures

;

and

"Jovi rnstodi riuto

also

tho

tlius

gems

talihmans, very

e.0.C., "there

ZWN

Serapis"— EIC

Sen^l'*

al l^n

G. p. 83).

eONON,

One Living

G|C*

the

dud.'*

NIKA

Evil Eye,

expressed, as

"Baffle

the bust of

viated,

but one (iod, and

GEOC. "The

Often the intention of the amulet

CAPAniC TON

]*.

eommon

legend, either in full or

©eOC CAPAniC,

k)rd also of

the title of Ju[)iter Stygins.

servinjj; for

tho

find an altar dedicated to IMuto an

genio thesaurorum " (Winek.

known by

Serapis with

or in the singular example given by Caylus, where

the god stands accompanied by Venus, and the legend

XPHMATICMON.

divine command,

testifies

KATA

that thia

type had been engraved in consequence of a vision or oracular

intiuu^n.

What was

Aronud

his bust,

UTidcrstood hy thv nninc

Serafua is moiti

folijr

set

Ba^MTsfllaiM^lIa 1480:

CAMDIO AnON ONOMA

furth

lie

2CVO

on a jasper in the former ANATOAH xewN. ISerapb,

The

Fnwn

sole Japiter.

Holy Haxoe, Ghory, Ligh^ ~

Um Day •Spring,

CAMW ««KC

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19.

^too.

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HONUMBNIS OF THE BERAFIB WO^HIP. Cabinet (convincing attfKtation of his supremacy),

prajer

^YAACC£

able stamp of the age

find the I

merely

Such invocations bear the immistake*

when

the old liberal ^Ve«tem mythology,

Heaven as a well ordered monarchy, peopled

that had pictured

deitios,

each having his proper and independent

poaition, wa.s boginuiiig to give i)lace to the

which taught

of Syria,

ZkIA, " Protect Jupiter," now, alas

a benignant horosoope.

by innumerable

particular nation or sect

the

thut

was the

and condemned those of

all

gloomy superstitions

tutelary

solo

divinity of

each

god of heaven and earth,

other races as mere deoeiTeia

and

evil spirits.

There

however, many gems, fine both in material and

are,

workmanship, that give ns the primitive Egyptian gods exactly as they appear in the most ancient

the jiurely the times

forms of

monuments, but eugiaved

Roman manner. Most of these must of Hadrian, who zealously strove to

tliat

old religion,

whose

spirit

be referred to reanimate the

had long

.since

passed

away, and nnder whose patronage the creed of the Pharaohs blazed up for a

moment

witii

a bright, but

phenomenon' often preceding the

factitious

final extinction

lustre,

a long

Qotablisihed religum.

To fhu

period beloogi a beratiM

nid in mj

ooBectiOn,

Haoroliiiu

repreeenting 8ei»pii Mated with hie attribotee,

-wbSltA Mwe him tbmdt Lde holding in one hand ebtmm, inthe otheraifheat^hea^ wiih the legend H KYPIA lOIC ATNH^ " Immaonlate ie our lady las," Ihe Teiy ienna applied afkerwaids to that penouige who eoooeeded to her tan,

had aeen him, the

titloi^' qrmholB, riteii

and oeiemoniee, evenirith lenTuriation lhan

Thns her devotees osnied taner badges of their profoewop,

in the inteiohttige above tllnded to. into the

new

priesthood the

the obligation to edibaoj, the tonsare, and the soiplioe^ omitting

bj the andent moves in piooession as when

mifbrtonately the freqnent ablntions imsoribed creed.

The

sacred image

still

Juvenal lang^ed aiit (vL 680)—

rb»

••BbekTirgiiii,*' so highly

reverenced in diala

dshng

cf^rtain

French calhc-

the long night of the

Middle Afas, inoved, vhcn kit rxnmin«d ClWiOlllly, budt I^HIIi <lf

ONOSTIGISlf,

AI^XAKDRIAN AKD 8YBIAK.

grege linigero circumdotiu et grege calva " EMxnted by the

Her proper

tannmd aoipliced

Domina, the exact

title,

suDtgiUar pOTmntfttigp, the flower

aodent emblem of is interpreted as

modem Mii&EiiiA.' By

horne by

Son and feoondity,

nonr

eecih,

that

tiiie

the lotos,

fenaued the

agnifioant of the opposite qiiality.

ling sistmin, a sound ao well pleasing to is teplaoed

of the Sanscrit

traofilation

In, snryives, wiUi slight change, in the

tnan."

lily,

The tink-

E^Q^ptian goddess,

moat hideona of noaaea the clattering belL

The latter instniment, however, came directly firam the Bnddhiat leligioaa naagea,

where

forma aa eeaential an dement aa of

yore in early Celtio Cfariatianily, actual type of the

when the holy bell waa the Hie hell in Ha

Godhead to the new oonverta.

pnaent form waa miknown to the anoients ; ita normal shape is Indian, and the first real bell-fonnders were the Buddhist CQiineae. Again, relic-wonhip (for a fiagment cf the bone of a Boddha is indispensable in the fonnding of a Dagdbdk, or temple of that foith) eeema from the third oentniy to have beenvirtaally

the prevalent form of Ghiistianiiy in the East It is astonidiing how mnoh of the Ejgyptian and the secondhand Indian qrmbolism passed over into the usages of following times. Thus the high cap and hooked staif of the god became the bishop's mitre and crosier; the term ^un is purely Egyptian, and bore its proficnt meaning; the erect oval, symbol of the Ft'inalo rrinciple of Nature, became the Vesica Piscis, and a frame for diviiio things the Crux Ansata, testifying the union of lliu Male and Female Principle in the most obriotis manner, ;

and denoting fecundity and abundance, as borne in the god's hand,

transformed,

by a simple

inversion, into the

Orb sar>

mounted by the Cross, and the ensign of royalty.

onfmmaisM, ALSXAimniAn The grand development

new

phase

Am stbian.

of the old Egyptian doctiines in

most conspicuous in that very extensive daas of

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AOATHODJaiON TALISMANS. AtanzH,

engiwvied'BtoiiM ^papukxly tended

lkirilMan» tm

Gnoido

geniB, almost ike eole piodaotioDS of the expiring Glyptio

the last centuries of the

W^tem

Empize.

Mi in

Gontraxy to the re>

oeived notion, a careful study of their ntimerons suhdiviaiona has

OQnvinoed

any

numher present

that hut a small portion of their

trace of Christian doctrines, but rather that thoy arc the

had flonriKhed long before tLo

frait of notions that

of Chriatianity.

important

first

dawn

connected with, the

portion

piimitiye Egyptian mythology have more connexion with magic and medicine than with religion and seeing that their employment claims a much higher antiquity than the next grand division, ;

the genuine Abraxas Ktones, the date of whoso on}i;in

knowTi, this subji ct will be best approached by our

ing the talismans which present

tlio

first

exactly

consider-

Agathcnlaimon, Chnuphis, or

Chnoph, tunucrly called Dracoutiae, and eiToneously attributed to the Ophites,

a semi-Christian

sect, as their first inventors.

AOATHODJEMON TALISMANS. The Agathodeemon, or good genius, whose very title furnishes the reason why he was chosen to figure on a talisman designed to protect the wearer from disease and mischance, is depicted as a

huge

8erj)cnt

having the head of a lion surrounded by seven or

Iwflbe rays, indicating that

variously spelt as

but one form of the

gold,

for

stumbling-block to

XNOYMIC,

which Salraasius (Do An.

XNOYB

This figure always

Sun-god.

accompanied by

XNOY<l>IC,

Clin.) understands

ancient as

it is still

t<j

of the

its

name,

XNOYBIC,

forms of the Coptic

jis

was as great a

the

modem Greeks.

the sound of the letter tlic

ideji

Ilenco Salmasius explains another title sometimes found,

XNOYBIC,

as "all golden."

XNOYM, gt^xl, and IC, spiril, and so dmum to be the literal rendering of the name.*

aame from

> I lia?e aem a kige sard, worked fa the eoane Boniin Eatfim style

of Diodiiihm'a «g«, flopaied

irith die

iritb

XOA-

.lablonsky, however, derives the

two

imperial Ilia

makes Agatho> Over the aeren

biutB

regardatii,

aud

flia Ohmiphh wpmti l^sod ia Anmsm lattoi^

atrvBCM

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AGATHOD^OM

TALSOUlSB,

rays of the lion*8 crown, and on the point of each, stands a vowel

of the seven in the Greek alphabet

A6HIOYU3,

expressing the

•even heavens, a notion on which more shall be given in detail

Almost invariably the back of such • gem

in its fitting place.

boars a pecniiar symbol like the letter

Z thrice

repeated,

and traversed by a bar through their middle, the purport of which cannot be more than conjccttired.

lliat this type of the good

genius waH not merely pre-Christian, but also of the extrcmest antiquity in of

its

application as an amulet, appears from the notice

by (lalen (Dc

Siinj).

that a virtue of this kind in reality pos.sessed

Med. is

by (he (ireen Jasper, which benefits the

chest and mouth of the stumacli, set the stone in a ring,

head crowned with Nechepsos in his

rays, according as

thirteentli book.

made

patient's neck,

tlie

stones to touch

tlie

mouth

Some indeed

a serpent witli his

by King

jneseribed

this material I

have had

a necklace out of such stones,

haviujj;

hung

round

upon them.

if tied

and engiave upon

ample experience, it

" Snnio indeed assert

b. ix.).

inherent in certain stones, such as

and

descending low enough for the

of the stomach,

and they proved

of no less benefit thiis than if they hud been engraved in the

manner

down by King Nechepsos."

laid

This treatise of Ne-

chepsos must have been a regular manual fbr fhense fur

<jf

magicians,

Ausonius says, **

Qui(}uc tnflgoB docuit myglena vana Nechqisi

;**

N«clMpB. finmder of nda magic^s sit;

and doubtless the Mmroe of the nolioiM oonoeniing served to OS only in ihe medievBl lapdaria.

quotes

him wiib Fetonria

AOATiioDAEMoN.

the

iolo

sigils pre-

Pliny (viL 60)

aa an aatroloipoa] antboritj, according

iiUdi JsmblioliniSdlved dl tteqiM-

iosliMe I

known a

of ioeh

•&

tions of Poq)hynufl (Jam.

siinilet wltti

The

De MysL

In claamoJ Greek the original

T^iititi iiiwriiitioTi.

Cneph becomes Canoptu, and the

Cynocepliiilua, or littboou, Uie ^

Scribe of the Go<l8, appears perform-

Canoitto Vaae is often Ugattd wiOk two w rpents n» hemldic supportcrB.

colnmu and ttumtd

dbmpliii SBipeBlinti^n»iBanG»>

Mcnd animal of Hennes or TlKitti,tiie iug

hifl

fiut of the ceatorios ao fruitful in the

devotiouB in front of a

erawDcd hy a

tariangle,

over with letters; evidently roprcwnting tbow "Fillan of Uermets, out of '

nopio

VaiM SSS SSOI en tbs (BBMl

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AGATHODiEMON TALISMANS. to

whow

role of Ihe TttartemeHm (derived from Ihe pleoe of

time dgna, or

poeiiUe extant of

trine), tiie

region of litij wtm 184 jeen. ilie ftet

win be of

Hero

eerrioe in

hnam

in the

idb^ Iw obwrfed, end

eobeeqiniit inqiiiiy, that FlSnf

mon leoent hj AovMoid jeeie then ZoroietBr^B, fbvmded hj the Jews MoM^ Jaanfle, and Jotapee. Tlie fint of the trio mt^ h«ve (ttt. 2) mentioiie

* aeeond

soienoe of magio,

mmy

been the Tahmidiat, whoae

aeeret TolnBe** Juvenal

aUodea to*

" Tradidit arcauo quaicuu«^ue vulumiue Muaet,**

From the aame

antiior

we find

that xaoe rataimng their anoient

refototion for deep skill in intexpretmg dieams **

wiser than Daniel,''

— nay

more,

th^ now pcoduoed tiiem to order:

" Qualiaoiuqae Tcdea Jockoi lomiiia

Toodnnt"

^TIm Jew far inaiHgr nndf vlNfc dicMM 70a irfll.

But Tiion}'

to return to the type

HH to its nature

are considering, a primitive

and signification

preserved by Eusebius

(i.

7).

The

afibrdcd

by the

tetiti-

tradition

sei-pent, unless injured

violence,

never dies naturally, whence the I'huniieians havo

named

the j^ood

him

('hnoj)h,

special swiftness of

Similarly the Kgyptiaius have called

j:;einiiH.

and given

liiiii

tliat l>ird/'

" Head-Interpreter of

fcjacred

liawk

The

fier|)ent,

delightful in aspect

;

lit

ad, on account of the

priest at Epeae, entitled the

Things, and Scribe,"

plained the meaning of the allegorj'

of all was one

—

The most

luvs

thus ex-

divine nature

bearing the face of a hawk, and also most for

when he opened

his eyes,

filled all

the pHaoea of his native veg&m with light, but wlran he doeed

them, darkne«i iauiediately ensaed."

Oar aerpent on the gems,

however, doea not appear inveeted vrith a hawk's head, but

always with a lion's; for which reaaon this legend seems zather to relate to tiie Abiazaa figore aometimea repreaented with

hawk'a or lion's head, instead of a oodkli^ his onstomaty attribute.

The idea is more ftilly expresMd in the design oooaaionaUy to be met with, tiie Uon-headed man, <ur Hithraio priest, grasping a wand entwined with a aerpent whose radiated head b direeled towards his eyes, aeeming to imbibe their ladianoe.

Theinientum

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AOATHODJSHOM TAUfiUAKS.

76 is

clearly deiioti d })y the Chaklee legend so freqnently annexed,

C€M€C €IAAM,

"the Eternal Sun."

This

title 1

have seen

in a single instance (.Alarl. Coll.) applied to the usual type of Sol,

as he appears

when bearing

retiHTi to the

always cut

his

Roman

style of Sol Inrictus Comes.

supposed virtues of this aimdet (whieh

in I'lasnia,' the .Jasper

i>ttr

ej-nUrvre of the aneientH,

or in ealcedoiiy, tinged with aslight shade of green), the astrologer

Hepluestiuu three chief brea.st of

.states

XNOYMIC

tliat

stai*s

(

ancer

and another

Leo, and therefore

its

influence

we iind

one of the Decani or say.s it is

eases of the chest in man.

In fact

YriH CTOMAXON='

PO KAOY engraved

Chnuphis gem,

placed in the

good against

in conformity to this belief.

all dis-

<|>YAACC€

the prayer

on the back of a

Agiiin,

many such

present a long and varying fonuula in Coptic, but ending in tho title,

more or

less

changed in the spelling, of

or'riAHKTA, "Beater

or ISIocker of tho

the evil and rebellious spirits

— tho ancient

riTANTOf^H KTA Giants"— that fahle of tho

i.s,

War

the Giants against Jove being interpreted according to tho creed of tho contest of AhrimtMi and hia angels

Zoroastrian

Tower of Good. The symbol sUrcady noticed, tho

against Ormu/.d, tho

trijile S upon a bar, must ^ have been an essential part of a Chnuphis anniht. seeing that it

always

0( (Mij)ies

j)uriM>sc, hiis

that

the reverse.

may have bien

alphabet, to one of which

now

hat

never been explained

am more

;

it it

rt'j)resents,

and what

its

fonnerly, however, struck

a letter of the Assyrian cuneiform it

liears a

But

strong resemblance.

inclined to suspect that

tliis

device has tho same

origin as the serja nt-entwincd club of llsculapius, itself so hard to account for.

many examples

the

SSS

^•'^'^c

the form of a

Tho

winding thrice around tho rod in their middle.

sj)iral

medical potency also ascribed

to the latter

symbol of

it.self

points

out an analogy in signification to the distinctive attribute of the

god of the healing •

art.

the fmrfih century,

ThoB in the age of Marcellus Empiricus, « plaoe in the phanuacopeia

it liad ditiiiied

(probably in aooordanoe with Keobepsos' rule not fully trane-

Oreeu

calcc-duuy.

•

Kwp in boalth Praditt* cbeitl

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ABRAXAS QKUB, FBOPBRLY SO CALLED.

by Galeu), Ibr he reoMnmenda the phjsioiaii to «iigiETe ibis mgil on a oemlMa jMper,* and bang it round the nook of any one eofferinp; from pleurisy, tdding, "Ton will obtain cribed

marvellous results."

Whether

this

promiKO be true or not,

marvellous has been the vitality of the aymbol j

double

thus traversed by a

btiTi it

fOBc, reduced to a became a favourite device in

the times of chivalry, being received as the rebus of the word

Fennette

(SS fenncs)— tliat

then in this Gnostic

SS SS»"

the

is,

emblem

Here

of constiiioy.

be found the tnie origin of the

sigil is to

tbe collar of the Garter, formerly btyled

tlie

" Collar of

rather than in the popular explanation that the letters are

Edward

but the

initials

posterior

by a whole century

IV.'s

motto " Sonverayne," a prince

to the institution of the Order

and

its insignia.

ABRAXAS OBMS, PBOPSRLT 80 OALUtD? demons Alezandrinna lived

in the same oity

and same age aa For aome yeoxa of that period they w«ie contemporaries, and it is mtne than ^bable that CSlemens was peFsonally acquainted with Basilides, he being a Toty lemarkaUe pemnage of his times. BairiUdeii,

the lepnted firander of the Abiaxaa religion.

Hence his testimony to the character of his philosophy deserves mora xeliance than that of later writers ; snd at the same time he pasaes a more jndiobnB as well as a more &voaraUe judgment npon

its diaxaoter.

He deaorihes his

religion as consisting in

perpetnal attention to the sool, and an interoonrae with the Deity as the taasA of vniversal love.

oreed consists of two parte; the ihingii^

Again he first

has,

The

Basilidan

bosiea itaelf with divine

and considers what is the First Gaose, Anm^ which all, and

made ; of what constitntion the things indnde each other; what forces exist in

«iAo«l which nothing is are that pervade or natore,

and wherennto they tend. The other part, extends to as to what is man, what is consistent or iucon-

things

hnman ;

aistent

with his natnre ; what he most do and

The happiuiine calcoilony peufs pmpev vahiols Iwiiig, ohnmd, the gram qiedea *

;

the mx-

m Jwt in

tts

various

saflfer."

In this

tihadcfl.

* For rnooh of this duqiter I debted to BeUenMon.

am In-

ABRAXAS OEMS. PBOFSBLY 80 CALLEa

department he investigates virtue and Tioe, " what

and what

is evil,

is indififerent.''

Ill

Hie amiaMe

hut exact description of a Buddhist missionary. Tiaionary

CUnuna, iHioae own

good, what

short we have here a brief

Chiiatiaiuly waa but giaftad

upon

the congenial alode of hit original FlatoniBii, aaw nioQaSBg to

blama in tho tranioendeiital tpaoakliMia of BasOidea.

hewaa

In hia

iiota]iaratiO|i«.aB innofator aa regaida Hkb ds»'

tiiiiea of the Ghxisliaa CSinxdi,

who Bought to oxpi^ andezxt

truths under

new forms, and per*

Laps to oombdne them with the new faith, the truth of wiiioh he could admit without nooeaiarily renouncing the old; exaotljaa is the case with the learned Hindoos of our day.

Far different is the picture of him drawn by the pen of bigoted orthodoxy in the following century, after his theories had been taken up and exaggerated to a monstrous precision l^the swarms of semi-Christian sects that sprang \ip in the Tory boaom of the

Ghuroh. These notices are subjoined in their chranologioal order, for they give in

a fow words the main

features of his systMn.

Tertullian (Prasoript) writes -.—"After this Basilides the heretio

He asserted that there is a supreme God, by name by whom Mind was created, whom the Greeks call Nmu, From her emanated the Word from the Word, Providence from Providence, Virtue and Wisdom; from, these two

broke

loose*

Abraxas,

;

again. Virtues, rrincipalities, and Powers were

productions and emissions of angels.

infinite

365 heavens were created.

and thase that made

whom

Amongst the lowest

this world,

made; tbenoe

By these

angels

angels, indeed,

sets last of all the

god of the

God himself, affinning that he is but one of the angels." That the name Abraxaa piopediy referred to the Sun-god, or Mithras, appears from Jerome (Amos IIL) " as Basilides, who called Almighty God by the portentous name of

Jews,

he denies

Abraxas, and says that nnmerals, and the

sum

the circle of the sun,

tlie

same word, accoi-ding

whom

Greek

the hcithcn, taking the same mim,

but <>xpressod in difterent nnnierici]

whom

to the

of his annual revolutions, are contained in

Icttt rs,

call

Mithras, and

the simple Iberians worship under the names of Balsfunus

Bulsamua

a corruption of liai-samcn.

llie

Lonl of lioaven.

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ABBAXAB (the

01018,

PROPBRLT 80 CALLED).

Lord of heaven), and Barbelus (Son of the Lord)." Thw Basilides preis thus explained hy Augustine:

—

Mlculation

tended the number of heavens

number of the days in a Holy Name,*' as it were,

365, the

Hence he used to glorify word Abraxas, the letters

the year. that

in which name, according

is, tlio

mode of computation, make up

to the Greek

The system

of emanations, as

has been already considere<l entire theory

tion of the

Hindoo,

;

that number."

was elaborated by Valentinus,

8ufiBe(*

for iu their

here to repeat that the

mytliology each manifesta-

Une iSupremo, regarded by

the vulgar as a distinct

deity, has a female partner, the exact counterpart of himself,

through whom, as an instrument, ho exerts his power; hence this female is called his Durya, or active Virtue.*

mystery

tlio

grand science of the above.

Although

liar to the

To find out a name is the

value of the lettere making up a

examples of which have been adduced

Kabalji,

this science is

commtmly supposed

Jewish Talniudists, there

be pecu-

no doubt that very unin-

ventive nation borrowed the idea from a foreign source, and the Chaldeans, the founders of the magic instance extant of such a

John's

Number

mode

art.

of expressing a

of the Beast," or 666.

The

name

Although

that,

earliest is

St.

this has

supplied good Protestants like Bishop Newton with an effective

weapon—nt

iheir estinstien—egslnst the Pope, after the

ber has beenirarked oat into its et^uivalents AATEINO£t

num-

letters

whioh, as nmnersk, mslcs vp the snn required, yet there oan be aotually intended to dssi^te eome aioblittle doubt it

of the times, tiken peculiarly obnozions to the andior of the yimtm. But the titles lao and JArasos, and several olbers, heiretio

instead of being reoent Gnostio figmenti wers indeed holy nsniee,

boRowed from

the most andent formula of the Esst

Pliny

musk allude to them when he mentions the virtuss asoribed by the Magi to amethysts engraved with the names of the Sun and

Moon ;

names, one

msy be

from the nationalily of his Greek or Latin tongue. the **Abrszas,'' the " Adtmai," of these certain

authorities, not expressed in either the

In the "Etemsl 1

Sun,*'

An erident allusion to ttwpiiinHay

mesmngortbe void.

going

term actually found in the of KmwfwtioM.

lirt

Am-

ABRAXAS

QJSMR,

FBOFEBLT 80 CALLBD.

gems we lOOQgniM tb* veiy amulets

by the philoaophio

ridicolad

riiny.

The

mme

later Greeks,

that " things equal to the

upon the axiom

thing are equal to one another," found the holy number,

many

365, in

names, and thus established the identity

saoretl

of the several jK-rsonage-s with one iinotht

obtained by adding up

XP6IZTOZ, M€iePAZ, also the

Name,"

in other

oldest of the

father and

now

same sum

the

name

word has

"Holy-

in Coptic

This same value

sacred appellations

for instance,

;

NEIAOZ,

the river,' the

Egy ptian gods— though

in fact the

name merely Honu,

Hue

indicates the

the

ABPAEAZ. The last

recommendation of moaning

f:!^eat

Heliodonis (^l^thiop.

It is

letters

as l>6llermann has eleai ly ostabliKhcd.

wa« also detected

tlio

and

Thus

niinicral

thr>

22) finds

(Nila)* colour of his waters

ator of

cre

time

ix.

—

entitled

Lower Egypt."

consider that figure the invention of which,

as the emlH)diment of his doctrine, has been assifrncd to P.asiUdes

himself

;

and with good grounds,

for

it is

certain

tlial

times, thu beginning of the first century.

has given a name to the entire family,

This

fignrc.

the god Ji!;r<uvw

reads on the gems almost invariably, Ahrtuax,

sense of this

been 865

title,

stated.

fsons, or

brscing

all

any monimient executed in a style anterior

lo be found on

and

its

;

tt^

not his

\v]ii< ^

or, as

The Coptic

numerical valae in Greek, have already

In the latter pdnt of yiew

it also

e^pieased* the

emanaiknis of the Fint Great Oause, wbiob, em-

wiihin

itself, is

therefore styled Hie

Fknma; an idea

name oontaining the oolleotiTe number of To show this, the god is a PmAms, or a its oompoaents. combination of many attribates, e^reanng the amalgamation of aptly embodied in a

sereral ideas into one and the ssmo ibvm.

He is depicted with

the head of a oodk, aaored to Fhcsbos, or of a lion, Ifithraa; his body,

hmnan, dad in a

oiijuB eat aqua mari auniPliny (35, 36), speaking of n pnintin.^ by Nooloaa of S nsvul *

"Dl Nilu

MJR

Iw,"

upon *

tliut river.

Whkli was eretted bj the sDiiTh]

fl!}rmbol

ooixass, indioatea hia gaar>

' The Latin writera^ to suit the gcniuH of their tOOglMb thSB tWMIipowd the flti.'il U'tt^rs.

etas

And

probably suggested the pre-

munlMr of fbcn*

•oO hs hraagfal doini>

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THE GOD ABRAXAS* HOW dian power

FIOUIIED.

his legs are the asp's,' types of

Agathodeemon

tlie

in his right he wields the scoTUge, the Eg;\'ptian badge of soye-

on the

xeigaty,

left

a shield, usually emblazoned with some

aojatio word, which, like his ouixaas, denotes his perpetual war-

&re with eng:ravc

tlio

ZABAXIS,

AAM,

often accompanied

the talisman is always

titles,

ABPAZAZ

and

C€M€C

€1-

invocations, as,

ABAANAGABAA, "Thou

"Eternal Sun;"

Felher;*'

powers of darkness.

proper name, lAH, with his

l liis

AAONAI,' "The

art our

In this design other lela-

Loid."

tions with ancient ideas of the BWi-god arc readily to be dis-

Thus PhoobuB, as the god of day,

covered.

similarly furnished

with a whip ; and the seipent qnnboUzed the mm's winding

Ummgh the aodiao.

ccmne

TEB GOD ABRAXAS, HOW FIGURED AOOOSDING TO THE FATHBBS. That the Pantheus upon our gems was actually intended symbolize the nature of the deity styled Abraxas blished by the indirect ovidenoo of notices that the P)asilidans gave

tended angels. lu

flcs iiH

Tertulliuu (Apol.

many

names 1(>)

" biforme numcn,"* that

and beast, goes on

to say,

is,

writers.

Ireneeua (23)

to their

images of pre-

laughing at the god of the a composite figure of

doirnintrfh.''

lions, or seriniiti< from

an evident allusion to the Mithraie, the

Egyptian types so coninion on these talismans, and, expres'^ions,

our serpent-h-gged monster.

stating that F»asilides. assertetl

Being

— out

Strengtli,

whom

and Wisdom

tliat

•

the cnffer of Cypsdvus Boreas

figured with Berpents fiv legs

»Adaniifa tiw

the Sujtrenie Force, the Pnnial

— was called Abrasax, proceeds to describe

' He is ft Virtno Milifctnt : MttfKe tbe aiinile of " patting on the iriMde

infioaie^ perhaps, hia

in his last

Epiphanius, after

proceeded Mind, Inttdligence, Providence,

•onanrof ChxL**

man

" they have taken unto themselves gods

with wings, or with the heads of dogs, or of the leijn

is also esta-

;

the Bun

hence Adonis, or Thammoz, the son at the winter solstico. * In aUiukm to the serpent-legi; ;

Rif irmrs h^'ing a classiral Hynonym the Gianlt "anguigauB" them*

for

s«iflDe»

cpittMt of

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THE NAMB lAa

how

that idea was onilxxdiod

this

Having taken them into a

hoFemKob.

their Tain speculations he and his sect have converted

peculiar and definiie form as a foundation for their

own

erroneous

Further on he adds, " with

idolatrous and fictitious doctrines."

respect to their Katlnear, what person of understanding]; would

not laugh at their convcrtinj^ a expressing their

i«lol

;

Hrhrow word

at their tiguros

;

into a bodily shape

at their j)crs()nified Prin-

in a word, at their fondness for images? whilst

cipalities;

theso fancies they

sow

error in thn

minds

diaaemination of their disgrace! nl and lying trade."

ceeding to the analysis of the type spirit of deceit,

ignorant into

many

deceived Eve.

been invented, that the player

itself,

sins against tin- truth.

I'ui

I'ii"-.

Yea, fren

whom the

Tlien, pro-

exclaims,

lie

which, like the playing upon a

iuiifation of tlio >*«'rpnU, tlirougli

of the ignorant for the

Evil

Ir.uls

A/«

the

hyx are

One spake and

after the patteni of that fonu has the flute

for the deceiving of

makes

mankind.

blowing his

flute.

(Observe the ligure

Does he not bend

himself up and down, to the right and to the

left,

like unto

them ?

These forms hath the Devil nsod to manifest his blas-

phemy

against tiungs heavenly, to destxoy with defltraotion

things upon etrdit to «iiooiii|mm left

woild, capturing right

and

aadk as lend an aar to Ills aadnotiona.**

THE NAME

lAO.

akaady alunm the identity ol Ahnxaa witik ]dilin% as ^yOaUes of ihd same nnmerioal valiie, if we ezand^ meaning of the name lao we ahall find this alao bnt a ijnonym HiK?iiig

Haeiohiiu (Book L) reond% that Apdllo of Glana being oomolted as to whlob of the gods the one oalled

for the latter deity.

looc

waa to be regarded, deliverad the fiillowlng onwle: "

The joyous rites je haye leamt to none disclose Falaebood oimII wit, weak ondentanding, shows Regard lam as supreme abore. In winter, Pluto; in spring's oponinj,', Jovr Phcebtu through blazing sommet niles the day, :

Whilat Bntunn owns

tiie

mild lao'fl iway."

Here we find leo explained as one of the names of the Sqprane

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THE HAME

lAO.

phyml

repwonlative is Hie Bon. Agiin, we (Biodms) adM to the list of sfmmjva Ij Orpbstu, who dngB Being whose

ham Bkmymn

" JoTG, Pluto, PboBboat Baochns,

Saflh^TCoognitifln

One— is

I3ie difllBrent attributes

expressed on a cnrions taliamam, fioamerly in the

Hen Collection, tiy|nfied

grand prinmpto of Hitidiri«n—4h>t all

off tho

the diffennt deitiea are but nainea for tfie

all are one."

allumve also to iho tri-ime nature of the Creator

by the Bun-god.

a A^at^haped pieoe of

It is

basalt,

engraved on one side with seated figures of Anunaa and Ba, or

Phre (the Greek Zeus and Helios), and, standing ereot between,

On the other side

the aaored Asp.

Bic Boir,

ABmpt fua

tit

m¥

" One Bait, one Atbar, (me Htfl tvOw of

Concerning the three tion of their titles.

iradd,

figures, a to the

the invocation

fitOf

tts d«

Axvpt-

their power, Achori.

faril

tiiftnad god 1 **

word

necessary in explana-

hawk-headed Ha, Hon^poUo

slates

that "the Havilc stuiulH for the Supreme Intelligence, or the intelligent soul.

The hawk was

Saieih, from Bai, the soul,

and

Egyptian language

called in the

Eth, the heart

;

which organ they

OODsidered the seat or the inclosuro of the souL"

A sufficient

explanation this of the shape given to the talisman.

Achonm^

the virtuous priest-councillor of the last Ptolemy in Lucan, derives his lao

name from the sacred

but an

e{iitlict

Sim

of the

serpent. in his

have seen that

autumnal quarter.

the philosopliictil expositions of the ancient m}i:hology the latter

was

iilentical

with P»acchus.

need only refer to

Yirgjl'ff

well-known apostrophe *'

Vofl

rlftriwaniR

mnndi

Lamina, labcntem qoi cflolodiidlb mmia Liber et alma CcrpH !

E(t Z<us, fif ABijs,

Amivo-os.

us HAios,

«<r

An oracle quoted by Julian

ilulttMlM awjti ft» Ihe

lirt

;

Eis Zcvi, tis A5i|S,

«U HAMt

«m

%tpanis.

-OiwJ«fab«aB8n^awniilowto8mphi"

a 2

THE NAME UO.

wlieie Bacchus and Ceres stand for Osiris and

Tsis,

Son and

the

Hence Baochna ofken is npmaented with honiB.

Hooo.

Aoeedant «apitt eonma, BtMoAw oil,"

Hebrew a "radiated" and a by the wimo win d. Hence, whon Moses came dnwii from the Momit " conmta fuit facies ejus,** says Sappho to Phaon. *'

homed

head

according

to flic \'iil^ate

(

title

undoulitodly lies

ancients that the

Greek

;

.lewi.s]i

tlio

mistranslation

origin of the peT-sriafjion of

Jehovah

— was

hy lAii'

lett( rs

Bacchus

tliis

conoL jgy

In this tlio

and in virtue of

;

ever been graced with those appendages in

hatlt the I.awi^iver

Vaih o!

For" in

nipiified

—a

sound expressed

no other than the

a notion supprated, in their view,

Egyptian

by the golden vines

that formed the sole visiljle deooration of the

Temple, the " blow-

new moon," and the custom of holding the Feast of Tabernacles in hiits made out of leafy boughs, and areoinpanied with many of the ct.'remonies used at the Greek ing up the trumpets at the

•

Tlxis opinion

Dionysia.

ship

iis

to the real origin of the

mentioned by Tacitus (Hist,

Jewish wor-

the prevalent one

v. 5)'' as

amongst the learned of his day, although he does not agree in alheit his dissent is

grounded solely on

and moi€ie dnitoier of Hie Jewidi

94" recnnls that

tibe fnat fliat

religioiL

teemed to disprove

by thp seven Gretk

tlio

Stiprf'nio Beinp;

Godhead was named by Moaes lAO, and henos came flieipaidJMir. Clem.

flisntly explaitti

tUr

Alex, says, the TltB^^Innlnt^l1l,

currenoo upon

the

DichI. Sic.

(i.

Toweld,

tlie

mystic Name, is proDoancod lAOT, meaning, " He ibat is and shall be." Thcodoret states tbafc Ola hat letters of the IToly Nfttnp wore pronnunoed

by the Siumiritaub lABE {Jav^j; by the Jews, lAH. Jerome (Psahn viii.),

The Name of Hebrews is of "

Yan,

He ;

of God, (JoAo),

1111(1

llio

four letten, Jixl, He,

which

and

Inei&ble

the T/trd amorstrst

tuny

fwp&df the name l»c rtwl lus lAHO

is htild

by the Jews for of fiie tna-

hMAMe." The anther On Interpretation tifle

Hlgyptians esfirass the

name

saye,

" the ,

of the

lEHAOTA;" which

last sttffi-

so fteqeoDt oiv under

talismans

The

entire idea c£ the

Name was

evidently derived

cousidendian.

the gloomy

by tlif Egyptians (from whom the Jews borniwol it) from the Hindoo doctrine cuucerning the title O'M, or AUM, itself. Uks lAW.triUten]. Bta ct'Hain, however difRoult to explain, that the names of the chief Egyptian defttes an SanBoiit; as Us, MUrm; Scrapis, Sri-jxi ; "HSuOM, Bhw-imi, r, &c 3 » Quia saoeidalM eonim tibia tympanisqne eopdnehani taedeia via-' ciebantur, vitiiiiiia anna tenplo i»petta."

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THE NAME ite

lAO.

meny god of wine ; fhe aalj

idatioDBlup whii the ritet of the

oihanotar in wldoh. the

Bomau

popularly leeognieed ^BeoohuB*

But the anoieni theocy has found

aappostexs- in

modem

times;

Bt George his own by no

notably in the leaned Dr. Stokeley, the rector of ihe Uarlyr : he having,

means

-vrithont

such a theory

which puts

;

shame the boldest

'EssayistBand fievicwers,' or CTen

Eoman

scandal, tbc

Feast of Puiim and the

drank as

their

means

fall

afford.'

tlio

treatise

flights of the

interpretations of the indis-

enough— as if to supGerman Jews celebrate still the of Haman by getting as royalty Whether the result of such a con-

Ludicrously

ereet Apostle to the Zooloos.

port tho

any aoaadal to

adTsnoed in an elaborate

strait-laoed generation,

nexion or not, the practices of some amongst the later Gnostics appear derived from the Bacchic mystcnVs, curiously modified by Thus,

Christian doctrine. or sacred ark, and

on a table before

when

it,

they kept a tame serpent in a ewto,

celebrating their mysteries piled loaves

and then invoked tho serpent

come

forth.

AVhercupon, opening of himself the ark, he would come forth,

mount upon tho

table,

and twine around the

loaves,

whieh they

then broke in pieces and distributed amongnt tho worshippers, calling

this

tho

'Perfect Sacrifice,' and their 'Eucharist"*

(Epijihan. H^eres. xxxvii.). Tlie titles of lao often occur, cut y3y a later hantl, on

much

ideas

better date, but

embodied

in this deitv', such

Gorgon's head, and Sol in his that has

come under

The Moon

car.

the

tho Sphinx, the Lion, the

l>ut the

most interesting typo

of the Moon-fjod, or Detw

T.unin>, be has the iocu a man crowned by the urcsoont whieh rappoiti tbs lobur diek, sonn timca topped by a double plume.

iia

of the

BMseaUne gendec, and dedgmted by Tliotb tlu' phonetic name jloA or ro/(. vMfloniettmMideotifledwithit; heoce Us tfmUem flie Ibii; Mocniiianied with the CrBBcent, have the Icgiiul luh ; " because," aays Plutarch, " Merciiry tuTotuimuies tho Moon around the h:arth. as Ucrcnles does file Snn." Wh. II Tbotb (Tat) appears nn Mer-

ho has the head of an ibia and lUldstiiBtaUBl; but In Us ehsnder cury,

a.s

notice, as uumistakeably pointing out

to flH> KL'Tptians,

to the present Orieutahi,

gems

whose subjects are analogous

Uencu came

the

Qrook

notion

mentioned by Flotueff: **the Bgjp{

tians call

Moon

the

Mother of

World, aud say it in of both sexes and similarly Spurtian, in his Lifb of OuassDa, "the Moon, in a myatio scnsf^ rtllk^d hf the £!gyptians male aud female." tlie

•

the

THE NAMB

Boeanqnet CoUaotioii,

lately

ness of the owner.

lAO. is a gem in the me by tiie kind-

by tbe name AbraacH,

the trae deity understood

commnnicated

this

behold the god Abraxas, with

head of oook, ooirasaed body, und seipent

legs, brandishing his

whip, and mounted in the foiir-horse car of 80I, in the exact

In the exergue the

attitude of its usual occupant, Thoebus.

