Page:Men of the Time, eleventh edition.djvu/383

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She is also author of a Histonr of Our Lord," and the " Life of John Gibson, B.A/' Lady Eastlake has been an occasional contributor to the Qtuirterly and Edinburgh Reviews, and two of her contributions on "Dress" and "Music" have been reprinted in "Murray's Home and Colonial Library."

EBEBS, Gbobq, orientalist and novelist, born at Berlin, 1st March, 1837. His father, a banker, having died before the birth of his son, the latter received his early instruction from his mother, and subsequently studied in FrObel's school at Eeil- hau. On entering the University of Gdttingen he at first applied himself to the study of jurispru- dence, but on removing to Berlin he gave the preference to oriental, philosophical, and arch»oloeical studies. Finally, he began to draw the limits of his researches still closer by making Egyptology his central study. At the termination of his academical career he visited the principal museums of Egyptian antiquities in Europe. In 1865, he establidied himself at Jena as a private tutor for the Egyptian lan- guage and antiquities, and in 1870 he was called as professor to Leip- zig, where he has since remamed. Apart from his scientific services, his thesis on obtaining the degree of Doctor "On the Twenty-sixth Egyptian Dynasty," and his larger work on " Eeypt and the Books of Moses," and his " Scientific Jour- ney to Egypt" (1869-70), were the cause of ms promotion to that Chair. In his second journey to Egypt in 1872-73, he succeeded in discovering the Papyrus E, which was subsequently named after him. This Papyrus, although its contents primarily relate to m^cal subjects, is very important on account of the insight it gives into the language and culture of the ancient Egyp- tians. Ebers also discovered the important biographical inscription of the " Amen em Neb." In 1876, he had a severe attack of jMuralysis

which still nre vents him from walk ing. To this illness the furthe development of his literary activii*; is miunly attributable, for sino the state of his health incapaci tated him from pursuing mor< serious studies, he sought for an< obtained a means of recreation an< agreeable occupation in imagiTia tive composition. This was th( origin of "Uarda, a Bomance o Ancient Egypt" (1877), which lik< several of Ebers' other works, ha been translated into English b^ Clara Bell. This was the seconc of his works of fiction based upoi facts in the history of Egypt, fo he had previously, in 1864, pub lished " An Egyptian Princess,' which has been translated int4 English by E. Gtrove, and whicl gives, in the attractive form of t romance, a description of popula life in Egypt about the time o the Persian war of conquest. Thi extraordinary success achieved b^ " Uarda," the design of which wa based upon an epoch exteudinf back to the most remote period and which obtained effect by th< cleverly used and fully developec charm of the grey mists of anti quity, induced the author to tun his Egyptian studies still furthe: to account for literary purposes He composed in succession " Hom< Sum," a novel (1878); " Thi Sisters," a romance (1880) j anc "The Emperor" (1881), the seem of all these works being laid ii Egypt. Meanwhile, Ebers did no neglect the acquisition of solic learning. It is true Uiat his splen did work on " Egypt— descriptive historical, and picturesque" (1878 English translation, by Clara Bell wiiSi introduction and notes by Dr Birch, 1880) is of a popular cha racter, as are also his previous publi cation "Through Goschen to Sinai ' (1872), and his work, written in col laboration with Guthe, on " Pales tine — descriptive, historical, an<] pictures<]|ue '^ (1881) . On the othei luuid, his numerous articles ii