DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4020#0096
84
TRAVELS IN EGYPT
Plates
cxxxvn,
cxxxviir.
See Plate
CVIII.
Allee de
Sphinx.
SeePLATEs
CXXXVI,
CXXXVI1I.
Let. c.
CXVIII.
Let. a, d.
Plate
CXXXIX,
CXL,
CXLI,
CXLII,
and many
others.
We perceive on that side, upon the rock of granite, divers hieroglyphics, cut
nearly in the same manner, as those that we have seen at Essuaen.
The second view is taken from the west side; and the third represents the
southern side of the island : You see there likewise the gate, or citadel, that I
have already mentioned; and the attitude of the hieroglyphical sigures does not
differ from that of the figures which are on the other side.
This part of the issand appears to be the most ruined; but the temple,
marked in the design, let. a. seems to be of great beauty g. It is extremely well
preserved; and the ornaments, as well as the capitals of the columns, are of the
utmost delicacy.
This is all that I could observe, in going up the Nile; but in my return
fortune favoured me more. Although the reys wanted then to give me his old
story, with this addition,' that his crew were tired with having rowed the whole
day, yet he did not oppose my design so warmly. He even consented to it, after
I had gained over to my side the pilot, by means of a sevillan, and that
another person had done as much with regard to the crew.
The reys then landed, together with the brother of the aga, and the janissary.
They went all three to Essuaen, by land; and our Barbarins, animated by the
present that had been made them, plyed their oars extremely well; insomuch
that they very soon fastened the bark to the island of Ell Hciff.
As it was now late, I proposed at first to defer my curiosity till the next day
but the night being very sine, and my impatience encreased by that
of a moderate si/.e; there was no carved image
of the human form, but only of some brute animal.
On each side of the anti-temple are what they call
wings (irls^) ; these are two walls of equal height
with the temple, at first distant from each other a
little more than the breadth of the foundation of
the temple } afterwards, as you advance farther,
they incline towards each other fifty or sixty cubits.
These walls have sculptures of great images re-
sembling extremely the Tuscan and ancient works
amongst the Grecians." Straeo, pag. 805.
Father Si card agrees with Mr. Norden in
giving an exalted idea os these ancient Egyptian buildings
in one os his missionary letters. " I have had the
advantage, says he, os being accompanied by the
abbe Pincia, a learned man, and a great admirer
of antiquity; this abbe came into the country on
purpose to compare the moll beautiful monuments
of Italy with thole that Egypt has preserved to the
present time. The eyes of this abbe, accustomed
as they are in Rome and the rest of Italy to see-
nothing but magnificent objects, could not sorbear
being surprized at the sight of the Egyptian works,
of which the ruins alone appeared worthy of ad-
miration. In effec~t, after having well considered
them, he was forced to acknowledge, that in respeft
to architecture, noble, plain, and solid, the Cvesars
have been inferior to the Pharaohs." NouveauX
memoires des missiens de la Compagnie de Jesus dans Is
Levant, Tom. vii. pag. 29.
morning;
E One os the great excellencies in Mr. Norden's
desrgns is, that they throw light upon the defcriptions
which the ancients have lest us os the Egyptian temples.
By comparing the account that Straeo has given os
those temples with the views which Mr. Norden has
drawn in several os his plates, the reader will be con-
vinced os the usesulnefs of this work, in illuflrating some
passages of the classical authors. I have theresore ex-
trassed srom STRABo'thesollowing defcription :
"This is the disposition of the building of their
temples. At the entrance of the sacred place is a
pavement of stone, its breadth an hundred feet or
perhaps something less, but its length three or four
hundred, and :in some places more : this is called
the S^oy.©', as Callimachus has said,
Alono- the whole length from thence on each side of
its breadth, are placed stone sphinxes, twenty cubits,
or somewhat more, distant from each other, so that
there is one row os sphinxes on the right and ano-
ther on the left. After the sphinxes there is a great
srpoTriMov, veitible ; as you advance farther there is
another vestible, and likewise a third. For the
number is not limited either of the vestibles or
of the sphinxes, but are various in different tem-
ples, according to the lengths and breadths of the
fyouc, or courts. After the vestibles is the temple,
having a great anti-temple, or nave (wpoW) and
worthy of admiration. The sancfuary (mrf,) was
means
TRAVELS IN EGYPT
Plates
cxxxvn,
cxxxviir.
