The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1868-11-14
The 1fssnmy.

The Btig0dria diseourses at length upon the
Egyptian practice Of embalming the dead, aud Of
the effect upon Egypts civilization which the
practice aud the religion OF which II was typical
wrought. We condense a portion Of the paper
The Egyptians have never been surpassed In
the religious veneration and observance which
they expended In these iniegumenis Of flesh aud
bone, which We must all shuttle oil some da, OF
other, aud which Grecian philosopher ir,cfibcd
on seeing u corpse, rs the shell Of flown hi,d.
THE ancient Egyptian religiously FcvcrcnerI
The body as n SACRED deposit which the soul oi ihr
departed had left behind a pledge Of imnOiali.
y, whose preservation aud welfare WERE inds.o'
lubly connected with that Of the spirit 'srlf aud
whose dishonor would incur punishment lur ,lr
living, as well As torment for the dead 1iN
body, ~ fact, vas almost as divine ~ ih' soul
and kings and chicna'ns were worshipped Ia the
ilcsh as much rs In the spirit.
The grGAict part Of the national rXsirnrr ~
Egypt II has Lc,n said. srrius 10 ha,r Ltci sirni
ia struggle against the natural laws Of cutrup.
iiUn iof abcu, iour OF Eve lhousand y"Ais; an!
tn long ranges ofmummy-c scs, with iLtir l'aini-
cd decorations, with their monOtonuus uniiormi
Is ui almond shaped EYES aud hirrugl, phirs Jude.
cii'hcrab!c 10 the uniniIiari, siowrd avn, in
countless cTyps and vanlis, like the rolIs ol 10.
II aus on ihr shelves ~ Rpmau library. t'pte-
sent well the nicrminahlc similarity ui the trat.
of Egyptian hisior,
This scnctaiiun ~ the Luumny, uf death ~
an artificial, mountainous iuIm. wasR pcrnitiuus-
y had education tor a nation. The grcainvt. ~
the r,ign Oi u monarch was measured D., The ia
oi the pyramid be- rnuld raise, or the depth ~ The
hWcieHia which he sropltd out Of the m"uniiin
tor the reception Ui his shfivCllrd hiiuminuu,
cutps, Egypt was little else than - Mind ~
tomb. The pains, aud prOdignli'y, and rXIrnfi.
tutr of human life wit. which King rn,ira,uf'i i
tu hide within mouhiniu ui s,ohr rnr small
chamber whrit hi' WORTHLESS scunin, might t,.t
forever Ia invioiailr security. dru",r tn' &. ~.
most ingulIr psycholnsi sical c,rii,ion. ~ l,,uhnu
iii IN ih, y h"lc histof, ~ the iatr
Not uni, w'ic all human ,,ii,es ,mia.im' j
am death nom ID, monarch. a4r w.s tirlh
adorned aud placed IN his lord, tesiin.-I!.r,.
in The slave rn-Hssd IN dried palm.ltrV's 'u'
all animals domestic "r Wild. r"n.rrinirtl D., IL,
fetish w"ishipOi Egypt. wrrr also snI j-,l u. III,
Pr"crss s- 'nis aud dogs. ichnenmuus. tf"c"iilss
,'''t'l'i. aud scII"ni, Egypt. I'VE have snid.
cAitudri IT. existence ~ "ne inirrninahir nt"lr
against the tyranny at drath and uuderiu"k ih'
dctncc. not only Of humanity, nut of ~" hfDr
creation both ia ils useful anil iis no,ivu. m,u,-
bcrs. against the Laws ui cuTI'or-al d.s"luiirh I.
and indeed 80 mechanically iOssiliz.d itCHnr IT,
III Egypt that the inhumcFAhlr inhabitants ui
each gigahir necrOpolis must have seemed in
their silence aud dark nrss almost nj. much .ivr
Us ihcil desc, ndanis. whose whvl, tn,rsi-s ~ctr
expended ia making preparations iOT seVu!,ir Il
STATE when released from the ,Hhsi aud honuin-
ny Of Gail! III,
''For the whole lsui o. ancient Egypt brc .ur
hui kind OF vr,,ibnlc OF the scpulchrc-thr rc,,.
pie lived in order 10 die aud the chief care vi men
and women must have hccn to hecomc drc,u'
mummts-- the houses and palaccs ~ the li,in.
"cFr tut mere temporary object of consideration
compared with that eternal resting .plncr on
which, according To the condition Of each, all the
skill and art of Egypt were TO be lsvished.