tremities of the group. In front is a frame, on which the vessels containing the wine, milk, and other liquid offerings, are symmetrically arranged. Beneath this is a large ear of Egyptian corn. The heads of two oxen dressed are piled upon a mat, with the livers of the same animals. This mat is really on the same plane with the bottle frame and the feet of the altars. That it is not placed upon the vases (see engraving) is sufficiently indicated by the space between them, which was the conventional mode with the Egyptians of distinguishing between objects on the same plane, and objects piled upon one another. By this we also understand that the branches of lotus flowers, and the thighs of the ox, which appear above the shew-bread, are really on the floor. This is also the case with the two kidneys and some others of the viscera, which appear in the centre, between the two altars, and are surmounted by a goose. All these are intended to be arranged round the altars. They are placed in their present position for the sake of a certain compactness of the whole effect, which the Egyptians evidently greatly admired.

This tablet was the stone which closed the aperture of the tomb in which were deposited the mummies of Sevek Re and Saotph his son, who successively held the office of constable of the palace at Abydos. Saotph died in the eighteenth year of Amenumis I.

The tablet on the next page is of the same period as the former one, and does not yield to it either in perfectness of preservation, or elaborate beauty of execution. It is, like the former, a tomb-stone, and commences with the usual formula: -"An act of adoration to Osiris, the lord of Tatou,* he who

* That is, of the region of stability.

The

is in the Amenti, ruling in the upper region, great god, lord of Abydos.* May he give a house of blessing, wine, milk, abundance of oxen, geese, clothes, and all other good and pure blessings, with the life divine, to him who is over the south, loving his master (the king) attached to the charge of him; the constable of the palace, Si-Hathor." This is the personage who is seated on the double throne or sofa. female who is seated at his side, with one arm upon his shoulder, is "his wife who loves him, Shoi-on," which is a name of Cephrenes. Probably she was descended from the Pharaoh of that name, by whom the second pyramid was built, and therefore had taken his name. The aversion to change as to all things in Egypt extended even to names, which seldom varied in the same family. Underneath the throne is a mirror, in its case, the constant companion of ladies of high rank.

Before this pair stands an altar, with the offerings named in the inscription, which are presented to their deceased parents by three of their sons. The name of the eldest, who was full grown at the death of his father, and inherited his title of constable of the palace, is not very intelligible. That of his second brother, apparently a boy of fourteen, was Simonthou. He is represented with a flower and an ear of corn in one hand, in the other he holds a live duck by the neck. The youngest brother's name, an infant, who is offering two vases, and apparently stands under the altar, was Egorem..f. This group represents the dedica

Osiris was especially worshipped at Abydos. It was there that according to the fable preserved by Plutarch, his body was buried. The remains of the temples show that the Triad worshipped at Abydos was Osiris, Isis, and Horus.

tion of the tomb, which the slab once closed up, to Si-Hathor, and his wife Shephre, who were the first buried in it.

The two lines which follow read, " An act of adoration to Osiris, lord of Amenti, good and great god, lord of Abydos: may he give water, essences, perfumes, wax, and all other good and pure blessings, with divine life in the month and half months of the festivals of Thoth, the divine purifier of the ......* the devoted constable of the palace, Amun si," who is evidently the eldest son of Si-Hathor. He is seated with his wife, the same name as his mother, Shefra, before an offering; the group being an exact repetition of the one above. An altar with offerings stands before them, which are presented by a man named Egor Saotphhet, the youngest brother of the deceased, who appears as an infant in the preceding picture, and a child, whose name reads Eneniotf, probably his son. The picture beneath this scene represents three of the sons of Amunsi, attired in the ceremonial habit, which was worn on the occasion of funerals; each bearing a staff in one hand, and in the other the sceptre called Pat, which is the symbol of consecration. They are in the act of approaching the altar for the purpose of paying their adorations to their deceased parents. The artist intended to represent them walking in line, and therefore the first-born is to the left, which was supposed to be nearest the eye. He is styled, "His son who loves him, the constable of the palace, Amenumis;" the female who accompanies him is called "his mother," probably of the deceased, Beseth. The name of the second son is Osortasen, that of his wife Monthouset. The third

* The meaning of this part of the inscription is not certain.

son was named Amunei, his wife Tesiosor.

The lowest

picture on the slab represents three men servants, and three maid servants, in attendance upon the personages who are depicted above them, and bearing the various objects which they are about to present in offering. The hieroglyphic inscription above them is somewhat difficult; it appears to read, "The bearers of offerings to the lady president of the palace, Shefre. A sacrifice to Si-hathor by Sa-otph to ...... their spirits." The mention of the name of Shephra in preference to that of her husband, in this inscription, adds probability to our conjecture that she was lineally descended from the Pharaoh of that name. We also learn from this last inscription that the tablet was sculptured, and probably the tomb it once closed was also excavated at the expense of Sa-otph, the youngest son of Sihathor, who was an infant at the time' of his death. This circumstance satisfactorily accounts for his taking precedence of the sons in the second scene, where he is offering to his eldest brother, Amunsi.

The following is (p. 208) the tablet, Anastasy No. 19. The artist in this instance has studied a severe simplicity of style, which renders this tablet, in point of pictorial effect, perhaps the most beautiful Egyptian monument in existence.

The purport of it is fully explained by the inscription :"Act of adoration to Osiris, lord of Amenti, the beholder of just and good works, the great god, lord of Abydos, from the military chief president over the prophets, Sebeksen. The military chief presiding over the prophets, Eneniotf, his son who loves him, who has enthroned him in his heart has made (by this monument) the name of his father to‘live