indeed is the most weighty argument that has been adduced in support of it. The queen of this Amenothph was called Taia. The hieroglyphical name of the next king, No. XIV, not having been deciphered, he is called Horus; that name following that of Amenophis in the catalogue of Manetho. He made some additions to his father's works at Thebes; and there are some smaller monuments to his honour in the British Museum. There is also a remarkable monument of this king in the museum at Turin, on which M. Champollion bestowed much attention at an early period of his career. It contains a decree for paying certain honours to him and to a female named Tmaumot, or Mautmot; who was first supposed by that gentleman to be the daughter that succeeded Horus, the Acherres of Manetho; but whom he has since ascertained to be his wife. The real name of his daughter and successor (for Manetho's statement is confirmed in that particular) he now states to be Thaoser. She was married, and her husband bore the title of king; but she seems to have retained the supreme power in her own hand. The name of this subordinate sovereign is, according to the same authority, Menephtha Siphtha. They had probably no children, as we find the brother of Thaoser, who is called Raineses I, the No. XV of our series, succeeding her on the throne. It is not impossible that he was the Sasyches, who is mentioned by Diodorus, as having reigned about this time; and his monuments may have been the less permanent, but more honourable ones, of useful legislation. To the next prænomen, No. XVI, two names are found attached, which are thought to be those of two brothers who reigned in succession. The first is Ousireei, to whom the tomb belonged that was opened by Belzoni, and of which a model was exhibited in London. The other is Mandouei I, who erected the obelisk which is now standing at the Porta del Popolo at Rome, and who is represented on the tablet which we have already mentioned in speaking of No. VII.

We now come to No. XVII, the Second, or Great, Rameses, and the most illustrious of this royal line. Whatever coincidence we have hitherto found between the canon of Manetho and the list of kings obtained by deciphering the monumental inscriptions, is here broken off. There is none of Manetho's kings, that can correspond with this mighty conqueror. In the place where his name ought to appear with a very long reign over against it, we find an Armais who reigned four years, followed by a Rameses who reigned little more than one. M. Champollion at first supposed this Rameses to be the founder of the 19th dynasty; but that supposition is quite irreconcileable

with the order of kings determined by the catalogue at Medinet Abou, and we know not what supposition he can now make, that will uphold the credit of Manetho without being inconsistent with the monuments. But though we are not able to identify the Egyptian hero with any of Manetho's kings, there can be no doubt that he was the Sesoosis of Diodorus; who, it is worthy of notice, is said to have lived seven generations after Moris, the very interval that occurs between our No. X and No. XVII; we need scarcely add that he was the Sesostris of Herodotus. Of course, however, we do not mean to vouch for all the statements that have been made respecting him by either of these writers; some of which, we need scarcely inform our readers, are incredible enough. We are also disposed to identify this king, to a certain extent, with the Osymandyas of Diodorus. We mean to say, that, while we consider the account given of that monarch by Diodorus to be fabulous, we believe the actions attributed to him to have been those of Sesostris,-disguised indeed and exaggerated, and transferred to a more remote era ; and we can have no doubt that the building, which was shown to the Greek historian as the tomb of Osymandyas, was the work of the great Rameses.

It would be quite impossible for us to enumerate the monuments of this king that are extant, nor is it easy to make a selection. We should place first the hypostyle hall, and some other additions that he made to the temple of Karnac. The rapture with which all who have visited this edifice speak of it is remarkable. “I was lost," says poor Belzoni," in a mass of colossal objects, every one of which was more than sufficient, of itself alone, to attract my whole attention. How can I describe my sensations at that moment! I seemed alone in the midst of all that is most sacred in the world; a forest of enormous columns adorned all round with beautiful figures, and various ornaments from the top to the bottom; the graceful shape of the lotus, which forms their capitals, so well proportioned to the columns, that it gives to the view the most pleasing effect; the gates, the walls, the pedestals, and the architraves, also adorned in every part with symbolical figures in basso relievo and intaglio, representing battles, processions, triumphs, feasts, offerings and sacrifices; ...these altogether had such an effect upon my soul, as to separate me in imagination from the rest of mortals, exalt me on high over all, and cause me to forget entirely the trifles and follies of life. I was happy for a whole day, which escaped like a flash of lightning." M. Champollion speaks of this edifice as "the conception of one a hundred feet high.' "The imagination," he says, "which, in Europe, rises far above our porticos,

sinks abashed at the foot of the 140 columns of the Hypostyle hall at Karnac." Many parts of the neighbouring palace, or temple, of Luxor, which is scarcely inferior to that of Karnac in magnificence, are the work of the same king; so are the great obelisks that are there. We have already mentioned "the tomb of Osymandyas." We can refer to no other of his works in Egypt but the palace of Abydos, where the great genealogical table was placed, the lowest line of which was entirely occupied by the prænomen and name of this king, repeated above a dozen times. Many of the Nubian temples were constructed by him; among others those of Seboua, Derri, Girshe, Ipsambol, cleared from sand by Belzoni, and Beit-el-Waly, or Galabshe. Most of these are cut out of the rock; and several of them are covered with sculptures, representing the military exploits of Rameses.

