HENBY BBTJGSCH. 1 



By G. Maspero. 



Henry Brugsch was born in Berlin on February 18, 1827, and lie 

 died there on September 9, 1894. He lias himself told in his Becollec- 

 tions what he wished to have known of his life. 2 To that book I refer 

 those who wish to know what the man was, and shall content myself 

 with speaking here of what we owe to the scholar. 



The early years of his scientific career were entirely devoted to the 

 study of the language and the popular script of the ancient Egyptians. 

 He began these studies while still at college, alone and without any 

 help save that of the aged Passalacqua; but he progressed so rapidly 

 and so well that in 1848, when but 21 years old, he published 

 his first memoir, Scriptura iEgyptiorum Demotica, ex Papyris et 

 luscriptionibus Explanata, 3 in which he gave the first outlines of 

 Demotic grammar — imperfect, it is true, and following the principles of 

 exaggerated phoneticism which F. de Saucly had endeavored to 

 introduce into that branch of Egyptology. Lepsius criticised the 

 attempt of the young man with unmerciful severity. 4 E. de Bouge" 

 was more indulgent. He saw as well as did Lepsius the serious faults 

 of the book, but he gave full justice to the power for work and the 

 intelligence of the author, and he tried to show him the right way. In an 

 article entitled, " Sur les elements de l'ecriture demotique," he showed 

 him the points in which his system was wrong, and taught him the 

 method by which he might obtain with certainty the decipherment of 

 the signs and the construction of the phrases. 5 Brugsch received the 

 lesson with gratitude, and immediately corrected his method of study. 

 From this time he was inspired by the principles of de Bouge", and each 



1 Translated from Actes du Dixieine Congres International des Orientalistes, ses- 

 sion de Geneve, 1894. Quatrieme partie. Leide, 1897. Pp. 95-102. 



2 Mem Leben und mein Wandern. 8°. 1894. 



3 With the statement: Scripsit Henricus Brugsch, discipulus primae classis 

 Gynmasii Realis quod Berlini floret. 



'Compare the preface of E. F. August, director of the gymnasium, to the Scriptura 

 iEgyptiorum Demotica. 



r> E. de Rouge Lettre a M. de Saulc'y sur les elements de l'dcriture ddmotique, in 

 the Revue Arche'ologique le Se"rie. 1848. Vol. V. 



667 



