e races of Central Asia had at a
very early time attained to the psychical stage of monotheism. Africa is
only now emerging from the basest fetichism; the negro priest is still a
sorcerer and rain-maker. The Egyptian religion, as is well known,
provided for the vulgar a suitable worship of complex idolatry, but for
those emancipated from superstition it offered true and even noble
conceptions. The coexistence of these apparent incompatibilities in the
same faith seems incapable of any other explanation than that of an
amalgamation of two distinct systems, just as occurred again many ages
subsequently under Ptolemy Soter.

[Sidenote: Influence of Egypt on the knowledge and art of Europe.]

As a critical attention is being bestowed by modern scholars upon
Egyptian remains, we learn more truly what is the place in history of
that venerable country. It is their boast that the day is not distant
when there will be no more difficulty in translating a page of
hieroglyphics than in translating one of Latin or Greek. Even now, what
a light has been thrown on all branches of ancient literature, science,
art, mythology, domestic life, by researches which it may be said
commenced only yesterday! From Egypt, it now appears, were derived the
prototypes of the Greek architectural orders, and even their ornaments
and conventional designs; thence came the models of the Greek and
Etruscan vases; thence came many of the ante-Homeric legends--the
accusation of the dead, the trial before the judges of hell; the reward
and punishment of every man, from the Pharaoh who had descended from his
throne to the slave who had escaped from his chain; the dog Cerberus,
the Stygian stream, the Lake of Oblivion, the piece of money, Charon and
his boat, the fields of Aahlu or Elysium, and the islands of the
blessed; thence came the first ritual for the dead, litanies to the sun,
and painted or illuminated missals; thence came the dogma of a queen of
heaven. What other country can offer such noble and enduring edifices to
the gods; temples with avenues of sphinxes; massive pylons adorned with
obelisks in front, which even imperial Rome and modern Paris have not
thought it beneath them to appropriate; porticoes and halls of columns,
on which were carved the portraits of kings and effigies of the gods?
On the walls of the tombs still remain Pthah, the creator, and Neph, the
divine spirit, sitting at the potters wheel, turning clay to form men;
and Athor, w