The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1883-02-18

Pyramid (Worthington). We have n series OF
essays by Mr.. RICHARD A. PROCTOR on the rur-
poses for which the mightiest architectural
work ever reared by man. the pyramid OF
Choops. was erected. After setting forth the
objections to the various hypothesis which
have been propounded. after showing that the
monument could not have been designed to
serve exclusively either as tomb an observa-
tory. or a temple. he proceeds to develop his
own theory. which certainly appears to meet
all the conditions Of the problem. Let us ex-
anime in some detail the answer given by Mr..
Proctor to one OF tho most difficult and inter-
esting riddles which have aroused the curl
osity and compelled the study Of engineers.
astronomers. and archeoogsts.
1t is emphatically an astrological theory
which Is advocated by Mr. Proctor aud before
comparing 1t with the known facts it will be
we'll to heed certain general considerations
which are set forth ut length In a chapter Of
this volume We should remember that the
tronomy OF the time OF Cheops was essentially
astrology. and that astrology in turn played
most important part in the national religion.
1t seems to follow that IN the pyramid OF
Cheops was astronomical building erected
at time when astronomy was astroogy. it
must have been erected for astrological pur-
poses. Although. too 1t was reared for the
benefit OF single man. or ut oil events OF sim
regarded rs q national temple. for. being con-
| structed at a time when paternnl government
was carried to the highest conceivable point.
whatever benefited the sovereign would un-
doubleday be looked upon AS a benefit also to
| his people. In whatever sense. then, the great
| pyramid had religious significance with re-
| gard to the king who caused it to be built 1t
had likewise a national religious significance.
Mr.. Proctor contends that 1t would have been
N,n., ,IIA e. h,..,H kIN;o
| THEOLOGICAL observatory erected. even II by
means OF 1t he could learn only what was to
happen. the times and seasons which were
| likely to be fortunate or unfortunate for him
| or for his race. But in his day. rs in ours as
| troiogy laid claim to the power not only OF
reading but also Of ruling. the stars. 1t was
| NOT. indeed. pretended by astrologers that they
| could actually regulate the movements OF the
heavenly bodies. but they asserted that by care
full observation and study they could show how
the best advantage could be taken of the good
dispositions Of the stars. and how their maefc
! influences could be best avoided. They not
| only asserted this but doubtless many OF them
| believed it: and it Is certain that those who
were not themselves astronomers were fully
| persuaded OF the truth OF the astrological
| theories. which even now. when tho discovery
| OF the true nature OF the planets has entirely
| disproved them. still retain some hold upon tho
minds OF the multitude.
There is. in Mr.. Proctor's opinion. no other
EXPLANATION OF the great pyramid which even
comes near to giving a common sense inter-
probation Of the combined astronomical and
sepuchral character OF the edinco. If it is
| certain on the ono hand that the building was
| built astronomically and was meant for astro-
| nomical observation. it is equally certain that
| it was intended for tomb: that II was closed in
worry soon after tho death OF the king for whom
| it was built. so that its astronomical aim and
value must have related to him alone. As an
astrological structure. designed to afford facli-
| tics for u gigantic horoscope for Cheops. and
| for him only. tho author OF these essays can
understand its purport. marvellous as is tho
vast expenditure Of care. industry. and treas
ure layishcd upon its creation. Granted full
faith in astrology-and we know there was
such faith in ancient Egypt and Chaldea-it
| may well have seemed worth its cost to build
even such an edi!ico as the great pyramid, Just
| as. granted the ideas Of the Egyptians about
| burial. We can understand tho erection Of such
mighty mass for tn" purpose Of cntombmcnt-
can understand indccd. everything about 1t
except it's special Astronomical character.
| Let us now note In detail how Mr.. Proctor
undertakes to adjust his theory to the chief
points which have perploxsd students Of the
pyramids generally and OF tho great pyramid
| in particular Admitting. for instance that
these monuments were but vast tombs. we ma y
| ask why they should be automatically Oriented
with extreme care Astroogy seems to an
swer this question satisfactorily. For astro-
logical study Of tho heavens the pyramid lin its
incomplete or truncated condition. could not
BIO too accurately oriented. Admitting how
ever. that the pyramid of Cheops was for q
| time used as nn astronomical observatory. and
that its upper square platform was used for
| lrApti ul IN Va nj nnn
necton there is between these direction lines
tho only ones which would naturally arise
from the square form and astrological rela-
tions. MIR. Proctors reply is that to this very
day these lines remain In use among astrolo-
gers. He proves his assertion by figure taken
from Raphaels Astrology." which represe nts
tho ordinary horoscope and its relations TO a
horizontal, carefully orlcnted square plane
surface. precisely such as tho top OF tho pyra-
mid WAS. with Just such direction lines as
would naturally bs used on such platform.
But why. we may further query, did each
king want u tomb Of his own2 Why should
there not have been o larger family mnuso-
leum. one in which all the expense and
labor given to all the pyramids built for
members Of the same dynasty should have
been combined2 Obviously there must have
been some special reason which rendered the
pyramid OF each king altogether useless to
MS SUCCESSOR. AsrolOBy appears 10 supply
such n reason. Dead kings OF one family might
sleep with advantage in a single tomb. but each
mans horoscope must be kept by itself. Even
to this day tho astrological charlatan would
not discuss one mans horoscope on q plan
| drawn out and used for another mans. Every
thing. according to astrological superstition
would have become confused and indistinct
The religious solemnitiss which accompanied
astrological observations In tho days when the
chief astroosers were the high priests. would
have been rendered nugatory. II those per
torp.ed under conditions suitable for one per.