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Excerpt from Egypt's Place in Universal History, Vol. 3: An Historical Investigation in Five Books Champollion. Age after age the twin bright spheres, whom the sons of Nile revere, Had in harmonious orbits ruled the various-circling year. 'Twas night: the dawn of day was near, that holy festal day When the fierce power of Helios fell with perpendicular ray. Thoughtful the Priest of Hermes then in nightly silence state, Watching the ordered signs of Heaven, at Egypt's southern gate, Where Æthiopia's sacred stream with wild tumultuous flow Breaks through the barrier rock, and foams into the vale below. A hollow-murmuring roar far-heard proclaims the swelling flood, That yearly draws the fruitful growth from Egypt's pregnant mud. Then eastward his pure hands the Priest uplifts with faith sincere, The faith which fills the soul with light, and makes the future clear; And to the God he prayed who oft had taught him lore divine, Plainly, or through the mystic mask of the quaintly picturing sign: "O Thoth, if e'er on festal day thou heardst my prayer in heaven, If honestly I used the light that by thy grace was given, Now let me reap the fruits of years of thoughtful meditation. Reading the march of deathless Gods in the mounting constellation! If Sothis shines before the Sun, a heavenly herald clear, Even on that day when thou shalt ope the gates o' the sacred year, Then may I surely know that all the Gods who reign sublime With newborn force commence to-day the march of ordered time. Four times ten years I've watched the sky for Sirius' heavenly birth Then when the first of Thoth returned to the warm fruit-bearing earth, About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digi