Budge_Ethiopic_Alexander

384 THE HISTORY OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT
the country of Egypt, out of the Egyptian into
the Greek language, and he explained in his
translation the sciences, and wisdom, and knowledge
which were derived from them, and among
these books was the "Book of Astemganos", wherein
were [described] the gods of the men of olden
time. And he said therein that the peoples of
the seven climes of the world pay divine honours
unto the seven wandering stars {z. e., the planets),
and that the people of each of the seven countries
serve one [or other] of them, to which they bow
in homage, and burn incense, and offer up ob-
lations, and sacrifice burnt-offerings, and that the
evil spirit which liveth in the star appeareth unto
them, and holdeth converse with them, and granteth
them their desires in everything. And besides this
[he wrote] the book which is called "The Book
"of Astamatis", [p. 225] which treateth of the
breaching of cities, and fortresses, and kings' houses,
and of the submission of kings, and of how men
should make use of talismans and of the know-
ledge derived therefrom, and of the names which
will bring down rain and water' to them in the
desert and in the waste land, whensoever they
utter them. And besides these he wrote a work
which is called "El-Setutas", wherein he treateth
Aristotle's of thc kuowlcdgc of the stars, and of lucky and
unlucky clays, and of what it is meet for men to
do when the moon entereth among' the eight and
Read ffl'^^l' :