Part 12

In his letters home, he speaks with enthusiastic language of Egypt:—“Gizeh,” he says, “where the enemy lies, ten miles off; and, across the Nile—Cairo and its lofty minarets, with the dreary Mokattan rising above. In such a situation, one hour of life is worth an age at home; no time or space can efface those recollections.... On our approach to Cairo, which it was expected would be given up to plunder, numerous bodies of Turks and hosts of Bedouin Arabs collected; and I was assured that the Grand Vizier was obliged to issue, daily, 18,000 rations of corn for horses alone.”

“The general’s patriotic services in the campaign under Sir Ralph Abercromby, have obtained a lasting testimonial in the erection of a lofty column on the rock of Carrick-a-Daggon, county of Wexford. It is a facsimile of Pompey’s Pillar, but not monolithic; it consists of Carlow granite, and has a staircase in the shaft: its total height rises to 94 feet 4 inches; the architect is Mr. Cobden. Placed considerably above the sea-level, it stands a conspicuous landmark for mariners. The events of the campaign are further to be commemorated by the appointment of trustees, under the will of General Browne Clayton, who shall annually, at sunrise on the 21st of March (the anniversary of the French attack on the British encampment before Alexandria), hoist the tri-colour French flag on the column, which shall remain until ten o’clock, when the British flag is to be fixed and kept up till sunset. On the 28th of March, annually, the British flag is to be raised half-standard high, as a memorial of the death of Sir Ralph Abercromby. The first commemoration took place in March, 1842, General Browne Clayton himself superintending the ceremony.”

The date of General Clayton’s death would appear to have been March 16th, 1845; aged 74.

_Translation of the Text of the British Obelisk, by_ DEMETRIUS MOSCONAS: 1877.

Since the final “Revise” of our last sheet, we have received a quarto pamphlet from Alexandria, entitled, “Deux mots sur les Obelisques d’Egypte,” with a translation of the inscriptions on Cleopatra’s Needle, now on its way to England. The author’s name is Demetrius Mosconas; and as the text differs somewhat from that derived from Burton and Chabas, we have thought it well to place it before our readers.

On each side of the pyramidion is a bas-relief of _offerings_, representing the sun-god, protector of the city of On, seated on a throne, adorned with the pschent, or double crown of Upper and Lower Egypt, and receiving gifts from Thothmes, who is represented as a sphynx, symbolising the power of the lion. On the other sides, the sun-god is represented differently: sometimes as a man, crowned with the solar disk; sometimes with the head of a hawk, surmounted with the pschent. And the offerings likewise vary: they may be wine, or milk, or water, or any other thing that shall in itself be pure and good.

Above the god is inscribed:—

“Ra, the great god, master of the city of On, who giveth eternal life.”

Above and below the king, the inscription runs thus:—

“The king, _sun creator of the world_ (Ra-men-kheper), lord of Upper and Lower Egypt, the son of the sun, Thothmes, offers libations of wine to him who gives eternal life.”

Next follows the standard of the king, and below that, the columns of hieroglyphs; in this instance the middle column representing the address of Thothmes, on the three sides of the obelisk exposed to view:—

1. “He is Horus (Apollo), the powerful bull, friend of truth, the king, _sun creator of the world_ (Ra-men-kheper, prenomen), who hath made monuments for his father, the _sun of the two zones_, and who hath erected two great obelisks with pyramidions of gold, which shine with brilliancy at the panegyries....

2. “He is Horus, the powerful bull, son of truth, the king, _sun creator of the world_, who hath been established on the throne of Seb by his father, the god Toum, who hath given him the dignity of Thoré, in magnifying his name among the inhabitants of On and of the whole world, the son of the sun, Thothmes, giving life like the sun for ever.

3. “He is Horus, the powerful bull, friend of truth, the king, _sun creator of the world_, the protector of the temples of the gods, who hath given at every epoch gifts to the divinities of the city of On, and to their servants (the priests), that they may live as saints; moreover, like his grandfather, he hath established numerous festivals; the son of the sun, Thothmes, beloved of the god Toum, _sun of the two zones_, giving life like the sun for ever.”

