shermen. He
became a great man, and performed wonderful miracles. In wealthy houses
the sacred image of the "Mother Goddess" is carefully kept in a recess
behind an altar, veiled with a silken screen.[327:6]

The Rev. Mr. Gutzlaff, in his "Travels," speaking of the Chinese people,
says:

"Though otherwise very reasonable men, they have always showed
themselves bigoted heathens. . . . They have everywhere built
splendid temples, chiefly in honor of _Ma-tsoo-po_, the
'_Queen of Heaven_.'"[327:7]

_Isis_, mother of the Egyptian Saviour, Horus, was worshiped as a
virgin. Nothing is more common on the religious monuments of Egypt than
the infant Horus seated in the lap of his virgin mother. She is styled
"Our Lady," the "Queen of Heaven," "Star of the Sea," "Governess,"
"Mother of God," "Intercessor," "Immaculate Virgin," &c.;[328:1] all of
which epithets were in after years applied to the Virgin Mother
worshiped by the Christians.[328:2]

"The most common representation of Horus is being nursed on the knee of
Isis, or suckled at her breast."[328:3] In _Monumental Christianity_
(Fig. 92), is to be seen a representation of "Isis and Horus." The
infant Saviour is sitting on his mother's knee, while she gazes into his
face. A cross is on the back of the seat. The author, Rev. J. P. Lundy,
says, in speaking of it:

"Is this Egyptian mother, too, meditating her son's conflict,
suffering, and triumph, as she holds him before her and gazes
into his face? And is this CROSS meant to convey the idea of
life through suffering, and conflict with Typho or Evil?"

In some statues and _basso-relievos_, when Isis appears alone, she is
entirely veiled from head to foot, in common with nearly every other
goddess, as a symbol of a mother's chastity. No mortal man hath ever
lifted her veil.

Isis was also represented standing on the _crescent_ moon, with _twelve
stars_ surrounding her head.[328:4] In almost every Roman Catholic
Church on the continent of Europe may be seen pictures and statues of
_Mary_, the "Queen of Heaven," standing on the crescent moon, and her
head surrounded with _twelve_ stars.

Dr. Inman, in his "Pagan and Christian Symbolism," gives a figure of the
Virgin Mary, with her infant, standing on the _crescent moon_. In
speaking of this figure, he says:

"In it the Virgin is seen as the 'Queen of Heaven,' nursing
her infant, and identified with the crescent moon. .