664 
cited, are allowed, as far as they have 
hitherto been examined, to have no. 
other authority than as pugporting that 
the buildings they are attached to, 
were repaired durmg their respective 
reigns. ‘ 
‘<} have already offered some rea- 
sons on the subject of other temples 
why I am inclined to a: different opi- 
nion; and arguing @ priori, it would 
seem very unlikely that Ecypt should 
so long continue to flourish and even 
to increase, as she did under the Pto- 
Jemies, in population, wealth, and com- 
merce, (many of these sovereigns be- 
ing at the same time described as great 
promoters of the aris, and as having 
adopted at least the exterior forms of 
worship practised by their subjects, ) 
without any additions being made to 
her public buildings, without any new 
temples, during a Japse of three cen- 
turies. No argument, I think, can be 
drawn from the resemblance which 
these buildings, of supposed modern 
construction, bear te those of an 
earlier date, in their general form, 
the distribution of the apartments, their 
proportion, sculptures and the like; as 
these coincidences would naturally fol- 
low from the protection and counte- 
nance given to the religion of Egypt by 
the Ptolemies, from the general pre- 
judice throughout the then civilized 
world in favour of these superstitions, 
from the bigotted attachment always 
felt by the borderers of the Nile for 
their dntient institutions, and from the 
difficulty, and indeed uselessness of 
endeavouring to assimilate the man- 
ners, customs, and religious ceremenies 
of one people with those of another, 
which had always been held ina sort of 
contempt.”’ 
The work itself is printed in quarto, 
but the plates are in an atlas folio. 
The view of Phylw, that of one of the 
gateways leading to the grand temple 
_at Carnac, -the scenes on the walls at 
Medinet Abou, the Zodiac at Dendera, 
and the paintings from Eleithias are 
perhaps the most curious. 
TOPOGRAPHY AND ANTIQUITIES, 
In our last retrospect we announced 
little more than the title of «4 Hos- 
-tory of the University of Oxford, in- 
cluding the Lives of the Founders,” by 
Avexanver Cuarmers,. FE. 8, A- with a 
series of illustrative engravings, by 
James Storer and John Greig, in two 
volumes octavo. 
We now proceed to the promised 
Retrospect of Domestic Literature— Antiquities. 
detail of its contents. The history of 
the English Universities, Mr. Chalmers 
observes, is one of the most interesting 
objects on which a lover of literature 
can fix his attention. It embraces all 
that is curious to the antiquary, or 
important to the scholar ; and even to 
minds not deeply affected by curiosity 
or learning, it must be a delightful 
object to contemplate those exten- 
sive and magnificent establishments, 
not asemerging from national wealth, 
or royal favour, but from the libera- 
lity of a series of individuals in the. 
darker ages. of our history, who were - 
insensibly led to become the benefac- 
tors of sound learning and religion, 
while their immediate object,although . 
proceeding from the most honourable 
-and benevolent motives, was to per- 
petuate superstition and credulity. 
Merton College claiming priority in 
point of legal establishment is the first 
described by Mr. Chalmers. The ac- 
count opens with a short life of the 
founder. The early jhistory of the 
foundation is given ina clearer form 
than we have ever seen it before ; 
followed by notices of all the later be- 
nefactors. The provision for the dif- 
ferent classes of students is distinctly 
explained, and the livings attached to 
the foundation enumerated. The pre-. 
sent state of the buildings of the col. 
lege, the library, chapel, and other 
appendages follow. Merton College, 
Mr. Chalmers remarks, was fated to 
be a precedent in every appendage. 
The first common room was fitted up 
in it in 1661. A few anecdotes of the 
moreeminent among the wardens, as 
wellas of the most remarkable scho- 
lars of every rank who received their 
education in the college close the his- 
tory. 
Such is the general plan pursued in 
the account of the different founda- 
tions. . i 
In the account of University Col. 
lege, Mr. Chalmers, upon fair autho- 
rity, rejects the testimony of those 
ancient chroniclers and historians 
whose zeal led them fo place its ori- 
gin so far hack as to be beyond the ~ 
power of illustration from authentic 
records. He considers Alfred as nei- 
ther the founder nor restorer of the 
society ; but, with Dr. Smith, admits 
it to have been created by the libera- 
lity of William of Durham, rector of 
Bishops Wearmouth, who died at 
Rouen in Normandy, in 1349. 
Tee 
