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the immediately arresting； and holding in perpetual abeyance； all the
animal functions subjected to the process。 To be brief； in whatever
condition the individual was； at the period of embalmment； in that
condition he remained。 Now； as it is my good fortune to be of the blood of
the Scarabaeus； I was embalmed alive； as you see me at present。〃
〃The blood of the Scarabaeus！〃 exclaimed Doctor Ponnonner。
〃Yes。 The Scarabaeus was the insignium or the 'arms；' of a very
distinguished and very rare patrician family。 To be 'of the blood of the
Scarabaeus；' is merely to be one of that family of which the Scarabaeus is
the insignium。 I speak figuratively。〃
〃But what has this to do with you being alive？〃
〃Why； it is the general custom in Egypt to deprive a corpse； before
embalmment； of its bowels and brains； the race of the Scarabaei alone did
not coincide with the custom。 Had I not been a Scarabeus； therefore； I
should have been without bowels and brains； and without either it is
inconvenient to live。〃
〃I perceive that；〃 said Mr。 Buckingham； 〃and I presume that all the entire
mummies that come to hand are of the race of Scarabaei。〃
〃Beyond doubt。〃
〃I thought；〃 said Mr。 Gliddon； very meekly； 〃that the Scarabaeus was one
of the Egyptian gods。〃
〃One of the Egyptian _what？〃_ exclaimed the Mummy； starting to its feet。
〃Gods！〃 repeated the traveller。
〃Mr。 Gliddon； I really am astonished to hear you talk in this style；〃 said
the Count； resuming his chair。 〃No nation upon the face of the earth has
ever acknowledged more than one god。 The Scarabaeus； the Ibis； etc。； were
with us （as similar creatures have been with others） the symbols； or
media； through which we offered worship to the Creator too august to be
more directly approached。〃
There was here a pause。 At length the colloquy was renewed by Doctor
Ponnonner。
〃It is not improbable； then； from what you have explained；〃 said he； 〃that
among the catacombs near the Nile there may exist other mummies of the
Scarabaeus tribe； in a condition of vitality？〃
〃There can be no question of it；〃 replied the Count； 〃all the Scarabaei
embalmed accidentally while alive； are alive now。 Even some of those
purposely so embalmed； may have been overlooked by their executors； and
still remain in the tomb。〃
〃Will you be kind enough to explain；〃 I said； 〃what you mean by 'purposely
so embalmed'？〃
〃With great pleasure！〃 answered the Mummy； after surveying me leisurely
through his eye…glass for it was the first time I had ventured to
address him a direct question。
〃With great pleasure；〃 he said。 〃The usual duration of man's life； in my
time； was about eight hundred years。 Few men died； unless by most
extraordinary accident； before the age of six hundred； few lived longer
than a decade of centuries； but eight were considered the natural term。
After the discovery of the embalming principle； as I have already
described it to you； it occurred to our philosophers that a laudable
curiosity might be gratified； and； at the same time； the interests of
science much advanced； by living this natural term in installments。 In the
case of history； indeed； experience demonstrated that something of this
kind was indispensable。 An historian； for example； having attained the age
of five hundred； would write a book with great labor and then get himself
carefully embalmed； leaving instructions to his executors pro tem。； that
they should cause him to be revivified after the lapse of a certain period
say five or six hundred years。 Resuming existence at the expiration of
this time； he would invariably find his great work converted into a
species of hap…hazard note…book that is to say； into a kind of literary
arena for the conflicting guesses； riddles； and personal squabbles of
whole herds of exasperated commentators。 These guesses； etc。； which passed
under the name of annotations； or emendations； were found so completely to
have enveloped； distorted； and overwhelmed the text； that the author had
to go about with a lantern to discover his own book。 When discovered； it
was never worth the trouble of the search。 After re…writing it throughout；
it was regarded as the bounden duty of the historian to set himself to
work immediately in correcting； from his own private knowledge and
experience； the traditions of the day concerning the epoch at which he had
originally lived。 Now this process of re…scription and personal
rectification； pursued by various individual sages from time to time； had
the effect of preventing our history from degenerating into absolute
