The Middlebury people's press. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1841-1843, 1843-10-18
WONDERS OF ANCIENT EGYPT.

The eminent German herolopis,. Dr..
Lepsius. now employed in Egypt by the
PrussIan Government, in a recent letter af-
Ter mentioning the many discoveries lie had
made OF ancient ruins, tombs, &C., writes as
follows;
With the exception of about twelve, which
belong TO a later period. all these tombs
were erected cotemporaneously with or soon
alter the building of the great pyramid. and
consequently their dates throw an inyalua-
BILE hight on the study Of human civilization
IN the most remote period of antiquity
The sculptures in relief are surprisingly nu.
merouS. and rep esent whole figures, some
the size of life, and others Of various dimen.
>ions. The paintings are on back grounds
of The finest chalk. They are numerous
and brau'iful bevo nd concecton-as fresh
and perfect rs if finished Yesterday. The
pictures and sculptures on the walls of the
tombs represent, for the most part, scenes
IN tie lives of the deceased persons, whose
wealth in The cattle, fish boats. servants, DC
is osteniatiously displayed before the eve of
the spectator. All this gives an insight 10.
~ t'N cSteeio VI dInll0 lIle an
cieLt Egyptians. BY The help of these in
scriplons think could without difficulty.
make Court Calendar Of the reign of King
Cheops. In some instances have traced
the graves of father. son, and grandson. and
even great grandson that now remains
of the distinguished families which five
thousand ve'.rs ago formed the nobility of
The land. | nov employ fifty or sixty men
IN digging and other kinds of labor, and a
large excavation has been made in front
of The great Sphynx.
Another writer has condensed from Ro>
selZini and other hierologists the following
remarks:
" PhllolOgisis, astronomers, chemists,
painters architects. physicians, must return
10 Egypt 10 learn the origin of language
and wriling-of The calendar and solar mo-
ton Of the art of cutting granite with
copper chiseI, and of giving elasticity 10
copper sword-of making glass with the
variegated hues of the rainbow-of moving
single blocks of polished syeni;e, nine hun
dred ions in weight, for any distance by
land and water-of building arches, round
and poiRied, with masonic precis on unsur-
passed al the present day, and an;ecedent.
by two thousand years before The Dorians
are known in history-of fresco painting in
imperistable colors-and of practical knowl-
edge in anatomy.
Every craftsman can behold. in Egyp-
tan monuments, the progress Of his art four
thousand years ago and whether i. be a
wbeelwright building chariot a shoema-
ker drawing his Irvine; a leather cutter using
the self same form now a weaver throwing
the same hand shuttle white smith using
that identical form Of blowpipe but lately
recognizable he the most efficient the
seal cngraver cutting. in h;eroglyphics, such
names rs Shoofo's above four thousand three
hundred years ago; or even the poulerer
removing The pip from geese /; all of these
and many more evidences of Egyptian pri-
ori'y now require but glance at the plates
of Roseilini.'
To this catalogue of Egyptian arts, long
addition might be made of monuments de-
scripive Of the goidsmi,h's and ieweer's
work: instrumental music, singing. dancing
and gymnaslic exercises. including chill.
dren's games, like some of the present dav;
the tasteful furniture Of their houses ship
building drawings in. natural history, 50
! true 10 lice. thai the French naturalists. BY
means of them, Instantly recognised the sew
eral species of Egyptian birds designared by
them and of numberless ether branches of
art.