picable. Their separation too, and exemption during the time of these evils, must have had still greater weight. It rendered them more ready to quit a people, from whom they were in so salutary a manner distinguished; and to embrace a better, and more rational religion, whenever it should be offered.

THE SIXTH PLAGUE.

OF BOILS AND BLAINS.

Ch. ix. ver. 8. And the Lord said unto Moses, and unto Aaron, Take to you handfuls of ashes of the furnace, and let Moses sprinkle it towards the heaven in the sight of Pharaoh:

V. 9. And it shall become small dust in all the land of Egypt, and shall be a boil breaking forth with blains, upon man, and upon beast.

V. 10. And they took ashes of the furnace, and stood before Pharaoh; and Moses sprinkled it up toward heaven and it became a boil breaking forth with blains, upon man, and upon

beast.

I

V. 11. And the magicians could not stand be

1 Έλκη φλυκτίδες. Sept.

fore Moses, because of the boil: for the boil was upon the magicians, and upon all the Egyptians.

This plague, like those, which preceded, was particularly well calculated to confound the Egyptians, and to confirm the faith of the Israelites. For as the latter are not said to have been involved in the calamity, we may fairly infer, that they were exempted from it. This immunity therefore must have increased their confidence in the God of their fathers, and in his servant Moses. This instance likewise of divine punishment was of such a nature, as particularly shewed the baseness and imbecillity of the Egyptian deities, who could neither ward off the evil, when impending; nor afford any alleviation, when it was brought on. Yet the Egyptians had many gods, and those of high rank, who were supposed to preside over pharmacy and medicine: and to these the people looked up with great confidence, in all those pains and maladies to which the human frame is liable. Among these deities Esculapius was held in particular honour for his skill in this science. Esculapius deus medicinæ et medicorum.

He was sup

posed by many to have been originally a mortal, and to have first found out the art; and to have taught it in Egypt. • Medicinam Ægyptii apud ipsos volunt repertam.- Æsculapius Memphitis inter primos hominum numeratur, qui opinione humanâ dii facti sunt. He was particularly worshipped at Memphis. Urbs Memphis præsentiâ numinis Esculapii clara. Marcellinus, 1. 22. p. 257. Some make Apollo, the same as Osiris, to have invented medicine: and suppose Esculapius to have been his son and from hence to have obtained his knowledge---Πολλα παρα τε πατρος των εις ιατρικην μαθοντα προσεξευρειν, την τε χειρεργίαν και τας των φαρμάκων σκευασίας, και ῥίζων δυνάμεις. x. T. λ. Diod. 1. v. p. 341. D. Others affirmed, that he learned the science of Apis.

Ιατρικην-Απιν, Αιγυπτιον αυτοχθονα,---(επινοησαι), μετα δε ταυτα Ασκλεπιον την τεχνην αύξησαι λεγεσιν. Others carried the invention of medicine much higher; and supposed that Isis contributed very much to this science. 3 Την Ισιν---φαρμακων πολλων προς ὑγιειαν ευρετην. Her salutary influence was thought to be very

Pliny, l. 7. c. 56. p. 414. Clemens Alex. Strom. 1. 1. p. 3 Diodorus, l. 1. p. 22.

362.

την

prevalent. Κατα γαρ τες ὑπνες εφισταμενην διδοναι τοις καμνουσι βοηθηματα προς τας νόσες, και τες ὑπακέσαντας αυτη παραδόξως ὑγιαινεσθαι, και πολλές μεν ὑπο των ιατρών δια δυσκολίαν τε νοση ματος απελπισθεντας, ὑπο ταυτης σωζεσθαι. συχνους δε παντελως πηρωθεντας τας δράσεις, η τινα άλλων των μέρων τε σωματος, όταν προς ταυτην την θεον παταφεύγωσιν εις την προυπαρξασαν αποκαθίστασθαι ταξιν. For this goddess used to reveal herself to people in their sleep, when they laboured under any disorder, and afford them relief. Many, who placed their confidence in her influence, were wonderfully restored. Many likewise who had been despaired of, and given over by the physicians, on account of the stubborness of the distemper, were reinstated by this goddess. Numbers, who had been deprived of their eyes, and other organs of their bodies, recovered them by their application to Isis. She was farther reported to have found out a medicine, that would render people immortal and to have bequeathed all her knowledge to her son Orus; who is said---> την τε ιατρικην και την μαντικήν ύπο της μητρος Ισιδος διδαχθηναι---to have learnt the science of physic as well as of prophecy from his mother

* Diodorus, 1. 1. p. 22.

* Ibid.

Isis. The Egyptians had many books of great antiquity upon this subject: many of which were attributed to Sesorthrus or rather Tosorthrus, who was supposed by some to have been the same as Esculapius above mentioned-.-' ός Ασκληπιος παρα Αιγυπτίοις εκληθη

δια

ιατρικην. There was also a king named * Athoth the son of Menis, of still greater antiquity, who is thought to have been the second prince who reigned in Egypt. It is said of him, that he was greatly skilled in all branches of physic; and to have left behind him treatises upon the structure of the human body.---3 Ιατρικην τε εξησκησεν, και βιβλες ανατομικας συνεγραψεν. Euseb. Chron. p. 14. Syncellus speaks of these medicinal books of Athoth--

φέρονται βιβλος ανατομικαι, ιατρος γαρ ην. What are stiled books and treatises are supposed to have been originally hieroglyphical writings upon obelisks; or else in the syringes or sacred recesses, which were formed in rocks of Upper

2

'Eusebii Chron. p. 14. 1. 46. See Syncellus, p. 57.

Expressed sometimes Athosthis-Alwodis.

According to Seleucus they amounted to 20,000, according to another person to 36,525. But this is a mistake of the writer, by whom we have it mentioned.-See Jamblichus, sect. 8. p. 157.

Syncellus, p. 54.

H