New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-06-06

The inscriptions show that they represent the
prince Rd Hotep and the princess Neftr-f VINO may
have been either his wife sister. The size Oh me-
they sit side by side plain, massive chairs pu'
the attitudes are easy and natural, and the hands
are not laid upon the knees. Only the drapery-a
loin-cOth for the man and simple white garment
without folds, for the wOman-is stifiy ana awA-
wardly represented. The muscles OF the chest anu
limbs, the joints. hands and feet, are careiuny
modelled and the heads might be boldly set Dcside
the best portrait busts made. Ra-lloteps ueSh
is painted of q fresh, ruddy color, and Nefer-ts
pale olive; yet the features indicate that they DC
longed to the same race. Nothing can be finer thah
the delicate individuality expressed in the two faces
His is strong proud asserting authority; hers khd
sympathetic yet carried with the air of one to whom
respect is inevitably paid. The typeis the same as
that of the "vllage magistrate" but greatly finer
and nobler The eyes are inserted in the same man.
ner, and are of even more admirable workmanship;
for they fairly CLEAN and sparkle. and there are
moments when human intelligence suddenly
lights up the face.
1t is a remarkable circumstance, and one over
which the ethnologists will doubtless break their
heads that these remains of the earliest frees and
highest art yet discovered in Egypt should repre-
sent quite different physical type from that OF the
later dynasties. That they Caucasian, or Aryan
is evident at the first glance that they possessed IN
telligence, energy and those moral qualities when
we express by the word Character" seems equally
certain. Looking at Ra-Hotep's face your first I'M
preston is: Here is gentleman ~ The remains
of the Ancient Empire suggest certain amount OF
freedom continuous de elopment among both rulers
and people those of the Later Empire, on the con-
trary are rgdly stamped with the seal of priestly
despotism.
Here. for instance is splendid granite statue OF
King Sha-fra (Cephrenes the builder of the Second
Pyramid, which Marietta found at the bottom of
well in tie very ancient granite temple,
which he discovered eight years ago, near
the Sphinx. 1t bears all the marks of the same
ardent struggling art which detect in the wooden
and limestone statues. The head is slightly lifted
the features are modelled with a care which attests
to us the exactness of the portraits the eyes look
and do not simply dream, as in the forms OF the
Later Empire and while one hand rests, but not
fatty upon the knee, the other is closed and brought
down upon the thigh. as who should say: Such is
my willw The figure speaks and commands while
the later Thothmes and Rameses sit like Brahma; In
endless passiveness. Ii will be found, am sure,
that the decadence of the art of Egypt during her
most ilustrious historical periods, due to the
despotc limitations of her religion. 1t was the
same spirit which, during the Middle Ages and since,
has compelled the artists to give particular color
to the drapery of each APOSTLE and to design Annun-
cations Assumptions, TRANSFORMATIONS, Judgments,
according to one easily recognizable pattern.
Marette's discoveries. thus far, have thrown less
light upon the sojourn of the Israeltes in Egypt,
than many might have expected, or wished. We
apt to forget, III the great Importance which the
Biblical narrative possesses for us, that small sub
ect race, like the Jews, could only be accidentally
mentioned in the annals of such proud and power
full people. few strong probabilities, however, are
worthy of being noticed The cOnjectured period OF
Joseph's arrival in Egypt corresponds with that OF
the Hyksos, OF Shepherd Kings, who, being stran-
gers themselves would the readily confer high
authority upon a stranger. Moses almost certainly,
was educated as Egyptian priest under the reign
of Rameses H., and the Pharaoh of the Exodus was
the latteTs son, Menephthah. superb bust of whom
is in Marette's museum. The name. Moses, is the
Egyptian Mesu signifying " child" or boy, A re-
Gently deciphered papyrus contains an official report
concerning a certain "Mesu,' who is declared to
have much influence over - the foreign people" as
the descendants of the Hyksos, the Israelites, and
other Semitic tribes settled in the Delta, were col
lectiyely designated Bricks, made with and with
out straw, are to be found in quantities among the
ruins of Bubastis and other Egyptian cities in the
Land of Goshen.
1t is difficult to make an end. while so much re-
mains undescribed, yet must try to avoid the for
mality of IA catalogue. large glass case in one OF
the eastern rooms is quite filled by the magnificent
jewels of the queen, Aah-hotep (of the XyIlIth dy-
nasty about 1900 b. Co. supposed to be the mother of
King Amosis, who overthrow the Iiyksos. The spen-
did gilded coffin was found intact, only two or three
feet below the soil at small village near Thebes. 1t
appears to have been stolen from the sepulcher by
thieves who were pursued or became alarmed, and
hastily buried it by the way. No modern queen
would hesitate to the exquisite chains. dladems
earrings, and bracelets of this Theban woman. 1t
would require professional jeweler to do justice to
the admirable quality of the workmanship
OF even greater interest the household articles,
implements of trade, food &c. which, like the spoils
of Pompeii restore for us the domestic life of the
people Here for instance, are stools, cane-bOt
toned chairs and work-bOxes 1900 years old yet no
more dilapidated than if they came out of garnet
of the last ccntury nets knives, needles and toilet
ornaments: glass bottles and drinking cups, as clear
as if lust blown; earthenware, glazed in blue and
yellow pattans, the very counterpart of old MaJol-
lea seeds eggs and bread; straw baskets, and
chds ball for playing; pant-boxes with colors ana
brushes and boards for games OF draughs-lh snort
. collection almost as varied and complete as the
ashes of Vesuvius preserved for us of the Greco
Roman life of the year 10 of our era But these
Egyptian relics date from 1000 to 5000 years before
our era began.
Ihave left myself no space to speak OF the sfee OF
Alexander or the Canopic Stone, which, like the
Rosetta Stone of Champollon, contains the same
document in Greek, Hieroglyphic. and Denote
characters 1t is limestone slab, SIX feet hleh,
beautifully engraved, and IN the most perfect stare
Of preservation This additional proof Of the cor
rectness of Champollions Interpretation OF the hero
plyphcs was really not needed. but the conlliati9n
II brings will be "A comfort to many hesltatlng minds
have puTposely paid less attention to the later ana
more exact historical records in the Museum; be-
nanse the revelations of the earliest periods, which
Wariette has very recently brought to light are still