The Book of the Dead

At a time when 'book-making' flourishes as it does, it would notbe surprising to hear of the appearance, either in England orAmerica, of a new translation of the Book of the Dead. It is neteven necessary that the enterprising author of such a translationshould know the Egyptian language. By dint of skilful plagiarismsfrom existing translations, English and foreign, a man may withoutknowing Greek compile a new version of the Homeric poems.Why may not the same process be applied to the Book of theDead? By a judicious blending of the versions of de Rouge,Pierret, Deveria, Lefebure, Guyesse and others who might bementioned, a very plausible translation of the Book of the Deadmight be composed. The impudent jackdaw of the fable wouldstrut with borrowed plumes; or, to take the illustration fromanother fable, the ass would go forth under the cover of the lion'sskin, and impose upon all who failed to discern the long earsoccasionally protruding. To all real scholars a translation worthyof the name is a task which cannot possibly be executed untilcertain difficulties have been overcome, the solution of whichrequires very mature thought and research extending, to say theleast, over very many years. It speaks well for the training of thenumerous young students of Egyptology in France and Germanythat no attempts in this direction have hitherto been made.