23.Of inconstant mind,⁂⁂⁂.
24.Another intelligible reading of the precept is, “I rob not the dead of their wrappings”; but the text is so corrupt that none of the readings are of any value.
The god is called⁂⁂⁂⁂or⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂, both of which words I understand in the sense ofbusy-minded,planning,devising,crafty,wise.
The appellativeHorned one,⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂, of the next precept, is the exact equivalent of the Hebrewבַּעַל קַרְנַיִס, and is the attribute of Osiris (Todt., 144, 4), especially in the character of⁂⁂⁂; under which name he was worshipped at Sutenhunen.
25.Noisy in speech⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂.
26.Striker⁂⁂⁂⁂. A name of Horus, on which see ch. 103, note.
27.There is no locality about which there is any agreement between the older papyri, and many of them omit the mention of a locality; later authorities, like the Turin text, read⁂⁂Annu.
28.No unjust preferences,⁂⁂⁂⁂. There is no virtue more frequently extolled on the funereal monuments than the absence of favouritism. Great personages in their epitaphs are strong in their declarations that they made no distinction between great and small, rich or poor, wise or simple. The declaration of Ameni (Denkm., ii, 122),⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂, is a type of many others.
29.Ofraised head,⁂⁂,⁂⁂⁂, or (B.M. 9971)⁂⁂⁂. This, like the last two, is a name of the Nile god, who is one of the manifestations of Osiris.
30.Who liftest an arm,⁂⁂, not ‘amenerson bras.’⁂, like the Greek φέρειν, meansbearin the sense ofholding up,supporting.When it signifiesbringthe collateral notion ofmotionis imported from the context. The god Shu, who is called⁂⁂,holds up,supports,the sky, but does notbringit. The godwho holds up his arm, is of course the ithyphallic Amon[132]⁂, who in Ch. 17 is identified not only with Horus but with Osiris.
31.This introduction to Part III of this chapter occurs only in the Papyrus of Nebkat (Pe). Another ancient manuscript (Pb) has the words “Said upon approaching triumphantly to the Hall of Righteousness.” But the texts generally begin with the invocation, “Hail ye gods, I know you and I know your names.”
32.Reverse of mine,⁂⁂, a turn of the wheel, which the context implies to be unfortunate. A very absurd reading is⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂, as if the defendant were master of the fates of his divine judges.
33.The King who resideth within His own Day.A very doubtful passage at present. The words do not occur in the oldest text of the chapter (that of Nebseni), and they are omitted here in the later recensions.Adis, as far as I know, the only authority for⁂⁂⁂⁂; other papyri having merely⁂, which might possibly correspond to the⁂⁂immediately preceding. The Royal tombs have⁂⁂⁂⁂, and one of the papyri has⁂⁂⁂instead of⁂⁂⁂. All this reminds one of an obscure passage in Chapter 115, where Rā is speaking with⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂according to the Text of the TurinTodtenbuch. Goodwin conjectured that King Amhauf belonged ‘to the race of mythical kings who preceded Menes,’ and that his history is ‘a legend somewhat analogous to that of Deucalion and Pyrrha.’ There is a much more probable solution of the matter.
⁂⁂⁂is meant for⁂⁂⁂Sut, and it was with this god⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂or⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂[133]‘in hiscourse’ that Rā was speaking when the disaster happened to the latter divinity, who for his talk had chosen a wrongmoment, which really belonged to his adversary.Cf. supranote 3on Chapter 110.
And here too I would instead of⁂⁂read⁂⁂, and the sense of the passage would be “let not reverse of mine come to pass through Sutu, when his time cometh.”
34.Cares,⁂⁂in the later texts. The older texts differ greatly from each other:⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂is the most frequent reading.
35.The Ass and the Cat in the house of Hept-ro.The two personages who take part in this dialogue are known from other portions of the Book of the Dead. The Cat is Rā in the 17th chapter. And the Ass appears in the 40th chapter, as the victim of the devouring Serpent. The Sun-god overcome by darkness is Osiris; and he is so called by name in the Demotic version of this chapter.
Hepṭ-ro,⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂, ‘god of the gaping mouth.’ The word⁂⁂⁂is not found elsewhere, but the meaning of it seems to be indicated by the determinative. It is very probably akin to the more common⁂⁂⁂,⁂⁂, which does notmean ‘squat’ or ‘sit,’ but ‘stretch out,’distendi.Cf.Note 6, Chapter 63B.
