" But to give an idea of its length, and, consequently, of the profusion of its ornamental details, I shall briefly state the total extent of each series of the passages both in the upper and under part of the excavation. From the entrance of the outer area to the first deviation from the original right line, is 320 feet. The total of the next range of Ilassages to the ehamber of the great pit. is 177 feet. Time third passage, at right angles to this last, is 60 feet ; that passing over the second pit, is 125; and adding to these three of the sides of the isolated square, the total is S6:2 feet, independent of the lateral chambers.
" The area of the actual excavation is 22,217 square feet, and with the chambers of the pits 23,S09, though. from the nature of its plan, the ground it occupies is nearly one acre and a quarter. an immoderate space for the sepulchre of one individual, even allowing that the members of his family shared a portion of its extent." At Ile•montis, it short distance south of Thebes, are the ruins of a small temple, consisting of a colonnaded court with portico and sanctuary, and some distance beyond this, more extensive remains at Esneh, or Latopolis, but the only portion uncovered is a portico of considerable pretensions. Passing by several monuments more or less remarkable, we arrive at Edtbu, or Apollinopolis Magna, the temple of which has already been described ; and beyond this, at limbos, where are ruins of two temples, one of which is rema•kalde for having a double entrance, and two sanctuaries side by side. In our may to the islands of Philiie and El•phantina, we would stop for a moment at Sy ene to notice the quarries of granite from which a great portion of the stone for building was supplied, precious to the working of the quarries near Philoe. The islands of Philoe and Elithantina are rich in remains, but more especially the runner, w hich we accord ingly select fur illustration. /enon says "As soon as I could set foot it: the island (Philoe) I began first by going over all the inner part, to take a general survey or the various monuments, and to torn a kind of topographical chart, containing the island, the cour-c of the river, and the adjacent characteristic scenery. I found a convincing proof that this group of monuments had been constructed at different periods, by several nations, and had belonged to different forms of religious worship ; and the union of these various edifices, each of them in itself regular. and crowded together in this narrow spot, funned an irregular group of most picturesque and magnificent objects. I could here distin guish eight sanetuaries or separate temples, of different ditnensions, built at various times, and the Ihnits of each had been respected in the construction of the succeeding ones. which had impaired the regularity of the whole. A part of the additions to the original buildings had been made with a view of connecting the old to the new. avoiding, with great dexterity, false angles and general irregularities. This kind of omfusion of the arehiteetural lines, which appear like errors in the plan, iiroduee in the elevation a pieturesque elThet, which geometrical rectitude cannot give ; it multi plies objects, fiirnis elegant groups, and offers to the eye Inure richness than cold symmetry can ever command. I was here able to convince Ill self of the truth of a remark which I had before made at Thebes and Tentvra, which is, that the mode of building with the ancient Egyptians was, first, to erect large masses, on which they afterwards bestowed the labour of ages in the particulars of the deco- i ration, beginning their work with shaping the arehitectural lines. proceeding next to the sculpture of the hieroglyphics, and concluding with the stucco and the painting. All these distinct periods of work Tire very obvious here, where nothing is finished but what belongs to the highest antiquity ; Where, as a part of the subordinate buildings which servol to con nect the varhms monuments, had been left in many particulars without finish. without sculpture, and even incomplete in the building. The great and magnificent oblong monument exhibits these different periods of workmanship; it would be dillhadt to assign any use to this edifice, if the presence of ce .twin monuments representing offerings, had not pointed
it on to be a temple. It has, however, the form neither of a portico, nor of a temple ; the columns which compose its miter eiremnference. and m hieh are engaged in the wall only half their height, support nothing but an entablature, and a cornice without roof or plattbrun ; it only opened by too oppiisite doors, without lintels. which made a straight passage throug=h, in it longitudinal direction. As it was doubtless built in the later period of the ptian power, it shims the perfection of art in the highest purity ; the capitals are admirable in beauty and execution ; the volutes and the fiuliage are gracefully waved, like the finest Gi.eek architec ture, and are symmetrically diversified like those of nopolis, that is to say. difrering from the contiguous capitals, and similar to the on-responding ones, and all are exactly kept within the same parallel." This group of buildings is SOO feet long and •120 feet broad, and it is almost entirely covered with the most stately monuments of different ages. The front is a rampart wall, to serve as a protection against the rising waters of the Nile. The entrance to the temple was approached by a magnificent double 'liege of columns around it court ;250 feet long. behind AS hick %sore mans fin- the priests. The py ramidal moles are each .17 feet long, 27 feet thiek, and 75 feet high; two rows of gigantic hieroglyphics adorn them, representing five of their grand divinities ; there are likewise other figures of 1,11. sts. &e• ; on each side of the door (is hieh is '26 feet high) is an obelisk Is feet high, and a sphinx 7 feet long. Behind is a ilium sO feet and •15 feet wide. also flanked by galleries of columns. t hl the right. behind the columns, is a suite of evils 10 feet deep, and on the left a private di% elling, composed of a portico at each end, and of three rooms of various one with another, and opening to the porticos ; this is the only building that Denon ever saw of the kind. Two other moles serve as the portal to the most beautiful and regular part of the edifice ; this is a species of portico, decorated by 10 columns and 8 pilasters 4 feet in diameter, as magnificent as they are elegant ; the columns and walls are covered with sculptures, the ceilings are either painted in astronomical tables, or with white stars on an azure ground. Beyond this again was the secret part of the temple, 60 feet by 30, into four rooms, one leading to the others ; in these remote chambers it is sup posed that the sacred birds and reptiles were kept.
" Besides this vast enclosure. in which these numerous temples were connected and grouped together by (.1%u for the priests, there were two temples standing apart ; the larger of the two I have already spoken of the smaller is one of the most beautiful that can be conceived, in perfect preservation, and so small, that it almost gives one the desire of carrying it away. I found within it some remains of a domestic' scene, Which seemed to be that of Joseph and Ala•y, and suggested to me the subject of the flight into Egypt in it style ot' the utmost truth and interest." We have now described several of the lnincipal monu ments belonging to this style of architecture, front which be formed a very fair idea of the Egyptian method of al ing and adorning their temples. We have not tourhed upon the pyramids, although the subject can scarcely be said to be l'ollIpl•ted without some description of them ; We have, him ever, already extended this article to a somewhat inconvenient length, and would rather defer their consideration to a later period, than treat them here in a summary and insufficient; manner. The same reasoning applies to the description of the sphinxes, and such like. We refer the reader, therefin e, to the articles under the heads PVaxmlo and SPHINX.
The subject we have been treating of is one of considerable interest, and, although not of direct practical utility to the architect, is yet well worthy Ins careful consi deration.
Or BANQUETING-1:00MS. See (ECUs. EGYPTIAN PYRAMIDS, See PYRAMIDS.