The sun., 1881-06-26


Mcna caused to bo constructed ak thousand
years nro to glvo tho river an enstorly
direction. On tho frcRh sito thus won
from tho waters Mena founded tho
now city with It's houses. Notifications. and
snnc,unries 1t appears that In the middle ages.
and as late rs tho thirteenth century, the re-
mains OF the once great city OF Memphis were
still so we'll preserved that their materials and
tho perfection OF their workmanship were
capable ot exciting tho unnensurcd admiration
OF Arab visitors to the place. Next to Thobos,
indeed. Memphis Is tho city about which tho
eperSinG stones and the written rolls have the
most TO tell us. But the repeated excavations
which have been undertaken in our day on tho
ancient soil Of Memphis in tho hope OF striking
upon monuments OF historical value have given
insignificant results. Wo conclude. therefore
thn, tho immense masses OF stono used OF old
in tho building OF the temules have been in tho
course OF time transported to Cairo TO supply
the materials needed for tho mosques, palaces
and houses OF the wel-presorved city OF tho
Calphs.
1t is curious. rs illustrating to how early
dntc the beginnings OF Egyptian science may be
traced. that Mena's son and heir. who built tho
royal palace In Memphis wrote work on anat-
omy. " for hc was physician" SO. too we are
told in q pnpyrus roll OF the most remote age
discovered In Thcbos by Prof. Ebers). that when
this King. Theta. sat on the throne n prescrip-
tion for making tho hair grow was much COM
mendcd. Further proof OF the antiquity OF
medical science in Egypt is furnished by the
ong roll relating to the art OF healing which
ras unearthed lftv years nRo in the metropolis
d Memphis. This roll contains prescriptions
Tor the cure OF leprosy, and throws bnck the
discovery OF some OF tho remedies recited
to the tmo Of Sapt. tho fifth king Of the
frst dynasty. Among the laws which are
ascribed TO tho earlier Pharaohs. one made
BY the third King OF tho second dynasty deserves
special notice. AS he had apparently no sons
to inherit the crown on his death. he instituted
the custom. never aiterward broken. that
women should share the right OF inheritinR the
throne. The working OF this new principle had
important consequences in tho establishment OF
many dynasty either when the Queen. after
the demise OF her husband. took tho reins OF
government in her own right or stepped rs re-
gent into the place OF her youthful son. or when
tho daughter and heiress Of deceased Pharaoh
gave her hand to foreign husband. Almost
all the difficulties presented by the succession
OF dynasties are solved by recognition OF this
principle. for nearly all the Pharaohs who at
first sight. seemed 10 be usurpers will be found
lpon investigation to have rendered heir power
legitimate by union with heiresses OF the blood
:oyal.
So far as our knowledge OF the monuments
extends. the last king OF the third dynasty.
Senoieru. is the first ruler who was distin-
guishcd by four titles of honor. This method
Of designation subsequently became established
and regulated by law. the name given TO the
ruler by his parents hcing supplemented by the
escutcheon OF his sacred namO and three high
sounding titles. Senofcru WIS the first Egyptian
monarch to conquer the foreign people. seem
ingly of Semitic race. who in his time inhabited
the cavernous valleys OF the mountains about
Sinai. Here vast number Of pictures and
writings. dating from the time Of Senoferu. may
still be traced in the hat-deiaced stone. The
Sinaitic peninsula which formerly yielded cop
per ore. with blue and green precious stones.
soems. in all ancient history. TO have been
possession much coveted by the rulers
OF the Nile land. 1t is certain that the princes
OF the fourth and fifth dynasties maintained
with n powerful hand the inheritance that
Senoferu left them. and that the mines in this
district were permanently worked. We may
add that u tomb. lately discovered near the
pyramid OF Meidoun. gives us much informa-
tion about Senoferu and his time. DR.. Brugsch
tells us that the long series Of pictures exc
cuted in variegated mosaic by a masters h and.
nre true TO nature. and exhibit an admirably Of
tective play OF colors. The tomb contained n
pair OF statues. representing q man and his
wife. sitting in dignifled attitude beside each
other on chair of the form OF die The bril-
Iiancy of the eye-imitated in shining crystal.
white ivory. and dark ore-has all the appear
ance OF life.
Tho fourth dynasty is peculiarly interesting
because its princes built the pyramids of Khufu
(Cheops) OF Khafra. and Menkara. mass o!
nonsense has been written about the pyramids
which. according to DR.. Brugsch were tombs.
and nothing else. AS soon as a Pharaoh mount
ed the throne he gave orders to prepare the
work and quarry the stone. and the size OF his
pyramid would be proportonate to the length
of its builders reign. Tho author follows in
detail the construction OF the so-called pyramid
of Cheops. which boro in the inscriptions the
title OF Khut, /. e. the lights" The material
a sponGy limestone without consisence. OF
which the inner kernel OF the building WAS COM
posed but which remained over after hidden
from sight. was found close at hand: for the
soil OF the desert yielded it in great abun-
dance from the deep excavations. The
better sort OF stone. chosen for the steps
and tho successive layers. was drawn
upon rollers along the causeway which
reached from the mountains along the river
to the plateau OF the pyramids. To the
present day the traveller is amazed at the num-
ber OF gigantic quarres which traverse the
mountain range Of Mokattam. in long series
from north to south. The splendid covering
OF the pyramid OF lights" was costly stone.
brought down the Nile from Quarries in the
neighborhood OF Syene to n landing place in the
Memphian territory. This syenite, or stone
OF the red mountain" is a kind OF granite
sprinkled with black and red rs hard
as iron. and shining beautifully when
polished. Prof Brugsch deems quite
credible the statement OF Herodotus re-
lating to the pyramid Of Cheops that ten years
passed before the workmen had Quarried the
limestone for the interior. had laid the founda-
tions and closed the dark tomb-chamber deep
in the bowels OF tho rock and that twenty
more years were needed for the completion
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