18 
fculpture, which have not yet arrived at 
the Mufeum ; being at prefent depofited, 
for the inveltigation of the curious, in the 
library at Somerfet-houfe, belonging to 
the Society of Antiquaries. One has a 
triple infcription, in the facred, the vul- 
gar and the Greek tongues ; the jatter of 
which is already engraved, and a tranfla- 
tion of it prefented to the fociety by Mr. 
Stephen Welton, whence it appears chief- 
ly to relate to Ptolemy Philometer. The 
other is the ftatue of a woman, fitting on 
the ground, in black granite; between 
ber feet the model! of one of the capitals 
belonging to a column in the Temple of 
Ifis, at Dendera. 
Having faid thus much of the Egyptian 
monuments, it may not be irrelevant to 
add a few words upon the hieroglyphics, 
which appear upon fo many of them. 
Though in thefe Egypt thadowed out both 
the fpiritual and phyfical world ; yet it is 
not probable that a fyftem compofed with 
fuch confummate fkill, confined entirely to 
the acquaintance of the priefts, and even 
by them delivered orally, can at this day 
be laid open to the world. The ravages 
of Cambyfes muft at leaft have deranged 
the knowledge of it: and Herodotus af- 
ferts, that in his time the priefts were but 
mere pretenders to it. Weare aflured 
by Plutarch, that the hidden philofophy of 
Egypt exhibited,even to thofe who were inl- 
tiated among the priefts,but dark hints and 
obfcure refemblances of the truth.. And 
thus much the priefts themfelves infinuat- 
ed, fince they placed figures of the fphinx 
at the entrance of their temples, as types 
of the enigmatical nature of their theo- 
logy. Of the wife men who went from 
Greece to Egypt, Pythagoras, we are told, 
was moft in favour with the priefts ; that 
he has imitated their myfterious manner 
in his writings, and, I:ke them, conveyed 
his deétrines to the world in a kind of 
riddle. Perhaps feme intelligence might 
be obtained by fludying thofe writings. 
But, after all, we are inclined to think 
that the celebrated boaft of Ifs, which 
Plutarch has recorded, will fiiil hold true: 
Eyw Estas T2y TO VEVOVOY Ha; 6Y Xxat ETOAEYOY, 
KAI TON EMON IIENAON OYAEIZ 12 
@©NHTO® AMEKAAYLEN. 
aE ae 
For the Monthly Magazine. 
ACCOUNT of a late interefling TOUR in 
SWEDEN, by PROFESSOR OLIVARIUS 
of KIEL, iz HOLSTEIN. 
aa is a country, which under 
the mof picturefque, and often ter- 
rifying, afpe@, under mafles of ice and 
{ncw, under a continual envelope, fo to 
Account of a late Tour in Sweden. 
[ Feb. oy 
fpeak, of forefts, and a foil but little 
preduétive, conceals in its bofom im- 
menfe riches, inexhauftible fources of 
profperity—more mines than the inha~ 
bitants can work: its interior exhibits 
at the fame time an admirable contraft of 
the fimplicity of the nacives, and of their 
indigence, which do not infringe upon 
their gaiety and contentment ; and it will 
ferve to prove this double thefis, this dou- 
ble paradox, to the man of the world, 
that metals are not equivalent to the 
abundance of eatables which fertile 
lands produce, and that the enjoyments of 
great cities are not to be compared with the 
toft repofe and happinefs, which are en- 
joyed ig countries but little inhabited. M. 
Schmith, Co- regent of the National Ger- 
man Lyceum, at Stockholm, will ferve us, 
fays the Profeflor, for a cuide, in the re- 
cent tour that he has juft publifhed, in 
German, and te which his fellow-tourift,, 
M. Gillberg, Direétor of the Works of the 
Fortifications of the fame City, has an- 
nexed plates, defigned by himfelf, with 
equal care and exactitude, and which Jeave 
nothing to be defired, in refpeét of the en- 
graving, which is partly bis own work, and 
partly that of M. Akrel. There can be 
no doubt raifed as to the veracity of au- 
thors like thefe, whofe reputation, and 
the offices which they hold, perfe€tly gua- 
rantee their teftimony. ‘* Let us fet out 
with them from Stockholm (continues the 
profeffor) and vifit fome northern pro- 
vinces, ftretching as far as to the frontiers 
of the country of the Laplanders ! 
“© The winter of 1798 and 1799 had 
been very long and very fevere ({ays the 
author); the fpring was unufually tardy 
in imparting its benign influence; and al- 
though we paffed the barriers of Stock. 
holm fo Jate asthe 12th of June, the leaves 
of the trees had not yet attained half their 
ordinary hignefs; every thing appeared with 
the rifing {pring fo tender, fo {weet, to the 
view, and then fo much the more deleéta- 
ble, as it had bcen waited for with impa- 
tience ; the air was perfectly temperate, 
the fky very ferene ; in a word, it was 
one of thefineft evenirgs of the (pring, a 
feafon always doubly charming in the 
North. In fetting out to vifit countries fo 
_ curious, to fee the treafures of fo many 
mines, and the Lapmarks in their cabins, 
even that fuperb ftreet, Dela Reine, ap- 
peared to us too long, and we defired no- 
thing more earneftly, than to refpire an 
air different from that of the capital. At 
laft, we got beyond the walls, and, after 
fome minutes walking, we perceived on our 
right the avenue cf the Chateau de Ha- 
633 
