Mr. URBAN, ΤΗ Lichfield, Jan. 1. HE piece of fculpture, of which the inclofed drawing is an exact reprefentation, has been lately added to my Mufeum by my worthy friend Mr. Wefton, of Solihull, in the county of Warwick; it is an alto relievo, carved in alabafter, is upwards of three feet high, has been gilded and painted, but the gold and the colours are, by time, worn off, and fome parts of the figures mutilated. It evidently is meant for a representation of the Bleffed Trinity the fitting figure has great dignity expreffed in the countenance, and is certainly meant for the Almighty; he is crowned with the tiara; in his arms he fupports the dead body of our Saviour, feemingly juft taken down from the crofs, as the marks of the nails and Spear appear on the hands, feet, and fide; from the mouth of the Father, the tail and tips of the wings of a dove are vifible, but the head and body are broken off and loft. I am informed by the donor, that it has been in the poffeffion of a Roman Catholic family in his neighbourhood many years, and is fuppofed to have belonged to a private chapel or oratory. (See Plate I.) By the workmanship, it appears to have been the production of the fourteenth century; but the exact time of its fabrication is fubmitted to the opinion of fome of your learned antiquarian correfpondents, more fkilful in thefe inveftigations than Yours, &c. RICH. GREENE. N. B. The fteps have been added fince it came into my poffeffion. Remarks on the Defcriptions of the PYRAMIDS OF EGYPT. (See Plate II.) HE Pyramids of Egypt have atTHE tracted the curiofity of travellers from the time of Herodotus to the prefent hour; and though accounts of them have been multiplied without end, it is but juftice due to Norden to declare, that he is the only one who has given faithful drawings of the antiquities in Upper and Lower Egypt. Unfortunately, his drawings of thefe vaft ob jects, the pyramids of Gize, are loft: The ingenious Marc Tufcher has etched all thofe views with fpirit and tafte; his only error is, that the figures which he has introduced do not fufficiently characterize the people. The inhabitants of modern Egypt are not Turks only, as reprefented by him, but a mixt GENT. MAC. January, 1788. breed of Turks, Moors, Arabs, &c. To diftinguish thefe, requires the hand of a profeffor in that branch of defign; and if Tufcher had been himfelf in Egypt, he would probably have found the character of the people one of the first objects to claim his attention, and the moft neceffary to reprefent. The drawing of plain, fimple views, or taking the measurement of those plain, though vaft objects, the Pyramids, is no difficult matter; and yet, for want of attention to the latter of thefe, all the accounts, drawings, and defcriptions, of the feveral travellers, are defective; they have all followed Maillet; and, as he was not accurate himfelf, the multiplication and repeti tion of his errors has been continued from the time of his publication to that of Savary. We are indebted to Denmark for Neibuhr as well as Norden, who made the voyage of Egypt feveral years after Norden, and was the only furvivor of all his companions. His account of the manners and customs of Egypt is exact; his picture of the fluctuating ftate of government in the hands of a barbarous and fingular people is perfectly faithful and defcriptive; much commendation is likewife due to his drawings of towns and villages, his copying of infcriptions, and other particulars; but, with regard to the Pyramids, he refers to his countryman Norden, whofe drawings are unfortunately loft. His voyage to Judda, on the coaft of Arabia, in the Red Sea, contains feveral curious particulars; the customs, manners, and exercifes, of the Arabians who attended them, are well defcribed, and the civil treatment they experienced, very different from that which Mr. Irwin's party met with when returning from the Eaft-Indies by this route, either in Arabia, or on the oppofite fhore at Co. feir, or during the various difficulties, vexations, and opprethon, they encountered till their arrival at Cairo. It is much to be lamented that Dr. Pococke had no draughtsman to attend him in his extenfive voyages and journies; his obfervations are accurate, and a reference to him might have been of fervice; but the measurement of Greaves may be depended on; and, though he has given no views or fections, his mafurements alone are fufficient to-convi&t Mr. Savary of error. Mr. Savary's account accords no better with thofe