1 871.] v The Great Pyramid of Egypt. 17 



Hence, if we should desire to see with exactitude what really 

 has been accomplished in the world of man, by that sometimes 

 overpraised, sometimes under-valued, " progressive develop- 

 ment," no better example can be studied than the history of 

 practical astronomy from the date of Pytheas, of Marseilles, 

 2200 years ago, with his infantine tale about the Pole star, 

 down to the present time, when — though even the most accom- 

 plished observer is still separated from absolute perfection 

 by difficulties which are always found to underlie, with even 

 increasing pertinacity, every successive fraction of a second 

 that man may be enabled to reach in his results, — just as 

 invincibly, indeed, as a boundless ocean separated Newton 

 and his philosophical discoveries among the mere pebbles of 

 his beach from the end of discoverable things, — yet a well- 

 taught schoolboy may now measure an angle in the heavens 

 to a degree of accuracy that the whole Grecian race, even in 

 its day of plenitude, was perfectly incapable of. 



Quite certain, therefore, may we be, on continuing the 

 observed rate of progress inversely backwards, that amongst 

 all the Greek, and Latin races too, we need not look for 

 anything respectable in practical astronomy, at or about 

 3000 years ago ; less still at any earlier dates ; and yet my 

 task is now to direct my reader's attention to a monument 

 far older still than anything yet mentioned, or of more than 

 4000 years ago ; and to show that it is one where practical 

 performance was carried out with a degree of excellence, 

 which may form a cynosure for emulation to some of the 

 most skilled workers and learned thinkers amongst us still, 

 even in astronomy ! 



In such case, of course this monument, the Great Pyramid 

 of Egypt, is not Greek, nor Latin, nor Phoenician, nor even 

 Assyrian. And if we were to'add that it has nothing to do either 

 with ancient idolatry in any shape, or the worship of false gods, 

 or the vain glorification of any mortal man, — the results of the 

 closest scrutiny yet made would entirely justify the assertion ; 

 at the same time that it brought to light also overwhelming 

 proof of an abiding and all-directing belief in the immortality 

 of the soul, and a future judgment having then firmly 

 obtained. 



Most essential is it to be warned on these points, because, 

 while the Great Pyramid does in so far stand just within or 

 upon Egypt ; it is therefore by one class of unthinking 

 persons at once confounded with and attributed to the 

 inventions of those long subsequent, but still so-called 

 " ancient Egyptians," but of " the New Kingdom," who 

 formed the well-known Pharaonic despotisms of history, and 



VOL. VIII. (O.S.) — VOL. I. (N.S.) D 



