of which are under the care of very ill-favoured guardians. The other details are of a more miscellaneous character, and apparently without any decided element of coherence, excepting that there is in this, as in the preceding division, a leading chapter, of which the object may be ascertained, with much probability, as having a more direct dealing with the subtleties of the Egyptian creed, and illustrating what may be called the Osirianism of the system. Beyond this point, we shall not carry our exposition; there is yet much to be done before a clear view can be obtained of that monstrous and multiform combination, in which Tout étoit Dieu, excepté Dieu même. Ingenious conjectures have been proposed, and plausible theories maintained, but, so far as we can see, the Isiac veil remains unlifted. It is not impossible that a harmonising element may exist; that this medley of individualities, combinations, and metamorphoses, may contain, among its crawling or climbing caprices, some leading thought, some positive and ultimate principle, but if such a thing there be, we believe that it is still to seek; we cannot find it in the Götterkreise of the Chevalier Buusen, nor in the Götterverhältniss of Dr. Lepsius. If anything of a loftier bearing can be thought to show itself, it may possibly be traced in the character and position of Amun, who maintains a supreme and independent throne, the Zeus of the Egyptian mythology; and in certain indications that would seem to connect the attributes and influences of Osiris, with an agency more ethereal and diffused, than the vulgar anthropomorphism of the sculptures and paintings might lead us to anticipate.

be

We do not meddle with the learned editor's inferences, touching the extreme antiquity of this legendary collection. The parties immediately concerned, had no difficulty in the matter; they derived the whole series from Thoth, the ultimate referee in all cases of written tradition. Old or recent, however, it is clearly a gradual compilation, of which the core may be much more remotely dated than the subsequent additions. The mere insertion of names or references, proves nothing in any direction, and all effective reasoning from internal evidence must be deferred, until the time shall come when we may able to read these dark rolls, with a clear and continuous apprehension of their meaning. Dr. Lepsius is firm in his belief, that these nebule will be at last resolved; and, in the meantime, he urges the close study of the Todtenbuch, as the most promising source and medium of instruction. The comparison of the hieroglyphic and hieratic texts is strongly enforced, as affording an obvious and easy method of familiarising the eye and hand with the difficulties of the latter. One observation more, and we dismiss, for the present, a subject which we may

find future opportunities of carrying forward to more explicit results. Champollion, after examination of this papyrus, designated it as a ritual-Rituel funéraire. To this Lepsius objects, on the ground that the contents show no affinity with formularies of public or private devotion, but have reference entirely to the post mortem movements and personal agency of the individual in whose name the Roll was made out. It contains a series of invocations, prayers, and other modes of appeal, to be addressed by the defunct to the various divinities whom he might encounter, on his travels through the ultra-terrene regions. Admitting, then, The Book of the Dead,' as preferred by Lepsius, to be an unobjectionable heading, we yet cannot perceive the inappropriateness of that given by his predecessor. Is it, after all, an unlikely supposition, that these forms might be made available for various duties; that they belonged, entirely or in part, to the temple-service, and that they were chaunted or recited in connexion with the funeral ceremony?

The second title at the head of this article distinguishes a work of much value and convenience to the student. Up to the present time, simple collection has been the rule, for the material was both in request and in danger. The soil of Egypt, set with marvellous relics of antiquity, preserved beneath that wide-spread ruin, the brief and fragmentary chronicle of those dark and remote periods when fact and fable entangled each other, requiring for their extrication, precisely that sort of evidence of which stone and the chisel might be supposed the most trustworthy conservators. Marble and the graver are, however, sadly fallible when vanity or interest direct the operation, nor can the granites and basalts of Egypt tell us anything beyond the traditionary elements of a complicated history, transmitted through an artificial channel, and made thoroughly subservient to special purposes. Annals carved in hard stone are not likely to spread out into illustrative or explanatory details; and the descendants of Thoth, wise in their generations, reserved for themselves the secrets of the sacred dialect and character. The papyrus was inevitably more communicative than the obelisk or the stelé, but the language of Egypt preserves everywhere the monumental forms; with the defects of a purely hieroglyphic or symbolic medium, awkwardly supplied by an interfused phoneticism. The machinery had fairly answered the intention of its contrivers; but its work was wellnigh done, and the secret was dying away amid the political changes of the country, when the bilinguar inscriptions were fortunately interposed to preserve it for posterity.

The discovery of the clue to all this intricacy, made it of the

utmost importance to secure, as far as possible, the remaining fragments of the language, and thenceforth inscriptions were copied, and papyri collected, with exemplary industry and activity. It soon, however, became manifest that a large portion of these relics was of small practical use, being to a great extent mere repetitions of special phrases and forms, explained without much difficulty, and where defective, satisfactorily made out by comparison and inference. But among them were others of great value, containing, even in a partial interpretation, information of essential importance to a right apprehension of Egyptian history and character, correcting previous errors, and suggesting names, dates, and circumstances, in a high degree auxiliary to the adjustment of a bewildering chronology. It became, therefore, expedient to make such a selection from the general mass, as might bring the more available materials within the reach of all who may feel an interest in these inquiries, and the task fell into the fittest hands when it was taken up by Dr. Lepsius. The marking points of Egyptian history are here, partially illustrated and awaiting farther elaboration. The draughts are, moreover, on a scale, 'large folio,' that gives perfect distinctness to all details. The number of plates is twenty-three, so arranged, as to follow the order of time, and to exhibit, though with wide interruptions, the successive dynasties from the fourth to the time of the Ptolemies. The first and second 'Tafeln' contain the mural genealogies of Karnak and Abydos, corrected and completed as far as practicable; the critical and conjectural additions being distinguished by a different mode of execution. All this, however, does not affect the interpretation, it only brings before the eye the thing to be interpreted. Independently of the still unremoved difficulties in the way of direct and sufficient explanation, there are the very formidable hindrances which arise from the damaged state of the record, and of this we regret to say, that much is due not merely to carelessness, but to intention. There has been, as we shall presently see, a regular traffic in this antiquarian ware; systematic spoliation has been carried on, and it may be questioned whether the discriminating depredations of European officials, have not done more real mischief than the sweeping demolitions of the natives. The ruins of Thebes, we are told by Nestor L'hôte,* are losing, day by day, their ornamental details. The barbarism of travellers, not less injurious than

