Chapter I: Front Matter

By the Same Author

A Report on the Antiquities of Lower Nubia
A Catalogue of the Weights and Balances in the Cairo Museum
A Guide to the Antiquities of Upper Egypt
Travels in the Upper Egyptian Deserts
The Life and Times of Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt
A History of Egypt from 1798 to 1914
Madeline of the Desert
The Dweller in the Desert
Bedouin Love
The Life and Times of Akhnaton, Pharaoh of Egypt

THE GLORY OF THE PHARAOHS

THE GLORY

OF THE

PHARAOHS

BY

ARTHUR WEIGALL

Late Inspector General of Antiquities, Egyptian Government, and
Member of the Catalogue Staff of the Cairo Museum;
Officer of the Order of the Medjidieh.

AUTHOR OF “THE LIFE AND TIMES OF AKHNATON,” ETC.

_With 17 Illustrations_

G. P. PUTNAM’S SONS
NEW YORK LONDON
The Knickerbocker Press
1923

Copyright, 1923
by
Arthur Weigall

Made in the United States of America

PUBLISHER’S FOREWORD

In view of the fact that Mr. Arthur Weigall, while inclined to obscure himself owing to a distaste for public life, is widely known in several fields of activity, the Publisher has felt that a short foreword to this volume will be of interest to those who have wondered as to the author’s identity.

The writer of these entertaining and scholarly essays was born in 1880, being the son of the late Major Arthur Weigall and grandson of the Rev. Edward Weigall, M.A., Vicar of Buxton, Derbyshire: a descendant of an officer of that name who came to England as Equerry to William of Orange in 1698.

Various members of the family of Weigall have attained distinction in England as scholars, painters, sculptors, authors, and diplomats; but the writer of these essays was originally destined for the Army, and for that reason was educated at Wellington College. Later, however, he matriculated for New College, Oxford, causing some flutter in that academic circle by offering Egyptian hieroglyphic texts as his special subject for the examination; but he abandoned his ‘Varsity career in 1900 in order to go out to Egypt as assistant excavator to Professor Flinders Petrie.

At the early age of twenty-four, he was appointed by his friend, Lord Cromer, Inspector General of Antiquities for Upper Egypt, a post for which his scholarship, his administrative ability, and his great energy eminently fitted him. This arduous position he held until 1914; and during his tenure of office he carried out the most important reforms with a view to the preservation and safeguarding of antiquities, the suppression of lawless excavation, and the advancement of the science of Egyptology. He was present at most of the great discoveries made during those years, and in particular he supervised the excavations in the Valley of the Tombs of the Kings at Thebes, in which some of the famous royal sepulchres were discovered.

Besides his administrative and archæological work he found time to make several daring expeditions into the unexplored regions of the Eastern Desert; and in these years he also wrote a number of Egyptological books, including _A Guide to the Antiquities of Upper Egypt and Lower Nubia_: _Travels in the Upper Egyptian Deserts_: _The Life and Times of Akhnaton, Pharaoh of Egypt_: _The Life and Times of Cleopatra_: etc. He also made a considerable study of the political situation in the Near East; and his book _A History of Events in Egypt from 1798 to 1914_, and various papers in the _Fortnightly Review_, had considerable influence on British policy. For some time, too, Mr. Weigall was a member of the Catalogue Staff of the Cairo Museum, and in that connection wrote an important work of a mathematical character on ancient Weights and Balances.

These books, and his many papers in the _Nineteenth Century_, _Fortnightly Review_, _Blackwood’s Magazine_, etc., were received with a chorus of praise; and he was soon recognised as the foremost writer upon Egyptology, and a master of felicitous expression and description. His friend the late President Roosevelt, writing in the _Outlook_, spoke of him as having “that supreme quality of seeing the living body through the dry bones and then making others see it also,” and as being “not merely accurate, but truthful with the truth that comes only from insight and broadminded grasp of essential facts, added to exhaustive study and wide learning.”

“Mr. Weigall is one of the best living authorities on Upper Egypt,” said the _Athenæum_, “and his delightful books are justly admired.” “He is a scholar,” said the _Times_, “deeply versed in Egyptian archæology and history and himself a partner in many discoveries.... He is an idealist gifted with insight and sympathy.” The _Observer_ described him as “a scholar who has let learning quicken and not dull his wits”; and the _Pall Mall Gazette_ spoke of him as “the key to one of the richest storehouses the world contains.” “He makes the sights, the sounds, the very air of the Egyptian deserts visit the senses of his readers with a keenness that is almost painful,” wrote the _Westminster Gazette_. “He is the scholar-sportsman,” said the _Times_ again, “gifted with a fine sensitiveness to the mystery and romance of ancient things.”

In 1914, after receiving high honours from various governments, and when his administrative work and his writings had brought him to a position of eminence, he suffered a breakdown in health, due to his exertions in Egypt; and he was obliged to resign and to return to England. Here, during his convalescence, he occupied his spare time by painting designs for stage scenery; and from 1915 to 1918 many of the leading spectacular productions at the chief London theatres owed their success to his art.

As in the case of his historical writings, so in that of this hobby, his work was received with unanimous praise. We read of a ballet of his at the Alhambra as being “one of the most beautiful stage pictures ever seen”; of a scene at the Palace Theatre “so exquisite as to make a success of the production without anything else” (_Tatler_); of another scene for which “there is no measure of praise too high” (_Sunday Times_); and so on throughout the entire Press.

