to  doubt  its  Egyptian  origin,  it  will  be  difficult  to  resist  the
unanimous  voice  of  antiquity  on  this  subject;  for  we  shall
scarcely  find  a  district  of  Greece  without  its  tradition  of
foreign  adventurers,  bringing  to  the  coasts  an  improved  state
of  knowledge  and  civilization;  and  whether  these  personages
are  to  be  traced  directly  to  Egypt,  or  rather  to  Syria,  is
immaterial,  as  in  that  age  the  two  countries  were  nearly
identified'.  The  vanity  of  some  nations  may,  perhaps,
receive  gratification  from  the  fabled  intercourse  of  their
ancestors  with  foreign  heroes,  and  their  own  descent  from
such  a  source.  The  expedition  of  Aeneas,  and  even  the
settlement  of  the  Trojan  Brutus  might  be  pleasing  to  their
self-created  posterity  ;  but  the  proud  feelings  of  the  earth-bom
Athenians  could  never  have  been  flattered  by  the  invention
of  a  tale  which  confessed  their  rescue  from  the  rudest
state  of  barbarism  by  an  unknown  Egyptian,  whose  only
claim  to  notice  is  in  his  capacity  of  their  legislator.  A
confirmation  of  the  prior  advances  made  in  the  arts  of
design  by  the  inhabitants  of  the  coast  of  Syria  and  of  Egypt
is  afforded  by  the  conclusive  testimony  of  Homer,  from
whose  expressions  the  wealth  and  magnificence  of  the
Egyptians  are  apparent,  and  with  whom  it  is  a  sufficient
commendation  of  any  object  of  beauty  and  elegance  that  it
should  be  called  Sidonian.  The  distinctive  appellation
which  he  has  given  to  this  people,  is  that  of  ;  skilful
workmen?.  It  is  true,  that  with  the  Greeks  the  arts  soon
1  See  some  conclusive  observations  on  this  subject.  Mitford’s  Hist.  of  Gr.  v.  1.
It  must  however  be  admitted  that  the  silence  of  Homer  tends,  in  some  degree,  to
invalidate  the  notion  of  Egyptian  colonization.
.  Il.  xxiii.  744.  et  pass.