. So
since then Pharaoh has found it better to trust in his strong walls, and
in the big broadswords of his faithful Sardinian guardsmen, than in any
divinity that may belong to himself.

Within the great boundary wall lie pleasant gardens, gay with all sorts
of flowers, and an artificial lake shows its gleaming water here and
there through the trees and shrubs. The palace itself is all glittering
white stucco on the outside. A high central door leads into a great
audience hall, glowing with colour, its roof supported by painted
pillars in the form of lotus-stalks; and on either side of this lie two
smaller halls. Behind the audience chamber are two immense
dining-rooms, and behind these come the sleeping apartments of the
numerous household. Ramses has a multitude of wives, and a whole army of
sons and daughters, and it takes no small space to house them all. The
bedroom of the great King himself stands apart from the other rooms, and
is surrounded by banks of flowers in full bloom.

The Son of the Sun has had a busy day already. He has had many letters
and despatches to read and consider. Some of the Syrian vassal-princes
have sent clay tablets, covered with their curious arrow-headed writing,
giving news of the advance of the Hittites, and imploring the help of
the Egyptian army; and now the King is about to give audience, and to
consider these with his great nobles and Generals. At one end of the
reception hall stands a low balcony, supported on gaily-painted wooden
pillars which end in capitals of lotus-flowers. The front of this
balcony is overlaid with gold, and richly decorated with turquoise and
lapis lazuli. Here the King will show himself to his subjects,
accompanied by his favourite wife, Queen Nefertari, and some of the
young Princes and Princesses. The folding doors of the audience chamber
are thrown open, and the barons, the provincial governors, and the high
officers of the army and the State throng in to do homage to their
master.

[Illustration]

In a few moments the glittering crowd is duly arranged, a door opens at
the back of the balcony, and the King of the Two Lands, Lord of the
Vulture and the Snake, steps forth with his Queen and family. In earlier
times, whenever the King appeared, the assembled nobles were expected to
fall on their faces and kiss the ground before him. Fashion has
changed, however, and now the great folks, at all events, are no longer
required to "smell the earth." As Pha