See Plate
CVIII.
Allee de
Sphinx.
SeePLATEs
CXXXVI,
CXXXVI1I.
Let. c.
CXVIII.
Let. a, d.
Plate
CXXXIX,
CXL,
CXLI,
CXLII,
and many
others.
We perceive on that side, upon the rock of granite, divers hieroglyphics, cut
nearly in the same manner, as those that we have seen at Essuaen.
The second view is taken from the west side; and the third represents the
southern side of the island : You see there likewise the gate, or citadel, that I
have already mentioned; and the attitude of the hieroglyphical sigures does not
differ from that of the figures which are on the other side.
This part of the issand appears to be the most ruined; but the temple,
marked in the design, let. a. seems to be of great beauty g. It is extremely well
preserved; and the ornaments, as well as the capitals of the columns, are of the
utmost delicacy.
This is all that I could observe, in going up the Nile; but in my return
fortune favoured me more. Although the reys wanted then to give me his old
story, with this addition,' that his crew were tired with having rowed the whole
day, yet he did not oppose my design so warmly. He even consented to it, after
I had gained over to my side the pilot, by means of a sevillan, and that
another person had done as much with regard to the crew.
The reys then landed, together with the brother of the aga, and the janissary.
They went all three to Essuaen, by land; and our Barbarins, animated by the
present that had been made them, plyed their oars extremely well; insomuch
that they very soon fastened the bark to the island of Ell Hciff.
As it was now late, I proposed at first to defer my curiosity till the next day
but the night being very sine, and my impatience encreased by that
of a moderate si/.e; there was no carved image
of the human form, but only of some brute animal.
On each side of the anti-temple are what they call
wings (irls^) ; these are two walls of equal height
with the temple, at first distant from each other a
little more than the breadth of the foundation of
the temple } afterwards, as you advance farther,
they incline towards each other fifty or sixty cubits.
These walls have sculptures of great images re-
sembling extremely the Tuscan and ancient works
amongst the Grecians." Straeo, pag. 805.
Father Si card agrees with Mr. Norden in
giving an exalted idea os these ancient Egyptian buildings
in one os his missionary letters. " I have had the
advantage, says he, os being accompanied by the
abbe Pincia, a learned man, and a great admirer
of antiquity; this abbe came into the country on
purpose to compare the moll beautiful monuments
of Italy with thole that Egypt has preserved to the
present time. The eyes of this abbe, accustomed
as they are in Rome and the rest of Italy to see-
nothing but magnificent objects, could not sorbear
being surprized at the sight of the Egyptian works,
of which the ruins alone appeared worthy of ad-
miration. In effec~t, after having well considered
them, he was forced to acknowledge, that in respeft
to architecture, noble, plain, and solid, the Cvesars
have been inferior to the Pharaohs." NouveauX
memoires des missiens de la Compagnie de Jesus dans Is
Levant, Tom. vii. pag. 29.
morning;
E One os the great excellencies in Mr. Norden's
desrgns is, that they throw light upon the defcriptions
which the ancients have lest us os the Egyptian temples.
By comparing the account that Straeo has given os
those temples with the views which Mr. Norden has
drawn in several os his plates, the reader will be con-
vinced os the usesulnefs of this work, in illuflrating some
passages of the classical authors. I have theresore ex-
trassed srom STRABo'thesollowing defcription :
"This is the disposition of the building of their
temples. At the entrance of the sacred place is a
pavement of stone, its breadth an hundred feet or
perhaps something less, but its length three or four
hundred, and :in some places more : this is called
the S^oy.©', as Callimachus has said,
Alono- the whole length from thence on each side of
its breadth, are placed stone sphinxes, twenty cubits,
or somewhat more, distant from each other, so that
there is one row os sphinxes on the right and ano-
ther on the left. After the sphinxes there is a great
srpoTriMov, veitible ; as you advance farther there is
another vestible, and likewise a third. For the
number is not limited either of the vestibles or
of the sphinxes, but are various in different tem-
ples, according to the lengths and breadths of the
fyouc, or courts. After the vestibles is the temple,
having a great anti-temple, or nave (wpoW) and
worthy of admiration. The sancfuary (mrf,) was
means