The Sun.
London, England, 1855-10-31 00:00:00

NITOCRIS.

Principal characters by Miss Glynn, Miss Cleveland, Miss
.Ande rton, Mrs. Selby ; Messrs. Barry Sullivan, Stuart, F.
mar, G. Wild, &c., introducing an Egyptian Dance, in
whi-ch Misses Rosins Wright, Charles, Brown, and the ladies
of the Corps de Ballet will appear.
On'Saturday, after the Comedy, Married for Money, Sheri.
klan's dramatic piece, The Critic, or a Tragedy Rehearsal, in
'which Mr. Charles Mathews will sustain the characters of
'Sir Fretful Plagiary and Puff; supported by Messrs. Stuart,
Vincent, R. Roxby, A. Younge, G. Wild, Swan, Templeton,
Worrell ; Mrs. Frank Matthews, Miss Wadham, &c.
To conclude with a new Ballet Divertissement, in which
Miss Rosina Wright and the Ladies of the Corps de Ballet
will appear.
NICOTRIB.—Mr. E. Smith, anxious to make the spectacle
instructive as well as amusing to the patrons of this Theatre,
has obtained, at considerable trouble, the Description of the
Grand .Egyptian Coronation Procession, arranged and adapted
to this stage by " Dykwynkyn," from the works of Clemens,
Herodotus, Stress, Plutarch, Diodorus Siculus, Jablonski,
Lepsius, Delon, Champolion, Rosellini, Savary, Wilkinson,
and other authorities in the British Museum, the publishing
of which may p rove interesting to the numerous patrons wit-
nessing the spectacle, and can be had inthe Theatre for one
penny. Milit airy Entree—Egyptian Soldiery in fall costume,
marching throe deep, with Band of Trumpets and Tympanum,
or Hand Disim. The Agathodremon, or " Good Genius"
(Winged Globe), under whose protection the persons
of Kings and Temples of Gods were placed, is
borne first. and in succession the other Symbolic, Royal, and,
War Standards. The Lybian Forces, Allies of the Egyptians,
with Band and Symbolic Standards respectively. The Ethio-
pian Gur,rd, with Characteristic Symbols, Standards, &e.
Idolatrous Procession. Note—Every City, Month, Day, and
Hour had its presiding Genius. Singer, with the Book of
" Hermes.' Horns Copus with Palm Branch and Hour
Glass. " The Hierogrammat," or Sacred Scribe (in his hand
the Book, Ruler, Papyrus, and Palette). Two Functionaries
with Embhms of " Power" and " Stability." No. 1. The
Ark, or " shrine of Knoumis," called also "Knoum," "Neph,"
or " Num,"i.e. " Water."—The primary form of " Amnon,"
and styled " The Leader of Gods"—" The Creating Intelli-
gence"—" The Spirit of God"—" The Spirit of the (Vernal)
beity"—" the Soul of the Sun," and by the Greeks "Jupiter
Chnumis." Worshipped by the inhabitants of Thebais (Plu-
tarch). The r,sp was sac red to this god. The Ark, bearing his
hieroglyph, with that of the beetle, or " Creative Power," is
also decorated with this emblem. Symbolic standard of "Athos"
(Venus), the oracle of Night or Darkness (? chaos), whence
arose all created things (Egyptian belief ). Symbolic
standard of ditto. The Sybil, bearing the emblematic rush
wand, with Heka," " The Frog," the son of " Num," and
type of the first state of man. No. 2 "Ma," " MeV or
" Thmei ;" er " Truth," " the Blind Goddess, represented
with her eyes closed or blinded. The priests bearing this god-
dess have libst'ion buckets and simpula. " Thmei," or Truth, or
Justice. Ti'is deity has also a twofold character as the God-
dess of Trutt. and Justice. Tho small image of this god was
worn by the, Chief Judge while engaged in listening to cases
brought befcre him. A. similar emblem was worn by the High
Priests the Jews, and it is remarkable that the word
" Thumrair " is not only translated " Truth," but, being a
plural o r dial word, corresponds to the Egyptian word of
" Two .Trutas"—i. e. "Light and Truth "—breastplates hav-
ing tie figures of the two gods, " Re" (Light) and " Thmei "
(Treass) represented upon them have been discovered. Priests
with Searaami. The Scarabmus may be considered as an era-
Diem of " The Sun"—of " The Creative Power," and of the
(sled " Plithah" (Vulcan). Incense Bearer, waving his incense
Patera before the god. The incense was in the shape of a
small globe'or pill ; and, upon modern analysis, is found to
'consist of aromatic substances with gum, and gave out co.
loured light or flame when thrown into the burning cup. No.