We might occupy a great deal of space in describing these sculptures, some of which are copied in the work before us. In one place the king is represented in his chariot, pursuing his barbarian enemies, and in the act of discharging an arrow against them; he is followed by two of his sons in similar chariots. In another place he is represented seated on his throne, with the spoils of the conquered brought before him. Among these we can easily distinguish the camelopard, the ostrich, the ape and other animals. We might discuss at great length the names and the countries of the several people, who appear as vanquished; but we fear we have already extended this article too far; and, to say the truth, we are far from feeling convinced by anything that we have seen on the subject. There can, however, be no doubt entertained that Sesostris was one of the greatest of conquerors, and that his empire, if he retained under his dominion all the countries that he over-ran, was among the most extensive that have ever existed. We will only add respecting this king, that while he uniformly bore the one name, "the beloved by Amun, RAMESES;" he used with it two different prænomens, sometimes simply, "THE SUN, champion (or guardian) of truth," sometimes this title with the additional one of "approved (or preferred) by the Sun." He also varied the titles of his banner; sometimes he styled himself "the Horus powerful and loving truth;" sometimes he substituted for the last qualification "the son of Atmou (or Heron.)" This circumstance has given rise to much confusion, and has occasioned his actions to be attributed, until very lately, to two different kings, one the son of Mandouei, the other the supposed head of the 19th dynasty, several generations posterior to him.

Rameses the Great is stated by M. Champollion to have

had by his different wives somewhere about fifty sons. A younger one succeeded him, who has been called Manuphtha; but this is not the name represented by the hieroglyphical characters. He made some additions to his father's works; and his name is found along with his father's on some monuments in the British Museum. No. XIX was Mandouei the Second, formerly accounted the First. We have already noticed his addition to the temple of Karnac; there is a colossal statue of him at Turin, and a smaller one in London. On these and other monuments of his a remarkable phenomenon has been noticed, the cause of which is yet involved in mystery. His name, which consists of the figure of the god Mandou, with the addition of a double vowel, has been in almost every instance defaced by the hammering out of the divine figure. This mutilation extended to the name of his predecessor, Mandouei I, on the obelisk of the Porta del Popolo. It could scarcely have been intended as an insult to the deity represented; it is probable, therefore, that the monarch of whom we are now treating, gave some deep offence to the nation, or to the priests who may have had the custody of the monuments; and that in revenge they endeavoured, by the destruction of his name, to obliterate his memory.

No. XX was called, according to M. Champollion, Ramerri. His reign was probably very short, so as not to allow him time for what appears to have been a principal work of all the sovereigns of this race, the construction of a tomb. His remains. were consigned to that of his predecessor-but not, it will be recollected, his ancestor-Queen Thaoser; the sculptures on which were hastily altered, so as to adapt it for its new tenant. No. XXI was a Rameses, another mighty conqueror, whose actions might almost vie with those of his great ancestor, No. XVII. He has been called Rameses Mæ-Amun; a name which is objectionable, as implying his identity with the king so called by Manetho, but which includes a title which he actually bore. His prænomen was, in fact, "The Sun, guardian (or champion) of truth, loving Amun," which last qualification was in the old Egyptian language Mæ-Amun. The name in his second cartouche was " Rameses, the warlike god." In all the articles on Egyptian history which have hitherto appeared in our cotemporaries, this king has been placed two generations prior to Rameses the Great. He built the palace of Medinet Abou, on the western bank of the Nile, at Thebes. His sarcophagus is now in the Louvre; the cover of it is at Cambridge; and the mighty dust" which it once contained, into what new combinations has it entered?

66

We must here conclude our catalogue. It is stated by

M. Champollion that three sons of this monarch governed Egypt in succession. There is then an interval, we cannot say of what length, before we arrive at Shishonk, who reigned in the beginning of the tenth century before our era. Of the subsequent kings we have at present no room to speak; nor is the information that could be given concerning them of the most satisfactory kind.

We have now done; and we trust that we have said enough to excite, if not to satisfy, the curiosity of our readers, on the subject of which we have treated. We believe our article will be found to contain a correct outline of the monumental history of Egypt for several centuries; and though we may expect that every year will afford us additional information, and thus render our account imperfect; we cannot anticipate that it will prove, like those of others that we could name, erroneous. We have been careful to state nothing, without an intimation of doubt, respecting which there is not conclusive evidence. On two interesting questions, respecting the Hykshos or shepherds of Manetho, and respecting the period of the sojourn of the Israelites in Egypt, we have purposely abstained from offering any opinion, reserving ourselves till we obtain fuller information.

ART. X.-Mothers and Daughters; a Tale of the Year 1830.-London: Colburn and Bentley; 3 vol. 12mo, 1831.

IT

T is vain to lament the decline and fall at particular seasons of particular species of literature. The modes of exhibiting talent and of amusing the world are not arbitrary; literature has its currents and tides like the sea, which no man can either guide or resist. There are writers who are eternally regretting the absence of dramatic genius, and wonder how it happens that no good plays are produced. Can such persons explain why such a luxurious crop of dramatists sprang up in the reign of Elizabeth and James I. Why do not poets write epics now: why do not essayists compose Spectators and Tatlers? Why is it that the whole power of human fancy is turned upon novels and romances? The truth is, that there is an aptitude to existing circumstances in all these forms of composition, which, as it is probably formed of numerous and not obvious elements, escapes the vulgar observer. Each form of literature, as it becomes generally adopted and followed, is moulded by the spirit of the age and is in perfect harmony with it. The fruits of the earth are not more strictly governed by the climates they are produced in, than are the various forms of literature. The influence of circumstances