31^ Hieroglyphical Fragments, 



as it is here annexed to the names of two or three other 

 deities. But I am by no means confident on the subject ; 

 and beg only to be allowed a few years more to collect further 

 evidence, without being accused of resisting conviction. 



I must also claim a similar indulgence for my opinion 

 respecting the bird and the disc, which is sti) constantly foutid 

 between two names, that I could not avoid "supposihg it 'tb 

 mean simply son ; I confess that the arguments which Mr. 

 ChampoUion has drawn from the application of this charactei: 

 to some of the Roman names, as well as those which Mr. Salt 

 has deduced from the inscriptions which he has published, 

 are at least sufficient to silence me ; I had, indeed, long be- 

 fore observed that the first name of one pair of rings is scarcely 

 ever found as the second of another, though I fancied the 

 Minervean obelisk might afford an exception. On the other 

 hand, I cannot explain, upon Mr. Champollion's theory, the 

 order of the names in the tablet of Abydus, which might be 

 supposed to have been purposely intended to perpetuate this 

 discussion. 



It is admitted that this tablet contains the names of a chro- 

 nological series of kings, each characterized by one ring, con- 

 taining what I have always considered as the true names of the 

 persons in question. It is easy to grant to him that they are 

 the praenomens only ; as is common in all modern chronology. 

 But how comes it that there is one exception to this, and that 

 the reigning monarch is characterized by his second name 

 only, where he first occurs, and where we should expect to 

 find his father.? This is precisely what would have been 

 required if the document had been forged to support my 

 opinion ; though I should certainly have been very ungrateful 

 for an argument, which is more calculated to increase the 

 difficulty than to remove it. ..>iHni^i i,^on^ 



An objection of a similar nature may be deduced from the 

 tablet found between the legs of the sphinx, and copied by 

 Mr. Salt, H. 80. The " Mesphres son of Thuthmosis" of the 

 Article Egypt is represented naturally enough as doing ho- 

 mage to his deified father, under the form of an Androsphinx ; 

 had he been doing homage to himself, the names would 

 scarcely have been so divided. They also occur repeatedly 

 afterwards in the inscription, but never together. 



