the depths of despair, but the relatives and friends themselves did not
shrink from making an outward show of their grief, nor from disturbing
the equanimity of the passers-by by the immoderate expressions of their
sorrow. One after another they raised their voices, and uttered some
expression appropriate to the occasion: "To the West, the dwelling of
Osiris, to the West, thou who wast the best of men, and who always hated
guile." And the hired weepers answered in chorus: "O chief,* as thou
goest to the West, the gods themselves lament." The funeral _cortege_
started in the morning from the house of mourning, and proceeded at a
slow pace to the Nile, amid the clamours of the mourners.

* The "chief" is one of the names of Osiris, and is applied
naturally to the dead person, who has become an Osiris by
virtue of the embalming.

The route was cleared by a number of slaves and retainers. First came
those who carried cakes and flowers in their hands, followed by others
bearing jars full of water, bottles of liqueurs, and phials of perfumes;
then came those who carried painted boxes intended for the provisions
of the dead man, and for containing the Ushabtiu, or "Respondents." The
succeeding group bore the usual furniture required by the deceased
to set up house again, coffers for linen, folding and arm chairs,
state-beds, and sometimes even a caparisoned chariot with its quivers.
Then came a groom conducting two of his late master's favourite horses,
who, having accompanied the funeral to the tomb, were brought back
to their stable. Another detachment, more numerous than the others
combined, now filed past, bearing the effects of the mummy; first the
vessels for the libations, then the cases for the Canopic jars, then the
Canopic jars themselves, the mask of the deceased, coloured half in gold
and half in blue, arms, sceptres, military batons, necklaces, scarabs,
vultures with encircling wings worn on the breast at festival-times,
chains, "Respondents," and the human-headed sparrow-hawk, the emblem of
the soul. Many of these objects were of wood plated with gold, others
of the same material simply gilt, and others of solid gold, and thus
calculated to excite the cupidity of the crowd. Offerings came next,
then a noisy company of female weepers; then a slave, who sprinkled at
every instant some milk upon the ground as if to lay the dust; then
a master of the ceremonies, who, the panther skin upon his shoulde