The ‘house of the god of the gaping mouth,’ seems to be theEarth, considered as the universal tomb (ἀλλ’ αὐτοῦ γαῖα μέλαινα πᾶσι χάνοι, Il. 14, 417). And here Osiris and Rā (the Ass and the Cat) meet daily, ‘Yesterday’ speaketh to ‘To-day.’
יוס ליוס יביע אמר
יוס ליוס יביע אמר
יוס ליוס יביע אמר
36.Verdict,⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂,⁂⁂⁂⁂,⁂⁂⁂⁂,⁂⁂⁂⁂.
A note of M. Guyesse in theRecueil, X, p. 64, contains references to the chief passages in which this word occurs. I will add a very important one, the picture of a god (Lefébure,Tombeau de Seti, p. III, pl. 33) with sword in hand, whose name is this word. The ideographic signs which express it imply (1) ‘acuttingin two, parting, division,’ (2) that the act is one of speech or intellect, such as ‘judgment, decision, verdict.’ The phonetic equivalence of the signs⁂and⁂or⁂show that the value is that ofSeb.
37.Covereth.The right Egyptian word here, as in a similar passage in Chapter 17, is uncertain, but the meaning is plain enough. There are many pictures showing a divinity (the sun or moon-god) hidden within or behind a tree.
38.That the Balance may be set upon its stand within the bower of amaranth.
Cf.the passage (Rochemonteix,Edfou, p. 191) where mention is made of the divine powers which animate the Princes who are in the train of Osiris and who lift the Balance upon the stand before them⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂.
Amaranth(seeNote 3of Chapter 26) is only one of the readings of this doubtful text.
39.Disasters,⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂bad luck, misfortune. See my note on this word,T.S.B.A., II, p. 313.
40.Grasshoppers,⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂. The similar wordסלעם, which only occurs in Lev. xi, 22, does not appear to be Semitic. It is a sufficiently familiar word in Egyptian to serve as a term in comparison, ‘as plentiful as grasshoppers.’
41.The text here is quite uncertain. The TurinTodtenbuchhas “the fourth hour of the Night and the eighth hour of the Day,”which does not agree with any early reading.Cd.has “the fourth hour of the Night and of the Day.” Several papyri have the “second hour of the Night and the third⁂⁂⁂of the Day.” It was in this passage, as written in B.M. 9904, that, in the year 1860, I found the phonetic value of the Egyptian number 3: a discovery first ascribed by Brugsch[134]to Goodwin, and afterwards by others to Brugsch himself.
42.The hearts of the gods are appeased,⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂.Cf.ⲛⲁⲓ, ἱλάσκεσθαι, andⲛⲁⲏⲧ, ἐλεήμων, οἰκτίρμων. This explains Pap. Prisse XVII, 6⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂.
43.Let him come.⁂⁂⁂is a tolerably certain reading, but it is not possible to say what should be the word preceding this. The scribes have written ‘there he cometh,’ ‘we grant that he come,’ ‘I grant,’ ‘let him be brought in,’ and the like.
44.He who groweth under the Grass,⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂.
45.A thigh,⁂⁂⁂, also written⁂⁂.
46.See the greetings: φωνῇ γαρ ὁρῶ, τὸ φατιζόμενον,Oedip. Col.138.
47.The Leaf,⁂⁂⁂.
48.Pointer[orPlummet]of Truth,⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂.
49.The Scale Pan,⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂,⁂⁂⁂.
50.The Dragon Brood,⁂⁂⁂⁂.
51.The Truncheon of Hathor,⁂⁂⁂does not appear to be a very familiar word to the scribes, who write it in the most diverse ways possible; one of them even understanding it as the ‘opening of heaven’⁂⁂. All that we can say is that the word is shown by its determinative to be ofwood, and by its etymology (cf.⁂⁂,⁂)to serve forstriking,blinding, orslaying. Some of the texts name Hathor, and others Nephthys.The sign⁂occurs in both names, and the scribes have read the rest of the name as best they could.
52.He who knoweth the heart and exploreth the person,⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂. This is so exactly the equivalent of “Searching the heart and trying the reins” of Jeremiah (xvii, 10), that we might have expected to find something like it in the Coptic version of the Bible. But there we have nothing but a close adherence to the sense of the Septuagint, and even to such a word as δοκιμάζειν.