3. " Apis ;" His titles were " The Sacred Bull of Memphis."
" The Bull of Abundance," " Adored by the People," " The
Sacred Bull of Pthah," " Guardian of the Solar Year,"
" Apis renrwned over the world," " The Symbol of Inunda-
tion." Rielly draped and on a car led by Priests bearing the
emblems of " Serapis" or " Sari Api," " The Pillar of Mensu-
ration, " nolumn of Measurement," or " Nilometer" of wood
divided into cubits. Attendant priests also fin the idol and
offer homage as it passes forward. The festivals in honour
of Apis listed 7 days, on which occasion a large concourse of
people assembled at Memphis—the priests led the Sacred
(living) Bull in solemn procession, every ono coming forward
from their houses to welcome him. Pliny and Solinus affirm
'that children who smelt his breath were thought thereby
gifted with the power of predicting future events. The tokens
which distinguished this Sacred Bull at its birth were a white
spot resembling a crescent osa its right side, and a lump under
its tongue in the form of a beetle, as pretended by the priests.
The people believed him to be the cause of the swelling and
inundation of the Nile, which produced fertility and abund-
ance, and celebrated his fststival at about the period of this
annual occurrence with every demonstration of rejoicing and
literal abandonment to the intoxication of joy all over the
kingdom, Many temples were erected and dedicated to
" Apis," and also to " Fierapis," the divinity of the Column
of Measurement—the Nilometer N.B. Tho decorations of
the drapery upon the bull and carriage arc principally corn.
Posed of the first flowers that spring from the earth after the
recession of the the Lotus and INleliolotus. Priests
With the pretended God " Canopus," or Water Offering to
the God of the Mix. "It is said that the Chaldeans, trans-
porting the fire, which was their God, into all the provinces,
offered to let him combat with those of other nations,
on condition that if he remained the conqueror they should
adore him. Thopriests of Canopus accepted the challenge and
devised this stratagem. They fabricate in Egypt pitchers of an
extremely porous earth, through which the water filtrates and
is purified. The Arch-priest took one of them, stopped the
pores with wax, and painting it of various colours filled it with
water, and made it his god. Ha covered it with the head of
au ancient statue, said to be that of the pilot of Menelaus,
The Chaldeans presented themselves ; the contest began ;
they lighted their fires around the vase ; the wax melts, the
water runs through the vase and extinguishes the fire. The
fraud of tho priest gave the victory to Canopus over the
Chaldean deity. From that moment his imago has been re-
presented with very short feet, a narrow back, and the belly
and back rounded like a pitcher. It is under this form that
he is worshipped as the vanquisher of all the gods."—Rufnn
Histoire de l'Eglise, livro second. No. 4. The Goddess
" Pash-t," " The Memplaian Lioness," " The Beloved of
Pthah," "The Goddess of Fire," " Bubastes" (the Diana of
the Greeks) preceded by sacred dancers. The Idol carried by
priests in their leopard-skin dresses, with red incense flaming
before her, and surrounded by " Symbolic Divinities,"
" Winged Geniuses," &c. One or the principal festivities
held iu Egypt was at. 13nbastis in honour of the Pash-t-
-700,000 persons of bo'Lh. sexes being present, A great num-
ber of victims were sacrificed, wine was profusely drunk,
dancing of the wildest character went forward, men played
Ilutes, women sang and shrieked as loud as possible,
struck the " Crot,sla" (cymbals) or clappers of wood and
metal, &c. Lotus Dancers (Females). Incense Bearers. No. 5.
The god " Osiris " as " Osiris Pethempamentes" (the Pluto of
the Greeks). "'lle who is resident in the Hades," " Presi-
dent of the Amenti," "Receiver and Giver," " The Sun,"
" The Eye of the World," " The Source of the Nile," " He
who has many 'Eyes," a form of Ammon, wearing the " Ati,e
and having the Crook and Flagellum ; regarded as the author
of Time, from the word " Osch-Iri," "the maker of Time."
