The signature gives it a more than common interest, which will not be weakened, if it should be decided that it is to be ascribed to the celebrated historian whom Gibbon has dignified with the epithet of the elegant and philosophical Arrian.' On the digits of the southern paw were only discovered a few of the usual dedicatory phrases in homage of Harpocrates, Mars, and Hermes. One inscription gives, as Mr. Salt reads it, to the Emperor Claudius the extraordinary appellation of ' αγαθος δαίμων, an instance of flattery which can only be outdone by that of another inscription, lately discovered in Upper Egypt, where Caracalla is styled 'piissimus,' on the very same stone from which the name of his murdered brother Geta had, probably, been erased by his own orders. On another small edifice in front of the Sphinx was an inscription with the name of Septimius Severus, in which the name of Geta was erased, as in the former, and as it also is in the triumphal arch erected by the same emperor at Rome. The former inscription however is not to Claudius, but to his successor NEPWN, as may be distinctly traced in the first line through the imperfect erasure. Mr. Combe observes, that on some of the coins of this emperor, which were struck at Alexandria, he is flattered with the title of NEOC. ΑΓΑΘΟΣ. ΔΑΙΜΩΝ. The inscription, as far as can be made out from the stone now in the British Museum, is as under : ΑΓΑΘΗ ΤΥΧΗΙ. ΕΠΕΙ ΝΕΡΩΝ ΚΛΑΥΔΙΟΣ ΚΑICAP CEBACTOL ΓΕΡΜΑΝΙΚΟΣ ΑΥΤΟΚΡΑΤΩΡ Ο ΑΓΑΘΟΣ ΔΑΙΜΩΝ ΤΗΣ ΟΙΚΟΥΜΕΝΗΣ ΕΥΝΑ ΠΑΕΙΝΟΙΣ ΕΥΕΡΓΕΤΗΣ ΕΝ ΑΓΑΘΟΙΣ ΤΗΝ ΑΙΓΥΠΤΟΝ ΤΗΝ ΕΝΑΡΓΕΣΤΑΤΗΝ ΠΡΟΝΟΙ 5. ΑΝΠΟΙΗΣAMENOL E ... ΕΝ ΗΜΕΙΝ ΤΙΒΕΡΙΟΝ ΚΛΑΥΔ. ΟΝ ΒΑΛΒΙΛΛΟΝ ΗΓΕΜΟΝΑ ΔΙΑ ΔΕ ΤΑΣ ΤΟΥΤΟΥΧ.... PITAL ΚΑΙ ΕΥΕΡΓΕΣΙΑΣ ΠΛΗΜΥΡΟΥΣ ΑΠΑΣΙΝ ΑΓΑΘΟΙΣΗ ΑΙΓΥΠΤΟΣ TAL ΤΟΥ ΝΕΙΛΟΥ ΔΩΡΕΑΣ ΕΠΑΥΞΟΜΕ ΝΑΙ ΚΑΤΕΤΟΣ ΘΕΩΡΟΥΣΑ ΝΥΝ ΜΑΛΛΟΝ ΑΠΕΛΛΥ 10. ΣΕ ΤΗΣ ΔΙΚΑΙΑΣ ΑΝΑΒΑΣΕΩΣ ΤΟΥ ΘΕΟΥ ΕΔΟΞΕ ΤΟΙΣ ΑΠΟ ΚΩΜΗΣ. ΒΟΥΓΕΙΡΕΩΣ ΤΟΥ ΛΗΤΟ ...... ΤΟΥ ΠΑΡΟΙΚΟΥΣΙ ΤΑΙΣ ΠΥΡΑΜΙΣΙ ΚΑΙ ΤΟΙΣ ΕΝΑΥΤ'.. ΚΑΤΑΓΕΙΝΟΜΕΝΟΙΣ ΤΟΠΟΓΡΑΜΜΑΤΕΥΕΙ ΚΑΙ ΚΟ ΜΟΓΡΑΜΜΑΤΕΥΕΙ ΨΗ. ΑΣΘΑΙ ΚΑΙ .. ΓΑ ΘΕΙΝΑΙ ..... 15. ΣΤΗΛΗΝ ΛΙΘΙΝΗΝ ΠΑ..... .... ...ΑΡΜΑΧΕΙ NEYEC...... ΕΘΙΑ ΓΕΝΟΜΕΝΟΣ ΓΑΡ ΗΜω....... ΕΙΣ ΤΟΝ ΝΟΜΟΝ ΚΑΙ ΠΡΟΣΚΥΝΗΣΑΣ ΤΟΝ ΗΛΙΟ .... ΙΝΕΠΟΠΤΗΝΚΑΙΕΥΤΗΡΑΤΗΙΤΕΤΩΝΠΥΙ ..... 25.........ΝΝΕΙ . . . . ΕΙΟΤΗΤΙΕΑΙΥΠΕΡΘΥΓΑΤΕΡΦΘΕΙΣ.... ....ΑΜΕΝΟΣ Τ..ΠΛΕΙΣΤΗΣ Χ... ΟΥ ΔΙΑ ΤΟ ΜΗΚΟ... TOY...N... EПE...... EON....... MATANPWTOC. (Cetera desunt.) (Under a winged globe.) (1) Whereas the Emperor [Nero] Claudius Cæsar Augustus Germanicus, the Good Genius of the world, besides all other services which he has rendered to Egypt, taking the most especial care of its (5) interests, has appointed us [onσev iv] Tiberius Claudius Balbillus for a prefect; and by his favours and benefits, abounding with all good things, Egypt has seen the gifts of the Nile increasing from year to year, and has now still more fully (10) enjoyed [anéλavre] the due ascent of the deity: it has seemed fit to the inhabitants of the village of Basiris in the Letopolitan district.... living near the pyramids, and to the local scribes and village scribes among them, to pass a decree, and to erect a (15) stone column. . . . . .(20) to celebrate his divine virtues, engraved in the sacred character, by which [dv] it is customary to record them: for having been present at our lawful rites, and having worshipped the sun, the overseer and saviour of the world: and being excessively delighted with the . . . of the py ...... ... The following inscription, found near the same spot as the preceding, is also in the British Museum. It appears to have been placed there in the reign of Antoninus Pius and his son Verus. ΑΓΑΘΗ ΤΥΧΗ. L'S ANTWNEINOY KAI OYHPOY TWN KYPIWN AYTOKPATOPWN TOC TOC AOYKKHIOY OPEXXIANÝ ΣΤΡΑΤΗΓΟΥΝΤΟΣ ΤΟΥ ΝΟ KATE CTHCEN TATI ΧΗ ΕΠΑΓΑΘΗ 1 ΠΑΧΩΝ ΤΕ. With good fortune. [In the sixth year] of Antoninus and Verus, the sovereign emperors, in the prefecture of Flavius of Titianus, Lucceius Ŏfellianus being commander in chief, and Theon general of the nome; he rebuilt the walls for a good purpose. Pachon XV. (May 11.) The walls here alluded to were uncovered by Caviglia, and appear to have been intended to inclose the Sphinx. The edifices on which the inscriptions appeared were on two elevated