Excerpt from Horæ Ægyptiacæ: Or, the Chronology of Ancient Egypt Discovered From Astronomical and Hieroglyphic Records Upon Its Monuments

During the last two years of a protracted residence in Egypt, I wrote a series of papers on the Ancient Chronology and History of that country, which have been published in the Literary Gazette. Having returned to England, I began to prepare a new and enlarged edition of those papers, and while I was thus occupied, his Grace the Duke of Northumberland, whose large acquaintance with the monuments of Egypt, and with the science of Egyptian archaeology shewed him that much was wanting in my first essay, honoured me by expressing his desire that it should be improved in every way to the utmost of my ability, that the calculations which it contained should be subjected to the most rigid scrutiny, and that illustra tions should be unsparingly added. Hence the present volume.

To that distinguished nobleman I owe a large debt of gratitude for the encouragement which he has thus given me, and to several other persons I have to ex press my acknowledgments for important assistance.

First among these, I must mention my uncle, Mr. Edward William Lane, who has greatly forwarded my undertaking by his most valuable advice and criticism.

I am very deeply indebted to the justly celebrated Sir Gardner Wilkinson, for his having most liberally assisted me, by shewing to me, and allowing me to copy, important inscriptions, &c., , in his unpublished papers, and for much valuable information imparted to me in many conversations on most of the subjects treated in this volume. I have also to acknowledge a great favour which he has conferred upon me, in offering to me the use of the wood-blocks from which almost all of the hieroglyphic names of Kings occur ring in the present work are printed.

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