e resulting number represents very approximately the number
of years in the great precessional period. The error, according to the
best modern estimates, is about one 575th part of the true period. This
is, of course, a merely accidental coincidence, for there is no
connection whatever in nature between the earth's period of rotation,
the shape of a square, and the earth's period of gyration. Yet this
merely accidental coincidence is very much closer than the other
supposed to be designed could be proved to be. It is clear, then, that
mere coincidence is a very unsafe evidence of design.

Of course the pyramidalists find a ready reply to such reasoning. They
argue that, in the first place, it may have been by express design that
the period of the earth's rotation was made to bear this particular
relation to the period of gyration in the mighty precessional movement:
which is much as though one should say that by express design the height
of Monte Rosa contains as many feet as there are miles in the 6000th
part of the sun's distance.[21] Then, they urge, the architects were
not bound to have a square base for the pyramid; they might have had an
oblong or a triangular base, and so forth--all which accords very ill
with the enthusiastic language in which the selection of a square base
had on other accounts been applauded.

Next let us consider the height of the pyramid. According to the best
modern measurements, it would seem that the height when (if ever) the
pyramid terminated above in a pointed apex, must have been about 486
feet. And from the comparison of the best estimates of the base side
with the best estimates of the height, it seems very likely indeed that
the intention of the builders was to make the height bear to the
perimeter of the base the same ratio which the radius of a circle bears
to the circumference. Remembering the range of difference in the base
measures it might be supposed that the exactness of the approximation to
this ratio could not be determined very satisfactorily. But as certain
casing stones have been discovered which indicate with considerable
exactness the slope of the original plane-surfaces of the pyramid, the
ratio of the height to the side of the base may be regarded as much more
satisfactorily determined than the actual value of either dimension. Of
course the pyramidalists claim a degree of precision indicating a most
accurate knowledge of the ratio between the diameter and the
cir