But Isis again recovering Osiris, and rearing up
Horus, made strong by exhalations, mists, and clouds,
Typhon was indeed reduced, but not executed; for the
Goddess who is sovereign over the earth would not suffer
the opposite nature to wet to be utterly extinguished, but
loosed it and let it go, being desirous the mixture should
continue. For it would be impossible for the world to be
complete and perfect, if the property of fire should fail
and be wanting. And as these things are not spoken by
them without a considerable show of reason, so neither
have we reason wholly to contemn this other account which
they give us; which is, that Typhon in the more ancient
[p. 101]
times was master of Osiris's portion. For (say they) Egypt
was once all sea. For which reason it is found at this day
to have abundance of fish-shells, both in its mines and on
its mountains. And besides that, all the springs and wells
(which in that country are extreme numerous) have in
them a salt and brackish water, as if some remainder of
the ancient sea had run thither, to be laid up in store. But
in process of time, Horus got the upper hand of Typhon;
that is, there happened such an opportunity of sudden and
tempestuous showers of rain, that the Nile pushed the sea
out, and discovered the champaign land, and afterwards
filled it up with continual profusions of mud; all which
hath the testimony of sense to confirm it. For we see at
this day that, as the river drives down fresh mud and lays
new earth unto the old, the sea by degrees gives back and
the salt water runs off, as the parts in the bottom gain
height by new accessions of mud. We see, moreover, that
the Pharos, which Homer observed in his time to be a
whole day's sail from Egypt, is now a part of it; not because it changed its place or came nearer the shore than
before, but because, the river still adding to and increasing
the main land, the intermediate sea was obliged to retire.
To speak the truth, these things are not far unlike the
explications which the Stoics used to give of the Gods.
For they also say that the generative and nutritive
property of the air is called Bacchus; the striking and
dividing property, Hercules; the receptive property, Ammon; that which passes through the earth and fruits,
Ceres and Proserpine; and that which passes through the
sea, Neptune.
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