130 HISTORY OF 



France, that the art of embalming was more com- 

 pletely understood in the western world than even 

 in Egypt. This mummy, which was dug up at 

 Auvergne, was an amazing instance of their skill, 

 and is one of the most curious reliques in the art 

 of preservation. As some peasants in that part of 

 the world were digging in a field near Rion, with- 

 in about twenty-six paces of the highway, between 

 that and the river Artier, they discovered a tomb, 

 about a foot and a half beneath the surface. It 

 was composed only of two stones ; one of which 

 formed the body of the sepulchre, and the other 

 the cover. This tomb was of free-stone ; seven 

 feet and a half long, three feet and a half broad, 

 and about three feet high. It was of rude work- 

 manship j the cover had been polished, but was 

 without figure or inscription ; within this tomb 

 was placed a leaden coffin, four feet seven inches 

 long, fourteen inches broad, and fifteen high. It 

 was not made coffin fashion, but oblong, like a 

 box, equally broad at both ends, and covered with 

 a lid that fitted on like a snuff-box, without a 

 hinge. This cover had two holes in it, each of 

 about two inches long, and very narrow, filled 

 with a substance resembling butter ; but for what 

 purpose intended remains unknown. Within this 

 coffin was a mummy, in the highest and most per- 

 fect preservation. The internal sides of the coffin 

 were filled with an aromatic substance, mingled 

 with clay. Round the mummy was wrapped a 

 coarse cloth, in form of a napkin ; under this were 

 two shirts, or shrouds, of the most exquisite tex- 

 ture ; beneath these a bandage, which covered 



