“In a marvellously strange way, therefore, are grouped into this woman’s life these various things.  The number seven; the Pole Star, with the constellation of seven stars; the God of the month, Hathor, who was her own particular God, the God of her family, the Antefs of the Theban Dynasty, whose Kings’ symbol it was, and whose seven forms ruled love and the delights of life and resurrection.  If ever there was ground for magic; for the power of symbolism carried into mystic use; for a belief in finites spirits in an age which knew not the Living God, it is here.

“Remember, too, that this woman was skilled in all the science of her time.  Her wise and cautious father took care of that, knowing that by her own wisdom she must ultimately combat the intrigues of the Hierarchy.  Bear in mind that in old Egypt the science of Astronomy began and was developed to an extraordinary height; and that Astrology followed Astronomy in its progress.  And it is possible that in the later developments of science with regard to light rays, we may yet find that Astrology is on a scientific basis.  Our next wave of scientific thought may deal with this.  I shall have something special to call your minds to on this point presently.  Bear in mind also that the Egyptians knew sciences, of which today, despite all our advantages, we are profoundly ignorant.  Acoustics, for instance, an exact science with the builders of the temples of Karnak, of Luxor, of the Pyramids, is today a mystery to Bell, and Kelvin, and Edison, and Marconi.  Again, these old miracle-workers probably understood some practical way of using other forces, and amongst them the forces of light that at present we do not dream of.  But of this matter I shall speak later.  That Magic Coffer of Queen Tera is probably a magic box in more ways than one.  It may—­possibly it does—­contain forces that we wot not of.  We cannot open it; it must be closed from within.  How then was it closed?  It is a coffer of solid stone, of amazing hardness, more like a jewel than an ordinary marble, with a lid equally solid; and yet all is so finely wrought that the finest tool made today cannot be inserted under the flange.  How was it wrought to such perfection?  How was the stone so chosen that those translucent patches match the relations of the seven stars of the constellation?  How is it, or from what cause, that when the starlight shines on it, it glows from within—­that when I fix the lamps in similar form the glow grows greater still; and yet the box is irresponsive to ordinary light however great?  I tell you that that box hides some great mystery of science.  We shall find that the light will open it in some way:  either by striking on some substance, sensitive in a peculiar way to its effect, or in releasing some greater power.  I only trust that in our ignorance we may not so bungle things as to do harm to its mechanism; and so deprive the knowledge of our time of a lesson handed down, as by a miracle, through nearly five thousand years.