LECTURE.

Oxford Observer, Volume VIII, Issue VIII, 27 March 1897, Page 3

LECTURE.

Mr T. Crook gave his second Lecbure at the Town Hall on Sunday last on how the mummies were discovered, unfortunately the time •at his disposal was much too short to do justice to this very interesting subject. We reprint the following from a paper Mr Crook intended to read, ard hope it will be of general interest to our readers— "In the Central Hall of! the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities at Boolak, ranged side by side, shoulder to shoulder, lies a solemn company of Kings, queens, princes, and priests of royal blood, who died and were made imperishable flesh by the embalmer's art between three and four thousand years ago. The story of their recent resurrection has been told — not always with exactness— by the foreign correspondents of almost every newspaper published on either side of the Atlantic. Based upon information derived from authentic [sources, it will bear to be told again. These royal personages are of different dynasties and widely separate I periods. Between the earliest and the latest — that is to" say, between Rasekennen and Masahirti, the one a monarch reigning m upper Egypt contemporaneously with the last Hykos ruler of Lower Egypt, the other a son of Pinotern ll.— there intervenes a space of time which may roughly estimated ab seven centuries and a half. This space of time (about equivalent to that which divides the Norman Conquest from the accession of George III ) covers the rise and fall of the XVIIItb, XlXth, XXth, and' XXl st dynasties.* During these four dynasties occurred tha expulsion of the Hyksos invaders, the Asiatic conquests of Thothmes 111. of Seti I. of Barneses 11., the oppression and exodus of the Hobrews, and f.he defeat of the allied Mediterranean fleets by Eameses 111. To the same, period be'.ong the great temples of Thebes, the sepulchres m the valleys of the Tombs of he Kings, the obelisks of Hatasu, the rock-cut temples of Aboo-Simbel, and the collosi of the plain. In a word, all the military glory and nearly all architectural splendour of ancient Egypt arc comprised within the limits thus indicated. When, therefore, it began to be rumoured, some five or uix months ago, that the mummied remains of almost all the mightiest warriors and builders of this supreme epoch, together with the relics of kings and queens of a still earlier and a still later date, had been found at the bottom of a pit m one of the loftiest nooks of the western cliffs at Thebes, most of us felt somewhat doubtful regarding the truth of the whispers flyiug from wire to wire. Time, however, brought confirmatinn of the wondrous news. A discovery of im - mense importance had indeed been made; but inasmuch as the authorities had long suspected the existence of some such treasure, it could hardly be regarded as a surprise. Neither

was it au original discovery ; for the Arabs had lighted on it for many years before, and turned it, unfortunately, to their profit. Touching the way m which the discovery was brought about, many contradictory reports have been circulated, some ascribing the honour to Herr Emtl Brugsch, keeper of the Boolak Museum, and others to Daoud Pasha, For the better information of readers of "Harper's magazine", 1 quote the following from . a letter addressed to myself by Professor Maspero bearing date from Paris, August 4, 1881 : "You have perhaps read m the newspapers of the fortunate results of my first campaign. The story is curious. Having noted how Egyptian antiquities of every description were constantly finding thoir^ way to Europe. I came ten years ago to the conclusion that the Arabs had discovered a royal tomb. I'urthermore, Colonel Campbell had given me some photographs of the first pages of a superb Ritual bouglt by himself at Thebes, which Ritual proved to have been written for Pinomtem I. Briefly, then, on arriving at Luxor, I caused to be arrested one Ahmed Abd-er Rasoul, an Arab dealer, to whom a mass of concurrent testimony pointed as the possessor of the secret. For two months • this man lay m prison at Keneh, obstinately silent; and I had just left when, prompted by jealousy and avarice, one of his brothers decided to tell all. In this wise we were enabled to put our hands, notupon a royal tomb, but upon a hiding-place wherein were piled some thirty-six mummies of kings, queens, princes, and highpriests." By the XXlst. Dynasty it is to be under" stood that the line of priest-kings is intended. To be continued.