198 
DESCRIPTIONS OF EGYPT. 
and forty-eight feet, it is impossible to determine 
whether farther apartments might not be found 
in that immense portion which is yet unexplored. 
The length of the base is seven hundred and 
twenty-feet. This is called the pyramid of Cheops. 
That bearing the name of Cephrenes is six hundred 
and ninety-three feet in length, and three hundred 
and ninety-eight in height. The pyramid of Mi- 
serinus is two hundred and eighty feet long, and 
one hundred and sixty feet high. 
The pyramids are merely monuments of Egyp- 
tian labour. The first object which gave our tra- 
veller a full idea of Egyptian art, was the temple 
at Dendera. It is in the purest style of the archi. 
tecture of that ancient people, which is peculiarly 
characterized by the walls sloping inward ; a struc- 
ture which Denon extols as at once the most natu- 
ral and durable, though it seems doubtful if it 
does not rather recal the infancy and debility of 
the art. The aspect of the whole is remarkably 
simple ; for, though it be entirely covered with 
hieroglyphics, these, at a little distance, do not 
break the unity of the general effect. Some of 
these hieroglyphics are large, represent living ob- 
jects, and may rather be considered as sculptures ; 
others are smaller. They are generally divided 
by Denon into three kinds. The first are merely 
incisions without relief ; the second is in relief, but 
slight ; the third in full relief, on a lower level than 
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