CABAU), "Gkiy unto

address

cartouche formed write the ineffikble itere,

by a name

thee:*' aa.

coiled asp

Aum — the

the reverse, in

— precisely

ABPACAS.

lAU)

titles

however, before dismissing the subject,

to notice the strange theory of

Critique

Hindooe

as the

it is

Hatter laid down in his

necessary *

Histoire

du Gnosticismo.' based upon a statement of Origen

(to

be hereafter considered), that lao, Adonai, Sabaoth, were names of the

£!;onii

of the moon, sun, and planets

;

beings far inferior in

rank, and even antagonistic, to Abraxas, the representative of

Hence Matter explains the waraway expressed by hi?, name merely placed in a

the STipremo Creator himself. like attitiulo of the

the

mou

lao,

who

fi;od

as exprcssinG; his office of scaring

part of ihv picture that di notcs his inferiority. tlio

autliority of tlio nK inimcnts themselves, I

whatever, aa far

bct*itation

they are concenietl, in altogether rejecting

such an exposition of their meaning.

The

doctrine, if ever held,

must have heen the figment of some recent al)ov(; all

But, resting on

have no

sect,

setting itself

Jewi.sh or !Magian traditions,* and certainly never that

professed by the numerous body

talismans that have come inscriptions

upon

down

these place

who

engiuv(;d and wore the

to us in it

such abundance.

The

out of doubt that Abraxas,

Adonai, Sabao, are but syuon^ios or

titles of lao,

the deity

by the figure itsell TbuB, we find the prayer on an tamlet, " lao, Abiaxas, Adonai, Holy Namei, Holy Fowen, defend Vflna Paulina from every evil spirit ;** and ihea» same names perpetually leonr united togaliher, and ftiOowed by the epithets ABAANAeABAA, '"Shcm art the S^aOier;*' CCMCC €tAAM, Etanud Son a mode of inrastiaa aotoally repreaented

Tbe

object iudeed of tbe Yalen-

iiaiyMisolmous:

own

th^ eallsd

fiiiir

so immoBsuiabijf below it the moit buly euMe of the old nOf^mm.

new-imported Tetaad hj pleoing

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TBB

BGHKICA.

OF THE OPHITES.

which would certainly have never been

addrcsHetl to beings of a

dSacordant,

mucb

Besides,

Abraxas were the opponent and futnro destroyer of

lao,

less of

were absurd

taking precedence

an antagonistic, nature

to place their

—each

b«

fij^ire,

otlior.

tliat

of lao

tlio

accom-

titles of adnration.

or PantheiiH,

god Abraxas

as all writers agree, the

—

names together

ing equally invoked in

panying prayer, and honoured by the same

Moreover the composite

to eai

which reproHonts,

liiuist lf, is

much more

fre-

quently accompanied by the inscription lao than by the ejnthet

Abraxas it is

;

and, nevertheless, though only the

followed hy the same address

when

ljuth

names

first

name

appears,

— " Thou art our Father," &c.

are engraved in union.

It is, besides, alto-

gether contrary to the rules of symbolism to represent the one

personage in a scone by a figure or emblem, the other by the characters of his

name

alone; and as repugnant to reason to

engrave the figure ot the god with plaoed

iiie

name

of his adversary

m amoet oanfpionifui poritkm, aa in mediisval art to have

paatad *

onioifix

with 8itiii*t name leplacing the holy

Inadaition to ihie

LN JR.L

has abeedy heen Jamonatimtod «hst the

name Afarazaa bean « dienatne ot the god, the nder of the year,

mmierioalt or kabaliatio^ Talne of the tinot xelbranoe to the

woonhiiiped horn ihe eadieat timea mder

tiie title

of lao^

THE SCHEMA OF THE OPHITES. Tid» ia the

fitting place to

mtaodooe the aooonnt of the aool'a

by Origen (In Celamn, by Matter. Origen had proomed by some meaaa

i^fiward passage after deftth, pieeerved

24) and adopted

or other a parchment containing the anooeesivo stages of the aonl'a

heavenward journey, the difierent powers it should enoomiter in ita flight, and the proper invocations by which their permission be obtained. This was called the Schema or Diagnmma of the Ophitea. Much of it is evidently drawn from the same sonroe as the Neo-Platonic do( trine touching

to cross their dftBUffF"* should

the planetary origin of the souVs faculties, whicli

examined

liy us.

that iho soul,

when

was the

ha.s Ixjon

already

giiind article of the Gnostic belief

released from the bcxly,

and on

it«

way

absorbed into the Infinite uf the Godhead, the utmoat aqpiiadon

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THE

88 of all

aciiEliA

Oric'iitiil religiuiis

OF 1H£ OPHIT£S.

(the Buddhist Nirwaua,

"•

Terfect Kepose,"

or Indolentia of the Epicureans), was obliged to pass tlirough the

regiom of the

planets, each nilcd

its

own

presiding genius,

beings of a somewhat nuUerial and therefore malignant obazaiOter, just as in the Zoroastrian doctrine the

of Alirimani axe chamed eaoh to

Seven Seva, axobiiiiiilifceis

m aepanto

To obtain

planet.

pezouoion to ttrnvene their donudna ^fixrm of prayer was preflorihed in each oaie, and theae are alio gh«n hj Origeiu TliMe genii were, Adonai, of the

Jupiter; Sabao,

off

Sun ;

Moon ;

lao* of the

Eloi, of

Mara; Oral, of Venm; Aataphai, of Merooiy;

and Bdabaoth, of Saturn. All these names are to he read more or less frequently upon our taliianana, though probably in • diiEnent sense firam that taken

The

by the anthor

of the Sohena.'

nsaiea of the Jewish aiigels^ Miohael, Gabriel, Snriel,

Baphael, Thantabaoth, and £rataoth, also occur as names of the genii presiding over the Fixed Stars, the Bear, Serpent, Eagle,

These notions are manifestly of Hagian and aoquired by the Jews during the long period their ooxintay formed a province of the Persian empire. Inthe anoient creed they were all either titles snd attributes, or else the chiefiast Lion, Dog, and BnIL

origin,

angels and ministering spirits of the Most

H^;

but in the

Gnostio mythology they had been degraded from their hig^

and reduced to the rank of secondaiy genii of a mixed made up off good and evil, but all equally anxious to win souls from the empire of Abraxas, the proper lord and creator of estate,

nature,

the Whole."

The only satiafikotory explanation of anoh an appro-

• St. Tuul warus liis flock against boing aedueed into " a worshipping of nngfls ;" nevcrt}i>'1<-sM, tins ndomtion

and the moltipliuuliou oi their uaniee on aagmenting to flist pitch, that a CotinHl held under Pope

wflut

Zachariaa nxiucod them, as objects of iranhip^ to fline alone; vis., Michael, Gshcid, Baphael. Thia retronclimcnt was enforced by Obarlemagno in a

Baphael by a serpent, Gabriel by an by a bear, Eraby a dqg, Qnioth or ZartuoUi by an eagle, TItautabaoth

taotli

ThenwaidpromiMdto1haAag«l

of the Church at Thyatim CAp. ii. 28 ** And I will give ium tlie Honung ;,

eridenfly bean reAranee to thin doctrine concerning th(! Angels

Star,**

of the planetB.

Daatcb in bis

Fanr

no donbt en Ihe aulhofftj of

capitulary iasned at Aix-Ia<?bapelle.

diso,

In the Diagram uf the Ophites Origen tells us Michael was represeated by a liou, Suriel by an ux,

ancient tradition, nuikes Mercury the

abode of Uiotie .spirits moved in life to glohoua doed« by the love of fame;

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ABRAXASTBB, OB LATIR ADAFTBD BaTFITAN. priation of the titles

a very brief one,

Christian semi-Buddhistio philoeophers, all evil in ntfttter, thaflD tnoieiit tibie

and

tliat

the later aenii-

who found

the BOoroe of

therefore in the material areation, applied

names, hallowed in their I^yptian usage, to denote

Twrions agents of the Creator, esteemed, from their

office,

mere demons exactly aii thoy by a similar process transformed the sacred names of the Jewinh, and yet more blasphemouHly thosc! ;

lint the talisman-makers

of the Christian creed,

belonging to

the old and revived set of ideas continued io emjdoy the

same

invocations in their original and time-honoured sense. Tlie adjurations to the planetary' genii, and

dressing them, will

lie

tlie

mode

of ad-

considered in the section treating of the

deposit of talismans in tomba.

UTSB ADAPTED EGYPTIAN.

ABSAXASPEB, OB

Besides the genuine Abraxas gems, there exists a vastly more

numerous

£sunily popularly passing

under that name, but which

Bellermann aptly designates as AbrazaBters,' on account of their •flbuty.

These are the gods of the pnmittre Egyptian mythology,

but adoipted In ihe ijnoielialio religious of

new ideas, and

<tf

ibs ags aatlie typsa

to a oonaideiraUa extent I17 sects luildiug the

dd. Agathodamon, Ohnnphis, has abwady been disoossed at length: it onlyxemains to add that its Coptic (ni(^ CdbieptA, is giTon hy doctrines of Obristianity in comlnnation with tiie

some as the xoot of the Gieek name Oampm, the god whose symbol was the vise ooveied by a hvmsn head, need finr porifying the sacred Nile water. Hence this vase is oAen engraved between two erect ssps, like heraldic sopptvteni.* AmoQgBt these the most frequent and most important type of all is the ja<U-hesded god Annbis, usually repieeontod in his .

Venna of tmo Invrrs T.iuia f tlicnlogians Murb ol' uuirtyra tur Ihu t^iitli :

;

Ji^iter of good prinOM; Bstnrn of soch oa have led a oottteniplatiTe and leeluao iifb. X

Sam, ihe Abnxoid. those, aod their snnnber

ifafad

oampdM all

itifliiitc,

wliicli

gical, viz., tho

nrn pnroly nstrolo-

Decani, the tiigus, the

Flaiiefei,fte. * Fcrhni>»«

lioal

tho original of the f^llm

nue, Nile-pitcher, Vase of Sue;

> fadooriy fntaipntod b ttase nlioi, u wUl be pointed oat hmafter.

ABRAXABTBB» OB LA.TBB ADAPTED BQTFIIAN.

ancient form, but occabionally witli both a head, often bearing the caduceus of

of oonductmg departed souls through

through the Hhados)

human and

Hermes

a jackal's

to d^ nutt' liiw office

tlie j)laiu ts (not

to their final rest in the ricroina

;

as of yore,

sumotimeH

displaying a palm announcing the victory of the failhful, sometimes presiding over the Psychostasia or Weigliing of the soul,

and

tlius

and

dead.'

passing fur the type of Christ, the judge of the quick

In old Greek gems Hermes often appears with hi«

caduceus, bending over and asslBting the soul to emerge from the earth, or

iotm at iaon of

Hades; a group presenting a Btrange coincidence, in with the medissval representa-

least (perhaps in arigin),

Saviour

mib

zwnag

The Zoro-

onl cf Fugatoxj.

astriaa bell, or barxiing lake of moltMi mefcal, into wlaeSi at tiie

judgmani-day Ahiiman anfl his fbDoiren were to be its object tbfl

ultimate pnzifioation

dootrme bold by Origen, and partly Sucli

an aooeptation of Annbia

my own, wMoh offers

oast,

bad for

oondMnned—« menjifol allowed by Jerome.

off tba

is afarangely

adopted in a said of

to the first yiew that most ortiiodox and

Good ffliepibeid, bearing m lainb upon his sbonlden, a orook in his band, the loins girt wi& a belt baving long and flowing ends; but on closer examination the primitrre Obriatian figore tbe

figore leaolTes itself into the doable-beaded

tbe lamb doing dntj fiar

tiiai

AnnUs, the bead of

of tbe jaekal spcxngiiig fitam tbe same

sboolders as the man's, whilst the onrred end of the girdle beoomea

tbe long and oorly tail of the beast 'By this, too, we are enaUed rightly to understand a rade drawing lately disoorered

on tbe wall which represents this jadbd-beaded figore nailed to the oroes with tbe in8oripti<m AA€SAM€NOC

of a vaolt* on

tiie

Palatine,

C€B€T€ TON OCON

;

in reality the work of some piona

Gnosiio, but wbiob is nsnally looked npon as a beatben Uaaphemy,

becanse the jackal's bead

is taken Ibr tbat of an ass. Here, toc^ an iUnstration of Tertollian's meaning irben be saya (Apol zvL) to bis opponoat^ "Like many otbeza yon bare dreamed that an om's head is our god. But a new Torsion of onr god bas lately been made pnUio in Borne ever sinoe tbe tame tbai

w»

find

Til

Ciitholir art,

The

cell of

Michiu l

alav c,

hol«l« iho. f-i-ak-s.

ouo " uf Cwaur's houaubold."

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Ce Bet ^

U fact rage

BO.

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BRAXASTBB, OB LATBB ADAPTED BOYFUAIT. a certain liircliug convict of a bull-fighter put with some

sucli inscription as this,

ONOKOIHTHZ.' Ho

ft)rth

a picture

'Tlio Gotl of the Ohristians,

was there depicted

witli the e^irs of

one of his feet hoofed,' holding in his hand a book, and

asa, witli

clad in the toga. figure given

An almost

bv Matter,

exact description this of the ^Vnubia

No.

PI. IT. C.

save that instead uf

tlio

book he holds a i^dm branch and cit.lnceuH. ITie sj^mo calumny was transferred somewliat later by the Christians themselvee to Sot being acquainted with iSttb the account of the (Gnostics. f^yptian animal, they mistook (perhaps intentioually )

tJie jaokaTa

heaA for that of an

greatly re-

wmXim

ift

aas,

which, to say the trnlh,

the rode drawing of our gema.

plmiui ftt lh» ad of iSb» fonrlh Mntury

Thus

find Epi-

asserting (Hmras. zzvL)

the/o^ Mooimt be TIiib lart notun

llwt «l2MGiiOftio8dMO«hliM,MQ(adingtoflome,

oM^ MOinding to

otIietB,

tbit of a Aoy; on iHuoh last

ItsthftrUadmiha JewBtoertswine'i

il^

Petraniiis alhidee to in Ida

Judsiu

Now 8eAao(k being god of

Jewi,

it is

licet et j^oreuum iwiBiaa

held by

adoreL"

all these aeotaries aa

the national

Teiy probaUe that in the same oonftunon

of two batata originated that belief ao praralent amongrt the anoienti,

and qooted by

Taoitiis

(Hist

4), that the aeonit

objeot of wonihip ao jealoody gaaided wiHiin the Sanotoaij* at

Jeroialem was the

imi^

of this aninud (the wild an), **bj the

goidanoe of which they had relieved their thirat and their die;

treas "

Moses having, by the ol^ervation of the movements of a

troop of them, found out tho apgting that saved the Congregption

from perishing in tho

The Genealogy

ildemeaa. Again, in the spurious gospel.

of Haiy,* ^'the oanae aoaigned for the death of

The Anubis

nioflt

in Fbte 1. 3. 8hows conspienowly one of hit ftet

This

atoryifl oooneofeed

vMi

the

belief that Bucrhus wuh the n-al

of the Jews, fur the

BMebw. Ibr '^xxxv.

all other boasts* hoi a phat god of wine. This quotation is prcservod by EpjpiiiaiM^ fiw ttie wodk ttadf is It wna awrilfd to entirely lost. Matthew, aud was taken for their

poison to

sacrocl to tlio >

hoofed.

tiiis

god Aaa was auored to attribatibD Pliny

1) aaeigTis n curioiifi

that the

niison,

was food of feonel, a

speelNl aaihoritj

by the Oollyridkin,

80 cidUHl from their mcrijicing cnkes to the

Yujpa Uaiy, whom they

pre-

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ABRAXA8TBB» OB LATBB ADAPTED BOTPnAN.

Zacharias, the son of Barachias,

is,

that going into the Temple, he

beheld standing within the Senotnary a

•h; and when he was nulling

whom

nnto yoa 1

hj the

apparition.

man with the

far e

do ye woinhip ? he was struck with dumbness Bnt afterwards, when he had recovered hie

him

apeeoh, and revealed the vision to the Jews, they slow

And

Maephemer.

of an

out to cry imto the people, \V^oe

why

this they assign as the reason

priest hull bells fastened

as a

the high-

around the hem of his gaiment, in order

that this monstrous deity might, by their tinkling, be

warned of

his approach, and so have time to conceal himself."

the

same family

also belongs the youth liaiiKjcrates, or

emblem

Ilorus (the vernul sun), having the

upon the

strously exaggerated, and seated

accompanied by Anubis, the believer.

and

Lion impregnating a

.somelimes typified

manner by the group of

who

submits to the operation as

FBotariboi podtb addalis ftmiiia

figured sailing through

tlie

lim^^ heavens

in the sacred

moon over

boat or Boris, steered by two hawks, the sun arid the his head,

and accompanied by the names

lao, Sabao,

as Abraxas himself, and that with sufficient reasi n,

the

8(jlar

tells

iLs,

If Iltaus be,

nature of both divinities. a

title

the Sun-

male, the usual Eastern personification of

the disembodied spirit,

Ilorus often

regeneration

literal

il'c.,

<>n !t.>

lieliodoru.s

another point of analogy to the Hindoo boyish >»eruana

To complete

leaf,

with

tended

<3ir

floating

body painted

commonly seen

Ihe xegnlar Btah-

ImM <MnVing-cnp.

was Yirgin-Lxnn.

Biahop of Bin, also dies ing the parcntapo of The " iiirth of Mary"

of a kteltj

all his

the resemblance, the vase so

hanging by a cord fiom the hand of Amibis minical Lotah^

exactly

account of

of the Xilo (Blue-water), this type exhibits

on the face of the waters in his azure.

mon-

to express the necessaiy regeneration of

Tliis spiritual

in a very singular

of fecundity

lotus flt)wer, often

conoGarn-

orthodox monkihh legend the authority with the " ProtoTBOgelion" for all

the medirovnl pirhires and srulptims

Fuufitus, it

tlio

atill

B. V.

extaut

diAnBt dhtiaoter, ainera

;

setting forth the eveuts in her *

life.

HawethaOieoiMiKfMiia.

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THB SEVEN YOWEUS.

THE 8BVEN V0WBL8, The backs of snoh unnlets are often filled op with the seven vowels of the Greek al|diaibet anmnged in as many lines, the vowels distribated in all the permutatioDS poanUe, sobjeot to the rale that eaoh line must oontain

number, Seven.

This grauping

no more than the mystic

illnstrates the onrions tenet that

eaoh vowel represents the sound uttered in

one

which,

paxticTilar planet,

hymn

to the

!z;1(>ry

its

revolution

of the great Creator of the Universe.

the " Music of the Spheres," slightest notion of its true

already kno\vn to Plato,

a teim

meaning

who

combined, form one eternal

all

;

This

so often used without the

and

was

this Indian fiction

beautifully employs it in his vision

of £r, thougli ho makes each of the seven notes to proceed from

a syren seated upon the several Or,

sjiheres, set in

motion by the Fates.

choose to accept the authority of the treatise

Seven Vowels represent the

Interpretation,' the

inoflFablo

name

of the Creator, an explanation supported by the fact that these

combinations of the vowels often appear purjiosely to include and

from the profane sense the

veil

taicrcd triliteral

lAU).

^lontfaucon, PI. 169, gives a set of inscriptions found at Miletus

whieh

tlieso

who

god

habitants.

vowels, varioiusly combined, form the

tluis

In the

name

besought to protect that city and the

first

name Jehovah

lEOYAHU) AEHI OVU) AflC

of the

all lia

in-

evidently expressed.

VAACON THN HOAIN

MIAHCIION KAI flANTAC TOVC KATOIKOVNTACa human figure* holdiiig by its neok the ereot and entirely iUled up with sodh vowels, has been o of ihe spiritaal man, regenerated, and ez^bined as the

The

outline of

serpent,

entirelj freed from earthly taint, or admitted anxmgst the

Oon8ea%ery however, as quoted by Salnuunos, on this point (De An. OUmaoi*), takes him to be the representative (tf the 866 none, solati,

the

in the phrase of the medi»val Meniohesnw.

The tj'pts

•

Tills

pofied

Adam

KaMialists'

accordiug

euftly Adam

Ka'iinnn,

wkich

Uie

WMcnafead.

treatino,

by Salmanus

com-

giosl taUsnsBS.

purpoeu of j

muUifarioufi

Iciiming'

contains an Bawrhitkm upon ailnio-

all potsaiblu subjectei,

excellent

apparently for the

(lisplaying i

U all

LBQENSB AND FORMULA whose names are mfpoted

be oompreHed within the onUine

—in abaci, the emUm of the Pkroma. LEGENDS AND FOBMJJLM. BeridM Ihe taKaminii merely «ngm?ed widi the Seveo Yowela, naagf haTe the rerene oovered with loQg iaaeriptioni^ pneont nothing Imt long eIringB of letten on boflk ohvorae end levene.* The Orientaliei, desixoni of exerciaing hie ingenmty in tiie deeypheiing of tiieee, fcr the moet pect» nneoqdained numnmentfl, wiU find e "vaat odUeotion of andh in Baepe'a Gatelogoe of Taane'a Faslee, from No. 488 to 688, oopied and xepiodnoed with aorapaloiia aoenzaoy. The reaaoii he tiiete givee for the aftteuliou he haa paid to a daaa prerioaalj ao Mi^eotod ia a very aoond one. " AU theae aeots have evident^ honowed their vyvAxAM, and probaiUj alao fheir respective eaq^bnationB, from the iconology and mysteries of the Eg3rptian8 and other nationa of the East*

If^

as regards the rnoainng of hierc^ljphioa

and symbols, they had no better information, the Gnostica of Ilgypt and Syria had at least national traditions to depend upon

a point emmedly of some weight. sects of Gnoatioa

new

blished

K, thereforo, the more recent

with this their symbolical learning have eata*

opinions and fresh modifications of stiperstition

old, we are not therefore to conclude thai knew nothing about, and wantonly i^ve a new "**^™g to^

upon the basis of the they

Clem. Alex:

^Strain,

i.)

culls Uieise |

Bosilidan

Ephuian

nrid

Nam<'8,

luuAuing

thereby

Inscriptions Ltttert,

legendi in an vaknown tongue^ like the words g^^vrn npon tlif zone niid

the Da la Turbic CoUaolioB. Its meaning, "tlii^ Pun," is apfwy to to a Alitiiiuic stooe.

enough '

The

niy-^tii"

earliest

formulon

the feet of the Ephesian Diana, which

iirandioa,

HMgrehioe hM pvenmd : vie Add, Kabaki, Haix, Tctrax, Dtunnanicnetia, Aiaion" interpreted as, Darkneo^ Light. HimaeU; Che 8nn. TtvOl These Ephesian words, aiys Phitarch

drire in Clem.

«•

—

(SympoB.), the Magi u-st-d to n?cite over thoeo possesMid by devils. Damis seen on a GoflBlio mnlel;

mmmm» a

mnmmj

enfiolded lij

enuBiple of ibese that of the diviner

rang by the Milenans

amy a gwiHIiiBth and preaemd Ale&r—

|a/ii|^,

x*«», xXriKTpor, <r<prf^t

whore ho explains

/J«8u as signifying

the Air, ^a^u^ the Sea, and vAiHrrpoy

OaBaa.

a sapaatk in

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LEGENDS AND FOBMULJB. the sjmbols which they thus misapplied. mtioiial puint of

This

the only

view in whioh these amulets and engravings

These formulas are invariably written in the

onght to be studied."

Greek character, intermixed with strange symbols, analogous to, and evidently derived from, the Hindoo Casto-Marks, and whioh in their turn became

tlio

source of those subsequently adopted by

The

the alchemists and Rosi<;mcians.

which

coriHidoi-ation of these,

numerous examples from

liavo collected

and

all dates

countries, will bo the subject of a separate chiijilcr.

circumstance connected with these legends the most un-

accountable

is,

wherefore the Pohlovi character, the national one

of the Magi of those times, should not have been used for scriptions so often couched in their language

of a talisman in Pehlevi writing that has

a wnall scroll of silver in the

leaf,

Museo Napoleon

folded

III.,

No.

;

come

to light

up within a gold 2.')4.

in-

the nolo instance

being

now

lioart,

Neither are any to be

seen in the runic, though that chuiacter with the I'elilovi was

yet the current mode of writing throaghont Asia. present square sie

uexe

Hebrew

lettering, all stones aa.

for the

which such ocGfim

oabalistio or Bosusrudian faliwmaiui of iStn iixteonth

tsmitesnfli oenlaiies.

Of hieroglyphio writing no traoe uppmam :

even the Demotio mocUiiostioik of

had long befisre been maper-

seMat Alexandria hj the Gveek chmwitozs.* Hie language of for fha

these fenrnda is xtanlj Greelc, nerer Latin

most part Coptio or Syriaa'

JsmUiohiis in his Isttsr to

Porphyry snpplisa the feason, ezpressly stating that **tfae gods ave well pleassd with invocstiooa addressed imto them in tha

and Aaeyiian topgass, as being anoieiit and oognata Amt cm, and those in whidi pnyer was fint made xmto them; and thej have therefore stamped as saored the llgjrptiaa

Is^gnnges to

entize langnsge of those hofy natums."*

' I have mot with no exw^ption to my uwu experieuoe ; but Oqrtas ghas (viL pL 8) SD oval aflpiAek prrcn borml with white, wigravod in a better afyla than amial, with the

thiB role in

frequent fgoMringed

Mqpean genius

inthsMflndboit; aadcntiieievaiiB

a gingniay

It is

ooin-

n roTtical line of BflStly-eat giwmhlft hicroglyphica.

SBaHierByio-ClnUea ' The vcorx] KAMAP or (JfooA,' Axab.;,

often

Iflgond^ ttfowi

MMik;

that

KPAMNA

aeen in

light

fh«M

upon Flin/a

mnmoM

LBGBNDS AND FOBMULJB.

cidence ^hat Justinus Eemer, in

hift

extraoidiliaiy book

Die

Scherin von Prevorst,' in reading whioli one oontmiially fluotoateB between the two

iil(>;i.s

its

being oitboT a xidionloilt fiction,

or a revelation of the profoundcst truth, assigns a similar reason

why

the writing used by the visitants from the other world

much resomble Arabic

should so

inasmuch as that had the best

But

claim to bo cousiden d the primitive language of mankind. *'

omno

maxim

ignotiim pro niagnifico" has ever boon the

priestcraft

and cxpi riuncc has denionstnited

;

truth.

it.s

particularly does the rule apply to the objects of adoration

thus

Orpheus hath " Tlicn whilst the caldron babbles o'er

AddrosB f«ch godhtml by

inyBtic

tibe tmub, namo;

Full well the Immortalii all arc pleiuied to hcor

Their MontsameBrifls in tibemntterad

Thus

Irenseus gives a foimula, " couched in

order to inspire greater

awe

Hebrew words

into the Gallic neophyte" [at

Lug-

dunum], used hj oertein Gnoatiot in Administering Baptism. yajioaat

'Baafftfia KnXitxf^'tt

fia

aiavopa

pwaia

fiitrraiia

Boy?o^p

Kovtrra

" I invoke Theo, supremo over every Virtue, the Light

of the Father by name, the good

S})irit,

thou hast reigned in the body."

Another form was, Meaaia ov

^apcy

t'afji(fi\l/nii^iny

fiai^apia

^aXcaiav finaofnjCufa

Saviour of Truth!"

judge from its

a<.<^f>n

" 1 do not separate the Spirit, the

celestial Virtue, the merciful

its

engnivlng,

One.

May

frequent repetition and is

"Ltmaf nomen

1,'ivo

nnp

rif

tin

being engraved with

gle

tlie

render

facturo

very fimnlcts,

names lAW.

AcoDfinoing MiaswlogM that Alas-

coj)y

finest talisman

chit f nrnt of

these

upon taken

known.

the mano-

tuluiuana,

the

material, besides the alphabet almoit invariably employed. It is indeed

why we

uuaooountable

tiMmOe proper «hMMlv«r{he Magi,

CABAWO.ABPAGAG. pMMf to

Trj/rnv

the super-

care Ix-stowod

tlie

sgnfaist witchcmfl, and In the Prnun Burcfsaatcourt.

fur

\l/nova

prosper in thy name,

andria was the

ac Solis" to be cut

Collection wan an oral emerald (of Tsij hui qaaHty, homifer) whUh I titkc

jra

Head and

the one here transcribed.

on ometliynta or emeralda

TJfe, Ijecause

ITie most important of such formulie, to

from the famous Ilcrz garnet, perhaps the

thoni

and the

the Pchldfi;

ill

vhinli

never find on ;>]1

tlie

It <;(

Ik1s

upon ysoA» cseouted in the Pernan

EmpiMk

at Hiak tbne,

wen wriHm.

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hsaxsm and formuue. It if

» ilucik lieirt4luq^'dd^

aim lu^ ^

on ona lide 14, on ibd othar 11 lines nflsOy «ngi»ved in tbe Qrcek duaaoter uad in ihe aeoond oantmy. It avidenily oonUjdm Zend and GliaI4ee wosds, intomuxed with the names of ind the QBUal tiilaB of Abraxas:

angsia,

AT(OCACAtOAAU)N€

OinCCWPOYAP

C€M€C6IAAMABPACAC C3ZYPPATH AKPAM MA KPAMMAKANAPICCC6 ITCNBAAtAPANrHC €M€C€IAAM(OBAHM

IAWP€U)HA<t>ON

ACNtAMBUNAPOV ANTAMIYRHAN

AH€€€Y60 HAWA€Y€U>€ rH€€U)A€€

AIW AIH TOC tOAIH MAU) HAO €WA OYU) €YH U)A1Y€IHI€

MOPAPAKCIA AA3€T€MAI

U)HAU)HNH4>I

HACJYHMCS'

€MHAIAOA AIHHCOCOU)

(Tb«ie

two

niese

reverso of

diitinction between

inscriptionH exactly

tlic

A and A thnqghont)

nffroo

with the

oval calc«'(loiiy givt^n by Chiflet (Fig.

ol)v«>rse (iitj,

and

except-

ing that the latter has in aUdition a few wonis enclosed witliin a coiled serpent at the top.

Of this

the language as good Greek,

his friend

Wendelin, reading

had made out a most orthodox

errion, containing an iuTooatioii to the Trinity, Ac, which,

however, did not by any means satisfy the Isaniad and ssgpunona Gsnon.

Tha opening

eTidanfly

ia,

"Blasssd be tha King of

Kings, the Lord, the Eternal Snn, Abraxas, and Zoiatel, the

Moon.

• •

Amntigst the Toiwn]^ ssxd,

Gema (British Museum)

laiga oval

agxeaing in all but a few lattais with Ghiilel^a axampla.

I take the

fint

wonl« for the th» legends

BBklevlAk>a»8basn;

od the Saaaamaa gems often begin with Ato-Bi.Bleei the Ung.

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LEGENDS AND FOBMULiB.

Doubtless such large and loaded sUaiM

ritee

by the

poesessor.

Mnred

upon tiMm ivere

books, and the inTOcations

for poeket prayer-

recited at the saoied

Boaie luch wwiiiri of dgvotiiOttOaphwi

—

may allude when he mji *•

Fkir, irllh liie IbwwBd Pfliraow in thine iMad,

Whan heealonbt helm fhe aHw iliBd.'* There

a peculiarity in the shape of the letters in nearly all

which of

thcBo inscriptions, b«'IiniL;ing to

serves to identify any stone

itself

They

the class.

arc

all

formed by straight

lines,

0, O, and C made as squares, either in consequence of the mdenoss of the instrument employed, or the want of skill in the

the engraver having prevented his fonning circular characters, to

do which neatly requires the utmost dexterity and practice,

and

uihecl,

the most difficult task that can for

was with

this

new

demanded from the

l>e

invention,' as the equality of

the lines demonstratcH, that these rude, misshapen letters were faintly sketched ujton the stone.

These invocations arc soinetimes found Kuj)eradded on the backs of gems of a

much

earlier date, apparently for the

converting them into amnlete. singular example

Commodus

aaidonyx,

known

Of such a conversion

mke

the most

fine cameo,* the bust of

on the back of the stone, in the black ground of the engraved Ihe god Ahnzaa,

hit

wmtX

shape,

tnmnmded by ihe vniqiie tegmd

APAOY rCNNAI Oi^M€NAI Another in Her

BACIAICKIdC.

Majesty's collection, a cameo, with the hel-

metcd heads regardant of the two elder sons of Constantine, has on the back Anubis, with a legend in large rude lettering which defias

even transcription.

The

extremi^Iy barbarous style of these

additions obliges us to refer them to a that of the camel themselves

;

* In an likelihood due to the Alexandrian ^a»>irarkeT8, famed for their ; alluded to by Pliny engraved

vam

in the traidi^ *TitniB

much

later period than

and the position they occupy

nioilo

n^latur

and

called

hj IfartU

tepidi torennmta Nili." '

In the Alarlborou^ Oabinei.

aBod ai^BBtf

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LKGRNDB AMD FOBMUUB.

being necessarily couoealod, they could loHj have bean dangned for tftliMwiMw to prutect the weartT.

far as the

history of thf (ilx-ptic art

wheol came into

u.se in

when

the

and

elegant lettering of earlier

v I'lirnishing

work

its

tlxe

gem with

perfect regularity

inscriptions belonging to every form of

(

has lately done the usanv for those (very

In Gorlaei Dactyliotheca (cd.

part of those published plates

himaftlf,

additioiiB

Nos. 326 to 476 are

and include the larger

miA on

file

be dted, Anobu, double lieeded,

On the reyeise

holding, with four hands, torohei and daggers.

h vedvoad

fion imprmioni ooUeoted hy

as it would seeoBL

Ab eanmplet of tiio dtm may

REPA

French

la Bib. Imp., p. 282.

in Macarii Apistopistus (1610),

hsre been re-engrmd for

nde^ but with nuay QronoTiiM

by Chiflet

Chabouillot

Jnosticivm.

1G9.3),

entirely Gnostic or astrological designs,

"Raspe

number of thcHO

nuiacritu.sj in the

W G. de

Cabinet, in his Cat. des Camt'es et

the diamond

and neatness.

(Cat. p. 38) has given accurate transcrij)tvS uf a largo

whoee

date

will Lo found, if cxauiined

the microscope, to have be^-n cut into the

point alone, and hriu r

concerned, these

the lapidary's atelier; for the minntr

gems have a value

inscribed

AMBO* - VBAKA - KSIK - YK

headed goddaas* Tqf-NeiA,

XVXBA

•

KAXVA

— L»mBeveiae,

sfeaadiiig, lotaa-oiowiiad.

XVXBA

appuenHj l^riao, KAX - KX.

(PL i 8) -

BAZA

•

Lagend ontin atagMit diaiaotan upon a laiga Tofaa en oabo* oroaaod ohon : on the lerena ia an oval, enoloaing H l> aqnatre,

and a A.

AMAPYCMHPIAEMIOYCO POACNABAPEEHIOYU) NABAPNCHIOYCi) EPAePAYMOYfal ZATECCHIOYCi)

OPePOXOPCEYb) AXAHMAPECi) L^end

cut in larger and ruder letters on a couvex calcedouy.

Ambo,

the Coptio for Annbiik

LBQENDS AMD FORMULiB.

100

Reverse, the usual three 2.2.2. traversed by a bar,

intaglio,

Tliis legend,

on the reverae of fta

slightly varied, occurs in yet nulor lettering

a female portcut» in Caylns, VL, FL zL, 4 and

CT0XBA6A HMAAAKIC60M MAKOXtOX ABPAMRiAIOeH >

ABPAMMHA A

very mintite figure of Abraxas, on Green Jasper,

uucomiuuu invocation

to hiiu

by tho

title of

Ahrackar

has fhe

—

ABPAXAPS-ATPACOA AUAPICONI-E A

Green Jasper (Praun)

covered with a neatly cut inscrip-

tion in several lines, surrounding one enclosed in a circle lonned

of two lines,

ment the

upon which arc cut marks resenilding in arrangeOghams.* Thifl stono is much chipped, and many

Irish

initial lettexs

thus

lost.

nvpooox KPH40 YMAPTA AP40r ovecp 4oveAi

XOYBY

AAIAAM eAA0AA

ANOX MOYI

POCIW

UJPU)

YAAAA

lU)

AYCni0IAAKYeU)

CYniNEmA A brown oaloedonj neatly engsared wifli a osdnoent within a wreath, doabtless seomned the

ben%u

Hemes, by the AKPItU^I on

its

Abbam here meeuis the Beir-Ampiii,

Priidthe Man «r ihe lUUNlIilanMde up of 243 meinl>er9, tlie numcaictil value of the

Hebrew

letters in the

Coltio

of !

influence of Thoth or

Most singular is a

ravene.

flie

Ogham,

in which all the letters

alphalMk

an npa$m\KA

hj a

similar difipoaitiaB of short strokes, In differeat xelatfam to

one oootinQOai

line.

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LEGENDS AND FOUMULM.

