We drove up in front, and between the heads of the sphinxes I alighted. The moment I did so, the Theban guard stood to their arms, and their captain, with a glittering helmet upon his head and holding his sword in his hand reversed, descended to receive me. Escorted by him, and followed by the grand-chamberlain, I ascended to the terrace saluted by the guard with the honors paid to royalty. The terrace was surrounded with the statues of the kings of this dynasty, and of the Theban Pharaohs; but the Phœnician Pharaohs are not now numbered among the kings of Egypt. The terrace led into a circular hall which was richly carved, gilded, and painted with historic scenes, battle-pieces and naval combats. Conspicuous upon a panel, directly in front of the entrance, was the representation of the expulsion of the Shepherd Kings from Memphis. In the faces of the monarchs Amosis and Amunophis, the immediate ancestors of Prince Remeses, I see no resemblance to him. His style of face is wholly different from the heroes of the dynasty to which he belongs. His features have a nobler cast, and seem to belong to a man of a higher intellectual development, and no doubt he is superior to all other Egyptians; for, young as he is, his name is already associated with all that is wise, and great, and true. The entablature of the next hall we entered was a wonderful sculpture. It represented a circle of beautiful girls chained together by wreaths of flowers, and with interlaced arms, bending over and smiling down upon those in the hall, each extending a hand holding a vase. There was a unity of design in the whole of the interior of this adytum or presence-chamber, with the distribution of light and the groups of figures shown by it on the walls, that surpassed any apartment I had yet seen. As I entered this enchanted hall, the martial music which had hailed me as I came into the outer vestibule ceased, and was succeeded by the most ravishing sounds of instrumental music from an unseen source. I would have lingered, but there advanced a beautiful youth, all clad in gold and purple, it seemed to me, so richly was he attired, who said: "The queen desires me to conduct the noble Prince of Tyre to her presence."