the golden bough-第125节

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ce　from　the　temple　at　Thebes　bidding　him　announce　with　a　shout　that　a　great　king；　the　beneficent　Osiris；　was　born。　But　Osiris　was　not　the　only　child　of　his　mother。　On　the　second　of　the　supplementary　days　she　gave　birth　to　the　elder　Horus；　on　the　third　to　the　god　Set；　whom　the　Greeks　called　Typhon；　on　the　fourth　to　the　goddess　Isis；　and　on　the　fifth　to　the　goddess　Nephthys。　Afterwards　Set　married　his　sister　Nephthys；　and　Osiris　married　his　sister　Isis。

Reigning　as　a　king　on　earth；　Osiris　reclaimed　the　Egyptians　from　savagery；　gave　them　laws；　and　taught　them　to　worship　the　gods。　Before　his　time　the　Egyptians　had　been　cannibals。　But　Isis；　the　sister　and　wife　of　Osiris；　discovered　wheat　and　barley　growing　wild；　and　Osiris　introduced　the　cultivation　of　these　grains　amongst　his　people；　who　forthwith　abandoned　cannibalism　and　took　kindly　to　a　corn　diet。　Moreover；　Osiris　is　said　to　have　been　the　first　to　gather　fruit　from　trees；　to　train　the　vine　to　poles；　and　to　tread　the　grapes。　Eager　to　communicate　these　beneficent　discoveries　to　all　mankind；　he　committed　the　whole　government　of　Egypt　to　his　wife　Isis；　and　travelled　over　the　world；　diffusing　the　blessings　of　civilisation　and　agriculture　wherever　he　went。　In　countries　where　a　harsh　climate　or　niggardly　soil　forbade　the　cultivation　of　the　vine；　he　taught　the　inhabitants　to　console　themselves　for　the　want　of　wine　by　brewing　beer　from　barley。　Loaded　with　the　wealth　that　had　been　showered　upon　him　by　grateful　nations；　he　returned　to　Egypt；　and　on　account　of　the　benefits　he　had　conferred　on　mankind　he　was　unanimously　hailed　and　worshipped　as　a　deity。　But　his　brother　Set　（whom　the　Greeks　called　Typhon）　with　seventy…two　others　plotted　against　him。　Having　taken　the　measure　of　his　good　brother's　body　by　stealth；　the　bad　brother　Typhon　fashioned　and　highly　decorated　a　coffer　of　the　same　size；　and　once　when　they　were　all　drinking　and　making　merry　he　brought　in　the　coffer　and　jestingly　promised　to　give　it　to　the　one　whom　it　should　fit　exactly。　Well；　they　all　tried　one　after　the　other；　but　it　fitted　none　of　them。　Last　of　all　Osiris　stepped　into　it　and　lay　down。　On　that　the　conspirators　ran　and　slammed　the　lid　down　on　him；　nailed　it　fast；　soldered　it　with　molten　lead；　and　flung　the　coffer　into　the　Nile。　This　happened　on　the　seventeenth　day　of　the　month　Athyr；　when　the　sun　is　in　the　sign　of　the　Scorpion；　and　in　the　eight…and…twentieth　year　of　the　reign　or　the　life　of　Osiris。　When　Isis　heard　of　it　she　sheared　off　a　lock　of　her　hair；　put　on　a　mourning　attire；　and　wandered　disconsolately　up　and　down；　seeking　the　body。

