took him up three years, he passed from Asia by the Hellespont into Thrace,
where Lycurgus withstood him, and at last put him to flight. He came into
Greece; and was there adopted by the people, and represented as a native of
their country. He visited many places upon the Mediterranean; especially
Campania, and the coast of Italy, where he was taken prisoner by the
Hetrurian pirates. Others say, that he conquered all [860]Hetruria. He had
many attendants; among whom were the Tityri, Satyri, Thyades, and Amazons.
The whole of his history is very inconsistent in respect both to time and
place. Writers therefore have tried to remedy this by introducing different
people of the same name. Hence Dionusus is multiplied into as many
[861]personages as Hercules. His history was looked upon as very
interesting; and therefore was the chief theme of all the antient
[862]bards. His flight, styled [Greek: phuge Dionusou], was particularly
[863]recorded. He was the same as Osiris; and many of the later
mythologists acknowledged this truth. [Greek: Aiguptioi men gar ton par'
autois theon Osirin onomazomenon phasin einai ton par' Hellesi Dionuson
touton de muthologousin epelthein pasan ten oikoumenen--Homoios de kai tous
Indous ton theon touton par' heautois apophanesthai gegonenai.] _The
Egyptians_, says [864]Diodorus, _maintain that their God Osiris is no other
than the Dionusus of Greece: And they farther mention, that he travelled
over the face of the whole earth--In like manner the Indi assure us, that
it is the same Deity, who wan conversant in their [865]country_.

Dionusus, according to the Grecian mythology, is represented as having been
twice born: and is said to have had two fathers and two mothers. He was
also exposed in an [866]ark, and wonderfully preserved. The purport of
which histories is plain. We must however for the most part consider the
account given of Dionusus, as the history of the Dionusians. This is
twofold. Part relates to their rites and religion; in which the great
events of the infant world, and the preservation of mankind in general,
were recorded. In the other part, which contains the expeditions and
conquests of this personage, are enumerated the various colonies of the
people, who were denominated from him. They were the same as the Osirians
and Herculeans; all of one family, though under different appellations. I
have shewn, that there were many places which claimed his birth; and as
many, where was s