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