1871.] The Great Pyramid of Egypt. 27 



literary notices so old as 2300 years, i.e., older than of any 

 other still existing building on earth, there are of course 

 many senior theories already in the field, and if any one of 

 these theories explains all the essentials of the case, far be it 

 from me to attempt anything contrary. Nay, indeed, would 

 my readers tolerate it ? 



For their sakes, then, and the subject's sake, it is neces- 

 sary to examine the sufficiency of at least the best and most 

 popular of these older theories — say the tombic. 



Egyptologists in general are rather loud — some young men 

 amongst them even intolerant — in insisting on all the 

 Pyramids having been tombs, and having, too, been built for 

 the. tombic purpose, and for that alone ; while Dr. Lepsius 

 a few years ago published a theory of Pyramid building 

 based on such special view. 



The real credit of constructing his theory is, indeed, said by 

 some to be rather due to the English architect Wylde, who, 

 with the London painter Bonomi, was hired by Lepsius 

 with Prussian gold to assist in his magnificent Royal Expe- 

 dition to Egypt. 



Which of these eminent men was the chief, or sole, 

 inventor of that theory, I do not pretend to discriminate ; 

 but the fact of its being disputed, sufficiently attests that 

 the theory was thought much of in the Egyptological 

 world, and is therefore worthy of our attention. 



This Lepsius-Wylde theory, then, shortly is, — that each 

 Egyptian king of the early time, on his first accession to the 

 throne, immediately began the construction of his future 

 tomb, and in the form of a pyramid. The commencing 

 operation in the first year was to execute a subterranean 

 chamber and sloping entrance passage in the rock, and put 

 a few squared stones, as one layer of masonry, over it. The 

 next year, stones of another layer were added and the lower 

 one extended ; and so on for every successive year of the 

 king's reign until he died. On which principle the size of 

 a pyramid always shows the length of the reign of its king. 



Now this theory may explain the pyramids in general, 

 i.e., the pyramids subsequent to the Great Pyramid, for 

 many, if not all of them, were undoubtedly used for sepul- 

 ture, but how does it explain, or apply to, the Great 

 Pyramid ? 



That pyramid being the greatest of all the pyramids 

 should therefore have been the longest in building, and 

 ought, according to human nature and the general march of 

 things, to exhibit a similar tendency, but in more conspi- 

 cuous degree, to a sort of progressive variation, such as all of 



