16

HISTORICAL VIEW OF THE

the signs of the zodiac has been ascribed to them,though on very insufficient grounds. The existence atthis day of representations of the zodiac in some of theirtemples is a fact from which we derive little certaininformation as to their astronomy. The representationsare not easily explicable ; and various conflicting theo-ries have been suggested as to their meaning. Accordingto Dio Cassius *, the Egyptians were the inventors ofthe period of seven days, distinguished by the names ofthe planets. This has been doubted; but it is, at allevents, certain, that this period with correspondingnames was in use among all the oriental nations, andeven in India , at a very early period. It is remarkablethat they all conimenced their reckoning with the daydedicated to Saturn ; whilst the Hebrews alone con-sidered the following day as the first.

Of the physical knowledge of the Egyptians we havelittle information which can be relied on. Here, as inother instances, we find extravagant claims put forth,and as strenuously supported by one party as decried byanother. One thing appears certain, that whateverknowledge existed in that country was confined to thepriests, who employed a sacred language of symbols,utterly defying all attempts to decipher it except by theinitiated; and which might undoubtedly be employedto preserve valuable truths and philosophical specula-tions ; or equally well might have served to invest withall the veneration so freely accorded to whatever ishidden and mysterious the most absurd superstitionsand puerile conceits.

It has been alleged that the origin of the ancientgeometry is to be traced to Egypt ; and that its theo-rems arose from the necessity of recurring to some prin-ciples of mensuration for fixing the boundaries of landswhere all landmarks were obliterated by the periodicaloverflowing of the Nile . This account appears by nomeans probable in its circumstances; since it w'ouldseem very easy to invent landmarks which should obviate

xxxvii. 18.