A N T I Q U I T I E S. 



411 



feet square. The paintings In the 

 [ corridors which surround the halls 

 of audience, descrihe the power and 

 wealth of sovereiaris. On the walls 

 are sculptured caskets, screens, 

 ' pearl necklaces, perfume pots, strong 

 boxes, and hoods enriched with 

 precious stones. There are also 

 pictures which represent different 

 ceremonies of initiation ; while 

 others display the progress of love. 



At a hundred paces to the east 

 of the palace is a long colonnade 

 that serves as a portico to the build- 

 ings which appear to have been oc- 

 cupied by the king's household : 

 they contain a great number of 

 separate apartments; their form is 

 oblong, and their dimensions are 

 above twenty-five feet In length, by 

 fifteen in breadth. They are all 

 decorated with pictures. A gate 

 in a very fi.ne style of architecture, 

 on the eastern side of the palace, 

 and about four hundred paces from 

 the range of buildings which termi- 

 nates it, led to this part of the 

 royal habitation. 



To the south of the court of obe- 

 lisks, were four moles, which being 

 in a line with each other, formed on 

 this side the avenue to the great pa- 

 lace. This appears to have been 

 the entrance of the kings of Egypt. 

 The people were admitted no far- 

 ther than the vestibule, supported 

 by the forest of columns, which has 

 been already mentioned. The par- 

 ticular audiences were probably 

 given in the halls of granite. The 

 gate of the most southern mole was 

 constructed of granite, or rather, 

 jwrhaps, repaired by it, and was ap- 

 proached by an avenue of ninety 

 lions, many of which arc in good 

 preservation. Their statui'c is co- 

 lossal, and their length about fifteen 

 feet; the interval between them is 



but ten feet; and they are repre- 

 sented as lying down on a base 

 about three feet high. 



An avenue of sphinxes intersects 

 it at right angles from east to west 

 and unites with an avenue of rams 

 in the same direction. Opposite 

 the gate of the little palace of Kar- 

 nac, the latter avenue stretches on 

 to about a hundred fathom from 

 that of Luxor, of which It appears 

 to have been a part. 



In front of each of the moles, 

 which lead to the court of obelisks 

 in the great palace, are two and 

 sometimes four colossal figures in 

 stone or in granite. They are either 

 seated in the position of those of 

 Luxor, or standing upright in the 

 action of walking, the arms resting 

 on their sides, and furnished with 

 an Inflected poignard. 



The sides of these vast buildings 

 have suffered various accidents, and 

 the interior construction is very de- 

 fective. Whatever precautions the 

 Egyptians took, in general, to in- 

 sure the duration of their monu- 

 ments, they trusted so much to the 

 quality of the air, which is free 

 from every destructive principle that 

 they adorned the exterior parts of 

 them with as much care and ele- 

 gance as they employed for the de- 

 coration of the interior masonry. 



To the south, and at two hun- 

 dred paces from the flank of these 

 moles, is a superb gate, which leads 

 to a small palace, placed on a line 

 with the court of the great palace. 

 This gate, perhaps, is the only piece 

 of Egyptian ai'chitecture which 

 would be taken as a model in our 

 days. It is now detached from two 

 moles which flanked it, as they are le- 

 velled with the ground. The Egyp- 

 tian gates in this state are infinitely 

 more beautiful than when they form 



