the temple and made
offerings in it.

The ground belonging to the edifice occupied a space of seventy-five
hectares, on which were fish ponds, flower beds, orchards and vegetable
gardens, besides the houses or rather villas of the temple priesthood.
Everywhere grew poplars and acacias, as well as palm, fig, and orange
trees which formed alleys directed toward the cardinal points of the
world, or groups of trees of almost the same height and set out in
order.

Under the watchful eyes of priests even the plant world did not develop
according to its own impulses into irregular but picturesque groups; it
was arranged in straight lines according to direction, or straight
lines according to height, or in geometrical figures.

Palms, tamarinds, cypresses, and myrtles were arranged like warriors in
ranks or columns. The grass was a divan shorn and ornamented with
pictures made of flowers, not of any chance color, but of that color
which was demanded. People looking from above saw pictures of gods or
sacred beasts blooming on the turf near the temple; a sage found there
aphorisms written out in hieroglyphs.

The central part of the gardens occupied a rectangular space nine
hundred yards long and three hundred wide. This space was enclosed by a
wall of no great height which had one visible gate and a number of
secret entrances. Through the gate pious people entered the space which
surrounded the dwelling of Osiris; this space was covered with a stone
pavement. In the middle of the space stood the temple, a rectangular
pile four hundred and fifty yards long and in width one hundred and
fifty.

From the public gate to the temple was an avenue of sphinxes with human
heads and lion bodies. They were in two lines, ten in each, and were
gazing into each others' eyes. Only the highest dignitaries might pass
between these sphinxes.

At the head of this avenue, and opposite the public gate, rose two
obelisks or slender and lofty granite columns of four sides, on which
was inscribed the history of the pharaoh Seti.

Beyond the obelisks rose the gate of the temple having at both sides of
it gigantic piles in the form of truncated pyramids called pylons.
These were like two strong towers, on the walls of which were paintings
representing the visits of Seti, or the offerings which he made to
divinities.

Earth-tillers were not permitted to pass this gate which was free only
to wealthy citizens and the privileged classes. Through i