the golden bough-第113部分

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　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　had　helped　the　discoverers　of　corn　in　sowing　the　seed　and　procuring　the　universal　benefits　of　agriculture。

Such　is　the　myth　or　legend　of　Osiris；　as　told　by　Greek　writers　and　eked　out　by　more　or　less　fragmentary　notices　or　allusions　in　native　Egyptian　literature。　A　long　inscription　in　the　temple　at　Denderah　has　preserved　a　list　of　the　god's　graves；　and　other　texts　mention　the　parts　of　his　body　which　were　treasured　as　holy　relics　in　each　of　the　sanctuaries。　Thus　his　heart　was　at　Athribis；　his　backbone　at　Busiris；　his　neck　at　Letopolis；　and　his　head　at　Memphis。　As　often　happens　in　such　cases；　some　of　his　divine　limbs　were　miraculously　multiplied。　His　head；　for　example；　was　at　Abydos　as　well　as　at　Memphis；　and　his　legs；　which　were　remarkably　numerous；　would　have　sufficed　for　several　ordinary　mortals。　In　this　respect；　however；　Osiris　was　nothing　to　St。　Denys；　of　whom　no　less　than　seven　heads；　all　equally　genuine；　are　extant。

According　to　native　Egyptian　accounts；　which　supplement　that　of　Plutarch；　when　Isis　had　found　the　corpse　of　her　husband　Osiris；　she　and　her　sister　Nephthys　sat　down　beside　it　and　uttered　a　lament　which　in　after　ages　became　the　type　of　all　Egyptian　lamentations　for　the　dead。　Come　to　thy　house；　they　wailed。　Come　to　thy　house。　O　god　On！　come　to　thy　house；　thou　who　hast　no　foes。　O　fair　youth；　come　to　thy　house；　that　thou　mayest　see　me。　I　am　thy　sister；　whom　thou　lovest；　thou　shalt　not　part　from　me。　O　fair　boy；　come　to　thy　house　。　I　see　thee　not；　yet　doth　my　heart　yearn　after　thee　and　mine　eyes　desire　thee。　Come　to　her　who　loves　thee；　who　loves　thee；　Unnefer；　thou　blessed　one！　Come　to　thy　sister；　come　to　thy　wife；　to　thy　wife；　thou　whose　heart　stands　still。　Come　to　thy　housewife。　I　am　thy　sister　by　the　same　mother；　thou　shalt　not　be　far　from　me。　Gods　and　men　have　turned　their　faces　towards　thee　and　weep　for　thee　together　。　I　call　after　thee　and　weep；　so　that　my　cry　is　heard　to　heaven；　but　thou　hearest　not　my　voice；　yet　am　I　thy　sister；　whom　thou　didst　love　on　earth；　thou　didst　love　none　but　me；　my　brother！　my　brother！　This　lament　for　the　fair　youth　cut　off　in　his　prime　reminds　us　of　the　laments　for　Adonis。　The　title　of　Unnefer　or　the　Good　Being　bestowed　on　him　marks　the　beneficence　which　tradition　universally　ascribed　to　Osiris；　it　was　at　once　his　commonest　title　and　one　of　his　names　as　king。

The　lamentations　of　the　two　sad　sisters　were　not　in　vain。　In　pity　for　her　sorrow　the　sun…god　Ra　sent　down　from　heaven　the　jackal…headed　god　Anubis；　who；　with　the　aid　of　Isis　and　Nephthys；　of　Thoth　and　Horus；　pieced　together　the　broken　body　of　the　murdered　god；　swathed　it　in　linen　bandages；　and　observed　all　the　other　rites　which　the　Egyptians　were　wont　to　perform　over　the　bodies　of　the　departed。　Then　Isis　fanned　the　cold　clay　with　her　wings：　Osiris　revived；　and　thenceforth　reigned　as　king　over　the　dead　in　the　other　world。　There　he　bore　the　titles　of　Lord　of　the　Underworld；　Lord　of　Eternity；　Ruler　of　the　Dead。　There；　too；　in　the　great　Hall　of　the　Two　Truths；　assisted　by　forty…two　assessors；　one　from　each　of　the　principal　districts　of　Egypt；　he　presided　as　judge　at　the　trial　of　the　souls　of　the　departed；　who　made　their　solemn　confession　before　him；　and；　their　heart　having　been　weighed　in　the　balance　of　justice；　received　the　reward　of　virtue　in　a　life　eternal　or　the　appropriate　punishment　of　their　sins。

In　the　resurrection　of　Osiris　the　Egyptians　saw　the　pledge　of　a　life　everlasting　for　themselves　beyond　the　grave。　They　believed　that　every　man　would　live　eternally　in　the　other　world　if　only　his　surviving　friends　did　for　his　body　what　the　gods　had　done　for　the　body　of　Osiris。　Hence　the　ceremonies　observed　by　the　Egyptians　over　the　human　dead　were　an　exact　copy　of　those　which　Anubis；　Horus；　and　the　rest　had　performed　over　the　dead　god。　At　every　burial　there　was　enacted　a　representation　of　the　divine　mystery　which　had　been　performed　of　old　over　Osiris；　when　his　son；　his　sisters；　his　friends　were　gathered　round　his　mangled　remains　and　succeeded　by　their　spells　and　manipulations　in　converting　his　broken　body　into　the　first　mummy；　which　they　afterwards　reanimated　and　furnished　with　the　means　of　entering　on　a　new　individual　life　beyond　the　grave。　The　mummy　of　the　deceased　was　Osiris；　the　professional　female　mourners　were　his　two　sisters　Isis　and　Nephthys；　Anubis；　Horus；　all　the　gods　of　the　Osirian　legend　gathered　about　the　corpse。　In　this　way　every　dead　Egyptian　was　identified　with　Osiris　and　bore　his　name。　From　the　Middle　Kingdom　onwards　it　was　the　regular　practice　to　address　the　deceased　as　Osiris　So…and…So；　as　if　he　were　the　god　himself；　and　to　add　the　standing　epithet　true　of　speech；　because　true　speech　was　characteristic　of　Osiris。　The　thousands　of　inscribed　and　pictured　tombs　that　have　been　opened　in　the　valley　of　the　Nile　prove　that　the　mystery　of　the　resurrection　was　performed　for　the　benefit　of　every　dead　Egyptian；　as　Osiris　died　and　rose　again　from　the　dead；　so　all　men　hoped　to　arise　like　him　from　death　to　life　eternal。

Thus　according　to　what　seems　to　have　been　the　general　native　tradition　Osiris　was　a　good　and