DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.8#0068
( 67 ) ,
foundations, and did, no doubt, so design it, for metrical
purposes, both by it's precise length, as well as by it's
capacity: and contrived the access to it, so far difficult
and unpleasant, as to be no inducement to any, but those
who had some interesting decision in view, to frequent
it's abode.
And although the extreme hardness of the granite,
of which the Chest is made, seems, at present, to argue
such precaution unnecessary; since the savage attempts
of the Arabs and others, to deface it with iron tools, have
never succeeded; yet, it must not be forgot, the ancients
had a secret, which is now generally, at least, unknown,
of mollifying such parts, as where intended to be cut
away, even' in the hardest porphyries, leaving the other
parts in their pristine state. Mr. King, in his note ori
this subject, (Munimenta Antiqua, Vol 1, p. 124) says,
he is informed by Doctor Mayes, a learned chemist, of
the discovery of acertain preparation of lead rubbed with
a blunt iron tool, that will presently wear away the hard-
est granite, or even basaltes: and Mr. King thinks the
23rd and 24th verses of the 19th Chap, of Job, are some
allusion to this method: in the English version his ob-
servation obtains: the Vulgate, however, does not so
well favor the idea.
In passing now to the further consideration of the
comrnensurability of the component parts of this Pyra-
mid with the whole, I must incidentally observe, that
though the denominations of a foot, a cubit, an aroura,
a plethron, or acre, &c. are assumptions of adequate
divisions of some of the lines, or of some of the areas of
this paragon: it does not follow that the antediluvian
founders of it had in view assumptions of the very same
portions of lines and areas, much less similar denomina-
l tïoûs
foundations, and did, no doubt, so design it, for metrical
purposes, both by it's precise length, as well as by it's
capacity: and contrived the access to it, so far difficult
and unpleasant, as to be no inducement to any, but those
who had some interesting decision in view, to frequent
it's abode.
And although the extreme hardness of the granite,
of which the Chest is made, seems, at present, to argue
such precaution unnecessary; since the savage attempts
of the Arabs and others, to deface it with iron tools, have
never succeeded; yet, it must not be forgot, the ancients
had a secret, which is now generally, at least, unknown,
of mollifying such parts, as where intended to be cut
away, even' in the hardest porphyries, leaving the other
parts in their pristine state. Mr. King, in his note ori
this subject, (Munimenta Antiqua, Vol 1, p. 124) says,
he is informed by Doctor Mayes, a learned chemist, of
the discovery of acertain preparation of lead rubbed with
a blunt iron tool, that will presently wear away the hard-
est granite, or even basaltes: and Mr. King thinks the
23rd and 24th verses of the 19th Chap, of Job, are some
allusion to this method: in the English version his ob-
servation obtains: the Vulgate, however, does not so
well favor the idea.
In passing now to the further consideration of the
comrnensurability of the component parts of this Pyra-
mid with the whole, I must incidentally observe, that
though the denominations of a foot, a cubit, an aroura,
a plethron, or acre, &c. are assumptions of adequate
divisions of some of the lines, or of some of the areas of
this paragon: it does not follow that the antediluvian
founders of it had in view assumptions of the very same
portions of lines and areas, much less similar denomina-
l tïoûs