platforms, on the outside of the altar, and directly in front of the animal, accessible by two flights of steps. The wall was of brick, but cased on the interior side with stone. Mr. Salt supposes that, from the commanding position of the two edifices above-mentioned, they were intended as stations for the Roman emperors or the prefects to view the solemn rites performed in the temple and at the altar in front of the Sphinx. The annexed sketch will convey to the reader the disposition of the ground, and the objects by which it was occupied, in front of the Sphinx and between its paws, in which A. Is the granite tablet, 14 feet high, 7 feet wide, and 2 feet thick. B. The side tablet, still standing. C. The tablet fallen, which has been sent to the British Mu seum. D. Two small Sphinxes, supposed to have stood in these places, fragments of them having been found near. E. Statue of a lion, of the best Egyptian sculpture. F. Two lions of ruder sculpture supposed to stand here, being found near the spot. G. The granite basement of an altar. H. The upper part of the altar. I. Top of the altar, bearing the marks of burnt sacrifices. K. The horns of the altar, one of which was found in its place. L. The first digit of the Sphinx's paw. M. The second. O. The pavement. PP. Parts of the two fore legs of the Sphinx. Of all the monuments of antiquity, the Sphinx is perhaps that which has most generally excited the admiration of the lovers of art, notwithstanding its mutilated condition. The contemplative turn of the eye,' (it is an artist who speaks,) the mild expression of the mouth, and the beautiful disposition of the drapery at the angle of the forehead, sufficiently attest the admirable skill of the artist in its execution. Yet there is no attention paid to those proportions we are accustomed to admire, nor does the pleasing impression which it produces result from any known rule adopted in its execution; it may rather be attributed to the unstudied simplicity in the conception of the breadth, yet high finish, of the several parts, and the stupendous magnitude of the whole.' Denon's description of this mysterious colossus is equally strong. 'L'expression de la tête est douce, grâcieuse et tranquille, le caractère en est Africain; mais la bouche, dont les lèvres sont épaisses, a une mollesse dans le mouvement et une finesse d'exécution vraiment admirables; c'est de la chair et de la vie.' Such are the sentiments which a repeated view of this colossal piece of sculpture is capable of inspiring into the minds of artists. I confess,' says Mr. Salt, that I felt, like many other travellers, that the praises lavished by Norden, Denon, and others, were greatly exaggerated; but the more I studied it at different hours of the day, and under different effects of light and shade, the more I became satisfied that they had barely done justice to its real merits. It must be allowed, however, that the drawings, by both the gentlemen abovementioned, but faintly accord with their encomiums, being two very wretched performances-but after having repeatedly attempted a likeness of it myself with little success, I am compelled to admit that the difficulties which attend the undertaking are sufficient to baffle any one not professionally dedicated to the arts.' Mr. Salt had the great advantage of contemplating at his leisure this grand object of art, when laid open in front to its very base; with the fragments of its enormous beard resting beneath its chin; its huge paws stretched out fifty feet in advance from the body, which is in a cumbent posture; with all the appendages of a temple, granite tablet, and altar, spread out on a regular platform immediately in its front: and he admits that these interesting objects, which had for ages been buried deep in the sand, undoubtedly tended to exalt the main figure in his estimation. We cannot dismiss the subject of this wonderful piece of sculpture hewn out of the living rock, without noticing an assertion of Dr. Clarke, which is calculated to convey very false impressions as to the real nature of one of the most extraordinary works of ancient art now in existence. Speaking of the Sphinx, he says, "The French |