101

ydlofw jiflpttr, wlueh diq^la^ • ptoroed

^piatnfoil (thai meduBval an angel) above the nama lAblf fidlowed by the oyatio Towela AEIHOYUlAI : <han (me), and for ravena •MIXAHAV-

«iibl«in of

TABAW

Crenaer (AnduBoL engraved

nitili

HL, laat

plate) figaxeaalaige oral plasma,

this fbnniile enrioaed within

ooiled-np aeipent

Seveialof the ktfeeis aie ran togedier by Mawf

biting its iaiL

of nnnaoal finma, ilnu laad bj

him

<para)^piC-ovros aartp o wpttrmntntp

o wpi w/imrot

The Towela

in the

first lines

ooneeal the

ow> wuno&H>'{tx*X«*

pmnQ my ha

laelbUe Name,"

lao,

with the aingnlar title of ErataigriB^ and Ihe o wtpiamfutros seems a Goptic barbarism for aaufiaroc* " InoorporeaL" interest of the legend is the profeedon that the

But the dhief unknown letters

following are the Signd. of Solomon, showing at what an early date that fianons seal had attained celebrity as the greatest of

The " lion-headed

talismans.

" in the laat

word may apply to

the Pater Bromins.*

The

rejoices in

the

with the

epithet Sabazius, derived from

Hebrew

lay claim

oonpled with Adonai, for Bacchtis

Sabaai raised during the orgies tical

may abo

Pater Bromhia" of the Mithraic Cave

to the title of Sabao, so often

his votaries

Sahi, "glory."

day who bellow out the Kamo word

the shout of

—a

word

iden-

Certain soctaricK of our

at their "

Kevivals" are

little

aware what an ancient and congenial authority they have for Adonai, " our Lord," is converted by the their vcx;ifenitionK.

spionym

and

havo already

OrcekH into

Adotiens, a

adduced

lino of Oritheus proclaiming the identity of Pluto,

tliu

Bacchus, and

of Pluto;

Sol— a statement recalling the ancient explanation the women mourning for Adonis

that the Syrian rite, the

" divosted

Intended apparently for tho Living

Name, oonsiBting of thirty letters re\Mi\ti\ U> Ifamai hf tile *^Tlf "t

••Ho

Tetntfl. *

In fact

imfoly

wtpi, iu oompoeiiion, hott

this

ims;

Sbg. w$fuuft»u$t

of,**

which may have misled

the illiterate Coptic magiciaii. ' The whole may be rendered, tlio

incorporeal, \

aUtUags

Primal Father (Bytho« pervading the lioaiBadgd."

aole-tixitsting, . .

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LEGENDS INTERFBBTED.

102

weeping ,

Son's

ThMBmnz"), was no more tibaa txpnmvB of the of power in the winter quArtar.

for

LEGENDS JNTEBPBETED, Bellemuum has explained, from the

Coptio,

and in a miuho-

tory manner, aeveral of theae **taniiflnta verboram," aa Jeroone

The following are amongit the moat frequent BAINXCOCOb), from BAI* • pnae; NXOll, eeorat; QUO), honour. Denoting, peihqpa, a qrmhol given to the neophyte upon his admiaaion into the ftatemHy. The flgoree ao frequently aptiy oaUfl them.

oooniring fonned oat ollinea aet at Tariona anglea to eaoh olher,

he phmeiUy enon|^ taikfla for the atiokB and balla taken np at nmdom by the handfol oat of an am, and then safiered to fidl on and

intermingiled with dota,

Baored Lote.

Theae weie HtUe

the groond: the diviner interpreted the fonna they thns aasnmed

Hie

aooording to oertain rales, and so expounded the fotoxe.*

anangement of the strdcea on theae taliamana zepreaenta

Thia explanation

eonflgoiatioiui deteimined aa propitioiia.

aapported hy the Geomancy of the

oertain ia

modem Arabs^* in which linea

drawn at random on the sand with a stick are interpreted by persons whose bnainooo is that mode of divination. Our fortunetelling by means of tea-grounds is regulated by the similar aooidental juxtaposition of particloH, forming to the experienoed

eye defined figures and letters of the alphabet, opinion that although Belleimaan'a theory cases, yet

many

fiat it

may apply

my own to

some

of these ijmhols are actual arrow-headed oha-

racters belonging to the ancient Assyrian alphabet

;

their forms

somewhat corrupted by Greek wizards who employed thom, ignorant of their proper sense. What more natural than (the Assyrian language being

still

considered,

a.s

lamblichiis recirds,

peculiarly grateful to the heavenly powers) that

invocations should continue

Such werp

tho

famed

" Sortes

Antiatea " held in Fortuna's baodB. *

ths

some

of these

be couched in their antique

Arabians woro Dionyf»oa nnA VenoB

Urania ; called by tbem

Ou^aK

aad

Hsndotm (iii. 8) smdHods Hmk Mdy fods vraadi^nped fay

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LBQBNDB nfTEBFRKTBD. cyphers

remoiubered this arrow-headed character was the

down

national one of the Persian empire

and

ander,

Magi

lOS

was presorved

natiiially

They, at

for centuries later.

class to trouble tliem«elve8

to its conquest

by Alex-

in religious uiviges least,

by the

were a very unlikely

with the Greek alphabet or Greek

literature, professing, like the Talmudists, a holy horror for both.

M EC XAN AAU)>

The Messiaa be

•

wearer of the talisman)

MAPtOHNI-

propitious unto

him

(the

Enlighten mine eyes

ANOX XOA XNOVBIC-

all the

Good

Spirit! or

the Universal Genius of Good.

KAVAAKAV. the Saviour. ridicules

it u.s

recording to Theodorot, the Basilidan name for

spelt

i.s

KAVAAKAVX.

by Epiphanius

an expression taken from Isaiah (xxviii. 10) with-

out any regard to

its real

meaning

But

in that passage.

may

be derived with better reason from the Arabic, as signifying *•

Strength upon Strength

;

" that

Bellermann, from the Coptic equivalent to

AMAPriA The

is,

KAB*

the AU-Powerful

a lamp: a

or,

with

therefore

title

the Burning and the Shining Light."

seems the Chaldee

AmerM,

or Preddent

Priest figured on these stones wears upon his head the

JBliwwIteo,

a square piece of purple

iuiirago flMtto*.

synonymoiui wiUi

Henoe

or plume^wearer,

TIm

in ISgypt.

priflrt

whence spring two

cloth,

wrepo^opoc,

itair

in hit iMoid,

emibkm of his oiim, *'8oeptnim iMordotele," his the seipoit entwined JIm tunes sbont

Hi,

whitih

nay

explain the

888

the

GhnnpfaiB stones.

As for peihaps,

the geomolriotl l^pues so often introdnoed, Ihnj hore,

mnoh the sane import ss

lAidh obtained these and

mmj

in theBosionioian philosophy,

otiier

Qnoslio sjmbols

bj tra-

probaUy through the Aiahs. In Aeir system, the Sqvsre stands finr the Four Elements; the Triang^ for Body, Spirit, end

dition,

latd

;

or for the Sum, Moon, and Keioiny.

esphuns hy

three ndioal foroes of Katnre.

The Bhomhns

^gg, whenoe issued sU Oxeation. Fhitanh, in his traetise *']>e Iside et ohie to the

This last Faraodsns

Salt, Bolphiir, Quiofcsilver—eooordiqg to

meaning of others.

MOY0,

Osiride,'*

Mother,'*

him the

the Qiphic

funishes e is,

aooording

10ft •

to him, a title

pvon

This word, origin all>^ the sanie as

to Isis.

our " Mxid," contains an evident allusion to the Earth, out of

which Man was

NOOT,

formotl.'

written with the square

Three characters often line crossed

by two

the nnmezals

(X!cur

the

for

set

NOYT, on

its

horizontal strokes, and a Z«

5, 3, 7,

i.e,,

God.

back, a vertical

which stand

for

and

the Triad, Pentad, Heptad, ladlq^

Men

maahm in aU "BuAem religions. Henoe the upon these gems aie uraaDj disposed in time, Hm, or seven lines. For. tlie suaa xesson find ike name IA(0 wxittan vitii its dements zepeated thus, COAIAU), fi>r ihe siAe of myatio

obliiniiig tJie letter

saoed nvmiber

Ht the Holy Kama

HAI, AHI, Hid),

lASAI,

dom

;

in fine dilbnnt finrns,

Alfa), lAfa).

God's Fkovidence;

P€OYHA€,

Again, by inliodiiomg the

Fiife.

is xepeated

MA0AHC,

XWMI,

God's Will;

God's Honour;

God's Power;

CBW,

Wis-

thus expressing in Ck)ptic the five Emanations, Phronesis,

Logos, Nous, Dynamis, Sophia.

A -ooamun temda, TAAA APAIh) (OAPAOPO NTOKO NBAI. ^Frotootoor, Gnatorl nile,8peBlE,0 Loidr .

•

MAI

MYM VXAVM .

Food, laol implying

oTihesonL

APAANA

Oar I4i^t

(l^yxiao).

lap.

tliat

fa)L

6AMAICA

Being, Source, Salvatioii,

lao isliie somoe, .

lifo, eelvattion,

fi»d

CAAKANA . XAMKIM

Lei thy goodness gnat mito us a

ftiU

Henoe, sfpanntly, Ihe pfoipose of Hue talisman was to

AAONAl AANTAAA.

pononre feoimdilgr.

Lord I then

art

The Sphinx, emblem of beauty, finoe, and loAj bean on tiie revene the voids, ANAKAA. AKAAAS-

the Lamb, fii|^t%

fa)|fa)|.

Fiii8aethem(iAm7&es)todssfariiotion,OLoidl

ABEACAJDABMA. The nomial Fttliherl*'

invooation,

ABAANASABAA,

addressed to Iso, beoomes

**Thoa art oar

bj a di^^t oom^tioii, doe

to the Latin prononeiation, the long-ftmoos ohaim Abnoadabea.

Mwtisl's

Intnai Pwwiwttiflmn.'

OTHER TTFSB AOOPTBD B7 THB aH0BTI08. Thia

by the following prescription of

conclnsiyely proved

Serentis Sammonicns,

physician

cone, exactly as the

Gonlian

middle of the third century. ont for an amulet against

III.,

about

the

orders the word to be written

all diseases, in

Hebrew

105

the form of an inverted

invocation aometiiaea

oooma out on

theae green jaspers. *•

Thou

mti.'?t

on pftper write tho

Bpoll

dhdne,

Abmoadabra called, ia many a line Each under eaeh in eren otder pbiM^ But the last letter in each line efface Ah hy iV-iXTCf^ its lt'nients gmw fi w. t

Still take

away» but

fix

the residue,

TOl at the iMt one letter slKKlsftkfie^

And Tip

the wbule dwindles to a tapering cooa.

til in

about the neck

Mighty the good

witli flaxen string.

'twill to

the patieiit bring

Ha WDBdmOB potency goMdldikNd, And dfive diMaia and daalli te flam hk had.* shall

OTHER TTPBS ADOPTED ST THE GN0STI08, The winged goddesses Athor and Sate, re present inp; tho Venus and Juno of the Romans, sometimes appear accompanied by such legends as prove

tliat

they also have been enlisted ,into the

Gnostic service, prohiibly as tho representatives of certain feminine

But another

"Virtues."'

whose true character

it is

sliape

repeatedly presents liimsclf,

impossible to

tlo

tlian conjecture,

ho being a genuine creation of this system of connnini^led Tie is a boarded

many hooked

ideas.

man, I'riapean, with four arms giusping as

sceptres, four wings,

and a

bird's outs2)read tail,

standing sometimes in the sacred boat, aometimos upon tho

Aa be often Itolds a aootplon or two by the he may be » Deoanva of lliat aign—• potent gnairdian for he ia addraaaed, like Abiazaa bimaali; with {he apoatropbe ABAANAeABAAl I have lihewiae met wilh anoHher lype eqwJly dillbnlt to identify, a woman enthraned upon a huge

coiled aerpent taila,

;

aerpent, not the

oommon Agatbodnmon,

for it laoka the Uod'b

more reaemblea the aap; the goddeaa ahe moat aemUaa ia the Pboenioian Atexgatia, or Mother Earth. head, and

re-

TliBSitearTrattiiffaMia|;rinaa«naofttie JBouk

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EODIAQAL DBOANI, OB BftAZ0ED&

108

Interesting above the rest for the part mediffival times, is the figure of Osiris

his

body swathed

face

;

the true "

mummy, and

Raphomct

snbsecinctitly filled in

wearing a radiated crown, always erect in

full

iSometimes he

of tbo Terajtlars.

stands upon the heads of four angels in postures of adoration,

upon

whom two

streams of water (or perhaps

flow out of his sides. a.s

(

blui^id

>rmuzd borne up by the angels of the elements

is in

and water)

Such a group indeed has been explained ;

and the idea

truth rather of the Persian than the Egyptian cast, for

Assyrian nionumeut.s Athor often apjiears pouring out from her

extended

ui-iuh

the waters uf

life

Persian female Tzed Arduisher

the Living Watei

else grasping ifait

by her

title

the

" Giver of

Another not uncommon typo Soldiar^ either

The

ujkju the subject figures. is

an armed man, the Mithraic

holding a spear terminating in a cock's head, or

two

serpents.

This

may refer

in Egypt a certain seot irant

to the circumstance

iSb»

luone 2rpartwru»t,

and *< Fliibionitge." A mo«t nngokr dflrign is the ifare»jiMided and 1iife»'bodied god, who, staanding in th* attiiiide of Fri^pna, grMpa in one hand die symhol ct feoondity, in tiie otiMT holding aooipiona and aerpenti. Tliia l^pe, in oeiiiin xMpeote, haa a great analogjr to die anoient Oairia, but the **]G]itiiit''

bean die immietakeable ataap of an Indian two obeUaks engnK^ed with letfeeia, the ** PiUan cf Hetmea," on which that god had

triadian introduced origin*

At eaoh

lepreaontiiig

aide rise

engraved the *'Ooine Soilnle," aa Tahal did the Deluge, and which yet aorviTe

m antioipatifln

among Maaonie embkma,

nlgariaed into Jaohin and Boaa» the FSllan of SelemmL

ZODIACAL DECANI OB ABBAXOIDS. It is often impoaeible to

some Gnoatio and

dedde whether a figue be a type of or merely an astrologioal gemua

leligioiis idea,

AnothtT symbol, tho ©, mny l)e by what Eusebiiu uotioes of the Egyptian mode of representing theWorid, ligr a dnie oolonnd d^-

blue and besprinkle*! with flftmcs, in

explHiiHii

the oontro that the letter

aii

whde

extended tierpeot; so flgore iHMiiiilwl ttio

e in the Oj^ite Disgnm.

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ZODIACAL DBOAin, OB ABRAXOID& whose influence was thus engaged

And

this

seeing

these

regards the most popular of

M one

by Magism, Thus as

were tinctured

creeds

•whoso gods wore no other than

tbodsemon Serpent,

fur the wearer's protection.

from the very nature of the subject,

difficulty arises

how much

107

the starry powers.

all,

Chnurais himself, the Aga-

him

actually find Hepha'.stion describing

of the Three Decani in Cancer.

Salniasius with reason

derives tlio term Decantui from the Chaldee Dehan, " Inspector," exactly reuderc J in Greek

down on the

nativity."

by Horoscopus, "

the star

therefore rejects

looks

tlxat

usual Latin and

its

military* derivation, as entirely foreign to the idea conveyed.

Again

XAPXNOYMIC

Leo, and this

named

Decanus in

the First

actually occurs around a serpent having a

title

bmrnan head, whence iaeat raya, preMnted

front face; the

wuna aoBMliiMS Iwing waXbm XOAXNOYBIC, rendered by ftlmnrim ** AU^oIdeii." A Gftok tittologer, quoted by Mm (De An. GUmMt), itetoes— Thfln Me in Moh Sign tbne IhMtd sppointed» of -variooi tanoB, oa» kelimg me^ ihe othen

ropwonted

Umbo

differently.

figuifl engEaTed

on rings are

channa agunit aooidonte, as Tanoer aajs; as do oOier great aatralf^gBia

Ilia

tunea."*

Iliia notice

Not only were the Decani en-

graved OD gems and rings in wder to afwt mUmpt, Iml abo vera flgnml the Si<j:n.-<, and the stars riaiDg tegeUur with thein* or «^«rar<AAotw TImsb iasgei odled STotxiMi: hMiM tte panoBs vera

«»

called SraixftwMOTiKot

who

enffravtul

Buch gems wiUi the tigures of the DeeHil, BigBi^&o., using certain oeiemonies and iitrlcr fho iiisj>epti<tii of the porticukr star of the Horoscope. Tim ptfhHBi -wf it of ttw Bon,

the

m m

Moon, and the other

planets,

the iieavanly SrMx«M<i that

tgnws of tite ftensjaihtiaiMj

i»,

and the

or nopiptt-

o-f If formed by tlie ima^^inary ooUocatkm of the aten. Again Epiphanius islks of "tbe Stan Tainly imagined

alter

tta fiwhion of figures

fts

pvOnov

•<reixM«r, which khegr call (he Signo

of liinr attrilmtea ahowa

Z«8ia."' Diodorus distinguislies between Mi& pUnetB aiMl the rroix«ui find tlm; Hbm nwd coaedy axMwn to die **eaMMla-

modm

tions."

Ptolemy in tbe " OarpaB," Apborin IX*, observes "the figuree (uI^m (Troix*ta)

rise

flf'line

iitvl

uflcctod by the houvciily

lx>diett,

are

where-

fore the tfTrnxcw/HarucM employ them, byob8t?r\"inp the cntnincc

into

i>f

tlit-pliineta

them ;" where the Arabian

latioa

trana-

iiB«BMMgNk«n *

fcr

the term sratx^wiufrtKin. *

Answering to our setgeant.

ifjrri'o^erMMt.—49ealiger (Not ad

Manil., p. 487) gives the ascendants in each sign as represented by the

Arabian astrologers, as they pretended to haTB reoeivtHl tliem from the Egyptiaaa

Thoae of the flnt Deoaow in

ZODIACAL BBGANI, OB ABRAXOID&

108

plainly ono of the nnmljcr to have been the old Babylonian gixl

described by a sceptre in

tlio

prophet Banich (Epistle,

hand

liis

man,

like a

"Tie hath

14).

judge of the kingdom

like a

he hath in hi« hand a sword and an axe."

Thu8,

too,

do I

understand a curious stone (IVaun gemn) engraved in a late

Roman

with Mercury Kcutcd

stylo,

witli the laurel

a ram

arouud

;

on a throne and invested

crown and thunderbolt

has hitherto baffled conjecture as to

fortune lately brought into

€

Delphic

beneath

crowned by

identical, figured

quites

and since that

;

of .lupitor

ERriTA

the legend

last

true meaning.

But

if«

possessiim a

fillet,

at his sido

;

XPYCOC, wWch

with

cameo bearing the

word

the

XPYCOY

have discovered another almost

by Caylus in his invaluable As there can be nt) doubt

(vii. pi. 27).

K<>cueil

d'Anti-

tliat this signifies

the " Golden Five," Uie most sacred of numbers, and represents

the golden numeral offered

by Livia Augusta

at Delphi, so in

dlaoover the " Golden Seven " accompanying

the Praun

gem we

the god to

whom it peenlfialy Monged, **

Testndo iBMNiaro «qF<0m

CUUda norrii.'' Indeed from the beginning strange adaptatioiiAftf anoiont types The fbUowerB of Simon Ma^^ aajs Ireoaeiis, had

were made.

Aries will snffioe, by tlic truly medieval nature of the representatious thpinaelves, to dt'inonstntt*'

tlie

fnl.mty

of their preteuiiiutu, and tiie luure TBontoigfai of iBoh flf^nna Aries, iho flnk DecanoB Asiccnn of

Maz8, givM oaonge and impudence. hand a lHddii« ta hte 1. pmntag^houk, iu his kfl a cn^sij-liow. 8. Dog-heodod maoit wiih ri^it

hand extended, a wind in 8.

Han

nients

Mb left.

his

ri^ht band, hi« left liair,

a hawk,

whip.

wilfa

in hit; lell a

Two

A king crowut-d,

Ua xi^t

lfialMnli«ded,amRNdin]ib

10.

Man

hMi^

8{K'aring

a boar.

All these types were exprosBivo of

oorro^nding

and qualithe native under each degree. But 8eaHgMaaq>lahM,anH very plaarfbly, many of the pomponnd llgures inclinations

zudiacal sigtut iu their hand4»

and oraaDj tioil,

men, ouu cleaving wood

aub Am oOmt

the

left.

hi)l)liug

in hia right

Man in unnour holding an nmnv. 8. Mao with a helmet^ iu his right hapdacwlnwr. 7.

ties in

bolding out vuriouM omu-

placed in his girdle. 4. Alan with curly

orb, in hia loft the soeptie,

cijnanod

LTfiininr

among the

gnoaof

n'lirrvcntntions

these Myripgenuees ; that

is,

penouifi-

aattoM «r tba inflneaoa ofaadi individaal decree.

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I8IA0 BTMBOUS.

loe

images of him made in the likeness of Jupiter, of the Moon, and of Minerva, and to these images they paid adoration.

Taaut, the great god of the Phcenicians," says Sanclioniathon, " to express the character of Satnm or Eronos, made his image

having four eyes, two before, two behind, open and clo8od, and four wings,

two cxpfindod, two

god sees in

wings that ho

flies in rest,

As the genius to be

The eyes denote

folded.

and sloops in waking

bleep,

and

of the plaiu

that the

the pofliticm o£ the

;

rests in flying."

Saturn was held by

tlie

Talmudlsts

good and pure, not so those of the other planets, the four-

winged genius already noticed, chanicter of a gu;irdian angel, tative of Saturn.

frequently repeat ud in the

may bo

He, an thr direct

considered the represen-

in.spirer of the

Prophets, had peculiar claims to the veneration of Kabbivlists.

Law and

Hero we discover the reason why Vulentinus

that planet for the ])roper

mansion of the

the

Alexandrian

tlie

;ipi)iiints

C'reat^»r IhlalNioth,

who spoko through the Prophets and gave

the

Law

in the Wil-

deruess.

miAO SYMBOLS. The

best-detailed acoc»unt extant of tho figures

employed

in the

worship of

the second century)

Tsis

when

still

and symbols

in all iis glory (during

the description of the Procession given by

Apuleios, himself one of tho initiated (Mot. xi.)

" Next flow on

the crowds of persons initiated into the divine mysteries

;

men

and women, of ermy nunk and of all ages, shining in the pure wluteifeeaa

of a Himii ibbe ; fhe laUer

lumng their

dripping hair

envalopad in a tran^annfc ooToring, fhe ibnner with thrir liaada

ahav«n dean, and tbeir htm orowna ahining white ;

atan of the nootomal

rite laiaing aa

tiie

eardily

thej want along a

ahrill

and even of gold. Bat the cliief pezfonnen in the oerenumy were tiioae noblea who, dad in

tinUing with

tistra of bronae, Bilker,

a tigbt4tting robe of linen

deaoeniliiig

from tbe waist down to

aymbok of the em's lengOi a lamp not by any means aimilar

the beela, oairied in the inooeaaion the i^briona

moat potent

deitlea.

difibfling befine

The

bim a

fint

bdd

out at

brilliant light,

in ibnn to those in ordinaxy nae ibr iUmninating our evening

medB» bat a goldfln bowl sopporiing a mora ample Uaie in the

I8IA0 STUBOLS.

110

midst of

ita

The

broad expanse.

second, similarly robed, held

both liands the altar which derives

beneficent

providence

marched along,

(supreme

of the

Ix'aring aloft a palm-branch, the leaves

of thin gold, and the caduceus of Ilermea. the

emblem

name tVom the The third

its

goddess.

of Justice, the figure of the

open, which, on account of

its

formed

Tlie fourth displayed

left

hand with the palm

natural inactivity, and its being

tJcill nor cunning, has been judged a more emblem of Justice than the right hand. The same minister also carried a small goldeE rtmfX made ia ft tonnd fotm. liki f& The iiflk udder, oat of wluoh he poued lOMtioiif of milk. otnied » wiunowtng-Aoi piled vp wiih golden sprigs. Tlie laet of aH bo» ft yuA wine-jar. Immediately after tiiew oeme the Deities, oondeeoeodiag to walk upon hnmaa feet, the first •mong ihem raifting tetrriUy on high his Doffa head and neek; thai moMOPger between heaTen and heU displaying a Ihee altanate^ Uaok aa tlie ni^t, and golden aa the day, in hia left Hie Hia atepe oadnoeiifl, in hia right waving a green pa]mf4Banclk were doaely followed by a Oow laiaed into an nptig^ poeition

endowed with neither fitting

oow hdiig the frnitftil emUem of the Univeiaal Parent, Hie goddoM which one of the happy train bore, with m^jeatio atepa, aopported on hia dioaldera. B|y anoliher waa eaxried the CSolbr, oontalning the myatio artidea^ and oloaafy oonoealing the seoret Another bore in hia happy thingi of the gkiriona religion. boaom the awful figure of the Sopreme Deity, not represented in ihia

the form of a beast either tame or wild, nor of a bird, nor again

human being, bat ingenmuly drvincd, and awe throng ita yvtj strangeness that ineffable symbol

in the ahape of a

inspiring

—

of a deeper mystery, silence.

and ever

be shrouded in the profiDondeat

Bat next came, borne in precisely the same manner, a made of bomixhed gold, and most skilfally wrought

email vaae out

into a

hemispherical

strange Egyptian devices.

bottom, embossed Its

externally with

mouth, but slightly raised, w^as

extended into a spout, and projected considerably beyond

bo^ of the

bowl ;

tlie

whilst on the opposite side, widening aa it

The Hindoo Lingnm - Yoni, or qmAols «f fhs AotNe sad FSHahe

a loag

MMun

poiats from tta cntnitas en oMne

In oomnneBOB, is t&pnKUKo,

in stone aa a round shallow bowl, with

pNjsBlfaig

tigering to

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STMBOLa

ISFAG

receded to a capacious opening,

was

111

affixed to the handle,

which Was seated an Asp wreathed into a knot,

on high

udder-sha])ed

Vase" exactly

scon upon the gems, and which Matli tho vessel

streaked, swollen, scaly neck.**

its

The "

ftud liftmg

(iiitaining

the

often

that

des(;ribes

so strangely explains as

of the deceased

— a most

milikely

subject to figure on an amulet designed to attract the favour of the heavenly powers. that

plausil)le

Kdhler's conjecture,

no more than one of the earthen pots used for tixing

it is

around the circumference of the irrigating- wheel

water to

for raising the Nile

fertilize tho adjacent

certainly the bands around

we have an

C&ot,

Ytm

Ganopus, the

Wwmming-fan*

still

employed

gardens

and

;

top favour this interpretation.

its

analogous deification of a yessel in the

mm» tvste

iSb^ h«ld tb*

fsir

drinking.

The

fnqflmUfy wpwumtod phoed 19011 liik vaM and the golden BpnI ierving for a lamp ofttn tens one in tlie js

group of «B]ilaflM oooupying the

fitta

of noli teUfluu.*

maMar of ooona UtailhAAm^m,

It taenw to follow as a

Older to exhibit aUematofy an ebon and a golden riaage,

mnat

bcfB bad two baada in {he imaga aaan by Apokiiia, jnat aa ba ia figaiad VJiKiig tiia oadnoaoa and pabn on '^^"^^ BaaiUdaD

That mjatorioaa shape, too awfol to be doaoribod, but

gema.

wboae nalara

ia ao

darkly bintod at aa naiibar

baaian, one la tamptod to baUava» iSrom tiiaae

waa

# ooiapound

of all the

oonfinaadby^

aaqpioionia

Kov

ttte ii Urn

abort,

of anall

boaon of iba

waa oairiad bidden in

cme.

tbrae—in

Tba iiMga maat bava baan

bimaall

baaaft, bird,

nor

tmj exproaaianai

our friend Jftraaat

nn,

aaaing tbat it

pdeatfa robe;

and

esdatonoein «be lato Martina Ool-

of (Mria* to an

enet tbape

lamp from Herculiinum pi 33). but out of tlie tpringe a beat fore-finger (digi-

ttie entiqtio

pbrMHv

of a bronzf

logy.

(OayliM.

In the Greek maniage ceremony the wfamowiog-fau, piled iridi all Mtto of fruit, was [ilHlMld OB the bride's head. The same agricultural article, a broad altallow baakot, was the cradle at the infant Baoohus the "mjilka

centre

tus obflcoenus to carry

vii.

gervin^; for

;

nm]

fn-in

a Itandle th«'

."idea

Egyptian This most have bdonged to no the IfflH worship in tliut tnwn

pngect the three uriiid of the

—

doubt as popular there as wo know it wes st ^OBipefl* i •*Teeirodatiiig Ubwlth the seed

Tiiimas laochi. * The sistrum also evidently bor-

rows I

its

peculiar outline from the

Hindoo roni.

MATSBIALS AND 8TTLK.

112

lection of a bronze, five inches in lioight, found in the south of

Fnmce, and thna described tuette of lao standing,

whip

in the Catalogue

armed with

his head in the form of

" No. 20R2. Sta-

and buckler, and

cuirass,

1^ teiminatiiig in

oook'a, hia

serpents.**

MATEBIAL8 AND STYLE, Gnostic In tag] i are the koIo relics of the glyptic art linger-

Koman Empire,

ing througli the last two cx^nturies of thu

except a few nide figures of the goddess lioma,

As may bo well supposed, the

lutgles.

designs

is at its

art displayed

and their

lowest ebb, being itself but a degenerate scion of

the debased Egyptian School of Alexandria. for the

Vi("t(»ries,

The engraving must

most part have been executed bj means of a coarse wheel

like that chaiaoteririog Hie

in Fenia, a oonutry

fimniim itimpt tlm generally used

tfieaooroeofmany of tike ideas eqnPMBed

itself

The

in iihete ftguna and legends.

ohoioe Indian Saids, Niooli,

and Amethysts, which amhftlliaihad an earlier period, are replaced here

stones Hie produce cf flia

wry

xegpons

tiaat ^reie

Hie

oreed—liha Jasper of Egypt, dark green, mottled, or yellow ; the plasma, nsnaiOj cf bad qrudiiy, passing from a yeDowishrgieen into iha oommonest oaloedony ; and, qidto aa alrandantly, the loadstone. Indeed, the Jasper and the Loadatone,* the qfieoial minenJs at tiio fimntaxns of ilie Msgio art, Egypt and Assyria, had from time immemorial been adjudged

cradla of fbe

pfMwiliMP wAiftlfla far

So constant is execated and in

this

Aa ttrhlhitioit irf fjImiiimii.

nde, thai Onostio l^pes, whan finmd well

fine stonsi^ aa is

ezaminatiott always proTO to

time

when

all snbjeots

sometimes the case, will on

behmg

to the Oinqoe-OeDto age^a

pertaining to astrology, or the Kahala,

were again produced in vast nxunbers, in compliance with the >

Tho

true etymology <£ the inaoh-

their oonversion into taliamanii,

name

disputed wotd Oameo. in Henry IDL's time writtvti Cainahut, \» to l)o aotight

the

in tho Persiuu Cnmaluin, Ifwvlstnnn or

s)i<]<

fibrous hsamotite, the tuimi uiitk-rial

lauguugcd iu thb Henae.

ftr BaligFlaiiHi

there

down

aigDets.

cyUndon^ and

in aso

to the times of the Cufic

The Arobfl^ knowing no other

uBcxI to rs

gaye

of the one moit fieqoently

the whole claas

ititnxluccd

;

and ths Onr

into all Enrr»ppan

Matthew

bu **I^idee

quos cameos y«I> garilornppellaimis;" whiohmaiiaiiti Paris

foreign ozigfai.

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THE SYIL Tu

ruling superstition.

modem Hebrew

the next century ouglit to bo

Ormuzd, and the

lettt rs.

engraved with

session,

118

Jaspers cnirruved with

referrcil the large oval

figure of Osiris or

thi.s uinl

BTB.

tlie

fieltl

(lio

niuuuny-liko

occiipied with stars

and

pos-

hirge amethyst, formerly in

hawk-head,

ithypliallio,

Phrc, holding

on his extended right hand a small cynocepbalus, and standing on the coiled serpent, in the

field |A(a3. wji-s

a most remarkable

instance of this resuscitation of aiiricnt ideas; for the execution

was wortJiy of the best times, furui>hing that the

work could not belong

such subjects do not

exist, for

in itself a eerlain

the Cinostic era.

a sufficient reason

proof

1'ii.stcs

—the

viaterial

of a talisman is quite as essential to its virtue as the sigil to

be engraved upon

;

the cause of which Camillo Leonardo shall

berMiftar eiplMii in his

mam

oim iravSi.

Again, the genainQ stones

so dbeap tiiemsehree, and the engravings prodnoed so

espeditioiiaLy,

and with

tooih tttUe oavsi that it

would not have

been worth while to ooimterfeit them in another subetanoe.

Die OKoeption that baa oome under

chaneter of the stones thus employed

The

notioe to the inferior

the singalar tablet in

Ckonet already desoiibed.

THB EVIL ETB: fSo^ Ibe beUef in the power cf the envious eye was muversRl amon^rt the andents.

to infliot misobief

It is needless to adduce

panages from the dassios* to support thia statement, for even

PSkuI reoikons tins aotiyon of the

mind

worloBig thioiq^ the

eye amongst other crimes of the greatest hsSnowsnnss.

Mtnal manner of

its

But the

opemtion upon the snffever I hare fimnd

nowhere e^lained, except in the following pamsge of Heliodoraa (iii.

** *

TeU me, my good

pcised,'

I zeplied,

what ia the conqplaint *Toa oof^notto be snr-

CUasiris,

that has attsolBed your dax^^tlerY'

when she was

Isading the procession in

the presence of so vast an assemblage, she has drawn upon herself

yon

some

then,'

entfiom eye.'

asked he>

Whereupon, smiling

ironiciill|k

like the vulgar in general, believe in the

* For example, ApoUooiufl Ehodios Bwkee a ddlftd oe oTIfaB nottoo, wban he dModbei hov Medea by

her baBilisk-glance wrought the death of lUnii the ImiMi man, lAo lefeadedtheOEalueoirt.

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THE EYIL ETK.

114

existence of such a fascination?' fact,' I

roplied

'and the thing

;

were through a

us, jiassing, as it

nostrils,

parts,

the

l»rcatli,

As much thus:

that

its

as I

any other

air that surrounds

tliis

strainer, through tho eyes, the

and tho other passages into the inward

and tho cxtonial properties rusliing

whatever bo eflfoot

•

quality as

in together witli

flows in, of tho same nature

in tho recipients

it disseininates

one looks upon Beauty with enyy, he

fQls the

so that

;

it,

the

when any

circumambient air

widi a muligmint property, and diSaws upon his neighbour the bveaOi oonung from himself zeplete with bitteniew, and this, benig; as it

is,

of a most sobtile nature, penetradee

the Teiy bonss and marrow* into

a true

dissaso,

Henoe

and has reoeived the

l^Moinalion (iBomyio).

distinotiTe

Oonrider, too^ Gharioles,

been infbotod with ophOislmia,

flmni^

into

tonvy has often tiimed itsdf

name of

how maaj have

how maiqr with other pestilentisl

any oontaot with tiioee alfeoted, or from shsiiiig the same bed or the ssme table, bat merely from tneaflung the same air. Let, too, and above everything else, the origin of lore be a sopport to taj azgoment, whibh owes its fint beginning to ihe si^it, whioh shoots, like arrows, the passion into tiie soul; and this with vei^ good reason, for of all the paamgee and senses of the body, the sig^t is tibe most easily esdted, and ihe most frrvent» and therafioe the most sosoeptible as regards extenial emanatinns, by mesns of its natanal Iteiy Bpat afetraoting to itself the visits of Love^ And if yon wish for a proof drawn diseases, not from

from natoial history and recorded in the sacred Ixxdcs : the bird

yellow-hammer cures tho jaundice ; and if the person so affeoted should but look at the bird, the latter at once endeavours to escape

and shuts

its eyes, not,

benefit to the sick

its

some thinly because

man, hut because

begrudges the

looked upon

nature to attract the disease like Sll

it is

f^Thfllatiftn

forced

into its

own body; and thoroforc shuns the glance as mnoh as a blow. And of serpents the basilisk, does not he, as you may have heardjrfdll and blast whatever comes in his way by his eye and breath alone ? And if some give tho stroke of the evil eye even :

to those thoy love

and are well disposed towards, one must not

surprised, for people of an envious di8ix)sition

do not what

they wish, but what their nature compels them to.'"

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TAUSMANS AKD AMULBT8.

TALISMANS AND AMULETS. Although these tenns are proper meaning

tisnally

confonnded together,

Talisman

entirely distinct.

ruption in the Arabian

tiieir

but the cor-

mouth of the Greek AxoriXcr'n. the upon the native heooe astrology ia

influence of a planet or sign

Now the

oalled 9 AM9nXt<rfiaTtKr).

influenoe of ewenj degree in

each sign was typified by a fantastic fignre or group, painted in the

table

TTence

Myriogeneeea.

name, Apotclesma, of the idea

waK intended

talisman was therefore nf i^essarily a

metal.

above quoted.)

(Scaliger, as

a natural transition the symbol itself usurped the

exocllont

illxiJsLi'ative

example

that

by the iingrammatical invocation

iorai xnpiy toiq ftpovaii',

Hem e

sight of all men." lovo,

and

was the

"rjivc xmio

and vegetable,

the

were the

&soinnm or

as to oonvey an indecent idea.

Cydamen :*

whioh ought

indeed true that where

it ia

power to ham; henoe they

peaking of amber :

had

power

thin

of such the most

phallus, or the

fist

closed so

Pliny uaee ihe word of the

oall the flower

gmm, aplMl iUi Eye

the oentie of » circle of sym-

(Praan gems) shows the Eye butronndp*! by a thunderbolt, lion, hare, -

better, ;

if it

planted poiaonoiH drqgp have no

4iobnkttaliDgftinil»«ndanMh« TLus u annl to baffle its dbBL

dog,

Tlio latter alone

be planted in wtary house,

toliinman not anireqaent, both

iMMdieb

Eye

lufimtabne adalligari

inflaence, rcjinsfnts the fln^ilorl itself M

ved both to procure

tln! vStrangt r tliey

striking example

Amuh hon, a word derivtMl from aiiiiillor, to Many ua<)iral objfictis, both animal to batllc.

of counteracting the all-dreaded Evil

oViject of the

do away with," or

brarers favour in the

possehsor.

its

en-

Trairac ardpu>7rof

Trpoc

llio

thn talisman

to avert mischief from

fijipirod

Raspe, No. 354, wliere* Abraxas, carrying the Nile-vase, circled

to portray.

engraved in stone or

rpion.slm^nqMBliaBdowL this oxamplf we may be

Fri'm

Aumhtmn**

ol tbcse long

pmyen

toogMi^ wlddi ptfibMj oft<m

coTitjun

the *

ame •*

Again,

mmldi mode prodeet**

auknown

if Iwtojintol

mraU

a meaaing of nature aa tbe above.

