[16] The Rosetta Stone was among the valuable antiquities collected by the French expedition into Egypt, and given up to the English at the surrender at Alexandria. It was of black basalt, about three feet by two. The inscription on it was in three kinds of writing: the hieroglyphic, the demotic or enchorial, and the Greek. The upper and lower portions of the stone were broken and injured, but the demotic inscription was perfect. The Greek inscription was a key to the others, from which a complete hieroglyphic alphabet was composed.--TR. [17] Of the reign of Ptolemy.--TR. [18] From Champollion-Figeac’s translation. [19] “The priests represented Psammetichus as the first Egyptian king to violate the sacerdotal rule limiting the king’s ration of wine.”--Strabo, _Geogr._ xvii. [20] _Herodotus_, ii. Diodorus confirms this account, but its authenticity has been disputed by declaring that “the garrison of Elephantine, comprising only some hundreds or thousands of warriors, was the only one that could escape into Ethiopia.” It was doubtless easier for this garrison to cross the frontier which it was appointed to guard; but, supposing the Egyptian soldiers, dissatisfied with the violation of their privileges, had concerted among themselves, as Herodotus declares, we do not see how King Psammetichus could have hindered the departure of so formidable an army. Besides, Herodotus adds that he saw in Ethiopia a people known under the name of _Automoles_ (deserters), descendants of these Egyptian warriors. This testimony is the more credible because Herodotus made the journey not more than 150 or 160 years after the death of Psammetichus. [21] Mariette. [22] De Bonald, _Théorie du Pouvoir_, i. 170. [23] Acts of the Apostles, vii. 22. [24] Mariette: _Aperçu de l’Histoire d’Egypte_, pp. 10 and 19. [25] St. Paul says: “_Qui non laborat non manducet_.” [26] _Herodotus_, lib. ii. [27] _Diodorus_, lib. i. [28] _Diodorus_, lib. i. [29] From σείω, _I shake off_, and ἄχθος, _burden_. See Plutarch, _Life of Solon_, xiv. [30] Ampère, _Des Castes, etc., dans l’ancienne Egypte_. [31] Letter from M. de Rougé à M. Leemans, _Revue Archéol._, vol. xii. [32] We have seen by the law respecting loans, attributed to King Bocchoris, that coined money was known to the Egyptians at least eight centuries B.C. [33] F. Lenormant, _Manuel d’Hist. ancienne_. [34] _Discours sur l’Hist. univ._: “The Egyptians observe the customs of their fathers, and adopt no new ones,” says Herodotus.