53.Who provideth for.⁂⁂⁂is the equivalent of the Greek φρονεῖν in the inscription of Tanis, and of μέριμνα in the Demotic text of the verses of Moschion. The Coptic form is ⲙⲉⲩⲓ, ⲙⲉⲉⲩⲉ, which stands for φρονεῖν in Phil. iv, 10, “Yourcareof me, wherein ye also werecareful.”
Thoth is thus represented as the divine Providence, which takes care of the universe. The same view is found in a text at Edfu.
54.The Eyeof Horus; see latter part ofNote 2, of this chapter.
111. Apparently suggested by the scene in the tomb of Hor-em-heb (seeDenkm., III, 78), in the time of Amenophis III. (Plate XXXII, fig. 15.)
111. Apparently suggested by the scene in the tomb of Hor-em-heb (seeDenkm., III, 78), in the time of Amenophis III. (Plate XXXII, fig. 15.)
112. The picture of the Babe lifted up into the upper world by two divinities speaks for itself. Of the birth of the Sun as the Winged Scarab at the beginning of the first hour of the day, M. Maspero, in his description of the text, says:“Il est salué à ton apparition par les huit ... ‘les esprits d’Orient, dieux du ciel, des terres, des pays étrangers, de la montagne d’horizon orientale qui est On.’”
112. The picture of the Babe lifted up into the upper world by two divinities speaks for itself. Of the birth of the Sun as the Winged Scarab at the beginning of the first hour of the day, M. Maspero, in his description of the text, says:“Il est salué à ton apparition par les huit ... ‘les esprits d’Orient, dieux du ciel, des terres, des pays étrangers, de la montagne d’horizon orientale qui est On.’”
113. This is the principle by which to judge the cases of theFacing-backwardgod⁂⁂⁂⁂serpentine, or crocodile⁂⁂⁂, and of Uammeta⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂, against both of whom a passage of the ‘Book of Hades’ (Bonomi,Sarc., pl. II A) has been quoted. The book, of course, is of inferior authority to the ‘Book of the Dead,’ but in any case it must be remembered that these names, as appellatives, arecommonnouns (Uammetais in thepluralnumber in the passage in question), and may simply meanSerpents. Sutu is called by the first of these names at Edfu (Zeitschr., 1871, p. 108). But even at Dendera (Lanzone,Diz., pl. 173, 1) this ‘god of serpent face’ is ‘disastrous to the Sebau,’ the enemies of Osiris and Rā, and is therefore not one of them. His soul is invoked like those of all the great gods in the royal tombs.
113. This is the principle by which to judge the cases of theFacing-backwardgod⁂⁂⁂⁂serpentine, or crocodile⁂⁂⁂, and of Uammeta⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂, against both of whom a passage of the ‘Book of Hades’ (Bonomi,Sarc., pl. II A) has been quoted. The book, of course, is of inferior authority to the ‘Book of the Dead,’ but in any case it must be remembered that these names, as appellatives, arecommonnouns (Uammetais in thepluralnumber in the passage in question), and may simply meanSerpents. Sutu is called by the first of these names at Edfu (Zeitschr., 1871, p. 108). But even at Dendera (Lanzone,Diz., pl. 173, 1) this ‘god of serpent face’ is ‘disastrous to the Sebau,’ the enemies of Osiris and Rā, and is therefore not one of them. His soul is invoked like those of all the great gods in the royal tombs.
114. The⁂is not to be readfiorfy. The sign⁂is merely the ideogram of the number 2, like the letterⲃin Coptic. The belief in an Egyptian dual with⁂as a final syllable is an illusion, though a very pardonable one, of our grammarians.
114. The⁂is not to be readfiorfy. The sign⁂is merely the ideogram of the number 2, like the letterⲃin Coptic. The belief in an Egyptian dual with⁂as a final syllable is an illusion, though a very pardonable one, of our grammarians.
115. OrVultures.SeeM. Gayet’sTemple de Luxor, Pl. xliii, fig. 127, where the Bird at each end of the picture holds⁂in its claw. And note the tabernacles (a very frequent picture) where a winged goddess bearing the⁂kneels on either side of the solar scarab.
