Canopus.

23

Chap. 3.]

and then filled her pitcher : having done this, she returned by the wayshe came, with the pitcher of water on her head, the horse fastened by abridle to her arm, and as befbre, employed in spinning.

Industrious labor is an Ornament to every young woman—indeed nei-ther the symmetry of her person, nor the vigor of her mind, can be per-fectly developed without it. The fine forms and glowing health of thewomen of old, were chiefly owing to their temperate modes of living,their industrious habits, and the exercise they took in the open air.

A circumstance recorded in the history of theEgyptians,accounts f'or the peculiar form of one of their favorite ves-sels, the Canopus; the annexed figure of which, is takenfrom the ‘ History of the ancient people of Italy,’ plate 27.It was named after one of their deities, who became fa-mous on account of a victory which he obtained overthe Chaldean deity, Fire; —the Story of which exhibitsno small degree of ingenuity in a priest, and it affords afair speeimen of the miracles by which people were de-luded in remote times. The Chäldeans boasted, as theyjustly might, of the unlimited power of their god, andNo. 6. a Canopus. they carried him about to combat with those of otherprovinces, all which he easily overcame and destroyed,for none of their images were able to resist the force of fire ! —At lengtha shrewd priest of Canopus, devised this artifice and challenged the Chal-deans to a trial. He took an earthen jar, in the bottom and sides ofwhich he drilled a great number of small holes these he stopt up withwax, and then filled the jar with water : he secured the head of an oldimage upon it, and having painted and sufficiently disguised it, broughtit forth as the god Canopus! In the confliet with the Chaldean Deitythe wax was soon melted by the latter, when the water rushed out of theholes, and quickly extinguished the Harnes. Univ. Hist, i, 206. In me-mory of this victory, vessels resembling the figure of the god used onthis occasion became common. Dr. Shaw gives the figure of one whichhe brought with him from Egypt . Trav. 425. See Montfaucon, tom. ii,liv. i, cap. 18. A figure of one throwing out water from numerous holeson every side is also given. Tom. ii, liv. iii.

A somewhat similar case of Superstition in the middle ages, is quotedby Bayle from Baronius ; being a trial of the virtue in the bones of twosaints ; or rather a contest of priestly skill. St. Martin’s relics beingcarried over all France came to Auxerre, and were deposited in thechurch of St. Germain, where they wrought several miracles. Thepriests of the latter considered him as great a samt as the former ; theytherefore demanded one half of the receipts, “ which were considerable;”but Martin’s priests contended that it was his relics that performed allthe miracles, and therefore all the gifts belonged to them. To provethis, they proposed that a sick person should be put between the shrinesof the saints, to ascertain which performed the eure. They thereforelaid a leper between them, and he was healed on that side which wasnext to St. Martin ’s bones, and not on the other ! the sick man then verynaturally turned his other side, and was instantly healed on that also !Cardinal Baronius in commenting on this result, seriously observes, thatSt. Germain was as great a saint as St. Martin , but that as the latter haddone him the favor of a visit, he suspended the influence he had withGod , to do his gwest the greatest honor! The custom of having patronsaints or gods was universal arnong the ancient heathen ; and the same Sys-tem was carried by half pagan Christians of the dark ages to an incredible