Hieroglyphical Fragments. 315 



suppose that they belong to the earliest date, with which the 

 tablet commences : and perhaps the seven stars of the former 

 may have been marked by mistake for six. The interpreta- 

 tion of the marginal stars will be easily brought to the test of 

 future observations. 



Plates 75 and 76 contain portions of a large tablet frorri 

 Sacchara> very fairly written on chalk, of which the upper 

 part is broken off, leaving only a few traces of a hieroglyphid 

 inscription, which seems to have*c0htain6d a datfe at the end, 

 perhaps the 12th of Mechir. 



(1) [In the . i year of Queen Cleopatra] and Piolemij sur^ 

 flamed Caesaris, the divine kiiig ; . living for ever. (7) . ; 

 The yeax 9, Athyr or Mfechir 9, of the great King Ptolemy thd 

 god ' Brother of Apis ? Dionysus * the awful ? living for ever 

 . . (19) . . the great King Ptolemy the god * Brother of 

 Horus ? Dionysus . . . mighty as the sun ? . . . (20) . . ; 

 living for efver i . (21) In the year 7 Mechir the 14 . . The 

 Queen Soter and King Ptolemy surnamed Caesaris living for 

 ever . . gave . . (25) * . children, for ever. 28 . . * Written 

 and engraved by ? . . ; 



In the 79th plate there are four enchorial lines very dis- 

 tinctly written, and beginning with a date, which must bei 

 either 24 or 28, arid most probably the latter, as there are 28 

 stars in the margin: perhaps the 11th of the month, in the 

 reign of Ptolemy the son of Ptolemy ^ may he live for ever. 

 The rest is not intelligible. 



in this manner, my deaf Sir^ I have been creeping, while 

 others have been flying, though perhaps a little too near the 

 sun. Possibly my friend Champollion, and your friend 

 SeyfTarth, would be able to decipher much more of these 

 inscriptions ; and it is probable that their versions might 

 differ in almost every particular. In this case it is unne- 

 cessary for me to say which of the two explanations I should 

 be inclined to prefer : for it is impossible to deny to Cham- 

 pollion the merit of great industry, and deep, as well as 

 extensive research. I object only to his precipitation, and his 

 love of system, which, I think, cause him to be led away by his 

 own ingenuity, through a series of condusions unsupported 

 by sufficient evidence. 