Of the texts of Rameses II., occupying the side columns, the translations of five are given:—

1. “He is Horus, the powerful bull, friend of truth, the king, _sun_, _guardian of justice_, _preferred of Ra_ (Ra-ouser-ma-sotep-en-Ra, prenomen), the lord of Upper and Lower Egypt; he who governeth Egypt and chastiseth foreign countries, the son of the sun, _Rameses Maïamon_, the ruler and benefactor of the temple of his father, than whom none has done so much as he in this temple, the lord of the two worlds, _sun_, _guardian of justice_, _the preferred of Ra_, the son of the sun, _Rameses Maïamon_, who giveth life like the sun for ever.

2. “He is Horus, the powerful bull, son of truth, the king, _sun_, _guardian of justice_, _the preferred of Ra_, the lord of the panegyries, like unto his father the god Toum, the son of the sun, _Rameses Maïamon_, the germ of his father whom he loveth, whom the goddess Athor hath nourished, he is the glory and the lord of the two worlds, the _sun_, _guardian of justice_, _preferred of Ra_, the son of the sun, _Rameses Maïamon_, who, like the sun, giveth life for ever.

3. “He is Horus, the powerful bull in Egypt, the king, _the sun_, _guardian of justice_, _preferred of Ra_, the golden hawk, the guardian of flourishing years, the son of the sun, _Rameses Maïamon_, whose name eternal the puissant of Assyria have graven on their rocks, and in the temple of his father, the lord of the two worlds, _the sun_, _guardian of justice_, _preferred of Ra_, the son of the sun, _Rameses Maïamon_, the truthful, the beloved of the great god Ammon, who giveth life like the sun for ever.

4. “He is Horus, the powerful bull, friend of truth, the king, _sun_, _guardian of justice_, _preferred of Ra_, the sublime, the offspring of the gods, the son of the sun, _Rameses Maïamon_, the victorious, the puissant, the watchful, the bull of princes, the king of kings, the lord of the two worlds, the son of the sun, _Rameses Maïamon_, _the sun_, _guardian of justice_, _preferred of Ra_, the beloved of the god Toum, the lord of On, who, like the sun, giveth life for ever.

5. “He is Horus, the powerful bull, son of truth, the king, _sun_, _guardian of justice_, _preferred of Ra_, the lord of Upper and Lower Egypt, he who governeth Egypt and scourgeth foreign countries, the son of the sun, _Rameses Maïamon_; numerous victories hath he achieved over foreigners, and he hath carried his conquering arms to the four columns of heaven, the lord of the two worlds, _sun_, _guardian of justice_, _preferred of Ra_, the son of the sun, _Rameses Maïamon_, giving life like the sun for ever.”

M. Mosconas likewise favours us with part of an heroic poem, translated by Mariette Bey, from a tablet[57] (stèle) preserved in the Boulaq Museum. This poem is written in honour of the author of the British obelisk, Thothmes III., and is said to be several centuries older than Homer, or even than the Bible. It is regarded by Egyptologists as a precious relic, and as a treasured example of the poetry of that ancient period. The Pharaoh presents libations and offerings to the sun-god Amon-Ra, who then recites a long list of the achievements of the king, assuring him of the divine assent, and informing him, that it was to the forethought and participation of the deity that he owed his successes. He speaks thus:—

[57] La Stèle de Phtamosis le Memphite.

