existence in this world, and the world itself.  At length the spirit of the primeval water felt the desire for creative activity, and having uttered the word, the world sprang straightway into being in the form which had already been depicted in the mind of the spirit before he spake the word which resulted in its creation.  The next act of creation, was the formation of a germ, or egg, from which sprang R[=a], the Sun-god, within whose shining form was embodied the almighty power of the divine spirit.

Such was the outline of creation as described by the late Dr. H. Brugsch, and it is curious to see how closely his views coincide with a chapter in the Papyrus of Nesi Amsu preserved in the British Museum. [Footnote:  No. 10,188.  See my transcript and translation of the whole papyrus in Archaeologia vol. 52, London, 1801.] In the third section of this papyrus we find a work which was written with the sole object of overthrowing [=A]pep, the great enemy of R[=a], and in the composition itself we find two versions of the chapter which describes the creation of the earth and all things therein.  The god Neb-er-tcher is the speaker, and he says:—­

“I evolved the evolving of evolutions.  I evolved myself under the form of the evolutions of the god Khepera, which were evolved at the beginning of all time.  I evolved with the evolutions of the god Khepera; I evolved by the evolution of evolutions—­that is to say, I developed myself from the primeval matter which I made, I developed myself out of the primeval matter.  My name is Ausares (Osiris), the germ of primeval matter.  I have wrought my will wholly in this earth, I have spread abroad and filled it, I have strengthened it [with] my hand.  I was alone, for nothing had been brought forth; I had not then emitted from myself either Shu or Tefnut.  I uttered my own name, as a word of power, from my own mouth, and I straightway evolved myself.  I evolved myself under the form of the evolutions of the god Khepera, and I developed myself out of the primeval matter which has evolved multitudes of evolutions from the beginning of time.  Nothing existed on this earth then, and I made all things.  There was none other who worked with me at that time.  I performed all evolutions there by means of that divine Soul which I fashioned there, and which had remained inoperative in the watery abyss.  I found no place there whereon to stand.  But I was strong in my heart, and I made a foundation for myself, and I made everything which was made.  I was alone.  I made a foundation for my heart (or will), and I created multitudes of things which evolved themselves like unto the evolutions of the god Khepera, and their offspring came into being from the evolutions of their births.  I emitted from myself the gods Shu and Tefnut, and from being One I became Three; they [Illustration:  THE CREATION.  The god Nu rising out of the primeval water and bearing in his hands the boat of R[=a], the Sun-god,