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WE approach modern days. When, a little over a century ago, Napoleon dreamed of conquering the world, he led an expedition from France into Egypt. The youngest and newest nation was to begin its career of conquest by taking possession of the oldest. The Mamelukes met Napoleon in the noted "battle of the Pyramids," and were defeated. Then the new conqueror paused to look about him before continuing his warfare. He had brought with his army another and equally potent force, a company of scientists. These began with eagerness the exploration of the stupendous monuments of ancient Egypt which surrounded them on every side. They discovered the "Rosetta stone," from which we have learned to decipher the Egyptian hieroglyphics. Indeed, all our modern knowledge of the wonders of Egyptian antiquity had its beginning with the expedition of Napoleon. His scientists exhumed for him the mummies of some of the mightiest Pharaohs, and so, as in our picture, the modern military hero found himself face to face with some of his earliest prototypes. Perchance the view of what they, despite all their power, had become, may have given him some thought of the futility of his own career. |
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