AnaHriBTUwrltefatiroatturi dnmibi]% d Tenon niliil pocere mala

in otnnibiu aerenda

est

ubi eata sit

medicamenta, amuletxtm vocant : narrantque et cbrietatem mjpuMCiilsii additft in

Timun."

able to ooDjectuie the purport of uiauy I

•

TALISMANS AND AMULETS.

116

The dniU of an aat set up on was a potent amulet against

a pole in the midst of e ootnpfield

blight ;

and

this usage long held its

groond in Tasoany, for Boooaooio makes an amusing use of one of his

Again, Hesyohins zeooids thatPisiBlnitiis set

stcnries.'

op in the Aon^lis the figure of a giasihopper,«<» miile<«rioket (grilb), as a Mn«xffi7r> or oham against the Evil l|ye; and this inseot is perpetaaUy repeatsd npon gems with a similar intent* That the ovutom of wearing talismans and tpeOt, ie., scrolls np within a smaJl ease of metal or leather, for suspension, was as prevalent under the Lower Empire as it still is amongst the Arabs and Afrioan Moslem^ written with ohaims, and folded

*' grigris/* i^ppean, not to quote others from this pasnge of Gregory Nazianzen (Or. id. 18) : *' Tour child has no need of amulets and spells, in company wherewith tiie Evil One also enters, robbing God of his glory amongst the tighter^

with their

minded: give

him

men

lady

tile

the Trinity (in baptism), that great

1MM U

to teb-

when lu r liuslmnd gone from home, bj taxuing it in to her lover

a particular direction, ' It was only tho first stroke of the Evil Eyo that was fii0 hence what:

ever diverted

£rom tho peiHon in

that moment destioyed

its effect.

For

flOeh

an end

fliaa

anything odd, strange, obecene, to be eqxMd to ykmf

wliat could servo hetter

mdiMf

Ili'iice

tho phallns naturally suggested

ibwlf amtng the fint, and wiu followed 17 oOtar ol^Beli bmring a &ncied analogy to the ilea it con-

vqred. '

Tboa

to times

tiM a

practice going

immemorial.

Anaxilaa

deseribea his Athenian fop as wearing

the

their

Hngdnm, adopted

Oe ewha^

substttnti^ fix the lEfHaaiaa. ohaaH certi^n verses oat of the Law, which being sapposed of power to avert all evil and mischief called phf*

lactorica {<pvKcucrtfpta.), snfe-cr'iards, or

amulets.

The same

ootiua yet exists

amongst MohammedaiH^ iriio enpkif verees of tlio Koran with llie dmHar bdief in their efficacy. Tbe BoUa, a gold erne Aaped like a heart, worn round the neck by

Boman

boys,

•bnilar ehann,

was notlting bat a and probably eottp spdl* te tte

tained somo written

usage came from tho Etruflcann hence ." its periphnusiB " Etruacum Aurum The poor had a similar anmle^ but in " leather, nodiiii de pauppre loro." Besides the bulla, a number of other olijeotsniadear tUn goli ]dal^ and ;

to protect oneself against

evil influences

back

and

And the Greek epigrammatists, with whom.

gknions mystery.***

"Bpbmian

spell,"

«y (TKVTapioii

pairrotrrt

handsomely

hollow, werf' strmis; about the child's neck, as thoir portraits often

ftom

sImw

tbrir clinking togethor, teased

The Jew% on the re-eetabliahmw>t of

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TALISMANS AND AMULETa

117

m with

the witi of

game, hriag

jikpamnM wvee ever

MioIitoB't dayn^

m the BupewtiUon for thalr benefit;

**Jn

ftir

ftr inetHioe

hBDber mmd ma DbphMilOB Udi

a black dream Hormogonefl portwqtJ Io« rh, nnd woke no man.

Hb mw the fateftil

Spite of the guardian aiuulet he wore."

Most of the Gnostic stones have clearly been intended for wear and not for setting in rings, for which thoy arc

as amulets,

unfitted

were

their large dimensions.

carrit.'d

suspect that usually tlioy

locso in the pouch, or zona, to bo produce<l

when

required as credentials between the initiated, and a means of

introducing one

iUinini\aii\

or nmi de la lumiere, to the other.

such a custom, derived from the more ancient

of which the general circulated amongst his troops the day, St. overcomelh

John evidently

{i.e.

new

the

alliules in the pajssage,

convert)

^^nll I

it,"

"To him

thai

give a white stone,' and in

the stone a nem name written, which no that receiveth

by means the word for

tes.se ra,

man knoweth

Stive

plain allusion to the white canuHan (calce-

dony) convex gems, covered on both sides with interaiinable legends, the attempt to interpret whic h will, after

oonvince the antiquary of the dluding declaration.*

trnili of

all

his pains,

the "sainted seer's " cou-

That they were merely carried about the

person it also shown by the notice that the Princess Badoura*8

" a oanelieii engraved with strange was oamied hy her in e amall purse, seirod tallimiiiii,

figures an< ta

and letters,"

her jewellad

iprdle*

As to ihdr aotoal iittinihoiare, Epiphanim heeidee hie '^Myiteriee'*

oaAMogg; so

and ** Treasury," wrote likewiae a treatise

these seotariea,'!

fv from esohewing

the forlndden

iikdds

the good

art, that

fiilher, **are

the head and front

oftheirhoaatiBthesoMNes^aiiroimNyi" aDd,iiioreoTer,ainnletB, iha* is to say,

iH^^*"

The

;

thmgs

proporfy ifipi^fing a gem.

wgnificant

pciBeb**

wm round the neok

void BAlNXw,

Mil oa sobm of

(Ftelepla),

and

in-

to bo given " to liim that overcomoth, i,

&, has posaed Uuruugh all the tests

fneadiag iaitiation.

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TAUSICANS AND AMUIETB. otntations, and enoh like trioikaiy.'* original sense is yet kept

when

the sick

man ia at

The use

of Peiiapla in their

up amoogst the German Jews;

hit head and arms certain knotted iMther thongs.

Jew about

for

the last gasp, the attendants bind round Similarly,

be ezeoated, thus prepares him to meet him death.

That all taliwiniMi were primarily intended to be tied npon, or himg from the person, ie enfficicntly indicated by the generic name of such luattora, v\z., Pt rinpta : Things for hanging round ;" in fact, the only Gnostic stone known to me as retaining '*

its

antique mounting

one adapted for such a purpose.

a Red Jasper, oval-sha])cd, enrp-aved on one face

head radiated,

having

its

scribed

ABPACAZj

name below.

The

tyj)0 of the sonl relori^ed

witli a

and

It is

tuummy

glorilicd. in-

the other the usual figure of lao witli bis

stone, not quite

an inch

lr»ng, is set

frame of gold, having a broad loop soldrrfd on the

in a rudo

top, for sus-

pension, exactly as in the huge medallions of the same date (after Cunshmtino's reign)-

the miscellaneous 1 recognised

figured

gems

many and

Tliis

the

unique ex.iniplo exists amongst British

Museum, where

finest of the

more than two centuries ago by

also

Gnostic engravings

Chiflet

another proof of

;

the wi ll-known rule that the curiosities of the whole world ultimately gi'avitate towards attraction.

Amongst

r.diidnii,

as their centre point of

these particular attention

due to the

large oval sard above allnded to, covered with legends, agreeing

exactly with those on the Ilcrz garnet and Chiflet's caloedony

already introduced ; a repetition proving the importance of the fbnmila, which

wu either iatended

foot

vecital at

aooompany the deceeeed into hie tomb fx ihe

aacrifioe

laiiie

ok to

purpoee ae

the eevefel prayers preeoribed in the Schema of Hie Opihitea.

Anoiher singular

relic belonging to the later

phase of <2ie religion

a largo egg-shaped caloedony, presenting the type of the lion^ beaded man,* imrofonded by a long legend in the latest Bslmyrene, or laliier Oofio, ehaiaoter; the whole mde in tibe extreme, and precisely agreeing with the style of Hie last Sessanianstempa. is

timony

what an extent these dctbdr odgin aatiologkal

signs wore in luerely. >

Magrnotthis

Upmbefbe

gnut

god of the ancient ArabianB, Oorotal (God oi I^ht), whom Herodotus takc8 fat Dionysus, and thus again eqnhpalentlotlielsftvFatBrBHMulM?

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bKAL OF

SERVATIttS

;

M Ar.8TRlCHT CaTHUORAL.

(p. 239.)

Jmper art for

ia ilTar: aetauil rize. Obrcne : the leltera in tlM field A(7ioy) r(topyiot). Beverw: jJionotic spelling fer : a spelling of which ether fmnpleii me known.

MI o^it

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LOGAU'im VfOEBM FOUHD AT FB£S£NT.

119

LOOAUTim WSERB FOUND AT PBEaENT. These gems, plates of bronxe and lead, rode mddallions engraTed with similar devioes, and eren teasens in temKJotta,

were plaoed togsther with the ooipse in his

last resting-plaoe, as

a safeguard against demons. Of sooh medals, eacooairiToly rare, I haye figured (FL lEL 6, XL,4) two «nimj^ fimnd in flie sooth cfAsnoe. Th» ooUaetion thii supplied me wittt them poasooses, or wiher, alatt pdsaeawd, aJso a laige ilnger-ring in vtary, the pveaentB tiie monogram of Ghzist between the A and CO, ezaoti^ as ft figures on Hie ooins of the GaDio prinoea OoDStsns and Magnenthu, hat aooompanied I17 the addition ABPACAZj thofwSi^ that the owner reguded the two personages as one and the divinity,* Tlietombof Haria, wiib

&oe of whiok

of the most ortiiodoK Honoxins, oontained a gold

plaqneeogra^

with the names of angels, bendee sondry stnnge figures oarved

out of agate and oijBtiL

accotmt of

its

singular interest as

the sole description extant of the rifling an imperial sepnlohxe, I

IWmo's full and partioolar details.* The antique cemetories of Provence supply them yet

hanre sabjoined

abundance.

Gnosticism

took

early

root

and

in great

flourished

Southern Gaul, as the treatise of Iremens directed against attests ;

and this, it may bo, in consequence of tbo

original sources bore to the JVIithraic Tjatrr still, in the

and the Druidical systems.

middle of the fourth century, a Gnostic

took their

Bishop of Avila,

name from lioir founder, rriscilliun, who was put to death for heresy by

the Britisli empf ror j\laj;nu8 jVlaximus.

creed,

tli'

itigh

Licinius,

That 8pain tlic

also had,

Basilidan

80 remote from its fountain head, aj)pears

.lonmio's

when

sect,

Tlieso

in S])ain,

long before rriNdllian's times, received and fostered

passage

great affinity its

the rriscillianists, spread rapidly over the same region. religionists

29th letter

Tlieodora:

"Our

n an a fri<nd

that most foul heresy of Iksilides was raging

throughout Spain, and like a plague and pestilence laying waste

•

The

title

wed hen

may Lave been piinwry lenw of

indeed fti

"Bleewd Name." > And in Sdwrfh

oofliii«

wlien

opened, lay fbr

liis

verj- episcopal

ring,

whiob he had ohoMon an Alnaxas, rcoommondM t/) lum by fiie

dnubtlcBs

virtuos GBmillo shall enumerate.

BBOOONinON BT msaub

180

snooiLS.

the province between the Pyrenees aiuL the ooetn, held £Mt

all

the purity of the (Church's faith,

£Gir

•

from receiving Armagel,

Barbelo, Abraxas, BeUamus, the ndioolona Lenaiboias,

and the

other similar monstrosities." It is

more than probable that such doctrines lurked imnoticcd

amongst the original natives of Gaul during the reigns of the Arian Gothic kings, and did no more than flourish vigorDUsly in the

the twelfth century.

been persecuted

somewhat

later,

l»y

rovivt^

and again

Manicheism of the Albigrnscs during

Tlio

mere

having

fact of these sectaries

the Catholics so cruelly, like the Waldeuses

docB not

l>y

any means prove them equally good

Protestants as the latter, wliicli uinst people nowadays take for

(See Manicheiym in the Middle Ages, p. 182.)

granted.

Some

amongst the

traces of Gnosticism probably jf^t survive

myiterious sects of Mount Lebanon, the Druses, and the An-

mjreh.

late as Justmiaa's

xdgn Vxooo^&m wSmoB us Oat

above ft milUoik of T^AjIMkUm, MswiehfianB, and Samazilana (the

were destroyed in Syria during the entions oanied

&11

on hj

sbcfftiy afterwards

who never

Axaliians,

under the dominion of

tiie

tolexaat

intarftved with Hie relipon of flieir tri-

Imtaries so long as fliej paid their tribate panotaally, dootrines

may

perae-

this pedantio Tngiot; and, as fhaik region

down

well Iwve oome

&ese

to the pyesont day, eon-

sideriiig ihe seohided position of ilie people

sad the

vitalily of

ereiy welMelined aysfeeni of reli^oos idess.

BS(m&NrPION BT MEANS OF SYMBOLS. Our word Symhol contribution of each

For

parly.

curitmsly derived.

member towards

It properly

means a

the cost of a Greek drinking-

this purpose every one pledged his signet-ring to

the oaterer, and afterwards redeemed

by paying his quota of

the expense. Henoe the Bomans of Floatiis's time called the ring itself

symMmM.

worUqr of itself;*

oredeatials,

henoe in

was used for the most t^tistsymbolom oame to signify the oredential

the signet

eoolesiastioal

Caylus fipiirca ''v. pL 55) a right hand of the natural liw in bronxe^ '

| |

language symbcium stands for inscribed on thf open

palm with

STMBOAON nPOS OTEAATNIOTS,

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BIGOQIirnON BT MEANS OF STMBOIil. eteed, e.

Qyiii]x>Iaiii

Apostolioaiii.

little silver

anj

Emblem again, at

religiouR.

chasing, intended for letting into plate as

—whence

the term

mentation of the surface

modem

longQi, in

hnl&aaty, it degenerated into the sign oxproarive of

more particularly of one

121

E/ijSX'?/'"

idea.

a an onia> flnfc

—as

ib»

designs were always myULologioal, came^

bj a siinilar tiansiHon, to imply the allegorical expression for some penonage of that class. There is, however, a difference in their meaning emhlom ;

expressiii;^

voyed.

Thus,

symbol merely hinting at the idea con-

tlic

cmhJcm of victory

tlie

mjmhcl of victory the

a palm-brancli,

From

fully,

the vory nature of things

winged female holding

palm alone.

was a necessity

for the

mem-

bers of a neoret society to have some means for recognising a

brother that should escape the detection of the uninitiated. Certain passages in the

cla.s.sics

have made

suspect that

all

partners in the Eleusinian Mysteries were taught some such secret

Certain

it is

that our popular notion about the " Masonic

grip " was equally citrrent in the days of Epiphanios, as applied

to the Gnoetias.

**0n tte arrival of any stranger belongii^ to given by themantothewtmian,

the same belief they have a andeitfeearM.

In holding oat the hand, nnder pretence of salnting

eaoh oOier, tiiej

and tioUe it in a particular manner nnder-

neath the pahn, and bo disooverif the new-comer beikmgs to the

same sect

Thaxeiipoii,

however poor

th^ may

he» they serve

np to him a samptuoas feast, with alnindanoe of meats and wine. And after that ihey are well filled, and begin to be meny, the entertainer rises, leaves his wife behind, bidding Jtst Show *

thy eharily imto this oar brother,' to

an ertent whioh, in oar

selfish

osnying his hospitality times, no (fvDkar woald have

the audacity to expect firam the most enthasiastie- upholder

cit

the fraternity.

It is coiioos to observe

how

GredentiaU to the YeJaiiniL" These • dallie nslioD, ritwted near

nation or

Antibea

The

wrist at the section

sent team €oe

to another.

" Miseiat

dona

lefrionibus dextras liospitii insignia"

soMMid—W0I8 noaUjr

anny

ofritsB Un^pMonm veteri inittliito

fonning a hwe, thut the hand oould atand of itself iiiiri»:;lit. pair of dsiped hand«— symbol of

oloted,

the Freemasons have retained

(Tao. Hijt.

j '

54).

From the nature

of the case, snch preeCTts musk have been made of Uie precious

thneftm none ha?B been prasorved.

122

RBOOGNITION BY MBANB OF STMSOIfi.

intmy of tho

(Juo.stic figures

hemispherical bowl, tho 8U.si)ended

famous ])elphic

whom

fheir symbolical pictures

There wo at once recognizo tho erect

inwi^ia.

tJie

is,

€

inKcribed columns, Solomon's seal

the ancient mystics

All these emblems

may

;

the

and

nothing more than the

in all likelihood,

misunderstood.

;in<l

Hei-])ent,

John

St.

patron,

tlieir

claimed as their etpieial apostle.

yet bo seen publicly paraded, presided

over by the sun, moon, and planets, and combined in a fashion irresistibly

Nay more, on MidiMl aotedly

reminding one of a Bfttrilidm diagram.

a iMmlt mtaglio

figured

JDr.

Walah

(pi. 8),

iqppean as a hawk>liMded and ivinged youth, holding in «adh

huid a

mm'a

krel, with

tiie

AYNAMIC MIXAHA;

legend

whilst the oft-repeated Haipoorates, with his finger on his significantly betokens the profbond seorecy

Free and Aooepted.

Indeed, a distinguished offidal of the

in looking over the plates of Chiflefs to

me his astonishmsst at recognising

lipe,

demanded from the oraft,

Apistopistns,*' confessed

there so

many

of the out-

ward and visible signs of his brotheriiood. It most slso be borne in mind that our Freemasons chum descent ftom the Templars, whose name, indeed, the French brsnoh yet keep vj^ and assert an unbroken sncoesrion of 6JLs from 1sb» vexy fcundatkm of the Order, spite of its supposed extinction.

Leasing even

German Mauon, has wftAitig whatever to do with the Bnglish meaning of tlic tem, but comes from the old word Masgoney, a lodge of tho knights called also Metmmey, or " The Bound TahLe,** for which he cites Agrieola, maililiiai that the

name Masm,

;

an authority but a century removed from the suppression of tho Order.

Hence tho old Templar-churohes

still retain their title " della

Tho i;^12,

^lagione,"

at Bologna c,

and Milan

de la Masson.

Templai.s were buppressed by a Bull of Clement V., in extorted through the influence of Philippe

P>el,

his

patron and master, on charges bimilar to those that had led to the cxtiquition of the Albigenses exactly a centuiy before. these accuaJitions there

was doubtless some

tnilh, altlunigh only

taken up as a ])retext for confiscating the wealth of the Onlor,

which

hail

of Hurope.

long excited the cupidity of the nocestdtous sovereigUB

Yon Hammer (Mines de

to 8ub»tantiate,

I'Orient, vi.) has

on tho evidence of eadsting

attempted

uioniiiDeBfi» all ifae

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SEPULCRUM MARLE HON(BIL ehaigM lironi^t agiinft the and imparity of

idolaiay,

this, following Nicolai,

128

(Mm of "aliKriiig in the

tijpoiAaay,

and ailao of tbe

Ophites.**

Gnoatios,

he oontendi that the Baphomet, the fiafii Mifrt^oc. "Baptism

pietended object of their wonhipi meant

;" uiul lie discovers an endless variety of GnoRtio emMaimi in the bradeaiet tamed ap oeoaaionally on the sites of their prooeptories, and in the scolptorai adorning tho charches r»f tho Older. But the mystio coins are merely bracteates issued by tho bishops of Snabia and Westphalia, and the Brandenburg

of the Spirit

Markgraves; whilst

tl>o

Haphomot, which, as

it is

set forth iu the

indictment, "thc}^ WLir8liij)ped in the shape of an old man's head witli a

long iK'ard,"

perhaps merely

tlu;

namc^ Mahomet, cor-

rupted in the mouths of the ignorant French witnessen.

lJut

this curious subject will be discussed at lcna;th in the Secjion

tho Preservation of Gnostic {Symbols amongst the Froe-

masuns."

SEFULCBUX MABLM HONOBU. "In

Fehiniaiy,

^riuoh ia

a^gned

now

1644» in the dhapel of the King of Fianoe

new

flan de-

iqpon, in eiDoavating,

a marUe

hnildii^ in 8. Petar^a* alter the

Jnliua IL, they

oame

which, firom the thingi finmd therein, was dearly known he the tomb of Maria wi£i of the Emperor Honoriva. Of the ooipae there was notiung indeed left save the teeth, the hair, and the two leg-bonfia. From the zobea, whioh were interwoven with gold, and from the head-tire, which waa a oloth of silk and gold, there was extracted, by melting them, forty pounda ooffin

of the finest gold.

Within the

ooffin lay

a silver box, broken

into three or fimr pieces, one and a half foot long and eight in(;hea

many things

deep, with aoribe.

and

little,

very

thirty in all

lariTf,

;

which we

shall particularly de-

different articles in crj

sttil,

8ha])e,

intaglio of middling depth

(

with most

nuzzo-cavo)

snail-shell (or rather nautilus), also of crystal, fittod

big

amongst which were like two cups, not

one ixjund, tho other of an oval

Ix'autiful ligures in

and a

inaide

There were vases and

Fnwi]i.L.irMiiu}'sAntdiB(iaa(edLlft68).v.i>.lM.

;

•

SEPULOBUM MARLS HONOBH. for

a lamp in

fine gold,

with which, in the

place, is covered

first

over the montii of the shell, there Iseing only

left

a hole in the

by the aide cf ivldeli hole ifl •een, fixed hy a nail, a golden fly that movea to and fro, Ibr oovering and vnoorering this bole. In the nme way there U abo the noole with heak (pippio) for liolding the mok, dxwwn oat long and sharpened with the greatert eleguioe, and so ftstened to the middle for pouring in {he

oil

;

oiyital that it appears all one ineoe natnxslly.

cover

is aimflarly

Uke a gxeat its pointi»

Moreover, the

The ahxpe of the

snail-dbell is

enoompassed

azoond with

seandiell (a naotilns),

all

whioihinftis vase aze poUshed and vety smooth, ao

excellently

•

well made.

worked

the oyataL

Tliere

were

and

also vases

with oertain little snimalB, e^^ in all ^ and amongst them two very heantifiil vases, one like those .glass ampnlln made big and squat for holding oil or such like liquid, so made, so beautiful and thin, that it is a wonder to different attioles in agate,

The other

behold.

made

with long handles serving cisterns,'

and

kinds

;

Next were four

and another

jewels set in

kinds set in

little

vaso in

little

it.

it;

Rome

draw water out of the

supposed to be a vessel used by

tlieir sacrifices.

with jewels.

in the uhapo of those brass ladles at

c;old,

with a cover set round

buckle of gold, with six fjems of different

gems

set in

them

in gold, of

Also

Four

A pendant in the form

of a Imnoh of grapes, made of purple stones. gold pendants of different sorts, with

goms

Utfle gold omsses set with emeialds.

1 Tfata was thoLigula, used to ladle tte mhndwfaieaadinilar oat of flw •iMiding crater. * Ye^e. wga, like the old FFsnch

yergo, aignifiei the pisin

liag;

bono

emerald or plasma, with two jacinths.

little

small crosses with red and green stones. .

in red

animals in red bone.

Also three

with various gems. in

various

and forty-eight rings and

;

hoops* of gold of various patterns, and one of them

two oar-drops

ancients in

gold heart that had been a pendant, with

and twenty-four other buckles

shapes, with little

t}ie

vessels in gold, of different

nond

wire

tritbout I

Ei^^t

A piece

ot a

Three

smsU

fine

any head.

The lenahM of a

piindia.

otiier Utile

set in them.*

Maria died

four, being

ilriBg at

the age of

eariy affianoed

to the

youag emperor.

s pkhi hoop

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SEPULQBUM ICABUB HONOBIL with certain grien btones stning npon

lu'iklaco, liltlt

guld necklace, with twenty-two beads of

necklace, with twelve

Another

little

Another Another

beads of Bappliiics cut aliJKUul-.shuped.

necklace of gold wire, twisted up (raccolto

Two

broken in four pieces. little

it.

pla-snia.

but

email bntton.s in gold; ftjinteeu

gold-wiro rings, like those of a mail -coat

three more

;

ONiiMS, with some emenddB; and a round gold plate like an

AgnQB Dei

diifc

tiuve

ineiliet

auuiiglie) of gold.

Mi with

in diameter), wiih

Two

lottoB around it: amraao.YiTAT.

Two

oerttin xed and green stone*.

large pins or itiletti for the hair; one in gold nearly a

long

(eii^t

inaaribed

inohflt),

BOHOBETB DOKacA KABUL

^uae

btM«!«li (mmieto or

palm

wiik theae woxda: dqhiiyb

The oOier in

ailver,

without iaaoiip-

There were also aereral fragmenta of enumlda and other .Alao aQTor naila, partly flat, pardj in leUef (the atonea.

tion.

heada ?), whioh had fiMtened a oover of ailrar upon a litde

ooffer.

A3ao a amall plate n£ gold, with theae wovda wiitten, or laUier actatohed, in

Qxwik : kiohabi.

haye particolarlj deeoribed

A poet of thoae

oabbbl

Bipiriiri

tbiil.

all theae objeota, beoanae Olandian,

fhnee, declares that to the

Empress Maria were

sent rare presents firom Honoiioa her betrothed, which perchanoe

may have fonned the gireater part of words of the poet

theae thingk

The

exaot

are,

Jam mnnora

•

Pnrparat, Kligit

ft ptiloros

omatus

Maria>

Dupt«e st-d

luce

minons

qaidqaid venerabilia olim

Thia aooonnt enaUea ta to fbrm some notion of the treasurea a greater or leaa d^ree, in all the tomba of inif

depoaited, in

portant pamonagea,

anlBcienily accounts

tombs

all

over the

Boman

especially in Asia Minor.

the furiona onalanght

It likewise

made upon

the

world, as aoon as the converakm of the

empire had destroyed the ancient veneration for the manes and the abodes of the dead --a jHro&nation which Gregory Theologos,

with a degree of taste and good feeling most unlooked-for in a

Greek

saint,

and often

has attacked in one hundred and eighty-two ouriona,

poetioal, epigrams.

GNOSTIC TALLSMANS PLACED IN SABCOFHAGI.

126

ONOSnO TAMSKANa PLACED IN SABOOPBAGL S<imo

lii^ht

may be thrown

sonu timt

more conimunly

plates of bronze, or

motivo for placing in the

ii|npii llic

coffin snrli f.mimla', inKcribtHl,

of load or on

tal'leta

uj)on iht> sfnnoH

are

now

considering, from the aecount given by llpiphaniua (ilrer, xxxvi.)

of the ct^remonies

brother for his

by which

fiiifo

tlio II eracleonites

prepared the dying

They

passugo to the next world.

mingled with

his head with water

oil

sprinkled

and opobalsamum,

re-

peating the formula used by the Marcosians in baptism, in order ihat ihe inner wan. of 1h» defbnoC thus prepared mij^t escape Tigilanoe of the Frindpditiee and Poiran, and mount npwaida nnaeen by any, to tbe Fleroma whenoe be <mginally d»> eoended. Tbgy need thesefine to inatmot flie dying man, tiiai

tito

when Ua

soul

oame

after this

fimn

—"

befoare

the Powers he was to addreas them

the son from the Father, the Father pre-

eriHtmg, and the son in the preaent time,

am come to behold

all

and my own, and things not altogether of others, bat belonging to Aohamoth (Wisdom), irho is and hath created them far henell But I dednoe my own origin from the Fre-existent One, and I am going badk again unto my own, from whence I have desoended." By virtue of this formula he will escape the Powers and reach the Deminrgus in the eif^hth •pheie, whom he must address with the words, " I am a preoioilB

thinga, both of otherB

emiel, superior to the female Power that made yon

inasmuch

a<«

your mother knows not her own origin, but I know myself and I know whence I am, and I invoke the incorruptible Wisdom,

who no

in the Father,

and

the mother of your mother that hath

nay more, not even a male partner, but being a female

fatlicr,

springing from a female hath created you, though she herself

knows not her own mother, Imt But I invoke her

Acliamoth,

Zoruaater, the "

JswB,

wboM

the

Mother.^ "

Bapaidomnd of

Wisdom ** of the

uatiue

ii fliUy

later

dsMSffbsd

" She

Wiadom

the apirit of the Tirtne of God, the.

of Solomon

vii.

believes herself to exist alone. this address the

puro

of his

inaiuitum of tho brightneaa of

the Ahuighty

etensl

Demiurgus

;

the

bqghtaeM

of the

the mirrar irfttumt ipol the image of Ium gOod> The Ymiu Aiis4yaaMDa^

light,

luaji'aty,

DM," &c

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FORMULA FROM DIAGRAMMA OF TUE oonfiiiiiid«d,

and finced to acknowledge the

OPHITiSS.

127

kM^^

th^npon. the inner man of the beUereroaate

off hia

bondage aa

well aa the angel or aonl (whioh ahidee with the Denunrge), and aaoanda himaelf to hia

own

Eor eaiih

plaoe.

of body, aonl, and the inner man, the

laafc

pamn ia made up

of the more apiiioal

nature*

If the above4nMitioQad tableta oonld be deoyphend,

Aat

well be anppoaed

tiieir

maj

oontmitB would {nore of a aimilar

eharacter to theae paHporti to the Pleroma

would be but a

natnxal attention on die part of the aurvivors to furnish thdv

departed

firiend

eeoiqpe

with a correct copy

f»f

mch

long and obscure

whioh otherwise would be extrameij apt hia memiOiy, the more particularly as they seem only

pnCBanons

of fidth,

have been communicated to him by hia epiritoal goidea

waa akeady at the

when he

laat gaep.*

FOBMVLX FBOM DZAGBAMMA OF TBJB The motive

for providing the defunct brother

0PHITK8.

with a supply of

these imperishable credentials is olearly indicated in the formula

by the Thna in the addreaa to ndabaoth we find, ** 0 principal spirit of the Fore Intdligence, perfect work in the eyea of the Father and of the Son, in preof prayers to be addressed to the Seven Planeftaiy Powers

rsleaaed aonl in ita heaTenward fli|^t

senting to thee in thia seal" the sign of life, I open the gato okaed

by ihy power

to the world,

Im:

and freely trnverse

tibiy

domain.'*

Thon that preaideat over the myateriea of the FMher and of the Son, who ahineat in the vof^* holding AgiUDf addieasing

the aeoond rank, the

first

master of death, Ao, in presenting thee

thy own tgwM, I awifUy tiavene thy domain,'* Ao. To Sabaoth: "Becerre me, beholding Hhia pareifaiM against

wiflk

lliia

or Bshed female, on oar gems,

dsplstion

of tbe anoiflot

Qmok

the

typo

tothbidea. '

The

origin of this

to tlie cofltom remnrkc^l

may be

traced

by T»vemtCT,

among the Indiana (wliouoe many of emh rites onsaatod that tbe ni^fM^^n pliKwd npoD tha bramt

aa (>xi8ting

1 1

of the corpw; seven piocos of paper,

each containing a pmyor to be used by hia spirit in certain regions throogb whiohitbadtopaMaftBrbavlBg the body. '

Tliis explains the c^itayis so olU-n

on oar gems. Taking lao for tbe Lunar geniua.

inscribed *

FOBMULiE FKOM DIAQRAMM A OF TH£ pPHITES.

128

•

whioii thy genlns cannot prevail

the ^ypo,

OreuB ;

Let

aanilulftted

;

the body delivered

pas.s, for

it is

made

by the

imago of

after the

Pexitad."

Orai, or

ihoa seest the symbol of thy power

And lie it remem-

by the sign of the Tree of Life." *

berad, thjit the prinuoy wgnifloBfeiot of symMMi

mm of* ngnet, in which mdm

it if

used in the paisages just adduced. in this convewBon <^

tiie if

wi ohiw

was {be impiMmost piobaUe the woxd it It

may he oonjeotued

fliat

into a pasBport to heaven

tenn in tiieokgy to aignify a oreed or Bummaiy of the artiolea <tf fidlh. The Boolf on its departure from the body, baa to pass through originated the nee of

the legimia of the Seren Poweia, whiob

oannot do nnleoB fnlty

impregnated wilb knovdedge (Gnoila): otfaerwiae it ia aeiaed and swallowed up by the dragon-lbnned* ralar of this world, and

badk again upon earfli, ^riiera it animatea a swine or other brute, and repeats its career cmoe more. But if voided through his

tail

knowledge it escapes the Seven Powers, tiamplea upon the head of Sabaoth (of whom they say ho has the hair of a woman), and ascends to the eighth heaven, the abode of Barbelo the riiiversal Mother. The "Gospel of St. I'hilip" contained and her formula to be addressed tfj the Powers in order to obtain a fr( passiigo " The Lord huth revealed unto inc what words the filled witli

soul

must use wlicn

answer each of self,

and have

tlie

how

asceudctli unto heavcu, and

Heavenly

N irtucs:

culhrfrd mymlj

iVoin

thus

all

must

have known my-

parts; neither liave

begotten sous to the Kuler of the w(;rld, but have plucked up his roots,

who

and gathered together the scattered nu labers thou

having

art, for 1

left

one from alwve.' "

any offspring upon

has oollected ** ooUeotion

all of

them and

But

earth, it is detained

attracted

know

thee

convicted of

below until

them wHhin

itself.

This

of itself ** waa'obtained by the obaemmoe of pexpetwl

ohaatily, or rather (by the usual oompenaation) of all the nnnatiual

Tioea that inrariably spring from aaoh

an artude of

fidth.

however, a female of the congregation ahonld by mistake allow

henelf to become pregnant, the elders caused abortion ; and

bfliisOieObi»kor«iMa0lQdl^soaielim«l|gnedon«faeie8tanasf

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MEDLBYAL TALISMANS. taking the foetus pounded

Then

pepper, and otlicr spices and perfumes. tion of swine

over, saying,

We have

cupiscence, but iPB hiroflier.*'

this

" congrega-

and dogs " assembled, and each dipping

mesB tasted of

into the

129

in a mortar, together with honey,

it.

his finger

This they termed the Perfeot Paas-

not been deoeiyed by the Biiler of Con-

hKn gprtiierod

The ehore is oopied

up again the baokalidmg cf our

(omitting certain partkolait

u tQ

the eawt manner in whidh ffaeTow of perpetual ehaetity waaia one

He anbommn^ of ihe antiqiie m^th

aenae obeenred) frosn the very plain-epoken Epiphanxna. joina ihe ningnlar explanation, then

about Saturn devouring hia

own

ofbpring, against which,

and

the praotioe thereon founded, Clemens Alezandrinns also had

deemed it neoeasazy to warn hia tration of the prniishmwit

Ibir

flodc so long before.

Isl

iUna-

leaving dbpxing behind, end so

doing the work of the Bemxaigos,

th^ told a wild

legend

Oat

Eliaa himaelf had been rejected from the gatee of heaven, though

hw own

conscience a pure virgin, because a female

gathered up his seed and formed his confusion, she there

infismts

demon had

therewith, which, to

produced in testimony.

Henoe the

origin of the Succubaa in later times, although they

posed

were snp-

do the work of their father the devil in a different way,

connected with his snppoaed lelationa to the witohes, whose lover

he waa

ex-officio.

MEDIEVAL TALISMANS, Certain Gnoatio flgorea and holy namee* continiied to enjoy

high reputation during the Middle Agea.

the very oloae of

* l^eoulum l^s^dum,* or on the virtuea <^ atones, and of the sigils cut npon them, Magical and necromantic ilgorea beer no lays down this rule: leaemblance to the Signs or Constellations, and therefore their

that period Oamillo Leonardo, in hia traatiae

be discovered hy persons versed in those parmagic and necromaney yet is it most cert^ that the virtue cf the figure may be partly learnt from the qualir virtues are only to tiottlar arts, vis.

Indeed

the

inexplicable

adbos

ymOBt the must popular in the lint, oat dntfsd fton ttia addraa to

Clinnphis, apros rttmi vS»p Sit^Tf wvp fiyu ; " Thou art bread to the hungry,

vakr to Ihe fliinlgr. Am to the edU.**

MEDIEVAL TALISMANS.

130 ties

pOBMBed ligr tte itaaie

ift

AaA inMmaoli w

& out upon.

Mine sfcme often po—ooooi daflforent properties, so figures axe found made up of parts of diifeient animals expressing the irariofosTirtassof tii6geni itaeUL This is i^jipazsiit in a jasper of mj own, lAadk xeptresenis a flgnre wifti the hsad of a oodc, a Iranian body elad in aimoiur, a diield in one hand, a wldp in tiio oCh«r,

and saipenis instead of legs :

all

wcpwaai y e of the Tarioos

virtoes inlioreut in fke jasper, ivhioh ate, to drive

and

apirits, fevers

dropsies,

oheok

awaj

evil

prevent oonoeption,

Inst,

render Hie vreaier Tiotorioiis and beloved, and stanoh the flow-

All sodi fignres are of

ing of blood.

tiie greatest

virtue

and

potent^**

Tbe Moved names lao and Sabao were at last degraded into mere cbanns for making fish como into tbe neb The Hediasval dootors read lao bs Aio^ and oonstming it as representing the sonnd of the peacock's cry, promised wonderfhl effects from a stone engraved with the bird, having a aeartortle below, and the

word inscribed There

in the field.

an amulet against the plague

(perhaps the last tioQs),

still

engraved thus on a thin silver plate

current in

ELOHIM

-I-

ELOHI

+ 4 9

O O

Germany

ropn sontativc of this daas of iusorip-

survivin<:!:

X H

•

13.

o <

•l-ROqYEL+IOSIPHIEL-i-. The numerals added

together downwards, across, or from

to oomer, grre iba ssme

som

durald have aaj apeoial virtoe tion.

