The Sun.
London, England, 1855-10-30 00:00:00

NITOCRIS.
Principal characters by Miss Glynn, Miss Cleveland, Miss
Anderton, Mrs. Selby; Messrs. Barry Sullivan, Stuart, F.
Edgar, G. wee,
die., introducing an Egyptian Dance, in
Which Misses Rosina Wright, Charles, Brown, and the ladies
of the Corps de Ballet will appear.
On Saturday, after the Comedy, Married for Money, Sheri-
dan's dramatic piece The Critic, or a Tragedy Itehearsel,
in
'which Mr. Charles Mathews will sustain the characters of
Sir Fretful Plagiary and Pufi; supported by Messrs. Stuart,
Vincent, R. Roxby, A. Young°, G. Wild, Swan, Templeton,
Worrell ; Mrs. Frank Matthews, M:ss Wadham, &c.
To conclude w:th a new Ballet Divertissement, in which
Miss Rosina Wright and the Ladies of the Corps de Ballet
Will appear.
NICOTRIEL-Mr.. E. Smith, anxons to make the spectacle
instructive as well as amusing to the patrons of this Theatre,
has obtained, at, considerable trouble, the Description of the
Grend Egyptia' a Coronation Procession, arranged and aslapted
to this stage b Dykwynkyn," fcm the works of Clemens,
Rerodotus, S trabo, Plutarch, Diodorus Siculus, Jablonski,
Lepsius, Des on, Champoliou, Rosellini, Savary, Wilkinson,
and other at ithorities in the British Museum, the publishing
of which in ay prove interesting to the numerous patrons wit-
nessing the 3 spectacle, and can be had in the Theatre for one
penny.
eiffitary Entree—Egyptian Soldiery in full costume,
marchin,;tbree deep, with 13=1 of Trumpets and 'Pympanum,
or Han A Drum, The Agathodzemon, or " Good Genius"
(Ting ,ed Globe), • under whose protection the persons
of
1-. lugs and Temples of Gods were placed, is
".ea?ern first, and in succession the other Symbolic, Royal, and
Standards. The bybian Forces, Allies of the Egyptians,
with Band and Symbolic Standards respectively. The Ethio-
pian Guard, with Characteristic Symbols, Standards, &c.
telolatrons Procession. Note—Every City, Month,'Day, and,
lour had its presiding GeniuS. Singer, with the Book of
Hermes." Horus Copus with Palm Branch and Hour
" The Hierogrammat," or Sacred Scribe (in his hand
the Book, Ruler, Papyrus, and Palette). Two Functionaries
_With Emblems: of " Power" and " Stability." No. 1. The
"Lrk, or "Shrine of K.noumis," called a2_so "Known," "Neph,"
or Num," i.e. " Wnter.".--:-The primary form of " Amnon,"
and styled " The L ceder of Gods"—" The Creating Intelli-
teitee_,ellec”—" The Spirit of God"—" The Spirit of the (Vernal)
The Soul of the Sun," and by the Greeks "Jupiter
Chuntais" Worshipped by the inhabitants of Thebais (Plu-
tarch),
The asp was sacred to this god. The Ark, bearing his
ale hieroglyph,Wi th that of the beetle, or " Creative Power," is
o decorated esvith this emblem. Symbolic standard of "Athor"
(Venus), the oracle of Night or Darkness (? chaos), whence
arose all created things (Egyptian belief). • Symbolic
standard o t ditto. The Sybil, bearing the emblematic rush
tae e, " Heka," " The Frog," the son of " Num," and
emsef tem first state of man. No. 2 "Ma," " Meii," or
"or " Truth," " the Blind Goddess, represented
r oyes closed or blinded. The priests bearing this
Justice- This
lle.ve libation buckets and simpula. " Thmei " or Truth, or
Justicc- This deity has also a twofold character' as the God-
dess of Truth and Justice. The small image of this god was
Par'•l be the Chief Judge while engaged in listening to cases
aght before him. A. similar emblem was worn by the High
„liests of the Jews, and it is remarkable that the word
.Thummin " is not on'y translated " Truth," but, being a
plural or dual word, corresponds to the Egyptian word oe
7.` Two Truths"—i. e. "Light and Truth "—breastplates hay-
-42.R the figures of the two gods, " Re" (Light) and " Thmei "
.11reth) represented anon them have been discovered. Priests
nth Searalemi. The Scarabieus may be considered as an em-
Goa 07. " The Sun"—of " The Creative Power," and of the
" P hthale" (Vulcau). Incense Bearer, waving his incense
Patera before the god. The incense was in the shape of a
sr
all globe or pill; and, upon modern ana'ysis, is found to
Fousist of arornatic substances with gum, and gave out co-
'eured light or; flame when thrown into the burning cup. No.
e" Airs ;” His titles were " The Sacred Bull of Memphis."
