friends, by an excursion in a pleasure-boat kept for the purpose. But, like the Orientals of the present day, or like people of the continent of Europe, who are incapable of understanding how the English can row for their amusement, the Egyptians were contented to sit or stand in the boat, while their servants towed it round the lake; and, protected from the sun by a canopy, they felt additional pleasure in the contrast of their own ease with the labour of their menials. They also amused themselves by angling, and spearing fish in the ponds within their grounds; and on these occasions they were generally accompanied by a friend, or one or more members of their family. The mode of laying out the house and grounds varied according to circumstances. Some villas were of considerable extent, and, besides the arable land belonging to them, the gardens occupied a very large space, as did the offices and other buildings attached to the house. Some large mansions appear to have been ornamented with propyla and obelisks, like the temples themselves; it is even possible that part of the building may have been consecrated to religious purposes, as the chapels of other countries, since we find a priest engaged in presenting offerings at the door of the inner chambers; and, indeed, but from the presence of women, the form of the garden, and the style of the porch, we should feel disposed to consider it a temple rather than a place of abode.* * Vide wood-cut, No. 116. The entrances of large villas were generally through folding gates, standing between lofty towers, as in the propylæa of temples*, with a small door at each side; and others had merely folding gates with imposts surmounted by a cornice. A No. 117. 2 Small entrances to villas. 3 Alabastron. wall of circuit extended round the premises; but the courts of the house, the garden, the offices, and all the other parts of the villa, had each their separate inclosure. The walls were usually built of crude brick; and in damp places, or when within reach of the inundation, the lower part was strengthened by a basement of stone. They were sometimes ornamented with panels and grooved lines t, generally stuccoed; and the summit was crowned either with Egyptian battlements, the usual cornice, a row of spikes in imitation of spear heads, or with some fancy ornament. fig. 1. 2 No. 118. Walls crowned with spikes. Alabastron and Thebes. * Vide elevation and plan of villa, plates 8. and 9. Those villas, or castles, belonging to the kings, which stood on the high road, where they were Thebes. accustomed to pass either in their hunting or military expeditions, were small and simple, being only intended for their reception during the short stay of a few days; but those erected in an enemy's country may rather be looked upon as forts, than as simple mansions. Many, however, in provinces at a distance from Egypt, were of very large dimensions, and had probably all the conveniences of spacious villas; like those erected in later times by the Ptolemies, on the confines of Abyssinia. * In order to give an idea of the extent of some of their villas, it will be necessary to describe the plan and arrangement of the different parts. About the centre of the wall of circuit was the main entrance, and two side gates, leading to an open walk shaded by rows of trees. Here were spacious tanks of water, which faced the door of the right and left wing of the house, and between them an avenue led from the main entrance to the stables, and to what may be called the centre of the mansion. After passing the outer door of the right wing, you entered an open court with trees, extending quite round a nucleus of inner apartments, and having a back entrance communicating with the garden. On the right and left of this court were six or more storerooms, a small receiving or waiting room at two of the corners, and at the other end the staircases which led to the upper story. Both of the inner façades were furnished with a corridor, supported on columns, with similar towers and gateways. The interior of this wing consisted of twelve rooms, two outer and one centre court, communicating by * Vide Plates 8. and 9. |