Page images
PDF
EPUB

and

drew a dirty black cotton veil over her ous and peculiar for the character of its head, and came with tears in her eyes, to paintings: musical instruments, and musibeg me to hire a donkey to carry her to the cians playing on them, being delineated on tombs. The reis was in high spirits, and its walls in common with the more usual talked and shouted as much as if he had representations of kings taught by the gods, been in a passion and as a sort of harm- priests offering sacrifices, and sacred aniless flirtation had been going on since we mals and emblems in countless variety. In left Manfaloot between Youssouf and the the last chamber of the Harp Tomb is a lady, he entertained her with all sorts of granite sarcophagus, in two parts, much chatter; and as the torch-bearers were mutilated; and on the roof, considerably quarrelling, and the donkey-drivers shout- injured by damp, the stalactical process has ing to their charges, our party was as noisy commenced, and the walls by the torcha one, and as various as could well be ima- light glitter like a fairy hall. Re ascend gined. However, we found every body use- ing from this, we entered a third tomb, ful in their way, and having lighted the numbered nine above its entrance, torches, we commenced our descent over found it finer in its proportions than either the first flight of stairs, which were steep we had before seen, but less richly painted. and rugged, but led to a noble corridor, In the third chamber stands an enormous sloping downwards, and lined with fine relie- sarcophagus, with a full-length figure sculpvos, bearing the marks of the ancient paint- tured on the top, and hieroglyphics surings. A second descent, and we were in rounding it. It has been sadly fractured by the rich painted chambers, surrounded by the army of Napoleon, but still remains the magnificent works of art, all possessing most entire sarcophagus in the royal tombs. great spirit of delineation, and the most Among other names, stands prominently perfect proportion of outline. The repre- forth that of Prince Puckler Muskau, who sentations of this celebrated tomb are well in putting his signature among the carknown in England, as also the sarcophagus touches of Egypt's royal line, felt perhaps found in it by Belzoni; and in splendor, somewhat like the fly upon the cart-wheel, richness, and beauty, it far surpasses all that have been opened. The appearance of grandeur given by nature to the head of the remarkable valley, in which was found these royal tombs, certainly was such as to authorize Belzoni in his opinion, that it was a spot likely to be chosen for the burialplaces of the Pharaohs; and yet it would seem that nothing less than some revelation could have induced the Italian to seek for the tomb of a king in the bed of a mountain torrent. The elaborateness of its work, the beauty of its finish, the richness of its paintings, and the number of its chambers of imagery, make it indeed worthy of being considered as among the finest of those "eternal habitations" which the Egyptians, by no means worshippers of kings, assigned to those among their rulers, who having been sternly judged after death, and against whose justice, wisdom, and mercy, not a breath arose, were ferried across the sacred lake of Thebes, borne in funeral pomp around its temples, and along the steep defile, to these last resting places, in whose chambers prayers for the dead arose, and in whose splendid decorations it was supposed that the soul of the departed took the most exquisite delight.

From that known as Belzoni's, we entered the Harp Tomb, as it is called, curi

who rejoiced at the dust he could kick up; it is a common vanity_this, and, as a human weakness, must, I suppose, be pardoned; yet nothing, I confess, annoys me more, than to have my attention attracted from works of interest and beauty, by the scribblings of Smiths and Joneses, whose names, respectable enough in their cardcases, are but vain impertinences when defacing the magnificent remains of ancient art. Among such I do not entirely rank that of the traveller prince, but I should have held him higher had he been content to have gone down to posterity on the titlepage of his own amusing book, rather than on the sarcophagus of a Pharaoh, whose beautiful and mystic characters he has defaced by such idle vanity.

