40 1 



EGYPT. 



i anointed with oil, xnA deposited in nitre for a cer- 

 tain time. Then the ca\ itics were filled, niul the whole 

 perfumed with aromatic drills; and. being wrapped 

 up with fillet;- of many fold*, nnd the faee i-mercd. but 

 ao as to retain its natural shape : the whole wa-s var- 

 nished to defend it from the air. In this situation it 

 was put into an open rotiin of .sycamore wood, or a 

 kind of pasteboard, and carefully painted. Bodies thus 

 prepared were sometimes deposited in the him 

 the dead, hut more commonly in the vaults of public 

 building*, or in excavations hewn out of the rock. But 

 neither in Egypt, nor in any other part of the 1 ';: t, do 

 coffins appear to have been much in use of old times, 

 and the mummies which are deposited in open cotiins, 

 may either be supposed to have been pcr.-ons of a .supe- 

 rior rank, or they may have been prepared in a later 

 period of the Egyptian history, when change.- had been 

 introduced in the manner of preserving the dead. 



As a part of the Egyptian code of laws, and a mean 

 of promoting virtuous conduct, we arc told, that an in- 

 quest was held upon the dead ; and according to their 

 character, so were the ceremonies of their funeral pre- 

 scribed. Infamous characters were either not permit- 

 ted to be buried at all, but as criminal and degraded 

 persons are still, among die ruder nations of the I'.a-.t, 

 cast out into the streets and fields, and left without 

 burial, so among the Egyptians they were denied those 

 sepulchral rites, which were considered as marks of 

 merit and approbation. There was a time in Egypt, 

 when persons, perhaps those of distinction, were buried 

 in the islands of the lake Mocris ; and if the profane 

 were not permitted to receive such a testimony of re- 

 spect, it might give rise to the fable of Charon ferry- 

 ing die souls of the departed over die Styx and Ache- 

 ron : and not being permitted to receive into his boat 

 the spirits of those whose bodies had been denied the 

 rites of funeral. The present name of the lake is Cha- 

 ron, and diat, in die Coptic language, signifies a ferry- 

 man ; which gives countenance to the allegorical story 

 which has now been mentioned. If the tomb of Osy- 

 mandeas was really so magnificent us it has been descri- 

 bed, and if the pyramids were intended for the bury- 

 ing place of kings, then there is a further appearance, 

 in these stupendous buildings, of the excessive care 

 which the Egyptians manifested about die state and 

 protection of the dead. 



The houses which they dwelt in when living, were 

 frail buildings, composed of perishing materials ; and 

 even die palaces of kings were inferior in splendour to 

 the temples of die gods : but die receptacles of die 



dead were more prrmnnent in their nature ; and princes 

 as well as potentates, aimed at perpetuity in the places * 

 of their rest. And they have not altogether aimed in 

 vain; for the sepulchres and tombs of 1 yypt are the 

 princijial remains of architectural greatness. Though 

 a distinction was made, and that perhaps wisely, be- 

 tween the righteous and the wicked at their death, 

 yet their friends and relations were permitted to re- 

 move the disgrace attached to dieir unhuricd connec- 

 tions, by certain compliances and forms, which were 

 necessary for having their dead removed from their 

 sight. And, in conformity with this arrangement, 

 .nils might be represented by the ]xn'ts as waited 

 by Charon's boat to the place of their final destination, 

 after the rites of sepulchre had been performed, 

 certain lapse of years had been completed. Who is un- 

 acquainted with the feelings which are excited, when 

 beloved friends are removed by death ? In e\ ery na- 

 tion, die power of these feelings are expressed in 

 particular manner; diversified, in part, by attending 

 circumstances, and constitutional temperament ; but 

 among die Jews, as well as other nations of the East, 

 all the plaintive passions were uttered with loud lamen- 

 tation, and sometimes by wounding their bodies, ami 

 afflicting themselves cruelly. These sc\ critics were 

 continued for a longer or shorter space of time, ac- 

 cording to the rank of the deceased ; but in everv si- 

 tuation die mourning was loud and violent. 



The benefits arising from the knowledge of other 

 countries, are not bounded by the gratification which 

 it yields; but they open up a field for imitating what 

 is valuable ; and liave a tendency to make us contented 

 with our own lot, when it is not inferior to the general 

 condition of others. Theprovision for happiness, dirough- 

 out nature is wise and abundant, but much depends 

 upon knowledge and virtue; and it ought to give us sa- 

 tisfaction, in being so highly favoured as a people. 

 The degraded state of Egypt, should show us the ad- 

 vantage of good laws, and of such means of improve- 

 ment as enlarge the mind, and promote die welfare of 

 nations. It is our duty to do all in our power to bet- 

 ter the condition of others ; and it is our interest to 

 improve the benefits we ourselves enjoy, which are 

 every way great and valuable. See 1'layfair and Pin- 

 kerton's Geography. Bruce, Brown, and Park's Tra- 

 vels. I'olnci/, Sonninl, Drnan, and Diction. Uiiiver. de 

 la Geog. Herodot. Kennel's Geog. Strab. and Ptol. 

 Geog. Hager, Staunlon, Warburtnn, Jablonski, Etat 

 de I' Architect. Asiat. Research. Norden, and Sliaw. 

 (j. w.) 



Fhrenbmt 



Eighth. 



E I G 



EHRENBREITSTEN. See COBLENTZ. 



EHRETIA, a genus of plants of the class Pentan- 

 dria, and order Monogynia. See BOTANY, p. 142. 



EHRHARTA, a genus of plants of the class Hex- 

 andria, and order Monogynia. See BOTANY, p. 191. 



EICHSTjEDT, or EUIISTETT. See AICHSTADT. 



EIGHTH MAJOR, in Music. (VIII), is an interval 

 whose ratio is \, = 612 Z -f. 12f + 53 m ; otherwise 

 called die Greater Eighth, the Diapason, Antiphone, 

 Octave, or Replicative : it is a concord of the most 

 perfect kind, possessing the singidar property of conti- 

 nuing a concord when added any number of times to 

 itselfor to any other concord. Its common logarithm is 

 .6989700,0431; its binary log. = 1.000000; its major 



E I G 



.= ')5.797682; its schisma log.=614.212(>394: 

 it is equal to the sum of the three smallest concords, or 

 = 3d + III + 4th; = 3T+2t + 2S; = li*/ + 2y 

 + 22 Z; = 7 S + 3 S + 2 J : which are a few of the 

 more important relations or manner of subdividing or 

 composing this interval. For numerous others, we refer 

 to our article OCTAVE. 



EIGHTH Minor, (8); called by some writers the Les- 

 M T Kighth, Flat Eighth, Minor Octave, Diminished 

 Major Eighth, &c. Its ratio is -J-f g> whose compo- 



3* X 5 

 nent primes are ; it* common logarithm is 



.7220938,0319; in decimals of the octave it is = .9231841; 

 in major commas it is =51.51151 : in schisruas, e= 



Eighth; 



