220 PROFESSIONAL INSTITUTIONS. 



priests in place of courtiers. Why is this? There appear 

 to be two reasons, of which perhaps one is primary and the 

 other secondary. We have seen ( 100) that among the 

 Negro peoples in general, ideas about life after death, where 

 they exist, are undeveloped. The notion is that the double 

 of the dead man does not long remain extant: when there 

 are no longer any dreams about him he is supposed to have 

 perished finally. Consequently, propitiation of his ghost 

 does not grow into a cult, as where there has arisen the no 

 tion that he is immortal. And then, possibly because of this, 

 African kingdoms are but temporary. It is remarked that 

 from time to time there arises some great chief who con 

 quers and unites neighbouring tribes, and so forms a king 

 dom; but that after a generation or two this ordinarily dis 

 solves again. We have seen how powerful an aid to con 

 solidation and permanence is the supposed supernatural 

 power of a deceased ruler; and hence it appears not improb 

 able that the lack of this belief in an immortal god, and con 

 sequent lack of the established worship of one, is a chief 

 cause of the transitory nature of the African monarchies. 



678. This supposition harmonizes with the facts pre 

 sented to us by ancient civilized societies, in which, along 

 with praises of the living ruler, there went more elaborate 

 praises of the dead and deified ruler. 



Egypt furnishes instances of poetic laudations of both. 

 Preceding a eulogy of Seti I, it is written : 



&quot;The priests, the great ones, and the most distinguished men of 

 South and North Egypt have arrived to praise the divine benefactor 

 on his return from the land of Ruthen.&quot; Then follows a song &quot;in 

 praise of the king and in glorification of his fame.&quot; 

 So, too, Ramses II is glorified in &quot; the heroic poem of the 

 priest Pentaur.&quot; In the eighteenth dynasty we see the two 

 functions united. 



&quot;An unknown poet, out of the number of the holy fathers, felt 

 himself inspired to sing in measured words the glory of the king 

 [Thutmes III], and the might and grandeur of the god Amon.&quot; 



