Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1843-01-24
EARLY EGYPTIAN HISTORY.

Literature Of the Egyption.-Mr. Gid
don's third lecture was delivered at the
Odeon, on Monday evening last. His sub
Iect was the 'Lectmre on the Egyptians"
so far as modern research has been able to
decypher their hieroglyphics, whose mean
ing has slumbered 10 the dust of ages, and
might have remained unknown for ages
more, but, thanks to ChampolIion, they are
now no longer mysteries.
The language OF the early Egyptians was
entirely mono-syllabic, their larger words
being composed Of the smaller ones and ca
pabe Of being reduced to them again
The general principle of the language was
the use of sound in imitation of the OBJ
lect which they wished to express.--thus,
an ass was spoken of by making noise
similar to the braying of that animal. "Io"
"a lion by resemblance to his roar,
.'mooee," and so on. But, no:withstand-
ing the great number OF sounds made use
Of in speaking, and of signs in writing, there
was no incohercncy or Earring, for Egypt
was country Of rule and order, and gov
ernei by systems where nothing was left
to chance. There have been three differ
ent kinds Of writing made use of,since the
the times Of the early Egyptians. First,
hierogtyphic, or sacred sou pturcd charac-
ters, which is the earliest on record Second,
hieratic, an abbreviated form, chiefly used
by tue priests aud surlocs, ubou: fifteen
hundred years before Christ, and perhaps
previously; and third, the demotic, a still
more abridged form, that came into use a.
bout five hundred and twenty five years
before the Christian era.
Hieroglyphics were divided into two
classes; first, the monumental and most
ancient style, which was used for inscrip-
tons on monuments, obelisks and public
buildings. The second was linear, being
n reduction to the former style, and repre-
sent!ng the object desired by lines simply,
this was in common use, and was the wri-
ting in which they composed their books
This language was divided into sixteen
different classes; and at present we find
nearly nine hundred varieties; there were
undoubtedly more which time and labor
will reveal, but owing TO the limited knowl-
edge we have as yet been able to OBTAIN,
these are all we know Of at present.
Throughout the language, the vowel signs
were vague and habitually omitted, as is at
present the custom in writing short hand.
On public ed fees, these inscriptions are
usually found scuIptured in bas-relef,or in
high relief; sometimes pointed, and some
times not; but in writing, they are usually
coored, or simply black or red. The col
ors used we're subject TO caprice, but we're
applicable under certain defined rules
Thus. they painted the sky bue-Afri-
cans, black-Egyp,ians, red, and so on
They also made use Of combinations to
represent objects more forcibly. Thus
they painted Sphinx, or human head
with lions body, for royalty, being the
type Of moral force combined with physi-
cal strength.
Mr.. GiIddon alluded to tho mines af lite
rary wealth yet unopened in Egypt, and
ance Of the research, and his desire to lend
his aid to further the undertaking already
commenced, by giving catalogues of all
the books published, so that they may be
procured for American Libraries. He
spoke Of the peculiar value which bet
ter knowledge Of country would give
to the scholar and the artist; and
referred to the wonderful advancement in
all the arts 70 which she had arrived ages
AGO. On the public buildings there, still
in a state Of preservation. may be seen the
shoe maker, drawing his thread; the lea,h
er cutter using knife, of the very shape
now considered the best; and the weaver
throwing the identicle shuttle, and the glass
blower using form Of blow pipe. which
have lately been introduced into use in Eu
rope as the best form.
The lecture was very able exposition
Of his subject, and was clothed in appro-
priate and beautiful language. The series
will without doubt be as Interesting and
curious as they are novel, and We advise
all who wish to receive entertainment. and
knowledge at the same time, to hear the re-
mainder of the course-for,t though the sub
7ect at times, is one which 'banshes all or
nament," yet the manner Of the treats is
at once ornamental and substantially
ton Bulletin.