Thus it is that nearly all the earlier portions of profane history are to be regarded as doubtful. There are, indeed, certain portions of it, which may be received as true; such, for instance, as are derived from monuments now existing, and bearing certain inscriptions. There are in Egypt, in Greece, in various parts of Asia and Europe, very ancient pyramids, obelisks, and edifices, bearing inscriptions or carvings, either of writings or pictorial representations, which furnish us with dates, facts, and occurrences serving to establish epochs, or great events, thus giving consistency and certainty to the leading features of history. It is in this way that the framework of the more ancient parts of history is made out and established; and so much may be deemed worthy of credit. Most of the details and lesser incidents, such as the extraordinary feats of individuals, the extravagant numbers said to be engaged in particular battles; and, in short, all the more marvellous portions of ancient history, are to be deemed entire fictions, or poetic embellishments and exaggerations. Among the most interesting of ancient remains, which contribute to make out the story of mankind, are the paintings recently discovered in the chambers of the ruins of ancient Thebes, in Egypt. These tell us, without leaving room for doubt, how the Egyptians dressed themselves; what they ate and drank; how they broiled, boiled, and fried; how they combed their heads and arrayed their hair; how they slept; how they amused themselves; what armor they had in battle; how they fought; how they worshipped――and, indeed, how they lived and felt, and thought and acted. Of these curious and interesting witnesses, we have given some account in the earlier portions of Merry’s Museum. Besides these paintings, the hieroglyphics, or picture writings of the Egyptians, graven on obelisks, and other monuments, afford great aid to the historians. When Bonaparte went with a French army to Egypt, he took a great many learned men with him. These looked at these hieroglyphics with intense interest and curiosity, and longed to find out the means of reading them――for this art had not then been discovered. These persons were infidels, and not believing the Bible, they wished to be able to prove it untrue. “If we could read these inscriptions,” said they, as they stood before the hieroglyphics upon the monuments of Thebes, “if we could read these, we could prove the Old Testament to be false.” After a few years, a very ingenious Frenchman, by the name of Champollion, went to Egypt and studied profoundly into these mysterious hieroglyphics. At last he happened to hit upon the art of reading some of them, and was thus able to make out their meaning. The result has been very different from what the French philosophers supposed; for, instead of exploding the Scriptures, these Egyptian writings afford very strong additional evidence of their truth.