The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-10-14
The TOmbs OF Egypt.

The Tombs OF Egypt.
The Rev ]. r Thompson delivered lecture at the Ta-
bernace last Wednesday, upon the Tombs Of Egypt
The hall was thirds filed The learned lecturer
menced by ptulation Of much Of his former lee
turereported in the HRRALDas necessary to pro
per understanding of the location of the cataccmbs lie
then proceeded to sayThe acceptation Of the
word tombs and the associat connected with them by
US do not properly apply to the tombs OF Egypt They
have been called palaces and templesperhaps palace
temples would be the most proper Specification for
them The tomb CT Belzoni, which the first
opened, is most remarkable This temple
is entered through massive doorway, which
leads to staircase containing twenty-five steps You
then come to corridor eight feet wide and twenty five
in length passing through this you arrive at another
staircase Descending you to another which leads
you 10 a hall supported by pillars from tina. into tn
grand hail. supported by twenty-six pillars, perfect i
architecture. Around this wall side chambers con
tsnining the sarcophagi Of the dead Ia of thes
found the marble sarcophagus which il exhibited
in the British Museum. In all these compartments
this great tomb the sculptures perfect.
where i evident that owner had died previous tn
completion OF his designs The king when he mounted the
throne-the priest when he commenced his holy
,ion-the merchant when lie commenced his business
selected the place Of his burial. and adorned it his
taste and fortune might dictate. In this unfinished tomb
may be the unfinished drafts Of the artist which
/
sculptor. THE lecturer here di played diagram OF the
grand hall 70 feet square supported BY SIX pillars The
Assassee The first hall is los feet by 49, passing through
massive doorway you to another hall go feet square
with corridor leading TO the great pit which Is probably
200 feet deep in this tomb you can go IN straight line
$40 feet and it, total length is S62 feet This is all
cut out Of the sd rock with the chse The whole excava
twenty four thousand square feet about
and quarter 1t is in these tomb that
to learn the history of Egypt and also to obtain impor-
information to the and the domestic life
Of the Egyptians. The sculpture beautifully preserved
rather until ii fell under the despong hand OF the
sayan or the rude grasp of the unthinkng Arab. The
that shut up in the dry rock far from the in
huence of any damps rains the of this The
statuary which has only been twenty years in the
public squares of Paris, is much defaced than
| that which has stood for three thousand years in
tie catacombs of Egypt In the tomb Of the
lures of domestic life and It that the had
desired that each Of MS servants should be with him,
there Is chamber and suitable decoration for each
ton,b One that of sculpture in bas relief The wall
Another form TO the walls with stucco and
the figures cut into the succo and the third (no
often used) that of painting the stucco In the
tomb series of illustrations of the Egyptian
kitchens II is plain they yegetarians Ia augh
for there you mapsee that being roasted whole,
meat being minced and there is hanging shelf to pre-
serve the from the attacks Of rats and other
yermin Then you see the company seated, the
wants passing from one to another and the feast served
In another chamber find the furniture of the Egyp-
tians-not the rude articles which would suppose
would be used at that time, but furniture handsome,
The beautifully painted chairs not covered
with linen, but every body see their workmanship
In another chamber find porcelain basons
and ladies' fans. In another chamber are drawings Of
agricultural implements: and you may the rude
plough which i. yet in nse in Egypt In the Bezoni tomb
there is drawing of of the species
common in Egypt Again, in the same cham
bers We see the sports and games Of the people
depicted, and here are portrayed all the sport
Of TIE gymnas several Of which it would puzzle the
cular Of day TO initiate Again, depicted
upon these walls the riumphal professions the king
Ill r. N.
learn the barbaFty Of the Of the Egyptians We
the scribe counting before the king the heads Of his vic
tins, taking account Of the right hanis--and
times the mutiated bodies of the prisoners dragged at
the chariot wheels of the The slavery insti
iuton is also portrayed and instance where
slave has evidently taste for the business in which
she is engaged she is holding basin for her
queen, who, having taken overdose Of wine, i
in not the most pleasant manner In the tomb
the children Of Israel, displayed the whole pro
Of brick making with straw, in precisely the
manner that bricks are made now in Egypt The dia-
grams which show you correct copies OF the draw
ings upon the walls of this tomb and you will the
task masters placed the workmen, described
in the Book of Genesis. In these tombs, also, find
evidences that the trades of the carpenter boat builder
carriage maker, and even the glassbower known
and practsed in Egypt three thousand years ago. These
touiq also give insight into the phosoph OF the
Egyptians. Why should they dedicate their entire
worldly W, alth TO this purpose ii they did not believe
the immortality Of the soul and the mperishabity Of
the tody, and that at time, perhaps far distant,
that soul would return to reanimate that body: On one
remarkable than that from the pencil Of the amented Cole
In place number Of persons engaged in their
daily yocations; the changes and them 60
down to ades far beyond be deserted that beautiful
symbol Of Immortality little child sitting between winged
gob,sand in many other places be found paintings
and sculptures proving the refinement Of the Egyptians
So that there is doubt that what praise the Au
GUSTAV Age OF art and the Golden Age of letters
ticipaed In Egypt two thousand years before In the
tomb of Ben Hassan older than any tomb yet opened is
found hall, built in style SO much resembling the
Doric that it must suggested it. In the tobI
the pic ture of bird about the size of canary
which, though painted In fresco at least three thousand
and Eve hund ed ago. as fresh and as beautiful as
Some of the paintings, those containing several
figures show that the Egyptians lad knowledge Of per-
spectye The only failure in their painting ia the want
Of perspective in landscapes. The tomb 81 which
have Just spoken that of a private individual.
And the Greeks borrowed not only art but
theology from Egypt. The lecturer here drew a
glowing picture Of the wealth and spendor Of ancient
Fgyrt in the Of which he said that the works Of
rs sculpors IL not 20 delicate. life like and
spirited than those Of Greece and superior 70 those of
Nneych In the knowledge Of architecture geology and
cotemporancous people. Yet all this has passed away
both Egypt and her conquerors have perhed and in
other the Christian martyrs sheltered themselves
from persecution in the tomb which have been descrb
ed; and and the Of ocletian shows the
power from which they fed. Now the tombs used
only for the habitaon Of the and the wandering
Arabs hide in them. Sir G.. Wilkinson made his private
raror in front Of three toubs The traveller seeks their
shelter lie attempts take his noonde meal but il
surrounded ~ crowd Of dirty Arabs who will sell him
Egyptian idols which made in Paris and sent out here
sold to travellers the vedigris which APP
pears on them Ibe carry away something however,
and the head Of king which is offered to him for three
dollars l. finally rendered st the price Of two cents The
lecturer closed with reciting the well known address to
Mummy in the Bezoni Exhibition, written IN LONDON
some wears since, by the brothers Smith
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Police Intelligence.
ATyst NJ Bgglors-On Wednesday night, officers Fruds