made most difficult by variations and revisions; but I think I have shown, in spite of the alterations made by later authors who misunderstood the ancient methods of myth-makers, that the old myth was, in the eyes of its authors, not a story of individuals and their achievements, but an embodiment of truths much higher and more exact than those which could be conveyed in a narrative history, and that it was to them a solemn statement of truth in its best sense, as representing the accumulated wisdom of all their tribal ancestors. This symbolism was entirely unintelligible to the later revisionists, who lived in a time when history was assuming the narrative form, and who consequently thought that, historically, myths must, like a history written by themselves, contain the stories of individuals who really lived on earth.

But when the methods and objects of the myth are really understood, we see at once that the people, whose past I have tried to review, possessed all the characteristics laid down in Renan's definition. They spoke widely-extended languages, and had a recorded history, religion, and legislation, for governments of extensive countries could not be carried on without definite laws; while their literature, though it was not written in alphabetical characters, set forth the teachings of the past and the records of the present in signs, and sacred numbers, which, to seeing eyes and understanding ears, told their story much more clearly and certainly than written statements could do. While in their mythic tales they possessed a literature which interested all hearers, remained permanently fixed in the popular mind, and kept alive the remembrance of the deeds, and the instructions of their tribal ancestors.

ART. XV.-The History of the Mosque of Amr at Old Cairo. By EUSTACE K. CORBETT.

SUMMARY OF CONTENTS.

I.-Mosque of present day: surroundings, plan and general description. What, why, and how, we are going to write, pp. 759-764.

II. The original Mosque of Amr: history of its foundation; its plan, and its use (illustrated by sermon of Amr), pp. 764–770.

III.-History of Mosque in detail, pp. 770-796.

(a) Period of growth, A H 21-212, pp. 771-778.

(b) Period of elaboration, A.H. 212-568, pp. 778-781.

(c) Period of decay, A.H. 568-now; including the modern legends of the Mosque, and description of present details not included in introductory section, pp. 781-796.

IV.-General results of inquiry, pp. 797-800.

I. MOSQUE OF THE PRESENT DAY, etc.

THE traveller in Egypt who wishes to visit the Mosque of Amr may now leave Cairo either by train or carriage, and step out in the immediate neighbourhood. But he who prefers the most picturesque and interesting route will either ride or walk, and taking the street which runs parallel to the Khalig, or Canal of Cairo, will pass out of the town by the gate of Sayyida Zeinab. Following the road past the picturesque little Mosque of Zein al Abidin, he will pass under the Aqueduct, and proceed along the track which leads him through a country of mounds and dust-heaps past the Mosque of Abu-s-Suūd to the N.' front of the building

1 To avoid confusion, I have adopted throughout the terms of orientation as given by Al-Makrizy. He treats the Kibla side of the Mosque (i.e. that supposed to be directed towards Mekka) as south; and names the other sides accordingly. As a matter of fact. the axis of the mihrab points as near as possible S E. by E.: and therefore it would of course be nearer to the facts to call it E.; but the confusion it would introduce in following our authority through the history would be considerable, while real accuracy would not be obtained. The plans are therefore all marked according to Al-Makrizy's system, and all references to the points of the compass are to be understood in this sense. The correct orientation is also indicated outside Plan I.

which he seeks (see Plan I.). Here let him ascend the mound which lies outside the huts by which the façade of the Mosque is shut in, and, facing towards them, take a general view of the scene. To his left he looks over a dusty space of comparatively low-lying ground, to the Aqueduct under which he passed twenty minutes ago; on his left front the citadel of Cairo stands out in the distance beyond a large expanse of high dust-mounds. Straight before him is the Mosque, but he can see little of it excepting the higher part of the two minarets, the mass of huts shutting out the view of the low walls; but behind the Mosque, at some two miles' distance, the limestone cliffs of Mukattam gleam in the sunshine while further to the right the eye rests on a dusty height crowned by disused windmills. If he turns round, he will see on his right front the Coptic Monastery of Abu Seifein, with its domes and palm-trees; straight in front of him, after a few hundred yards of dusty plain, rise graceful groves of palms and other trees: while to the left front is an intricate mass of common houses, forming part of the village of Old Cairo, with a minaret or two peeping out from amongst them, and showing where the narrow streets contain a mosque.

Descending from the mound, let us enter the cluster of huts by a door towards the right-hand corner of the Mosque, and pass through them, casting a glance on the way at the potters making earthenware bottles. We can now see part of the façade of the Mosque :-a low wall of baked brick, plastered and whitewashed: excessively irregular, not containing a single straight line: shored up at intervals by buttresses, and showing every sign of continual patching and restoration. Directly in front of us is the chief door of the Mosque, with a great buttress immediately to its right; above it is a small pointed arch to lighten the weight, and the whole is surmounted by an octagonal minaret rising from a square base and ending above its gallery in a cylindrical top with a conical cap. Going on towards the left, we come to a niche in the wall, with remains of stucco ornamentation (see illustration): and just beyond this another door, which,