SCULPTURE. 



beautiful proportions ; its feet, well preferved, are in a beau- 

 tiful ftyle ; it does not prefent any attribute, except a col- 

 hr, which is often feen on figures of Ifis ; the hair is curled, 

 and falls on each fide of the face ; and on each fide of this 

 figure are hieroglyphical infcriptions. 



At Luxor, which is part of ancient Thebes, are the re- 

 mains of a palace, having in its front two obelifks of granite ; 

 their height is feventy feet above the earth. Near thefe are 

 two cololfal figures buried up to the breads ; and judging 

 from the fize of what is above the earth, we may reckon 

 that thirty feet are buried, which gives a hundred feet 

 to thefe obeliflcs. They are in perfeA prefervation : the 

 hieroglyphics upon them are moft laborioufly finifhed; the la- 

 bour to cut them from the quarry mull have been immenfe, as 

 well as to tranfport them to the place where they now itand. 

 The parts preferved of the two colofles are admirable pieces 

 of fculpture, and were finifhed in the moil careful manner. 

 Behind thefe are two great moles, which formed the gate ; 

 t''ey are covered with fculptures reprefenting chariots drawn 

 by two horfes, each having only one conduftor. 



It is remarkable, that neither the coloffal figures, nor the 

 monuments, are on a fine with each other, nor with the gate ; 

 alio, they are fo clofe together, that the diilance between 

 the moles and the obeliilts, comprehending the coloflal fta- 

 tnes between them, is but eleven paces ; each of which ob- 

 je.'ls in an infulated pofition, would altonifh the beholder 

 with its fize. 



The temple of Hermuntis was confecrated to Ifis, whofe 

 delivery from Typhon is, fculptured on the walls in bailo 

 relievo ; It is a beautiful, elegant itrufture, but dreadfully 

 ruined. 



Eine, the ancient Latopolis, has a temple, the portico of 

 which is m good prelervation ; it was dedicated to Jupiter 

 Ammon, as appears from a medallion over the gate in the 

 inner part of the ruin. Tlie hieroglyphics and piftures re- 

 prefent a great number of facrifices offered to this deity, and 

 to rams, h's emblems : the moft curious of thefe rcprefent 

 the offerings made to crocodiles, and the wor(hip of the 

 Nile. The triumphs of tlie figns of Leo and Cancer are 

 equally dillinguifhed. Hieroglyphics are fculptured in 

 relief on the columns, very beautiful for their workmanfhip. 

 This temple is one of the moll remarkable in Upper Egypt, as 

 ». ell for the perfeift prefervation of the portico, and its parts 

 tiiat ftill remain, and their fine execution, as for the very 

 interelting piftures, which relate to thofe minutiaE of Egyp- 

 tian worfhip which are leall known : here is alfo found one 

 ot the remaining zodiacs. This is one of the molt beautiful 

 monuments of antiquity ; moft perfcft in proportion, and 

 beautiful in execution, of all the temples in Egypt. 



Edfu, or Apollinopolis, is the moft fpacious as well as the 

 bi ft preferved of all the Egyptian temples, and where the 

 Egyptian architeclure difplays itfelf with fupreme magnifi- 

 cence. It was dedicated to Horus, tlie Apollo of the Greeks. 

 Here it is that the huge materials have been employed with 

 the greateft care, though many of the ftones have not been 

 pLccd perpendicularly on their capitals, and feveral of the 

 columns vary in their diameters. The drawing of the 

 figures is corredl, and there is fomc appearance even of 

 perfpcftivc in the ftatues of Ifis, that decorate the frieze of 

 the portico. 



The fculpture is particularly beautiful in the capitals of 

 the columns that decorate this temple, every one different, 

 '>Mt every one beautiful ; they are totally original in the 



Mipofition of their ornaments, and perhaps equally cx- 

 "-ellent with the admired Corinthian, or Ionic. 



