DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.26300#0040
PART I.
tEGYPTIACA.
9
“ pofition, as fome have imagined. This part of the
“ obelifk is covered with hieroglyphics, which are re-
“ verfed ; a plain proof the Pillar was not erected whilft
“ they were held facred characters. Convinced, there-
“ fore, that it was not of the antiquity one would fup-
“ pofe it, from being called of Pompey ; I vihted it fe-
“ veral times, to fee if it might not be poffible to find
“ out fomething that would give room for a reafonable
“ conjedure, in honour of whom, or at what time it
“ was ereCted. From the infcription I could difcover
“ nothing. It is on the weft face of the bafe; but fo
“ much injured by time, and I may fay too, by malice,
“ for the marks of an inftrument are plainly difcovered
“ effacing it, that one can but imperfectly make out fome
“ Greek characters, fo imperfeCtly indeed, that no one
“ word can be found. At length, obferving that the ce-
“ ment, or mortar, which clofes the fmall feparation of
“ the fhaft from the bafe, was quite deftroyed in one part,
“ I was curious to fee if any thing was made ufe of within
“ to fatten or tie the fhaft to the bafe; I faw there was :
“ being deftrous to know if it was lead, and if fo, if
“ it was not of that pure, and of which we ftill meet
“ with fome few medals, I endeavoured with a pretty
“ large hanger to cut off a fmall piece of the grapple:
“ there was a great number of lizards which had taken
“ fhelter there, and which run out on my introducing
“ the hanger. I then difcovered a dark fpot, at the dif-
c
tEGYPTIACA.
9
“ pofition, as fome have imagined. This part of the
“ obelifk is covered with hieroglyphics, which are re-
“ verfed ; a plain proof the Pillar was not erected whilft
“ they were held facred characters. Convinced, there-
“ fore, that it was not of the antiquity one would fup-
“ pofe it, from being called of Pompey ; I vihted it fe-
“ veral times, to fee if it might not be poffible to find
“ out fomething that would give room for a reafonable
“ conjedure, in honour of whom, or at what time it
“ was ereCted. From the infcription I could difcover
“ nothing. It is on the weft face of the bafe; but fo
“ much injured by time, and I may fay too, by malice,
“ for the marks of an inftrument are plainly difcovered
“ effacing it, that one can but imperfectly make out fome
“ Greek characters, fo imperfeCtly indeed, that no one
“ word can be found. At length, obferving that the ce-
“ ment, or mortar, which clofes the fmall feparation of
“ the fhaft from the bafe, was quite deftroyed in one part,
“ I was curious to fee if any thing was made ufe of within
“ to fatten or tie the fhaft to the bafe; I faw there was :
“ being deftrous to know if it was lead, and if fo, if
“ it was not of that pure, and of which we ftill meet
“ with fome few medals, I endeavoured with a pretty
“ large hanger to cut off a fmall piece of the grapple:
“ there was a great number of lizards which had taken
“ fhelter there, and which run out on my introducing
“ the hanger. I then difcovered a dark fpot, at the dif-
c