columns and other places in the palace of Louqsor; he is seen on every side, and throughout the edifice, which is called the tomb of Osymandias, among the names recorded in the chronological table of the palace of Abydos, and on several obelisks, which are still in Egypt, or have been removed to Italy.

This is the same Pharaoh Rameses, whom Tacitus mentions in his account of Germanicus, who, when visiting the venerable ruins of the famous Thebes, inquired from the oldest of the priests the meaning of the hieroglyphical inscriptions which covered these monuments; the historian informs us, that this priest said, that they contained the records of the ancient state of Egypt, of its revenue and military forces, and of the conquests of Lybia, Ethiopia, Syria, and a great part of Asia, made by one of their ancient kings, called Rameses. It is, indeed, a striking, and at the same time a gratifying circumstance, that after the lapse of so many centuries, we should be able to read these very monuments which Germanicus visited, and confirm by our reading the account which, according to Tacitus, he received from the priest who attended him.

Since writing the above, the French papers have announced that a papyrus, containing an account of the expeditions and victories of Sesostris, has been found by Champollion, in Egypt, and that the whole corresponds with, and confirms, all that

we knew of this prince, from other inscriptions and monuments, which had been decyphered already.

Something of the same sort about Ramesses Meiamon has also been stated by Professor Seyffarth, in two letters, published in the London Weekly Review of March 14 and 21, 1829. They ought to be consulted; for, besides the great interest they possess on matters relating to the history of Egypt, they may serve also to give an idea of the high progress which that extraordinary nation had made in all the arts that belong to civilized life.

Among the papyri the learned Professor mentions some, which "present a diary of the most important events that took place in Egypt; on the margins are inscribed supplementary notes relating to the affairs of distant provinces; and have probably been in the hands of Diodorus Siculus."

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..." Another papyrus closely written in hieratic characters, contains a complete sketch of the history of Egypt..... The narrative commences with the reigns of the Gods. Ammon and Vulcanus first ruled Egypt; and they were succeeded by Ammon-Sol, and so on to Osiris, Typhon, Hovus, &c. during an interval of 13917 years. Thout alone is stated to have reigned 3936 years. Then follow the Heroes, and other sovereigns of Memphis; which, with the former reigns, make out a period of 23200. The whole corresponds with Manetho."....

We shall see in our lecture on Chronology how these years are to be reckoned.

LECTURE IV.

Division of hieroglyphics-Figurative and symbolic hieroglyphics explained-Legends of some of the principal deities— Amon-Phtha-Neith-Smé-Saté-Rhe, or Phre-IsisOsiris-Character of this latter in the Amenti—Account of the thirty-two regions in which the souls of the dead might be confined-Mode by which they were tried—Important tenet it inculcated-Origin of Tartarus, Elysium, Pluto, Cerberus, Acheron, Charon, &c.

Of the several legends which I exhibited in our last Lecture, I read and explained to you only that part which contained proper names; the remaining part, I observed at the time, consisting of characters of a different sort, which required further consideration. It will be necessary, therefore, before I proceed with my subject, that I should make you acquainted with these characters. This will be the object of the present Lecture.

All hieroglyphics, properly and strictly so called, may be distinguished into three different sorts, according to the greater or less degree of similarity they have to the object they are intended to represent. These three sorts are,

1. Hieroglyphics proper.
2. Hieroglyphics abridged.

3. Hieroglyphics conventional.

The figurative hieroglyphics, properly so called,

are those pictures which exhibit the exact figure of the thing. Of these, some are the representation of the object, as it exists in nature, such as the sun, the moon, an ox, a bird, and the like; others, while they retain their original figurative character, are also used as simple marks to denote the species, and occasionally even the genus, or kind.

Thus, for instance, in Table 3, fig. 12. the first characters, taken by themselves, will always spell Amonmai, for the feather is an A, the dented parallelogram is an M, the undulating line is N, the ploughshare is M, and the two feathers I. But this word Amonmai, without the last sign of the figure of a man, will be a compound adjective, signifying, beloved by Amon, a title of honour, which is generally given to all the sovereigns of Egypt; whilst, with the addition of the last sign, the figure of a man, it becomes the name of a private individual.

Again, in Table 3, fig. 8, 9, 10, the first character represents a ship, which is a generic mark ; but if after this mark we place one of the groups which follow it, then what is generic will become specific, and signify the ship of Phre, [fig. 8.] the ship of Osiris, [fig. 9.] or the ship of Benno, [fig. 10. because such is the figurative and phonetic meaning of each group, as I shall explain by and by.

The same must be said of the other two groups, taken from a basso relievo of the palace of Me

dina Habou, representing a victory of Rameses Meiamoun, before whom they are bringing a number of prisoners. An Egyptian gives him an account of the enemies slain, which he does by counting the hands that have been cut off from the dead. Another Egyptian writes their number, and a third proclaims it. Now the inscription placed over these persons, represents the figure of a hand, followed by the numeric signs which express the number of the hands to amount to three thousand, [Table 3, fig. 11. a.] and immediately after there appears the figurative character of a man, followed by the number denoting one thousand, [fig. 11. b.] which evidently refers to the number of prisoners.

Such are what are designated proper figurative hieroglyphics. The figurative abridged are those which do not give an exact description, but only a sketch of the object: for instance, instead of giving the elevation, or even one of the sides of a house, They give a plan of the interior.

The conventional figurative hieroglyphics, are those which, though very far from representing an object as it exists in nature, yet deserve the name of figurative, on account of their exhibiting the form, which the Egyptians attributed to certain things. Such are, for instance, the characters by which they expressed the firmament; it was neither more nor less than a regular ceiling, sometimes interspersed with stars, and at other times simply painted blue. [Table 3, fig. 13, 14.] Of