sides; upon it is represented in bas-relief King Thothmes III., supported by the god Muntra and the goddess Athor; Karnak.-Small limestone statue of the prince Anebni, dedicated by Thothmes III.—In the central recess of the East side of the Gallery is fixed the tablet of Abydos, an inscription of great value in determining the names and succession of the kings of various dynasties. It appears originally to have commemorated an offering made by Rameses II. to his predecessors on the throne of Egypt; and was discovered by Mr. W. Bankes, in a chamber of the temple of Abydos, in 1818. In the same part of the Gallery are placed some fine specimens of Egyptian painting, representing Osiris, Amenophis I., the queen Nefertari, the tributes of Asiatics and negroes, jewellers at work, banqueting scenes, fowling, and other subjects of ordinary Egyptian life.

In this room are placed two Table Cases holding Egyptian smaller objects, the one nearest the Northern door various portions of glazed tiles and alabaster inlaid figures from Tel-el Yahoudeh, amongst them representations of Asiatics, and some slabs with sculptors canons from Tel Basta, fragments from the Pyramids of Dashour. The other Case contains small Egyptian figures in stone cippi, with Horus on the crocodiles, head of the Khuenaten disk-worshipping monarch of the 18th dynasty, model of a tower and bath.

NORTHERN VESTIBULE.

In this apartment are placed monuments of the first twelve dynasties of Egyptian monarchs. Though small in size, they have considerable interest, being the most ancient sculptures preserved in the Museum; and they show that art had made great progress in the early times to which they belong. The sculptures are principally of the 4th and 12th dynasties.

The 4th was distinguished by the high civilization that prevailed in Egypt during its rule. Its monarchs conquered Arabia, and built the pyramids as royal sepulchres. Among the monuments may be noticed some of the casing-stones of the pyramids, a small statue of a naval constructor, and a coloured statue found in a tomb at Gizeh.

The 12th dynasty excavated the Maris Lake, built the Labyrinth, the city of Abydos, and the fortress of Semneh, and conquered Nubia or Ethiopia. Of this dynasty is a mutilated statue of King An, dedicated by King Usertesen I. A small lion inscribed with the name of Setnub, one of the shepherd kings, or 16th dynasty, brought from Baghdad, is at the side of the East door.

Over the East doorway is a plaster cast from the head of the most Northern colossal statue of Rameses II. at Ibsamboul, placed here owing to the want of space in the Central Saloon.

[Guide to the Egyptian Vestibule, 2d.]

NORTH-WEST STAIRCASE.

On the staircase are placed Egyptian Papyri, which are documents of various character, inscribed on rolls formed of

slices of the papyrus plant. They show the three forms of writing in use among the Egyptians:-1. The Hieroglyphic, in which all the characters, or figures, are separately and distinctly defined. 2. The Hieratic, in which the same characters are represented in what may be termed a running hand. 3. The Demotic, or Enchorial, a still more cursive form, in which the language of the common people was written; it was principally employed in civil transactions during the Ptolemaic period, and continued in use to the 3rd or 4th century of our era.

The papyri exhibited present chiefly portions and extracts from the Ritual of the Dead, the small pictures in them referring to the subjects of the various chapters; others are solar litanies and magical tracts. Amongst them are a caricature, a treatise on arithmetic and geometry, one on medicine with recipes of the age of Cheops, the romantic tale of a doomed prince, songs, dirges, criminal reports, and several contracts or deeds of sale and a marriage contract in the demotic character; another in the same character, with some of the words explained in Greek.

At the top of the staircase is the

EGYPTIAN ANTEROOM.

On the walls are placed casts from sculptured and coloured bas-reliefs in Egypt, painted in imitation of the originals. The principal are as follows:

Bas-relief from the North wall of the great edifice at Karnak, representing the victories of King Seti I. over the Tahennu, a people who dwelt to the North-west of Egypt.-Bas-reliefs taken from the tombs of Seti I., Seti II., and other kings of the 19th dynasty, in the Biban-el-Molook, or valley of the tombs of the kings, at Thebes. -Bas-reliefs from several portions of a fallen obelisk of red granite at Karnak, and some large Egyptian wooden coffins.

FIRST EGYPTIAN ROOM.

In this, and in the next room, are placed the smaller antiquities of Egypt. Most of these have been discovered in tombs, and owe their remarkable preservation to the peculiar dryness of the climate of the country. They have been acquired mainly by purchases from the collections of

M. Anastasi, Mr. Salt, Mr. Sams, and Mr. Lane, and by donations from H.R.H. the Prince of Wales, the Duke of Northumberland, Sir Gardner Wilkinson, and other travellers in Egypt. The objects may be divided into three principal sections:

1. Those relating to the religion of the Egyptians, such as representations of divinities and sacred animals, in Room I. 2. Those relating to their civil and domestic life, and which are in Room I.

3. Those relating to their death and burial, which are principally in Room II., but some of these are also in Room I.

I. RELIGIOUS SECTION.

Cases 1-12. The deities of ancient Egypt were celestial, terrestrial, and infernal gods, with many inferior personages, representatives of the greater gods or their attendants. The gods were connected with the Sun, representing that luminary in its passage through the upper hemisphere or Heaven, and the lower hemisphere or Hades. To the deities of the Solar cycle belonged the great gods of Thebes and Heliopolis. In the local worship of Egypt the deities were arranged in triads; thus at Memphis, Ptah, his wife Merienptah, and their son Nefer Atum, formed a triad, to which was sometimes added the goddess Bast, or Bubastis. At Abydos the local triad was Osiris, Isis, and Horus, with Nephthys; at Thebes, Amen-Ra or Ammon, Mut, and Chons, with Neith; at Elephantine, Khnumis, Anuka, Sati, and Hak. In most instances the names of the gods are Egyptian; thus, Ptah meant "the opener; " Amen, "the concealed; " Ra," the sun, or "day; " Athor, "the house of Horus; but some few, especially of later times, were introduced from Semitic sources, as Bes or Baal, Astaruta or Astarte, Khen or Kiun, Respu or Reseph. Besides the principal gods, inferior or parhedral gods, personifications of the faculties, senses, and others, entered the religious system, such as genii, spirits, or personified souls of deities. At a later period the gods were divided into three orders. The first or highest comprised eight deities, who were different in the Memphian or Theban systems. They were supposed to have reigned over Egypt before the time of mortals. The eight gods of the first order at Memphis were:-1, Ptah; 2, Shu; 3, Tefnu; 4, Seb; 5, Nut; 6, Osiris; 7, Isis and Horus; 8, Athor. Those of Thebes were:-1, Amen-Ra; 2, Mentu; 3, Atum; 4, Shu and Tefnu; 5, Seb; 6, Osiris; 7, Set and Nephthys; 8, Horus and Athor. The gods of the second order were twelve in number, but the name of one only, an Egyptian Hercules, has been preserved. The third order is stated to have comprised Osiris, who, it will be seen, belonged to the first order.