HORUS,
The Son of Isis, in whose name the Sun was ador'd by the Egyptians. Some Writers report, that he was King of Assyria and a great Philosopher, who divided the Seasons of the Year, the Days and the Hours, which were called after his Name Horae.
Some are of opinion that Harpocrates is al∣so the same Divinity with the Sun and Horus; and this conformity appears by his Birth, seeing he is the Son of Isis, famous among the Egyptians. M. Tristan mistakes, when he says, that his Mother made him immortal by suckling him; and that for this reason they were used in the pomp of Isis, to carry a small golden Vessel full of Milk, to make Libations.
'Tis true that Mercury became immortal, because Juno suckl'd him; but Diodorus Sicu∣lus affirms only, that Isis render'd her Son immortal, by vertue of an Unguent she had found out. This conformity is yet evi∣denc'd, by the several symbols of these Di∣vinities. For they dedicate the same Plant to both of them, and they are represented with the same Animals and the same Atten∣dance. Sometimes the Sun is express'd by the figure of a Soldier, because he was call'd by that name in the Mysteries, and those who were initiated were also called by that very name: And the Sun and the Moon, in∣stead of riding in a Chariot like other Gods, had a Ship, because Men fancied that the Sea afforded them their Food.
Harpocrates carried over his head Fruit en∣compass'd with some open leaves, like leaves of Cliver, because it was the custom to crown therewith the Egyptian Divinities; be∣sides that Herb opens of itself at Sun-rising, and shuts of itself at Sun-setting. This God holds a Finger upon his Mouth, to shew the silence religiously observed by the Pagans in their Mysteries.
The Wings of Harpocrates are another Ar∣gument, to prove that he is the Sun; for this Star is commonly represented with Wings, to shew the swiftness of his Course.
The figure of Harpocrates is armed with a Quiver, which agrees with the Sun, darting Beams upon the Earth like so many Arrows. This Effigies carries on its arm a small Vessel, to shew that humidity, join'd to the heat of the Sun, is the cause of all Productions.
At the left foot of Harpocrates there are re∣presentations of Geese, because the natural heat of these Creatures represents the heat of the Sun, and he carries a Massy-Club twisted about with a Serpent, because this Animal is in a singular manner dedicated to the Sun. At his right foot is the figure of a Hare, which was also consecrated to the Sun, be∣cause of his fecundity and swiftness. 'Tis reported, that Hares never shut their eyes night nor day, which is an emblem of the Sun, which never ceases to afford light to some part of the World.
The Ancients were used to ascribe a Ra∣ven and a Swan to the Sun, to represent his light by the whiteness of the Swan, and his darkness by the black feathers of the Ra∣ven. And this Harpocrates was covered on one side, and naked on the other, because when the Sun gives light to our Hemisphere, the other is covered with darkness.