(84) : tiioii|^ is

beTond

oomer

whj tliat nnmber

my powers of explana-

This tablet appears suspended over the head of Melan-

choly in A. Dmer^s fiunons engraving—a proof of its importaaoe

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MEDIJEYAL TALI81IAN& in

liit

Wtmi

dayB,

met with

thia

did

MOCfimt of

iliere iii

On ^Vmulots.' The extremd barbarigm

had long puzzled me,

Tirtne in J.

that

181

Eemex^s

tintfl

littte

tract

marks the oxocutiou of manj

Onostio atones would lead ono to mispeot that the manufacture of them survived long beyond the date

commonly assigned for The mechanical

the extinction of gem-engraving in Europe.

processes of this art are bo easily acquired, and the instruments

employed its

cessation in

so simple and inexpensive, that

tlie

for its productions.

Hut the Arab astrologers muler the Caliphato

continue to speak of talisman-makers and

tiu ir

mode

ing; the i\Luiichoan branch of Gnosticism Hotirisheil into the

sole cause of

any age must have been the end of the demand of proceed-

down

so far

Middle Ages, and snbscquently the old symbolism was

taken up and inipioved upon by the alchemists and astrologers, tiiat

some of

the extremely barbfirous works, in

which every trace

may partly be referred to agee long poBtexior tothefidlof theWMtemlinpze. Biain|il«iof suchgema ««F1.IL6; XL8a. WeaotoaUyfindMaiMLiitintiieelmidli oentory, wh«n deioribing the virtoM cf the Mid, torquois, and of ancient art

extinct,

be oat upon them in otder to supematonl powen. This he would

beiyl, dizeotingeeriain figone to

endow the

etonee with

hardly have done had the art of gem-engraving been entirely extinct

was

«fc

the time he wrote; lor «t a later period,

really the case,

we find

naing the ejqpseaaion,

and aooh a

figoze:**

when endi

the Mediierral philoaophera alwaya

if a atone

be fomid engmved wiOi aooh

thna ahowing that thoj were entirely de-

pendent iqpon chanoe for the aoqniaition of svolLpceoionB artid^ and that they had no artiata within reaoh oapaUe of exeoating

on gema the potent deaigiia preeonbed by liabanua Manma, Ohael, and BagieL It was not the antiqne origin of the gema tiiat gave them their mystic virtues, although Camillo T^eonardo asoribes the devisiug of their sigils to the children of larael in

the wilderness

Stmm

;

and hence the popular Mediaeval name of Jem* for wo have abundance of inscrip-

for intagli in general

tions, talismanic

date.

and medicinal, out on metal rings of Gothic

lna><much as gems, from their inherent virtues, were

esteemed an infinitely more potent vehicle for such spells than

K 2

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HBDMSVAL TALISHANB.

182 tlie

neutral metal, the \cry fact of bucIi devices never occurring

on the former substances conclusively provcH the

exitsting in-

capacity of the times for bringing such into use.

The most complete example known o£ a Mediaaval talisman is by Caylns (YI. PI. 180). It is a gold ring, a ])lain

that given

fonr-nded lioop, weight G3 grains, found in ontting peat a league

Eaoh nde is ooonpied by a

from AinienB, in 1788. iMurdio letten,

Lom* up with

line in

seoningly in iMrbMoos Greek mixed

Ysrions Gnostic tities:

+OEGVTTAA+8AGKA+liOGOGRA+IOThE+HENAVEAT. +OOOINOMOO+ON+IEO+HOGOTE-|-BAlTQyiE8+ALFHA+7IBL + ANA +EGNETON+AIBIB+OmA-|-AGLA. XKEDA+ADONAL .

See also Heaphy's

excellent sorios of articles on thia 80b> ject in the

Art Jounwl for 18G1.

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LBADEN BOOK OF THB HUSBUM

lANUM.

147

THB LBADEN BOOK OF THE MUSEUM KntOHMBIAJKUM,

(JeaM

College,

Borne,)

Thia, the most oomplote series yet discoTered of our sepulchral pri

1^1

came

-sports,

Ivircbti,

into

ntter suspects'

hands of the ovor-learn(!d Father

the

but under what

circumstances

to 1x) the

to the Cardinal Bouillon,

same

who

'Excursion (fnosticiue

in hi.s

died at

eii

Hume

by Montfauoon

Matter,

in 1715.

ItiJic, lhf!2,'

ha« given a fac-

simih> of the seven leaves eonipohing the volume.

of lead, 4

unknown.

totally

as that given

They

aro

inches square, engraved on Iwth sides with a

-J

symbolical design, under whieli are in every case five lines, tho

numlxr no doubt

sacred

These

intentiunully olt.servcd

lines are written in a largo uneial

square

and very

t>ihaj)ed,

already treated

of.

.similar to

Intermixed

reeembling the hieroglyphics

still

tliat

aro

by tho

scribe.

Greek character, often used on tho talismans

other

characters,

some

current for the Signs and the

tibe P«hlen AppMr to be Coptic, bat n^her some Sonitio tongue, many words bemg made vqp entirely comaonimtii, showing that the Towels had to be sa^^piUed by the reader. The diief interest of the relio, however, lies in*the

Planets

;

alpfaahet

or perhaps letfcen of {be Semotio «nd Tlie language does not

designs heading eaoh page, where

novel, toaohed in poMriblft strokes.

ddes,

b^ond

reoognise all the usual

sooompanied by othexs entirely

figures of Qnostio iooodlogy,

by a free axid bold graver in {he fewest The pwport of the writing underneath ooin-

all doubt,

with ihn prayers piescribed in the

Ophite IMagramma to be offered by the asoending sonl to

The very nvmber of the

several planetary genii

seven, in itself confirms sndh

in the heavenwerd

manner I.

jonmey

eaq[>lanation.

psges,

These stages

are vq^resenled in the following

nude female

figure* in

which the navel

('*

the oirole of

BntwifeiNitiMMm: aeeiMtoatendflriUsactlsk.

L 2

14d

J^ADEN BOOK OF TH£ MUSEUM KIBCUEKIANUM.

the San") is Bbongly defined : she mafcea a sign of adontioik to a genituT wearing a eonioal oap and a short tnnio, armed with a tridmt: Siva's proper weapon, and thexefbre appropriated in medtasval art to the

—

new ruler of Tartams.

Ammtml k pabttpbranoh within a cirole^ and a laxge oadnoeoa. n. Fonale in long flowing robes addressing a gigantio find, mnoh too sqnat in its ptoportiops fixr ThotJi's Ibis ; and probably intended for that most saored

I^ptian Hrd the Fbomiz.

JBoB.—Nnde female adoring an indetenninate monster, dis>

playing acmietbing like a seipenfs head and neok, bat famished

and issoing oat of a low altar. The firat line imdemeath seems to bagin ^th tJie three Pehlevi equivalent to S» P, V.

with bnge

eazs,

of the prayer letters,

upon some kind of instrument, contemmore oarefoUy diawn than the rest,

III. Ilorus leaning

plating a hiigo tortoise,

which Bev.

is orawliii-r

—^Female

towards him.

adoration to the small in the act of leaping

IV. Anubis

of a naked

fi|T;iiro

down from

dressed

mountain, the a]M X whereof Rev.

—Fcmalo

hoWing up her hands

in long, full robes,

hild (Uorns),

a lofty pedestal.

f;hnrt

niantb\

foi-med into an

in ragj^ed attire, leaning

towards another richly clad, and crowned,

handb as though

female fully draped,

who

his

proper

oft'ers

commences with IA(0 all

on a

who

head.

staff,

advancing

holds forth her

forai,

;

henee

looking towards a

him something

resembling the letter E, upsido-down.

word in

regarding a loft^ eai!;le's

terrified at the apparition.

V. Ahmxiia himself,

fiifet

who seems

indistinct,

but

The prayer underneath

may be

coi^eotored €hat the

^e other pages ia the name of the deity depicted

aboTO.

Bm,

—^Frog and serpent &oingeadkoth«r: the ancient emUems

of Spring ; hot probaUy in this sitoation typi^ping legenention

and eternal yi.

life.

headleas man, with rays issuing from his body,

snd

holding forth a torch, appesn foiling baokwaids with alBnght at the i^proaoh of a winged diagcm.

Bm^K,

squat peraonageb with

radiated orown, stands in

fronip&oe, in the attitude of the Egyptian l^yphon.

the

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LBADBN BOOK OF THE MUSEUM KIRCHEBIANUM.

149

feaemUmg a Oopid

oUier iide rtandi • rtgy indefiiiila fignie,

with square-out wings, his back towards the i^otator.

Vn. Female with her robe flying in an arch over licr head, as Yenns sometimos appears, extending her liaud to a Boll ooniing towards her i the latter vastly superior in drawing to any of Hie other figuree.

and her Bev.

tutela^

—Nude

One

tempted to diaooyer in thia desiga Vemia

Taurus. female reclining on the ground, towards

whom

advances a large bird, seemingly intended for a pip'on. It is

impoKsiblo to avoid imagining in the sicred nnimals

figured in

tlio

respectivo stages, an allusion to the forms asKij:;m>d

by the Gnostics

to the planetary genii.

And

as one of their

legends taught that the Siiviour in his descent to the lower

wurld escjiped the vigilance of these Powers by as.suming

jin

(imhxjons form in etich of their re.sju'Ctive spheres, a conjecture

may be haairded

that a similar luetaiuurpliusi.s

soul in each sphere

may be

represented in

i)f

the illuminat<?d

thociu

inexplicable

pictures.

Anolte diaooTerj of a almUar natiii% and the li%hfl8t in hae lately been made, and proeeouted with the greatest oaze.

In 1852, whilat eaBoaTaling Miaarini, light,

tiie

nina of a tomb in the Yigna

near the Porta Ka, a marble aarcophagw oame to

beaxing a baa-relief repreemting either the Adoration of

the Magi, or its ancient protoliype, the "Birth

Tbe

floor

gaoaa in

d Mithras.**

of the tomb waa paved with a moaaic eqnalJy ambt-

its aobjeot,

wbetber the Madonna and Ohild,

or,

what

on many gro«mds more probable, IriaaaoUingHonia. Several minor sarcophagi in tena-ootta auronnded the larger one ; and in theee were foond many leaden aoroUs rolled up, not made into a booUc* IQeven of theae can atOl be deoypbered : Matter figures three of the moat perfect ; but none of them bear any it

• Ltswlcn scrolls were likewisi* emplojed iu witcbciafl^ deeigned to compass ths dastanoUan of an cnetny. Tacitita (An. ii. G9) states that tho fiktal illnew of Gcriiuuiiciu was utlribated to each artu of his iDomy rim. **8nfam Tim laotlii aagebat naqrido vaoeni a Fiiooe aoeipti; et nperis-

Iwintur

8rtU)

ac pftrictihus enita)

hnma-

mwnm oorpomm reli^oie canaiua et derotknoi et nomen Oenoanid pluv^bei$ talmlis

iuseulptuin,

BcmitiKti

oi«

noroa, ac tube obliti, alisiqiie lualcticin

qais cmluiit amiuaH uiuuiuibud

ntuMraii"

iui'cr-

LEADEN BOOK OF THE BCUSEUH EXBGHEIOANUII.

IfiO

inscriptions.

ono AnuLi.s

;iy>p(>nrs

wearing a long tnnic £md

buakiua, holding out a buckler ami a scroll

female busts

nme

;

at his feet are

two

nnderneath are two serpents entwined around the

object, as in the

seoond

flcroll,

where these two busts

m mommy. In a laige figure of bat holdiiig out a

likewiie appear, viz., a corpse swwilied Ujf liko this neact fhe biute axe plaoad oil oaoih side of

Aimbuy

aiiioh mutilated, attized as befine,

Below lies the mummy, swathed by the nmneoms folds of a huge aerpeDt, the Agatfiodaamon, gnardiaa of the deoeaaad. orooB.

This last figine

aerre to ea[ldain similaT desigiis

gens;* oompaie Plate IIL

with

its

oooan^ In the

legend hUUa,

third soroll, the most interesting of all, Anvbis, sttired as before,

beam on bis axm a lai^ obloiig objeot, periiape the regolar Boman Settim; an amogenflnt oonvertiiig bis onttine into a Latin otobb.^ On Ibis and in the field are a number of Gnostio symbols, such as will be found on the stone, Plate YIII. also Ibe

ohann i^nst the

Tralles, the figure

9P9 q^A' ^

oolio, preseribed

^^^i^t them

and

by Alexander of oocur some well-

known Masons' Marks for instance, an eight-armed cross, a square out by a vertical line and at his foot the rhomboid, or Eg^'ptian I%g of the Woild," towards wbiok a serpent, coiled into one :

oirdle, is crawling.

A oorions addition is the insoriptiou,

in ibe field, partly across the tonic, in letters

partly

wludi some conive

mske tbeir appeantaoe, thos

* Of

the symhols just noticed, a large collection are given in the

Plates.

their

origin,

a plausible conjecture

may be

founded on the oiroomstanoe that certain among them agree

Hen we fasTC^ and done by no sooflbr.

fits

God adored by AlnmaBos.'

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CARD. BOUILLOire LKADEN BOOK. enongb

closely

shape with characters in the Babylonian

Tho

cuneiform alphabet. exact vahio of wliich coins issued

by the

({uest,

B.C.

unu)ng8t the

characters standing for S, A, the

docidod by tboir aj)pcaranoo on the

I'ersian sutraps of Salamis in

hero recognised Ixjyond wjis the national

all

down

knowledge of

would

330, a

for

some generations

used for religious documents.

Was

Inasmuch

duubt.

alphabet of Persia

Magi

161

And

to the

yprus, can

cuneifunu

tlie

Macedonian Con-

natiirally be preserved

and continut;

later,

even after their n

forgotten, certain eombinations exjtressiiig saered

,il

meaning

would

itlea.s

continue to retain a mystic, and perh ai)8 a thaumaturgio import-

In these symhols,

flooe. **

Nvmeri Bahylonii " *

therefore,

we probably bdiold the veiy

wliioh Hoimoe duniadM the ftir Lenaonoe

Sudh

ooiMnltixigmliermiadTiMdwi^

firom

nliM

of andent Bal^loimai Bene woold,

we may well sappoee,

never oeese to be figured tm they weie origintlly devised ; the it too zeoent « stamp to Bat the possible origin of the entire olass, both anoaent and medisBval, will be disonssed at lengUi in the Section treating of Oute, and Masons', Marks.

xeoenfe

Pehlevi would have oeiried with

mipoee vpom sDperatition.

CAIW. BOUILLON'S

How Hatter one

now

it is

in tho

LEADEN BOOK.

could have snpposedffthis to be the same a« the

Museum Kircheriaunm, and

published by himself,

Montfaucon's Plato

difScult to imagine.

CLXXVII.

every leaf of tho firmer, and evidently- copied with great

which

will briefly describe

the foregoing design.s

i'^r

tlio

sake of coin]»ariHon with

for the analogy of the fii^nies in Card.

Buuillou's proves the similar purpose of the two

whiLst the variation in particulans distinct examples of

tlie

elass.

lead covers, all connected

thrungli them, are only six in

much tho same lintw

gives

fidelity,

The

mumiments

;

the existence of

two

leaves enclosed in the

two

attt-sts

rings, secured

number, and

by a rod

thi'

pa.ssed

iuK('ripiion.s, in

character as in Matter's copy, ax^ of but four

on a page, and on only four pages, the other eight pages 1

AUnmMnbirenatiliitlettenorMialiihabet

THE ONOBTIO PH(ENIX.

162

Now

haying figures tlom.

drawn thaa in the 2. Female stMiding np.

better

extonding one hand.

god Abraxas.

dressed,

Female

of the day

the

;

first

surrounded with

reclining.

Frog.

10.

11.

Terminal

tlu; {;enii

who is CLXXVIII.

bound

hours

tlio

page

sonietiraes

entitled

;

and

oecupicd by

earaypn/i^jciroc

0(or.

he Hgures from Bonami another, "discovered

Mus. Kircherianum, which

liatl

and two figures heading the specimen jmges

suspect

Mont-

veil.

presiding over

expressive of rising, the last of night

in a tomb," engiavod in his leaves,

r&yi. figure^

Phoenix or vulture.

calls attention to tlio fact that tlio seventh

Serapis,

The ssme, 5. The

Female holding over her head a star-spangled

faucon supposes these to bo

PI.

ICan naked,

walking.

Bird-headed man,

in the form of a ctodL 12.

Page

Anubia in a short mantle.

Bust of Serapis.

wfakh appear

for these fignrea,

fizet oaae.

the one Matter saw;

seven this

though now in pieces, not

up.

THE QN08TI0 FS(ENIZ. The strange bird oocssionaUy figured on oar dearly depiofeed on page

II. in Kiiohei^s

taliiimans is

Leaden Book.

most Thie

oraatnie aeeme neither the ibis nor the Tnttnve cf the old

JQgyptian mythology, bat rither resemUes the Fboeaoix as repre-

sented stHiding

on a

gjiobe^

with the legend

Tempomun The type is

Feliz

Beparatio** on the coins of Coostantine's sons.

allusive to the promised regeneration of the empire

nnder the

new religion and new dynasty—*

promise, however, verified in

—a

proof this what a hold the

the contrary sense sltogeflier fable had taken on the

public mind, that

acknowledged upon the imperial coinsge.

should thus be

There

a certain

saered bird often introduced on the Assyrian cylinders, and

named

in that

the phcenix,

of so

language Bech.

undoubtedly

many wonderful

tales.

Herodotus

sa(;rod bird

in T^gJ'pt the picture of like

ejigle

If this bo not the prototype of of the Arabian Bokh, the

in outline

and

gold-ooloureU, partly crimson,

in "

size,

(II.

73) had seen

theme

when

called a phaniix, very

but witli plumage partly

that vibited iieliopoiis once in

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THE VA8E OF five

hundred years

and impart virtue

The

—an

most soitable to adorn

object, theiefore,

tiilisman.'

Taoiis (litcmlly PeaaicJc) or

cupper bird, the idol in the

present day worshipped by the Assyrian lihood the

descendant of tho t}po

This

taking

sect,

(genii), arc

the

iti>

Yezcflin,

now under

consideration.

ancient VerKian

from tho

nanio

in all like-

Izeds

thus by profession veritable Gnostics, thuuj^h by

Mohammedans cstw;med

account of

153

SINS.

tlioir

worshippoi-s of tho Devil alone, on

respect for tho Evil Principle,

who

Iklalxioth, the Ijord of this world,

who

replaces the

holds so impoxtaikt

position in the theolog)' of Valentinns.

THE VASE OF

SINS.

A motfe oarioos eiBmple of the omploymeiit of Gnootio ideas in hy Matter, n. 0. flg. 4. -Tlie oibvevae represents Chnnphis placed between a hawltlieaded deity and a female adoring him. Above are the Tin Yowela; in the field a laige poaoh-Hke object placed vpoa a low altar: the whole simoimded by a Ooptio legend, in which only the name Sintuio is to be deoyphered* Bnt tho revesse e^lains in bazbarons Greek ibe object of the OOmpoeitioil : nWVOI^ ri}^ fxryrpay n|C ttiva Etc Toy liiov toww O Place tho womb of Buoh and sooh a one Tov kvkKov rov ifXctov ttw nedioal art is to be eaen in the atone figorod Flale

into its proper plaoeO, the circle of the snn.**

This inscription proves tho stone to have been a general amulet, a prophylactic against the " prolapsiiK uteri," a frequent complaint in ancient times,

in its offects

owing

to the abuse of the hot bath, so relaxing

upon the internal muscles,

sis

well as to tho universal

reeourse to ahortirn whenever considered necessary.

word

'b\i]TpiKoy,

Uterine," ooours

Indeed tho

on talismans, and with the

same meaning.

The " circle I

Fliuj aUdd to

of the sun"

tliis

the navel, which maiks the natural

deacriptiuu tliut

Ub head was embeUUbed with a crest

{icuouck tliot fouQd

—a

;

and thoB the Uonmn.s rrpn »enU'<l it. Could tho whole legend have Leon Avadfld on fli^ flnt ipeafanea of the

few!

fhan ruigu? c'iiiiKs

iUt

way

iuto Kgyj^t

impaited \^ the FhoBol* Mdy Solonoo's

hlllia

THE VASE OF

164

qu^ion

position of the organ in

BINS.

the navel being considered in

the microcosm as corresponding to the sun in idea more fully exemplified in

tlie

Greek anchorites touching the mystical Light uf wjw revealed

devotee after a fast of

to the

staring fixedly

tiuic

univerHo

—au

famous hallucination of the

many

which

Tulx>r,

days,

the

all

upon the region of the navel, whence at

length this Light streamed a« from a focus.

The

stone under consideration, engraved at

amulet, was converted, upon

by adding

that

the jar in

is,

under the antique system, the embakneTs deposited

eotreils of tlie corpse

ma afterwanb beld up befora

and which

;

the

occurH, of the vessel, so strangely

supposed by Matter to be the " Vase of Sins wltich,

fur a <jnu

This apjMiars

the patient's name.

Stidiiiui,

only explanation, wherever

first

purchase, into a particular one

it«

the gods, with a deprecatory prayer, as oontafaing the cause of all

Hie

ole

oommitted by the defimot in

tiiiB

him deeernng of

porticn of

oironmstanoe in support of

lili»,

end, therefore,

future punidunent. eiqpUnistion

ifaie

is,

a conioal object; flattened in

Some

exhibiting a triangular orifice. others for

thtf

but simply

Fersea plum.

flie

symbol of that

Bonun

the

ymi

of the

this character still

modem

and

It is, however, notiung of the sort;

fomale Qtenis»

distinctive

ftont^

take this for an nddor,

most obvious and natural

tiie

divinity's peculiar office.

were carried the

{hat loe, the

peonliar goddess of mateniilj, is often figuxed in her statuettes as holding aloft

Anoflier

marks of

Their

TTindoos.

In her mystic

bothr sexes Isis,

;

coffer

the Ungatn and

Parrati

—who in

styled Devi (Diva, the goddess par exoeUenoe)

bears in her hand a similar object, the yoni, or hhaga, as her

distinctiye

symbol

;

often a precious stone thus fashioned.

Simi-

Thus,

her consort, Siva, wields the phallus, or lingam.

larly,

the >iizam'8

weighing

Diamond —the

40 carats

largest

skilful native lapidary to

reduce

the longitudinal

.Strange

reign, this di

known

for certain to exist,

exhibits the evident attem])t of ihe un-

orifice.

into snch a f<>nn,

omen

and

mark

happen under a female

imond was accidentally broken in two just before

the great kScpuy rebellion. Devi's

—

taries

mark

— that

home on

made by three

strokes

their foreheads ;

I'aj

vati's sec-

the two outer white or yellow.

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DBATH,

HOW BBPBBSBNTED

the centre atw always red.

womb, Mtdhra,

of Bliavani (a

titir nf

ceeded

exist,s.

all

and the

that

Isis

asps, or cobras

—

ciii

IK ANCIENT ABT.

intri pn'tLul

to represent

the

rarvati), out of wliich pro-

icH tlu'

same nttrihutes

UUavani, uj)Ou

a.s

165

tlie

— the kid

talisman figured

Bnt having only one

C'uylns (Koc. d'Antiq. iv. PI. xvi.).'

pair of hands, the Egyptian goddeas grasps in each the seveml attributes borne singly

DEATH,

by her many -handed Indian prototype.

HOW BEFBE8ENTED

IN ANCIENT ABT,

Jbtenniim^ed wiHk the Cupids on andeot momimMiiti, and eaqr to l» mirtafcan fbr one of the sportive gronp, appears peraomfioatloii of, aoooidiiig to our

wbj

tlie

of thhilring, a most dis-

He oan (mly be djatrngniahed from god of Love bj bia aomewbat mora matmed Ibnn, aometimea

ooidaat idea, that of Dealih. tSie

ynst^em, and the iuTerted torob, wbiob be ing, fa elao,

ia eitber extixigiiiab-

upon wbiob, already eztinguidied, be planta bia

foot; or

bonding it downwatda, laana Ibereon witb bia folded anna,

bavii^bialegB oroaied in {be attitade of proJbnnd xepoae.*

To undemiand bow ao obaiming a type oame to be adopted for gloomy an idea^ we must remember that, to llie aneient mind,

aigiung merely from the analogy of nature, Death was presented

merely aa the neoessary converse of Birth, and, tenora were oonveyed

imago," in the words of the

more than a return to the before Being oommenoed;

still

Boman

or, as

where tbc sadi hand are

gravo

aspect,

liaiiil

(111

the rim nf a hnf?e

cular vase lying

its

Mm, wbenoe he nay be

the

tomb of Vincontius catacombs of Prm-

textatiu, whure in the accne iuacribed Abraptio Yibiea et DisosMio," tiie mesnenger of Fate, "MemirinH," ;ip-

pears stepping into and leadiug Uio into a rue precisely simQar In shape anil position. The alluaion to Orcu» by tlna introduction of the Oreo, or jsr, is evident enoni^ ; and Indeed

way

cir-

side behind

suptKiseJ to

have eraorgerl. TIuh design, lonp an enigina to me, was at last cleared up Iif an analogous subject in the fkeno

suoh as was it, " To

ex-

tthgniihiug with a gesture of detcrndnatiin an towltai totoh. Teste his i

It implied nothing

Pliny dearly ei^aresses

(I('<Y>reting

a Bonan gem of my vwn, a Vkiv

antl Vibift in tlio

more Qumeroua.

* (hi

yitB^iOBe

poet.

state of unconsciousneaa,

Oompm also H. XV.,

attributes grasped in

-flier^ore,

the thought; "Nulliquc ea tristis

botli i

tpicos,

wonl.H

may

Iiave tiie

au enclosure.

nme

niol;

DEATH,

166

HOW RBPRBSBNTBD IN ANOOSMT

before the

first

day of existence neither ;

body or soul

tiou in either

a£ter death

ABT.

same

all the state of being, after the last dny, is the

as it

was

there any raoro s^nwi-

than thero was before

birth."

Heuoe

this

mere

return, as

Byron has

it,

To be flie «ia% ttat one

En Im to Hlb and Uviog wwb** inspired uo fears V)eyond those springing from the natural inst inct

of self-prcHorvatiou. sito

Many

carried this

extreme, exemplified in the old

imlilTi

.stoiy

ience to

about

tlio

tin;

oppo-

Thmci;ui8

lamenting on the occasion of a birth and rejoicing on that of a I'liny declares that the greatest blessing

death.

upon man as

thi>

the short span of his life

;

passage fiom MacrobiiLs above quoted

the being

bom

Nature bestows

and the later Platonists,

into the world spintual death

testifies, ;

tenuod

dying, spiritual

ihe ancienl^ order of ideas had been totallj and when fhe death of the body oame to he loolrod vpan as ihe pmuahment of original sin, and as Ihe mfiraoHon, not fhe fhlfilment; of a natoml Uw, the notion neoeeearilj aesamed a move honifio aqieot» whioh was exaggwated to file utmost of their power hj fhe new teaohen^ as supplying fhem with fhe most potent engpne £ir the snlgqgatiQn of fhe homan mind. Th» anoient Ijype^ fherafine, which implied nothing hat peace and unbroken repoee, was at oooe discarded birth.

But

aflieir

levolvtiQiiiEed,

new of fhe reality. Add

as totally inconsistent with fhe altered

had already been ibroibly enrolled amongst the angels, and had thus reoexred a charaoter still more foreign to that of the newly created King of Terrom. Hence the Ohristians had to seek in the ancient ioonology for a more fittiog representative of the oirs])ring and avenger of transto this, e^eiything like a Onpid

gression

—something that should be ghastly and awe-inspiring

and such a representative they found made to their hand in the old way of picturing the Larva, or bad man's ghost. This had and surh a figure was always been depicted as a skeleton recommended bv old associations when the 'hiistians, as Biit;

(

tiger phrases

it,

" creeping out of their catacombs, substituted

fur the genius with hib inverted torch the

bkuUs and moulder*

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HOW SBPBWBMTRD IN ANdSNT

DB^TH, ing

>w)n('s

iniagiiH

of their

Ovid, in his

own

foiTii

" Whorr-'or thou turneat llit,

Sonoca also talks of

upon

viviality, tlings

feast, in

Iiis

slioll rifle

order to promote con-

bound about with

Sitch a lavxa sometimes

life

Virgil's

injured shailo

diuncr-tablo a larva, or skeleton of

tht?

there for tho sanio purjK)so uess of

from

naet,

" larva* frames of bare bones hanging

tlio

silver, so artfully jointed as to

vibrating.

was popnlarly tlie

tlcihlcaa gboet, before thine cyea."

and Trinialcliio

togt^tlicr

among

aj>])earK,

167

" ln.st'<|uar et vultus ossea larva tnoa.**

Jbi.s,

And

Tliat tho Tjar\-a

martyrs."

skeleton

ill

ART.

ajipt ars

limbe

all its

on gems, introduced

— to remind the wearer of tho

short-

and tho wisdom of nuiking the bost lue of

it^

Copa Syrisca urges " Pone

morum

ct talos jKjnait qui criHtinn

Mors uurcm

Thus wo

vollcn.s

cant

Vivitc, ait, vuiiio."

bim on a gem (^Improuto Gemmarie,

ii.

11)

holding out with ono bony hand tho Icrythm, or long

juiiiitofl

SCO

vase of oil that accompanied every interment,

arm upon

tho other

enjoyment of second, a

its

a tall ainphora,

content*s

when

still

fanciful composition,

as if in

where

and leaning with

recommending the one's

power.

his torch, is peeping into a vast Corinthian crater, out of

a larva glare

;

tore.

tomibs.

throwing himself headlong, as

'Vho

Cujtid, holding aloft

which

alTrighted at tho

a design where the abstruse meaning baiUes ovon conjoc-

was likeMdse often pamted on the walls of ia dofiioted laying a a ohfld'a akeleton. Li ancli oaaes fhia fonn ia

skeleton

Thus, in one at Pompeii, a female

flUet aflroaa

taanlj adopted to represent the atate €i death hj plaoiog before the eje the deed body xednoed to a oooditioa fba most e^raa-

and decay, and whioh oamiot be tnislaken for But it ia eaiy to perceive how nady the tnmsltionivas from the emblem of mortalil7,zegBided as aeoodition~

aive of mortality

that of deepw

Mpedalty when, in the popular mind, it also typified a lestleBB and liiftUgptMiA Bpuntaal inflnence—to the adoption of the same inanspiotQas ahiqpe for the embodiment of the deatnying power ilselt' 1

KM, Id her ciiatuctur ut

Destroyer, weora a oeoklaoe of huuoa akulU.

HOW BEPBBSBNTED

DBATH,

168

But now

—

conveutifjually

— und

—

life's

ABT.

scene

it'htive

forcibly

The common

—an

window

n|K)n a J'arty feast-

Yet

allu.sion snfticiently obviona.

the sjuno notion carried out in an Etruscan

soulptoro (liov.

most

this is the

on sareopliagi and Hcpnlchral tahlets by a

rejin-M iiled

horse's head looking in throut^h a

ing

AHdBMT

to rc'tnrn to tlic anc ient imager}^ of the subject.

idea of deatli

way

Arch^L

1844), where the

demon Chatmt armed liorae on wluxtk atts

u uanal with his huge mallet, ia leading the the defunct, hia

fiuse

This, pcihaps, ia the oanae

muffled up.

why the hovae'a head waa ao &yoii]ite a

devioe

aigneta.

fixr

aerred the wearer aa a memento-mori, like the death's head ao

mvoh in tubkm in the jewellary of the dnqneHWOito peried, hut with a Ux other object in the antique eramplea. One may con> jectnie that aabh

waa the aonroe of that immemoriiRl onatom in

South Walea of the mummera canying aioimd a hoiie*a akoll in tiieir Ghriataaaa

Cognate to

meny^maldng. that moat aDtaque rgfaeaentation of ^the oon-

tiiia la

eyanoe of the departed

aoul to the ahodea of Uiaa, imagined aa

aome happy island in the fiur weat, upon a curious hippocampoa resembling a winged sea-serpent, and which afterwaida became the

Roman CSaprioom,

the ruler of the

weatem dime.

''Thou for thy rule, 0 Caprioofn. liMk wen All flwt estaods beneifli tttt settbg MB ^

m Manilius laj's down. Phoonician scarabs for on an

;

The

original tyjK> occurs sometimi's on

and no doul)t can exist as

Etmsean vase

creature appears on o7ie

by Caylus

fifrnred

to its intention,

(I^ec.

1*1. .'52)

the serpentine ferry<

.side,

careering over the westeni wave

;

on the other

.stands the

this

of souls jn-'ijii'a,

lamenting over the corpse of the departed laid out upon

its

sepulchral cuueh of bronze.

the Coffer of Cypselus Night

was represented carrying in

her aims two olhildien, twina, alike in the one white,

tiie

all xeapeela

save ooloor

other blac^ having their teg» e med.

Their

—

names were inscribed over them Sleep and Death. Thus it is manifiaat that, from the very dawn of pictorial art, the oroaaed legs were the diatinguiiJiing mark of the moat j^rafound repoae'; and the aluggard'a wiah **finr a little moie finding of the handa

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HOW BEFRESBNTED IN

DBA.TH,

same

in slumber," tells the

genius leaniug on

his

for the cmsstHl

cxtinguislicU

many

remain

This

into

tlio

traditional

Midillo Ages,

from their

cross-leo^god effigies of warriors reposing

whieh jx)pularly

fatigues,

peuis

169

anns nf tho Kuman

t<iich.

attiludt' iftaiutd its signifieaiice far dt)Wii

an so

AN€IENT ABT.

on that account

for crutiaders, yet

to attest.

Another most expressive emblem, and one frequently occur-

Winged Foot omahing a

ring, is the

But

haMtaeOj,

probably for the oame reason as the hone,

its

iSb» 'foot

oanveying the

notion of departure—seema cspc* ially to have been dioeen for

Thne Hocaoe'e aimfle—

the emblem of death. " Pallida

mors feqno pidnt pede paoperam tiibenM

Begumque

Henoe the

foot

turres."

beoame the peonliar

attribute of the kkfiamal

goda; and eodh, oat in atone, were often dedioated to Berapja;

i^puently

voUn oammemoratuog an escape from the Tory

threshold of his dark domain. lately

exhumed from

a colossal

tlie

foot, riehly

magnifioent example was

niins of the Serapetim at Alexandria;

sandalled,

the god, with his attendants,

on top of whi(di mi enthroned

Cerbems and the serpent SheAa, at

bis side.

Moor cut

notices the existence of the impressions of a pair of feet

upon a

stone about

flat

many Hindoo

temples, and tho tradi-

tion that the}' connnemor;ited suttees, mai'lcing the place

the gfite

widow stopped from of heaven.

him

upon tho funeral

whence

pile, or into

the

This custom bears upon the Buddhist venera-

tion for the print of

called after

earth

Adam's

in Ceylon.

foot

uptm the summit of tho peak

Again,

relic-woi-ship manifesting itself in the

tianity; for the prints of Christ's

find a similar

very metropolis

feet

on a

slalt

fonu of

(»f

Chris-

b;i.salt,

paving-stone of the Via Appia, have been worshijujud from time

immemorial in the ohnroh of Domine quo vadis, built over the oonsecrated spot. It has long been

nUe

a qneation how the Gieoian Hades (the Invi-

One) and the Bomaa Pinto were refneaented—meaning

these deities in their oiiginal aooeptationr-^br

freqnaiiily to

tiieir

Egyptian

god of the shadea, ia maoh more be aeen upon numnmenta of Boman date than

equivalent, Serapia, regaided as

UOW

DEATH,

1<J0

either of

liis

liElliESENTED IN ANCIENT AllT.

brotfaien, Jupiter

Heie, alao, he is

end Keptone.

frequently aonlptiued in the ofaancter of Fhto, the Lord of

% throne, holding a oomnoopia, and extending Under what fonn the early Greeks had represented their Aidonens, the Bidies, BMted on

in his right hand a hvmdle of all earth's choioeat gifts.

God of

the Shades, before Sexapis -was introdvoed into

a qnesiaon which has never been

flieir

mythology,

answered.

Cerbenis, indeed, occurs sometimes on early scarabs

as a

hmnan figure with three heads

fonn more generally- rocop^isod.

of a dog;

Homer

satisfiMttnily

and also mider the 846) names tho

"helmet of Hades," wliich Pallas puts on

render herself

and this the soholiast eKplaina fay cloud and whence one may conclude that, inasmuch as this

invisiblo to Arcs, invisibility

deity was rendered invisible

his very attributes, no attempt

was jnadc

art.

robes,

to personify

by him by

deity in long flowing

and l>caring a trident wanting one of

prongs, some-

tlic

timea painted on tho Nolan vases, has been explained as Aidonens,

l)ut

on insuflBciont grounds, being doubtless a Neptune in

the archaie stylo.

"famed

Again,

Homer

(xi. 44.5)

gives

destroyer

and

in this title

may perchance

the adoption by tho Greeks of the horse for an If

him the epithet

for his steeds;" alluding doubtless to tho lie

mpidity of tho tlio

motive for

einl<loni of death.

could meet with any genuine antique sculpture of

Bape of

l'ro6erj)ino in early art, it

tlio

would at once decide the

question ; but the ill-omened character of the subject, set fordi

in SneloDiiurs anecdote abont ilw ring so

S^pwns to Nero as a

new year^

gift,

en^wed

presented by

had ahnast completely ex-

eluded this scene from the artisfs oatslcgoe.

Stosdh,

his

immense Tsriely of mythol(^cal designs, has nothing of the kind, and Baope only a single antique paste^ and that of dnbions inteipietation, in which a god with qfuver on his shoulder is bearing away a nymph in a oar dmwn by two swans. Snch attributes bespeak the late date oC the compositicn—4he period when Hades, Serapis, Fhoeibus, were interpreted as merely signifying certain periods in the son's annnal course.

As fi» the Boman Flnto, or rather, to ff99 him his Latin name^ Disy* there

was the best of all reasons "vdiy he was left out of the >

Dt<.2M»^. flan the aanenwtMMIk.

