being always kept ready, the purchase was made at the "shortest notice;" nothing being requisite to complete even the sculptures or inscriptions but the insertion of the deceased's name, and a few statements respecting his family and profession. The numerous subjects representing agricultural scenes, the trades of the people, in short the various occupations of the Egyptians, were already introduced. These were common to all tombs, varying only in their details and the mode of their execution; and were intended as a short epitome of human life, which suited equally every future occupant.

66

It has been a question why the Egyptians took so much care in embellishing their sepulchres, 'styling them," as Diodorus tells us, "eternal habitations, and neglecting no excess of magnificence in their construction; whilst they termed the dwellings of the living inns, to be inhabited only for a limited period, paying little attention to the mode of building or ornamenting them.” Some have supposed that they considered the soul conscious of the beauty of these abodes, and that it took a pleasure in contemplating the scenes it delighted in during its sojourn upon earth, which were represented on their walls. The same idea may be traced in the writings of Plato †, who puts these words into the mouth of Socrates : — "Death seems to me nothing else than the dissolution of two things, viz. of the soul and body

* Diodor. i, 51.

Plato, Gorgias, p. 453-4.

But when

from each other. But when they are mutually separated, each possesses its own habit, not much less than when the man was living; the body conspicuously retaining its own nature, attire, and passions. So that, for instance, if the body of any one while living was large by nature or aliment, or both, the body of such a one when dead will also be large; and so with respect to other things. And if any one while living was studious to obtain long hair, the hair also of the dead body of such a one will be long; ..

and if the limbs of any one were broken or dis-
torted while he lived, these will likewise appear
so when he is dead. In short, whatever was the
condition of the body of any one while living,
such will be its condition entirely, or for the
most part, during a certain time, when dead. The
same thing also, Callicles, seems to take place
respecting the soul; viz. that all things are con-
spicuous in the soul, after it is divested of the
body, as well whatever it possesses from nature,
as those passions which the man acquired in his
soul from his various pursuits." A still closer
resemblance is found in the description given by
Virgil of the occupations of those, who, in a future
state, were admitted to the abode of the blessed*:-
"Devenere locos lætos, et amœna vireta
Fortunatorum nemorum, sedesque beatas.
Quæ gratia currûm

Armorumque fuit vivis, quæ cura nitentes
Pascere equos, eadem sequitur tellure repôstos."

The same notion would account for the custom

Virg. Æn. vi. 638. 653.

of burying different objects with the dead, which had belonged to them during life; as arms with the soldier, and the various implements of their peculiar trade with the bodies of artisans. Thus Æneas selected suitable objects for the sepulchre of Misenus. But another reason also suggests itself for this custom-the supposed return of the soul to the same body after the lapse of a certain period of years, which I shall have occasion to notice in treating of transmigration.+

In some instances all the paintings of the tomb were finished, and even the small figures representing the future occupant were introduced, those only being left unsculptured which being of a large size required more accuracy in the features in order to give his real portrait; and sometimes even the large figures were completed before the tomb was sold, the only parts left unfinished being the hieroglyphic legends containing his name and that of his wife. Indeed the fact of their selling old mummy cases, and tombs belonging to other persons, shows that they were not always over scrupulous about the likeness of an individual, provided the hieroglyphics were altered and contained his real name: at least when a motive of economy reconciled the mind of a purchaser to a second-hand tenement for the body of his friend.

"At pius Æneas ingenti mole sepulcrum

Imponit, suaque arma viro, remumque, tubanque."

The tomb was always prepared for the reception of a husband and his wife; and whoever died first was buried at once there, or was kept embalmed in the house until the decease of the other, as I have already had occasion to observe. The manner in which husband and wife are always portrayed, with their arms round each other's waist or neck, is a pleasing illustration of the affectionate feelings of the Egyptians; and the attachment of a family is shown by the presence of the different relations, who are introduced in the performance of some tender office to the deceased. Each is said to "love," or to "be loved by him ;" and when children died they were buried in the same tomb with their parents.

Any person desirous of purchasing a tomb for himself, or for a deceased friend, applied to those who were known to have them for sale, and the parties proceeded to view them and make a selection. The bargain, no doubt, took the usual time occupied on such occasions in the East; but notwithstanding all the efforts of the purchaser, the advantage was greatly on the side of the seller, who profited by the wants of the former, as well as by immense profit on a small outlay; and no competition could be expected among the priests, who enjoyed this privileged monopoly. When the bargain had been agreed to, a deed was carefully drawn up to secure to the purchaser the property he had bought; and some idea may be formed of the precautions taken by the Egyptians to prevent any future question upon the subject, by the number

of witnesses required for the smallest contracts.* And, judging from the minute repetition of expressions, and the precision with which the acceptance of the price was acknowledged, we may conclude that they were as ready to take advantage of the least flaw in a deed as any people of the present day.

Besides the upper rooms of the tomb, which were ornamented with the paintings already mentioned, were one or more pits, varying from 20 to 70 feet in depth; at the bottom or sides † of which were recesses, like small chambers, for depositing. the coffins. The pit was closed with masonry after the burial had been performed, and sometimes reopened to receive other members of the family. The upper apartments were richly ornamented with painted sculptures, being rather a monument in honour of the deceased than the actual sepulchre ; and they served for the reception of his friends, who frequently met there, and accompanied the priests when performing the services for the dead. Each tomb, and sometimes each apartment, had a wooden door, either of a single or double valve, turning on pins, and secured by bolts or bars, with a lock; which last was protected by a seal of clay, upon which the impress of a signet was stamped when the party retired, as Herodotus describes at the treasury of Rhampsinitus. Remains of the

* Vide Vol. II. p. 53. 56.

† Conf. "Whose tombs are in the side of the pit ;" and the common expression in the Bible, "They that go down to the pit," meaning those that die. Ezek. xxxii. 29. &c.