fable。〃
〃I beg your pardon；〃 said Doctor Ponnonner at this point； laying his hand
gently upon the arm of the Egyptian 〃I beg your pardon； sir； but may I
presume to interrupt you for one moment？〃
〃By all means； sir；〃 replied the Count； drawing up。
〃I merely wished to ask you a question；〃 said the Doctor。 〃You mentioned
the historian's personal correction of traditions respecting his own
epoch。 Pray； sir； upon an average what proportion of these Kabbala were
usually found to be right？〃
〃The Kabbala； as you properly term them； sir； were generally discovered to
be precisely on a par with the facts recorded in the un…re…written
histories themselves； that is to say； not one individual iota of either
was ever known； under any circumstances； to be not totally and radically
wrong。〃
〃But since it is quite clear；〃 resumed the Doctor； 〃that at least five
thousand years have elapsed since your entombment； I take it for granted
that your histories at that period； if not your traditions were
sufficiently explicit on that one topic of universal interest； the
Creation； which took place； as I presume you are aware； only about ten
centuries before。〃
〃Sir！〃 said the Count Allamistakeo。
The Doctor repeated his remarks； but it was only after much additional
explanation that the foreigner could be made to comprehend them。 The
latter at length said； hesitatingly：
〃The ideas you have suggested are to me； I confess； utterly novel。 During
my time I never knew any one to entertain so singular a fancy as that the
universe （or this world if you will have it so） ever had a beginning at
all。 I remember once； and once only； hearing something remotely hinted； by
a man of many speculations； concerning the origin _of the human race；_ and
by this individual； the very word _Adam_ （or Red Earth）； which you make
use of； was employed。 He employed it； however； in a generical sense； with
reference to the spontaneous germination from rank soil （just as a
thousand of the lower genera of creatures are germinated） the
spontaneous germination； I say； of five vast hordes of men； simultaneously
upspringing in five distinct and nearly equal divisions of the globe。〃
Here； in general； the company shrugged their shoulders； and one or two of
us touched our foreheads with a very significant air。 Mr。 Silk Buckingham；
first glancing slightly at the occiput and then at the sinciput of
Allamistakeo； spoke as follows：
〃The long duration of human life in your time； together with the
occasional practice of passing it； as you have explained； in installments；
must have had； indeed； a strong tendency to the general development and
conglomeration of knowledge。 I presume； therefore； that we are to
attribute the marked inferiority of the old Egyptians in all particulars
of science； when compared with the moderns； and more especially with the
Yankees； altogether to the superior solidity of the Egyptian skull。〃
〃I confess again；〃 replied the Count； with much suavity； 〃that I am
somewhat at a loss to comprehend you； pray； to what particulars of science
do you allude？〃
Here our whole party； joining voices； detailed； at great length； the
assumptions of phrenology and the marvels of animal magnetism。
Having heard us to an end； the Count proceeded to relate a few anecdotes；
which rendered it evident that prototypes of Gall and Spurzheim had
flourished and faded in Egypt so long ago as to have been nearly
forgotten； and that the manoeuvres of Mesmer were really very contemptible
tricks when put in collation with the positive miracles of the Theban
savans； who created lice and a great many other similar things。
I here asked the Count if his people were able to calculate eclipses。 He
smiled rather contemptuously； and said they were。
This put me a little out； but I began to make other inquiries in regard to
his astronomical knowledge； when a member of the company； who had never as
yet opened his mouth； whispered in my ear； that for information on this
head； I had better consult Ptolemy （whoever Ptolemy is）； as well as one
Plutarch de facie lunae。
I then questioned the Mummy about burning…glasses and lenses； and； in
general； about the manufacture of glass； but I had not made an end of my
queries before the silent member again touched me quietly on the elbow；
and begged me for God's sake to take a peep at Diodorus Siculus。 As for
the Count； he merely asked me； in the way of reply； if we moderns
possessed any such microscopes as would enable us to cut cameos in the
style of the Egyptians。 While I was thinking how I should answer this
question； little Doctor Ponnonner committed h