115. OrVultures.SeeM. Gayet’sTemple de Luxor, Pl. xliii, fig. 127, where the Bird at each end of the picture holds⁂in its claw. And note the tabernacles (a very frequent picture) where a winged goddess bearing the⁂kneels on either side of the solar scarab.
116. Or as it is said in other words (Teta, 172; Pepi I, 130; Pepi II, 107, and Merenra, 152), “Seb hath brought to thy side thy two sisters, Isis andNephthys.”Nephthys.”
116. Or as it is said in other words (Teta, 172; Pepi I, 130; Pepi II, 107, and Merenra, 152), “Seb hath brought to thy side thy two sisters, Isis andNephthys.”Nephthys.”
117. A very conceivable, because a very frequent, one.
117. A very conceivable, because a very frequent, one.
118.“His sons were kept in prison, till they grewOf years to fill a bowstring or a throne.”
118.
“His sons were kept in prison, till they grewOf years to fill a bowstring or a throne.”
“His sons were kept in prison, till they grewOf years to fill a bowstring or a throne.”
“His sons were kept in prison, till they grewOf years to fill a bowstring or a throne.”
“His sons were kept in prison, till they grew
Of years to fill a bowstring or a throne.”
119. To quote only well known cases, we have ‘the massacre of the princes,’ involving the two uncles and seven cousins of the Emperor Constantius, and those of our own King John and Richard III.
119. To quote only well known cases, we have ‘the massacre of the princes,’ involving the two uncles and seven cousins of the Emperor Constantius, and those of our own King John and Richard III.
120. The legislation of Solon is said by Diogenes Laertius (who is however contradicted bynotoriousnotoriousevidence) to have excluded from the position of guardian anyone who had the right of succession to the ward’s estate. And this was also the law of England with reference to guardians in socage. In France the next in succession had the charge of the estate, but was excluded from the custody of the person of the ward.
120. The legislation of Solon is said by Diogenes Laertius (who is however contradicted bynotoriousnotoriousevidence) to have excluded from the position of guardian anyone who had the right of succession to the ward’s estate. And this was also the law of England with reference to guardians in socage. In France the next in succession had the charge of the estate, but was excluded from the custody of the person of the ward.
121. The true sense of the name has been missed by Birch, who reads it Teti, and by Brugsch, who reads it “Chonti, der Anfängliche.” At Beb-el-moluk it is written⁂⁂⁂.
121. The true sense of the name has been missed by Birch, who reads it Teti, and by Brugsch, who reads it “Chonti, der Anfängliche.” At Beb-el-moluk it is written⁂⁂⁂.
122.D. Aegyptische Elle, Taf. 1 and 2.
122.D. Aegyptische Elle, Taf. 1 and 2.
123.Cf.the forms⁂`⁂⁂,⁂⁂⁂and⁂⁂⁂⁂(Naville,Litanies, pp. 55, 83, and the corresponding texts) of one of the Solar names.
123.Cf.the forms⁂`⁂⁂,⁂⁂⁂and⁂⁂⁂⁂(Naville,Litanies, pp. 55, 83, and the corresponding texts) of one of the Solar names.
124. On the other hand in the standard⁂of Dendera, the Crocodile is Sut, and the Feather upon his head is Osiris.
124. On the other hand in the standard⁂of Dendera, the Crocodile is Sut, and the Feather upon his head is Osiris.
125. Her son Horus inherited these gifts. He is invoked (Metternich Stele, line 106),⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂.
125. Her son Horus inherited these gifts. He is invoked (Metternich Stele, line 106),⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂.
126. Rechmarā filled this office shortly before this, in the time of Thothmes III, and the inscriptions of his tomb give interesting information of the duties discharged. His clerks are praised for the virtue of discretion (18th Precept). Each heard the reports read by others, but without troubling himself with what did not concern him. See next note.
126. Rechmarā filled this office shortly before this, in the time of Thothmes III, and the inscriptions of his tomb give interesting information of the duties discharged. His clerks are praised for the virtue of discretion (18th Precept). Each heard the reports read by others, but without troubling himself with what did not concern him. See next note.
