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whose origin and history are lost in the lapse of ages. Dur-
ing the brighter periods of Egyptian greatness, we are as-
sured that they regarded the teeth with peculiar attention ;
and that our art was carried to a considerable extent in Mem-
phis, their ancient capital ; and was thence diffused to the
surrounding nations. The written records of the customs,
habits, history, and learning of the Egyptians, were nearly
all lost when their grand library was burned at Alexandria,
A. D. 860, by which about 700,000 volumes of ancient wri-
tings were lost to the learned world ; and, with them, near-
ly all traces of the learning and ancient history of the Egyp-
tians : save what is to be found in detached fragments of
authors, inferred from their public works, or gathered in the ex-
planation of obscure hieroglyphics. Among the Hebrews many
phenomena connected with the teeth were well understood
;
and their regularity and healthy state considered as peculiarly
necessary in the perfection of beauty. Solomon in compli-
menting an illustrious woman, and in admiration of those
charms, conferred by a beautiful set of teeth, says : " Your
teeth are like a flock of sheep, that are even shorn, which
come up from the washing ; whereof every one bear
" twins, and none are barren among them."* At once con-
veying to us an idea of a full and perfect set of regular,
even, and clean teeth, by a figure as delicate, chaste, and
lovely, as any that the customs or peculiarities of that pasto-
ral people, could afford. He likewise seemed well aware
that the loss of the teeth often occurred in old age for, in
;
remarking the characteristics of the decline of life, among
others he says ; " The grinders cease because they are few."
The Hebrew writers appear to have clearly understood, that,
in some animals, their teeth gave to them a hideous and

* See Canticles of Solomon, Chap.
iv. verse 2.