e enemies of Egypt. His finely-shaped, swarthy features
are adorned, or disfigured, by an artificial beard, which is fastened on
by a strap passing up in front of the ears. His tall slender body is
covered, above his corselet, with a robe of fine white linen, a perfect
wonder of pleating; and round his waist passes a girdle of gold and
green enamel, whose ends cross and hang down almost to his knees,
terminating in two threatening cobra heads (Plate 4 and Cover Picture).
On either side of him run the fan-bearers, who manage, by a miracle of
skill and activity, to keep their great gaily-coloured fans of perfumed
ostrich feathers waving round the royal head even as they run.

Behind the King comes a long train of other chariots, only less splendid
than that of Ramses. In the first stands Queen Nefertari, languidly
sniffing at a lotus-flower as she passes on. The others are filled by
some of the Princes of the blood, who are going to take part in the
ceremony at the temple, chief among them the wizard Prince Khaemuas, the
greatest magician in Egypt, who has spells that can bring the dead from
their graves. Some in the crowd shrink from his keen eye, and mutter
that the papyrus roll which he holds so close to his breast was taken
from the grave of another magician Prince of ancient days, and that
Khaemuas will know no peace till it is restored. In a few minutes the
whole brilliant train has passed, dazzling the eyes with a blaze of gold
and white and scarlet; and crowds of courtiers stream after their
master, as fast as their feet can carry them, towards Karnak. You have
seen, if only for a moment, the greatest man on earth--the Great
Oppressor of Hebrew story. Very mighty and very proud he is; and he does
not dream that the little Hebrew boy whom his daughter has adopted, and
who is being trained in the priestly college at Heliopolis, will one day
humble all the pride of Egypt, and that the very name of Ramses shall be
best remembered because it is linked with that of Moses.

CHAPTER V

THE LIFE OF A SOLDIER

When you read about the Egyptians in the Bible, it seems as though they
were nearly always fighting; and, indeed, they did a good deal of
fighting in their time, as nearly every nation did in those old days.
But in reality they were not a great soldier people, like their rivals
the Assyrians, or the Babylonians. We, who have had so much to do with
their descendants, the modern Egyptians, and have fought bot