The temples at Elephantine and Philae are by no means 

 inferior to any in Egypt ; they are likewife adorned with 



fculptures and paintings of the moft perfed Egyptian work- 

 man Ihip. 



But the abodes of the dead were particularly diftinguiflied 

 by the care of the ancient Egyptians. All the Lybian 

 mountain, which is half a league to the weft of the Mem- 

 nonium, and ends oppofite to Medinet Abou, is pierced fr<jin 

 its bafe to three-fourths of its elevation, with a great number 

 of fepulchral grottoes. Thole which are neareft the furface 

 of the ground are moft fpacious, as well as the moft de- 

 corated ; thofe which are in the moft elevated part of the 

 mountain, are much more rudely contrived and execHted • 

 while fuch as hold the middle place bear an adjufted pro- 

 portion of fpace and ornament. Thofe which belong to the 

 poor are the molt interefting, becaufe they always contain 

 fome reprefentation of the arts which flouriftied, and the 

 trades which were praclifed at that epocha. The plan of 

 thefe grottoes is in a great meafure the fame. A door open* 

 ing towards the eaft difplays a gallery of about twenty feet 

 in length, fometimes formed in a ftraight line ; at other tirne< 

 it runs off from the entrance in an angle : it is indifferently 

 fupported by columns or pilafters. At the extremity of the 

 gallery is a well that leads to the catacombs, where the 

 mummies are depofited. The depth of thefe wells varie* 

 from forty to fixty feet ; and they are connefted by long 

 fubterraneous paftages rudely fhaped in the rock, which 

 terminate in a chamber of about thirty feet fquare, whofe 

 fides are fupported by pilalters, and contain large remains of 

 the mummies. There are evident traces of numerous other 

 fubterraneous communications, which probably lead to other 

 chambers that are at prefent concealed. 



In the upper gallery are fculptured in baffo relievo, or 

 painted in frefco, a great number of fubjedts relating to 

 funeral ceremonies. The moft interelting pitlures which are 

 feen there, prefent a detail of circumltances connefted with 

 the ancient inhabitants of the country. There are repre. 

 fentcd their firit occupations, fuch as the chafe and the 

 filhery. Thence we may trace the progrefs of civilization 

 in the employments of the fadler, the cartwright, the potter, 

 the money-lender, the hufbandman, and in the duties and 

 the punifhments of the military life. Each grotto is adorned 

 with a cieling painted with lubjefts of fancy. 



The tombs of the kings are about fix thoufand four hun- 

 dred paces from the river. They have been formed in a 

 narrow valley in the centre of the Lybian mountain. The 

 ancient way thither is not known, and the I pot is now gained 

 by an artificial paffage. Thefe lepulchres occujiy a large 

 ravine, which is flanked by the bed of a torrent. The plan 

 of one of thefe tombs will be fufficient to explain the general 

 difpofition of the reft. 



Every grot communicates with the valley by a large g^te, 

 which opens to a gallery hollowed in the rock ; its breadth 

 and height are generally about twelve feet, and its length it 

 twenty paces to a lecond gate, which opens to another 

 gallery of the fame breadth, and twenty-four feet in length, 

 'i'o the right and left of this gallery are chambers of five feet 

 in breadth, and ten feet long. There arc lound paintings of 

 arms of coats of mail, tygers' n<iiis, bows, arrows, Iwords, 

 lances, and quivers. In other fepulchral chnmbers are found 

 houfehold utenfils, couches, chairs, Itools, cabinets of cx« 

 quifite forms ; and if the artilt has copied what cxifted, 

 it is certain that the ancient Egyptians employed the wood of 

 India carved and gilded ; there arc alfo other utenfils equally 

 elegant, as cups and veffels in all variety. Other fmirral 

 chambers are confecrated to agriculture ; others to the 

 utenfils of the ploughman ; others to inltrumcnts of inufic 

 elegantly executed. The detail of preparing food is alfo 

 there reprefented. 