We were anxious to see some of the wellpreserved mummies, but in consequence of an order forbidding their sale by Mehemet Ali, the Arabs, dreading discovery and punishment, secrete them with great care. However, after some confabulation with the Arabs, who were animated with the idea that we intended to become purchasers of their treasures, they agreed to guide us to the huts where they were to be found. Entering the first, which was in fact the occupied tomb of an ancient family of rank, the Arabs closed the door behind us, and

then with great secrecy dragged forth two mummy chests from an inner chamber, and removing the richly-painted tops of the coffin, displayed the mummies bound in their cerecloths, and evidently untouched. For each they demanded two hundred piastres, or about two pounds, and offered for that sum to wrap the chest in matting, and put it on board our boat in the evening. The size and weight of the chest, however, discouraged us from attempting its transfer, and we left the venders with a doubtful answer, and proceeded to a second hut, in which we saw another mummy case, containing the body of a woman, as appeared from the figure painted on the top, which was represented with its arms crossed over the bosom, a style only adopted for the coffins of women. The news soon flew round that the strangers wanted mummies, and numerous were the beckonings and hints we received that many were for sale in the several huts while on passing one, an Arab snatched up a mummy which had lain in his court-yard, stripped of its outer cerements, and held it out to us with a triumphant grin.

Through the narrow cloth that bandaged the body, the limbs and features of the dead were clearly perceptible, and nothing could be more piteous in its expression than this poor shrunken form of the ancient Egyptian, in the arms of the brawny and deriding Arab.

I was not sorry to give up mummy hunting, for we were now every where followed and surrounded by Arabs laden with limbs from dismembered bodies, as well as entire mummies of serpents, ibis, and cats, with the heads of wolves, and other hideous objects of Egypt's symbol worship. We bargained for an ibis, and got it for a piastre, but were grievously disappointed to find that, instead of its proving a white plumed, handsome bird, as it once was, it retained neither form nor color; but we consoled ourselves with the shawl that had once enveloped a Theban belle, and a pair of ancient sandals, in form such as our Hummalls constantly wear in India.

Unless the visitor is attracted as a student to Thebes, it is not a place the stranger will be disposed to tarry at, and therefore, having seen its wonders, and just encountered a large party in blouse and telescope array, preparing with umbrellas and sketchbooks to follow our steps, we left the remnants of the city of a hundred gates, free to their investigations, and re-embarking,

spread our canvass for the far-famed Khennek, the oasis of all the beggar and pilgrim class of " true believers."

FLOWERS.

From Bentley's Miscellany.

BEAUTIFUL FLOWERS! wherever ye bloom,
With your soft-tinted leaves, and your fragrant
perfume;
or when Autumn scatters her dead leaves around;
Whether in Spring ye come forth from the ground,
Whether in cottage or palace ye dwell,
Beautiful Flowers! I love ye well.

Behold a young girl, in her mirthful play,
Laughing the hours of childhood away,
The light winds are waving her sunny hair,
And her voice sounds sweet in the silent air.
While her fair hands are twining, from summer
bowers,
Wild blooming wreaths of the beautiful Flowers.
The scene is now changed, for years have flown;
That gay laughing girl to a woman has grown ;
And the lover is there, who fain would tell
But Flowers he plants in her snowy breast,
The secret their eyes have reveal'd too well!
And their eloquent leaves have his love confest.

'Tis a bridal morn, and loudly swells
A merry peal from the old church-bells;
The white-rob'd bride is smiling now
'Neath a budding wreath from the orange bough;
And bright-ey'd maidens before her strew
Beautiful Flowers, of every hue.

There's a voice of sorrow,-for time hath fled,--
A wife and a mother lies cold and dead;
They've laid her to sleep in her endless rest,
With a young babe clasp'd to her marble breast;
And Flowers are there, with their perfum'd
breath,
Decking the bud and the blossom in death.]
In the green churchyard is a lonely spot,
Where the joyous sunshine enters not;
Deep in the gloom of the cypress' shade,
There is her home in the cold earth made,
And over her still the sweet flowrets bloom,-
They were near her in life, and forsake not her
tomb.

[blocks in formation]

HUME, AND HIS INFLUENCE UPON

HISTORY.

