Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1813-04-20
THE PYRAMIDS OF EGYPT.
rFron, Chateau5riand


nouf, which prevented me from seeing
the fine woed of palm treason the great
western branch; but the Arabs then IN
tested the west bank of that branch which
borders on the Lybian Desert. On ieav-
ing the canal of Menouf, and continuing
ss ascend the river, we perceived on OUT
left the ridge Of Mount Mokattam, and
on our right the high sandy downs OF
Lydia. In the intermediate space be-
tween these two chains OF mountains,
We soon deserted the tops of the Pyra-
mids, from which we were yet upwards
of ten leagues dist.lt. During the re-
mainder Of our voyage, which took US
near eight hours, remained upon oeeS
to contemplate these tomas; whisb
seemed to increase in magnitude and
height as we approached. Inc Nile.
which then resembled little sea; the
mixture of the sands of the desert, and
the freshest verdure /; the palm-trecs,
the sycamorcs, the domes, the mosques
and the minarets of Cairo; the distant
pyramids of Sakkarah, from which the
river seemed to issue as from It's mn
mense reservoirs, altogether formed
scene to which the world cannot produce
parallel. +" But in spite OF all the Ell
forts of men," says Bessuct, their IN
significance is invariably apparent; these
pyramids were tsmbs Nay mere; the
kings by whom they we're erected had
not the satisfaction of being inferred IN
them, and consequently did not onJoy
their sepulchre.
I confess, however, that at the first
sight Of the pyramids, the only sentl-
ment felt was admiration. Philosophy,
know can sigh or smile at the reHec-
ton that the most stupendous m"nu-
msnt ever erected by the hand OF man,
is tomb but why should we behold In
the pyramid of Cheops nothing but
heap OF stones and a skeleton 1t was
not from sense of his nothingness that
man reared such a sepulchre, but from
the instinct of his immortality this Sc
pulchre is not the boundary that marks
the termination of the career OF day,
but the entrance of life without end;
tits an everlasting gate erected on the
confines of eternity. All these peo-
pie" (of Egypt says Diodorss siculus'
considering the duration OF lie as a
very short period, and of very little I'M
portance, are on the other hand extreme
ly solicitous about that long memory
whish virtue leaves bshind ies For this
reason they give to the habitations OF the
living the name of inns, where they So
iourn only for short time, but that OF
eternal aboles to the ,ombs OF the dead,
which they are never more to quit. Ac-
cordingly, the kings have manifested a
certain indifference in regard to the
construction of their palaces, & bestow-
ed all their attention on that OF their
tombs." |
1t is insisted, at the present day, that
all monuments had physical utility,
and it is not considered that there is
moral utility for nations of a much high
er order, which was studied by the le-
gislators of antiquity. Is, then nothing
to be learned from tho sight of tomb
If any lesson is taught BY it, why should
we complain that king resolved to rem
der that lesson perpetual Majestic
monuments constitute an essential part
of the glory of every human society
Unless we maintain that it is matter OF
indifference whether nation leaves be-
hind it a name or no name In history, we
cannot condemn those structures whieh
extend the memory Of a people beyond
its own existence, and make 1t conten-
porary with the future generations that
Fix their residence in its torsaken fields.
Ofwhat consequence is it then whether
these cdi6ces were amphitheatres or Sc
pulchres? Every thing is tomb with
a nation that no longer exists. When
man is gone, the monuments OF his lie
are still mole vain than those OF his
death his maus0isum is at least SER
viceable to his ashes; but do his pa
lsees retain any particle of his pleasures
Nest certainly, if we would be strict,a
little grave is sufficient for all, and sfeet
of ground, as Matthew Mole observes,
will always do justice to the greatest
man in the world: God may be a.
dored under tree, as beneath the
dome of St. Peters; and man may
live in cottage as well as in the Lou
vre. Tho error of this mode OF reason
ing consists in transferring one order
of things in another. Besides, a nation
is not more happy when it lives in ig-
norance of the arts, than when it leaves
behind striking evidences of its genius.
PEOPLE have ceased to believe in the
existence of those communities of
shepherds who pass their days in inno-
cenee, and beguile the delicious hours
with rambling in the recesses of forests.
Full we'll we know that these honest
pastors make war upon each other, that
they may feast upon the sheep OF, their
na;nhhors Their bowers are neither