rvation whether he had descended from the clouds into the twentieth
century before or the twentieth century after Christ; and the sound of
the festal pipes in the passing boat would but serve to confuse him the
more.

In such a garden as this the student will learn more Egyptology than he
could assimilate in many an hour's study at home; for here his five
senses play the student and Egypt herself is his teacher. While he may
read in his books how this Pharaoh or that feasted o' nights in his
palace beside the river, here, not in fallible imagination but in actual
fact, he may see Nilus and the Libyan desert to which the royal eyes
were turned, may smell the very perfume of the palace garden, and may
hearken to the self-same sounds that lulled a king to sleep in
Hundred-gated Thebes.

Not in the west, but only by the waters of the Nile will he learn how
best to be an historian of ancient Egypt, and in what manner to make his
studies of interest, as well as of technical value, to his readers, for
he will here discover the great secret of his profession. Suddenly the
veil will be lifted from his understanding, and he will become aware
that Past and Present are so indissoluble as to be incapable of separate
interpretation or single study. He will learn that there is no such
thing as a distinct Past or a defined Present. "Yesterday this day's
madness did prepare," and the affairs of bygone times must be
interpreted in the light of recent events. The Past is alive to-day, and
all the deeds of man in all the ages are living at this hour in
offspring. There is no real death. The earthly grave will not hide, nor
the mountain tomb imprison, the actions of the men of old Egypt, so
consequent and fruitful are all human affairs. This is the knowledge
which will make his work of lasting value; and nowhere save in Egypt can
he acquire it. This, indeed, is the secret of the Sphinx; and only at
the lips of the Sphinx itself can he learn it.

PRINTED BY WILLIAM BLACKWOOD AND SONS.

End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Treasury of Ancient Egypt
by Arthur E. P. B. Weigall

*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE TREASURY OF ANCIENT EGYPT ***

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