taken taken by Mr. Skip, or thofe of Mr. Davidfon who accompanied Mr. Wortley, and whofe drawings are in the poffeffion of the Duke de Chauines. Mr. Dalton has published a set of plates*, in which his object is to fhew the neceffity of introducing figures in order to prefent an inftant idea of the proportions in the feveral parts of the Pyramids. It is impoffible, without a fiction of this fort, to afford juft notions of the views, rooms, or parts of the fection, and efpecially of the broken mafs furrounding the entrance by which you penetrate into the great Pyramid at Gize. In Mr. Dalton's plates, the vaft fize of the flones is fuggefted by the introduction of the Janifaries who guarded the outward garments of the party who had entered, and by the Arab boys perched on the projections of the building. The meafuretsents were taken in the company, and by the alliance, of Lord Charlemount, the late Lord Cunningham, the late Mr. Murphy, Mr. Scott, now refident in London, and other attendants, whilst Mr. Dalton was drawing on the fpot; aud, unfortunately for Mr. Savary, both the reprefentation and measurements equally contradict his account. But Mi Savary has had no woife fuccefs than all the others who have copied from Maillet; all have drawn from the fame original, and the errors of every one are alike. The defective fection of Maillet condemns it felf; the flope is fo fteep, that the eye difcovers at a glance it is impoffible to afcend or defcend without the help of fteps or a ladder, in advancing or re-, turning along the passages leading to the rooms. The angle of ascent, from the lowest part of the dip to the entrance of the room, in Mr. Dalton's plate, does not exceed 224 degrees; but, according to Mr. Savary's draught, the, fame line forms an angle of near 40 degrees, an inclination which no human effort can furmount. What is moft worthy of regard in the construction of the great Pyramid of Gize, is the skill in mafonry, and the application of the mechanical powers requifite for railing thofe nine vast blocks of granite which cover the room. This room is near the center of the building, it is cafed and floored with the fame materials, and its height from the level of the ground is not less than 147 feet. The rest of the building is not of maible, as is affected by Mr. Mailler and his followers, but of free-ftone, which is found both on the fide of the Nile where the Pyramids stand, and the oppofite hills; the valley between is filled by the river when it overflows, and confequently, in that feason, the conveyance of the materials across is neither difficult nor expenfive, as the inundation extends very near the heights on both sides. The Pyramids ftand' on elevated * An Account of the Views and Sections publifoed by Mr. Dalton. Plate I. The large Pyramid, taken near the sphinx; the Arabs near that object, in or der immediately to diftinguith itz fize and the fmail appearance of the company on the top of the great Pyramid, fhewing its rugged fides inftead of regular fteps, with the fmooth finifhing remaining near the top of the fecond, which never was opened, and is-fo iteep and broken, that it is not acceffible even near to the finished part on any fide. II. The appearance of two large ones on the North fide, in order to fhew what proportion the broken part near the entrance bears with regard to the whole fide of the great Pyramid. III. The appearance of the broken mafs near the entrance as above defcribed.. IV. Section of the great Pyramid. V. VI. and VII. The appearance of the rooms, paffages, &c. with figures in each, to give the inftant idea of their proportions, and the measure alfo marked in each plate. These. all belong to the Pyramids of Gize. There is befide three plates of the Pyramids at Sacara: 1. View of two Pyramids; 2. Seca tion of that opened; 3. The two rooms in it; and one plate in three divifions to thow the: different forms of the Pyramids at a diftance as oue fails along the Nile when at its greatest height. The other part of Mr. Dalton's publication concerning Egypt relates principally to the manners, customs, and character of thofe barbarous people, particularly views of their pro-ceflion preparatory to their fetting forward on their great pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina. No other traveller has made drawings of this fubject, as even the getting a fight of this proceffion is a fervice of difficulty and danger. Mr. Dalton's other works are principally Views in Greece, &c. Plans of the