New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1847-05-15

OF his system must have been derived rom the
institutions Of the country he was brought up IN
The despised Israelites spread and conquered
their enemies and became a nation powerful enough
TO have acknowledged intercourse Of war or peace
with the kings Of Egypt. King solomon married
princess born and reared in the Nile valley and
when Solomon died. his istherln-la~, Shshank
went up against jerusalem. and brought home many
captives and grievous spoil. ! have seen on the
walls of the great temple OF Karnac, az Ihebes
sculptured group OF Jewish csptives whom the
conqueror was holding by the hair Of Their heads
and raising bis ar-kniie over them, while they
implored mercy with upliited hands.
These battle pieces alb and on the walls and
gates Of the grand old temples which are ranged
along the Nile valley as far as II has been explOr-
ed and they remind every one who looks az them
Of the battles Of Homers pOems-except IN the
great point that Homer makes the gods take part
in wars while the Egyptian gods were OF too high
an order 10 be 50 debased by human PASSIONS
Some scholars think that Homer had seen the City
OF Thebes Of which he gives such magnificent re
ports and where he represents the gods as coming
down 20 visit the noble inhabitants. IL IS pleasant
TO think, while gazing abroad, that the iather OF
/ poetry saw what ] see and wrought bis Eplcs IN
his mind from looking on the sculptured walls that
have been Studying About another great man
the first Of bis class-the old Herodotus. whom
scholars venerate rs the father Of history there Is
M sucb doubt. We have bis account Of Egypt IN
I MS daV ana 50 rcmdfhdUlt - MS fthtl attpn lo
the antiquity of Egyptian usages and editices that
/ shall ever think Of him standing before the
great monuments Of the land-a learner-as we
are He knew well enough, and plainly declared.
that the Greeks derived their religion from the
/ Egyptians-a thing which It would be hard 10
doubt when we think Of their account OF the scene
after death-their river Styx, their ferry man Cha
/ ron their dog Cerberus, and the Judges. All this,
natural and solemn amid the funeral scenery OF
/ Memphis was borrowed and spoiled by the Greeks
4 as was much else which IS supposed TO be their
/ own. II anything is called Greek more emphatl-
cally than another. il is the philosophy OF Plato
but Plato lived thirteen years at HefoPolis, study
/ ing philosophy under the priests who were consid-
I cred masters Of all learning. No one Will under
take 10 say that we should have had Piatos phllos
opbv as it is if he had not studied under Egyptian
sages for thirteen years. This happened nearly
400 years before tie time Of Christ
Now. after considering these things, and seeing
what Egvpt was while the rest Of the known
world was in an infantne barbarous state, what
becomes Of our pride OF knowledge and achieve
ment 1t is clear that the Egyptians Of the time
of Abraham, and for gene Ntions before his day,
could do things of which we are incapable, and bed
knowledge which is yet concealed from us. Amid
their abstract religion and high philosophy, they
pursued fierce and cruel warfare-as men s
way in the early ages Of the world. Amid our no
bier and purer religion and the lights OF many thou
sand years men'and nations now are quarreling
and fighting and cannot even carry the point that
every member Of society shall have sufficient food
Surely there is matter for deep consideration here
/ The land Of Egypt is now inhabited by Ara bs
/ who know nothing, hope nothing care tQr nothing,
/ but living on as quietly as they can under des-
potism which they cannot resist. Parents cut oil
their children's best finger, that they may be nua-
| bic to write or to fire off a musket and If a man
earns anything that he likes. be conceas it, lest It
/ should be taken from him. They choke up the so
/ Tenn old temples with mud huts, and build their
/ novels on the holy roofs They burn statues for
/ lime and split the head OF n granite Colossus 10
make mill-stones They light fires against the
/ painted walls of antique tombs and, in search Of
treasure crush under foot the bones Of the kings.
/ The temples are filling up with the sand OF the
/ desert and the tombs are decaying under the ig
noraRcc and violence OF man. But the sand of the
I desert is a friendly preserver. and may be only
/ withdrawing great book of knowledge for a time,
| for restoration when 1t can be better used. The
key 70 the hieroglyphic language which they bear
has been discovered. While secure Of this, and
knowing that n vast monumental treasure lies safe
and dry beneath the sand for 1000 miles along the
Valley Of the Nile we may trust that the light OF
old Egypt will not be lost but burn more brightly
when the ages have removed living man farther in
to the future. In those days there will be some one
to take a truly rich and curious, and varied Survey
from the Pyramid.
Our journey has been prosperous to the last de-
gree-almost too glorious. We are next of for