And because the Pans and Satyrs that inhabited the
region about Chemmis were the first that knew of this
disaster and raised the report of it among the people, all
sudden frights and discomposures among the people have
been ever since called panics. But when Isis heard of it,
she cut off in that very place a lock of her hair, and put
on a mourning weed, where there is a town at this day
named Kopto; others think that name signifies bereaving,
for that some use the word for depriving. And as she
[p. 77]
wandered up and down in all places, being deeply perplexed in her thoughts, and left no one she met withal
unspoken to, she met at last with certain little children, of
whom also she enquired about the ark. Now these had
chanced to see all that had passed, and they named to her
the very mouth of the Nile by which Typhon's accomplices
had sent the vessel into the sea; for which reason the
Egyptians account little children to have a faculty of divination, and use more especially to lay hold on their omens
when they play in sacred places or chance to say an) thing
there, whatever it be. And finding afterwards that Osiris
had made his court to her sister, and through mistake enjoyed her instead of herself, for token of which she had
found the melilot garland which he had left hard by
Nephthys, she went to seek for the child; for her sister
had immediately exposed it as soon as she was delivered
of it, for fear of her husband Typhon. And when with
great difficulty and labor she had found it, by means of
certain dogs which conducted her to it, she brought it up;
and he afterwards became her guardsman and follower,
being named Anubis, and reported to guard the Gods as
dogs do men.
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