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The bittern's boom came far,
Distinct in darkness seen,

Above the low horizon's lingering light
Rose the near ruins of old Babylon.
Once, from her lofty walls, the charioteer
Look'd down on swarming myriads; once she flung
Her arches o'er Euphrates' conquer'd tide,
And through her brazen portals when she pour'd
Her armies forth, the distant nations look'd
As men who watch the thunder-cloud in fear
Lest it should burst above them.-She was fallen!
The queen of cities, Babylon, was fallen!
Low lay her bulwarks—the black scorpion basked
In palace courts-within the sanctuary

The she-wolf hid her whelps.

Is yonder huge and shapeless heap, what once
Hath been the aerial gardens' height on height,
Rising, like Media's mountains crown'd with wood,
Work of imperial dotage? Where the fane

Of Belus? Where the golden image now,

Which, at the sound of dulcimer and lute,
Cornet and sackbut, harp and psaltery,
The Assyrian slaves ador'd?

A labyrinth of ruins, Babylon

Spreads o'er the blasted plain.

The wandering Arab never sets his tent
Within her wails. The shepherd eyes afar
Her evil towers, and devious drives his flock.
Alone unchang'd, a free and bridgeless tide,
Euphrates rolls along,

Eternal nature's work.

Through the broken portal,

Over weedy fragments,
Thalaba went his way.

Cautious he trod, and felt

The dangerous ground before him with his bow.
The jackal started at his steps;

The stork, alarmed at sound of man,

From her broad nest upon the old pillar top,
Affrighted, fled on flapping wings;

The adder in her haunts disturb'd, Lanc'd at the intruding staff her arrowy tongue.

Twilight and moonshine, dimly mingling, gave
An awful light obscure-
Evening not wholly clos'd-

The moon still pale and faint,-
An awful light obscure,

Broken by many a mass of blackest shade;

Long columns stretching dark through weeds and moss ;
Broad length of lofty wall,
Whose windows lay in light,

And of their former shape, low-arch'd or square,
Rude outline on the earth
Figured, with long grass fringed.

Reclin❜d against a column's broken shaft,
Unknowing whitherward to bend his way,
He stood and gaz'd around.

The ruins closed him in-
It seem'd as if no foot of man
For ages had intruded there-
He stood and gaz'd awhile,

Musing on Babel's pride, and Babel's fall;
Then, through the ruin'd street,
And through the farther gate,
He pass'd in silence on.

THE EGYPTIANS.

1. THE Egyptians are among the earliest nations of which we have any account. The Mosaic writings represent Egypt, about 436 years after the flood, a flourishing and well regulated kingdom. This circumstance is sufficient evidence, that Egypt was peopled soon after the flood, in order to have become a well regulated kingdom, at the time mentioned by

What is the antiquity of the Egyptians ?-What was the condition of the Egyptians, 436 years after the flood, according to the Scripture account of them?-What may be inferred from their being a well regulated kingdom at that period?

the inspired writer. The nature of the country also itself affords a presumption of the great antiquity of the empire, and its early civilization. From the fertilizing effects of the waters of the Nile, it is probable that agriculture would be more early practised here, than in regions less favored by

nature.

2. Although the Egyptian history is much connected with fable, it is pretty well ascertained, that the Egyptians were considered as the most enlightened people in the world; and that the other ancient nations were much indebted to them for their knowledge in arts and sciences. The Egyptians instructed the Greeks-the Greeks performed the same office to the Romans-and the latter have transmitted much of that knowledge to the world, of which we are in possession to this day. The Egyptians were probably the first who made any considerable, if not the first who made any advances in geometry, astronomy, and medicine; and it is generally supposed, they made no mean proficiency in architecture, painting, and sculpture.

3. The government of Egypt was a hereditary monarchy. The powers of the monarch were limited by constitutional laws; yet in many respects his authority was extremely despotical. The penal laws were uncommonly severe. Funeral rites were not conferred, till an examination was had, and a judicial decree passed approving the character of the deceased.

The characters even of the sovereigns were subjected to this inquiry. There was also an extraordinary regulation in Egypt regarding the borrowing of money. The borrower gave in pledge the body of his father, which was deprived of funeral rites if he failed to redeem it.

