198 



A HISTORY OF 



soles of the feet, remained perfectly visible. 

 The bones of the arms and legs were soft and 

 pliant; but, on the contrary, those of the skull 

 preserved their rigidity ; the hair, which only 

 covered the back of the head, was of a ches- 

 nut colour, and about two inches long. The 

 pericranium at top was separated from the 

 skull by an incision, in order to open it for the 

 introducing proper aromatics in the place of 

 the brain, where they were found mixed with 

 clay. The teeth, the tongue, and the ears, 

 were all preserved in perfect form. The in- 

 testines were not taken out of the body, but 

 remained pliant and entire, as in a fresh sub- 

 ject ; and the breast was made to rise and iall 

 like a pair of bellows. The embalming pre- 

 paration had a very strong and pungent smell, 

 which the body preserved for more than a 

 month after it was exposed to the air. This 

 odour was perceived wherever the mummy 

 was laid; although it remained there but a 

 very short time, it was even pretended that 

 the peasants of the neighbouring villages were 

 incommoded by it. if one touched either the 

 mummy, or any part of the preparation, the 

 hands smelled of it for several hours after, al- 

 though washed with water, spirit of wine, or 

 vinegar. This mummy, having remained ex- 

 posed for some months to the curiosity of the 

 public, began to suffer some mutilations. A 

 part of the skin of the forehead was cut off, 

 the teeth were drawn out, and some attempts 

 were made to pull away the tongue. It was, 

 therefore, put into a glass-case, and shortly 

 after transmitted to the king of France's ca- 

 binet at Paris. 



There are many reasons to believe this to 

 be the body of a person of the highest dis- 

 tinction : however, no marks remain to assure 

 us either of the quality of the person, or the 

 time of his decease. There are only to be 

 seen some irregular figures on the coiBn ; one 

 of which represents a kind of star. There 

 were also some singular characters upon the 

 bandages, which were totally defaced by those 

 who had torn them away. However, it should 

 seem that it had remained for several ages in 

 this state, since the first years immediately 

 succeeding the interment, are usually those 

 in which the body is most liable to decay. 

 It appears also to be a much more perfect me- 

 thod of embalming than that of the Egyptian.-; 

 as in this the flesh continues with its natural 

 elasticity and colour, the bowels remain en- 

 tire, and the joints have almost the pliancy 

 which they had when the person was alive. 

 Upon the whole, it is probable that a much 

 less tedious preparation than that used by the 

 Egyptians would have sufficed to keep the 

 body from putrefaction; arid that an injec- 

 tion of petreoleum inwardly, and a layer of 

 asphaltum without, would have sufficed to have 

 made a mummy; and it is remarkable that 

 Auvergne, where this was found, affords these 

 two substances in sufficient plenty. This art, 

 therefore, might be brought to greater per- 

 fection than it has arrived at hitherto, were 

 the art worth preserving. But mankind have 

 long since grown wiser in this respect; and 

 think it unnecessary to keep by them adeform- 

 ed carcase, which, instead of aiding their mag- 

 nificence, must only serve to mortify their pride. 



CHAPTER XXXVI. 



OF ANIMALS 



LEAVING man, we now descend to the 

 lower ranks of animated nature, and prepare 

 to examine the life, manners, and characters, 

 of these our humble partners in the creation. 

 But, in such a wonderful variety as is diffused 

 around us, where shall we begin ? The num- 

 ber of beings endued with life, as well as we, 



seems, at first view, infinite. Not only the 

 forest, the waters, the air, teems with animals 

 of various kinds ; but almost every vegetable, 

 every leaf, has millions of minute inhabit .-.-Is, 

 each of which fill up the circle of its allc.ied 

 life, and some are found objects of the g cat- 

 est curiosity. In this seeming exuberance of 