'Lettres ecrites d'Egypte en 1838 et 1839. A thin octavo, containing much valuable detail, written and illustrated in a craftsman-like style. This, with the lively but rather off-hand Letters' of Champollion, give a much more vivid impression of monumental Egypt than is to be obtained from works of much greater cost and pretence.

the cupidity of the Arabs, leaves no monument undamaged; and for the sake of carrying off some mere fragment of sculpture, mutilates entire surfaces.' He goes on to specify, in illustration of the different agencies, the destruction of two Pylons for a local supply of building materials; and the defacements of the painted tombs, for the miserable purpose of enhancing the value of copies previously taken. Either from this cause, or from inexcusably rough treatment in clearing away dilapidations, the genealogies of Karnak have sustained great injury, since their first discovery. The Tablet' of Abydos has also suffered much in its removal from the original site. Thanks, however, to the admirable skill and activity of Lepsius, the loss has been in part repaired; we have now these invaluable memorials in a fair degree of restoration, and the labours of Birch and Bunsen have cleared up much that was obscure in their import, or difficult in their historical adjustment. The promised 'Text' of Lepsius has never, so far as we can learn, been published, and the present work contributes nothing of verbal illustration beyond a classified index. The Tablet of Abydos is now safe from farther injury in our own Museum, but the 'Chamber of Kings' is still liable to barbaric or capricious mutilation, as an irremovable portion of the great temple-palace' of Karnak.

6

In the following subject we have a reproduction of the great Hieratic Papyrus, once altogether unregarded, but now carefully preserved among the most valued treasures of the royal museum at Turin. It was brought from Egypt, in the large and important collection formed by the French consul-general, Drovetti;* offered by him to the Bourbons, but refused; and

This gentleman seems to have been an especial favourite with Champollion, who speaks eloquently of his noble, frank, and disinterested' conduct: the Chevalier Bunsen, too, gives him a good word, in consideration of his 'love to Egyptian art.' If, however, the statement of Mr. Gliddon, the American consul, is to be accepted, the disinterestedness of this affection may be reasonably doubted. He speaks of Salt and Drovetti,' as 'absorbed in intrigues and manœuvres to circumvent each other in the abstraction of a saleable relic:' he describes the trade in antiquities as a consular monopoly of France, Great Britain, and Sweden,' and his only mitigating comment is in favour of the English agent. Salt, however, it must in justice be added, was a gentleman and a scholar, possessed of many estimable qualities; and if he sold the tablet that he had succeeded in withholding from the Corsair clutches of Drovetti, he certainly did his best to embellish his invoices with antiquarian annotations.' The italics are Mr. Gliddon's. To this it may be added as a significant circumstance, on the authority of Champollion Figeac, the editor of his brother's Lettres sur l'Egypte et la Nubie,' that Drovetti endeavoured to dissuade, and, failing dissuasion, to prevent J. F. Champollion from visiting Egypt. The official interference of a royal mission threatened to break up a lucrative traffic.

ultimately secured by the Piedmontese government. The history of this document is not uninteresting. Purchased without reference to its special value, it remained in careless custody as a lot of illegible scraps until 1824, when Champollion detected in that heap of unsorted fragments the signs of an orderly succession of Egyptian kings. But he neglected the smaller sections, and it was two years later when Seyffarth undertook the meritorious task of arranging the whole, as far as ascertainable, in regular order, inlaying, or at least securing, the smallest remains. In this state it was found by Lepsius in 1835, and with characteristic decision, he immediately set about making a correct and complete transcript. He found, however, that certain portions which were seen and copied by Champollion, and had apparently passed through the unsafe hands of Salvolini, were now missing. After canvassing Europe for materials, he undertook a second journey to Turin, with a view to clearing up some remaining difficulties, and the result of this exemplary and expensive labour is here before us, on four double folio pages, an admirable example of skill and perseverance. More than one hundred and sixty ragged pieces, larger and smaller, have been carefully arranged, and without being precisely a restoration, this rich relic is at least set forth in the most accessible and convenient form.

Thus far these plates are referable to general chronology; the remainder, to the 19th inclusive, illustrate particular dynasties from the fourth to the Ptolemæan period. Among them is a large and legible transcript of the Rosetta Stone. Four of a more miscellaneous quality close the series; they chiefly consist of what is called the Canon of Egyptian Proportion,' by which we suppose is meant, some law of adjustment applied to the lines of the human figure. It may be so apparently it is nothing more than a simple method of copying a subject, without reference to rule or principle. There are some humorous sketches, but the drollery lacks both edge and point.

We have hesitated as to the expediency of connecting with these documents the recently published work of the Chevalier Bunsen, and we have decided in the negative for several reasons, of which the most influential has been the consideration that it is an unfinished inquiry, and that it is by no means easy to anticipate the precise conclusions to which it may lead. The analysis of three volumes, in themselves to a great degree analytic, is out of the question, and we prefer waiting for more precise and positive results. There is no small difficulty in dealing with a writer, the personal friend and avowed disciple of Niebuhr and Champollion; names of highest note but doubtful guidance, the latter, we venture to think, especially fluctua