“Come to me and rejoice in the contemplation of my grace, my son, my avenger. Sun, Creator of the World, living for ever, I am resplendent through thy vows; my heart expands with thy welcome presence in my temple; I embrace thy members in mine arms, that I may infuse into them health and life. Loveable are thy blessings, through the presentment which thou settest up in my sanctuary. It is I who give thee recompense; it is I who give thee power and victory over all nations; it is through me that thy genius and the fear of thy power have taken possession of every land, and its dread hath expanded to the four columns of heaven. I magnify the alarm which thy name inspireth throughout the world. It is with my accord that thy war-cries pierce the very midst of thy barbarian foes, and the kings of every nation fall in under thy hand; I myself stretch forth my arms; I draw together and congregate for thee the Nubians in tens of thousands and thousands, and the northern peoples in millions. It is with my accord that thou hurlest thine enemies beneath thy sandals, that thou smitest the chiefs of the unclean as I have ordered thee; the world, in all its length and breadth, from west to east, is at thy command. Thou spreadest gladness into the heart of all the peoples; none amongst them dare trample on the territory of thy majesty; but I am thy guide to lead thee to them. Thou hast crossed the great river of Mesopotamia, conqueror and mighty, as I had pre-ordered; the cries of war resounded in their caves; I withheld from their nostrils the breath of life....

“I am come, and with my accord thou smitest the princes of Tahi (Syria). I hurl them beneath thy feet when thou marchest through their countries. I have shown them thy majesty as a lord of light; thou beamest upon them like unto mine own image.

“I am come, and I allow thee to smite the dwellers in Asia, to lead into captivity the chiefs of the Rotennu (Assyria). I have revealed to them thy majesty compassed with thy girdle, grasping thy weapon, and wielding it from thy chariot of war.

“I am come, that I might sanction thee to smite the countries of the East, to force thy way to the very cities of the Holy Land. I have revealed to them thy majesty as like unto the star Seschet (Canopus), which darts forth in flame, and gives birth to the morning dew.

“I am come, and I permit thee to smite the countries of the West: Kefa (Cyprus) and Asia tremble with terror in thy presence: I have shown them thy majesty like unto a bull young and courageous; he that, embellished with horns, nothing is able to resist.

“I am come, and I permit thee to smite the peoples of every region; the countries of Maten (Amatuses) shake with the terror of thy name. I have revealed to them thy majesty as like unto the crocodile; he, the formidable master of the waters, whom none dare approach.

“I come, to grant thee permission to smite the inhabitants of islands; the dwellers on the sea-coasts tremble at the sound of thy war-cry; I have shown them thy majesty like unto an avenger who springs upon the shoulders of his victim.

“I come, to permit thee to smite Tahennu (Libyans). The islands of Tanaou (Danaë) are possessed of thy genius. I have shown them thy majesty as like unto a terrible lion, who maketh his couch of their carcasses, and stretcheth himself across their valleys.

“I come, to permit thee to smite the regions of the floods, that those who abide nigh unto the great sea may be held in subjection. I have made them view thy majesty as of the king of birds, that hovers o’er its prey, and seizes what it lists.

“I come, to permit thee to smite the denizens of the desert, that the Herusha may be brought into captivity. I have made them look upon thy majesty, as like unto the jackal of the day—he that maketh his way in concealment, and travelleth the country through.

“I am come, and I accord to thee the right to smite the Anu of Nubia, that the Remenem (nomad tribes) thou may’st hold in thine hand. I have made them regard thy majesty as like unto those who are thy two brothers, their arms stretched over thee for thy protection.”...

M. Mosconas’ work is illustrated with two pictorial sheets, representing, admirably, every hieroglyph depicted on three of the sides of the British obelisk, with its phonetic equivalent in Egyptian, and its signification in French; the figure and its explanation standing side by side. It is a work which will be found of great value by the Egyptological student, and highly satisfactory to the more learned explorer of hieroglyphography.[58]

[58] “Deux mots sur les Obelisques d’Egypte et Traduction de l’Obelisque dit de Cleopatre qui doit être transporté en Angleterre et de la Stèle du Phtamosis le Memphite:” par Demetrius Mosconas. Alexandrie, 1877. Quarto, 16 pages, with three Plates.

M. Mosconas alleges that the Alexandrian obelisks were brought from Heliopolis by Cleopatra, and were left neglected for eleven years on the beach of the eastern port of Alexandria; and that they were afterwards erected by Barbarus, Prefect of Egypt, under Augustus Cæsar.

FINIS.

BRAIN & CO., PRINTERS, 26, PATERNOSTER ROW, E.C.