ponent of our English Richard, in those wild and wasteful wars which were denominated the Crusades.

In pages 98, 99, Abdollatiph states a very curious and extraordinary fact respecting the two greater Pyramids of Giza. The passage is thus translated by Pococke ;-" Sunt autem in his lapidibus inscriptiones calami antiqui, ignoti, ita ut non reperiatur in urbibus Egypti, qui asserat se de quopiam audivisse qui illum calleret. Suntque hæ inscriptiones multæ admodum, ita ut si quod in bis duabus Pyramiaibus solummodo est in libros transferretur, conficeret numerum decies millium librorum." It may, perhaps be

كتابات بالقلم القديم المجهول necessary to observe that

inscriptiones calami antiqui, ignoti, is the expression always employed by Abdollatiph to denote the antient Egyptian Hieroglyphics. Having premised thus much, it will be sufficient to quote the learned and satisfactory note of Dr. White on this interesting passage:

Norunt eruditi longe aliam speciem Pyramidum hodie exhiberi, quam qualem veteres descripserunt. Illi nempe, quorum dux et princeps est Herodotus, uno ore prodiderunt, ingentem copiam marmoris, ex ultimis Arabia vel Ethiopia partibus advectam, iis ornandis fuisse adhibitam. Recentiores contra qui eas ipsi oculis lustraverint, totam molem nativi saxi esse affirmant, et eadem plane specie qua rupes substrata. Veterum tamen, opiner, sálva est fides. Nam mihi quidem persuasissimum est, Pyramides denudatas fuisse, et marmore illo, quod in summa earum superficie tanquam tegumentum erat positum, ab improbis hominibus exspoliatas. Cujus rei testimonio sint verba luculentissima Abdollatiphi. Cum enim is vel in decimp-tertio seculo Inscriptiones multaʼmillia voluminum adæquantes in Pyramidum lateribus invenerit, quarum Inscriptionum reliquiæ tantum et rara quædam vestigia nostro quidem tempore, supersunt, profecto magna aliqua mutatio fuerit, necesse est, et insignis injuria monumentis illis vi ac manu illata: neque absurde aliquis conjectaverit, si marmoream superficiem, elegantissime olim cohærentem, et corticis instar cæteras rudioris materia compages intra, se includentem, ablatam fuisse censeat, et ædificiis ornandis deportatam: præsertim cum frustula non pauca pretiosissimi istius lapidis temere circumjacentia adhuc spectanda se præbeant

Quod si banc conjecturam sequi placeat, tum vero Plinii locus optime intelligetur, qui nescio an nullum sensum aliter habere possit. [Pyramides] site sunt in parte Africa, monte saxeo sterilique, inter Memphim oppidum et quod appellari diximus Delta, a Nilo minus quatuor millia passuum, a Memphi septem; vico apposito quam vocant Busirin, in quo sunt assucti scandere illas,' Plin. Nat. Hist. edit. Harduin. tom. ii. p. 737.

Adeat lector Pocockium, p. 42, 43. De Maillet, tom. i. p. 227. Quibus jungere libet Nobilissimi Ducis Gallia de Chaulnes testimonium, -qui, ut literis olim me monuit vir humanissimus J. R. Forster) cum in Ægypto esset, et Pyramides visendi et attentius lustrandi curam suscepisset, viginti ferme abhinc annis, Hieroglyphicas aliquot inscriptiones in iis se vidisse retulit?

Res

Res erat haud sane memorabilis, si non perfectissima operis lævitudo, contra quam nunc est, lubricum et difficilem ascensum præbuerit.

• Dum vero fidem et auctoritatem veteribus astruere conamur ex Arahis nostri testimonio, fateor me nonnihil aliquando besisse eo quod inscriptiones is Pyramidum in immensum augeat, et illorum certe traditiones in hac re longe longeque exsuperet. Illi nempe notas referunt incisas, quæ sumptus operi struendo impensos significarent: at præterea nihil adjiciunt. (Vid. Herod. et Diodor.) Quid sentiam de nodo hoc difficili, aperte exponam. Tanta scilicet Hieroglyphicorum characterum erat copia passim in Ægypto, ut sine admiratione in oculos spectantium incurrerent, neque digni visi fuerint qui in historiam referrentur. Ob eandem causam factum est, ut in descriptionibus Obeliscorum, qui a solo ad summum cacumen cælati sunt notis Hieroglyphicis, talium notarum memoria a plurimis veterum sit neglecta.'

