The beautiful ruins of KOMUMBU.in

Upper Egypt: the stones that form the roof are of an enormous magnitude and the columns which support that roof exceed 24 feet in circumference, and are clustered in imitation of the

TREES which constituted the ancient GROVE TEMPLES

that a full examination of the antiquity of caverns, their form and decorations, would not only throw great light upon the ancient hiftory of India itself, but upon the history and theologic rites of other Afiatic nations of the ancients. An attention to their aftronomical fpeculations can alone unfold to us the fecret meaning of their rites and worship. With this key I have endeavoured, not wholly, I truft, unfuccessfully, to unlock the portals of the fanctuaries in which their theological and philofophical myfteries were anciently celebrated in caverns and cavern-temples, and poffibly I may have contributed fomewhat towards removing the veil of obfcurity, in which the history, the rites, and defign, of the ancient fuperftitions have been fo long involved. That certain myfterious rites were there celebrated has been proved, as far as analogy, in theological fentiments, and fimilarity, in the fabrication of the Indian caverns and caverntemples, with thofe in the mountains of Perfia and Upper Egypt, could tend to establish the proof. For, to what purpose was there the double entrance into them, by NORTHERN AND SOUTHERN GATES, according to the Homeric description of the Cave of the Nymphs,

inferted

inferted in a former volume, of which, the North entrance was that through which the foul, in its journey of the Metempfychofis, paffed to the lower spheres, while that to the South was facred to celestials alone; and, finally, for what purpose were intended the winding avenues, the high altars, the tanks for ablution, and the gloomy interior receffes, but for the regular performance of fimilar ceremonies, and the arduous exercise of kin- . dred virtues?

SECTION V.

The Whole of this Section is devoted to the more particular Confideration of that ancient Species of phyfical Superftition practifed in the Temples of Egypt above-defcribed; and, in the Course of it, the celebrated Treatife of Plutarch concerning Ifis and Ofiris is examined and explained.-Nearly all the hieroglyphic Animals and Plants honoured with Veneration in Egypt have Reference to the aftronomical Speculations of the Priests of that Country; or are illuftrative of the various Phænomena of Nature.-Ofiris, why reprefented of a black Colour, and fitting on the Lotos.-Why, among Animals, the Cat, the Dog, the Lion, the Sphynx, the Scarabæus, the Ibis, the Ichneumon, and Crocodile, confidered as facred.--Why, among Plants, the Nymphæa, the Onion, and others, regarded in the fame Light.The Arguments of the whole Inquiry fummed up, and farther Proof

adduced