The Britisli Museum Explained and Illustrated. 



CHAPTER IX. THE EGYPTIAN ROOM AND MUMMIES,* 



It is with a blended feeling of awe and admiration 

 that we approach the Egyptian room. So connected as 

 everything relative to Egypt is with mystery and inge- 

 nuity — the light of the past ages shining through the 

 dimmer vista of the present — the mind is lost in the im- 

 mensity of the subject it designs to grasp, and we are 

 compelled to turn with a half-satisfied feeling from the 

 wonders before us, conscious that they are indicative 

 of more than the enterprise of mankind can reveal, and 

 that, like the Bridge in the Vision of jMirza, which in its 

 nearer portions appeared tolerably entire, but in those 

 more remote, consisted of only broken arches, which 

 gradually disappeared in the impenetrable mist that 

 overhung the vast ocean of time in which it was lost, so 

 the objects which we are about to consider, though 

 seemingly complete, are in reality only a collection of 

 dislocated fragments, the origin of which is lost in that 

 abyss of the elder time of whicli there exists neither record 

 nor memorial. This room lies to the left at the extremity of 

 the eastern galls; y, and contains various Egyptian curiosi- 

 ties, of which by far the most interesting and important 

 are the mummies. Before entering into a description 

 of the mummies themselves it will be as well perhaps 

 to say something of the process of embalming, by which 

 thej were prepared. The manner of embalming was 

 this ; the brain was scooped out with an iron scoop at 

 the nostrils, and medicaments thrown in to fill up the 

 vacuum; the putrifying matter of the body was then 

 removed, and myrrh, cassia, and other spices, except. 

 ' frankincense, deposited in their stead. This was in 

 order to dry up the humours, and the body was placed 

 in nitre, where it remained soaking for seventy days. 

 It was then wrapped up in bandages of fine linen, and 

 gams to make it adhere as if glued, and so it was de- 

 livered to the relatives, entire in all its features, the hair 

 of the eyelids being preserved entire. They used to keep 

 the bodies of their ancestors, thus embalmed, in apartments 

 magnificently adorned, and took great pleasure in behold- 

 ing them alive, as it were, without any change in their size, 

 features, or complexion. The prices for embalming- 

 varied according to the rank of the party embalmed. 

 The highest was a talent, the next twenty mina;, 

 and so on decreasine to a verv small amount. Bat 



