this opinion.]

"Only look, there is the third boat full of strangers! And do you know
what kind of people these Persians are? The high-priest says that in the
whole of their kingdom, which is as large as half the world, there
is not a single temple to the gods; and that instead of giving decent
burial to the dead, they leave them to be torn in pieces by dogs and
vultures."

[These statements are correct, as the Persians, at the time of the
dynasty of the Achaemenidae, had no temples, but used fire-altars
and exposed their dead to the dogs and vultures. An impure corpse
was not permitted to defile the pure earth by its decay; nor might
it be committed to the fire or water for destruction, as their
purity would be equally polluted by such an act. But as it was
impossible to cause the dead bodies to vanish, Dakhmas or burying-
places were laid out, which had to be covered with pavement and
cement not less than four inches thick, and surrounded by cords to
denote that the whole structure was as it were suspended in the air,
and did not come in contact with the pure earth. Spiegel, Avesta
II.]

"The tailor's indignation at hearing this was even greater than his
astonishment, and pointing to the landing-steps, he cried:

"It is really too bad; see, there is the sixth boat full of these
foreigners!"

"Yes, it is hard indeed!" sighed the priest, "one might fancy a whole
army arriving. Amasis will go on in this manner until the strangers
drive him from his throne and country, and plunder and make slaves of
us poor creatures, as the evil Hyksos, those scourges of Egypt, and the
black Ethiopians did, in the days of old."

"The seventh boat!" shouted the tailor.

"May my protectress Neith, the great goddess of Sais, destroy me, if I
can understand the king," complained the priest. "He sent three barks to
Naukratis, that poisonous nest hated of the gods, to fetch the servants
and baggage of these Persians; but instead of three, eight had to be
procured, for these despisers of the gods and profaners of dead bodies
have not only brought kitchen utensils, dogs, horses, carriages, chests,
baskets and bales, but have dragged with them, thousands of miles, a
whole host of servants. They tell me that some of them have no other
work than twining of garlands and preparing ointments. Their priests
too, whom they call Magi, are here with them. I should like to know what
they are for? of what use i