[Ib.]—“Red lakes of Nitria.”—For a striking description of this region, see “Rameses,”—a work which, though, in general, too technical and elaborate, shows, in many passages, to what picturesque effects the scenery and mythology of Egypt may be made subservient.
[Page 238].—“In the neighbourhood of Antinoë.”—From the position assigned to Antinoë in this work, we should conclude that it extended much farther to the north, than these few ruins of it that remain would seem to indicate; so as to render the distance between the city and the Mountain of the Birds considerably less than what it appears to be at present.
[Page 243].—“When Isis, the pure star of lovers.”—v. Plutarch de Isid.
[Ib.]—“Ere she again embrace her bridegroom sun.”—“Conjunctio solis cum luna, quod est veluti utriusque connubium.” Jablonski.
[Page 247].—“Of his walks a lion is the companion.”—M. Chateaubriand has introduced Paul and his lion into the “Martyrs,” liv. 11.
[Page 235].—“Come thus secretly before day-break.”—It was among the accusations of Celsus against the Christians, that they held their assemblies privately and contrary to law; and one of the speakers in the curious work of Minucius Felix calls the Christians “latebrosa et lucifugax natio.”
[Page 256].—“A swallow,” &c.—“Je vis dans le desert des hirondelles d’un gris clair comme le sable sur lequel elles volent.”—Denon.
[Page 257].—“The comet that once desolated this world.”—In alluding to Whiston’s idea of a comet having caused the deluge, M. Girard, having remarked that the word Typhon means a deluge, adds, “On ne peut entendre par le tems du règne de Typhon que celui pendant lequel le déluge inonda la terre, tems pendant lequel on dût observer la comète qui l’occasionna, et dont l’apparition fut, non seulement pour les peuples de l’Egypte, et de l’Ethiopie, mais encore pour tous les peuples le présage funeste de leur destruction presque totale.” Description de la Vallée de l’E’garement.
[Page 259].—“In which the spirit of my dream,” &c.—“Many people,” said Origen, “have been brought over to Christianity by the Spirit of God giving a sudden turn to their minds, and offering visions to them either by day or night.” On this Jortin remarks:—“Why should it be thought improbable that Pagans of good dispositions, but not free from prejudices, should have been [pg 328]called by divine admonitions, by dreams or visions, which might be a support to Christianity in those days of distress.”
[Page 263].—“One of those earthen cups.”—Palladius, who lived some time in Egypt, describes the monk Ptolemæus, who inhabited the desert of Scete, as collecting in earthen cups the abundant dew from the rocks.—Bibliothec. Pat. tom. 13.