324 



KNOWLEDGE 



[Oct. U, 



what they seem to W ; and it is proverV)ial that the eye of 

 man is an organ tliat is easily deceived. It is certainly, at 

 pit»s«nt, an agreeable kind of illusion which makes us see 

 the horse as we do see it, and not as tlie photo plate sees 

 and records it. 



It is possible, however, that in the future, now that the 

 photograph points out so many forms and motions that 

 have escaped our attention, we may be able to sharpen our 

 eyes, and hereafter to see things about the horse to which 

 heretofore we have been blind. And it may come to pass 

 that all those singular attitudes shown in the lower part of 

 our illustration, which now seem so absurd and awkward, 

 will become endowed with grace and lieauty in our minds, 

 while the old forms will be dismissed as untruthful and 

 therefore ugly. — Scientijic American Supplement. 



WAS RAMESES IT. THE PHARAOH 

 OF THE OPPRESSION ? 



Bv Ameli.\ B. Edwards. 



XI.— I'A-RAMESES (Continued). 



THE letter last quoted, announcing the advent of Me- 

 nephthah at Pa-Ranieses, was addressed by the Scribe 

 Amenemapt to the Scribe PanViesa. We are now about to 

 read a letter from the Scribe Panbesa to the Scribe Amen- 

 emapt This document also forms part of No. III. of the 

 Anastasi papyri It has been translated into French by 

 MM. Chabas (I.'*C4) and Maspero (1S72); and more re- 

 cently into English by the late C. W. Goodwin (see 

 "Records of the Pa.st," vol. vi , 1S7G). It was also in 

 part deciphered by the Rev. J. Dunbar Heath as far back 

 as !!<.'>.-.. 



The letter of Panljesa is a very remarkable production. 

 It is, in the Egyptian sense, a poem. Tliat is to say, it is 

 phrased and divided into short lines like the Hebrew Psalms. 

 Red dots are pliiced above certain words to show where the 

 lines W'gin. The style is thoroughly Oriental ; and, not- 

 withstanding the ages which separate us from the literary 

 public of the XlXth Dynasty, we are yet able to appre- 

 ciate its florid and somewliat hyperbolical beauty. By the 

 Egyptians of that time, it wa-s evidently regarded as a 

 classic ; the document in the Anastasi papyri forming part 

 of a transcriljed collection of choice pieces. Also, it was 

 not a boiui-fiih letter, in the sense of a private communi- 

 cation. It was a literary letter ; a composition addressed, 

 by way of dedication, to a superior, and intended for cir- 

 culation among people of culture. It is not, however, as 

 a specimen of Kgv'ptian style, but as a topographical docu- 

 ment, that the letter of Panbesa is especially valuable to 

 our inquiry. 



The document, I should observe, is greatly mutilated ; 

 and most of the fruits, flowers, and fishes mentioned in the 

 course of the poem are unknown to us under their Egyp- 

 tian names. Where these are explained, the explanations 

 are chiefly borrowed from Dr. Birch's foot-notes to Mr. 

 Goodwin's translation. The text is ba.<!ed principally on 

 Mr. Goodwin's version, with some aid from that of Pro- 

 fessor Maspero. The date of the composition may be con- 

 fidently assigned to the reign of Rameses II. ; probably 

 towards the end of his long career, the writer being the 

 same scriVie, Paiil>f:sa, with whom the same scribe, Amen- 

 emapt, wa.5 in corresjKjndence during the reign of 

 Menephthah, the successor of Rameses II. The poem 

 would seem to have l>een composed in celebration of the 

 Royal visit to Pa- Rameses. 



The Letter of Pandksa. 



The Roribo Puiibosn greets liis Lord, tlio Scribo Amonenmpt, to 



wlioin bo life, lionltb, and sircngtb ! 

 This is sent for the informntion of my Lord. 

 This is for my Lord's pleasure. 

