A pilgrimage to the temples and tombs of Egypt, Nubia, and ...

THE HARPERS. 299
a number of small lateral chambers, or cabinets,
opening on either side out of the great gallery.
In one of these we found the celebrated Harpers,
delineated with a grace and spirit which I have
not seen in any other Egyptian painting. The
form of the harps is elegant in the extreme,
infinitely more beautiful than the instruments of
the present day, and the attitude of the musicians
such as one might imagine the Royal Psalmist's
to have been when sweeping the chords in one of
his moments of inspiration. In another of these
cabinets we found representations of various
articles of Egyptian furniture, such as beautiful
arm-chairs, sleeping-couches, shaped very much
like our chaises lo7igues, with a flight of steps to
ascend to them, such as are to be seen in every
English bedroom, and a wooden support for the
head, exactly like those now in use among the
Nubians ; tables, with lions' paws for feet ; elegant
foot-stools, &c. &c. Again, in others, the whole
economy of the household is depicted,—the but-
cher slaughtering the ox, the cook cutting up
joints of meat, the cauldron suspended over the
fire, the beggars waiting at the door to receive
their portions. And scenes of husbandry too are
there,—men tilling the ground, oxen yoked to
the plough, labourers casting the seed over their