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or geni. Superstitious imaginations connected with astrology, demons, and magic, were introduced at the fall of the Empire under the Dscheu dynasty. Lao-Kiun or LaoTsee, founded a religious sect, which calls the essence of all things Dao or Reason,' and whose members follow an epicurean life. Kong-fu-tzee (Confucius), whose father was a mandarin of the kingdom of Lo, collected, about the year 550 B.C., the traditions of Fo and of Lao-Dsee, perfected their religion and laws, and good maxims of morality founded on the social and domestic life of the nation. so entirely confined himself to practical things, that not a single doctrine respecting the deity and immortality, is to be traced in his writings. His style is extremely laconic. His school was very numerous. The most eminent of his disciples was Dsu-tze. Meng-dsu (Mencius) gave a greater extension to the doctrines of Confucius. A great number of ideas passed from India and Thibet into China; hence arose the Chinese Buddhism, which became mingled with the old popular religion. Scientific culture has remained stationary in China for ages. Why ?-(The Japanese follow analogous doctrines).

Persians.

Authorities: The Sacred Scriptures, Herodotus, Plato, Aristotle, Diodorus Siculus, Xenophon Cyrop., Strabo, Plutarch, Aóyia тov Zwρoάoтpov, or Chaldean Oracles; the same, with additions, by FR. PATRICIUS, Nova de Universis Philosophia, Venet. 1595, fol.; and also published by STANLEY, in his Philosophia Orientalis (cum notis CLERICI).

THOME HYDE, Historia Religionis veterum Persarum eorumque Magorum, Oxonii, 1700--4; new edition, 1760.

ZEND-AVESTA, Ouvrage de Zoroastre, contenant les Idées théologiques, physiques, et morales, de ce Législateur, les Cérémonies du culte Religieux qu'il a établi, etc., traduit en Français sur l'original Zend, avec des remarques, et accompagné de plusieurs traités propres à éclaircir les matières qui en sont l'objet; par M. ANQUETIL DU PERRON, Paris, 1711, 4to.

+ ANQUETIL and FOUCHER, Memoirs on the Person, the Writings, and the Philosophical System of Zoroaster; in the Mémoires de l'Acad. des Inscript. XXVII, p. 257 and sqq.; XXX, XXXI, XXXIV, XXXVII, XXXIX, XL; and in the Mémoires de Littérature, vol. XXX and XXXV.

1 According to some, this last is the Buddha of the Hindoos, and the same with the Sommona-Codom of the Siamese Cf. BAYLE, art. "Sommona Codom."

[JONES], A Letter to M. A du P, containing a Critique on his translation of the works attributed to Zoroaster, Lond. 1771, 8vo. C. P. MEINERS, De Zoroastris Vitâ, Institutis, Doctrinâ, et Libris; In the Nov. Comment. Soc. Scient. Götting. vol. VIII, IX: and Comm. de variis religionum Persarum conversionibus; in the Comment. Soc. Götting, 1780, cl. phil. I, 45, et. sqq.; II, 19, sqq.; and, concerning Zoroaster. in the Biblioth. Philos. tom. IV, p. 2.

T. CH. TYSCHEN. Commentat. de Religionem Zoroastricarum apud exteras gentes vestigiis; In the Nov. Comm. Soc. Scient. Gött. tom. XI, XII.

THE DESSATIR, or Sacred writings of the ancient Persian prophets, Bombay, 1808, 8vo.

Heidelberg Jahrbuch, 1823: Febr. article, by Hammer. Leips. Liter. 1822, p. 156. THOLUCK, Journal des Savants, 1823; Art. "De Sacy." The Schah-nameh of Firdúsi, in the work of GÖRRES; The Book of the heroes of Irán, 2 vol. Berlin, 1819; 8vo.

HAMMER, Journal of Vienna, vols. 8, 9, 10, 1820; RASK, On the antiquity and authenticity of the Zend-Avesta; the German translation by HAGEN, Berlin, 1826.

+ J. G. RHODE, The Sacred Tradition; or, A complete System of the Religion of the ancient Bactrians, Medes, and Persians, or the people of Zend, Francf. on the Maine, 1820, 8vo. Particularly p. 453 and sqq.; and the works of the same author enumerated § 66.

Asiatic Researches, vol. VIII and IX.

On the Authenticity of the books of Zend consult also, + BUHLE, Manual of the History of Philosophy; † ZOEGA, Dissertations published by WELCKER; VALENTIA, Travels; and ERSKINE, Dissertation on the Parsees, in the second vol. of the Literary Society of Bombay.

