four horns. In this division, Egypt, Libya, Cœlo-Syria, and Palestine, were confirmed to Ptolemy.

Little more is recorded of Ptolemy save that he regained Cyprus, B. c. 295; and that he renewed the league with Lysimachus and Seleucus B. c. 287, in which they likewise engaged Pyrrhus king of Epirus, in order to frustrate the designs which Demetrius entertained of regaining the empire of his father in Asia, which they did effectually.

At length, B. c. 285, Ptolemy Soter, after a reign of twenty years in Egypt with the title of king, and of nearly thirtynine from the death of Alexander, was desirous of transmitting the throne to Ptolemy Philadelphus, one of his sons by Berenice. The ruling motive for so doing, appears to have been, to prevent contentions about the throne. Ptolemy had several children by his other wives, and among them, Ptolemy surnamed Ceraunus, or "the Thunder," who being the son of Eurydice the daughter of Antipater, and the eldest of the male issue, considered the crown as his right when his father should be deceased. But Berenice, who came into Egypt merely to accompany Eurydice, at the time of her espousals with Ptolemy, had so charmed him with her beauty, that he married her, and so great was her ascendancy over him, that she obtained the crown for her son, in preference to all the. rest. In order, therefore, to prevent contentions after his death, he resolved to have Ptolemy Philadelphus crowned. while yet he himself was living. At the same time, he resigned his dominions to him, declaring that it was more glorious to create than to be a king.

Ptolemy Soter died B. c. 283, in the eighty-fourth year of his age. He was one of the most able and worthy men of his race, and he left behind him an example of prudence, justice, and clemency, which his successors rarely imitated. During the time he governed Egypt, he raised it to such a height of grandeur and power, as rendered it superior to other kingdoms. He retained upon the throne the same fondness for simplicity of manners, and the same aversion to ostentation, as he displayed when he first ascended it. He was accessible to his subjects to a degree of familiarity. He frequently visited them at their own houses, and when he entertained them himself, he considered it no disgrace to borrow articles of gold and silver plate from the rich, and to acknowledge that he had little of his own. Plutarch says, that when some persons represented to him that the regal dignity required an air of opulence, his answer was, that the true gran

deur of a king consisted in enriching others, not in being rich himself. Ptolemy seems also to have been a man of enlightened mind, and to have made himself acquainted with polite literature. Arrian records that he compiled the life of Alexander, which was greatly esteemed by the ancients, but which has not reached the moderns.

PTOLEMY PHILADELPHUS.

On ascending the throne of Egypt, this prince entertained the people with the most splendid festival recorded in the pages of ancient history, and which gives a clear idea of the opulence and idolatry of Egypt at this period.

This pompous solemnity continued a whole day, and was conducted through the extent of the city of Alexandria. It was divided into several parts, and formed a variety of processions. Thus the gods had each of them a distinct cavalcade, the decorations of which were descriptive of their history. That of Bacchus, a portion of which we give as related by Athenæus, will convey an idea of the magnificence (if so it may be called) of the rest.

This procession began with a troop of Sileni, some habited in purple, others in robes of a deep red: their employment was to keep off the crowd, and clear the way for the pageant. Next to the Sileni, came a band of satyrs, composed of twenty in two ranks, each carrying a gilded lamp.

These were succeeded by Victories, with golden wings, carrying vases nine feet in height, partly gilded and partly adorned with the leaves of ivy, in which perfumes were burnTheir habits were embroidered with figures of animals,

and were covered with gold.

After these, came a double altar, nine feet in height, and covered with a luxuriant foliage of ivy, intermixed with ornaments of gold. It was also beautified with a golden crown, made in imitation of vine leaves, and adorned with white fillets.

A hundred and twenty youths advanced next, clothed in purple vests, each of them bearing a golden vase of incense, myrrh, and saffron.

These were followed by forty satyrs, wearing crowns of gold which represented the leaves of ivy, and in the right hand of each was another crown of the same metal, adorned with vine leaves. Their habits were diversified with a variety of colours

In the rear of these marched two Sileni, arrayed in purple mantles and white drawers; one of them wore a kind of hat, and carried a golden caduceus in his hand; the other had a trumpet. Between these two was a man six feet in height, masked, and habited like a tragedian. This man carried a golden cornucopia, and was distinguished by the appellation of The Year.

This person preceded a beautiful woman, as tall as himself, dressed in a magnificent manner, and glittering with gold. She held in one hand a crown composed of the leaves of the peach-tree, and in the other a branch of the palm. She was called Penteteris, a word signifying the space of five years, because at the expiration of every fourth year, the feast of Bacchus was celebrated at the beginning of the next, which was the fifth.

The next in the procession were the genii of the four seasons, wearing characteristic ornaments, and supporting the golden vases of odours, adorned with ivy leaves. In the midst of these genii was a square altar of gold.

A band of satyrs next appeared wearing golden crowns, fashioned like the leaves of ivy, and arrayed in red habits. Some bore vessels filled with wine, others carried drinking cups.

