that the building of Memphis was the first attempt made to rival the prosperity of Thebes.

Its extent was immense, it filled the whole valley which was permeated by the Nile. D'Anville and Denon state its circumference to have been 36 miles; its diameter not less than ten and a half. The number of its inhabitants was in proportion to these vast dimensions. Diodorus says, that the houses were four and five stories high. Although Thebes had greatly fallen off from its ancient splendour at the time, of Cambyses, yet it was the fury of this merciless conqueror that gave the last blow to its grandeur. This prince pillaged its temples, carried away all the ornaments of gold, silver, and ivory, which decorated its magnificent buildings, and ruined both its temples and its buildings. Before this unfortunate epoch, no city in the world could be compared with it in extent, splendour, and riches; and, according to the expression of Diodorus, the sun had never seen so magnificent a city.

Previous to the establishment of the monarchical government, Thebes was the residence of the principal college of the priesthood, who ruled over the country. It is to this epoch that all writers refer the elevation of its most ancient edifices. The enumeration of them all would require more time than we have. I shall confine my observations to four of the most celebrated, to which I shall have occasion often to refer.

These were the temple, or palace of Karnac, of Louqsor; the Memnonium; and the MedinehTabou, or, as some other travellers spell it, Medinet-habou.

The temple, or the palace of Karnac was, without doubt, the most considerable monument of ancient Thebes. It was not less than a mile and a half in circumference, and M. Denon employed nearly twenty minutes on horseback in going round it, at full gallop. It had in front two immense courts, adorned by ranges of columns, some of which were sixty feet high, and others eighty; and at their respective entrances there were two colossal statues on the same scale. In the middle of the second court there were four obelisks of granite of a finished workmanship, three of which are still standing. They stood before the sanctuary, built all of granite, and covered with sculptures representing symbolical attributes of the god to whom the temple was consecrated. This was the Maker of the universe, the Creator of all things, the Zevç of the Greeks, the Jupiter of the Latins, but the Ammon of the Egyptians. By the side of the sanctuary there were smaller buildings, probably the apartments of those attached to the service of the temple; and behind it other habitations, adorned with columns and porticos, which led into another immense court, having on each side closed passages, or corridors, and at the top a covered portico, or gallery, supported by a great

number of columns and pilasters. In this way the sanctuary was entirely surrounded by these vast and splendid buildings, and the whole was enclosed by a wall, covered internally and externally with symbols and hieroglyphics, which went round the magnificent edifice.

Beyond this wall there were other buildings, and other courts, filled with colossal statues of grey and white marble. These buildings, or temples, communicated with each other by means of galleries and passages, adorned with columns and statues. The most striking circumstance, however, is, that attached to this palace are the remains of a much more considerable edifice, of higher antiquity, which had been introduced into the general plan when this magnificent building was restored by the Pharaoh Amenophis, the third king of the eighteenth dynasty, nearly 2000 years before Christ. This more ancient edifice, or rather its ruins, are considered to be more than four thousand years old, or 2272 years before Christ. I shall have to speak of them in a future Lecture. A second wall enclosed the whole mass of these immense and splendid buildings, the approach to which was by means of avenues, having on their right and left colossal figures of sphinxes. In one avenue they had the head of a bull; in another, they were represented with a human head; in a third, with a ram's head. This last was a mile and a half in length, began at the southern gate, and led to the temple of Louqsor.

Speaking of this magnificent temple, and of the avenue of sphinxes I have just mentioned, Belzoni exclaims, that " on approaching it the visiter is inspired with devotion and piety; their enormous size strikes him with wonder, and respect to the gods to whom they were dedicated. The immense colossal statues, which are seated at each side of the gate, seem guarding the entrance to the holy ground; still farther on was the majestic temple, dedicated to the great God of the creation." And a little after, " I was lost," says he, "in a mass of colossal objects, every one of which was more than sufficient of itself alone to attract my whole attention. I seemed alone in the midst of all that is most sacred in the world; a forest of enormous columns, adorned all round with beautiful figures and various ornaments from top to bottom. The graceful shape of the lotus, which forms their capitals, and is so wellproportioned to the columns, that it gives to the view the most pleasing effect; the gates, the walls, the pedestals, and the architraves also adorned in every part with symbolical figures in basso relievo and intaglio, representing battles, processions, triumphs, feasts, offerings, and sacrifices, all relating to the ancient history of the country; the sanctuary, wholly formed of fine red granite, with the various obelisks standing before it, proclaiming to the distant passenger, Here is the seat of holiness;' the high portals, seen at a distance from the openings of this vast labyrinth of edifices; the various groups of ruins of the other temples within

sight; these altogether had such an effect upon my soul, as to separate me, in imagination, from the rest of mortals, exalt me on high over all, and cause me to forget entirely the trifles and follies of life. I was happy for a whole day, which escaped like a flash of lightning."

Such is the language of Belzoni in describing these majestic ruins, and the effect they had upon him. Strong and enthusiastic as his expressions may, perhaps, appear, they are perfectly similar, I assure you, to those of other travellers. They all seem to have lost the power of expressing their wonder and astonishment, and frequently borrow the words and phrases of foreign nations to describe their feelings at the sight of these venerable and gigantic efforts of the old Egyptians.

I have said that this avenue of sphinxes led to the temple of Louqsor.

This second temple, though not equal to that of Karnac in regard to its colossal proportions, was its equal in magnificence, and much superior to it in beauty and style of execution.

At its entrance there still stand two obelisks 100 feet high, and of one single block, covered with hieroglyphics executed in a masterly style. It is at the feet of these obelisks that one may judge of the high degree of perfection to which the Egyptians had carried their knowledge in mechanics. M. Denon asserts, that it would cost millions to move them from their place. They were followed by two colossal statues forty feet high. After passing