44 A MILITARY EXODUS. 



the new kings ; for a short time the arts again became 

 alive. Psammiticus retained the soldiers who had 

 fought his battles ; and sent children to the camp to 

 be taught Greek. Hence rose a class who acted as 

 brokers, interpreters, and ciceroni to the travellers who 

 soon crowded into Egypt. The king encouraged such 

 visits, and gave safe-conducts to those who desired to 

 pass into the interior. 



All this was a cause of deep offence to the people 

 of the land. They regarded their country as a temple, 

 and all strangers as impure. And now they saw men 

 whose swords had been reddened with Egj'ptian blood, 

 swaggering as conquerors through the streets, pointing 

 with derision at the sacred animals, eating things 

 strangled and unclean. The warriors were those who 

 suffered most. As a caste, they still survived, but all 

 their power and prestige was gone. In battle, the 

 foreigners were assigned the post of honour — the 

 right wing. In times of peace, the foreigners were 

 the favourite regiments, the household troops, the 

 Guards. While the Royals lived merrily at Sais 

 crowned with garlands of the papyrus, and revelling at 

 banquets to the music of the flute, the native troops 

 were stationed on the hot and dismal frontiers of the 

 desert ; year followed year, and they were not relieved. 

 Such a state of things was no longer to be borne. 

 One king had robbed them of their lands, and now 

 another had robbed them of their honour. They were 

 no longer soldiers, they were slaves ; they determined 

 to leave the country in which they were despised, and 

 to seek a better fortune in Soudan. In number, two 

 hundred thousand, they gathered themselves together 

 and began their march. 



They were soon overtaken by envoys from the 