From the Quarterly Review.

they expect, and rightly, that it will fill up the gap on their shelves, and the void in their heads, without any further pains.'

Your comparison, however apposite-was Histoire de la Conquête de l'Angleterre par the reply of Euphranor-cannot be carried les Normands. Par Augustin Thierry, entirely through. He who purchases the de l'Institut Royal de France. Qua-tool-chest endeavors to ascertain the temtri me édition. Bruxelles. 1842. THIERRY, largely and approvingly quoted by Sir James Mackintosh, and praised by many English reviewers, has, without absolutely superseding any of our 'standard' authorities, become, through the medium of translations and cheap editions, a popular book. So much attention has been excited by the novelty of his very doubtful views, which we trust to have ere long an opportunity of discussing, that it has tended to revive the scheme, often suggested, but never yet adopted, of publishing an annotated Hume.

per of the tools: he assures himself that the shear-steel is Holtzapfel's and not Sheffield ware. It is not the mere 'town made' which will satisfy him. In the medicinechest, you take pains enough to insure that the contents of phials and boxes shall be the right thing: no willow-bark instead of Battley's cinchona: genuine unadulterated senna. Still more anxiously would you keep away from the shop, however gay and attractive, if you knew that the pharmacopolist had been tried and convicted of selling oxalic acid in the place of Epsom salts, or arsenic for magnesia. But with respect 'Hume, after all'it was urged by an to the standard work,' or the whole legion able advocate of the plan, whom, according of educational works, equally 'standards' to the fashion of the days of Berkeley and in their degree, is the same salutary caution Hervey, we will designate as Alciphron-employed? Rarely does the teacher, who 'Hume, after all, retains his literary ascen- places the book before the pupil, take the dency. People will turn to him naturally trouble to consider the character of the as the educational book, the unchallenged mind whence the work emanates, or the source of authority. New histories, such tendency of the doctrines which it may as Thierry, may enjoy a flash of reputation, boldly display or coyly conceal. How often but they will not be considered as the sober, does the careful mother, who anxiously regular book, the outfit of the new book-guards her children against opening any but case in the newly-furnished breakfast-room, Sunday books' on the Lord's day, renewly occupied by the newly-married ex-sume on the Monday her regular course of pectants of a numerous family. As Pro- readings-lessons on history, lessons on fessor Smith says, in his Lectures, It is botany, lessons on geology, taken from proHume who is read by every one. Hume is ductions in which, either in express terms, the historian whose views and opinions in- or by inference, Holy Scripture is either so sensibly become our own. He is respected excluded as to destroy all trust in its realiand admired by the most enlightened read- ty, or represented as a fable! er; he is the guide and philosopher of the ordinary reader, to whose mind, on all the topics connected with our history, he entirely gives the tone and law. Were, however, the merit of Hume's history less than it is, the stamp given by the name of a standard work will always sustain its value as a literary or commercial speculation. Hume 'We are wandering from our question'— may be truly characterized as History for resumed Alciphron; do not suppose that the Million. In our active age, the pre-I contend for the absolute perfection of vailing desire is to acquire the largest show Hume's history. In many respects it may of information, with the smallest expense not satisfy the awakened curiosity of the of thought. Just as you buy a tool-chest or a medicine-chest, because it contains all the hammers and chisels, or tinctures and powders which you want, all ready chosen for you without any trouble of your owneven so do people purchase the standard work for their handsome, select libraries, because JULY, 1844. 20

Surely not so' said Alciphron;—'name

them.'

