72 TRANS. ST. LOUIS ACAD. SCIENCE. 



4. The phonetic hieroglyphs are determined by Greek and 

 Roman proper names ; and some other groups, severed from the 

 contexts, and arbitrarily spelled. 



5. Not one of the 630 hieroglyphic figures signifies a syllable 

 {point syllabique), 



6. Regularly all hieroglyphic groups are followed by one or 

 more ideologic figures, indicating to what class of things the pre- 

 ceding word belongs. 



7. The language, being the ground-work of the whole Egyp- 

 tian literature, is the modern Coptic, as taught in our grammars 

 and dictionaries. 



It is apparent that Champollion's system totally differs from 

 that of the author, and it is self-evident that any hieroglyphic 

 inscription, deciphered either according to the former or latter 

 theories, must of necessity yield totally different meanings. It is 

 therefore ah important question : What is the true key to the 

 Egyptian literature ? For my part, I am not at all personally 

 interested in the matter, for I never longed after an idle nimbus, 

 but always worked for the glory of Him who is the truth, and 

 condemns all sorts of falsehood. I have nothing to gain or to lose 

 for. myself. The question is of some account, only, because the 

 whole civilized world wants to know what are the contents of 

 those thousands of papyrus scrolls and inscriptions which Provi- 

 dence, during a period of 4658 years, has preserved. Further, 

 by means of this ancient literature it is to be decided whether the 

 traditions of all other nations of old, especially the Hebrews, are 

 reliable or not. Moreover, the European governments pay annu- 

 ally great sums for the purpose of bringing useful truths to light, 

 and many friends of science purchase Egyptian works at high 

 prices to the end of being instructed, and not for being cheated 

 and led astray. For these reasons we are in duty bound to enter 

 into the question. 



In the first place, it will be objected that the correctness of 

 Champollion's system has, since 1824, been placed beyond ques- 

 tion, ^uod nonl For no hieroglyphic system can be true as 

 long as it contradicts clear evidences ; and this is the case with 

 Champollion's theory. ( See my Gram. yEg. pp. xix. xxvi. 4.) 