From page 100 to 105, the author relates the history and disappointment of a mad project formed during his residence in Egypt, which, had it succeeded, would have deprived that country of some of its proudest ornaments. This project had for its object nothing less than the destruction of the three great Pyramids of Giza. As the story is not only curious in itself, but also totally new to Europeans, and at the same time related with the most interesting and unaffected simplicity, we shall not hesitate to translate the passage into English, and submit it to our readers.

ance.

When Al-Malec Al Aziz Othman Ben Joseph succeeded his father in the government of Egypt, his foolish favourites persuaded him to pull down these Pyramids, beginning with the third, which is built with red granite. Having therefore collected great numbers of engineers, masons, and labourers, and having convoked the grandees of the empire, he issued his orders to them to demolish that Pyramid, and commissioned them to superintend the performThey immediately pitched their tents on the spot, collected artificers and workmen from all parts, and maintained them at an enormous expence. Here they continued for eight months, with horse and foot; pulling down, in the space of a whole day, after the most painful efforts and the utmost difficulty, one stone only, or two at the farthest. The labourers from above forced downward every stone with wedges, levers, and iron-crows; while those below pulled it with cables and ropes: when it fell, so violent was its fall, that the noise was heard at a surprising distance, the mountains trembled, and the earth shook; and the stone was buried in the sand, whence they at length extracted it with additional labour and fatigue. They then applied their wedges to it in crevices made for that purpose, broke it in pieces, and conveyed these pieces on carriages to the farther end of the mountain, which was at no great distance. Having thus spent much time to little purpose, their resources failed them, their difficulties increased, and they were finally obliged to desist, filled with dejection, confusion, and despair. They were unable to obtain their wishes and the end proposed; and all that they accomplished was to

deface the Pyramid, and betray the weakness and impotence of their efforts. This event happened in the year 593.

However, if any one should behold the stones that have been taken down, he would think that the Pyramid must have been entirely destroyed; but let him take a view of the Pyramid itself, and he will scarcely believe that it has been at all injured: for a small part only of one of its sides is demolished. Perceiving the prodigious toil which they underwent in pulling down every single stone, I asked the superintendant of the masons, whether, if offered a thousand pieces of gold, on condition that they should replace any one stone in its proper and original position, they would be able to effect it; he answered me, swearing by the living God, that, though they were offered double that sum, the thing would be impossible.'

In pages 106, 107, &c. Abdollatiph describes the ruins of Ain Shems, the Beth-Shemesh of the Scriptures, the Heliopolis of the Greeks, and the modern Matarea. nothing now remains worthy of notice but one single obelisk; Of these ruins, though, in the time of Abdollatiph, the place abounded with statues, idols, and hieroglyphical inscriptions, of various kinds.

عمود السواري

The historian then proceeds to describe the well-known Pillar near Alexandria, vulgarly but improperly called Pompey's Pillar. The appellation by which he uniformly distinguishes it is all, the column of the pillars: but this denomination, which is here used very frequently, the learned editor has not thought it necessary to translate; contenting himself with expressing the Arabic words, whenever they recur, in Roman characters, thus, AMUD AS SAWARIAM. In the notes, at least, we expected to have found this striking defect amply supplied by clear and copious illustrations, on a subject which not only admits, but indispensably requires, the united aid of the antiquary and the philologer. Great, however, was our surprise, and our disappointment, on perusing the following

note:

• Veniam mihi concedet, ut spero, candidus lector, si in præsentia de Amud Issawari verbum facere supersedeo; cum mihi in animo sit, fusius et enucleatius ea de re disputare, in alio quidem opere, post paucos menses prodituro.'

The work which Dr. White here promised has indeed since made its appearance, under the title of Egyptiaca; and we have had the satisfaction of perusing it, with full conviction of the general truth of his hypothesis, as well as warm approbation of the candour, the acuteness, and the erudition with which it is supported. Yet still, in a classical edition like the present, we cannot but condemn the Professor's total and pertinacious silence on so interesting a topic; especially as it is probable that many of the readers of Abdollatiph, and parti cularly

cularly many oriental scholars in other countries, may never have an opportunity of solving their doubts and gratifying their curiosity, by a perusal of the Egyptiaca.

