412 Phyfical and Mifcellaneous 



The Obelisks The Obel'tshs which I have mentioned at Alexandria and 

 dria ''w Heliopolis , have been defcribed by various Authors. The 

 irHe^iopo- Hieroglj/ph'icks upon the latter, (which are the fame on all 

 Sides,) are exceedingly fair and legible ; and indeed the whole 

 Pillar, is as intire and beautiful, as if it were newly finiilied. 

 But the Alexandrian ObeUsky lying nearer the Sea, and in a 

 moiiter Situation, hath fuffered very much ; efpecially upon 

 that Side, which faceth the Northward : for the Planes of thefe 

 Pillars, no lefs than thofe of the Tyramids, feem to have been de- 

 ligned to regard the four Quarters of the World. It may like- 

 wife be further obferved with Regard to this Pillar, that the 

 Height of it, which is found to be fifty {French) Foot, three 

 whereof are buried under Ground, agrees, almoft to a Nicety, 

 with the Length of one or other of the Mefphean Obelisks ', that 

 were ereoled at this Place. Several of the Charaders upon 

 the HertopoUtan Obelisk, are filled up with a white Compofi- 

 tion, as if they had been enamelled ; which, at firft Sight indeed, 

 engage us to imagine, that all of them, originally, w ere intend- 

 ed to be fo. But, upon a ftrioter View, this appeared to have 

 been done by the Hornets, that, in the Summer Seafon, fix 

 here their Neils. 

 ? E°" The Copy which I took of this Pillar, is agreeable to the 

 char^aers anncxcd Defien ; wherein A. B. C. D. reprefents the Shaft of 

 Heiiopo- the Obelisk, E. the Tyramidion, F. G. H. I. the four Quarters 

 lisk. of the World, K. K. K. fo m^iny Amulets or Tale [mans. Among 



the Hieroglyphicks, a. is Ofiris or the Sun, b. the Crux An/at a» 

 c. the triple Branch of the Terfea, d. the upper Hemijpherey 

 e. a Quail, f. the Thyrfits Tafyraceus, g. the Taniamorpha 

 Naiura, b. the Disk and Beetle, k. a Faviffa or Ciftern, /. the 

 Ibis, m. the lower Hemifphere, n. the Goofe, o. the Sceptrum 

 JB^gimorphum, p. the Sceptrum Arundinaceum or Σ%οΤν@Η^ q. a. 

 Sceptre, with two Ferulas, denoting the Union of two Powers, 

 r. a Hydrofchema or Water Courfe, / a Rudder, /. the Situla» 

 u. the Influx of the four Elements, w. an Agathodcemon, x. 2l 

 Feather, y. the Serpent, z. a Hatchet, or Ofiris\ Hook, 

 Λ. an Arm, with the Tendril of a Vine, ^. a Gate, 7. an Eye, 

 ^. the Cerafles, t. a Tyramid. But for a particular Explica- 

 tion of thefe Charadters , the greateft Part whereof have re- 

 ceived their very Denominations iromAlrcber, the Reader is 

 referred to that learned Author. 



I 



Et alii duo funt {Obelifci) Alexandra in portu ad C<e/rfni templum, quosexciditMc/^/A'fi 

 rex quadragenum binum cubitorum. FHh. 1^6. cap. 9. 'DiodorU'i 



