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" Vascaniæ in Hispaniâ FONTI DIVINO.

How much it prevailed among the Romans we learn from Seneca. "Magnorum fluviorum capita veneramur-coluntur aquarum calentium fontes; et quædam stagna, quæ vel opacitas, vel immensa altitudo sacravit. It mattered not what the nature of the water might be, if it had a peculiar quality. At Thebes, in Ammonia, was a fountain, which was said to have been cold by day, and warm at night. 'H

Ἡ κρηνη 13 καλείται τε 8. It was named the fountain of the Sun. In Campania was a fountain Virena; which I should judge to be a compound of Vir-En, and to signify ignis fons, from being dedicated to the Deity of fire, on account of some particular quality. I accordingly find in 4 Vitruvius, that it was a medicinal spring, and of a strong vitriolic nature. The Corinthians had in their Acropolis a " Pirene, of the same purport as Virena, just mentioned.

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Senecæ Epist. 41.

* Herodotus. 1. 4. c. 181. The true name was probably Cu rene, or Curane.

4 Vitruvij Architect. 1. 8. p. 163.

Pliny. 1. 4. c. 4. p. 192. Ovid. Metamorph. 1. 2.

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It was a beautiful fountain sacred to Apollo, whose image was at the head of the water within a sacred inclosure.

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We read of a Pyrene, which was a fountain of another nature; yet of the same etymology, however differently expressed. It was a mountain, and gave name to the vast ridge called Saltus Pyrenæi. It is undoubtedly a compound of "Pur-ain, and signifies a fountain of fire. should imagine, without knowing the history of the country, that this mountain once flamed; and that the name was given from this circumstance. Agreeably to this, I find, from, Aristotle de Mirabilibus, that here was formerly an eruption of fire. The same is mentioned by Posidonius in Strabo; and also by Diodorus, who adds, * Τα μεν ορη δια το συμβεβηκος κληθηναι Πυρηναία. That the mountains from hence had the name of Pyrenai. Mount Etna is derived very truly by Bochart from Aituna, fornax; as being a reservoir of molten matter. There was another very

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Is Pausanias. 1. 2. p. 117. Εςι γε δη και Απολλωνος αγαλμα προς τη Πειρηνη, και περίβολος εσιν.

Pirene and Virene are the same name.

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antient name, Inessus; by which the natives called the hill, as well as the city, which was towards the bottom of it. The name is a compound of Ain-Es, like Hanes in Egypt; and sig. nifies a fountain of fire. It is called Ennesia by Diodorus, who says that this name was afterwards changed to Etna. He speaks of the city; but the name was undoubtedly borrowed from the mountain, to which it was primarily applicable, and upon which it was originally conferred:

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Και την νυν ούσαν Αίτνην εκτησαντο, προ τετε καλεμένην Εννησίαν. Strabo expresses the name Innesa, and informs us, more precisely, that the upper part of the mountain was so called, O de 19 AUTUαIO παραχώρησαντες την Ιννησαν καλεμένην, της Αιτνης ορείνην, winrar. Upon this, the people, withdrawing them selves, went and occupied the upper part of Mount Etna, which was called Innesa. The city Hanes, in Egypt, was of the same etymology; being denominated from the Sun, who was styled Hanes, Ain-Es, fons ignis sive lucis. It was the same as the Arab Heliopolis, called now Matarea. Stephanus Byzantinus calls the city Inys for that is manifestly the name he gives it, if we take away the Greek termination.

18 Diodorus Siculus. 1. xi. p. 57.

19 Strabo. 1. 6. p. 412.

20 Ivurcos, modis Ayur: but Herodotus, " from whom he borrows, renders it Iënis. It would have been more truly rendered Doricè länis; for that was nearer to the real name. The historian, however, points it out plainly, by saying, that it was three days journey from Mount 22 Casius; and that the whole way was through the Arabian desert. This is a situation which agrees with no other city in all Egypt, except that which was the Onium of the later Jews. With this it accords precisely. There seem to have been two cities named On, from the worship of the Sun. One was called Zan, Zon, and Zoan, in the land of Go-zan, the "Goshen of the scriptures. The

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Stephanus says that it was near Mount Casius: but Herodotus expressly tells us, that it was at the distance of three days journey from it.

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Από ταύτης τα εμπορία τα επι θαλασσης μέχρι Ιηνισε πόλιος επι 78 Again. Herodotus. 1. 3. c. 5.

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Το δε μεταξυ Ιηνισε πόλιος, και Κασιδ τε δρεος, και της Σερβωνίδος λίμνης, τον εκ ολίγον χωρίον, αλλ' όσον επι τρεις ημερας όδον, ανυδρον επι Jews. Herodotus. ibidem,

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23 Go-zan is the place, or temple, of the Sun. I once thought that Goshen, or, as it is sometimes expressed, Gozan, was the same as Cushan: but I was certainly mistaken. The district of Goshen was indeed the nome of Cushan; but the two words are not of the same purport. Goshen is the same as Go-shan, and Go-zan, analogous to Beth-shan, and signifies the place of the Sun. Go-shen, Go-shan, Go-zan, and Gau-zan, are all varia

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other was the city On in Arabia; called also Hanes. They were within eight or nine miles of each other, and are both mentioned together by the prophet Isaiah. For his princes were at Zoan, and his ambassadors came to Hanes. The name of each of these cities, on account of the similarity of worship, has by the Greeks been translated 5 Heliopolis; which has caused great confusion in the history of Egypt. The latter of the two was the Iänis, or Iavicos, of the Greeks; so called from Hanes, the great fountain of light, the Sun; who was worshipped under that title by the Egyptians and Arabians. It lies now quite in ruins, close to the village Matarea, which has risen from it. The situation is so pointed out, that we cannot be mistaken: and we find, moreover, which is a circumstance very remarkable, that it is at this day called by the Arabians Ain El Sham, the fountain of the Sun; a name pre

tions of the same name. In respect to On, there were two cities so called. The one was in Egypt, where Poti-phera was Priest. Genesis. c. 41. v. 45. The other stood in Arabia, and is mentioned by the Seventy: Ny, es "Heros. Exodus. c. 1. v. 11. This was also called Onium, and Hanes, the länisus of Herodotus.

24 Isaiah. c. 30. v. 4.

25 See Observations upon the Antient History of Egypt. p. 124. p. 137.

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