The Bull of Abundance," " Adored by the People," " The
sacred B all •of Pthah," " Guardian of the Solar Year,"
"Pis renowned over the world," " The Symbol of Inunda-
'eon." ?richly draped and on a car led by Priests bearing the
embleens of " Serapis" or " Sari Api," " The Pillar of Meuse-
ration " Column of Measurement," or " Nilometer" of wood
divided into cubits. Attendant priests also fen the idol and
offer homage as it passes forward. The festivals in honour
of Apis lasted 7 days, on which occasion a large concourse of
1:'00ple assembled at Memphis—the priests led the Sacred
(living) Bull in solemn procession, every one 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 on 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 festival at about the period of this
annual occurrence with every demonstration of rejoicing and
literal abandonment to the intoxication of joy all over the
'ingdem. Many temples were erected aisd dedicated to
"e'Pls," and also to " Serapis," the divinity of the Column
of Measurement—the Nilooieter ! N.B. The decorations of
the drapery upon the bull and carriage are principally com-
posed of the first flowers that spring from the earth after the
••mesion of the flood-i.e., the Lotus and Meliolotus. Priests
`4l' the pretended God " Canopus," or Water Offering to
the° God of the Nile. "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. The priests of Canopus accepted the challenge and
devised this, stratagem, They fabricate in Egypt pitchers of an
!ateenaely porous earth, through which the water filtrates and
la 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. He covered it with the head of
art ancient statue, said to be that of the pilot of Menelaus.
e'e?e Chaldeans presented themselves ; the contest began ;
they lighted their fires around the vase ; the wax melts, the
;vater runs•through the vase and extinguishes the fire. The
,ratliel of the priest gave the victory to Canopus over the
'eueldean deity. From that moment his image: has been re-
Presented with very shortefeet, a narrow back, and the belly
and back rounded like a pitcher It is under this form that
ee 18 worshipped as the vanquisher of all the gods."—Ruffin
Ilistoire de l'Eglise, livre second, No. 4. The Goddess
, Pash-ee• " The Memphian Lioness," "The Beloved of
tllah,” " Tho 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
"Winged
her, and surrounded by " Symbolic Divinities,"
held in
Geniuses," &c. One or the principal festivities
in Egypt was at Bnbastis in honour of the Pash-t-
-700,000 persons of both sexes being present. A great num-
ber of victims were sacrificed, wine was profusely drunk,
dancing of: the wildest character went forward, men played
flutes, women sang and shrieked as loud as possible,
struck the " Crotola" (cymbals) or clappers of wood and
Metal, &e. Lotus Dancers (Females). Incense Bearers. No. 5.
The god " Osiris," as " Osiris Pethempamentes" (the Pluto of
the Greeks). "He 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,"
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
fWere admitted to eternal felicity. This deity was very
nleas--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
eu,lnl, and also the " Meliolotus." No. 6. The Sacred Boat of
the Amenti, or Lower Regions, with the four genii, or demi-
c'cls (bearing emblems of life and power) and their vases of
Anlenti," or that subterraneous reeion where they (the
E.gYptiani) imagined the souls of the dead to go after their
decease. The first genius is " Amset," " Judge of the
Amenti" (human-headed). The second is " Hopi," " Con-
cealed Number" (baboon-headed). The third is " Tuautrautf,"
Adorer of his Mother" (jackall-headed), The fourth is
" Kabb-senuf," " Refresher of his Brethren" (hawk-headed).
The Sepulchral Vases have heads in shape of the four genii of
the dead, and each was employedlor holding a portion of the
viscera of the deceased, embalmed separately and deposited in
them. On the " Arent" 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-senuf," one from " Selk ;" the purport of
eachbebiganassurance of protection, and of I..e•ing "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 Sim," emblems of the all-seeing presence of the Di.
vinity. Note.—Besides the Four Ameuti, here were 42 Ac-
SeSSOrS Qr Judges of the 42 Crimes, from which a good man
should lee 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, ftlltl followed by the priestesses and virgins dedicated to
her worship. Isis was styled also: "The Beginning" (as her
sister, `lNepthys," was " The End"), and " Isis, Queen of
Egypt,', "The Goddess of the Moon," "Defender of
her Brother," &c. (The " Ceres" of the Greeks.) " The
festival," says Herodotus, "which they celebrate at Buso-
ris honour of Isis is magnificent. After prayers a
bull is pacrifeced, which the priests cut up and afterwards .
burn, pouring oil on the fire while the victim is con-.
Burning: Kneeling and striking themselvesononfir of
Osiris,' they afterwards eat what remains of in
the h
sa eri
Tamarisk and Dancers. No. 8. The God " Hones (o
Horns, the Apollo of the Greeks, In-hieroglyph The
Sup-
Port," Warmth of the Sun," "The Path" (of the Suu), " The
a " Defender of his Father," Sec, the Son of Osirisand
'SIB* Ho is represented with the single mystic lock of Hair
of Childhood slaying his evil geniuses, under the forms of the
Seth, or Baal,
lion, the gazelle, scoipions, vipers, &c., while Typho, Typhon,
"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
the Tamarisk Treo, the Testudo (Lyre), die. One of the
Principal duties of " Horus," was that of introducing the
souls of the dead into the presence of " Osiris," after they
had passed the ordeal of final judgment. He also assisted
"Amset" in weighing and ascertaining their good conduct
during life, previous to their admission into the august
presepee of his Father in the blessed regions of
the Amenti. Incense Bearers. No. 9. The Goddess " Nep-
thys'" (" Proserpine" 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 " Tei,"
" Neb-tei" or "Neb-thy," "The Lady of the Abode." "The
%strum, having the face of Isis on one side, and Nepthys on
the other, hieroglyphically represents the beginning and the
cad, or generation and corruption.' "—Plutarch. No. 10.
The Goddess " Neith " (the
" Minerva " of the Greeks,) en-
throUed with sceptre, and wearing the "Teshr," preceded by
Mnaidians, Male and Female Bearers of Incense with green
and surrounded by oymbolic divinities. ncitip w„