PREFACE. IT is confidently hoped that the reader of these pages will pardon any misplaced illustrations, or other defects, as many difficulties arose in completing the publication of these Tracts. The beloved Author died after only a few days' illness, on the 23d of last April. The tracts are the result of more than twenty years study of ancient history, and were written with a view to help in translating the Hebrew Scriptures. The Author considered the scepticism of present times to be the result of ignorance. The illustrations may now be of more than usual interest to the public, as some are of Roman sculpture, the originals of which were lost to the world in the French Revolution of 1793: they are selected from rare old French woodcuts of that date. The clock at Strasburg will form a curious link in the history of the Dial; it was chosen by the Author as a proof that science and history had for many generations been taught by the Church, and are aids to Faith, when viewed by a devout mind. It is with the earnest hope of realising his wish that these papers are now offered to the public by his daughter. WHITBY, October 1870. EXPLANATION OF THE PYRAMID BUILDING SYMBOLISM, AS APPLIED TO THE STRUCTURE OF THE GREEK EGYPTIAN DIAL WITH STEPS. EXPLANATION OF THE PYRAMID BUILDING SYMBOLISM, AS APPLIED TO THE STRUCTURE OF THE GREEK EGYPTIAN DIAL WITH STEPS. THE scale of 800 feet for the diameter of the circle, compared with a chord of 90° (as seemingly that on which Berosus the Chaldean first formed the square out of which he hollowed the semicircular dial inclined to the latitude), is here contrasted with the actual base of the Great Pyramid at 760 feet. For the difference of Herodotus amounts to this between the first and second Pyramids,—viz., that the second was lower than the other by the 40 feet of Ethiopian stone, which limited the height of its first course. I conceive, therefore, that his first and second are two measures of the same base,-viz., first as including the pavement, to obtain a standard measure of circular analogy (both for time and linear measurement), from the diameter of the circle; comparing feet multiplied by 10 with degrees on the circle reckoned by 9 and its multiples. The discovery of this arose from seeing, in Blackie's 'Popular Encyclopædia,' the representation of a sun dial with portable meridian. No explanation of it is given, but I subjoin a copy (with my own observations thereon interpreting the same by the trigon*) to show how the structure of the Greek Egyptian Dial with Steps may be truly illustrated therefrom. In representing the vertical height as 800 feet, equally as the front, Beloe has misunderstood Herodotus, whose words I take to mean that the apex was a right angle, even as the basis was quadrangular. * The twelfth hour, as divided into quarters, seems intended for a comparison of the equinoctial hour of 15° = 60 minutes with Enoch's tropical hours of 20° and 10°, or with Pheron's tropical hours of 18° and 12°, reduced to 12° and 6o, allowing for the side steps. For a triangular area of 800 feet would represent little more than 28 feet squared. But a base line of 800 feet to a Pyramid of rectangular apex would represent a rectangular triangle inscribed in a semicircle, and having the diameter of such a circle for its base line. This, therefore, I conceive to have been the Typical Design of the Pyramid Builders,-viz., that the surrounding pavement should be measured with the base to obtain the idea of a rectangular apex, for a base equal to the diameter of a circle, as the standard of their circular analogy. Then they placed the base of the actual Pyramid (hence called the second Pyramid, and confusedly spoken of sometimes as the work of Chephren, and at others as that of Cheops' daughter) 40 feet lower on the same hill. This was by 9°, with reference to the circumference of the circle, for a base of 760 feet with an angle of 51° or 52° at the base. A Pyramid of this kind would divide the circle into two segments, the larger of which would subtend a diurnal arc of about 210° for the summer season, contrasted with about 150° for the winter season. another modification of this, they had a summer arc of 216° and a winter arc of 144°, to represent the day of 12 hours for all seasons in N. lat. 30°. Again, in respect to the Pyramid of Mycerinus, Beloe is grammatically at fault. For the words of Herodotus can only mean that each side was short of 3 plethra by 20 feet. Yet Beloe translates it each side measured 3 plethra, or 300 feet. As The 280 feet of his measurement contrasts the lunar year of 10 months, numbering 28 days each (as that also of Chephren; for 2 × 28 numbers the 56 years of his reign as 2 × 25 did that of Cheops, in its relation to the then reputed zodiacal angle of the Sun's north and south declination from the equator along the ecliptic), with that of the Noah's Ark Symbolism. For this numbered 300 days, as did the Egyptians in the Cycle of Horus, and in the two sides of the Pyramid ascribed to the daughter of Cheops. Hence also the confused tradition about the Pyramid of Mycerinus, as by some said to have been built by Rhodopis. The fact is that, like the Pyramid attributed to Cheops' daughter, their common design involved a symbolism for the old lunar year of 10 months, variable in form according to their then acrimoniously contested deviation from the older form of their solar dialling. This seems to give an intelligible meaning to the charge of impiety against Cheops and Chephren, for shutting up the temples of the gods and forbidding them to be worshipped. Mycerinus, on the other hand, became popular for kicking against the oracular limitation of his reign to a term of seven years, with which he was required to content himself, seeing that both his predecessors had been aware of the fact that thus it must be. For their joint reigns numbered only 105 years, or the days in the summer season of seven months numbered in degrees upon the circle. But Mycerinus was not thus to be put off: he invented a mode of converting night into day by illuminating his chambers, that, if |