s yet either corn, barley, income, house, men or women servants,
or troops of asses, pigs, or oxen." As soon as he was in a condition to
provide for himself, his father obtained for him, in his native Nome,
the post of chief scribe attached to one of the "localities" which
belonged to the Administration of Provisions. On behalf of the Pharaoh,
the young man received, registered, and distributed the meat, cakes,
fruits, and fresh vegetables which constituted the taxes, all on his
own responsibility, except that he had to give an account of them to the
"Director of the Storehouse" who was nearest to him. We are not told how
long he remained in this occupation; we see merely that he was
raised successively to posts of an analogous kind, but of increasing
importance. The provincial offices comprised a small staff of _employes,
_ consisting always of the same officials:--a chief, whose ordinary
function was "Director of the Storehouse;" a few scribes to keep the
accounts, one or two of whom added to his ordinary calling that of
keeper of the archives; paid ushers to introduce clients, and, if need
be, to bastinado them summarily at the order of the "director;" lastly,
the "strong of voice," the criers, who superintended the incomings and
outgoings, and proclaimed the account of them to the scribes to be noted
down forthwith. A vigilant and honest crier was a man of great value.

[Illustration: 068.jpg THE FUNERAL STELE OF THE TOMB OF AMTEN, THE
"GRAND HUNTSMAN."]

He obliged the taxpayer not only to deliver the exact number of measures
prescribed as his quota, but also compelled him to deliver good measure
in each case; a dishonest crier, on the contrary, could easily favour
cheating, provided that he shared in the spoil. Amten was at once
"crier" and "taxer of the colonists" to the civil administrator of the
Xoite nome: he announced the names of the peasants and the payments they
made, then estimated the amount of the local tax which each, according
to his income, had to pay. He distinguished himself so pre-eminently in
these delicate duties, that the civil administrator of Xois made him one
of his subordinates. He became "Chief of the Ushers," afterwards "Master
Crier," then "Director of all the King's flax" in the Xoifce nome--an
office which entailed on him the supervision of the culture, cutting,
and general preparation of flax for the manufacture which was carried
on in Pharaoh's own domain. It was one of the highest o