Temples, and Details of the Baffo Relievos, &c. The whole of chefe plates for a confulerable volume; and though Mr. Dalton never offered them to the publick as a complete fet of Views of any of the countries through which he travelled, yet their accuracy entitle them to fome attention at a time when fuch erroneous accounts of thefe countries are daily published by Savary, Maillet, and others. ground: taken by Mr. Skip, or thofe of Mr. In The measurements were taken in the company, and by the afliftance, of Lord Charlemount, the late Lord Cunningham, the late Mr. Murphy, Mr. Scott, now refident in London, and other attendants, whilst Mr. Dalton was drawing on the fpot; and, unfortunately for Mr. Savary, both the reprefentation and measurements equally contradict his account. But Mr Savary has had no worfe fuccefs than all the others who have copied from Maillet; all have drawn from the fame original, and the errors of every one are alike. The defective fection of Maillet condemns it felf; the flope is fo fteep, that the eye difcovers at a glance it is impoffible to afcend or defcend without the help of fteps or a ladder, in advancing or re turning along the paffages leading to the rooms. The angle of afcent, from the lowest part of the dip to the entrance of the room, in Mr. Dalton's. plate, does not exceed 22 degrees; but, according to Mr. Savary's draught, the. fame line forms an angle of near 40 degrees, an inclination which no human effort can furmount. What is most worthy of regard in the construction of the great Pyramid of Gize, is the fkill. in mafonry, and the application of the mechanical powers requifite for railing thofe nine vaft blocks of granite which cover the room. This room is near the center of the building, it is cafed and floored with the fame materials, and its height from the level of the ground is not less than 147 feet. The rest of the building is not of maible, as is affected by Mr. Maillet and his followers, but of free-ftone, which is found both on the fide of the Nile where the Pyramids ftand, and the oppofite hills; the valley between isfilled by the river when it overflows, and confequently, in that feafon, the conveyance of the materials across is neither difficult nor expenfive, as the inundation extends very near the heights on both fides. The Pyramids ftand on elevated * in Account of the Views and Sections publified by Mr. Dalton. Plate I. The large Pyramid, taken near the sphinx, the Arabs near that object, in order immediately to diftinguith itz fize and the fmali appearance of the company on the top of the great Pyramid, fhewing its rugged fides inftead of regular fteps, with the fmooth finishing remaining near the top of the fecond, which never was opened, and is-fo iteep and broken, that it is not acceffible even near to the finifhed part on any fide. II. The appearance of two large ones on the North fide, in order to fhew what propor→ tion the broken part near the entrance bears with regard to the whole fide of the great Pyramid. III. The appearance of the broken mafs near the entrance as above defcribed.. V. VI. and VII. The appearance of the rooms, paffages, &c. with figures in each, togive the inftant idea of their proportions, and the meature alfo marked in each plate. These. all belong to the Pyramids of Gize. There is befde three plates of the Pyramids at Sacara: 1. View of two Pyramids; 2. Sec tion of that opened; 3. The two rooms in it; and one plate in three divifions to show the: different forms of the Pyramids at a diftance as one fails along the Nile when at its greatest height. The other part of Mr. Dalton's publication concerning Egypt relates principally to the manners, customs, and character of thofe barbarous people, particularly views of their pro-ceflion preparatory to their fetting forward on their great pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina. No other traveller has made drawings of this fubje, as even the getting a fight of this proceffion is a fervice of difficulty and danger. Mr. Dalton's other works are principally Views in Greece, &c. Plans of the Temples, and Details of the Baffo Relievos, &c. The whole of chefe plates forma a confiderable volume; and though Mr. Dalton never offered them to. the publick as a complete fetrof Views of any of the countries through which he travelled, yet their accuracy entitle them to fome attention at a time when fuch erroneous accounts of thefe countries are daily published by Savary, Maillet, and others.. ground |