Few of those who have paid any attention to Oriental Literature are unacquainted with the opinion of the celebrated Michaelis on this subject, as delivered in his translation and notes on Abulfeda's description of Egypt. Abulfeda, as well as Abdollatiph, and indeed every other Arabic author who has described the pillar, constantly calls it

s Amud Assowary. These words Michaelis supposed to signify, the pillar of Severus; and on the authority of this passage of Abulfeda, thus translated, he ventured to establish a new hypothesis respecting the origin of the pillar, and contended that it must have been erected by the Senate of Alexandria in honour of the Emperor Severus. Dr. W. however, in the work to which we have referred, has satisfactorily proved that the translation of Michaelis is incorrect; by shewing that the Arabic article . consistently with the plain rules and uniform usage of that language, can never be prefixed to a proper name; and that the Roman name Severus is never expressed in Arabic by the word either by Abulfeda, or by any other Arabic writer. On the contrary, this word is constantly written by Abulfeda, by Eutychius, and by Abulpharajus,

سوارس Sarviros, or سوپرس Serwaros, or سيوارس either

س

Sawáros, or mi Saverianus; the final or s, being constantly employed in expressing those Roman names which terminate in us.

From p. 116, to p. 138. Abdollatiph is occupied in describing the ruins of Memphis, the antient capital of Egypt; and in reflections naturally arising from the objects there presented to his consideration. The name by which he distinguishes Memphis is that of a antient Mesr; and his description fixes beyond dispute the situation of this city, the very ruins of which (such is the instability of all human grandeur,) have long since disappeared. We shall quote Dr. White's note on this passage, because it contains an additional proof that the situation of Memphis is improperly fixed by the authors of the antient universal history, and that it is rightly placed by D'Anville, Bishop Pococke, and Major Rennell. The proof to which we allude is deduced from Macrizi, an inedited Arabic writer of great authority on the subject of Egypt. The whole note runs thus:

'De situ Memphis antique disceptatio vexatissima diu exercuit eruditos atque adbuc incertos tenet. Quam non sit mearum virium, rei, adeo

varian

tibus sententiis, et veterum monumentorum obscuritate perplexa omnem dubitationem eximere, et singula hujusce argumenti ad liquidum perducere, satis scio: putaverim tamen verba Abdollatiphi recte perpensa, nonnihil momenti babitura ad rem constituendam. 66 paulo supra Fostatam." Estque urbs hac (inquit) in Al-Giza sed tractus vel regionis, esse nomen: quo unico in sensu a Nostro usurpatur; Imprimis notandum est Al-Gizam non oppidi cum oppidum illud recentiorem originem habuerit. tam": Nihil certius quam verbis illis dari situm Fostata superiorem, id "Paulo supra Fostaest, Meridiei propiorem. Porro locum luculentissimum ex Macrisio temperare mihi non possum quin adducam, præsertim cum is scriptor diligentissimus certe et eruditissimus perpaucorum manibus tractatus, in Bibliothecarum tenebris ferme delitescat.

ذكر مدينة منف وملوكها : هذه المدينة كانت في غربي النبل علي مسافة اثني عشر ميلا من مدينة فسطاط مصر وهي أول مدينة عمرت بارض مصر بعد الطوفان وصارت دار المملكة بعد مدينة امسوس التي تقدم

ذكرها.

De Urbe Memphi, et Regibus ejus. Sita fuit hæc Urbs in parte Nili occidentali, duodecim millibus passuum ab urbe Fostat Mesr (hodie, Old Cairo). Prima fuit quæ in terra Ægypti incolebatur post Diluvium, sedesque imperii evasit post civitatem Amsus, de qua supra dictum est. Macrisii Hist. Ægypti, Codex Bodl. Marsh. 149.

P. 154.'

The mention of antient Mesr, or Memphis, in its state of ruin and desertion, naturally leads Abdollatiph into reflections on its former grandeur, when it was the habitation of the Pharaohs, and the metropolis of the empire; and hence he is led to trace concisely, but clearly, the principal revolutions of Egypt. Among these, he records particularly the conquest and desolation of that country, by Nabuchodonosor, for the space of forty years; and thus most unexpectedly do we find in a Mohammedan author, who certainly had no superstitious reverence for the Jewish or Christian prophecies, and indeed probably no knowledge whatever of their contents, a new and unequivocal testimony to the exact accomplishment of the prediction of Ezekiel, chap. xxix. ver. 9, 10, 11, 12. 19. " And the land of Egypt shall be desolate and waste, and they shall know that I am the Lord; because he hath said, the river is mine, and I have made it. Behold, therefore, I am against thee, and against thy rivers, and I will make the land of Egypt utterly waste and desolate, from the tower of Syene, even unto the border of Æthiopia. No foot of man shall pass through it, nor foot of beast shall pass through it, neither shall it be inhabited FORTY YEARS. And I will make the land of Egypt desolate in the midst of the countries that are desolate, and her cities, among the cities

that