sophists, those Egyptian philosophers who lived habitually in a state of perfect nudity, and devoted themselves wholly to the study of all heavenly truths; but he found them far inferior to a similar sect on the banks of the Ganges. Philostratus is evidently jealous of the wisdom evinced on the banks of the Nile. He allows, however, that very wonderful things are found among the Gymnosophists. They have trees, for instance, amongst them which are endured with intelligence, and bow politely to the passers-by. But in spite of these marvels, Apollonius very learnedly proves the inferiority of this branch of the sect, and does it with such success that Thespesion, who is usually as black as a raven, is seen to blush scarlet from head to foot. The mythology of Egypt is another object of his bitterest criticism. He finds fault with the grotesqueness of the Egyptian idols which represent the head of a dog and a sparrow-hawk, forgetting, no doubt, that in this respect, at least, India had but slight reason to reproach Egypt.
After sailing up to the sources of the Nile, or rather to the great cataracts with
