Ohfervations in Egypt. 417 



generally taken for the Perfons '. Now as Egypt had been, 

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

 likcwife pretended, that a regular and chronologicar Account 

 had been kept of all the remarkable Tranfadions of their 

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

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

 other Accounts, and Traditions concerning them. For it is 

 faid ' \ that Suphts built the firft, and Nitocris the third ; that 

 the fecond was raifed, as Herodott^s ' 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 Thil'ition \ and the leaft 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 Tyramids, (thofe Wonders of the World,) was thus dubious 

 and obfcure, there is fufficient Ground to fufpe6l the Corred;- 

 nefs and Accuracy of the Egyptian Hiftory in other Matters. 



Neither is there an univerfal Confent, among the Antients,^? isvota- 

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

 Tl'tny* alTerts, that they were built for Oftentation and toTLieJ.'''" "" 

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

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

 Egyptian Kings ^ But if Cheops j Suphis, 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 Well % 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. Herodot. Euteip. 5- ^24. 127. & 134. 2 Tuna. Siyt-Btot a.'T^iylas (p^tiA eOTsaS^. M) -n 

 \ci}i^lifJiiVOi, y^ iiei >in)^apo(Xini -m tTist. //erod. u: lupra. 5' ^4^- risei ai" kmvTeay {^^auihiav) a) f^ 



7eii ^7ihcMmjnav lyiniii TW fuyk^M, i^ ovot'it T/f tJ i^ucth. -tij « )&-ra -nvf \Sioui y^g^rnt iKciga lafa^divTa. 

 Diod. Bibl. l.l.p.29. 2* 2k?/? 7m luji^v hj^js nufa/uit/it, ic ipyim HfcSJhr®' -inn 'XioTiQ' ytyoviveu.Manelh. 

 apud Sjncell. Chronogr. p. y(S. Hhax-etf yiWDuu-m-ni, £) iu^p^oTa'w rav ko] aMnv yivonkvn * tiiv rei-Tnv 

 xya^i Uu^ajj.iJk. Id. ibid. p. j8. 3 Vid. Not.i. 4 Pyramldes Yegam pecanix otiofa ac ftulta 

 oftentatio ; quippe cum faciendi eas caufa, a plerifque tradacur, ne pecuniatn fucceflbribus 

 aut xmulis infidiantibus praeberent ; aut ne plebs enet otiofa. Plin. \.^6. cap. 12. 

 5 Pyramidum tumulis evuKus Amafts. Luc. 1. 9. l.i Jf. 



Cum Ptolem&oYum manes feriemque pudendam 



Pyr amide s cVind^nt indignaque M^a/o/f^. Id. 1. 8. 1. (S98. 

 Ts'TfiwvTTt J*' &B <? ■TKhiU! (MempHls) ittJioit arejf^^Ji'T/, opwyii ris ojjJf ejii't 'up {i woAXoi f/fy nufaixihf hm, 

 luipoi Tav fimn^ioy. TfeJf ^" a.^iaAoyoi, -nis Ji Jio totbi' 19 h To7f 'i-njet, ^ifjictiri na-raeiSiiMvnu. Strab. Geogr. 

 1.17. p. 1 161. TiSf <A' liao'ihiav Tuv y.a'Ta,7KcAJaca.tTay aujaf iauloh -mipduf, auviCii (/.nJiTiCfV aurav rait 

 ni/fetf/iV;]' iVTa(fiyeu. D'lod. Sic. Bibl. 1. i. p. 40. 6 In Pyramide maxim^ eft intus puteus 85 

 cubitorum, flumen illo admiirum arbitrantur. P//«. I.36. cap. 12. 



Nnnnn Walls 