127. This office is often referred to by Greek writers as existing in the Persian hierarchy. Pseudartabas, the ‘King’s Eye,’ is one of the Dramatis Personæ in theAcharniansof Aristophanes. Herodotus (1, 114) tells how Cyrus being chosen king by his playfellows, selected his principal officers, and one among the boys to be the ‘King’s Eye.’ Aeschylus does not forget in hisPersae(line 976) to make the Chorus bewail the loss of the King’s faithful Eye.The most ancient personage who is known to me as the ‘King’s Eye’ in Egypt is Antuf, whose tablet (of the 12th dynasty) is in the Louvre (C. 26). His duties are detailed on this magnificent tablet, and they are very similar to those of Rechmarā. He is described not only as the King’s Eyes which see, but⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂the “Tongue which speaks, of the lord of the Palace.”
127. This office is often referred to by Greek writers as existing in the Persian hierarchy. Pseudartabas, the ‘King’s Eye,’ is one of the Dramatis Personæ in theAcharniansof Aristophanes. Herodotus (1, 114) tells how Cyrus being chosen king by his playfellows, selected his principal officers, and one among the boys to be the ‘King’s Eye.’ Aeschylus does not forget in hisPersae(line 976) to make the Chorus bewail the loss of the King’s faithful Eye.
The most ancient personage who is known to me as the ‘King’s Eye’ in Egypt is Antuf, whose tablet (of the 12th dynasty) is in the Louvre (C. 26). His duties are detailed on this magnificent tablet, and they are very similar to those of Rechmarā. He is described not only as the King’s Eyes which see, but⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂the “Tongue which speaks, of the lord of the Palace.”
128.⁂⁂in cursive writing might be mistaken for⁂⁂or for⁂⁂, and the scribe, to show his learning, might interpolate the⁂, but even this might be an error for⁂.
128.⁂⁂in cursive writing might be mistaken for⁂⁂or for⁂⁂, and the scribe, to show his learning, might interpolate the⁂, but even this might be an error for⁂.
129. The determinatives in⁂⁂,⁂⁂, express the sense ofdivision, διαμελισμός, and the insect (a scolopendron) in⁂⁂exhibits the very notion which has given rise to the Latininsectaand the Greek ἔντομον
129. The determinatives in⁂⁂,⁂⁂, express the sense ofdivision, διαμελισμός, and the insect (a scolopendron) in⁂⁂exhibits the very notion which has given rise to the Latininsectaand the Greek ἔντομον
130. For more particular details, see P.S.B.A., viii, p. 245, and following.
130. For more particular details, see P.S.B.A., viii, p. 245, and following.
131. Ἀκούειν τι τοῦ λόγου, παρακούειν δε:Ethic. Nich., viii. 7.
131. Ἀκούειν τι τοῦ λόγου, παρακούειν δε:Ethic. Nich., viii. 7.
132. There is no such god asMinorMinu, except as an abbreviated (or perhaps primitive)orthographicform ofAmon.⁂⁂⁂and⁂⁂bear to⁂⁂⁂exactly the same relationship that⁂⁂,⁂⁂,⁂⁂⁂, have to⁂⁂⁂,⁂⁂⁂and⁂⁂⁂⁂.NeitherAmennor the shorter form can be the phonetic equivalent of⁂. The image of Horus with the Flail at Edfu is described (J. de Rougé, pl. C. III) as⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂,Horus as Amsu-Amen, and I have elsewhere quoted fromTempel insch., I, 32, the⁂⁂⁂Amsu- Men[orAmen] as well as⁂⁂Amsu Horus.
132. There is no such god asMinorMinu, except as an abbreviated (or perhaps primitive)orthographicform ofAmon.⁂⁂⁂and⁂⁂bear to⁂⁂⁂exactly the same relationship that⁂⁂,⁂⁂,⁂⁂⁂, have to⁂⁂⁂,⁂⁂⁂and⁂⁂⁂⁂.
NeitherAmennor the shorter form can be the phonetic equivalent of⁂. The image of Horus with the Flail at Edfu is described (J. de Rougé, pl. C. III) as⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂,Horus as Amsu-Amen, and I have elsewhere quoted fromTempel insch., I, 32, the⁂⁂⁂Amsu- Men[orAmen] as well as⁂⁂Amsu Horus.
133. The Luynes papyrus reads⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂, which affords good reason for thinking that in Chapter 115, as elsewhere,⁂was originally written without its phonetic value.
133. The Luynes papyrus reads⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂, which affords good reason for thinking that in Chapter 115, as elsewhere,⁂was originally written without its phonetic value.
134.Zeitschr., No. 3.
134.Zeitschr., No. 3.