an autobiography-第91部分

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　the　whole；　accompanied　with　as　much　attention　to　gracefulness　of　form　as　is　consistent　with　the　nature　and　purpose　of　the　structure。


THE　SUN…RAY　ORIGIN　OF　THE　PYRAMIDS　AND　CUNEIFORM　　CHARACTER。

Before　I　take　my　leave　of　the　public；　I　wish　to　put　on　record　my　speculations　as　to　the　origin　of　two　subjects　of　remote　antiquity；　viz。　the　Sun…ray　origin　of　the　Pyramids；　and　the　origin　of　the　Arrow…head　or　Cuneiform　Character。

First；　with　respect　to　the　Sun…ray　origin　of　the　Egyptian　Pyramids。

In　pursuing　a　very　favourite　subject　of　inquiry；　namely　the　origin　of　forms；　no　portion　of　it　appears　to　me　to　be　invested　with　so　deep　an　interest　as　that　of　the　Worship　of　the　Sun；　one　of　the　most　primitive　and　sacred　foundations　of　adorative　religion；affecting　as　it　has　done；　architectural　structures　and　numerous　habits　and　customs　which　have　come　clown　to　us　from　remote　antiquity；　and　which　owe　their　origin　to　its　influence。

On　many　occasions；　while　beholding　the　sublime　effects　of　the　Sun's　Rays　streaming　down　on　the　earth　through　openings　in　the　clouds　near　the　horizon；　I　have　been　forcibly　impressed　with　the　analogy　they　appear　to　suggest　as　to　the　form　of　the　Pyramid；　while　the　single　vertical　ray　suggests　that　of　the　Obelisk。

In　following　up　this　subject；　I　was　fortunate　enough　to　find　what　appears　to　me　a　strong　confirmation　of　my　views；　namely；　that　the　Pyramid；　as　such；　was　a　sacred　form。　　I　met　with　many　examples　of　this　in　the　Egyptian　Collection　at　the　Louvre　at　Paris；　especially　in　small　pyramids；　which　were　probably　the　objects　of　household　worship。　In　one　case　I　found　a　small　pyramid；　on　the　upper　part　of　which　appeared　the　disc　of　the　Sun；　with　pyramidal　rays　descending　from　it　on　to　figures　in　the　Egyptian　attitude　of　adoration。　　This　consists　in　the　hands　held　up　before　the　eyesan　attitude　expressive　of　the　brightness　of　the　object　adored。　　It　is　associated　with　the　brightness　of　the　Sun；　and　it　still　survives　in　the　Salaam；　which　expresses　profound　reverence　and　respect　among　Eastern　nations。　　It　also　survives　in　the　disc　of　the　Sun；　which　has　for　ages　been　placed　like　a　halo　behind　the　heads　of　sacred　and　exalted　personages；　as　may　be　seen　in　Eastern　and　early　paintings；　as　well　as　in　church　windows　at　the　present　day。

This　is　also　intimately　connected　with　lighted　lamps　and　candles；　which　latter　may　often　be　met　with　in　Continental　churches；　as　well　as　in　English　Ritualist　Churches　at　the　present　day。　　In　Romish　Continental　churches　they　are　stuck　on　to　pyramidal　stands；　and　placed　before　pictures　and　images　of　sacred　personages。　　All　such　lighted　lamps　or　candles　are　survivals　of　that　most　ancient　form　of　worship；　that　of　THE　SUN！

The　accompanying　illustrations　will　serve　in　some　degree　to　confirm　the　correctness　of　my　views　as　to　this　very。　　interesting　subject。

＇Image＇　　Fig。　1　is　from　a　〃rubbing〃　of　one　of　the　many　small　or　　　　　　　　　　〃Household〃　pyramids　in　the　Louvre　Collection　at　Paris；

＇Image＇　while　Fig。　2　is　an　attempt　to　illustrate　in　a　graphic　manner　　　　　　　　　the　derivation　of　the　form　of　the　Pyramid　and　Obelisk　from　the　　　　　　　　　Sun's　Rays。

In　connection　with　the　worship　of　the　Sun　and　other　heavenly　bodies；　as　practised　in　ancient　times　by　Eastern　nations；　it　may　be　mentioned　that　their　want　of　knowledge　of　the　vast　distances　that　separate　them　from　the　earth　led　them　to　the　belief　that　these　bodies　were　so　near　as　to　exert　a　direct　influence　upon　man　and　his　affairs。　　Hence　the　origin　of　Astrology；　with　all　its　accompanying　mystifications；　this　was　practised　under　the　impression　that　the　Sun；　Moon；　and　planets　were　near　to　the　earth。　　The　summits　of　mountains　and　〃High　Places〃　thus　became　〃sacred；〃　and　were　for　this　reason　resorted　to　for　the　performance　of　the　most　important　religious　ceremonies。

As　the　〃High　Places〃　could　not　be　transported　to　the　Temples；　the　cone…bearing　trees；　which　were　naturally　associated　with　these　elevated　places；　in　a　manner　partook　of　their　sacred　character；　and　the　fruit　of　the　trees　became　in　a　like　manner　sacred。　　Hence　the　Fir　Cone　became　a　portable　emblem　of　their　sacredness；　and；　accordingly　in　the　Assyrian　Worship；　so　clearly　represented　to　us　in　the　Assyrian　Sculptures　in　our　Museums；　we　find　the　Fir　Cone　being　presented　by　the　priests　towards　the　head　of　their　kings　as　a　high　function　of　Beatification。　　So　sacred　was　the　Fir　Cone；　as　the　fruit　of　the　sacred　tree；　that　the　priest　who　presents　it　has　a　reticule…shaped　bag　in　which；　no　doubt；　the　sacred　emblem　was　reverently　deposited　when　not　in　use　for　the　performance　of　these　high　religious　ceremonies。

