Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, W.T. [i.e. Wis.]) 1843-1844, 1843-05-13
LECTURE OF Nh. GLIDDoN ON EGYPT
From the New York Express.

From the New York Express =
Mr. Gibbons lecture at Niblo's Saloon. last
evening was attended by fair representation
Of the elite of our city, He commenced by
presenting explanations of the Rosetta stone, of
which he exhibited an accurate sketch. This
stone is a block of black basalt, discovered
by a.French officer Of engineers, Mons. Bon
chard, in 1899, when digg,ngs in order to lay the
foundation Of fort, on the western bank OF
the Nile, between Rosetta and the sea-: h!
was eventually deposited in the British Muse-
um. On the fat side, which contains the wri-
ling il is abou, three feet four inches in BREADTH
The under par, of the stone is rough. Ii bears
shree inscriptions, one in ancient Greek, and
two in EgypIan---one Of them hieroglyphcal
The'event recorded on fhis stone is the coron.
alton Of Epiphanes, 1876 yea b. c.
l. This stone was the source Of all the light
which has recenily been shed on the subiec, of
Egyptian Antiquities.
The lecturer next made some comments up
on the sixteenth dynasty Of Iheban Kings.
The monuments reveal the names of only three
| Of them. These are Aian, Osorlasen list. and
Amenomhe LIST; and according to the chronol-
ogy which Mr.. GIiddon has adopted, the last
of these kings died about two thousand and
eighty-iw5 years before Christ.
The seventh dynasty, continued The lecturer,
consisted of six Shepherd Kings, or the Hyk-
she's of lower Egypt. This dynasty as Egyp-
tian monuments inform us, reigned about two
hundred years, and its last king died about
eighteen hundred years before Christ These
Shepherd Kings, or Hykshos (Which term is
SYNONYMOUS with Shepherd Kings it must be
observed, were only the monarchs Of LOncer
Egypt, making Memphis their emporium; but
colemporaneously with them there iourished
dynasty Of six Theban Kings. whose force
was concentrated at Thebes: in Upper Egypt.
The ascendancy Of these Shepherd Kings was
by an irsuption Of Scy,han barbarians, that
fearless and hardy race which has, at various
Gus periods in the history of man, been
| suffered 10 overcome so many rich and civil
lied countries, and 10 spread ruins and havoc
around them.
Yet the lecturer repudiates the idea which
has been sometimes advanced, that civilization
and refinement! are but forerunners of a nations
downfall. Civilization on the contrary he
deems the surest guarantee Of a nations perpe-
tui.y. Apathy and negligence, natural conse-
quences of long-continued prosperity, the
speaker deemed as more properly TO be consid-
cred the omens Of national decay and prosira.
ton. Utopian idea; the expectation that pre-
sent prosperity will ever continue TO endure!
The invading hordes which were introduced
by the Shepherd Kings, the speaker thought
were probably herds-men and the like; and
there are multiplied proofs to be found among
the records of Egypt that these conquerors
were especially detes.ed by those whom they
subjected A fact as will be presently seen Of
most important character of the Mosaic wri-
nDks:
Mr.. Gliddon is of opinion that Joseph was
probably carried into Egypt in the reign of a.
pophis, who was the fourth Shepherd King,
and who, in imitation of all his predecessors
assumed the title of Pharaoh, although the
legitimate Pharaoh of the country reigned con-
,emporaneously at Thebes; in Upper Egypt,
where his dinasiy had been driven. Joseph
became prime minister Of Pharaoh, land coun-
selled him most sagaciously in respect TO the
affairs Of the kingdom. He provided for the
Egyptian famine; which, said Mr.. G. might
very naturally have been occasioned by lha,
neglect Of canalling which is so essential to
the proper management OF land in Egypt. And
this supposition is strengthened by the consid-
Grafton that the famine occurred in The time of
the Shepherd Kings; who would be apt to me-
glect this important agricultural precaution. In
ordinary times Egypt was famed for The album
dance Of grain.
The light obtained from the old Egyptian
monuments serves to illustrate the Scrip,ura
narrative concerning Joseph.
Abont hundred years after the reign of A.
pophis this dynasty OF Shepherd Kings was
subdued; and the succession of ancient Pha-
raohs of Egypt resumed their sway over lower
Egypt 1t might well be supposed then that
those who had been objects of the especial
favor of the Shepherd Kings would 6nd their
condition materially changed for the worse.
"a Pharaoh would arise which knew not Jo-
seph."
The peculiar kindness manifested towards
the family of Joseph by the monarch, is also
shown by the fact that he allotted TO them
Goshen for an abode---as this was the portion
OF lower Egypt most remote from the hostile
inhabitants oil the upper country.
| Mr.. G..then pointed out to his audience a
portral, of Cleopatra, and also one of the Pha-
raohs. who reigned at the time of Exodus
represented as riding in his Chariot.
i SLAYER While exploring the nlets Of
the Isle of Pines, the u. 5. ship Nincennes
fell in with Spanish SLAYER, which submitted