CHAPTER I. Decipherment of the Egyptian Hieroglyphics.

Attempts of Kircher and others to read them — Guignes and Zoega — Rosetta Stone — Translation of the Greek portion by Dr. Birch — Absurd conjectures about the meaning of the hieroglyphs — Young and his work — Champollion's wonderful genius — The decipherment accomplished by the names of Cleopatra and Ptolemy — Attack by Sir G. C. Lewis, and refutation of his arguments by Mr. Renouf — Letter of Dr. Lepsius — Labours of Dr. Birch, Lepsius, and others ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 15

CHAPTER n.

The Egyptian Language and Writing.

^Yriting materials, papyrus, stone, wood, etc. — Mode of writing — The hieroglyphs, ideographic and phonetic — Determinatives — Short list of Egyptian words — List of the most common phonetic signs — Hieratic writing — Ornamental nature of Egyptian writing ... ^S

CHAPTER HL The Land of Egypt, its People and their History.

Geographical position of Egypt — Its names — Original home of the Egyptians in Asia — Biblical genealogy — Eirst Kings of Egypt — Menes first historical King of Egypt — Cheops and his Pyramid at Gizeh — Theory of the pyramids — Chephren — Mycerinus — The Usertsens and the Amenemhas — Shepherd Kings — Ahmes, Thothmes, Hatasu — The Amenhoteps, Seti — Rameses II. and the Hittites — End of the reign of Rameses II. ... 50

A 2

CONTENTS.