Mr. Weigall, however, having deeply influenced the whole art of stage decoration in this country by introducing bold simplicity of design and pure colour and light effects, did not long continue to spend his time in this manner; and with the return of health he resumed his archæological work and set himself to the long task of preparing material for works on Egyptian art and history, and on comparative ethics, which are not yet completed. Meanwhile, and perhaps to some extent as a means of livelihood, he wrote three novels: _Madeline of the Desert_ (1920), _The Dweller in the Desert_ (1921), entitled _Burning Sands_ in the United States, and _Bedouin Love_ (1922). These books, again hailed with high tributes from the Press, have attained great popularity and have passed through many editions. From time to time he also wrote the lyrics for songs which have obtained wide appreciation, and he was the author of various little sketches, both dramatic and comic, which have been seen upon the London stage.

For some months in 1921 he came before the public in another guise. An article of his in the _Nineteenth Century_, in which he pointed out the influence being exercised by the Kinematograph on our national life, attracted the attention of the late Lord Northcliffe, who invited Mr. Weigall to write a long series of articles in the _Daily Mail_ on the subject. This led to an intensive study of the whole subject of “films,” and the articles, of a fervently patriotic character, had the effect of removing some unpleasant features from the motion-picture theatres, while the general improvement in the tone of this form of entertainment is largely due to his influence.

At the time of writing (January, 1923) Mr. Weigall is once more in Egypt, and further archæological works from his pen may be expected. In November, 1922, the present Publisher re-issued, and within a few weeks sold out, a revised (fourth) edition of _The Life and Times of Akhnaton_, perhaps the author’s most popular historical work; and it is hoped that this new volume will be found to be of equal interest and entertainment. The essays published herein were written between 1907 and the present year. Some of them appeared as part of a book many years ago; others were printed in various leading journals; and yet others have been specially written for this volume. In this regard the Publisher’s thanks are due to the editors of the _Nineteenth Century_, the _Fortnightly Review_, the _Cornhill Magazine_, _Blackwood’s Magazine_, the _New Statesman_, the _Century Magazine_, _Putnam’s Magazine_, and the _Quarterly Review_.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE

I.--EGYPTOLOGY IN THE OPEN 3

II.--THE NECESSITY OF ARCHÆOLOGY TO THE GAIETY OF THE WORLD 26

III.--THE MISFORTUNES OF WENAMON 46

IV.--THE PRESERVATION OF ANTIQUITIES 69

V.--THE MORALITY OF EXCAVATION 84

VI.--THE TEMPERAMENT OF THE ANCIENT EGYPTIANS 109

VII.--EXCAVATIONS IN EGYPT 136

VIII.--THE TOMB OF TIY AND AKHNATON 153

IX.--THE TOMB OF HOREMHEB 174

X.--LOWER NUBIA AND THE GREAT RESERVOIR 198

XI.--A NUBIAN HIGHWAY 216

XII.--THE ALABASTER QUARRIES IN THE WADY ASSIOUT 235

XIII.--A RIDE TO WADY SALAMÛNI 245

XIV.--THE CHILDREN OF EGYPT 262

XV.--AN ANCIENT EGYPTIAN POEM 277

XVI.--THE STORY OF THE SHIPWRECKED SAILOR 283

XVII.--THEBAN THIEVES 304

XVIII.--THE ERROR OF POMPOUS HISTORY 328

ILLUSTRATIONS

FACING
PAGE

ARTHUR WEIGALL, 1922 _Frontispiece_

THE AUTHOR STANDING UPON THE CLIFFS BETWEEN THE TEMPLE OF DER EL BAHRI AND THE VALLEY OF THE TOMBS OF THE KINGS 16

AN EGYPTIAN PRIEST OR RELIGIOUS OFFICIAL 54

(From a wooden statuette of about B.C. 1800: now in Cairo)

A HUMAN-FACED LION, PROBABLY DATING FROM THE REIGN OF PHARAOH AMENEMES III., B.C. 1825 74

Now in Cairo.

THE MUMMY OF PRINCE YUAA 94

(The photograph was taken by the Author on the day of its discovery. The mummy is now in the Cairo Museum)

EXCAVATING THE OSIREION AT ABYDOS. A CHAIN OF BOYS HANDING UP BASKETS OF SAND TO THE SURFACE 144

(Photograph by the Author)

THE ENTRANCE OF THE TOMB OF QUEEN TIY, WITH A NATIVE POLICEMAN GUARDING IT. THE LARGE TOMB OF RAMESES X. IS TO THE LEFT 154

BUST OF AKHNATON FOUND AT TELL EL AMARNA, AND NOW IN BERLIN 164

A STATUE OF TUTANKHAMON, THE PHARAOH WHOSE TOMB WAS DISCOVERED BY LORD CARNARVON IN 1922 184

Now in Cairo.

THE ENTRANCE OF THE TOMB OF HOREMHEB IN THE VALLEY OF THE TOMBS OF THE KINGS 192

THE NILE AT PHILÆ, LOOKING NORTH 212

THE NILE AT ASWAN. ON THE HILLS TO THE LEFT IS THE HIGHROAD TO NUBIA 222

TWO VIEWS IN THE WADY SALAMÛNI, EARLY MORNING 252

MODERN EGYPTIAN PEASANTS BESIDE A WATER-WHEEL 262

THE PHARAOH RAMESES II., B.C. 1292-1225 292

(From his statue now at Turin)

GOLD CUPS AND ARMLET OF ABOUT B.C. 1000, FOUND ACCIDENTALLY BY A NATIVE IN A MOUND BY A ROADSIDE IN LOWER EGYPT 320

Now in Cairo Museum.

The Glory of the Pharaohs