By　the　advice　of　the　god　of　wisdom　she　took　refuge　in　the　papyrus　swamps　of　the　Delta。　Seven　scorpions　accompanied　her　in　her　flight。　One　evening　when　she　was　weary　she　came　to　the　house　of　a　woman；　who；　alarmed　at　the　sight　of　the　scorpions；　shut　the　door　in　her　face。　Then　one　of　the　scorpions　crept　under　the　door　and　stung　the　child　of　the　woman　that　he　died。　But　when　Isis　heard　the　mother's　lamentation；　her　heart　was　touched；　and　she　laid　her　hands　on　the　child　and　uttered　her　powerful　spells；　so　the　poison　was　driven　out　of　the　child　and　he　lived。　Afterwards　Isis　herself　gave　birth　to　a　son　in　the　swamps。　She　had　conceived　him　while　she　fluttered　in　the　form　of　a　hawk　over　the　corpse　of　her　dead　husband。　The　infant　was　the　younger　Horus；　who　in　his　youth　bore　the　name　of　Harpocrates；　that　is；　the　child　Horus。　Him　Buto；　the　goddess　of　the　north；　hid　from　the　wrath　of　his　wicked　uncle　Set。　Yet　she　could　not　guard　him　from　all　mishap；　for　one　day　when　Isis　came　to　her　little　son's　hiding…place　she　found　him　stretched　lifeless　and　rigid　on　the　ground：　a　scorpion　had　stung　him。　Then　Isis　prayed　to　the　sun…god　Ra　for　help。　The　god　hearkened　to　her　and　staid　his　bark　in　the　sky；　and　sent　down　Thoth　to　teach　her　the　spell　by　which　she　might　restore　her　son　to　life。　She　uttered　the　words　of　power；　and　straightway　the　poison　flowed　from　the　body　of　Horus；　air　passed　into　him；　and　he　lived。　Then　Thoth　ascended　up　into　the　sky　and　took　his　place　once　more　in　the　bark　of　the　sun；　and　the　bright　pomp　passed　onward　jubilant。

Meantime　the　coffer　containing　the　body　of　Osiris　had　floated　down　the　river　and　away　out　to　sea；　till　at　last　it　drifted　ashore　at　Byblus；　on　the　coast　of　Syria。　Here　a　fine　erica…tree　shot　up　suddenly　and　enclosed　the　chest　in　its　trunk。　The　king　of　the　country；　admiring　the　growth　of　the　tree；　had　it　cut　down　and　made　into　a　pillar　of　his　house；　but　he　did　not　know　that　the　coffer　with　the　dead　Osiris　was　in　it。　Word　of　this　came　to　Isis　and　she　journeyed　to　Byblus；　and　sat　down　by　the　well；　in　humble　guise；　her　face　wet　with　tears。　To　none　would　she　speak　till　the　king's　handmaidens　came；　and　them　she　greeted　kindly；　and　braided　their　hair；　and　breathed　on　them　from　her　own　divine　body　a　wondrous　perfume。　But　when　the　queen　beheld　the　braids　of　her　handmaidens'　hair　and　smelt　the　sweet　smell　that　emanated　from　them；　she　sent　for　the　stranger　woman　and　took　her　into　her　house　and　made　her　the　nurse　of　her　child。　But　Isis　gave　the　babe　her　finger　instead　of　her　breast　to　suck；　and　at　night　she　began　to　burn　all　that　was　mortal　of　him　away；　while　she　herself　in　the　likeness　of　a　swallow　fluttered　round　the　pillar　that　contained　her　dead　brother；　twittering　mournfully。　But　the　queen　spied　what　she　was　doing　and　shrieked　out　when　she　saw　her　child　in　flames；　and　thereby　she　hindered　him　from　becoming　immortal。　Then　the　goddess　revealed　herself　and　begged　for　the　pillar　of　the　roof；　and　they　gave　it　her；　and　she　cut　the　coffer　out　of　it；　and　fell　upon　it　and　embraced　it　and　lamented　so　loud　that　the　younger　of　the　king's　children　died　of　fright　on　the　spot。　But　the　trunk　of　the　tree　she　wrapped　in　fine　linen；　and　poured　ointment　on　it；　and　gave　it　to　the　king　and　queen；　and　the　wood　stands　in　a　temple　of　Isis　and　is　worshipped　by　the　people　of　Byblus　to　this　day。　And　Isis　put　the　coffer　in　a　boat　and　took　the　eldest　of　the　king's　children　with　her　and　sailed　away。　As　soon　as　they　were　alone；　she　opened　the　chest；　and　laying　her　face　on　the　face　of　her　brother　she　kissed　him　and　wept。　But　the　child　came　behind　her　softly　and　saw　what　she　was　about；　and　she　turned　and　looked　at　him　in　anger；　and　the　child　could　not　bear　her　look　and　died；　but　some　say　that　it　was　not　so；　but　that　he　fell　into　the　sea　and　was　drowned。　It　is　he　whom　the　Egyptians　sing　of　at　their　banquets　under　the　name　of　Maneros。

