Obfervations in Egypt. 417 



generally taken for the Perfons '. Now as E^yp had been^ 

 from Time immemorial, the Seat of Learning; where it was 

 likevvife pretended, that a regular and chronologicar Account 

 had been kept of all the remarkable Tranfaolions of their 

 Kings; it is much, that the Authors of fuch great Undertakings, 

 iliould be fo much as even difputed. Yet we find there were 

 other Accounts, and Traditions concerning them. For it is 

 faid ' \ that Suj^his built the firft, and Nitocr'is the third ; that 

 the fecond was raifed, as Herodotus ' acquaints us, from the 

 Money which the Daughter of Cheops procured at the Expence 

 of her Chaftity ; whilft the two greater were the Work of 

 the Shepherd Thilition ; and the leaif had the Harlot Rhodope 

 for it's Foundrefs. Herodotus indeed, who hath preferved thefe 

 Reports, doth not give much Credit to them; however it may 

 be juftlv enough inferred from hence, that as the Chronology 

 of the Tyram'ids, (thofe Wonders of the World,) was thus dubious 

 and obfcure, there is fufficient Ground to fufped the Corredl- 

 nefs and Accuracy of the Egyptian Hiftory in other Matters. 



Neither is there au univerfalConfent, among the Antients,^^ h not a- 

 for what Ufe or Intent thefe Tyramids were defigned. VoYufethlV^^^- 

 Tliny* aiTerts, that they were built for Oftentation and toulilT"^'''' 

 keep an idle People in Employment; others, which is the moit 

 received Opinion, that they were to be the Sepulchres of the 

 Egyptian Kings ^ But 'ή Cheops ^ SuphiSy or whoever elfe was 

 the Founder of the great Tyramid, intended it only for his 

 Sepulchre, what Occafion was there for fuch a narrow, crooked 

 Entrance into it; for the WelP, as it is called, at the End of 

 the Entrance ; for the lower Chamber, with a large Nitch or 

 Hole in the eaftern Wall of it ; for the long narrow Cavities in the 



I Vid. Hcrodot. Euterp. f. 124. 127. & 134. 2 Ύαχ^-η Kiyu-nliit ίτς,κ,Ιωί ?«λ £OTsa'3^i hd τϊ 

 \ο}ίζίμίνοί, i^ iiH >!τΐ}ξύ.ρί)μίνοι τα ϊτίΛ. Hefoi. UC lupra. 5• ^45'• ^'^ ^* "'«"Tfi'i' (βα^τιλίων) ο/ ,uJ(u 

 ΊίξΜ ϊιχον iiay^ii'pa.f iv tu! JspaTf (Si'Caok ίκ -mKajav yj}ym <tH 7o/f hUnJiyoK τπι^ΑιΛιμίνιΐζ, ό TmMxQf 6<gL5-@' 

 7«/ ^cijiticAiTD.vjav lyivi-n tm ^}ΐθ«, i^ ότό/όί τ /f τϊ φύπ<, j^ τα η^ύλ -ηυ! "tSiauf -/f^ni ίκάςω OfnyVivm. 

 Oiod. Bibl. 1.1. p. 29. ζ" Σ»?/? im μίγην uj-fSi Πι/ξα,αίιΛί » «ΐ' ιρ«ήνΗρωΛτ®' VJjra Χεοττ•®' yiyoniieu.Maiieth. 

 apud Sjncell. Chronogr. p. ^6. Νίτωκε^ί ^ίνΐ'/χώΐτα'τ», i^ ίι/^ιωρφοτατ» των κα] α,^νιν •^ινομίνχ *7»/ Teljw 

 >iycii>i ΏυξΛμί/α,. Id. ibid. p. 58. 3 Vid. Not.i. 4 Pyramides return pecunlx otiola ac ftulta 

 oftcntatio ; quippe cum facicndi eas caufa, a plerifque tradatur, nc pcciiniam fucceiToribus 

 aut xmulis infidiantibus prsbercnt ; aut ne plebs eilct otiofa. Pl'in. 1.^6. cap. 12. 



f Pyramidum tamuUs evuKasAmafis. iz/f. 1. 9. l.i jy. 



Cum Ptolemdorum manes feriemque pudendam 

 Pyramidcs claudant indignaquc Maufolea. Id. 1. 8. I. 69%. 

 Ti'TiixiVTtt i' &B 'i τϊόλίαί (Memphis) saJioK «η£?2λΛί^7/, όρπνί! 7/f Όρξύ( S?tv, tp' ii τπιίλα* /^ Πυραμίί(( Ικη, 

 τάροι των βί^λίαν, Ύ(Η( <f" άςίόλο^ο/, -ms Si Λ'ο ήταν )^ h τοϊί Ιτϋίί ^ίάμανι iMirt.ejt^uxvmi. Strab. Gcogr. 

 1.17• p. Τ 161. Ίων Ji βίτιύων των KaTo.jy.cvaTxvTov «υτΛ< iiwloii Twjoi/f, rnnCn μη^Τίζ/ν Λΐ'τωγ raif 

 Χ1ν(αμίσιν h-raitivcu. D'lod. Sic. Bibl. 1. I. p. 40. 6 In Pyramide maxima eft intus puteus 86 

 cubitorum, flumen illo admiiTum arbitrantur. F/;k. I.36. cap.12. 



Nnnnn Walls 