Nay-quoth Euphranor-it is mamma's business, not mine; let her set her wits to work, and examine the first dozen of the rubbish which she shoots upon the schoolroom table.

public mind. Copious sources of information, unexplored in Hume's day, have been made known since his time by the diligence of our modern antiquaries. Sounder criticism is employed in judging the mediaval period: more truly do we appreciate the poetical character of the middle ages, the

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

splendors of chivalry, the charm of ro- critical investigator of history, is entitled to mance, the beauty of the structures, the great respect; but the task of correction merit of the artists who, sixty years since, would not be so easy as you suppose. Fully were equally contemned by the man of let- do I acknowledge the cleverness displayed ters and the virtuoso. Above all, we begin in Hume's history, though I should not to understand how extensive is the inquiry characterize his qualities exactly in the involved in the annals of mankind; for the same terms. Allen's language is even more enlarged researches of our own times, make tinged by affection than that of the lover; for us now far more sensible of the exact ex-in the very same article he says,- We are tent of our ignorance. There is as much thoroughly sensible of the deficiencies in graphic archæology and curious quaintness, what constitute the chief merit of an histo in any one number of Charles Knight's rian, fidelity and regard to truth.' ProLondon or Old England, or my friend Fe- fessor Smith goes a deal farther. He warns lix Summerly's Guide-books, as, under Pitt's us to be ever suspicious' of the author's administration, would have set up an Anti-particular prejudices.' He virtually accuquarian Society-president, council, direct- ses his favorite writer of a perpetual falsior, and all the members to boot. But our fication of his subject, by ascribing to the abundance will facilitate the editorial task. personages of history, as they pass before Hume's short-comings may be completely him, the views and opinions of later ages: remedied by the note, the excursus, the ap- those sentiments and reasonings which his pendix, and the essay. All those who pos-own enlightened and powerful mind was sess the information and talent needed for able to form, not those which either really correcting Hume's errors, or making good were or could be formed by men thinking or his deficiencies, will have a far better chance acting many centuries before.' And he of profit or fame by annexing their informa- sums up the literary character of the 'beaution to his pages, than through any inde- tiful narrative' by telling us that 'in pendent production of their own. Embark Hume's history truth is continually mixed in the vessel which has so long braved the up with misrepresentation, and the whole storms of criticism: the good ship Hume mass of the reasoning, which in its final will always make a prosperous voyage, and impression is materially wrong, is so interfind a market for her wares in ports which to every other flag will be closed. It is in vain—as observed by a shrewd critic of our own day-that we shall look elsewhere for those general and comprehensive views, that sagacity and judgment, those masterly lessons of political wisdom, that profound How can an editor deal with such a wriknowledge of human nature, that calm phi- ter-an historian who neither knows the losophy and dispassionate balancing of opin- truth, nor cares to know it, and whose wilion, which delight and instruct us in the pa- ful perversions must provoke a continual, ges of Hume. Hume is justly placed, by though ineffectual, refutation ?—The percommon consent, at the head of our philoso-petual commentary must become a perpetual phic historians: he is not more distinguish-running fire against the text. Let it be ed for his philosophy than for his sagacity further recollected that the 'particular preand judgment, his feeling and pathos.- judices' of Hume may chance to run counHume may be deficient in diligence and re- ter to an editor's best interests and feelings. search, but, as I have before said, how easily can any defects arising from imperfect information be supplied by those, who, with less genius and philosophy, have more opportunity of collecting materials, more assiduity, more knowledge! And if there be any tendencies at variance with received opinions, surely a calm and temperate correction of his errors, will sufficiently enable the reader to maintain a due impartiality.'

You are quoting, O Alciphron-was the reply of Euphranor-the words of the late John Allen, who, as an acute, diligent, and

spersed with observations which are in themselves perfectly right, that the reader is at no time sufficiently on his guard, and is at last betrayed into conclusions totally unwarrantable, and at variance with his best feelings and soundest opinions.'*

If you, Alciphron, held a good estate in the county of Berks, by your father's will, would you like to attempt the correction of a topographer who had such a 'particular prejudice' against testamentary devises as to represent them to be grounded, in every case, upon fraud? How could any Englishman bear to edit a general history of

*The passages quoted by Alciphron and Euphranor will be found in the Edinburgh Review No. 83, p. 5, &c.; and in Smyth's Lectures, vol. i., Lecture V., which we request our readers to peruse attentively, comparing it with this article.

