Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1850-05-24
Trom the Boston Daily Advertiser }
The Mummy.


The time for the unveiling the mummy Of
which we spoke few davs since, is approach
ing. We are glad to learn that public interest
has been excited iE the enterprise proposed
We must regard it as one of the pleasantest
result of this art of embalming among the
Egyptians, though probably quite unexpected
by them, that has rendered possible this inter
view between Theban noble-wonan and the
inhabitants Of the western land, curious,
searching into mys teries, living beyond the sea-
Our readers should avail themselves of an
opportunity to examine this and the other num-
mics by a visit TO the Egyptian Museum and
Panorama now open. An examination of the
outside Of this singular relic will lead TO Gu
riUsty to see its development,-,he unfolding OF
the various cloths llh which the body is sur
rounded.
The outer case, of sycamore has been OPEN
ed. Within this, and closely fitting it, was the
inner cutfn. This is made as explained in Mr..
GIddon's lecture, of Caronage, kind of paste
board carefully cemented together. The head
and face are gilded. They have the appearance
OF being cast taken from the features of the
person buried. This box was beautifully pain
ted aud adorned, and much OF this decoration
may still be seen. Bat after 1t was laid in
the outer case,-perhaps as token OF the deS-
pair of parting, coat of hot bitumen was rude
ly smeared over tie whole top, so that the ORR
| ginal paintings can be seen only upon the sides
BY rubbing off this bi.unen the original gliding
on the face has been made visible.
From what remains of the legend, we learn
from one of Mr.. Gliddon's lectures, that,
The name of the person buried was ANCH-
h---? daughter Of priest and scribe of
Thebes, GOT-THROTH-e-- and from
the style of the hieroglyphics and fashion of the
,baf, lp,npt sfr NH oh
however, cannot be settled until the mummy is
opened, why this lady lived between the XVIIIth
and AlXth dynasty-say between the 18th and
5th centuries B. C.--tllat is within hundred
| years of Moses; whom, for aught we can as
5ert to the contrary, she may have known.
On the front of the outer case, the deceass,
| eslscitated in the flesh, is introduced, after
| death, into the Judgment Hall Of Crisis where
| her heart and brains are mystlcally weighed in
the balance of truth. 1t is the l25h chapter of
the Book of the Dead, to be detailed here
after reminding us of JOB, XXI, C. Let me
| be weighed in an eren balance, that God may
know mine integrity" and Daniel, V, z ;
weighed in the bGLanceS.'
Beneath in vertical columns, the deceased
addresses the AZ assessors, or grand jury-men
Of The neither world; to each of whom 81
N tkes her attestations of innocence, AZ in nutn-
the morality enjolned in the Mosaic deealogh'
thus, have not committed perjury says thf
deceased lady, have not slandered IL have
not committed adultery; 81 have not greveC
the spirits of the Gods : &c. &c.
"Perhaps this very hand now pinioned fat,
Has hob-a nobbed with Pharouh glas. 10 ASS"
But it is quite certain that it never
"Eropped half penny in Homers hat.
| dotted her 10 LET i1n
Because ANcH-gh + was buried and her hanc
plnIoned fiat, before Homer sung or Dido was
born
Every being which died in Egypt, frqm tb,
msanest upwards was enbalmed, ia accordanc,
with happy knowledge of Physiology which
saved the world from the plague, until monk
ish Ignorance broke up the custom, and left de
caying bodies, beneath annual nundation, L
breed that terrible pestence of which Egyp
is the home. Such millions o.. mummes Wer
there, there fore, that common ones are eSsi
obtained and often seen.
But such a mummy as this, Of person o
noble family, so often contains objects of va u
buried with the corpse, that such have been 70
o centuries the object Of cupidity in Egyt. Fror
Mr.. Gliddon's prospectus the following facts i
reference TO that which VIC have described ar
taken -
Ths,; are myriads Of common mummiss I
Thebes and Memphis; but it is mere chance t
be able, at either OF those cities, to obtain first
: class mummy. Since 1884, MohamGed Ali
= ministry, have steynly forbidden the exportatio
of antiquities to any but agents of Europea
GOVERNMENTS so that it is almost impossible, q
this day, TO export mummy, if obtained an
but for the influence which his long resdenc
D in Egypt affords him with friends there, eve
Mr. Gliddon would have been unable to pre-
# cure any. AS it 10, he has been four year
Y waiting for the arrival of these from Egyp
nsys A and BY ahss@ Pas .sbs''a
a obtained fortuitously, from the present Ticeroy
Again, the penalty of the bastinado, cofscatioi
and other severe laws, accompanies the nlrat