"Some Words With a Mummy" - читать интересную книгу автора (Poe Edgar Allan)

magnificent than the Theban sepulchres, are of higher interest, on
account of affording more numerous illustrations of the private life
of the Egyptians. The chamber from which our specimen was taken, was
said to be very rich in such illustrations; the walls being completely
covered with fresco paintings and bas-reliefs, while statues, vases,
and Mosaic work of rich patterns, indicated the vast wealth of the
deceased.
The treasure had been deposited in the Museum precisely in the
same condition in which Captain Sabretash had found it;- that is to
say, the coffin had not been disturbed. For eight years it had thus
stood, subject only externally to public inspection. We had now,
therefore, the complete Mummy at our disposal; and to those who are
aware how very rarely the unransacked antique reaches our shores, it
will be evident, at once that we had great reason to congratulate
ourselves upon our good fortune.
Approaching the table, I saw on it a large box, or case, nearly
seven feet long, and perhaps three feet wide, by two feet and a half
deep. It was oblong- not coffin-shaped. The material was at first
supposed to be the wood of the sycamore (platanus), but, upon
cutting into it, we found it to be pasteboard, or, more properly,
papier mache, composed of papyrus. It was thickly ornamented with
paintings, representing funeral scenes, and other mournful subjects-
interspersed among which, in every variety of position, were certain
series of hieroglyphical characters, intended, no doubt, for the
name of the departed. By good luck, Mr. Gliddon formed one of our
party; and he had no difficulty in translating the letters, which were
simply phonetic, and represented the word Allamistakeo.
We had some difficulty in getting this case open without injury; but
having at length accomplished the task, we came to a second,
coffin-shaped, and very considerably less in size than the exterior
one, but resembling it precisely in every other respect. The
interval between the two was filled with resin, which had, in some
degree, defaced the colors of the interior box.
Upon opening this latter (which we did quite easily), we arrived
at a third case, also coffin-shaped, and varying from the second one
in no particular, except in that of its material, which was cedar, and
still emitted the peculiar and highly aromatic odor of that wood.
Between the second and the third case there was no interval- the one
fitting accurately within the other.
Removing the third case, we discovered and took out the body itself.
We had expected to find it, as usual, enveloped in frequent rolls,
or bandages, of linen; but, in place of these, we found a sort of
sheath, made of papyrus, and coated with a layer of plaster, thickly
gilt and painted. The paintings represented subjects connected with
the various supposed duties of the soul, and its presentation to
different divinities, with numerous identical human figures, intended,
very probably, as portraits of the persons embalmed. Extending from
head to foot was a columnar, or perpendicular, inscription, in
phonetic hieroglyphics, giving again his name and titles, and the
names and titles of his relations.