The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1882-05-07
SOME NEW HOOKS.
The Story OF the Obciisk.

An account Of the memorable monollth,
which was reared at Heliopolis thirty-flvc CEN
turios ago which was transferred to AleXan-
dria before tho opcnng Of the Christi" era
and Which now stands in the Central Ia -. to-
gcther with an exposition of tho engineering
difficulties encountered in the transport oi the
monument across the ocean. arc offered us In
a sumptAous volume prepared and published
10y Liout. Commander II. H. GoRRINGE. As re-
CARDS merely the outward features OF paper
and Typography. this monograph is tri-
umph Of the bookmukor's art. and 1t is
enriched with more than fifty full page
illustrations. In the essential particulars OF
archaeological correctness. and thorough nc
quantance with the principles and history of
mechanical science. 1t deserves un6inted com
mendation, and tho facts nre set forth with
| elearncss and effectiveness thai would he cred
| table TO u professional man Of letters. The
| author indeed. does not profess Ia be nm en-
pert or authority in Egyptolngy, but ho has
! manifcstly examined. with moro than ordinary
care the results Of exploration in that field.
| and having had tho advantage VI personal con-
| ference with several eminent investigators.
| no IL able to dcllno tho accepted
| or probable conclusions OF archaeological
| inquiry with precision. and confidence unHt-
! tainable by the mere reading OF books IN tho
| case of u science which II still in u tentative.
! UuctultlnE. ana anonymous SENS, Nhtn Hb
Describes the conditions under which tho huge
| block of syCnito w;ts conveyed from tho eastern
| to the western continent he is on his own
| ground; and while his personal services are
| disclosed with becoming dttiidcncc, the prob
! lem In mechanics which he solved is lucidy
| and eXhnustiVoy explained, aud his own
methods are compared with those adopted by
| Roman. Byzantine. French. and English engi-
neers in analogous undertakings or course
within the compass Of this notice We can but
! Indicate tho outinos of the deeply interesting;
matter contained in this attractive book.
| The size md posture characteristic Of obn-
| lisks would Of thcmsCNc point tn" conclusion
that such monolths were originally associated
| with that Phalc worship which is encountered
| at the root Of SO many primitive religions. Mani
| icatly these upright shafts symbolic the most
essential and mysterious power of nnturc-
| that of rcproductiou-which although the fact
! is seldom recognized, Is still symhol.ced in the
steeplc-surmountcd church towers Of to-day.
| Most Psychologists. however. ngrce in thinking.
| that at the dates when the eNtant obelisks Of
| the Nile land were erected the monolith was
| not in itself IN object of worship. and that its
symbolic meaning had become to some extent
eff;iced by tho distinctly monumental purpose OF
! honoring the Pharaoh or Pope King whose
| names and titles to distinction were inscribed
| upon it's sides. They discharged a. Command
er dorrin ,e tells u.s. for tho living monarch the
same function which was performed by the
| pyramids for the kings who had passed from
| life to state of transition or inartion analo-
gous TO the idea of death, entertained by the
early Christians. The fact that some print
tive Egyptian sculptures represent an obelisk
surrounding a pyramid is applicable by the
| belief in resurroction-rccrGlton typilcd by
tho obslisk. sprnsin.. from and rising out
| Of the impnssiNs trance like condition Of which
| the pyramid was Il symbol. II Is further to be
noted that obelisks which were always reared
in pairs. constituted essential parts Of the
temples which were erected to the glory of
living sovereigns. and the circumstance that
| toy were originally placed upon the cast bank
OF tho Nile. while the pyramids stood upon the
west bank. has been regarded rs Indicative Of
the architects intention to recognize in the
rising. as contrusted with the setting sun. an
allegory Of the contrast exhibited by the living
to the departed Pharaoh
The most ancient OF all obesks now existing
Is that found by Lepsus in the year lS43.
and which he ut llrst referred TO The beginning
Of the It'll dynasty but subsequently classcd
among the monuments OF the 4th and 5th dy-
nasties. 1t is the smallest known being only
two feet. one and half inches high. and is now
preserved in the Royal Museum at Berlin The
most ancient Of all the great obelisks stands on
the site of the temple Of Hoopols. 1t was
one OF % pair erected by Usortcsen who. az
coru'hS 10 Leps'us ana Brnasch. hourlshed
aoou' Z'ioo D. Z. Its mate zen prostrate about
a. u lloo ana mas now ehtlrcly disappeared
NeNt'o 'hls the Quest Oh tle larger ooolskS
no" sIHhuh@ IN isypt arc inc TWO IN 'front.' OF
the fourth propylon OF the great temple Of
Karnak: they are the work OF Thothmes l..
VINO ACCORDING 10 LeIsius' reighe" between
ioas anu 1910 d. Y. ono oi l!ie pair IL iai'eh
anu "foksn' inc o'ner Is SUI! stunning IN us
or'sihui poS"ion. GUN lur'her "'h'h the
great temple Oh harh"k' queen hatasou' INC
aaush'ef o, iho'h'poS l.. ~. w Tile loi'ics' Oh
INC ,hoi'oii'l,s NO" le'iaihinR ia f+Sp,' ana, a'
corning W D"Iie'', '"e tihes' Oh aii "pehskS
no" eA'e''hg' vi "'s'' 'ne southern one ID
iaioh' 'hc oIiier Is sun upright
Inc o'elSR now standing In tho ancient
n,PPodroihe AT o"hs'ahtihop'e was erected ny
lh"'nn'cS H. pu. ""c."cr III hei'opo's'
hnrhiS' OF lhcrs mas no' pceh eohe'us'NeIy