find the other characters expressed by fig. 4, b. The former are the plant, two semicircles, and the bee. The first is an S, each of the second a T, an abbreviation of soten, or suten, which is the Egyptian name to signify a king; and the bee, which, according to Horoapollo, is the symbol of popular obedience being added to it, enables us to explain the whole group by king of the obedient people. As to the other characters, which are at the top of the second oval [fig. 4. b.] you remember that the bird indicates the relation of son, and the circle is the symbolic name of the god Re, or Phre, the great luminary, the sun; therefore, these two characters mean, son (or offspring) of the sun. These external signs, being always the same, offer no difficulty, for their import never alters. But the case is different with the characters contained in the ring; for they vary most materially with the names of the different kings, each having characters so peculiar to himself, that by the mere difference of them we may distinguish the several monarchs who bore the same name; the four or five Ramesses, for instance, and all the Ptolemies. But as it would require more time than we have, to enumerate and explain all the groups which enter into the composition of these prænomina, I shall confine myself to those which most generally occur, in their grammatical form, though they may, and indeed they do vary in their expression, when combined with the names of the different gods, or goddesses, with which each of them forms a specific legend.

The first group to which I mean to call your attention, is a figure very much resembling a plough-share, followed by two feathers. [Table 7, fig. 5. For some time these signs were incomprehensible, but fortunately for the progress of the modern discoveries in hieroglyphical literature, these two signs joined to the phonetic name of Phtha, were found to exist in the name of Ptolemy, engraved on the Rosetta stone, which was rendered in Greek by the word loved, or beloved by Phtha. This remarkable circumstance attracted the attention. of the antiquaries, and M. Champollion ascertained that the plough is an M, the two feathers an E, or I, and the whole gives the word mai, or mei, which in Egyptian signifies loved; and thus perfectly agreeing, not only with the Greek version engraved on the Rosetta stone, but also with the translation we have from Hermapion of one of the ancient obelisks of Rome, which unfortunately has not escaped the ravages of the barbarians, and of time.

Sometimes, instead of the plough, we find a sort of a square, a kind of pedestal joined to the two feathers. [fig. 6.] But as this pedestal is a synonyme of the plough, and equally represents the letter M, the meaning of the group remains the same. Now, if to this group of the plough and the feathers, or of the pedestal and the feathers, we add the name of any god or goddess, such as Ammon, Re, Phtha, and the like, whether phonetically, figuratively, or symbolically expressed, we

shall have the phrase, beloved by Amon, beloved by Rhe, or beloved by Phtha.

In the groups, for instance, mentioned in fig. 7, we have this very phrase, beloved by Ammon, expressed phonetically, for the whole reads, Amon mais, that is, beloved by Ammon. This title seems to have been very common to most of the Pharaohs; for these characters are very often found on the obelisks and the great buildings of Thebes, which, without doubt, were raised by their order.

Sometimes we find this same title expressed partly by figurative, and partly by phonetic hieroglyphics. In the group, for example, of fig. 8. the name of Ammon is exhibited figuratively; the adjective mai, beloved, phonetically. And as sometimes the god Ammon received the appellation of Ammon-re, we find some of the Pharaohs assuming the title of beloved by Ammon-re. In this group you have a phonetic expression of this title, the whole of which reads Amonre-mai. [fig. 9.]

Sometimes we meet with the same title expressed figuratively, as in fig. 10, which shews the image of Ammon, the solar disk, and the adjective mai.

In some of the legends of the basso relievos of the temples, the god Ammon is designed with the attribute of being the supreme lord, or lord of the three regions of the world. I exhibit the whole in this legend. [fig. 11.]

In this group we have the name of Amon-re phonetically, followed by his figure, representing a god, and the adjective mai, as usual, at the end.

The meaning of the whole legend is, " Beloved by Amon-Re, god, lord of the three regions of the world, supreme lord."

What has been said of the god Ammon may be applied to all other Egyptian gods and goddesses, whose protection the several Pharaohs boasted of having obtained; and the names of these gods or goddesses are sometimes expressed figuratively, or phonetically, and at other times symbolically. In this group, for example, [fig. 12.] we have the expression, beloved by the god Re. The name of the god may be considered as phonetic, because the circle is an R, and the line is an E; but it may also be considered as symbolical, because the circle, with or without the perpendicular line, is the symbol of the god Re. And the same expression might be obtained, by exhibiting a human figure with the head of a hawk, in the usual posture in which all the Egyptian gods are represented; which, you remember, is the figurative representation of the god Re [Table 4. fig. 10]; then the figure would stand for the name of the god. The plough, or the pedestal, is an indication of the adjective mai, for these abbreviations are very commonly employed in the hieroglyphical legends; and the whole would be, Re-mai, or Re-mei, that is, beloved by the god Re. [Table 7. fig. 12.]

However, in reading these different groups, proper attention must be paid to observe whether the plough or the pedestal, that is, the characters denoting the adjective mai, precede or follow the

name of the god or goddesses; for if they follow, as in the groups I have exhibited, the meaning is as I have stated, and they are to be considered as the adjective, or, if you like it best, as the passive participle, loved. But if they precede the name of the god, then they change their signification from passive to active, and mean no longer loved, but loving; and in this case the reading will not be, beloved by Ammon, or beloved by Re, but loving Ammon, or loving Re.

The discovery of this curious qualification, arising from the position of these signs, is also due to the Rosetta stone. In the demotic text of that precious monument, which supplies the deficiency of the hieroglyphical inscription, we find this to be the case, whenever the adjective mai precedes the group of the god, and it is, in fact, so translated in the Greek version, by the original author of the inscription. From this circumstance, Champollion suspected that the same thing would have taken place in the hieroglyphic inscription, and, consequently, in endeavouring to ascertain the point, he afterwards found his suspicions right. Many instances might be adduced of this difference of signification from amongst those quoted by Champollion, all of which concur to prove that the position of the ploughshare, or pedestal, changes the passive into the active signification; and this you may easily imagine, by altering the position of these characters in the groups I have exhibited.

Another pretty general title assumed by the