PREFACE. EGYPT has for many years past furnish ed such constant occupation to the printing presses of I believe it may be said all literary Europe, and given employment to the pens of so many authors of acknowledged talents and learning, that the publication of a light work on that country would certainly, under ordinary circumstances, subject its writer to the charge of presumption. Such, however, since the re-appearance of that ancient kingdom in the political world, is the interest attached to every thing relating to it, that, even though the harvest of the antiquary should be considered as satisfactorily got in and shelved, yet a gleaning of matters deemed unworthy of falling under the sickles of my |