England, composed by Monsieur De Nigre-] who is apparently the most virtuous differs ment the Frenchman, who, entertaining only from the most profligate by "cant and the most particular prejudices' against the grimace." Lorenzo is most actively conBritish sea-service, always advocates his sistent-he tries to seduce every woman he own opinion by so artfully mixing up truth | can get at. When you have him in your with misrepresentation, as to make all our house he will endeavor on all occasions to naval men appear odious or ridiculous; put his doctrines into practice, whether he and to induce us to believe that our naval meets your smart lady's maid in the park service is equally mischievous and con- or your staid governess on the stairs, plays temptible; our wooden walls, not the de- an accompaniment to your spinster cousin, fences of the realm, but useless sources of assists your wife at the dinner-table, reads extravagant expense; our sailors, ruffians, a sermon to your budding daughter, or esserving merely for plunder; the whole corts your well matured sister to the opera.' scope' of all our Admiralty orders directed -Would it not probably occur to you that to the same wicked object; our command-your friend would consider it rather inexers, knaves or fools, traitors or cowards; pedient to begin by shaking hands with a who represents Howe as a ninny, and Col-scoundrel, whom he would soon be comlingwood as a brute; and who, in narrating pelled to get rid of by kicking him out of the last days of Nelson, fraudulently omits doors? his England expects every man to do his duty;' lest, by quoting these emphatic words, he should preserve a memorial of the ardent and sincere patriotism of the dying hero?

Hume, have earned any commanding reputation, are more or less his disciples; and all our juvenile and educational histories, and conversations, and outlines, are, in the main, composed out of Hume's materialoccasionally minced up with a few pious reflections, or even with texts, in order to correct the taint of the food thus dished up for the rising generation. Even Turner strongly partakes of his flavor.

Hume's merits must be examined with reference to the era in which he flourished. An editor appears to me to be nearly in Previously to Hume, it can hardly be said your position when you introduce a stran- that England possessed historical literature ger to your friend. In this case, you wish in the aesthetic sense of the term. Adopt-if consistent with truth-to become the ing the Gibbonian phrase, it was our reentire voucher for the character of the par-proach that no British altars had been raisty: if you cannot go to that full extent, ed to the Muse of History. All who, since then, in connexion with the introduction, you feel yourself obliged to put your friend sufficiently upon the qui vive to protect himself in his intercourse. As the world goes, you may often be compelled, even for your friend's benefit, to place him in close quarters with an individual whose connexion or acquaintance cannot be pursued or cultivated without caution.- Chipchase is an honest workman, but very cross—, -John Bean takes good care of his horses, though he is Before Hume, we had many valuable and not a teetotaller-Sir Richard enjoys capi-laborious early writers, such as Hall and tal credit upon 'Change, but he is apt to be Grafton, Speed and honest Stow, who tricky. In all such cases the merit or tal-chronicled events with diligence, giving ent, such as it may be, is accepted as a that instruction which facts, faithfully compensation for the defect. So far as though unskilfully narrated, afforded to the concerns the particular purposes required, multitude, when the comparative sterility the balance is on the right side. But you of the press rendered reading scarcer and would find it rather awkward, had you to reflection more abundant. Baker's Chronstate, Lorenzo is a delightful companion, icle,' in the hall window, the one book confull of wit, talent, and information; he has ned over by the fine old English gentleman, only one fault, his whole heart and soul is taught him to think for himself. May be given up to gallantry: he never loses sight his chaplain helped him a little. of his purpose. He has written a most modern English gentleman thinks as he is clever essay upon “the natural history of taught by his newspaper. Besides such chastity"—to prove, not only the bad influ- Gothic chroniclers, for we name Baker only ence exercised by the "popular notions of as the exemplar, there were other writers chastity" upon morality, but that, in point who had made a nearer approach to the of fact, chastity never exists; and that she science of history, by treating the subject

The

« PreviousContinue »