138 TRAVELS IN UPPKR 



observe on it ihe persea and two serpents; above 

 the whole is the disk of the moon. In each hand 

 is a bouquet composed of prolific plants. My illus- 

 trious friend, Citizen Millin, preserver of anhqucs 

 at the National Museum, and distinguisiied Pro- 

 fessor o^ Archeology y assured me, that he had never 

 observed any thing resembling this, on any Egyp- 

 tian monument, but only on an Etruscan vase. 

 What is to be more particularly remarked is, that 

 these prolific flowers produce plants of a nature 

 sometimes different. For example, at the extremity 

 of the stalk supported by the left hand, a flower of 

 one piece produces a flower in several divisions. . 



The head of the second personage in this Isiac 

 procession is dressed somev/hat differently, but 

 what he holds in his hand has something still 

 more extraordinary than the branches of the first. 

 This is an Arabesque which has never been seen 

 yet on very ancient monuments, except on those 

 which are called Etruscan. It is well known that 

 these ornaments came from Asia ; but you do not 

 find any very ancient specimens of them but on 

 painted vases. Amongst the flowers of this Ara- 

 besque there are birds which appear to be aquatic 

 and palmipedal, and probably geese, which formed 

 a favourite nourishment of the Pharaohs, of the 

 higher classes, and of all those of the sacerdotal 



order. 



To 



