THE CHERBOURG SNARE. 237 riddle, reserving my authority and source of information for another time and place. A RIDDLE INTERPRETED. FROM THE "MELBOURNE ARGUS." Sir, I have waited very patiently for some erudite person to attempt the solution of "the great riddle of the present day-the French sphinx;" but as no one up to this time has given anything like a good guess, I have ventured upon offering an answer myself. The London Punch, of 7th August last, has not facilitated the clearing up of this mystery by its woodcut of that day's publication, because all interpretations of symbolic speeches, when rendered into too literal meanings, are delusive. Let us consider attentively what is inscribed upon that monument of the great Napoleon I., pointing his finger so significantly in a certain direction : “J'avais résolu de renouveler à Cherbourg les marveilles de l'Egypte. J'avais élevé deja dans le mer ma pyramide. J'aurais en aussi mon Lac Moris." Which I translate thus: "I had resolved upon repeating at Cherbourg the marvels of Egypt." And then follows this "I had raised already in the sea my pyramid. I should have had also my Lake Moris." But it will be found, I apprehend, that the significance of the whole speech turns upon the word "pyramide." So far it has tacitly been allowed to be rendered into the English word "pyramid." The mind then accepts this translation as correct, because the Pyramids are marvels of Egypt. Nevertheless, we must consider if there was not something constructed in ancient Egypt even more marvellous than the Pyramids themselves. Herodotus says the labyrinth was a greater wonder than the pyramids. "The vaults," he says, "surpassed all the works of man that he had looked on before." Nothing, however, now remains but its lower portions; all the rest which the King Moeris built has perished. Still we can believe something of what the historian relates of this Labyrinth. He describes it as a suite of vast halls, such as no other buildings on earth can parallel, being groups of palaces in the immediate vicinity of that artificial lake, called by the Greeks "Moris." It had twelve immense halls, with their porches off one another, six facing north, six facing south; above and below these an incredible number of smaller halls in each suit of palaces; but the vaults beneath them do not appear to have been open to visitors, being supposed to be especially sacred as receptacles for precious remains, etc. A canal passes through vaults of this labyrinth, and Herodotus supposes there are two ranges of these palaces on opposite banks of the river. At one corner of the enclosure, around one end of this labyrinth, is a pyramid (80 yards square), and a subterranean passage leads from the labyrinth to the Pyramid of Moris. The Lake Moris was an artificial one (dock ?), constructed to regulate disasters from irregularities of the annual overflow of the river Nile, receiving the waters of superfluous inundations, and supplying deficiency in failing seasons. The Labyrinth was begun by King Moris, and completed by Phiops or Aphophis, or Pharaoh, Joseph's patron. Moris was buried in the pyramid which he had commenced and his son completed. It has been well remarked that this name is of "the utmost historical importance. His reign was very glorious; no king has left so many quarry-marks as this sovereign." It is, of course, well known that this man was a scion of the family whose success caused them to be sneeringly designated "shepherd kings," and the prominent fact in their successes was the capture of Crocodilopolis, Maris remaining as king in that city, and his son Phiops being at the same time monarch of Lower Egypt in Memphis -in fact, what we may call a nice little family party. But how about the sphinx? Why, this pleasing little piece of bijouterie was tho work of King Sephres, dedicated to Ra Athom. Athom, or Adam, was worshipped as the god of the setting sun, and it has been conjectured that the intention at one time was to construct an avenue of sphinxes, forming the Heliopolitan entrance to the precincts of the pyramid. Well, another name appears on this sphinx, that of Armais, and it seems the ancient Egyptians were no better than folks in these last days. They were eternally murdering, each other wholesale upon religious pretexts. An historian says " It is not easy to understand how entirely the wars of the Egyptians were religious wars." Armais wrests his "annexations" from worshippers of Phtha in Memphis, to add to the precious idolatry of Ra Athom, of Heliopolis, and thus establishes the latter interesting deity on both banks of the river, at expense of Phtha (poor Phtha!) to whom his house had an especial antipathy. Armais then cuts his name on the sphinx, after cutting, I suppose, a few score hundred throats to entitle him to that honour. The sphinx faces east, in direction of Heliopolis, from Ghizeh; and "Armais," the successful butcher of some thousands of his unlucky species, makes a way or path from Heliopolis for the god to travel upon. How very considerate! Corns on his toes, eh? And it is to be borne in mind that this precious sphinx is stuck up at the termination of the deity's footpath. "And," say "Armais's" trumpet-blowers, "all Nature's gods THE MARVELS OF EGYPT. 239 and men rejoiced at the great union of the two banks of the Nile." Two of a trade can never agree, so the gods amalgamated their idolatryshops, and consented to divide the plunder, share and share alike." The following modest effusion is concocted and inscribed in hieroglyphics : Four legends of Armais No. 1. The King, lord of both Egypts, "Armais," the life-giving. No. 2. The Golden Hawk, greatest of birds in all the world. No. 3. Beloved of Amen-Ra, Lord of the three seats of justice of both Egypts, in his chief habitation. No. 4. Lord of the Two Egypts, conquering, sword-piercing the "Phuttim." There is a pretty little piece of rhodomontade, the life-giving (in the same sense that a loaded stick is called the life-preserving ?); Golden Hawk (or Eagle ?), living symbol of Ra, the "Sun." Amen-Ra or Ham, son of Noah (beloved of him!