The book of fate, formerly in the possession of Napoleon ... / now first rendered in to English from a German translation of an ancient Egyptian manuscript found in ... 1801 by M. Sonnini in one of the royal tombs near Mount Libycus, in Upper Egypt. By H. Kirchenhoffer.

Date:
1825
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The book of fate, formerly in the possession of Napoleon ... / now first rendered in to English from a German translation of an ancient Egyptian manuscript found in ... 1801 by M. Sonnini in one of the royal tombs near Mount Libycus, in Upper Egypt. By H. Kirchenhoffer. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Xll Kegarding the personal application of the cibove answers (except the last, of which I shall speak presently,) to the late Emperor, there can he no difference of opinion : this is too obvious to admit of a mo- ment’s discussion; indeed, I have been confidently informed, that when he aspired to the imperial throne, he was actually transported' with rapture and amazement, when he read the words contained in the Answer to Question 8, viz. “ Thou shalt meet with many ob- stacles, but at length thou shalt attain the highest earthly power and honour.” In the second Answer to Question 15, that is, the last which I have quoted from the Emperor’s list, the reader will perceive that the Autocrat of Russia is indicated; but whether the words have any direct reference to what passed before the treaty of Tilsit, or to any fu- ture boundaries which have been, or may be, opposed to Russian aggran- disement, is not equally certain. At all events, it must be allowed, that Napoleon’s invasion of the Russian territory clearly proves that his own sentiments were in entire accordance with the latter suo’- gestion. It had been a happy circumstance for Napoleon, had he uniformly abided, or been ruled by answers to many other questions, which he was in the habit of putting to the Oracle, and which, doubtless, fore- warned him of danger, and, most probably, of his downfall: but he was so accustomed, from a long series of success in almost every pur- suit which he undertook, to look on the bright side of every cir- cumstance, that, to a mind like his, such forewarnings were not likely to be productive of that salutary restraint which some of his specula- tions required. As instances of the lamentable effects of this want of confidence in the oracular counsels contained in the following Work, I may adduce the battle of Leipzic itself, and the fatal consequences of the RuS'Sian campaign, viz. the conflagration of Moscow, the destruction of his brave army, and, hnally, the abdication of a sceptre which he was long accustomed to wave over the heads of those very monarchs who now compelled him to relinquish it. To return to the subject of the Manusadpts themselves:—What became of the wiginal Papyrus is not known, but it is supposed