The　same　emblem　〃survived〃　in　the　Greek　worship。　　I　annex　a　tracing　from　a　wood　engraving　in　Fellows's　Researches　in　Asia　Minor；　1852　（p。　175）；　showing　the　Fir　Cone　as　the　finial　to　the　staff　of　office　of　the　Wine…god　Bacchus。

＇Image＇

To　this　day　it　is　employed　to　stir　the　juice　of　the　grape　previous　to　fermentation；　and　so　sanctifying　it　by　contact　with　the　fruit　of　the　Sacred　Tree。　　This　is　still　practised　by　the　Greeks　in　Asia　Minor　and　in　Greece；　though　introduced　in　times　of　remote　antiquity。　The　Fir　Cone　communicates　to　most　of　the　Greek　wines　that　peculiar　turpentine　or　resinous　flavour　which　is　found　in　them。　　Although　the　sanctification　motive　has　departed；　the　resinous　flavour　is　all　that　survives　of　a　once　most　sacred　ceremony；　as　having　so　close　a　relation　to　the　worship　of　the　Sun　and　the　heavenly　bodies。

In　like　manner；　it　appears　to　me　highly　probable　that　〃The　Christmas　Tree〃　with　its　lighted　tapers；　which　is　introduced　at　that　sacred　season　for　the　entertainment　of　our　young　people；　is　〃a　survival〃　of　the　worship　of　the　sacred　tree　and　of　the　Sun。　　The　toys　which　are　hung　on　the　twigs　of　the　tree　may　also　be　〃survivals〃　of　the　offerings　which　were　usually　made　to　the　Sun　and　the　heavenly　bodies。　　If　I　am　correct　in　my　conjecture　on　this　subject；　it　throws　a　very　interesting　light　on　what　is　considered　as　a　mere　agent　for　the　amusement　of　children。



Next；　with　respect　to　the　Cuneiform　Character。　　When　I　first　went　to　reside　in　London；　in　1829；　I　often　visited　the　British　Museum。　It　was　the　most　instructive　and　interesting　of　all　the　public　institutions　which　I　had　yet　seen。　　I　eagerly　seized　every　opportunity　I　could　spare　to　spend　as　many　hours　as　possible　in　wandering　through　its　extensive　galleries；　especially　those　which　contained　the　Assyrian；　Egyptian；　and　Greek　antiquities。　　By　careful　and　repeated　examination　of　the　objects　arranged　in　them；　I　acquired　many　ideas　that　afforded　me　subjects　for　thought　and　reflection。

Amongst　these　objects；　I　was　specially　impressed　and　interested　with　the　so…called　〃Arrow…head〃　or　〃Cuneiform　Inscriptions〃　in　the　Assyrian　Department。　　These　remarkable　inscriptions　were　on　large　tablets　of　burnt　clay。　　They　formed　the　chief　portion　of　the　then　comparatively　limited　collection　of　Assyrian　antiquities　in　the　British　Museum。

＇Image＇　Fig　1。

I　was　particularly　impressed　with　the　precision　and　simple　beauty　of　these　cuneiform　inscriptions；especially　with　the　strikingly　distinctive　nature　of　what　I　may　term　the　fundamental　or　elementary　wedge…like　form；　of　which　the　vast　variety　of　letters　or　words　of　these　inscriptions　were　composed。　　The　triangular　or　three…sided　indentation　will　be　observed　in　the　above　engraving　（Fig。　1）。　　This　elementary　form；　placed　in　various　positions　with　respect　to　each　other；　appeared　to　be　capable　of　yielding　an　infinite　variety　of　letters　and　words；　as　seen　in　Fig。　2。

＇Image＇　Fig　2。

I　may　here　mention　that　I　entered　upon　this　interesting　subject　with　no　pretensions　as　a　linguist；　nor　with　any　idea　of　investigating　the　meaning　of　these　remarkable　inscriptions；　but　only　as　a　Mechanic；　to　ascertain　the　manner　in　which　the　striking　characters　were　produced；　so　as　to　convey　words　and　ideas　through　their　variety　of　combinations。　I　soon　perceived　that　the　simple　but　distinctive　characters　shown　in　the　above　representations　were　essentially　connected　with　the　employment　of　plastic　clay；　this　being　the　material　most　suitable　for　their　impression；　by　means　of　a　three…sided　instrument　or　stylus。　The　angular　extremity　of　this　instrument；　when　depressed　into　the　surface　of　a　tablet　of　plastic　clay　in　different　positions　and　directions；　would　leave　these　cuneiform　impressions　in　all　their　beautifully　distinct　and　characteristic　forms。　　And　thus；　after　the　tablets　had　been　subjected　to　fire　and　made　into　hard　brick；　the　impressions　have　come　down　to　us；　after　the　lapse　of　thousands　of　years；　as　fresh　and　distinct　as　if　they　had　been　produced　but　yesterday！

I　was　so　fortunate　as　to　have　my　conjectures　confirmed　with　respect　to　the　exact　form　of　the　instrument　by　which　these　remarkable　characters　are　produced；　observing；　in　what　appeared　to　be　a　hastily…formed　inscription　on　the　edge　of　a　large　brick；　that　the　inscriber　had　apparently　used　rather　more　pressure　on　his　stylus　than　was　requisite。　In　consequence　of　which；　the　end　of　it　had　been　so　deeply　depressed　into　the　soft　clay　as　to　leave　an　exact　counterpart　of　its　size　and　form。　　I　secured　a　cast　of　this　over…deep　impression　of　the　stylus；　from　which　Fig。　3　is　taken；　after　a　photograph。

＇Image＇　　Fig　3。

In　order　further　to　illustrate　the　simple　m