coveries of Dr. Young, because I consider them as the first and most important step which we have made in the labyrinth of Egyptian hieroglyphics, and the fundamental stone on which M. Champollion has raised the astonishing structure of his system, which will form the subject of our next Lecture. LECTURE III. Continuation of the same subject-Discovery of the name of Cleopatra by Mr. Bankes—Means by which it was obtained -Champollion's publications-Lettre à M. Dacier-Precis du systeme hieroglyphique-Hieroglyphical alphabet-Number of characters-Their meaning-Attempt to account for their multiplicity and difference-Illustrations-Mode by which the Egyptians formed their hieroglyphics-Disposition of them-Examples-General rules-Application of Champollion's alphabet to the reading of the names of the Egyptian sovereigns-Under the Romans-the Greeks-the Persians -the Pharaohs-Coincidence between the Bible and some of the Egyptian legends-Observations. In my last Lecture I endeavoured to give you, first, an idea of the opinion which men of learning, of all ages and all nations, had entertained with regard to hieroglyphics; secondly, of the difficulties which this general prejudice of the peculiar nature of hieroglyphics had produced, in diverting from its proper course any attempt that might be made in explaining them; thirdly, I endeavoured to exemplify this assertion, by stating some of the interpretations published by Kircher, Dupuis, the Abbé Pluche, and the Chevalier Palin. In the fourth place, I thought it necessary to call your coveries of Dr. Young, because I consider them as the first and most important step which we have made in the labyrinth of Egyptian hieroglyphics, and the fundamental stone on which M. Champollion has raised the astonishing structure of his system, which will form the subject of our next Lecture. LECTURE III Continuation of the same subjectDiscovery of the name of Cleopatra J Bankes-Means by which it was obtained -Champilan.: pubications-Lettre à M. Duser-Press du systeme metronique Hierogiopical apmust-Num ber of cream her meaning-Attempt to worvent for therm PÄRSEY anc diferenc-llustrations-Wives by Thus te Forms former ther introgryphess-Doposition of them Examint pollue. Ismate' I - regard t 2.1. throughout, both on the sarcophagus and the walls; and, having discovered such a tomb, he, on the granite cover of the sarcophagus, actually found a female figure, habited as Isis, sculptured in alto relievo. This was a strong presumption that the female upon the walls was the same with the female whose sarcophagus occupied the tomb. Again, he observed, that as the Greek inscription among the ruins of the ancient city of Diospolis Parva, furnishes the only example of the name of a Queen Cleopatra preceding that of King Ptolemy; so the sculpture on the same building furnishes the only example of a female figure taking precedence over that of a male. By comparing the signs which he supposed to represent the name of the man, he found them to agree exactly with those which Dr. Young had thought must represent the name of Ptolemy on the Rosetta stone; and Mr. Bankes very properly concluded, that the characters written over the female might be those which designated Cleopatra. This supposition became demonstration, upon seeing that these very names were perfectly similar to those engraved on the obelisk of Philoe. You know, that this obelisk was a monument raised by the priests of Isis, in the island of Philoe, on which they engraved a memorial of King Ptolemy and his two queens, each of the name of Cleopatra, and under which there is a Greek translation of the original hieroglyphics engraved on the several faces of this pyramid. By comparing this transla |