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DBATH,

HOW RBPBESBNTED

IN ANOISNT ABT.

proTinoeof art which admitted nought that was hideous, or of

There can be

augury.

evil

doubt that to the popular

little

imagination of the Romans he

continued the Chariin

still

whom

yet behold presiding in the sepulchres of their Etniscan

instnic!t<irs in

the arts, a giant with hideous face, grinning tusky

jaws, and j)ointed ears

winged buskins on

;

his legs, one

arm

extended entwined with a serpent, and shouldering a huge maUet.

was doubtless a continuation of

this idea that caused

the retention of precisely the sanio instrument, mazza, at Korae for fho execution of the

more atrocious criminals until the recent

introduction of the guillotine.

That Pluto was

so personified in the

may

as late as the third century Tsrtollian

(ApoL

xy.),

shows of the amphitheatre

be gathered from a passage in

where he describes, amongst

emaltiaa ol the iAbriood," the apeoteton koghing raiaijig

the daad wifli a xed-hot

pniafcrate bodiaa to aaoertain if

aind

the

AvOar ^

/upifar,

inm— applied any

life

the scenic

aft

MeniiDy

dcmbileaa to tha

yet lingered la ihemr—

annad with a

mallet, eaoortiiig die

daad'bodiaa of the gbdiatina,'' to givo ttfim the

ooiip

d» igrtM.

The Etmaoan imaga paawod down into the heBaf of the mediipyal VloientinM,

lioir

Bante introdnoea

MObanm dhnanio ooa oooihi di bngia." * Oharon, a deril with

HfB eoab finr eyai.**

Tn early Greek art the disembodied

spirit is aptly lypified

under the fonn of » bird with a human head.

BntiahMnaeam, painted with the is

seen winging

nymph.

its

way

creature, is

aloft, as if

escaping from the transfixed

Death of Achilles

") is

rending her breast in agony.

personified

by a simple

designs where the subject

varied into a female with

Psycho— and

s\ich a

carved into such a

Sometimes the same

bird, often seen in

a hero's death. buttei-fly

Again,

Etruscan

find

wings— the well-known

form appears seated upon the capital of

the pillar

marking Achilles's tomb, before which the

Folyxena

This

in the

ITie back of the famous scarab in the Russian collec-

tion (subject, the "

idea

On a Taso

Death of Frocris," such a bird

sacrifice of

about to take place.

human-h^ded bixd

stands also for other mythologioal

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DKATH,

182

HOW BBFBKBlBNTJfiD

In this fonn

creations.

tlio

AKdBNT

ART.'

Syrens arc always paintod

sometimes, witli half a woman's body, the rest a

or,

;

bird's, figured

thus on pauitt<l vases in the scene with UIvksos, and again in the bas-rolief of their contest with the

I^Iiises.

As,

deKjiit<^

their ]>eaiity

and melody, the Syrens were eonsidorod malignant and destnic-

was given

tive beings, exactly the niuic shape

to the Harpies.

Indeed, they both appear to liavo been originally identical in

As the name of the

meaning.

away,"

latter signifies the "Suatchers-

Harpy symbolizes death

tlie

in the abstract,

depicted as anned with a sword, or bearing upon

Hban

and often shoulders

Hence the Harpy occupiea

the funereal lecythiis, or the torch.

a oosuBpumouB place in the

its

deoorotioii of

many

early sarcophagi.

are not snffioient data forna to make out

luMLpenonmeddesOiintiieAloeitis.*

bow Enripidea

It Is plain thatllie

bad

farooi^ on the stege Hadea hSmaelf, for he styles bim <*KiDg of Um Desd," sod Haazobiiis uses tbe'naae Oroos in refareooe to All that can be dednoed from

the same salgeot

allvsknis of the dramaH$ penomm

is*

tiie

incidental

that this deity ivas robed in

black and amed witii a swoid, wiUi wbiok be severed a look from

the head of bis piey, so devoting her to the sabtemnean gods.

Sooh a penKmifloakion hady to sll s^ppssnno^ or groteeqne about it; fkr difforent from

tiftfl«mg

honible

Ear, also Uaok-

robed, according to Homer's normal epthet for her, as engrayed

by the andiaio diaser on the Coffer of readily accepted by the f^ocmy

Oypselns.

Snch a shape

genius of the Etruscans,

ever delighting in the mysterious and the horrible.

gem threatens

on a

She thus

ns in a shape almost identical with that

ransaniaa describes, having a huge Gorgon's head, open-mouthed, four wings, like an Assyrian genius, arms wreathed with serpents,

and her action that of furious

the Furies

bnnijji^ht

haste.

on the stage by TEscliylus

their strange aspect so aft'righted the

must

for his purpose

date are no more than

were

the horror of

Athenian audience.

on the painted vases

tliis

shadowy old women brandishing serpents

torches.

Pcrtmpa under this very form, for the Haipy aomctimoB oocu» with tho 1

when

have revived the old and forgnttcn type,

for the Furies that pursue Orestes

and

So, doid)tless,

bunt of

woman's.

aa egBd man Nflledng

tilB

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THB HINDOO IKBFPABLB NAMB.

168

THE MDSmOO INEFFABLB NAME. This

Xaiuo emblazoned

a\\'fal

Blessed

Name " amongst the Gnost

upon the clcphant-head of

word being

trilitcral

rendered into English.

It is

tlie

Aam, M dnwled

appropriately isu[»ported

AUM In

Pkmarvtr,

god of Wisdom.

OMj ^

t^ii^

elements,

ite

tbe Bflstroyer;

hy a ooontiy perish

out

The

usually

used far Jejie-gr, or **8o be

signifies

Ihe triad

oleik:' in fiwt it is

in tdken of

it^"

Other names of the Beity aro

A oar

mvoh neemUee

If ntlered, ihe aonnd

Bnbnu^yidiiiii-Sbft.

for tlie

never to be uttered aloud, but

only mentally by the deTovt

ihe OiMtor,

s. in

Gancs;i, the

rather

within

in throe Sanscrit letters

a cartouche fonucd by a serpent, that nonnal inclosnre

approbsikiflik.

and ArfsYirkoe.*

The origin of tiie InelEriile Kame is thus nhttod (Inst Menn, i-^** Brahma milked out as it were from fte three Yedas

n. 70)

and the

die letter A, the letter

letter

SimA,

three mysterioos words JBAir,

togetheridth the

•

Asar; or Earth, Sky,

Hearen. From the three Yedas also the Loidcf OlieaitiireSfinoomprehsnaiUy exalted, snooeeeiTely milked ont the three treasures of that ineff&ble text beginning with the word 7Vu7, and entitled Samiii,

the Gkyatri.

<nr

who

priest

shall

know

the

Veda, and pronounce to himself, both morning and ereninp;, that syllable

and that holy text preceded by the three words,' ahall which the Yeda confers and a twice-bom man

attain the sanctity

who

shall a

;

thousand times repeat those three, apart from the

multitude, shall be released in a as a snake from

slough.

its

month even from a gioat offenco, tlirt o great immutable words,

The

preooded by the tnlitend pliable and followed by the Gayatri,

Moor, Hindn B lhwa. TIk's*' nnmos nro to hp rfwtjniiHrHl Tiuiuth. aud I onnot help su»flats "Truth." >

LLo Egyptiuu Tat,

pwtiivcr

that this very

gmmmaton

«mM

AUM

in the

iii-i-rilMil

<J<:rtainly

nil

si)riH>

Hindoo Tri-

aometiiues oon-

whlnge of of

the calcodonj

WMnb

tiilismans.

{JULeti,

BdbaaL

517) engmvwl on one aide with tlie Delphic Apollo in a good stjle, on

the other, bf fraitit,

upron

rille<l

with

amund

nTPCOnAICWAOTMOAEI,

Mend

MiM. as U wnld

by a Orefk. "Bhar, Bbavah, Swar.

spelt >

later hand, witii

prcsonts iu the legend

the latter

Ofa

man

THE HINIXX) INEFPABLB NAMB.

which

measures, mxmt be oonndered as ih»

oonsiBta of tliree

mouth or principal part of the Veda." Gayatri, or holiest verso of the Vedas:* " Let

The

who

the Rupremacy of that Divino Siin, the Godliead all,

who

return

recreatoH

whom

;

Ave

all,

whom

from

all jiructLil, io

adore

xis

illuminates

whom

must

all

invoke to direct our understandings aright in

our progress toward the Holy Seat."

Another

Heaven! Let us meditate on the most excellent of that generous, sportive,

and respieudent

" Earth

light

ISuu,

Sky

and power

may

that it

guide our intellects."

The lirahmiu's ••This

new and

confession of faith also contjiins this Gayatri

excellent praise of thee,

splendid, playful

Be gratified by this my speech approach this craving mind as a fimd man eecfar a wonaasL May tibaft Son wbo oontemplaiea and looioi into all wodda be oar Ftoteotor. Let ns meditate on the adorable li^t of tin Bivme Bolar {Satiiri); may it guide onr inteUeota. D»Sun (Pu^an),

offered

by us

to thee.

;

dnnia of

find,

adiioii

wbo

the gift of the splendid Sun,

yeneraUe aun, guided by Diviiie Son, wxiih oUiftioiia and

ahoold be atndionaly mndupped. fhe undentanding, aalute

tiiee,

pniae."

Moor

obaeirves

tibia teack

on fhia,

lliat **it ia diiBoiilt

ahoold be ao aeduloiufy

unoQiiikeoted wifli the idea of

^pi

myateiy and

fimdity dofimoiapiiaar likely to bave the all prieafa, of

ouvery

(rf

to coi^jeotare wlqr

aeorati Ibr ita expoaitian

ao dzeaded by

guiding the inteUeota of the nnltitade to Ihe dia-

tntth*'

These invocations will afford aome olne

to the

meaning of tha

" Eternal Son," ao frequent npcn onr geauB, where also the **

Tat" may occasionally be recognised

ooold

fli^iii

and

po-

aifootetioa of

effect,

;

name

and their inscriptions,

^y be interpreted, wooM probably often contain a cognate this doctrine lies the whole of our talismanio insoi^tkiofl may well be that many of thera

There

tion

| I

•ottudly

do contain the Thiee Words

or pnrpoaely

from the

in somettiiiig

tiiis

tiiat

hreeistibly reminds ooe of the iufooBp

the Hen nmt be

unknown tongue upon " garnet. The " Divine Son

the

cmcUAAM

a» fte-

vdled under an anagram

^ea of the pnttm.

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FBINOIFLB OF DUAUBM.

165

import, a conjeolni» iaf|»rtod by the rare ezoefilioiiB omudied

in Gxeek.

Compm Crenuer'a Plasma, p.

101.

HINDOO PBINCIPLE OF DUALISM. In Yalentinns*

System <^ Emanations,' all proceed firom tlie and fismale a feature which pre-

—

First Canso in pairs, male

eminently stamps h\H scheme as borrowed from tho Indian the>

osophy

every Principle

for in the latter

;

and female Energy, each exactly distinguished by their

divided into a male

alike to the other, " the

Each deity

st'x iilone."

same

power

exerts his

through tho agency of his female Principle or Sadi, wliosc Vehan or vehicle again

— that

and represented

Supreme Triad, tho 1.

(the

Of Brahma,

instrument or attribute

in,

u material

—

is also

fixed

Of the PeraoDS in the

form.

Sactia and \'ehan8 are,

Saraswati, goddess of

Jewish Sophia): her cchau

harmony and the

a swan or goose,

arts

(ilence

Juuo'h attribute.) 2.

Of Vishnu, Lateshmi, goddess of prosperity, has the tiHe of her vehan is Garuda the man-ea^.*

Eamala, or lotos-bearing

title Yaraha, and hia Sacti, Yanhi, and then her vdum ia the bnffiklo: hmo9 the &foiintB Panian name Yanlinmi, and the ftequenoy of the baffiJo, or lafhar Brahminee baU, on fheir signets. 3. Of SIt% IliB CSiangier or Baatrajar: UuKvaai, goddaaa of

Yishnu, in one avatar, takes the

feoondily:* her aaAon, the tiger or InU. Oartain of their nimiflroiis qppelhtioaa liear • atr^^ to vorda fraqoanllj ooennhig in oar irifb

gem legends. BmUri, the maj e^lain COV*

of Yiafann, in hia aerenth avalar,

MAPTA M JFaM%i»,ename of Yiahna and Griahna, the equally A^Bd fim. Id ia indnbitaUy the aonroe NAVTlTAt

oommon

TUi

queens Imnds;

explains

why

tho Baasaniau

carry flutk imrer in their they are representwl in the

cbutacter of KamalH.

I shall have

oMMkn beraJler to note of a Hindon grxl's

the apimii^ title

tlio

uames of certain BaaBBnian kings. Aa

their

India,

empire extended ao fax into no doubt Hindoo priaecane

fonneil n |»<irtion of tlicir harems. ^

And

consequently of deatructioa,

ftirfliacBataqdiBeflie

fltiiMFt

wnftlng

—things only take a new fimii

perishes

called

by the vulgar death.

THB

106

name

of the

HlinXX) TRIAD.

and NiJa, dark blue, an epithet of Parvati,

Isia;

appropriately designates Father Nilus.*

Vishnu asNnryanl,

ing upon the surface of the deep in his Vai

leaf, is

fl«)at-

coloured all

over a deep blue.

The

lotus being the attribute of the goddess of

(Ceres or Abundaiitia)»

its

aeed-voMoIo nwially

wiiMt €in

m ihe

Abundance

obtain the reason of the intermixture

irriiitaton for

poppy hMkb amongBt flie

Ooniiooiiiift.

TAM£8 TITLBa AND ATTSIBUTmf, The analogy between Yama and

Serapis becomes more evident

on the consideration of other points conneoted with his ofSce. Thus, to the souIb of the good, he appears as DhennarBiga, and

who oondnote fhem a self-moving car. To tiie htA sodIs bo is Yama, sad his servant is Ksshmak, who drags them with haltere nnmd their necdcs over rough and thorny j^Ukoes. Other titles given him are Kritantaand Mrito. The connexion of the latter vrith Mors is snffidently evident, and is a fitting las

aemnt

into

liit

(pefjchopompus) is Kannala,

prosflpoo in

appeUation for Bis; for in Bis, BitSs, the root of the English

"Beaih" unmistskeah^ lies; a oonnezion already notioed.

THE HINDOO TRIAD: ITS THREE PERSONS. Prabma.

Vislmn.

IheOraatas.

The Fiuwrror.

The last is rather the Changer, dumge,

Siva.

The JisiiUjiM.

for all dea<h is

no more than

Siva indeed is in one of his oharaoters oonsidered the

same as Tama, the god of the shades.* From the Insoription of Buddha Gaya, Bengal, dated 1006 of the era of Vikramaditya, or 67 B.a " AmanMbva having heard

COTMAPOA

fhok of ttM

ma,

be an

cpi-

fcr MEonlflMioon gives

sooms

in PI. clvii. n fi^tm- of Sol

with thie

i«

Loaamach as Brahma and Viahnu

flie dfluenli Flie and Watar, U easy to cli«x>ver whence CBmc the

legend ; and ca the revene XEPOYBl,

old

dooMlM alliMhre tD <liB ohcniUm.

Hadok

UeUenic Triad, Zea% Poseidon,

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THB HnnXX) tliis

(voice) caused an image of the

made aud

lie

;

woreliipped

TBIAD. Snprcmo

167 Spirit

Buddha

to Yte

acourdiug to the hiw witli pi rfumeB,

inoeiuso, and the like and he thus gh>rificd the name of that Supremo Being, an Incarnation of a portion of Vishnu. Keverouco bo unto thee in the form of Buddha reverence bo unto ;

;

thee,

Lord of the earth

reverence be unto thee, an Incarnation

of the Deity and the Eternal in the form of the

God

taMmUe ; the Lord of

ama of the Kali-yug

One reverence be unto thee, 0 God, !

of Mercy, the dispcUer of pain

things

;

(Iron Age)

;

all

the deity

who oreroomea

and the

the guardian of the universe

—OM^ the

the emblein of meroy towards all thooe that serve thee

aU things

Tbaa art Bzahma, Yidmn, aiid]liAheaa(Si?a); thoii art tho Lord of Uie iinmne ; thonwt the proper form of all things,* moreaUie and immoveaUe, the poBseoaor of the whole. And thus I adore thee. Bofwenoe be poBBeaKxr of

in vitd fivrm.

onto thee, the beatower of salvation; reverenoe be tmto diee,

O, Tlamadara! diow me Thon art he who resteth upon &e ihoe of flie tuSkj ooean, and who lieth upon tiieaHpsntflMluu Thon art Trmkiama» who at three stridiw enonnipasaoth the earth. Idknethee, who art oelebrated bj • ilioniand Bamei^ and imdar varioos fonna,mthadii^of Boddh^llie GodofMaroy: be piopitSoiiai the destroyer of the evil spirit Ke$L fikvonr.

OthovMoalSigjlir thus wiinh^pped the

Ihe jnst

wonderfol of Vishnn

(Moot's Hind. Fteitheon, p. 228.)

gaagdian of mankind, he beoame

one of

a holy temple to be built of a and therein woro set up the Divine Foot

joylblly oaased

liomliiniHtiii, '

Having

for ever purifier of the fiins of

mankind, the ima|^ of

tho PandujB, and of the doscentti of Vishnu, and in like manner of

Fed in relief, or incavo, common alx>ut Hindoo temples; they aro memorials of Suttees, the widow having mounted from that stone Brahma and the

rest of tho divinities."

out in stone, are

* ilio

Thai

tte |iie«ciatbg type; Peroaer, tho Platonic Idea, tho

Tftlmnriiml AdMn-Kadnioin,aU apring-

tog Don ooe sonrae. •

Compare tho

ooltiswU

foot

dedi-

cated to Boropis at Aloxandria as his

proper attribate.

The Winged

Foot,

smlwlDed wliOi a ssn wut phoed tween two liona ieiant, is cut ou tho top of the altar, mide "Deo Serapi M. Vibhis OnednuM et ita.** Its sidoe pn-^Mit, <>no, tlie god on his throne

;

the

AIout&uooD.

other.

Ibis

cxxii.

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Tii£

168

upon the pjTe.

HINDOO TBIAD.

In this usage soems the source of the con-

nexion between such a figure and Serapis, or Yama, god of the ko, anoieot sOTor plilefiraod ina pit at Talamabad, north of the

Baj

of Bengal, reooxda the Iiallowitig of

temple tiieie

lij the depoeit

midl bronse

of a projected

tiie site

m the pit of one bmidzed nd twenty

imagee, oalled JViliirfgUi; twenty of lazger liaet

laigpe in stone, XMViM^gaK; and a bnn Teanl two of the boiee of Tkaam} It glides an aoooimt of ihe Inrlih and mfinoj of Buddha:—** ^?hen Boddhe Arvtar deaoended fiom the legions of aoala, and entered llie body of lfahamaj% the wife of Soontak Banna, Bi^ of Kailaa, her wanb

JjmqtAoki one oontainfwg

suddenly aaaomed the appeaiiaoe of oleer tzanaparent aiyatal, in which Buddha appeared beautiM as a flower, Vw^H^Hwg and re>

dining on his hands."

When bom he had on his head two

and on his hands the marks of wheels. birth, reoeived the in£uit in

a gcdden

Brahma attending at the and deUveied him

Teasel,

to India.

The penances

of the

demon

Tarika, the T^puri-sara, each of

100 years' duration, by which he forced Brahma to grant him any'

boon he might demand, are thus enumerated 1

stood on one foot, holding the other and both his hands

towards heaven, with his eyes fixed on the sun. one great

too.

Ho lived similarly on air.

was buried

Tbacur, "

noUV a

The same

eanmon

epi-

fbet of a god or ddUbd bmnM. In medisBTol eccleeuwUcal tiaage (and probably to the present timo) it was abflolately nece&sary before the couse-

ention of any altar in a ohurch that relic of some saint should first be boned underneath its base. This cotncidenoe flia hardly be aooldenU. ' To be buried in « Htnall vault until a crop of barley sown ia the Mifli over it at the ihne of iolniiiuk'

stood on

He remained in the water.

in the earth,' but continued, as

in inoessant adoration.

took for sustenance nothing but water.

under the last penance,

fixe.

stood on his

tioD ihall be ripe and out, ia yet esteemed the moat ettoMkai of all good wmkB, for obtfiining trom Leaven Great people the object most deairod. get it done fur them by proxy ; and flw resident at Rui^ieet flinfl^li OOOlt fase (l<>h«Til)t^il all the preparations of the jHiiiaU,

and the actual j>erformanoe

of the iMk, nhioh oocnpied six weeks. present at the cloiditg and the He

opening of the vault.

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TAUBOBOUA— IHGANTATIONS. head with his

hung hy

feet

upwards.

his hands

on a

lio stood

He hung

11.

tree.

on one hand.

•

16»

10.

on a tree with hii

TAUMOBOLIA: TEE BAPTISM OF BLOOD. In the Ifldw timM of

Bttnm «mpiie

tlie

tihis

exfaEwndiiUBy

oenaunqr lidd ihA bighett pkoe as a mode of puifioatioii from all aiiia, homvmt abodona. FradentiiiB has mmntely deaocibed the

rite,

in wbioh the paEKm to be legeneiitod doaoended,

itrqpped of

MbSsagt into a

oorered witii boards pierced

pit,

the numtli of ivbiali bofa^

a bull was slaughtered

full of holes,

and bia boi blood streaming down through these after the manner of a shower-bath, oompletelj drenched

vpcrn tiiem, iqpertnros

The victim

ibe xeoipiont below.

selected proves this rite to

have

been connected with the Mithraica, which, according to Justin,

bad a baptism

for the

leoogniscd typo of gkitnted the

most

remismon of

life in

sins

;

and the bull being the

that system, hin blood

nftftfiBBariljT

001^

effioacioos laver of regeneration.

mCANTATIOirS. Erictho, in her evocation of the ghostly appeals thus to the infernal deities (Lnoan, **

Bk Ohaos

VL, 695-750):—

innnnifiRii

avidum

oonftindere mandcw^

quon loDca ia aBoola taniaat More diluLa deam mmphono, voeisque mna l^^gwa Non agitia sievis Erebi per iiMiis fligeDii Infelicem animam ? .Tam vos etro nomine TWO y.timam Siygiaa^oe ames in luoe supenia PmHIihh : parbmtnequar perftniMa wtw; Ft

Hi-vioT fcrrsB

Xq^lom tumullB abigam Toqne

ileiB

ad qucw

voe omoibus andl.

alio proccdere vultu

Ficta soles Hecate paUenti tradita fonna

Oitaidm Adwimne EnU iw iilays vbIkIk^' Eloquar immenso

terrie

nib pondero quto te

Contineaut EnniPO dapes, qno ii^;ein Dootis

amas ; quie

NohMtitivroaanpaieiia

frixlere

te coi^jugia

mcestum pasaam

TM powlme anindi

AiUlBrt imiiriltam wtpto THaaa mnak.

I 1

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raOANTATEQNB.

170 Et Hubito

Paretis

lerierc die.

an lUa

Non oonenaea tremit qui Oorgona cemit aperliini Vorheribusque suin

tn'pitLitn cxwtignt

Erinnyn

JLndespocta tuuct vobis qui Tartam, cigiu

YMwItaSiipeii: BIjglMqalp^jflntaDdMr

'And Chaos

ever craving to enfold

Utmambemi world« in thy oooftiuon old. Aad Milh'^ ddl fod, vlw cRMaiiig rim bguath life'g lingBriag tortvc^ phwut for tndjr death.

Tiapbone, and tboa her

WHiy

ba^ JO not

vritb

Tlie Boul aocnraod

aiirtor

£qU

sounding ecourgo to chase

thmugh

hell's void, formleaa,

Say, must I call you by the names your right

And dng llw hflU-taids 'Midst dnaths TM clog yonr

Am oppw liglit r

stf pci at ov(!ry turn,

Clui«c from each tomb, an<l drive from

vwry nm.

And thou, atUl wont with vuuge uoi thino own lb Job tin iodi raoad llM MtaUd limNHk ThwghjnltlyiMili

(loth

And hints tiie horrors of thy Tfaeob Ueoate, in

Nov

It'll

Ihfle

the truth l>etnqf

gloomy sway,

thy true shape 111 show,

diMiie <lie tee flm

whfit

fcastii

thy

liiici rintr

MMk bdoir. steps detain

deep centre and thy will cucbain. what the pleasures that thee so duUgbt, And ivbst tie Undi thee to tbB king of night And by what union wcrt thou so defiled Thy very mother would not claim her child. bust thy cavcfl, the world's moat evil Lotd I

earth's

Tell

Strikinir tluH' lifeless

still

reluctant

by the sudden dlj*

behests to obey.

Or muk I «dl Hin> at whoae iriiiqtaed name

Bufh innlilfli WMfaniak flooQi^ hv Ho who beholds unveiled the (Jorgnn dire. And tames the Furies with their whips of fire Bb to iriMn dTM, unknown to all, is given. j

All theie peiaoniflottuns are in » apixit qmto

Oreoiaa

mylliology, Imt

LnoMi'a Chafls

is tlie

MToimng

Hindoo

fiveigii to

rtronf^y of

detfaroyer, i&e

negro

ifae

the

Indian.

|^t Mehft-

PnJaya' swallowing up the very gods themaelTes in his wide-

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mOANTATIOMB.

171

His "Kector" Teme, pining

opened month.

death so long in coming, has not

mythology, and remains to

the promised

for

utterly inexplicable.

haunting tombs, instead of the fonner

Furies

TTis

Eumenides

a-vvfii]

avengoTs of guilt, aro mere demons, churcliyard ghouls. his Heciito

plainly Bhavani

;

Yama

when on

;

charm hor aro the human devotees the Thugs. "facies Erebi," she

''posaiiiie

which Kho puts

oflercd

mimdi

that so

by her

npci-ial

her " infernal aspect," a tnio

hand a naked yictim.

human Her lord,

arbiter,"

suits well

with the Destroyer

EaU, one duutaoter of SfamBn, appeaa im aoolptim tenniitil fignre, liie

Bron the

Biiiia.

of the

hitter, are

emot ooonterpart in ovli&ne of the Ephedn

sts0i, iliQse flbgolar a^^jonote to the

shon^^

seen in a sunilar positioa qxringiDg from Kali's

The numeroas

hands.

off

foastti

depicted adorned with a necklace of

skulls and grasping in each ftft

pntri, but

and the infernal

sacrifices

this,

tlie

But

her " faeics Erebi " the Gorgon

aspect that the latter wears in earth or in heavtu

old

prototype in the

breasts of the

Ephedan statue were also Indua goddess, in her

peonliar to Isis,' irbo is allofwod to be the

Now Diana, as Heoirte

finm FteraiL

oor

Pvoserpina, belongi to

InfmuJ woild, and veigns in the same oapadtyas Bhwrani theie. The IBphesiaB image, made of oypivmt wuod, "fell down the

from heanrea,** Le» oame from some extremely remote and antique sonroe.

Her

ITanniii.

"pure") in virtue of the

sworn

were oalled Essenes or Hossenes (from strict chastity they were

priests

to observe during the

Such asceticism

twelvemonth they held that

developed fully in the sect

offioe.

and was flourishing under the same name

entirely an

Indian

institution,

around the Dead Sea, and springing ftam the same root as the mysterious reUgion at fiphesos.

bsm heaid of the Pctninrgiu Ilcbt"the Sou of Dadawas or Ero-

Lnean nwy indeed

* Biil«aIjlnIierstiliiBfiithe8Bm>

something'

penm. not in those belonging

bsotik.

original oraed of Egypt.

baaT

eziflting

undt^r a difl^reut tlid

not

soae

name.

The OnoHiics

invooti they onlj

and adapted.

tiieognny

bonrowed

to the

Macrobias* aouMUit Aow9 that lMmast<4iaiaoter there vma a matter of di^piito^ Uka Umi

of her lord, 8eni|M.

THK MAGI AND BBAHMINS.

172

THE MAGI AND BRAHMINS AS KNOWN TO TUM MOMANS, Anmuaa,

in his liiatoiy cf Jvlian'i

FMon

ezpeditioD,

<he following onriow deteib upon {his salgeot (xnii tiiese

tiMts STB sitnaied the

fertile

knds of the Jlivi

conoeaniqg whose prafeenon and pnxsnits, since

oome upon them, tion.

Plato,

that

states that the

name of

will he

givM ** In

(nt Media)

we have

hero

some brief infonnnauthority upon famous doctrines,

fittixig

greatest

Magiau

6).

to give

religion or Magia,

known by

the mystic

most uncomipted form of wtnahip in

Machagistia, is the

things divine, to the philosophy of which, in primitive ages, 2oroaBtres, a Bactrian,

made many

mysteries of the Chaldeans

;

additions,

learned prince, the father of Darius.'

when he was

drawn from the

as did, bIHI later, Hystaspes, a

most

This prince, Hystaspes,

boldly penetrating into the

unknown

regions of

come upon a certain wocxlcd solitude, the tranquil Hiknee of which is occupied by those exalted sagos the Brachmans. Instructed by tlieir teac^hing in tlve science of the Upper Imlin,

hatl

motions of the world and of the reliijtom rites,

as far as

ho was able

avenly bodies, and in pure to collect

them

;

of these

thus acquired notions be transfused a certain proportion into the

creed of the

MagL

The

latter,

coupling these doctrines with

their own jpecuUar science of foretelling the Future, have handed

down

i3b»

wlwle through

time,

their deaoendants to succeeding ages.

Hmnigh many

geneiatiana, down to the present a mnltitade sprung from one and the same stock dedicates

Tlienoefinrtli

itself to xelit^oos offices.

It is said that they pveaerve "iw»»*s*"«t

first place fell down ham heaven, a a good omen, nsed alwajs to he canned

the Sacred Kie, that in the portion of which,

foot

he&neihekingiof Asia.' The nnmber of peisons thus descended was at first hut small, and they were exclusively enjoyed by

1 TtOB is a miiitakc, for tLc iather of Duivs iras only ntiiHp (mn^xM) of Persia under Oambysee. Tho nnnio, deriTed from Gushia^t planet Yflana vaa doabyMi a vny ooaunoa

one wberever the Magj^n waiigMm ^^as '

Meaning the BaniMi kiagi nhen

mouaroha of all Ada.

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FBEBEBVAmKOFONOBIlOSIlfBOLBBVFEBBlCASONS.

178

the Persian princes for the performance uf religious services.

was esteemed a great crime

approach the altar or

touch

t<>

the sacrifice, before the Magna, after reciting the appointed prayers, had poured upon

But by

the preliminary libations.'

grown

giaJuul increase they have

dimensions and name

to the

of a distinct nation, and inhabit villages unprotected by walls, are

allowed

follow their

own

laws, and are respected on

account of their religious character.

was from

this race of

Magi that Seem, as ancient histoty records, usurped the Persian erown upon the deatii of Gunbyaea, and wore omabad hy tiie conspiracy of that Daritna who gained fht oroim through the In

neighing of hie hone.**

Ammian haa atrangely

thia aoconnt

oonfinmded the Hystaspes, an ancient Median kmg^ wfth

tike

much more recent Perrian noUe of the aame name, tiie ftther ni But the whole legend provea dearly the * ^>oi^ of diTinen and aeera, like the Jewiah ccmmonitiea called "Sena of the propheta,** and the gttbaeqnant modification of tiieir religion hy an importation

ihe iint Banna.*

previoaa edatence of the Mi^gi

of Brahminioal ideaa after the oonqneat

Booh being the

Tincaa.

caae,

we need

moB

Indian pio-

not be suipriaed at

finding Sassanian kings bearing names derived from ibidian

Yannee (from

deitiaa, as in the case of

Varani, Vishnu's

title),

as several others of the race assume that of the peculiar Persian

god Qnnnad, in the form of the &voiuite royal name Honniadaa.

PBESEBVATION OF QKOSnO BTMBOLS BT THE FBBBKAS0N8. At the

many

first

sight

apparently

and

Gnostic, tlieir

altogether startling to recognise so

primitively

original

illustrated formula) of our

sense,

Indian,

amongst

Freemasons

;

symbols, the

and in

retaining

insignia

colour to their claims to the most venerable antiquity.

pleaaing illusion vanishes

when we

"BmoMm 091 natOf tte mne

Wag, • AnA

jit

ahHidly

eomli

and

a But the

itself it gives

investigate the

mode

of their

the one Magian usurper Rmcnlis into the namber MTem } thai of the femui noUsi whu pat hin down*

4 I

174

PBBSBRYATIONOFaNOfiTICSTMBOUSBTFBSBlfASOllB.

descent

and the Order, though claiming ihem as

;

its

legitimate

a mere daw in bonowed

inheritance, tuniB out at the last

plumes.

have

tlio fu st pl.'K

(•

can be easily shown that

conncxinu,

cither

media3ViU guilds bearing that

The

maintain.

where each to the

latter

name

still

with

the

a pretence they so zealously

were coqiorations of actual woikmen,

after serving a regular apprenticeship,

custom

Freemasons

oiu-

or traditional,

actual

and according

kept up in some countries, producing a

trial-

was admitted "Free" of the guild and "accepted" amongst its members. The potations piece to prove his competency,

accompanying the ceremony are affinity

The medtoval than waa

tiie

guild ci

modem Freemasons.

Muoaa waa no more a

Mor«l 90eiet§

guild of Carpenters, or of TtSkm, or of Cosd*

Eveiy maaon indeed, and

wainen.

the sole point of

in truth

between the ancient and the

tliis

peooliar to the oraft eanrying with it

had on hia admiiwion a whidi ha wia hoond to aot iqpon

antiqidly,

moA

or oyphar aarigned him,

mxy atone

the role) in order to diatingniah hia

the aafy tiling

air of m^itariona

he dreaaed* (atOl

own wosk from

thai of hia

when the dreaaed atonea oame to he looked over lij the arohiteo^ or rather maateMuaaon, who paid him fiir the ^iproved,

fiOowa,

but atoppod Ida wagea fer thoae apoiled. In ftot, in mediml documents connected with building, HbA name Fraemaaon merely the worker in hewn stone the common work:

man who lagstone,

ran up the body of the wall, uaoally in rabUe or

was called the " Rough-waller.**

to theae Marks, of

which many ezamples

diverse regions are subjoined, their history

and of obscurity.

Many

them are

&om

the most

indeed

full o£

and go back to the highest antiquity, being found on early Greek and riucnician buildings, wlicrever hewn stone was employed, and in vast abandimco and variety in all mcdiaival arohiteotore. interest

Similarly every " mentiant of the

Staple " joined to hia awa initiala on eal, or in lii.H trade mark, the mnrk of tlir s(jiiiIr-<own to which he

Ix^longed.

Thiii,

though

outline,

dicate

traditional,

was variously modifled to incnch of the fifteen places iu

Kiii;la!i.l,Wale«,l

bjEdmidin.

omilar in

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PBEBBBYATIOVOFONOflrnOSTMBOiaBZinBBHASaNS. These Marks, doubtless identical with tho

in tho beginning religions,

176

many being

Hindoo caste-marks by which tho followera

of tho difforent gods are distinguishcil, and

•

nco to bo dis-

lit

covered even on Celtic nionmnents, as in tho sinjpdar instance

have

at Stonohenge,'

degt'uer;i1cd, for

CLnturies further back

than can bo traced, into the mere siguatureti oi

illiterate

work-

men.

illnstrato this cnriotis puiut

shall hero quote a

the most iinportant Caste-inarks, rosei-^'ing

Marks

niediioval

for

tlio

few of of tho

notice

sejMurate article in the Uescriptiou of the

riatus.

equilateral Triangle, tho

Mahadeva»

i. «.

apex npwarda,

Ai* ^

the ijyinbol of

8iva» or Fire peEKBilfled.

The aama, the apex downwaida, of Yiahnn or Water. The two teium inteneotiug eaoh other ia Iho Shmhm ot •

two elmenta in oonjonctionv

ffiz-pointed, the

/\rt 'o

PL xm.

symbol of SIvn and Brahma (the latter god having jSw heada), beoomea the fiunona Solomon*! aeel * of the later Marioiana i and the Hindooe atfll niia fi^ptnnted

fBgaid

figure,

r« « ^^,,^^^1 \( ^ '

v^^^iim'.p

aa fhU of lirtoee.

FLZm. A. 8. on a kige

aoale

The onion of

on eacb aide

Fire and Water ia aoolptoied

of the gateway of the fbrt of Agia,

aaataliaman, although tho building

A pointf

pHm,

Mohammedan work.

the Deity, Self-existing.

circle,

A^*

BraUm^

•*

''^ .

^ J* ^

Hence a Triangle within a Circle is the Trinity in Unity ; and theCSirole inaoribed within a

atandafi>r Eternity.

emblem

iiK

*•

•

«...

Trian^ of the oonvene.

TUr bmA

OB fhe iUko

iaapoik lying anoas the eo-callod altar.

It is nine inches )aDf^

and

oliMxljr

and may be dHnflbed is ttie

defined;

fihaactcr in Heries p, ending in apparently tho Roman letters : 1811ft

luiving tifjia

in fact

nota

mnch

the form of a

fcripti/ria.

marks, intcrai'ctiug

rirLlts,

Curious kc. oonir

Old BMkk: Mllii«loo]lMr.Noiti»imberland; ond on Long 3Tog, Ciunberon the rocks at lioutiu Linu,

laad.

(Bee

Aichieologioal Journal/

ToL xtr., p. 78.) Tbe Monehenge mark looks wonderfully like tlio contiaffti <>n of tho

nsmo

Lnoina''

Had

Dr. Stnkelej disoomcd H, he Mr> tainly would have asBignod the whole fatflic on its authority to that Britidi prinoe so fieuued in &ble.

anst hayo got this appellation very ancient times, for in virtue

' It

thereof

sculptured,

to^ethur ^

with the seven-branchiHl candleaticic on .Ti'wi>)i tomhi dating ftna tfae

Lower

ilmpiiu.

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FBBS&EFATIONOFGHOSnCBIMfiOtSBTPBBElIABONfi.

.176

Worshippers of jar'

Sacti, tlie

Female Principle, mark their sacred

with a right angle biHectod bv a line (A.

with (A.