70. The religion of the ancient Persians (Parsees) was the worship of fire or of the elements, in which fire was symbolical of the Deity. At a later period, in the time of the Greeks, the ancient worship was changed into the adoration of the stars (Sabeism), especially of the sun and of the morning-star. This religion was distinguished by a simple and majestic character; its priests were called Magi. Zoroaster (Serduscht), a Mede by birth, reformed the religion of the Medes, which, originally confined to the worship of fire, had been modified to the worship of the sun and the planets. This worship survives to the present day in India among the Parsees, who were driven out of Persia by the Mahometans; and who pretend to be still in possession of the sacred books of Zoroaster. This philosopher lived in the time of Guschtasb (Darius Hystaspes). He asserts the existence of a supreme being, all-powerful and eternal (Zeruane Akerene, i. e. infinite time,) from whom have

eternally proceeded, by his creative word (Honofer), two principles, Ormuzd and Ahriman; Ormuzd (Oromasdes), being pure and infinite Light, Wisdom, and Perfection, the Creator of every good thing; Ahriman the principle of darkness and evil, opposed to Ormuzd, either originally, or in consequence of his fall. To this belief are attached fables respecting the conflicting efforts and creations of these two powers; on the universal dominion ultimately reserved for the good principle, and the return of Ahriman during four periods, each of which is to last three thousand years;—on the good and the evil spirits (Amshaspands, Izeds, Ferfers,' and Dives), and their differences of sex and rank; -on the souls of men (Ferfers), which, created by Ormuzd before their union with the body, have their habitation in the heavens; and which ultimately, according as in this world they have served Ormuzd or Ahriman, pass after death into the dwellings of the blessed, or are precipitated into obscurity:-finally, respecting the future resurrection of the bodies of the wicked after the victory of Ormuzd and the restoration of all things. Such, with some ascetic precepts, are the leading subjects of their sacred books. The doctrines of Zoroaster had an extensive influence, owing to the principles of demonology and magic.

Chaldeans.

Authorities: The Scriptures, Diodorus Siculus, II, 29; Strabo, XVI, p. 739, ed. CASAUB.; Sext. Emp. adv. Math. lib. V; Cic. de Div. I, 1, 41; II, 46, sqq.

BEROSI Chaldaica, in the work of SCALIGER, De Emendatione temporum; and in FABRIC. Bibl. gr. t. XIV, p. 175; and the work itself (probably not authentic), entitled, Antiquitates totius Orbis; published in FR. JO. ANNII Antiquitat. Varr. vol. XVII, Roma, 1798 (and subsequently).

+ AUG. L. SCHLÖZER, On the Chaldeans, in the Repertory of Biblical Literature, published by EICHHORN, vol. VIII and X.

STANLEII Philosophia Orientalis in Clerici opp. Philos.

FR. MUNTER, Religion of the Babylonians, Copenh. 1827, 4to. Jo. JAC. WAGNER'S Works before referred to.

71. The Chaldeans were devoted to the worship of the stars and to astrology: the nature of their climate and their country disposing them to it. The worship of the stars was

1 These have been compared to the Ideas of the Platonists.

revived by them and widely disseminated, even subsequently to the Christian era, under the name of Sabeism. The learned caste, which appropriated to itself the appellation of Chaldeans, had collected a certain number of astrological facts, and carried to a great length the delusive science of astrology. Under the empire of the Persians, this caste lost much of its credit, through the influence of the Magi, and ceased to attempt anything but common-place tricks of divination. The cosmogony of Berosus, and the pretended Chaldean oracles (allowed to be apocryphal), are evidently the productions of another age and country. The principal divinity of this nation was called Bel. The fables related of him by the pretended Berosus do not deserve recital.

Egyptians.

Authorities: Books of Moses, Herodotus, lib. II, Manethonis Ægyptiaca et Apotelesmatica (fragments of dubious authority), Diodorus Siculus (with Heyne's Observations in the Comm. Soc. Gött, V, VI, VII), Plutarchi Isis et Osiris, Porphyrius De Abstinentiâ, Jamblichus De Mysteriis Ægyptiorum, cum ep. Porphyrii ed. TH. GALE, Oxon. 1678, fol., Horapollinis Hieroglyphica, Gr. et Lat. ed. DE PAUW, Traj. 1727, 4to., Hermes Trismegistus in FRANO. PATRICII nova de Universis Philosophia, etc. Ferrar. 1591.

