smegisto ansam dedit diem dividendi in
duodecim partes aequales. Such is the history of these wonderful
[54]animals. That Apes and Baboons were, among the Egyptians, held in
veneration, is very certain. The Ape was sacred to the God Apis; and by the
Greeks was rendered Capis, and [55]Ceipis. The Baboon was denominated from
the Deity[56] Babon, to whom it was equally sacred. But what have these to
do with the supposed Cunocephalus, which, according to the Grecian
interpretation, is an animal with the head of a dog? This characteristic
does not properly belong to any species of Apes, but seems to have been
unduly appropriated to them. The term Cunocephalus, [Greek: Kunokephalos],
is an Egyptian compound: and this strange history relates to the priests of
the country, styled Cahen; also to the novices in their temples; and to the
examinations, which they were obliged to undergo, before they could be
admitted to the priesthood. To explain this, I must take notice, that in
early times they built their temples upon eminences, for many reasons; but
especially for the sake of celestial observations. The Egyptians were much
addicted to the study of astronomy: and they used to found their colleges
in Upper Egypt upon rocks and hills, called by them Caph. These, as they
were sacred to the Sun, were farther denominated Caph-El, and sometimes
Caph-Aur, and Caph-Arez. The term Caph-El, which often occurs in history,
the Greeks uniformly changed to [Greek: Kephale], Cephale: and from
Cahen-Caph-El, the sacred rock of Orus, they formed [Greek: Kunokephale],
and [Greek: Kunokephalos]; which they supposed to relate to an animal with
the head of a dog. But this Cahen-Caph-El was certainly some royal seminary
in Upper Egypt, whence they drafted novices to supply their colleges and
temples. These young persons were, before their introduction, examined by
some superior priest; and, accordingly as they answered upon their trial,
they were admitted, or refused. They were denominated Caph-El, and
Cahen-Caph-El, from the academy where they received their first
instruction; and this place, though sacred, seems to have been of a class
subordinate to others. It was a kind of inferior cloister and temple, such
as Capella in the Romish church; which, as well as Capellanus, was derived
from Egypt: for, the church, in its first decline, borrowed largely from
that country. That there was some particular place of this sort situated
upon a rock or eminence,