Immediately after these came Philiscus, the poet and priest of Bacchus, attended by comedians, musicians, dancers, and other persons of that class.

Two tripods were carried next as prizes for the victors at the athletic combats and exercises. One of these tripods, being thirteen feet and a half in height, was intended for the youths; the other, which was eighteen feet high, was designed for the men.

A car, which had four wheels, was twenty-one feet in length, and twelve in breadth, and was drawn by 180 men, followed next. In this car was a figure representing Bacchus, fifteen feet in height, in the attitude of performing libations with a large cup of gold. He was arrayed in a robe of brocaded purple, which flowed down to his feet. Over this was a transparent vest of a saffron colour, and above that a large purple mantle embroidered with gold. Before him was a large vessel of gold formed in the Lacedemonian fashion, and forming fifteen measures, called in the Greek, metretes. This was accompanied with a golden tripod, on which were placed a golden vase of odours, and two golden cups full of cinnamon and saffron. Bacchus was seated un

der the shade of ivy and vine leaves, intermixed with the foliage of fruit trees; and from these hung several crowns, fillets, and thyrsi, with timbrels, ribands, and a variety of satiric, comic, and tragic masks. In the same car were the priests and priestesses of that deity, with the other ministers, and interpreters of mysteries, dancers of all classes, and women bearing vases.

These were succeeded by the Bacchantes, who marched with their hair dishevelled, and who wore crowns, composed, some of serpents, and others of the branches of the yew, vine, or ivy. Some of these women carried knives in their hands, others serpents.

During the games and public combats, which continued some days after this solemnity, Ptolemy Soter presented the victors with twenty crowns of gold, and they received twentythree from Berenice his consort. It appeared by the registers of the palace that these last crowns were valued at 2,230 talents and fifty mine, about 334,400l. sterling; from whence some judgment may be formed of the immense sums to which all the gold and silver employed in this ceremonial amounted.

Such was the nature of the pageant exhibited by Ptolemy Philadelphus at his coronation. In no part of it does it seem to have been conducted with elegance, or to have exhibited the least trace of taste or genius. The spoils of whole provinces and cities were sacrificed to the pomp of a single day, and displayed to public view only to raise the vain admiration of a senseless populace, without conducing to any real good. But there was something more lamentable in this procession or solemnity of religion than this. It was converted into a public school of intemperance and licentiousness, calculated only to excite the most degrading passions in the spectators, and to induce an utter depravity of manners, by presenting to their view all the instruments of excess and debauch, with the most powerful allurements to indulge in them. And all this was done under the pretext of paying adoration to the gods! How different from these are the solemnities of our most holy religion! In them we discern nothing but what is lovely and of good report, and that tends to purify the heart, and make holy the life of the worshipper. Truly, the religion of the blessed Saviour is of Divine origin.

To the native Egyptians this pageant must have been peculiarly afflicting. They must have looked upon it as an in

sult to their native gods, as established upon their own ruin and as indicative of the ascendancy of that power which ruled over them—a power which they could never hope to subdue. So literally, even at this early date, was the inspired prophecy fulfilled. That the native Egyptians were an oppressed people at this period, is evident from the number of foreigners who had taken up their abode there during the sway of the Persian empire, and the rule of Alexander and Ptolemy Soter. All places of trust were confided to foreigners; for no more is heard of the rule of the priests, or the power of the Egyptian soldiery. Caste was broken down, and by this act they were humbled to the dust; for caste was the glory of ancient Egypt.

In the first year of the reign of Ptolemy Philadelphus, B. C. 284, which was also the first year of the 124th Olympiad, the famous watch-tower in the isle of Pharos was completed. This tower was usually called the tower of Pharos, and it has been reputed as one of the seven wonders of the world. It was a large square structure, built of white marble, on the top of which a fire was kept continually burning, in order to guide ships onward in their course. The cost of its erection was 800 talents, which, estimated by Athenian money, according to Arbuthnot's calculation, are equal to 200,000l. sterling, but if computed by the coin of Alexandria, nearly double that sum. The architect of the edifice was Sostratus, of Cnidus.

Ptolemy Philadelphus was a great encourager of learning, and a patron of learned men. About this time, ancient historians say that, under his auspices, was commenced that excellent translation of the Old Testament into Greek, called the Septuagint, from the seventy, or seventy-two interpreters said to have been employed therein. The copy from whence it was taken, was furnished the king by Eleazer, the son of Simon the Just. It is probable that the version of the Pentateuch was first completed. A note at the close of the Book of Esther expressly states it was finished in the last year of Ptolemy Philometer, or B. c. 177. The whole was finished, according to the Rev. T. H. Horne, about в. c. 170.*

This was one of the best fruits of the Grecian conquests, and was, doubtless, comprehended in the design which God had in view, when he delivered up the east to the Greeks,

*For critical remarks on this fact, as laid down by ancient historians, the reader may refer to "THE CONNEXION OF THE OLD AND NEW TESTA MENT," published by R. CARter.