with great accuracy, if the center of the sun is in the act of crossing at the moment of sunset. Distance measured on the horizon to the north or south of the equator is called amplitude and is measured in

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degrees, minutes and seconds of arc. Thus at the moment of sunset, the distance of the sun's center from the equator can be found with

precision by modern instruments. After crossing the equator the sun moves to the north, as far as possible; but stops and remains at its maximum amplitude for an instant only; and then starts again towards the equator. Now the most splendid, costly and magnificent building ever reared by human hands, had its central line directed. toward the point where the sun set at the moment its center was at its greatest possible distance from the equator, in summer in the northern half of the earth.

This vast temple, whose cost must have taxed the people of Egypt for centuries,—each dynasty of kings kept adding splendors, was erected in loving adoration and honor to the sun. The king and high priest determined the direction of the line and set the ends, with all the accuracy possible when this temple, and all others like it in Egypt, were founded. Egyptian records give minute details of the impressive ceremonies, rites and formulas, of founding temples to the sun.

So this, the temple of the sun-god at Thebes, presented its face to the northwest, and rear wall to the southeast. A straight line drawn from the exact places occupied by the center of the sun at the summer and winter solstices, would traverse the axis of this remarkable building. But, this imaginary line was in the exact plane of the orbit of the earth! It extended from the tropic of Cancer to that of Capricorn. Since this temple was made for the purpose of securing light from the sun in the sanctuary at sunset of the summer solstice, its northwest end was open, while its southeast was walled up completely. They did not care for the winter solstice. The reason of this was that drought was at a maximum in the valley of the Nile at that time; the river was as low as possible while agriculture and business were at a minimum.

For centuries, a high priest of Egypt had entered the Holy of Holies, once each year on the day of the summer solstice, to behold the rays from the setting sun, the sun of Egypt, come stealing into the dark and silent sanctuary. For when the tiny pencil appeared on a polished reflecting surface, in the darkened room, that supreme moment was the instant of New Year. This New Year's day was of far more importance to the Egyptians, than it is to us, for on an average, during thousands of years, the Nile began to rise on the solstitial day, the day of days. From lethargy, a nation wakened into activity in a day. Agriculture began from Phila to Memphis: and the entire country soon put on garments of living green. Feasts, festivals, giving of gifts, all manner of rejoicings held sway from the palaces of the king and high priest to the huts of the lowest

slaves. The day of the summer solstice was to the Egyptians as great as the winter solstice-Christmas-is to northern races.

PLAN OF THE TEMPLE OF AMEN-RA AND THE SACRED LAKE.

From Lockyer's Dawn of Astronomy, p. 101.

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On this solstice, however, the High Priest came an hour earlier than usual to his beloved sanctuary. The first and entirely unusual

act of Mesocharis was to make the thin opening in the door of the Holy of Holies narrower than before. The mark on the rear wall, where the central ray from the sun had fallen for more than 3,000 years, was inspected and the dust removed. During the day he had seen that all apertures along the axis of the temple were in order, and that no side light disturbed the straight band from the sun. Then the multitude was admitted. The vast temple of the sun, in area twice that of St. Peter's at Rome, was at once filled with people of every kind from courtier to slave. As many as possible crowded to the center, between the main rows of columns, to see the light when the priest opened the door of the holy place from within. The sun approached the horizon. Nearer it declined, and finally the critical moment arrived. The tension in the minds of the people was intense. The priest opened wide the door, held a diamond in the beam, flashed the light to all parts of the temple, and gave his annual blessing to the waiting thousands, and proclaimed the glad New Year. The people, with a mighty shout rushed into the streets, with trumpets, proclaiming "New Year, New Year, the Nile, the waters, joy and happiness!" The great festival was in progress, and goodwill reigned throughout the entire nation.

Everybody was happy except Mesocharis, the august High Priest of Egypt, one of the most exalted dignitaries in the world. His mind was a tumultuous sea; a tempest raged within. Dismay, alarm, and fear, a nameless kind of dread, filled his very being with crushing power. The central solar ray did not fall on the ancient mark in the wall of Egypt's Holy of Holies; but to one side, towards the north! The deflection was unmistakable on this solstice. He had noticed it ten years before, but was not positive, the shifting being so slight. During five years, the king officiated, but did not detect the displacement. But during the last five, he himself had acted as New Year's priest, and made close watch of Egypt's rays departing from her central sanctuary. Now all doubts were removed; the bright spot on the metallic plate set in the rear wall was surely further toward the north than at any solstice for thirtytwo centuries. His narrowing of the apertures had made greater accuracy possible. Therefore, the sun did not come as far north as usual.

When the crowds had vanished into the streets he entered a cloister that had been used by his ancestors for ages. He tried to collect his wandering thoughts and secure mental rest, but in vain. The shouts of joy and mirth in the city made his distress the more acute. This thought held dominion over all others: Amen-ra, their