<;),"

a Kymhol of Avoudeiful

Greek

oldest

The Vishnaivaa

3).

diflfusion, for it

occurs on the

on Etruscan va«08, on the Newton Stone,

coins,

Aberdeen, a Celtic monument; and in ecclesiastical sculptures, styled there the Tetragammaton, being supposed four r,

made up of

and the bound conluuuded with that of the Sacred Tetra-

granmaUm.* •

Snch a mark oconn amongst the

aigiiAiiires

of the old Jaina

kings (belonging to Hie days cf Bvddliiit rapswiacy), and aLao the TBiy ooinsy is

monqgimiii iHuoh,

intrioftto

tenned «

Laibjrinfli.

wImh

it is

Otlier aeotariaa

seea on Grcak

mtrka

tm time

paraUfll lines, arranged Teitioally or horiEontally fat diflennt

modified in Tirioos miji. wjuAfAa, tdding to

ihem

Tint the GnoBtke bonrowed these be

oihera cf Ijgyptisn devising, will

nppsxent on the oonqpsrison of the eismjles oolleotod in Ihe Anotiier and % .

must

^mj xmpoflant

eirounitanoe in due disoosnon

be kept in fiew; our FreenuMODB (ss at pieaent oigsnised in the form of a secret sooiety) derive their tide ftoin a mere accidental circumstance connected with their actual estaslifiaTB

blishment*

was

in the

Common

of Freemasons (the trade) that their

under Christopher Wren monwealth.

monarchy

;

Hall of the London guild first

meetings were held

for president in the

Their real object was political

time ci the Com-

—the restoration of

hence the necessiiry exclusion of the public, and the

oaths of secrecy enjoined on the members.

The pretence of

promoting architecture, and the choice of the place where their moritinga, suggested

to hold

by the profession of their president,

were no more than blinds to deceive the ATiwting government.

HuilHrlj iht Us vonliippen marked the aacred vaso of tlicir goddem, before uaiog it at bar rites : of huhiWfaiMe whidi I flhaD prodooe

example.

The Baddhist Stearttlcek, or em> bkm of RaBgnatkm; henoe adopted 3

ftr

Mr MHqraBehBtpriiieMi of

n'li;;!"'!!.

Inilct'd it

Ifart

may have poased ii^ tlte

with the aune aooeptation ByzaottDO eategoiy. > Tlie

qwdiflilanl

assMofOed fa

Hebmr.

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PBESERVATIONOFGNOSnCfiYMBOUBTFBKBllABONa But although establif^hocl

this

Society was convoked in

oi'

political end, yet in its time

nature, neither

its

was

Beet

The

was

reflect

latter

how

essentially

tin

and

recfipiiition,

had notliiug

London

the

its fullest

its

for a

political in its (

(luimcncenu nt

was the adaptation

n in

all

to a bi>ecial

bloom, the Hosi-

rankly flourished both astrology and

England, and that the Kosicrucian

time in

that

«)ri<j;iii

purpose of another society, cmciaiis.

secret

the meeting in

real existence.

alchemy

London, and

branches thronghout the country, furnishing also

menibcrn with the means

17?

of Protestant growth,

we may on good many members

grounds suspect that this sect already numbered

amongst

educated dasnen, and the philosophers of the day.

These were, for the most

part, royalists, or at least diaixmtenied

with the esistiDg goTenment, or patient wider the

new deqwtism

else ardent

r^nhlicana im-

of CrumwelL

In the Boair

omoian ijstom Beligion and Philosophy, the latter es yet little more than aldhemyand astrologyt were strangely interwoven;

and the terminology of the one employed and aapirationa of tiie other.

to enpieaa the ideas

The host supported histoiy of the rise of Boaioraoianiam, and by Nioolaa (Tmipdk wrm) , points oot lor its fimnder a Lutheran mystio divine, J. Y. Andresa, almoner to the Duke

that aooepted

of Wnrtemheig, early in the seventeenth centniy.

His wiitaaig%

wherein the Bosy Cross prominently figures, were hqrond

all

making known the ezistenoe of the aooiety to the general pnUio. But he t^rpean merely to have borrowed the symbolf^ and occult means of communication

doubt the

first

indioations

existing already

community

from timo immemorial amongst the antique and Astrologers (or in other words all

of Alchemists

the philosophers and magnates of his day),' in order to direct

them towards

a visionary

scheme

liis

ovra, the union of all

Christian sects in one universal brotlierhuod his apostlcship

of the mass.

atti

The

;

and so conuiienced

uipting the conversion of the most eminent

wi-11

meaning enthusiast had disregarded tho

observation of the sagacious Julian, recorded by

dolph us

time thf Em[>cror Ruwas the gre^t«et patron of

t1int

the "Curious

II.

history.

Ammiau

(xxi. 6),

Arts" efw iworded in

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178

PRB8BBYATIONOFQN06TI0ST1CB0IBBYFBBEICA8ON8.

and

coTifiiTiicd

(ours as niu(;h

sunt sibi

enough Kooii

tlio

scheme of

brotherhood disj^olved in air as

univei-sal

established, but

tuj

xit

Naturally

pleriquo CliristiaiKaum exi>ertiis."

I'ciules

his

oxperieiice of every Hueceoiliiig ceutury

as any), " millas infcstus hominibus bestiiuj

older philosophy bloomed with

the

renewed vigour under the fresh organisation and euphonious name.

The London Freemamns olog}^

£r«i

Iiotrd

borrowed much of their phxaae-

also

Baoon'a eaaay, yet Hreah in men'a minis, in

iddoh, adopting the idea of tha

House of WiadcHn,** a teohnical

teim with the Azab astrokieen, he proposed fhe foundation of a "Solomon'a House," or a leaned commnnily dedicated to expevimeiitaL philosophy

and the advanoement of

aciaioe.

These philoaophie and royalist fdottocs, in order to eloak their reel ohjeot, eondii<M their proceedin^i aooording to the mles laid

down therein ; and

oarefiilly

But

and nomenolatare they

this oerenumial

maintain to the present day.

setting aside Andres's

claim to the creation of the

immediate parent of Freemasoniy, his fiunous Boi^r Gross was, ages before, the well

ing

how

known badge

obtained possessions, and

of the Templars.

Order

iiniTeraaUy that

affiliated

male and female amongst the

had

spread

itself

branches,

multitudes both

throughout

laity

Consider-

its

Europe,

would be an absurdity to believe that all its traditions were swept away at one stroke by the suppression of the Order in In fact the Parisian TemjUiers, a name still borne by 1307. the most important division of the French Fi eemasuns, pretend that they have kept

up the succession

of (imiul Masters un-

broken, and even to have preserved the archives of the Order

ever since that date.

It is said that

Francois

under circumstances of the most ingenious cruelty

burnt alive, (in

a "fiery

bath"), four unfortunates convicted of being Templars;' a fact

which proves

the continued existence ot Unit

period not very remote from the iiosicrucians.

Certain

tliat

it is

Order down

that Umeida,

by the same king's

ordexB, extirpated with extraordinary ferocity the

of the public mauifestation of

remnant of

OommiDioaled to me by a "BtotiMr.*

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PBBSEBVATION OF aNOBTIO SYMBOLS BTFRBEMASONS.

sect,

must be romenilx-red, had from the

by the Catholics from the Eubt,

Crusade

;

of Provence.

hirkinj]; in tlie villapjes

tlio All^'gt'ii.soH htill

first lieon

and ns

as genuine Manichcan.s,

179 'ITiis

represented trantsjilaiitcd

comparatively recent times, after the

and these statements have

much

truth in them.

first

Manicheaus, they wotild naturally have preserved together with their doctrinea, the Bymbols

mnoh

amongst

affected, ai

all

and tokens for mntnal recognition

hutoiy and ezuting remains declare,

the ftUowen of the Gnoda.

grown yet moGre

Snob dericeB had

into matters of neoeasity after peraecntion

had

tnaafimned their coaigNgatioiis into actual secret aooietiee.

important point

the &ot that the Soaiomciana are

acknowledged even now amongst the Freemasons as a degree or das8» although diwtlaimftd aa the parent stock, a troth which, if allowed,

wen mtterly inoompatible with the fiatemilT's claim Yet th^ profeasedly trace tiiair deaoent

toinunaiDOEialHiliqiiiiy.

through the Templars up to the fkhnloua origin they arrogate to their body.

But dismiaaiag

these

all

speculations,

are

under no

necessity fur connecting the Boeiorucians with the old Brothers

of the Temple, in order to aooonnt for their display of the antique symbols figuring so conspicuously in plates,

many

of Andreao's

and so diligently illustrated (though often with mistaken

ingenuity) by

Von Ilamuur

Kevealed."

Yet oven his

same

and

truth,

his

".Mystery of Baphomet

niisiiitcrprotcd

Baplumntic

examples jtrovo the adored, a»'fording to

idols

him, by the suppressed Order, are indubitably

and entirely Kosicrucian

in their

— the

elaborate stiucturo

and

contemporary with the

s3'nibols.

upset

Von

One

Ilaiuuicr's

Arabic legends cut upon luum in the

recent Neskhi letter attest their

Tefe,

syncn tism of

tliese figures suffices to

point aluiif ab'jut

ployed.

astrol(i}:;ii al

pure Cinqno-Cento workmanship and design,

cabalistic sigils of

modem

date, for

had they been

Templnm tibe Cufio mnat have been em-

at the Mine time, thaaa

legenda iadioaAa the

finmtain heed of the teneta held in oomiiMm

by ell

anoli fireter-

BefixM conaidering thia letter poant, the aabjeot will be better eppvoeched efler

e brief review of Yon Haimniir^a theoiy. M 3

FBEBEBTATIONOFGNOenOSTlIBQLSBTFBKElCASONS.

180

This is Kuflicieutly set forth in the title of his essay, viz. " Mystorinm Baphomctis TJevelatum sen Fratres militiae Templi :

qua

Cincstici

tjuidi-m

Ophiani,

qnidem impuritatiK convicti per

ipsa

apostasiae,

eomm

The tn atise

is illus-

co[)per{)late8 of

magical

lished in the Mines do I'Orient, vol. vi.) trated vdth

numerous admirably-executed

idololatriae

monmncnta." (Pub-

statuettes, architectural urnainents, mystical inscriptions, vascii,

As concerns historical evidence, the main foundation upon the Articles of Aoensation against the Templars, dispaiolied by Pope Olementto aUaniiljlBhops, <&c.,

and

coins.

for his hypothesis rests

Item quod

Art.

videlioet capita

«t aliqiia Art.

purpose)

(for his

of -w^aok ihe principal

qnonun aliqiia babebsnt

oaraikiinn

are*^

per singulas provineiMliabeai^ Idola:

ip^i

aim fmam:

tret €Msiee,et

Inmuaiiim lutbebant.

64 Item qvod aliqnod

oapot

ilkniiiii

idoloram cmgebuii

mh tuuBebMit ohaardiiluoiiilnis w ivsM oiiimlMikt cItm ««"»«^*— Art. 65.

Qnod in ham

reoeptione

dfaoidiihM tnndflbnitiir Tel

dtiM

wngolw

longitadiiiis

Ubis girding fhemselTefl with

fiatnbiiB

esnun.

a conseorated strmg, there

striking analogy to the bill preaoribed

by the

creed and worn by all Parsees ; and probably preserved

(a Magus originally) in his

new

religion.

Other

Zoroastrian

by Manes not

articles,

necessary to quote, allege the permission, and even the injunction of unnatural practices.

But Von Hammer's

remarked, present the general outline of a Hercules, and somctimo.s Silenus faces, are trijde

;

idols,

Roman

must be

Jupiter or

their heads, or rather their

eyes and ears are profusely distributed

all

over

He Man of

the body, and they are covered with planetary hieroglyphics. sets

them down without hesitation as figures of

the Templars," styled

ydole avec trois

by one of the witnesses at

The

" Old

their trial "

une

fiices."

These statuettes aio whose heads they hold

for the

ontiro list of th«ae sitiolei

types entirely

most part girded with serpents,

in various attitudes, a sufficient ground,

to the art

offlM tmiflh

nd thMeaalli

eeatmim.

is flnbjoined to this aection. » Claasioal

tlio

unknown

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riiESERVATlON OF GNOSTIC SYMBOLS BY FREEMASONS. 181 IliiiikB

Yon Hanimer, Ibr a^jfidgiiig fhflm

Some

caixy Hie Hgypiauk

Tut

(Maaonio, liartelluii or Knodker) In some the ohaiaoter of the heeds Isteale; in othen the two Mxes tie eridenflj oo^jouied. But

suspended xxxnnd the

aitislio

Roman

tlie

neck.

oompoahicm of these

taste so strongly

fantastic statiisttes,

The

foreign to the quaint sinqpikity of early medisaiveliflia.

vases on which he lays

The second

reliefs.

maoh

laigeet but six inches high.'

has

end the

pervading the whole, show altogether

stress arc

They are

three

small cups, the

of stone, and covered with

of these reliefe, explained

by him

relating to the " Baptism of Fire," does in truth forcibly recall to

our

mintlfi

the Twelve Penances of the Mitliiaic Kock-Tablets.

exhibits naked buy.s holding variou.s instruments lyre, the

bucket of Anubis

the

within a furnace.

fire

savourR

much

whilnt one blowing a liom

The

relief

sei-pi

nt tlian alarmed by

command

front face

feeding

of Judaism, displaying the Lifting nj> of the lirazen

embrace

its

of the Tem|ile, which a third female the

on the third, however,

Serpent, tliough the reclining female appears rather

ing the

— the axe, the

of Mttc, a complete

with hands

raised,

;

a.s

if caress-

and the candlestick

quenching with a vase,

Jewish Solomon, standing

whence drop

off chains.

Inter-

spersed are phalli and other Bacchic and astrological symhols.

But the Arabic legends in tiie motoa lettoring in thia oaae alao^ and yet moxe the olaaaio air <tf tiie aeoond design, prove to oonviotion that we httve here nothing more l2ian • portion of the apparatiiB of the Boaioraoian or alohemical qnaoka

who &ttened

upon tike erednUly of that aidi-Tirtaoao Bndolphna IL ftt the end of the sixteenth oentuiy ; erer ainoe whidh date theae vaaea h«ve heen txeaanzed np in the Inqperial Gahinet To gbre an idee of T. Hammei^a style of eiplaining Uieae monnnienfci, he interpreta Ae Asabio legend on the aoroU dia-

TUs

sttrilmte, together

with fbe

fhsfar

w&f

civsB

BOneroua eyes studding the body, iu Bome uutemoenb Mem to betray <iu aoqnaintanee in tiie dedgner wifh irinOar Himloo creations Indm for

Eliza^M'tb

—

«Mtyif»pif

But

lUiiilar

fiuioies

found

into

pMtd

dnH> Qbb6b a gown so

embellished.

The flgmw on ftem mndd msko

one SOpsot tho^^ I

ttie

viiacs

wcro employed

oODOoctiaa of the Elixir of life.

FRE8BBVATI0N OF ONOSTIG 8THBOL8 BY PRCE1IA80K8.

182

played by his Mete

(a bearded, yet female figure,

unmistakeably revealed) thus Stirps uostra

Ego

reditus irpwKToc

The

Septem

fact that so

between

(

faere.

ea iinua Henegtuitium

few monument* exist that can certainly be (a sect that

he;ui.s

prevums

i'ui

lus

'onstantine's rei<;n

had swallowed

tip

the

way of art, however

rigitl

Magitim

and Justinian's) may bo explained by

idolatrotiB

The

degraded.*

character of the superstition

luid

may be

itself,

little

imagery as

all

sinful.

history of the diffusion of Manioheiani throughout

Ixiiefly

t^o

attributed to

begotten between

Judaism, and therefore regarding

and

within

of GnosticiKm during the interval

the fist^incrcasiug barbarism of the times that produced

in the

fit."

ascribed to the Maiii< itself all the

whose eex

"Exaltatur Mete pcnninang.

Europe

In the middlft of the wvemth oentaiy, imdflr

Hib.

Oonstant IL, a natiTa of fkmoiftta, Constaatiinu Syhnnina,

twoiohed the Panlioian here^, lo called tarn itB

St Paul

thA doofciiiiM of

ZonMstar^'s,

ivitii

oloaely to the fbnner than did the dmilar

The new

theoeophism of Haaee.

IffanichnanB of

Pontns and Cappadocia.

and more ancient

teacher readily united into

one ohuroh the remnants of the Gnostio

mnnexooB

oomibiiurfioii

bat approrimating

espedaUy the

seots,

Armenia^ and the old Zoroaatriaiie of Ihoonoanfly peraeonted

emperon,' {heir ohie^ OurbeMi founded a

by the Byneatme

new oepital,

ih»

lni>

pregnaUe oitj of Tephiioe, in the moantains near Trehiaond,

imflttbeiMtetlieflainBMtiw BopMacf the Opiiitoa.

iiitoporfaniaf I

• Tbflir Mcred bookB, their prayers,

and

tfaflir

ipeU^

peri«lml)le mutt

papyri,

wtn made

riiilfi,

out aa

aent into exile, llirouKh the reductions

of some in whoae number be bad himaelf

emperors of the West, aud by the Byzan-

tliat this

both orthodox nnd Arian. first

example

watt set

and

In by

peneoution.

his

^.MH^„Mu^ .,w> .» M >»na..qnul PrincillUnwasa mudifiulAUDlctwaiu i

priucipai

followers,

spite of the

jofaiing their

muy

retiHoiiubly \x' HUtpected worthy renegade had in this caae saved himself fiom the fate of his fdlow-rellgiaaMi by taming eridenoe o^iuHt them, on &a opflnbqg of the

Magiius Muximus, the Britiish usurper under TheodoahiBk by the execution of Pri*ilian. bishop of Avila,

been diawn into

sect.

vigorcmsly proaecutod by tho lust tines,

41i«

and

destroyed by every pcraaontor. ' The oxtir|iatioQ of Gnosticiani wo8

thiscourhe tbo

out and

i>archments

auaght

diligftntly

lli^

snmn century KpipliMiiitis leasts of having bj hu informatiau cauaed seventy wototn, even of niilc; to be

oOcnce.

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PBBSBBYATIONOFOKOSnOBTllBOLBOTFiaSEMASONa

188

which waa nltimately destroyed bj B«sdl, tbd Maoedonian, about In the middle of the preceding century Constantine

A.D. 880.

Copronymns had transplanted a considerable body of thooo Armenian Pauliciana to Thrace, where their nnmben were largely increased in tht> tenth century by a colony transplanted from the Chalybian

Heemus by Jnhn the

llillb

(Caucanns) into the valleys of Mount

Here

Ziiiiisce.s.

neighbouring Ihilgarians,

name

t<)

these sectaries,

them serving

\vln

missionaries converted

tlieir

iuo a

now and more

Warlil<c and frarless of death,

in th(^ armies of

tlic

odious

find

liyzantine emperors, for instance,

Ahwins ("omnonns, in their wars with the Normans of Sicily. From this latter island they dilfused their doctrines througli Italy they were numerous even in Kome and Milan, but spretid with of

Twelve canons of

astonishing rapidity throughout Fnyvenoe.

OtUtm wtn burnt aliTS at the

Mot Thatb ibw

onoe

m tbs charge of belonging

aeleoled from the loi^ extent of their

hiekny, will lalBoe to ehow the wide

diilbeioii

of their doelrinee

dnnng the -wry agee when the Temphucs were

at the nmunit of end inflneikoe. The Bnuee <^ Moimt Lebenon, though oleaming for Uwir founder the Bgyptien oeliph Hekim, are in eU pzobehility the

their proeperity

remaine of the numerone Qnostio iionxidiing there

eeotii

notioed

by Fkooophui aa Of their

moat ezteusiTely in hie own timee.

tmetB nothing authentio hae ever oome to li|^t; the popular beHaf amongrt their neighboun

ioxm oi a

calf,

ia,

lhat thej adore an idol in the

and hold in their secret meetingi oigiee similar to

those laid to the charge of the Ophites in Boman, of the Templaza in mediaeval, of the

Freemasons [continental] in

-But the point oonceming us here residence of their

Supreme

evidently luuidcd

down from

all

is,

lead to be in Scotland

the times

powerful in their neighbourhood.

cith-nco that

modem

times.

that these Druses hold the

when

Now

it is

a tradition

a singular coin-

our Freemasons are often spoken of

writers as the "Scottish Brethren," but for

;

the Templars were

l)y

Clenuan

what reason 1 have

been \mablo to discover.

The mastei^s of mediieval Europe in pliihisophy, science, and many of the arts, w ere the Arabs, more espt ially those of Spain t

and with

their teaching they

;

commumcato<l other ideas besides

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184

PB]i!8BRyATIONOFONOBTIGBT]IBOL8BTFBBEl[A80N& Yet the connexion between

those strictly comprised therein.

was of itself so close, that such a So much of primitive Gnosticism tian revelation

was based

logical ideas, that

result

was ahsolntely

before

its

admixture with Chris-

u[)on .Magiun notions, that

on astro-

is,

often most difficult to decide whetlicr

all

inevitable.

engraved stone bo merely an astrological talisman or involves a religious object.

Thus

the Decani of the Signs, whoso figures

Teucer records were commonly worn as amulets, are often seen bearing the

name

of Michael, and of other Jewish angels.

flourishing times of Ifohammedaiiirai, Tecsal ignoniioe

Jn the befim the spread of imi-

had estaUished enreiywhere fhe reign of imr

qnestioDiog orthodoiy, there existed, and piohably originated in Persiay

« nvmeroiiis bodjr oompiising

the learned of the religion,

styling theneelTes Sufi, eleaxly deriving this title firaomthe

Now this name appears

lofot, their predeoesson.

Qreek

have Iwen

assumed as eqtuvalent in meaning to the old Ttrnvrmn,

those

nnderstaxidingthe deptihof things divine;** and the tenets they

held were preoisely those of the older ^wlilecto * as to the indiffiw?enoe of all aotions invtdving the body alone, and the inTalidity of the Jewish moral law (the prodnotion cf (he Deminxgas) as to the

regolation of the conduct of the illuminati.

it is

a constant

ohazge against the primitive Gnostics that they conformed without scmple, outwardly at

the established worship of the

least, to

state or city they inliabited, it is certain that the seots of Syrie

and Egypt, such

as the

lessly exterminated

Manicheans of the T.ebanon, so remorse-

Justinian, and

their brother

throughout Asia Minor, persecuted Avith Byzantine cmj>crors, until their

sway by the early

that all such religionists

the

new

all

centuries,

save their

liberty,

by the

those regions were wrested from

caliphs,-

both natural and certain

would gladly shelter themselves under

religion of their tolemnt

and eighth

sectaries

equal zeal

Arab conquerors

in the

seventh

and either profess Mohammedanism, and

exercise of thuir fonuer

continue as tributaries in unjimlested faith,

being confounded by their im-

enquiring rulers with the general mass of

infidels.

The

sects

of Eg^'pt and Syria," says Gibbon, " enjoyed a free toleration

•

Litanllr. '*OidiiMiio»>haten.''

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FBE8BBYATiaKOrON08nCBnCB0LBByfBXBIIAS0N&

186

under the shadow of the Arabian oaliphB;" and thus maintaitted their aeoret notioaa a&d ohaerraikoea withoat fiurtheir notioe

or molestation.

Now

wne

inasmuch as these

oompoied exohiaiYely of and Syriam^ and leaming by more than a proficiency in medicine and

tbo learned amongst the Feniani that time meant

little

two points that brought the Eastern sages

astrology, the

amicable contact with their barbarous invadeiH fiom the

how

easy to see

may have imbibed the secret who were their

the latter

doctrines simultaneuUHly with

tlie

science of those

instructuis in all matters pertiiiuiiig to science

involved

doctrine

Sufi

tlio

and in

systems

a.^

fact

that in

and

art.

The

grand idea of one universal creed

which could be secretly held under any faith;

into

\\'est,

j)rofessiou of

an outward

took virtually the same view of religious

which

tlie

ancient philosophers had regarded

lu our day the admission of an universal religion

such matters,

by the Freemasons, expressed hj their requisition from the candidate of nothing more than an aeknowledgment of flu bdief in cue Qod, is regarded with pious honor by the bigots of eTSty Tarieiy in the Christian scheme. lliftt

the constant interoonrse between Qyria eatd Europe,

maintained,

first

hj the tfoeks

of pilgrims to Jenisalem, then bgr

Gnuadee, bj the eetaUidunent of the Frankiah hhogdom in thai citj and of the nanam principalities on the coast, and, abore all,

the permanent firandation of the two great nulitaiy

Orders having

tiieir

head-quartan in Fslestine. inrodnoed rast

upon the Western nations, more eepeoiallyon thoae seated upon the Ifeditenanean, is a Ihet whioh cannot be overlooked. Ankb inflnenoe aanifestB itself in tiie poetqr of tlie IVonbadonrs eifeols

like its origin half amatory half mystic, as dissimilar to the practical character of the

Boman

arohitectnre, its forma SOggSSied

genn

tent and curtain (the

of which the

Franoe),* is to

lighter verse as the pointed

by the

The

same oanse tnasplanted into the centre of the massy Bomanesgprn edifices whioh it so rapidly

OnmUm wen

eninoitiy

French idea, and tho .soldiers in the taoA importaot, almwt exdunvely

todea in Fnmoe.

FBBSBBYATZQNOFQNOffnCSTMBOiaBYraBBlfABOlia

186

ITow many

roplarod.

arts,

iiupurtatii)ns tVoin Syria

the most prized in those

and E^'j)tl glass-working,

ageti,

in all

are

the pro-

cesses founecti'd with the manufacture of ornamental and coloured vessels,

and painted windows, damasquininp; on

tivation, enamelling, majolica,

and the

eoina*;e of

steel, silk cul-

In Italian

jj;oLl.

such arts are

most of the terms

ap]tljed to the productiuiix nf

purely Arabic,

zecca, tazza, rocca (for citiidul), cameo,

c. g.

most important circumstance bearing upon our aubjeot

eagemeM with which KnioheiBm

dvrii^ the two oentnrieB j^reoediiig the

The

*kc.'

regards the diffusion of Oriental notions in £urope, the

latter

we find

the

emhraoed in IVmoe the Templaxe.

fall <rf

during their reaidenee in Sjxia exhibiting »

tolenuit spirit, the

nest inoooBietent poanble with ihe original any of flie

object of their finindetion; fimning alliancflu with

Modsin ohiefr able to easiet them in holding their own common enemy, the Soldaa of Bjgypt. Amongst theae alliea flgrnwa the head of a troe aodely of AwHiaelm, Uie petty

against the

Chief of the A«UBins*or01dlIanoftheMo«ui<ain, i«. Lebanon.

The Baphometio idd or "old man's which

roBomblanee to 1, 8, so

figures

adomtion of

head,** the

bean » stvoQg rade designs gtven by me in Plate ii. 8, tL

the oonstant ohaige agahoMt the Templazs, flie

frequently occurring cut upon large green jaspers;

whereof neither work nor design agree with those mark-

ing the true Qnostio talismans dating from the Lower Empire, but rather have something in them bespeaking an Arabian and MedisBval origin.

Von Hammer,

in his elaborate treatise,

amongst

the numerous examples he has so indefatignbly collected, adduces

many symbols

tli«

nature quite foreign to Catholicism, and

indeed of a truly Gnostic and Oriental character. the most striking are the Three \'ases (already their imiutelligible Arabic legends,

IlaUMiG«ifUe,in(iieM|ieaUl]rifae branch, as oxouiplifiid in the

civil

buildings of

tlte great

VadJob^ OopoS) Pfas portsttOP ftoni Giirn liSB

no oonncctioQ

mahtimfi citiea— fa iiiiil

dfraol fan*

Iti).*Httm

und

ut all with the oon>

tflmporary Fienoh ityle.

Amongst these di

scribcd) with

which he believes

Dane

to be the

darited fi«m their ptao-

tioe of intoxicatiug

tliemsolvcs with

Haahijjh, ur extract of

attampting any of ihe

hmop, befoie

dMpmie mi^

rinu oiijoiued by their html tluw the word was adopted into the Itelisa ;

in ita praaent aooae.

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PRESE&VATIOl^ OF aNOSTIO SYMBOLS BY FBEEMAfiONS. trae Sangraal^ early

njatio (nq^ duning bo oonspiownialy In ih«

tiukt

xomanow of ddvalzy; the qveet

true

ibttt

Saagraal* being

foot iSba

cne of the lugli edrentiirea proeeoated in is

187

tiie

Mart d'ArUnir.

at fixet eight iheee singular vaeee

or" Fanta^"

tenns them, aoooiding to his hypothesis oonoening the Bi^tism of Mete (or of Wisdom into whioh the neophyte liad to he rebaptiaed) aiiard a amoh stzonger foundation for his ohaiges than any of the other moamnents lie has bronght fimrard. For tbe

obecene soolptinBS placed so oosspioiioiiBly in their dhnrches,

alliukm, as

adored, are to be

to the Yeniis

esqplains,

fioflind

Masonla therein

equally abundant in other medieeval

ohuroheB totally nnconnected with the Templars (notably on the capitals of that at Aroueil near Fans).

Snoh sonlptares may some

either have a moral conoealed in them, the censure of particular vice

;

yet more likely, be merely the ebullition of

or,

the gross wit of the times.

for his

" Idols," their recent

character has been sufficiently demon.strated above.

But

his

great error lies in his attempting to identify the heresy embraced

by the Templars with

the Ophite, that primitive form of the

Gnosis, and one swallowed up, ag(\s before their foundation, in the

over-spreading

flotxl

of ^lanicheism, whicli at

Syria, doiibtless had carried

the inquiring

same time

si)irits

in Italy

ever, that he has

inexplicable

of the

away

as lara;e a

Temple,

and Provence. committed

The

source

wa.s intoxicating at the

gicatcst ab.siudity,

the building so

word Mete which he

its

portion amongst

how-

much upon

finds in these inscriptions

;

the for

Mdi$ was never need by the Chioalios as sjnonymons with Sophia, whidh his whole aignmeiit assnmws as an establishsd ftot And in the same strange manner does he interpret the nnmezoQS Masons' maria he has ootUeoted, though all the archaic form

in reality are identioal in oharaotar willi those flgnred in

plates.

The

proiassion of oontinenoe, at leesk as fir ss regards the

propsgation of the speoies, whidh

manner the woric of

tiie

was the doing in a

speoisl

Deminigns, and perpetosting the leign

PeHeotohMtitj vaa the noemaaiy cundllion

for attaining

onto the

i^t of

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PBBSBBVATIONOFQNOSTIOSTlfBOUBTFBXBlIASONS.

188

was from the

of Matter; this profession

adopted to keep their to

vow

the gnund distino-

first

The strange means they may be learnt by referring

tion of every form of the Gnosis. inviolate

Clemens AlezandrinnH, where he quotes their explanation of

the ancient fable oi Saturn devouring his

own

children,

Epiphanius in his account of the Ophite Eucharist. other doctrine of the GnosticK

and to In no

the Buddhist influence more

traceable than in this, for any merit in asceticism, merely for

own

was never dreamed

sake,

offspring of reason in

conduced

its

But such an

velopment.

to the

by the Lireek

brightest and most

its

philo.sophy, the

uncomipted de-

affectation of purity

most mightily

spread of the Gnostic tenets in eveiy age of

their promulgation.'

Auy

teaching

sure to obtain flocks of

convertH which, in addition to the promise of explaining fully

matters too high for man's understanding, makes a great profflflmon of aeoeticism, and holds forth the exaltation of the poor and Che duiaiaAion of Ihe rioih and Iqziirioiia. For the vulgar erer admixe what la difficult, merelj beoaiue it is diffioolt, howeyer tueless be the randt in itself or eren pemioioQS in its oonseqiienoes if ftdly oerried out; end iuasunoh as the abstinence fixnn seosnsl pleasares is fbft them the hszdest of sll tasks, so is the show of similar self-denisl the sorest means of

oblsining inflnenoe over bmtiBh intelligenoes inoepable of dietingoishing the means from the end. woric powerfolly

Tolgar souls

;

Moreover sooh dootrines

upon the natural envionsness and greed of

those aotnsllypoor being ever the vast nugoriiy

in the lend, they most joyfidly aooept Ihe teaohing that promises

ih» pnnishment 'of their betters hereafter, merely on the score of their snpexior happiness in this

life

;

and as scarcely any person

ever considers himself to be a rich man, but

constantly climb-

ing npwards towards a point that stiU recedes before him at each succesnTe stage of his ascent, even such a one has the comfortable aasnrance that he himself continues in the poor,

and that the anathema

diately above

him on the

As the lafaSaBM of

all

list

the heritage of the one

social ladder.

ages attrntt,

bam

of the

imme-

this lies the secret

Gnataiaa's ta

Hans Kaipp»

doUiog'a

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FRBSEBYATIONOFGllOeTIOSTHBaiABTinkEiaCAaOm

18»

of the sacoess of Manicheisna,

the

its

absorption into it«elf of

all

more ancient Gnastic forms, and, more than all, of the vast rapidity with which it overspread those proviiut's where the Catholic (Church was the most richly endowed, and especially affluence

regulars, attracted the

tlu^

its

clergy,

envy hy their

aud pomp.

The Templars began hard, laborious life

To mark

greatest

this,

their career in actual poverty, leading

— that of the

the original

monk and the soldier c ombined. device or common seal of the Order

was two knights mounted un the

siiine

horse,

tlie

most striking

exemplification of jxtverty that could be imagined in the days of chivalry.

Becoming ashamed of such a badge as they grew in

it. into the somewhat similar outline of a Fegasna—at leaat tins is fhe old tradition. Perhaps, howover, there wtm fborn the flxBt» in the oboioe of the Winged Hane in hie upward flight, an ellndon to the heavenward dflnfination of their ohiTalxy. And when their career was drawing to its olofle, amUbt the wealth and Ivxniy tiiat faron^^t down npon them

power, they altered

their

emel deetmotian, the brethren, donbtleeB by some inmode of Belf-deeeption, flattered themeelTes into a belief

genioQS

that they were oontinning to keep their -vows ae ftithfully aa in

the Teiy springtime of their institution.

The

strange end ohsoeoiie oeremonies observed on the edmis-

aion of the aqpixent into the varions secret societies thatfloorished

nnder the Lower Empire and during the Middle Ages, are all only &int traditions of the penanoes or **tortnreB " exacted from the neophyte in the Mithraic Cave, some account of

already been given (p. 51).

How

Mithraieit espeoiaUy in the West, appears

caves, altars,

and it

and inscriptions

this country.

;

existing in

Germany, France,

embraced, aud flourished so

readily

on account of

Dniitlical faith

tiie

from the innnmeraUe

Tn these Celtic regions the Mithraic religion,

would seem, was

extensively,

still

whioh has

widely diffused were

its

for in addition to

analogy

the

ancient

Pliny's im])nrtaiit statement

(xxx. 4), " (jallias utique poasedit (Magicam) et

quidom ad uo.stram

memoriam namque Tiberii Csesaris principatus sustulit Druidas eorum ot hoc genus vatum medicorurnque per senatus consultum. Quid ^o heec commemorem in arte Oceanum quoque transgressa :

190

PBBSBBYATION OF GNOBTIO SYHBOIB BT FBEEMA80K8.

et ad

iuane pt-rvecta

uatinai

ceicmoniis ut

tantifs

itaiinia

l»i

niuudo coiiNcnscrc quaii4uaiii diseurdi asstiiuari poteist

in quibuB

quantum

hominem

hodieqiie

cclebrat

PcTsis videri possit: adeo istu toto

dc'tlissi>

wbi iguoto.

Ncc

batis

bcatur qui sustulere monstra

iiuuiiuiis di

occidere religiositjsiiuum erut, luaudi vcru

By "Magica" Pliny understands the by Zoxoftster, and fint publiahed bj (kOmm, obapbrn" to ZfiviM in his Greaba ezpeditkm.

etiam aaluberrimum." sites institated

'*doinaeiio

Besides Hiis daokroliim,

reyiyed Bruidism, ss

tlie

appears in

itsfinslbrief strogg^* vdthChijstiBnitj, as it is set forth in the

myatioal poeans of Tsliesin, oosaposed in the seventh eentnxy, is ft

leligMm

oflforing

many points a mmdeiliil arakgy

ancient Perrian tenets.

Thus

it eopvessly deolaies

to tiie

the wristenfle

and antagonism of the Two Pkinoii^es, &e final triumph of Good and the renovation of all. things.* Now Manes himself was nothing more than a Zoroastrian heretio, having engiaifted npon his proper religion the tnmsoendental Bnddhistio notions picked

up by

his master TeTminthns dnxing his Indian travels.

some sparks of the antique Mithrsio ftith may have lingered unnoticed in the West until made to flame up anew by the importation of its latest descendant, Manioheism ? Indeed one may even now disoover a parody of there not a poasibiliiy that

the awful antique maintained in the minutest particulars by the

modem

convivial hctaria, for the soldier (Jerome's Miles), the

lowest gratle amongst the Mitbiaic illuminati, has yet a repreeontativo in the

who

scale,

armed man or

Tiler,

official,

the last in the

stands sentinel at the door of the Freemasons' secret

oonclave.

But seem

return to our Kubject;

to afi'ord

Dnriug the

ahiort

Ured

indefien-

deoce of the IBritani aftw the

dmwal •

of the

Tliorti

Roman n

iridi-

legions in 440.

oiirinu.-i

niiali-»j^

he-

tweeu the Dniidical teuiple, uiways dxMiki; ifhaOiMr oompond of natunl in that liitost exampfe at UockH. or Lantef in Bretagne (Oaylua, vi, pL 124) tt tiro concrntiio

the foregoing consideratiouH

a rational explanation of the manner in which the

anaded

in ri-;^ilar maaaoxj, with the tarn alwnys uppiripriBteil to the worship of Fin\ aa in the Roman temples, und tbo gniit IMniriiin <liriiio at Gazacus, destroyed in IIcnicliui< a innuBon (OBdreaaa. i. 723 ). Tlio Oae-

bre

firt-tcniplc.-^

Balkh

StiU

open circular towers.