 When I arrived nt I'a-Kamksks Mf.r-amen 

 I found nil in good order, beiiiitiful, peerless; 

 Like the foundations of Tlicboa, 

 Where to live is linppiness. 

 Its fields are filled with delicious things; 

 It is provisioned daily (") with good food ; 

 Its tanks are stocked with fish, and its 

 I'onds with wator-fowl ; 

 Its meadows are fat with pasture; 

 With tho tuftod Ates (*) blossom, 

 And the Tenraka (') plant, sweet like honey, 

 Which grows in tho fields of tlio water-wheels. 

 Its threshing-floors are piled to tho skios 

 With wheat and bnrloy. 

 Leeks grow in tho beds ; 

 Gourds on tho trellis; 



Grapes, and olives, and figs in tho orchard. 

 There is sweet wino of Khemi ('') 

 Far above honey. 



There are red Utu (') fish from the river of lilies ; 

 Speckled mullet from the tanks; 



X'oprunf') fish from tho river Puhartii (Euphrates); 

 IIan:>ta(') fish from tho canals of Aanekht('). 

 Tho Pool of Horus gives salt ; 

 Lake riihura(-'') gives nitre. 

 Its galleys come and go in the port. 

 Kichca and provisions abound daily therein. 

 Gladness abides with those who dwell in it ; 

 None dispraise it. 



Tho lessor folk arc there equal with the pioat folk. 

 Come, let us celebrate its heavenly festivals 

 And its season-holidays! 



The papyrus-marsh is gay with iUnhu {") blossoms. 

 Tho Pool of Horus is covered with flowers of Asi (*) ; 

 There are Sabnra (') flowers from the Arboretum ; 

 Garlands from the vineyards ; 

 Wild-fowl from the inundated lands. 



Tho coast-men of the sea bring cols, and the AhIi Alu (''). 

 Tho maidens of Aauekht (*) arc in holiday attire every day. 

 Their locks are rodoler.t of perfunicil oil ; 

 They stand in their doorways, 

 Their hands full of nosegays 

 And of green boughs of Pu-fTathor ('), 

 And garlands of Lake I'ahura, 

 On the day of the entry of 



liA-t'SKII-MA SOTKr-KN-llA, 



The Mcntu (*) of tho Two Lands ('), 



The morning of the Feast of Choiak ("') ! 



And everj- man is like his neighbour. 



Making his ])ctition. 



Oh, the sweet drinks of Annekht ! 



Its pomegranate-wine is like flame ; 



Its syrups are flavoured with 



Carob-frnit surpassing honey. 



Beer of Kati is brought to the port ; 



Wine comes from the vineyards ; 



Sweet oil from Sakabami ; (") 



Garlands from the arbours. 



The sweet singers of Aanekht 



Are of the school of Memphis. (°) 



Joy reigns and prevails tlioro 



Uninterruptedly. 



llA-lHKH-MA KoTBP-EN-Ra 



(To whom life, health, and strength !). 



The Mentu of tho two Lands, 



Haueses Meu-Ahkn 



Ir its God ! 



NoTKB. — (°) Meaning that it had a daily market. (') Unknown. 

 (') Probably cucumber, or melon. (■*) Egypt. (') Tho eanals of 

 the neighbourhood ; Aanekht being ono of tho names of J'a- 

 Kamcpcs. (/) One of tho Hitler (or natron) lakes in the Isthmus 

 of Kuez. (') A flow«r with red and violet jietalH. (') Apparently 

 a kind of water-plant. (') Aanekht, i.»., Pa-liamcses. Heo above. 

 (i) Tho abode, or temple, of Ilathor; meaning, probably, boughs 

 from the «iw;red enclosure of that temple. (*) Mi:ntu, the Mars, or 

 war-god, of Egypt. (') Upjjer and Lower Egypt. ("■) Choiak, 

 the fourth month of the season of inundation. (") Unknown 

 locality. (") The ifemj>/it'>de»j5«e(i(e of tho Latin authors. 