The principle office of this deity was to judge the dead, and
to rule over that kingdom where the souls of good men
were admitted to eternal felicity. This deity was very
famous— his temples and priests were to be found in al-
most every part of Egypt; the sacred rites of Osiris were a
profound mystery, never revealed. His name was even
avoided, as of too august a nature to be mentioned. The "Ivy,"
with which the Priests decorated themselves, was sacred to
him, and also the " Meliolotus." No. 6. The Sacred Boat of
the Amen',A, or Lower Regions, with the four genii, or demi-
cods-(bea ring emblems of life and power) and their vases of
" Ament'i," or that subterraneous region where they (the
Egyptians) imagined tie souls of the dead to go after their
decease. The first genius is " Amset," "Judge of the
Amont'," (human-headed). The second is " Hepi," " Con-
cealed Number" (baboon-headed). The third is " Tuautmutf,"
" Adorer of his Mother" (jackall-headed), The fourth is
" Kabh-senuf," " Refresher of his Brethren" (hawk-headed).
The Sepulchral Vases have heads in shape of the four genii of
the dead, .and each was employed for holding a portion of the
'viscera of the deceased, embalmed separately and deposited in
them. On the " Amset" Vase is inscribed the speech of
" Isis" to the dead ; on that of " Hepi" is a similar speech from
" Nepthys ;" on that of "Tuautmutf, one from "Neith;" and
on that of " Kabh-seuuf," one from " Selk ;" the purport of
.caelibeingaursasuaanee of protection, and of being "near thee,"
" beside thee," or " I come to be beside thee." The Sacred
Boat is followed by the symbolic " Eyes of Osiris," or of
" The Sun," emblems of the all-seeing presence of the Di-
vinity. Note.—Besides the Four Amenti, here were 42 As-
sessors or Judges of the 42 Crimes, from which a good man
should bo free ; and these also differ from the 36 Demons
mentioned by Origen that presided over the human body, and
were invoked to cure the infirmities of the peculiar member
immediately under their protection. No. 7. The Goddess
" Isis," or " The Seat." The hieroglyphic throne on her
head, and followed by the priestesses and virgins dedicated to
I
her,worship. Isis was styled also "The Beginning" (as her
sister, " Nepthys," was " The End"), and
Egypt," "The Goddess of the Moon," "sis, Queen of
"Defender of
her Brother," &c. (The " Ceres" of the Greeks.) " The
festival," says Herodotus, " which they celebrate at Buso-
ris in honour of Isis is magnificent. After prayers a
bull is sacrificed, which the priests cut up and afterwards
burn, pouring oil on the fire while the victim is con-
suming. Kneeling and striking themselves in honour of
Osiris,' they afterwards eat what remains of the sacrifice."
Tamarisk and Dancers. No. 8. The God " Horus" (or Khons-
Horns, the Apollo of the Greeks, ludiieroglyph " The
Warmth of the Suu," " The Path" (of the Sun), " The Sup-
port," a " Defender of his Father," &c., the Son of Osiris and
Isis, Ho is represented with the single mystic lock of Hair
of Childhood slaying his evil geniuses, under the forms of the
lion, the gazelle, scorpions, vipers, while Typho, Typhon,
Seth, or Baal, "The Evil Spirit," is escaping from beneath
his feet in the shape of a crocodile. He is attended by his
sacred emblems and standards. The Hawk was dedicated to
him, the Tamarisk Tree, the Testudo (Lyre), &c. One of the
principal duties of " Horns," was that of introducing the
souls of the dead into the presence of " Osiris," after they
had passed the ordeal of final judgment. Ho also assisted
Amset" in weighing and ascertaining their good conduct
(luring life, previous to their admission into the august
presence of his Father in the blessed regions of
the Amonti. Incense Bearers. No 9. The Goddess " Nep-
thys " (" Proserpiue" of the Greeks),. called also "The End,"
" The Sister Goddess," " The Saviour Sister Goddess," " The
Barren," " Rectrix of the Lower Regions." On her head the
hieroglyphic emblem of her name, a bowl and basket, called
" Neb," placed upon a house, answering to " Ei " or " Tel,"
" Neb-ter" or " Neb-thy," " The Lady of the Abode." " The
Sistrum, having the face of Isis on one side, and Nepthys on
the other, hieroglyphically represents the beginning and the
end, or generation and corruption.' "—Plutarch. No, 10.
The Goddess " Neith " (the " Minerva " of the Greeks,) en-
throned with sceptre, and wearing the " Teshr," preceded by
Musicians, Male and Female Bearers of Incense with green
me, and Surrounded by 'symbolic divinities. was