Adams, Walter M.: The house of the hidden places: a clue to the creed of early Egypt from Egyptian sources (London, 1895)

v.] The "Circles of the Shining Years'.' 163

IVth and XIth dynasties. These architectural
units are very numerous, and, unless referred
to cosmic principles, quite miscellaneous, hav-
ing no apparent co-ordination either among
themselves or with anything else. When
however taking as our unit the polar inch,*
we compare them with the measures of light,
as expressed in the shining circuits and radii
of the celestial periods—remembering always
that the radii and semi-radii of the cycles of
years are both consonant with the angular
construction of the Pyramid and are secretly
involved in the analogy of Illumination—we
find a most remarkable correspondence in
measure after measure, not absolute indeed,
but different only by decimals of an inch.
Take for example, the number of polar

* This inch is of course the same as that adopted by
Professor Smyth, and called by him the " Pyramid Inch j"
but he has so inextricably associated that name with views
directly opposed to Egyptological research, that I prefer
to use an expression which denotes an undoubted relation
first pointed out by Sir John Herschel.