now-white
garments of the aged priest, were calculated to fill a stranger not only
with wonder, but with a species of awe.

The old man received the prince with much affection, and asked:

"What brings my illustrious son to the poor servant of the Deity?"

"I have much to report to thee, my father;" answered Psamtik with a
triumphant smile, "for I come in this moment from Amasis."

"Then he has at length granted thee an audience?"

"At length!"

"Thy countenance tells me that thou hast been favorably received by our
lord, thy father."

"After having first experienced his wrath. For, when I laid before him
the petition with which thou hadst entrusted me, he was exceeding wroth
and nearly crushed me by his awful words."

"Thou hadst surely grieved him by thy language. Didst thou approach him
as I advised thee, with lowliness, as a son humbly beseeching his
father?"

"No, my father, I was irritated and indignant."

"Then was Amasis right to be wrathful, for never should a son meet his
father in anger; still less when he hath a request to bring before him.
Thou know'st the promise, 'The days of him that honoreth his father shall
be many.'

[This Egyptian command hears a remarkable resemblance to the fifth
in the Hebrew decalogue, both having a promise annexed. It occurs
in the Prisse Papyrus, the most ancient sacred writing extant.]

In this one thing, my scholar, thou errest always; to gain thine ends
thou usest violence and roughness, where good and gentle words would more
surely prevail. A kind word hath far more power than an angry one, and
much may depend on the way in which a man ordereth his speech. Hearken to
that which I will now relate. In former years there was a king in Egypt
named Snefru, who ruled in Memphis. And it came to pass that he dreamed,
and in his dream his teeth fell out of his mouth. And he sent for the
soothsayers and told them the dream. The first interpreter answered: 'Woe
unto thee, O king, all thy kinsmen shall die before thee!' Then was
Snefru wroth, caused this messenger of evil to be scourged, and sent for
a second interpreter. He answered: 'O king, live for ever, thy life shall
be longer than the life of thy kinsmen and the men of thy house!' Then
the king smiled and gave presents unto this interpreter, for though the
interpretations were one, yet he had understood to clothe his message in
a web of fair and pleasant words. Apprehendest thou? then hearken to my
voice,