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mm YATION OF GNOBTIO SYMBOLS BT FRBBMABOKB. genuino Gnostic symbols (whctlior nifuuiug,

kept an more

ui"

still

Order deoLire)

lifeless fornis, let the

have como down to these times,

still

191

retaining any mystic

paraded as things

hiily

uud

Treasured up amongst the dark aeotuies

of deep significance.

of the Lebanon and the Sufis of Peisia, commnnioated to i2»

Templars, and tramnnittod to their beizB the Bzethxen of the

BoBy

tboy have kept up an nnbrolceii ezLrtmoe.*

Orofls,

inatanoe^ Nioolai

tiimka

that

Tcft

Pentagon (Pentacle) or

their

Sdomon'a Seal yrm the aymbol mentumed in the ''Ophite formula"* as offered hy the awnimding aonl to each planetary gennu in order to eictort from them afree paaaage to the aapemal •phere. It haa been above noticed mth what reverenoe thia qrmbol ia yet regarded by the Hmdooe. In its five-pointed figure may be tiaoed the sane notion of the hidden virtnea of that numenl, aa hi flie D^|diio E aimiUrly intevpreted by Flntardh. In the IGddle Agea thia fignre being oonaidered aa a ohann against fire (unavailing, alas to its knightly wearers) * waaalvratya painted up in bnildinge liable, from tbeir destination, !

its

ravagea, and t1ierer>re more partioolarly in brew-honaea, as

peculiarly exposed to such a danger.

And

thus these symbols, in their origin embodying the highest

mysteries of Indian theosophy, afterwards eagerly embraced

the subtle genius of the Alexandrian Greeks, and combined by

them with

the hidden

wisdom

of Egypt, in whose captivatinp;

and profound doctrines the few bright

Ages sought

a refnire

orthodoxy, engemkred

by monkery upon

histic stock; these sacred

Leauag boldly awerto (Fort^otEmit, p. 53X ** flie Lodged

the Trill j.lars

highoii repute in

wt;rf

tlie

the

i\Iidillo

tlieu constittiting

primal Budd-

the

symbols exist even now, but serve

wmg dm of

spirits

from the childish fables

very

the twelfth and

and Seventh One power: jreiRt',

bom

to rule

with

dtM Wotd of the pan InielUjit'rft'ft

work

in the

sij^lit

tiio

Father and the Bou, by preitenting to fai fhb ffo Sign of Life, I open the gnlc which thy ptnvrr liath

fitMeenUi oentarifls; sad out of meh a Templars' Lodge, that had ht en eonMatUly hept up in the middle of London, was the Society of Free-

Ihee

oyMBOB established in the seventeenth esntiiry by Sir Chri!«fnj)hfr Wron." ' For inittanco in ita iuvocatioQ to IkUNMlfa (gaaioi of SatnmX ** O nnt

this for its af^teerance

closed to the world,

thy domfailaB.* '

and

freely

travene

infflsieot

leam

on lnnlMtmnil Ab B6ranger sing^— -

Lm hMtlvM B'«Dt pM tnmvi OtagMakfMr la Mtam."

OHABaBB AOAIKST THB TEMFLABS.

192

merely

for

what

the insignia of

probably nothing more in institution.

best

bnt a charitable,

present form than a convivial,

its

So the golden Pentagon of Apollo, which of yore

blazed high above the Delphic bhrine, and which, though

ito dignity, still

Bhom

served during the Middle Ages to defend fire,

has oome at

into the

oatwud tnd

oitiM agauut the perib of lightning and of

be dagmded (throughout Genuany) TinUe mffi of a faTem.

laat to

OSABQES AQAIN8T THE TEMPLABS, •

The fidlowmgare fiie main artiolee of acomation amongit fhe 120, eent hy the Pope to all arohbiahopa, hidiopa, and papel oommiaBftriea, vpon wtaxSk to eTMniwe flie knightB; in aooordttioe with the boll **Faoienfl niifleriooidiain** (Da Pay's Hist p. 262) Isti

sont Artioali saper qoibiM inqoiietar oontia Featxes

IfilitiA

Templi qnoram meotio in saperiore hoUa PqNS de-

UMitiBy.

fiMta.

Primo, qnod lioet asseverent sanete ocdiBeni fmaae institotom et a Sede Apostolioa approbatom,

tamm

pnedicti Ordinis et quandoqae post,

in xeoeptione fratnun

sembaatar atqne

fiehant

pnedictis Fratribus qoie seqnnntur. 1.

Videlicet

poet, vel

quam

quod qnilibet in n-c'i j^fione soa Tel quandoqoe commoditatem u<l linsc reoijdeiis habere po-

cito

terat abnegabat (^hristum aliquando crueifixum, et

Jesiim, et

quandoque Deum,

quandoque

quandoqno Bentam Virgineni, et

quanduqui- oinnes Sanctos Sanctasque Dei, inductus seu mouitus

per

illos

qui

enm

recipieLant.

Item, quod dicebant et dogmutizabant receptoros

recipiebant, Christum

nun

es«e

Venun Deum,

illis

quos

vel qiiandoque

Jesum, vel (juandoque Crueifixum. f).

Item, quod dicebant

illis

quos recipiebant ipsum fuisse

Filium prophetam. 7.

Item, ipsum non fuisse passum pro redemptione humani

generis, 8.

neo oraoifixam sed pxo

soeleiifaiis sais.

Item, qnod neo reoeptores neo leoepti habebant qpem aalva-

tionis habendsB

per Jesom, et boo dioebant

illis

qoos ledpiebant

yei flequipoUens, Tel simile.

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COOABGES AOAINBT THB TBMPLAB8. 9.

Item, quod faciobant

198

quos recipiebant spuere super

illos

Ornoem sen super fignram seu sculptum Gmoifi et imaginem CShristi; lioet interdnm qmxedpiebantar q^nuraufe joxla. 10. Item, qaod ipeam Crnoem pedilms ooiioiilo«ri qnaadoque autndabMii 12. Item,

miDgere

qood mingebaiit et coDonloabant interdnm et eoe enper ^peun Crnoem et lioo in die Yenerie

fiusielMmt

Sonotn eUqnotiee fiwiebant.

Item,

gfttione

q[iiod

adoralMni

fmidam OaUum nbi in

iptA oongre-

apparoutem qnaudoqne.

16. Item,

qnod ipenm fedebant inTitapenitione Chtiati et fidei

orthodozsa. 16. Item, 20. Item, gifitor

qnod non credebant in sacrifidtim altaris. qnod oredebant et dioebant eie qnod Magnns

lS»r

a peooatis poterat absolvere.

26. Item,

qnod in leoeptione Fmtrum hujus

Ordinis, vel

interdum recipiens et reoeptajB aliqnando se deoeoolar

riron,

bautur in ore vel in nmbilioo een in ventre nndo, toI in ano aen in spina dorsi. 29. Item, aliquando in virga virili.

Item, qnod in roceptiono sua,

30.

recipiebant (jnod Ordinoni

32. Item, (juod rect'ptinnes

33. Item,

qnod

suspicio a lonpiS 36. Item,

i.stius

faciebantjoxta eoB qui

clandestine faciebant.

pro^tter hoc contra tt

ilia

\iirnt.

dictum Ordiuem vehemena

mjturiltns labomvit.

quod Fratribns qnos recipiebant dicobant quod de

invicem posscnt nnuH

cxnii alio

commisceri caraaliter.

37. Item,

quod hoc licitum erat

88. Item,

quod debebant hoc

illis facere.

facere

ad invicem et

42. Item, quod ipsi per singulas provinoaaB videlioei Capita

nnam

qnonnn

et aliqna oianinm

48. Item,

aliqua habebant 2Wt bnmannm babebant.

pati.

^bebant' IdcHa, JboMt, et alia

qnod ilia idola vel iUnd idolnm adonbant et qpe-

oiaUter in eoinm magnia eapitnUa et oongregatumibua. 49. Item, qnod dioebatnr

qnod

illnd Gapnt

potewt eoa

60. Item,

qnod

61. Item,

qnod onmea divinoa ordinea dabat eia. quod ftdt oftorei florere.

62. Item,

aalvaie.

diritea &oere.

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CHARGES AGAINST THE TEMFLAES.

1^4

tomni guniuiuiB.

68* Itenii ^piod

quod aliquid Caput prBBdictor^ sen teiig»1iaiit clmdiilis qnilras se ipsw oingebant oivoa otmi* tum lea oamem. 66* Item, quod in md leoeptione Rtngnlw FntribiiB pinediote 64. Itsnw

ehordnln tradebantor toL

din loi^^tiidiiiia eumm.

quod in Tensnriionam idoli fano fiMnabaiit, Item, quod injnngebent iie qaod diotia oihoxdiilia pmnite-

56. Item, 67.

litor ae oingeient at oontiniia portarent

et lioo fiunebant etiam

de nocte. 61. Item,

quod qui nolebant pmdiota

m sni

I'aoeptiono fhoarB

ant post interficiebautnr, aut careen manoipalMuiitiir. 64. Item,

non

quod injoogebant

eia

per

SMramentom ne

pittdicta

revelarent.

65. Item,

qnod sub poena mortis vol oaroeris. m oajdebaotur quod roTelaientk morte vel

68. Ttom, qiiod

oar-

cere affligebantnr. 69. Item,

quod injuncrehant

nisi fratribus

eis

quod non coi^Uar&Uur aliquiboa

ejusdem Ordinis.

73. lU'iii, qxiod praadicla ficbuut ct Horvaliantur in Incis ultra

mare

in quibus Magister Generalis et Conventufi

pro tempore 74. Item,

siiut

quod

ejusdem Ordinis

mural i. prajdicta Abnegatio Crucis liebat aliquando in

prsQsentia Magistri et conventus prsedictorum. 79. Item,

qnod de conmetudins anU^UL

quod de AaMo OrdiniB pnadiotL quod reoeptionea Fnttrom dioti Oidinia oommnniter modia pnediolia in toto Ordine sopradioto. 80. Item,

88. Item,

fieibant

90. Item,qiiodaUninniodnmiecipifindiindiotoOidinefi»l^

non

aerraibant.

97. Item, 98. Item,

quod olam oonaneveraut teneva ma Oapttola. qnod dam, ao in primo aonnov in primn -vigilan

nootia.

quod dam, et expnlea tola alia fiumlia de dome et mnMStiat^ ip^Vffff tffnftam^ domua nt imiiiiw 4* ^mwiI^

99. Item,

olausuris

Capitnia jaoeant extra. 100. Item, quod dam: quod aio ae inoludont ad tenenda Ci^tale at omnea januaa domua et eodeai« in qnibus tene&t

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SIX ARTICLES AQAIKST

THE ITALUI^ TEMPLAB8.

195

Oapttok finnoKt adflo finniter quod inillus sit nec esse poant i ad eos nec jnzta: ut ponit qnumnqiia Tidere Tel •ndirar de fiMStii Tel diotiB eomm.

•ooea

101. liem, qiiod okm adeo: quod eoQioet ponere tioaAiam Mper domna ^el eodteaa in qnlbiu tenent oaipitDliiiB ad proridendom mqius koam in qao ianeuit oapituliim approplnqnet

quod nugor error Tigei et fignit qnod ipei tenent iempoabM qnod Megiiifair Magnus poant abeolverB fitlna Ordinis a paooatiB etiam non ooiifasssUs, qwe oonfiteri propter aliqnam embescentiam Tel timorem penitentin 104. Bern,

et tennenmt retroeotiB

injungendaa Tel infligendfe omiserint. 108. Item, qnod qui{l(]uid

Tenta sno

Magnus Magister maxime cam con-

faciebat, ordinabat, Btatuebat, totns-

obeervare habebat 109. Item,

;

Oldo teners et

eadem obeervabat.

quod lueo potestas

sibi

oompetebat et in eoresi'

debet ab antique 114. Item, qnod mnlti Fratros tates et errores

aliam transeuntes, et nonnuUi in 116. Item,

)>rt'(lirti

Ordinis. propter foedi-

ejusdom Oi\linis oxiennit nonnnlli ad religionem seciilo renianentcs.

quod prcdicta omnia et singula note sunt et mani-

festa inter Fratres Ordini.s.

117. Item, fjEUua tarn

quod do

his est publica vox, opinio

inter Fratreti dicti Ordiniii

120. -Item,

quam

quod Magnus Magister Ordinis,

F^naoeptor Cypri,

Pii^Ti%

commuuis

extra.

Yisitator,

Hoiniiaindl«» el

Mi^ns

quamplures

alii

FxMoeptorea et nannnlli Fiatne, dioti Ordinis proniaaa eonftaai fiierint

tam in jndioio qnam extra oorau aolemniboa fvwmWi

in plnribaa looia etiam penonis pnbliois.

SIX ARTICLES ALLEGED AGAINST TEE ITALIAN

TEMFLAMS. 1.

Tirones qui prinnun religionein Tea^Iarianun higradie*

liantnr

Denm Uaqdiemabant el

Maxiam

Ohristnm, Beatam Dei Ifatrem omnas sanetos abnegabant, soper Ofaristmn et ima-

ginein Jean Gliristi apoebant et pedibos eonealoabant : Gbristom

o 2

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ELBYBN ABTIQLBS IN THE CHBONIQUE

106

ST.

DKNIS.

falsum fuisHe prophetam iieque pro redt uiptione generis humaoi

passum aut crucifixiim esse affirmabant. Caput qaodam faciem albam quasi hnmanam

pm se fereos

droa oolliiiii deanntia quod qqidan IdiiiB Saaoti fuaaA ovHa laJm adonlwiit, ondooM eo ftdebauft, et cingnlw qvibiudam iUvd dutganiM iUis ipna oapillia nigriB et critpMBtibas et

qiuun aalntaziea finrent

m ipsoe McingelNait

8. Yerbft eemeeniiaitk in

miian iafliendo omittelMiit.

Tinmes reoeptM owmlis in ore, umbfllioo^ et membrie qiM» pndor oooolnit in koo oipitnlari moz atqne Iiabltaai indniaeent 4.

Atozw libidine omnM j^romiaoae aeee inquiiiabaiit. Nemini xevelaie qma Tel in aurora vel in primo crepuaeolo

5. 6.

fiunebant jiinmento prartito piomittebMiti aliaqne nefimda per-

petnbant.

ELEVEN ABTICLSS GIVEN 8T,

Vie d« Philippe leBeL

Les

foifaitij

THE CSEONIQUS DE

DENY8. CUMp-OO.

pourquoi les Tcmpliers furent ars et condamnes

et pris, et contre

eux approuvoz

(si

comiue I'on

dit) ©t

d'aaCQna

d'eux en prisou recunnuz s'ensuivent.

Le Premier

Article de leur forfaits est tel

point en Dion fermement, et quand plier

u'e.stoit

niillui

seen

bien etoit veu et sccu comtucut

Quand

tantot etoit

icelui

ils

commont

ils lui

ils

Qu'ils ne croient

un uouvoaii TemIc faisoient,

mais

duuuoicnt las dnips.

uouvel Templicr avait vetu

mene en une chambre

faisoient

les

draps de TOrdre

obscure, ot tantot le nouvel

Templier remoit Dien par sa male aTentare, et passant pardeaaa la oioiz et

en aa doaoe

Oartantot apiea

figure oiaohott.

ila

allaientadorarnne Jdole, ot pouroertain

Mole etait vne vitiUe peau oomme toile polie, et ineoqvea ioelle

trea

^e fin et

oreaaoe, et

en ioelle aToH ea oiarte

foaaoa

eiel: el

ainat

oomme

oerftea le

Ini tree

dea yenx

tonte

Templier

fannement

momhondm

embame

meMt

orayicnent; et

relniaana

oomme

poor oertam toote leor eapeianoe etoit en

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KLBVBN ABTIOLES IN THE

de bon

ils

Outremer:

reoonnurent aussi la trahison que

Que

bI le

de rOxitremer Soldan de

ment 6.

Boy

Ini

par leur

il.s

penple ils

(

gnmde

hre.stien tut

Louis cut en

mis en pruon: et Aoie

fnt pris en ces parties et

line cite trahirent 5.

197

ooetir.

Car

(NIQUB 8T. DBNT8.

Mmranin, et mwnomftnt ae affioit en

leur Biea

icelle et etoit

misprision.

prochainement

alle es parties

avoient faitn tels ordinances et convenances au

rjal)ilon qu'ils

avoient par leur mauvaissete aperte-

les Chrestiens vendus.

Que oux reconnnrcnt du uviiit fait coutruicto,

tresor

du Moy avoir donnc, qui au

laqueiie chose etoit moult

dommageable

au Eoyauiue.

dit

lb Qonmmiit

peohe d'heresie, et

poor leur hjpoovuie habitoieut Vxm m Tautre ofaameUeiiMot. Fourquoi o*etoit merveflle que IKen aooffiroit tela orimea et aodomiea detostaUea etre ftiia: maia IKea par aa piete aool&e fiuie

moolt de ftkniea.

Que bl mil Templtor luen sflfonne en lenr iddatiie nMmmt pooaaiere en aa malice anonnement fla le ftiament ordWr et de de lid doimoient a manger vox nonveanx TempHera ei aniai ploa tsmm lenr idoilatrie et leur ereaaoe tenoien^ et de tout depriaoieni 1» CSroIx de Jeaa-Chiiat. 9. Que ai anoon Tender «fat tn. antoor lid eeinte on liee ime eoanvia laqnelle etoit lenr MiMAomderU aprea oe jamala aa 8.

Ibi

fiit

reooimiie

taut «voit eUee a» fin et aa loi affiimee et

afBchee. 10.

Que

leur Ordie

saints fonds I'hostel

tant

ne doit

comme

ils

ou femme gist d'enfant

niil

enfant baptaaer ni lever dea

pourront abstenir, ni entrer en s'il

ne s'on va du tout en tout a

reculons, laquello choKo ost detestable a raconter. cieulx

forfaits

ainsi

crimes furcnt du Souverain overjue,

pour

Pape

Clement, et de plusieurs Arohevequee, evequee, caxdinaulx, oon-

damues. 1 1

Car encore faisoient

ils

pis

car

gendre d'un Templier et uue puoelle

Tliia

Perftict

the old scandal of the

Paaaorer" (p. 129).

The

un enfant nouveau

etoit cuil et roti

ChristianH wore nccused

first

world, itaya

en-

au feu

by the

Minuciiu Felix, of

in-

E nBLPHICUK.

196

aaoree et

omte knr

against the Order are fully discussed

by Anton

gnlne otBe*

•t tonte 1*

et 6b oelle

ofeoit

Idcle.

The charges

(who attempts to disprove them) in his *y«mioh tSoBMt Gesdhiohte des TempelhflaTsn Oidens' (1781), and hy Fr. Kiooki

(who takes fhe otfa«r side) in his 'Yermoh tiber die Besohnldi^ gungen wakhe dem Tempelherrsn Orden gemsoht worden : vnd tlber

deHsn Gehelmniss*

(1782).

E V£LPMICUM, The

letter

C plaoed

so oonspicaMNiBly in

insoriptiona is fbe ftmons

many of die Gnoetio

E of Delphi, on the reel irignifioetion of He gives

which Flntanh has left IIS a most inteiestingtreatiBe. the Tarions thecnies Ihen oimnnt as to

wiHi their wonted 'vmiiy ezp1«ined

its origin.

The Gveeks

as denotiog the UMire

numeral, and referring to the genuine and original number of the fitmoofl " Wise Men," which was in later times the

now

established Seven

by the

made up to

addition of two others having

The legend went that these commemorate the aooidental meeting of till at Delphi had dedicated the numeral carved in wood which decaying was replaced by the Corinthians with one in bronze, and this but slight claims to that honour.

Five Wiso

Men

;

again at a later us

tlatc 1)V

Livia Au^ziisfa was fransmiited into

more consistent with the dignity of

that god

whose

p^old,

otispring

her hnsliand bnasted liimself to be, and whose received image he represented

in his features.

Others explained the letter as representing by

sonnd in the Greek montli the declaration

ti,

proper

its

Thou

art," ad-

dressed to the Godhead, and equivalent in force to the

the " Living

God" given by

]»ithet

the Jews to Jehovah, and imaUited

by the Christians in their £1N, a title of the Deity. But it is evident tliat the primaiy meaning of the symbol was

ducing each noopbyte on his admisto fihinge a knife hito an hi&at cnnoenlfd undrr a heap of floor the body then serving for a banquet to

don

;

the whole congregation.

After they

had beoome the dnmtnant paity, thcf transferred tha rii

diMga

ttflir

own

MOD tori.

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£ DBIiPHIOUlL numfirioal alone,

in itwlf, and not 8o from Gieeoe.

The

199

and denoted the nnnber Tive, a nnmiber Muned

idea of

its

iti reference

virtue

to the ftfaled Sages of

of Indian source, and connected

From

with the five-headed form aeaigned to Brahma.

made

waj

its

to Delphi, in

India

company with the Gorgon-heads,

themselves masks of Bhavani the Destroyer, that guarded the oracle itself : a singular connexion recorded

The Omphalos

Ion.

hy Ciorgons," was,

pas,sed

by Euripides in

his

indeed, " shaded with wi-eaths and encom-

shows (with Apollo thereon

as its form

seated on the coins of the SeleucicUe, his direct descendunis),'

nothing more than the Brahminical Lingara.*

upon Incantations

(p.

In the chapter

171) the connexion between Bhuvani in

another character and the Ephesiau Diana has already been pointed out.

In the

dawn

first

of Grecian philosophy

find PytliagoTas

building his whole system upon the mystic viiluo of Numbers;

and riato

his "

inui in

Kepublic" a section on that head which

Basilides himself might olaim for its profoiind obsonrily.

In onr

times; with the Sikhs, to hold a PonclKHr oomoilctf five

was the

mode of delibeiating upon all xmportBnt mattett of steto. hsTe a Indionms side, this holy nnmher has given its name to the weU'lmown herenge from the Ats ingve*

foimal

all n^jsteries

dients thai

go to

its

oonoootian

perhaps, beeanse it neoeasuily

attended the coming together in oondaive of that mjstio nnmhor

of Enropesns at the period

the introdnotion of so

when our language was enriehsd hy other Hindostanee words.

€ mi^ hare mom than a Hindoo oaste-maric:

But after all, heen nothing

many

this

hmarwdiaped

the siaric of Vishnu's followers, u>

home

mind

its

tme

origin

indeed, it becomes

placed upon its side.*

was hallowed at Delphi, many centuries bt'fore that shape of the vowel came into the Greek alphabet, an alteration which only dates fiom Bo*

must

also

that this figure

mitian*s times. 1

the

earlier

whan it is cdaspod by (tfuicttmry

Taae-painting,

Orestes seeking

frgm the paaakag fiuina.

scene in its appearance tbe iudden meaning being a mattar of inteimta. ;

tion for the few. '

iiides.

> Alvagri

culptored

an obtiue

a ayndMl having noflung

See the patturus of "Caste Marks,"

FLXm. A.

ob-

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DfiSGBIPnON OF THE PJJLTES.

900

DESCBIPTION OF THE PLATES. (Hm genu wn di»wn to doobb tiie Mtatl iin.) Plate No.

Tho Jackal-hcadod Anubis,

furnished with two pair of

wings springing from his sides and thighs, holding in each hand a huge

beiis

KC'or|)iun

figure to be a

tlie

Tho

tail.

Decanus of that Sign.

latter attjibnte

Above

with expanded wings; and in the

moon, adjimots marking the

aan, wluob

tlierefoie nraifc

shows the

his head is a scaiu-

field

the sun and the

astrological character of this talia-

be aas^pud to the olaM of Absazoida.

iHNkdatoDe: no legend.

No.

Anolna waUdng ; in each hand a long Egyptian sceptre tiie field ihe son and liie moon: the

tmninatiBg in a baU; in

whole enoloaed in a aonken drde. four Stan

ihe^CabalistB

make

Bm. MIXAHA between

ICiobael the angel of the aim.

Plaama of bad qnaUly. No.

Anabia having two heada ; <»e a

being maned on the neck,

jaokal'a»

probably equine.

the other,

In bia fimr

hauda he beaxa on one aide two aworda, on the other two biasing flambeanx. aee

flie

One

Here we bj Apnleins aa displaying a &oe and golden as the day. The attribute

of his feet is mmiitalEeablj hoofed.

exact Anubis described

alternately black as night, of the swords refers to the

firati

the torches to the latter form, and

indicate his office of Psyohopompiis both in the infernal

and die

celestial rogions.

Bev.

stone

;

HEPA AMBU)-YBAIA-KSIK-A:

Coptic'

Load-

tho engraving tolerable.

"So. 4.

Abraxas, as usually figured, Imt hero equipped with a

sword, not a scourge, and a round buckler of the Persian form.

legend.

No.

Plasma.

Cancer grasping with one claw

Around, in large

letters,

at the Imiar crescent.

TINNITAENEI.

occurs frc(|ucntly in such formula), but

its

I'he

word ITA

meaning has not been

explained.

AnaddmstoAmiUikwhiMephoDatfeauwilfliaotodeuljIq^

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PUte

EIM piia

VDl

—

-t

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DESOBIFnON OF THE PLATES.

EFENNHZE

PCa)MYAA

901

XtOZiriATPIAN,

RomuU

htm given birth to Soaipatria," which shows this to have been

am Mtxologioal memorial of the when the moon was in Cancer.

bom

nativity of Sosipatria,

imperishable evidenoe of

little bubble npon the sorfiMse of the ocean of which bnist aome aixteen centxirics ago, and left no

the rising of one eternity;

Yellow Jasper large oval ; the lettoiB well engrvvBd.

other trace.

See Plate III. 6 for the inscription. No.

Fantastic Bird, the outline representing an Ibis, in-

geniously composed from a dolphin placed on a

and Mercury within the form uf the

made

fitting device for

Calcedony.

tradtr. >>(i.

head, and

bird, wliich the Egj-ptians

ThoUl and the Moon: a

symlx)! of

thi^

mm'«

Talisman, uniting the iutlueueo of Ncptuno

furnished with legs.

Abraxas brand isli in

evil genii.

iz;

lii.s

whip,

chasing away the

a.s

his shield the titles IH'

lAU)'

^eat work.

Green Jasper, No.

lamb

The

as he

spection, ho

(

JoimI ^Slu

seems

becomes

human, the other a

pherd b<'aring upon his shoulders the lost the uninitiated eye

tlio

jackal's, whilst his girdle

of a serpent rt-aring aloft

hooked

stafl'.

its

or apostle

assumes the form

In his hand

crested head.

a long

This figure had without doubt two meanings: one

obviouH, for the vulgar; the otlu initiated alone.

but on closer in-

;

double-headed Anubis, having one head

among

mystic and recognisable by the

was perhaps the signet

the Gnostics; and

its

some chief teacher

impression one of the

tokens serving for mutual recognition mentioned by Epiphanius.

Neatly engraved in a beMttiM i«d aizA ftrftiwiacl to

form; a shape withouA a pattam in lihoQgh 00

tai

octagon

of antique gems^

omob affected in meduBval art* on •oooimt

mystic Tirtnea.

No.

tiie fllaaa

ita

anp-

(Anthor'a OoUaotion.)

Qieated Serpent, wHIi eieoted head, and hia ooala anp-

ported upon two Iniman lega, finming

a walking figure. In the AB PA ia to be made out

field along legend, of which only Hie word

this type I

one's

mind the

have aeen no other example;

ita

deaoription of the Zoroaatiian

two-footed aeipent of Hea."

mooatrova Ilgyptian goda

deaign lecalU to

Dev AAmog,

the

It ia not nnlikelj lhat certain

may have

aerved their

opoolaetic

DS8GBIFTI0N OF THB FLATBS.

902

Persian masters as types for the demons of their

Pan and

just as Rtibscqiiontly the unlucky devilH uf the

No. 10.

two

tand

mjrthology tilft

Coaiaely out on loadstone.

monkish creed.

Mithraic oompoBition, possessing

birds, ostriohes,

own

his satyrs becamtt

having one a

much el^anoe

the other a ram*s head,

bull's,

which sup-

as guardians of tho Sacred Table (Eucharistic),

ports a tripod bearing the consecrated bread, above winch, be-

tween two unknown

stands conspicuously

letters,

Delphic £,

ihv.

of these characters is indeed identical with the Boethian

One

numeral

for

Above shine Mithraic

liioii,

Man

under the table reposes the

typ*' of the sun,

and likewise repreiieuting the

with tho head of a

lion,

Sard.

standing,

one hand, the other raised with a threatenin;^

a Leouticus, or high Mithraic •

figure's gesture, viz.,

into a luuidied pieces

the talisman.

•

molest tho wearer of

Green Jasper.

II.

Sun and Moon

in conjunction

adores the apparition of the deity. letters, juuongst >vliich

a female kneeling

Tn the field niMiiy scattered

words often read NTA YXYN A ]\Iithmic scene, belonging to " the

may be

found in these invocations.

The

KENTAYP

Male figure mounted on a lion bestriding a corpse

overhcail the

rites

staff in

evidently

"to cut tho Centaur (Night-mare)

ho presume

Plate No.

the threat expressed

rliajis

along

^^esturc

liev.

oflirial.-

E0Y EKATON TOMAXE; by tho

a larger one.

planets:

tho tseven

highest grade in that religious hierarchy.

\o. 11.

upon

the other a small cube placed

"l.

•

wherein an apparent human

;

was perpetrated."

siu rifice

simulation of death by the ni <i{thyte was in fact tho obvious

preliminary to his being born again by tho

which likewise fonned an

Eev. lAU)

•

of baptism,

Loadstone

to the great scandal of tho Chiistian Fathers.

rode work.

rito

essential part of the Mithraic initiation,

CABAU)e AEHIOYU).

Sfi^rkto XlIT,

Or perhaps Jerome's Pater Bro-

•

niitted,

will

wry

complete the nnmber of the peraouagog enu*

eqaivaleDta for I

ufaM; lbrlMnramUliw«*Bo«ar''be ImMbt iiiii«ea7 And If this 1w ad-

Glory be

niMMed in fib

(p.

M).

Plate

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DISOBIFTION OF THE PLATBB.

808 •

lao " the normal Basilidan inTOoaii<m

notion of lao, aa the solar god, the later Egyptian nn

No.

waa common

showing how the

;

to the

two leligionBt

the Mithraic.

Ibis-headud god holding the caducens, and seated on a

throne (Thoth or TTemes), and saluted by a standing deity with radiated and

plumed head, whoso name, Phre (rhcebns),

written behind him in a vertical woultl have stood

line,

This

expressed in hieroglyphics.

this .scene

Bcv.

numerals.

ABAASANABAA is

In the

later Egyjitian amuU'ts.

racters, or perhap.s

Thou

art our

Father

").

Loadstone

fair intaglio.

Tanninal figure ; the head ladiaied, and

oroaaad

by Thre, The design of

addres-s uttered

belongs purely to the primitive Egyptian religion, but

here adopted by GuoBtioism.

Ho.

the

in so

mystic cha-

field certain

ihv.

name

reason for such a disjutsitiou of the letters forming a

many

exactly as the letters

upon the breaat: on each aide of

lite

head

bandi a comet;

ttta

many inexplioablo symboila in flie field. It ia vaoal to oall thia ^ype (a TBry oomBMO one) OmrU, hot theze ia nofliing Egyptian in ita aitlitadenorinthe woikofthaintiglio.

aeema to

me father a

nediannJ (Aialno or Jewidi) itpioaentation of Jehoirah.; Snoh indeed may have heen the flgnxe of the Old Man, whoae wooAdp ia 10

atron^y inaiated on in the artadea of aocPBation hroii{^t Templan. The xevarae ia ooreared with fiowexy

againat the oypihera,

modi in

tiie leaat

analogy to the ornamentation, or to the ntagioal derioea

taate of Aialno oaiUigmphy, and hearing

in use nnder the Lower Enqpdxe.

No.

A god standing,

Green Jasper.

a nude figure, with the mantle hanging

down &om one shoulder, and bearing the bay-branch of Apollo. He holds forth his hand in a CBTOBBing attitude towards a large fowl, with Yultnre-like beak,

crowned

Mrith the

and bearing the caduceus of Thoth. usuid Ibis,

may be

OMBO-PYN. (Apollo's

o^\^l),

This intaglio

modius of Serapia,

This bird, clearly not the

intended for the I'hrcnix.'

The

last

word

and may possibly

In the

field,

Hebrew means "Raven"

refer to the bird here depicted*

very deeply but rudely cut in Bchiat.

I This peculiar Uid of the Sm, which only made its i^ppeannoe at HaUopoli^ ivoold be apfnprialalj hw

toodaced in oompony with for

whom

tended.

the

dflilgr

i'licBbtu,

Imm tmum

h»>

DESOUPtlOK or THB FLATB8.

90*

No.

Two

fi.

plaoed

by llie

Mipente fenning

The one here given indoaee

InelhMe Name.

to oontein the

mamdjj ajmhola, legolar

ukaaonfl^

hieroglyphio mmeralB.

(flee

aet in

No. 80

an iron

marha, and othen aaeiniiigly

PL XUI.

Swd origmaUy

F. G.)

ring.

deaign oopied from

common lype of tiie braai

in a

oartoadw, ezaolly liko tbat

abo^ tiia head of GaiMaftt god of irii^^

Hindoofl

tfie **

Altar of Lugdonum," that

ooina of Tiberius, but here modified

On die

Jewish sense to represent the Ark of the Covenant.

word Tetragrammaton ; or the making np the name Jehovah, that spell so

front is plaoed, mis-spelt, the holy

four Hebrew characters

potent against

all

An important

demons.

name

of ite taking the place of the

purpose, and thus showing

lioman style; Ihc the legend

No.

f>nly

written in

Harpocratos tail in

one of

soat(

his moutli,

the Ineffable Name.

liev.

names of aiigel.s are of the for this cla«8

No.

for this

<he one passed as equivalent for

;

ih\m

flio

tlH> I.atiti

(

known

in whi(^

liaracter.

upon an erect scaraheus: a serpent

tlie

debign, exactly as in ITindoo

it,

inscription, on account

usuaUy employed

Sard, the engraving in the latest and most debased

the other.

with his

tliat

lao,

cml»lem of etornity, encircles the

work

fnrniK the

frame inclofJing

MIXAHA - MICAHA -

lAU).

Tlie.se

sjuue date as the intaglio, an early

one

well and deeply cut in a Black Jasper.

Bust of Serapis, singular only from the legend around

YAACCC

AIA, "Take

care of Jupiter,"

i.e.

protect the

benign influence of that planet against any baneful interference

on the part of a malign

and protecting

star.

star appears

That Jupiter was especially a good

from Horace's

Te Jmi* impb Tutda Satumo refulgens

Tudavitdu."

And again where

Persius declares,

" Satanramque gravem nostra Jove frogimus ana."

For In tiiis later mythology Sen^ia was the god; henoe his power to delbnd

Jiqpiter,

aole

and almighty

now rednoed to a mere

planetaiy genius, against any malignant infloenoe.

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TAn

DBSOBIPnON OF THB PIATBS. must bavo been

notions of

tlio

pervferseness, I

of their accnstomod hatred for the

otit

(rreoks that the Talmndists, with cliarartcristic

made Saturn

a ^ood gcniuH, and the h jxislator of

and

nation, whilst .fnpiter, malis^ant

their

206

restless,

pointed for patxon of the Christians (p. 53).

tbey ap-

Bloodstone

;

rude

work.

pl4tb No.

huge

Mummy-like

figure encompa.s.sed within the coils of a

Ber|)ent; exactly as those in the leaden scrolls figured

Matter, deposited

Vigna Massini

(p. 140).

In the

field several Itjtters,

the word INITIA purjjosely dislocated. in which the usual

the sarcophagi lately discovered in the

ITA

Bev.

will be detected

;

apparently

lAtO-INATIT.

and on the bevelled

edge the same ccnnbination of letters that figure.

PttiMqpi

a tioiket given

seen round the

to the neophyte on his initiation,

or else a chaim to eeoure'lus peaoe in the grave, and repivsenting

ilie

ooipee as wrapped in the protecting

embmob of

Uie Agatho-

dienum, the saered serpent.

LoadBtone.

No. 2. The Ghnnphis, lion-headed and maned Serpent, hie head crowned with hodce !

he being a

solar

rays, alliunTe to the

emblem.

number of Hnb months,

He rises erect from a oyllndzioal oista,

Here we have the sigQ the ** Serpent with bj King Nedhepsos (p. 74) to be en* graved on a green Jasper, and worn about the neok to protoot or perhaps low altar.

head

radiated,'* preaoribed

against all diseases of the ohest I

the Tirtne of the stone

itself,

Galen asoribes the

having Irand

effect to

equally eflBcaoioas

worn without the eugra-ving. The astnmomer Hephnstion Ghnonus is a star in the breast of Leo, and Aenjijn his sigil is good for the hmnan chest Around the serif so

also notices that *

pent runs the explanatory legend ANOX - ANOX - XNOYMIC *• I, I am the good geniuB.'* Bmt. N AYTITA (ending as nsnal in ITA)t the remains of a long inscription, unfortunately ground splintered 1^ the

away in order to flatten the badk of the sbme^ fire tiiat

has entirely osloined the material : originally a Jasper,

ss the black hair-lines traveming its sni&oe indicate. bold, though

somewhat rude.

Woik

(Anthot's Oolleotion.)

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DBBGBIFTION OF THE FLATB8.

206

No.

Mars Btanding leaning on

wards

his spear,

hand on

(in sign of amity), the other

field various indefinite signfj,

known

Around

liiugnage.

characters perliaps

the pain in the liver;"'

dobigiiod

for

example

charm against

the kind.

<»f

showing

E>'v.

—

liver

complaints

and

out no deiiuito word, in which the sacred

The

intaglio,

very coarse

No.

rude in the extreme,

In the name of the sole god."'

CAPAniC, "In

In white letten, which go thxovg^ ingenions prodnotum

FL lyil

No.

black ground cf a aqvaxe aoiiie

But

this

ftmons in

EMtem legends.

aUudve to his

title

Greek

TiStfiwos ra ovAo, oa the

mat:

flor **gioiiiiding

arms." 3 Cayliu gives ooe bearing a long tring of nsaies, ftUoirad by «>*rar« not Toy wovov rriv ^fpoiWl|Vt * deliver for me from pain th« mner {a.

against the assanlts of

Beater of the Giaids,"

new theoso^by had been metamorphosed

female)-

MON

(iv. is

168).

put

for

in the w-cond lino

twice.

was

like oAiBrings;*

Abraxas brandishing a maoe in a most puguadoos

nilllHj tenn

moh

applioation of Solomon's

Matter, and the angels of the Deminigns.

Alezandiian glaaa-

this jasper intaglio

up proof

To the latter olgeot served the

•ititade,

it sealed