4. The husbandmen devoted their whole attention to agriculture; and the son continually succeeded the father in his occupation-thus they became the most famous for tillage, of any people in the world. The shepherds also followed

What presumptive evidence does the nature of the country furnish, that Egypt was settled at an early period?-What is the state of the Egyptian history?-In what were the Egyptians superior to the contemporary nations?-How has the learning of the Egyptians been transmitted to us?-Of what sciences were the Egyptians considered the discoverers, or if not the discoverers, the first who cultivated them to any considerable degree?-In what arts did they make proficiency? What was the government of Egypt ?-What singular custom had they, relative to the interment of the dead?-And what in regard to the borrowing of money?

the same vocation from one generation to another, and consequently attained to great skill in pastoral concerns, endeavoring to vie with each other in contrivances for the increase of their flocks. The same law which compelled the descendants of the shepherd and husbandman to follow the vocation of their ancestors, extended to arts and trades o every description; for every Egyptian was obliged to take up his father's employment, and to apply himself wholly to that, without presuming to intermeddle with any other.

5. The Egyptians had a great number of gods of different ranks and orders the two principal ones were Osiris and Isis, supposed to have been the sun and moon, whose influences preserved and governed the world. They reckoned these two planets the great causes of generation and nutrition, and the sources from whence the other parts of nature, which they also regarded as deities, were derived. And notwithstanding their attainments in science, this people was so grossly idolatrous, that, exclusive of the worship they paid their pretended gods, they actually bestowed divine honors. on animals and vegetables of almost every description.

6. It is unanimously agreed, by historians, that Menes, who in Scripture is called Misraim, the second son of Ham, was the first person who swayed the Egyptian sceptre. A large number of the kings of Egypt, like those of other ancient nations, are only known to us by their names. Herodotus, the Grecian historian, mentions that Egypt had a catalogue of three hundred and thirty monarchs, extending from Menes to Maris, and that none of them, except Nitocris, an Ethiopian woman, has done any thing worthy of being recorded.

7. The Egyptians continued a distinct nation, and were governed by their own kings, till subjected to the Persians by Cambyses. But they were soon delivered from Persian tyranny, by Alexander, and annexed to his own extensive empire. From the time of their being subdued by Cambyses,

How was the employment or occupations of the Egyptians regulated?-What were the names of their two principal deities ?-What was their religion? Who was the first king of Egypt, and by what name is he known in Scripture ?-Is much known of the Egyptian kings generally?-What does Herodotus say of them?-By whom were the Egyptians successively conquered?-What is the state of their history from the time of their reduction by Cambyses, to the death of Alexander?

to the death of Alexander, their history is much blended with that of the Persians and Greeks. After the death of Alexander, Egypt was governed by a succession of kings, for nearly two hundred years; and was then reduced to the condition of a Roman province.

8. Few nations have been more subject to the caprice and oppression of their neighbors, than the Egyptians. Although fallen from the political eminence that she once held, Egypt derived but little security against molestation and oppression from her adversity. About seven hundred years after being made a Roman province, it was conquered by the Saracens. Since that period, it has experienced various changes; and is nominally, at present, under the control of the Turks.

THE EGYPTIAN PYRAMIDS.

1. THE pyramids of Egypt are well entitled to a place among the most interesting curiosities in the world. The principal ones stand opposite Cairo, on the west side of the river Nile. They are built of stones, which overleap each other, and thus form steps from the bottom to the top. The perpendicular height of the largest is about 500 feet, and the area of its basis contains nearly 500,000 square feet, or something more than eleven English acres of ground. Some idea may be formed of the cost and labor in the structure of this pyramid, from the fact that thirty years were spent in building it, and that 100,000 men were constantly employed on the work.

2 Such were the famous Egyptian pyramids, which, by their figure as well as size, have triumphed over the injuries of time and the Barbarians. But whatever efforts men make, their own nothingness will always appear. These pyramids were tombs; and there is still to be seen, in the middle of the largest, an empty sepulchre, cut out of entire stone, about

Under whose control is Egypt at the present time?-Where do the principal pyramids stand? Of what and how are they constructed?What is the height of the largest?-What is the extent of its basis?-How long time was spent in building it?-How many men were employed about the work? For what were these pyramids designed?

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