The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-05-02

tho matter OF collins also, tho difference between
rich and poor was great, tho latter having TO
mako shift with fow texts. and often without
coffin at all, whilc the wealthy found thor last
resting places within three md oven four
sarcophngi, placed ono within another, ana
adorned with innumcrablc inscriptions and
vignettcs. Incascd in its coffin, the body
was returned to tho family; sometimes,
II the deceased had died In n foreign
land, he would be brought back to his native
city to DO laid in the tomb which 1t was the care
OF an Egyptian to prepare for himself during
life. The mummy was borne in solemn funeral
procession, accompanied by tho family, the
wailing women, and the priests, from the eastern
shores OF the Nile where most of tho cities were
built, to the Metropolis among tho western hills.
Even IL city and Metropolis were both on tho
same side OF the river, still the act OF crossing
was performed, ut least symholically, by ira
vcrsing tho sacred lake invariably attached to
an abode OF tho dead. When the tomb or ctcr-
nal houso"hnd boon reached, the coffin was got
UP on end, Its face turned toward the south. on n
small sand hill intended to represent the Noun
tain OF tho West. tho realm of tho dead. There
the deceased was approached by various persons
who prayed before him and performed many
sacred rites. tho chief functionary being tho
khcr heb, who may be described as master OF the
ceremonies. He conducted the whole ritual; pa
pyrus roll In hand, he assigned to each his place
and prompted each with tho words he had to
speak, o. else rccitcd them In his name. with
the khcr heb stood a servant, n friend and n son
Of the priest, two mourning women, one rcprc-
senting Isis and the other Nephthys. tho sacri-
fetal priest. and other persons who seem to
have been merely present at the proceedings
without taking part In them. Tho whole ccrc-
mony was intended as a reproduction OF
what WINS supposed to have taken place
around the coffin of Osiris. without entering
into the details Of the complicated proceedings.
we cGn see that their main object was the rcsto-
ration Of all bodily functions to the mummy
preparatory to the long journey which lay before
It in tho next world. The mouth was symbolical-
ly opened that 1t might speak. and the eyes were
symbolically Enclosed that it might see; n bull
was slaughtered that the dead might have food to
hand; rites were performed to enable 1t to make
use Of garments, unguents and many other things
lin short, to make it, in all things, like n living
human body. We should bear in mind that aIl this
time the mummy itself remained undisturbed
in its swathings: the coffin only was manipu-
atcd. For the most part, the end in view was to
be accomplished by rcciting the right prayer
and touching the mummy case with a peculiarly
shaped wand; sometimes the symbolical passes
were made with the same effect upon q statue
OF tho deceased instead of upon his coffin. After
the ceremony was completed. the body was
lowered into the grave and the shaft closed. and,
when all was over. n funeral feast was held in
the antcchambcr of the tomb. Henceforth there
was nothing more that the friends and relatives
of the deceased could do for him. except to
present him with offerings. either directly or
through the gods, and to c~onstrain the gods with
magic formulas to deal kindly by the dead.