be given for the labour beftowed in fearching voluminous books to find a single quotation. The industry with which M. Savary has read the ancients, to obtain information on his fubject, aftonishes the reader; but it were to be wished, by those who are inclined to refer, and examine the accuracy or spirit of the paffages cited, he had continually noted his editions, books, and pages; fo that they might have been turned to without trouble. Not aware, ourselves, of the numerous quotations which were to follow in the fecond volume, we neglected this method, in the first, and continued fo to do, partly for the fake of uniformity, and, partly, in deference to M. Savary; neither indeed could we obtain every author, or find every paffage he has cited; therefore it was, in part, impracticable.

Were we to note our deviations, and support them by citing the paffages in question, our preface would affume the form and length of a differtation; we shall only fay, therefore, we reft our juftification on the paffages themselves; and, imagining we fhall not, often, at leaft, be detected in hav

ing injured the author by our emendations, we trust we shall rather deferve applause than cenfure.

The fpelling of words tranflated from languages little known, as the Coptic and Arabic are, into French, and thence re-translated into English, is a difficulty frequently found very embarraffing; nor is the French itself, in this work, always confiftent. This we must plead in excuse for those few places where we have committed the like fault. The French spelling usually endeavours at the original pronunciation; to give which, in English, the spelling should be very different. In fome few places this has occafioned us to vary from the original; but, in most, we have not dared, left we should seem to diffigure names which the eye has been accuftomed to fee written in another manner. Thus the words Cachef, and Eccherif, are, as we suppose, pronounced Cashef, and Eksherif; Boulac is Boolac; Gibel is Jeebel; Malaoui is Malawee, &c. The village of Semennoud is, by an error of the French, not detected in time, fpelt Samanout, on the map: We believe no other error of this kind is committed, A 2 except

except fo trifling as to be immediately seen, and corrected, by an intelligent reader.

Our calculation of the weight of the granite, in the note, Vol. II. page 375, differs from that of M. Savary; but if, instead of allowing with him the fides to be fixty feet high, fix feet are deducted for the thickness of the ceiling, which was of another fstone, the product then will be nearly the fame; and this deduction, we imagine, the author made, it is not fo expreffed.

Ancient measures are frequently reduced to French, by M. Savary; but, as the learned do not all agree in their estimates, we have generally fubftituted a literal translation of the Greek and Latin writers quoted; and, in fuch places, used the stadium instead of the league.

The words Ox and Bull, Bauf and Taureau, feem to have been used with a blameable indifcrimination, both by French and English writers, when speaking of ancient Egyptian deities. Apis is called the facred Ox, by M. Savary, but it is evident this god was a Bull: he had a heifer prefented him once a year, and the strange practice of the Egyptian women, related by Diodorus Siculus (lib. i.

fec.

fec. 2), and noticed by M. Savary, is a farther confirmation. Mnevis and Onuphis are spoken of in the fame confused manner, though there can be little doubt they all were bulls.

We have been obliged to use the word port in the fame sense with M. Savary; and apply it to towns, and villages, fituated on the Nile, to which boats only, not ships, resort: though, in English, it usually implies feaport. We have likewise adopted his spelling of the word Khalig; but the Arabic pronunciation is Khalidge. We mean not to be minute, but wish not, after all our industry, to be thought negligent.

The gentleman to whom M. Savary addreffed his letters was M. Le Monnier, Phyfician to the King of France; first phyfician to Monfieur, his Majesty's eldest brother, and a member of the Academy of Sciences; the M. L. M. at the beginning of each Letter are the initials of his name, and the short eulogium at the conclufion of the work is highly to his honour: it fhews to what noble purposes he employs wealth and power.

A 3

The

The work, in the French, is dedicated to Monfieur, eldest brother to the King of France; but we have omitted this dedication, because the mode of address is fo different from any the English language is accuftomed to that it would render a tranflation either ridiculous or full of Gallicifms.

The manner in which these letters have been received, both in France and England, is fuperior to any praise we can bestow; and we shall only say M. Sayary poffeffes a degree of erudition, judgment, imagination and feeling which are feldom united.

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