But　Isis　put　the　coffer　by　and　went　to　see　her　son　Horus　at　the　city　of　Buto；　and　Typhon　found　the　coffer　as　he　was　hunting　a　boar　one　night　by　the　light　of　a　full　moon。　And　he　knew　the　body；　and　rent　it　into　fourteen　pieces；　and　scattered　them　abroad。　But　Isis　sailed　up　and　down　the　marshes　in　a　shallop　made　of　papyrus；　looking　for　the　pieces；　and　that　is　why　when　people　sail　in　shallops　made　of　papyrus；　the　crocodiles　do　not　hurt　them；　for　they　fear　or　respect　the　goddess。　And　that　is　the　reason；　too；　why　there　are　many　graves　of　Osiris　in　Egypt；　for　she　buried　each　limb　as　she　found　it。　But　others　will　have　it　that　she　buried　an　image　of　him　in　every　city；　pretending　it　was　his　body；　in　order　that　Osiris　might　be　worshipped　in　many　places；　and　that　if　Typhon　searched　for　the　real　grave　he　might　not　be　able　to　find　it。　However；　the　genital　member　of　Osiris　had　been　eaten　by　the　fishes；　so　Isis　made　an　image　of　it　instead；　and　the　image　is　used　by　the　Egyptians　at　their　festivals　to　this　day。　Isis；　writes　the　historian　Diodorus　Siculus；　recovered　all　the　parts　of　the　body　except　the　genitals；　and　because　she　wished　that　her　husband's　grave　should　be　unknown　and　honoured　by　all　who　dwell　in　the　land　of　Egypt；　she　resorted　to　the　following　device。　She　moulded　human　images　out　of　wax　and　spices；　corresponding　to　the　stature　of　Osiris；　round　each　one　of　the　parts　of　his　body。　Then　she　called　in　the　priests　according　to　their　families　and　took　an　oath　of　them　all　that　they　would　reveal　to　no　man　the　trust　she　was　about　to　repose　in　them。　So　to　each　of　them　privately　she　said　that　to　them　alone　she　entrusted　the　burial　of　the　body；　and　reminding　them　of　the　benefits　they　had　received　she　exhorted　them　to　bury　the　body　in　their　own　land　and　to　honour　Osiris　as　a　god。　She　also　besought　them　to　dedicate　one　of　the　animals　of　their　country；　whichever　they　chose；　and　to　honour　it　in　life　as　they　had　formerly　honoured　Osiris；　and　when　it　died　to　grant　it　obsequies　like　his。　And　because　she　would　encourage　the　priests　in　their　own　interest　to　bestow　the　aforesaid　honours；　she　gave　them　a　third　part　of　the　land　to　be　used　by　them　in　the　service　and　worship　of　the　gods。　Accordingly　it　is　said　that　the　priests；　mindful　of　the　benefits　of　Osiris；　desirous　of　gratifying　the　queen；　and　moved　by　the　prospect　of　gain；　carried　out　all　the　injunctions　of　Isis。　Wherefore　to　this　day　each　of　the　priests　imagines　that　Osiris　is　buried　in　his　country；　and　they　honour　the　beasts　that　were　consecrated　in　the　beginning；　and　when　the　animals　die　the　priests　renew　at　their　burial　the　mourning　for　Osiris。　But　the　sacred　bulls；　the　one　called　Apis　and　the　other　Mnevis；　were　dedicated　to　Osiris；　and　it　was　ordained　that　they　should　be　worshipped　as　gods　in　common　by　all　the　Egyptians；　since　these　animals　above　all　others