FR. AND. STROTH, Ægyptiaca, seu Veterum Scriptorum de reb. Ægypti commentarii et fragmenta, Gotha, 1782--83, 2 vols. 8vo.

ATHAN. KIRCHERI, Edipus Ægyptiacus, Roma, 1652-54, folio, et Obeliscus Pamphilius, Ibid. 1656, folio.

JABLONSKI, Pantheon Ægyptiacum, Francf. ad Viadrim, 1750-52, 3 vols. 8vo.

CONRAD. ADAMI Comm. de sapientia, eruditione, atque inventis Ægyptiorum. (In his Exercitatt. Exegett. p. 95, sqq).

C. A. HEUMANN, On the Philosophy of the Ancient Egyptians; in his Acta Philosophorum, II, 659, sqq.

DE PAUW, Recherches Philosophiques sur les Egyptiens et les Chinois, Berlin, 1773, 2 vols. 8vo. (An English translation, 2 vols. 8vo. 1795.

J. C. MEINERS, Essay on the History of the Religion of the Ancients, particularly the Egyptians, Götting. 1775, 8vo. On the Worship of Animals, in his Philosophical Miscellanies, part I, p. 180; and several treatises by the same in the Comm. Soc. Götting. 1780.89--90.

+ F. V. LEBRECHT PLESSING, Osiris and Socrates, Berl. and Strals. 1783, 8vo. cf. above § 38.

C. P. MORITZ, Symbolical Wisdom of the Egyptians, etc. Berlin, 1793, 8vo.

1 A contemporary of Alexander the Great.

+P. J. S. VOGEL, Essay on the Religion of the Ancient Egyptians and Greeks, Nürnberg, 1793, 4tc.

Jos. CHRISTOPH. GATTERER, De Theogoniâ Ægyptiorum ad Herodotum, in Comm. Soc. Götting. vol. V et VII. De Metempsychosi, immortalitatis animorum symbolo Egyptiaco, vol. IX.

+ CREUZER, Religions of Antiquity (cited above, at the head of § 66), et Commentatt. Herodoteæ, c. II.

HEEREN, Ideen, etc. second part, second edition. (In Bohn's translation of Heeren's Asia, pp. 249, and seq.)

SEYFFARTH, Rudimenta Hieroglyphices, 1826, etc.

Sir GARDINER WILKINSON, History of the Ancient Egyptians, 5 vols. 8vo. 1847.

BUNSEN, Ægyptens Lage in der Weltgeschichte, 1844. (Egypt's place in History, translated by Cottrell, vol. 1, 8vo. 1850.)

The Rev. JOHN KENRICK, Ancient Egypt under the Pharaohs, 2 vols. 8vo; and Herodotus, books ii and iii (the Egypt), with notes and dissertations, 8vo. 1841.

SHARPE'S Early History of Egypt, 8vo. 1848.

See also the following works on Egypt; DENON'S Egypt; BELZONI; GAU; MINUTOLI, etc.; PFAFF'S Hieroglyphica, Nürnb. 1824, 8vo.; the great work of the French Commission, by order of Napoleon; the work of ROSELLINI, and various recent works on Egypt.

72. The Egyptians were a nation highly remarkable for the antiquity of their civilization, and the originality of all their social system. Their priests, who formed a separate caste, were the sole depositaries of the secrets of certain sacred books written in hieroglyphics. It is very difficult to determine with certainty, owing to the want of existing records, in what consisted their mysterious knowledge (Esoteric doctrine). It probably had a reference to the popular religion (Exoteric doctrine), which authorised the worship of the constellations (Sabeism); and that of certain animals (Fetischism), as symbolical of the former; of certain deified heroes (Thaut or Thot, Hermes, Horus); and lastly, maintained the doctrine of the Metempsychosis. Their divinities! Isis and Osiris, represented two principles, male and female. The peculiar character of the country seems to have given rise to, and encouraged, as the principal sciences of the Egyptians, geometry and astronomy; to which were united astrology and other superstitions, highly popular with the

1 See † HEEREN, Thoughts on the Policy, Commerce, etc. of the Ancients (in Heeren's Works, Bohn's translation, 6 vols. 8vo.); and the articles of the New I.iterary Journal of Leipsic, 1816, Nos. I and II, on the recent attempts to explain the hieroglyphics.

2 HEROD. II, c. 123.

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