-he would not have spoken two words to him when alive, I am sure); and sword-piercing those unlucky fellows the "Phuttim," or worshippers of "Phut," or Phtha, son of Noah. How he insists upon his two seats of sovereignty, one in each Egypt; and his three seats of justice, one for the occasional use of that immaculate deity with the tender toes, "Ra-Athom," I suppose, proclaiming, and probably insisting upon the worship of one son of Noah, and piercing with the sword all the followers of another son of the same man. So much for that lot. And now observe this significant hint from some amiable youths in France, addressed to Napoleon III. "Sire, the people of England are not against you; you have only against you those Sardanapaluses of the Thames, who, drinking from golden cups the sweat of a hundred millions of helots, set themselves up as the pastors of civilisation." Setting aside the unutterable nastiness of this fellow's ideas, let us consider what was the "clean notion" running in his brain at the time he concocted the above. Sardanapalus, who, Diodorus Siculus says, was driven by his revolted Governors, Arbaces and Beleses, into Nineveh, and fancied himself safe because the Oracle had said "that city could never be taken unless the river became an enemy to the city," and who was ruined by this safetyguard being made his enemy!! Consider, too, the popular account of the taking of Babylon by Cyrus turning the river. "Oh, but the French cannot have undermined the British Channel," it may be said. Very well, have it so; I only offer this as an attempted solution; try one yourself, and let us have it soon, before we have news from London up to about 13th November. And why the 13th of November, you ask? Wait patiently, my inquiring friend; if you find I am right once, you will come for some more information; if wrong, then I am a fool, which designation I am quite willing and able to pocket. Listen to this sweet warbling of the choice songsters of Paris. “But soon a low deep murmur made itself heard in France, like the howling wind that announces the coming tempest, the memory of the past, daily insults, alarm for the future, all combine to fill French hearts with an indescribable agitation, and the cry is heard that we must seize the opportunity to recover our former possessions and influence in Asia, and either rush to the succour of the Indian insurgents, or-plant the tricolor flag on the tower of London." What do you think of these sentiments? and more especially the confident tone adopted, "we must," etc. Forewarned is forearmed for this colony, though I fear too late for poor old England. Victoria, Australia, November, 1858. I am, yours, WILLIAM BRADE. It may be objected to the above solution that it is simply impossible, and that whatever is impossible cannot actually be, and never comes to pass. The objection is very good, and the result will no doubt demonstrate the correctness of it; but I pass on to one of the most remarkable books in the collection of Hebrew canonical scriptures; the book of the Burden of Nineveh, the vision of Nahum (the seer) the Elkoshite. In my reading of this prophecy it will be seen that it is strictly original; I know of no similar interpretation extant, and I scorn to cut cabbages to make apple pies from a neighbour's garden, because I cannot help perceiving that the old Hebrew seers strongly denounce all false interpreters, and they speak as commanded, thus, "I am against those prophets that steal my words, every "one from his neighbour. I will bring an everlasting reproach upon you, and a perpetual shame which shall not be "forgotten." "Thus saith the Lord concerning the prophets that make my people err, and bite with their teeth, crying Peace, and "the thing he hath not put into their mouth. Therefore "dimness of sight that ye shall not have a vision, it shall be "dark unto you that ye shall not divine. The sun shall go "down over the prophets, and the daylight shall be darkness 66 THE RUIN OF MODERN NINEVEH. 241 "over them. Then shall the seers be ashamed and the interpreters of prophecy confounded; yea, they shall all cover their lips, for there is no answer of God." 66 66 66 66 In the second chapter, the seer Nahum says,— "He that dashes in pieces (the scatterer or disperser) is come up before thy face, preserve the ammunition of war, (powder, shot, shell, &c.,) watch the way, (the British Channel,) make thy loins strong, fortify thy power mightily. "The shield (covering) of his mighty (military) men is made "red, the valiant men (soldiers) are covered (or clothed) in "scarlet (uniforms). The chariots (artillery) shall be with flaming torches in the day of preparation, and the fir trees (ships' masts in the navies) shall be terribly shaken. The "chariots (artillery) shall rush through the streets, they shall "jostle one another on the highways, they (the artillery) shall "appear like firebrands, darting flashes of fire like the lightning. He (the British general) shall muster his forces, they shall stumble in their manoeuvering, they shall make "haste to the ramparts (Portsmouth, &c.,) thereof, and the "defence shall be prepared. The gates of the rivers "(British Channel) shall be opened (from Cherbourg) and "the palace (fortress of Portsmouth) shall be molten (by fire " of gunpowder.) 66 66 66 66 "Huzzab shall be led away captive, she shall be brought "up, and her maids shall lead her as with the voice of doves, taboring upon their breasts. But ancient Nineveh like a pool of water was secure and still, (see the eighth verse of "third chapter,) yet they shall flee away crying 'stand,' rally! rally! but none shall cause them to turn (rally the "routed hosts). 66 "Take ye of the spoil of silver, take ye of the spoil of "gold, for there is no end of the boundless stores of gorgeous and beautiful furniture. 66 "She is empty, plundered, and wasted; the heart melts, "the knees smite together, and much pain is in all loins, and "the countenance of everyone gathers blackness. Where "is the dwelling place of the lions, (British lions,) and the R |