ho
were brought forth, thou mighty one, thou divine form, who art endowed
with strength as the lord of transformations. Thou overthrowest the Seba
fiends each day. The divine boat hath the wind [behind it], thy heart is
glad. Those who are in the Antti Boat utter loud cries of joy when they
see Shu, the son of Ra, triumphant, [and] driving his spear into the
serpent fiend Nekau. Ra setteth out to sail over the heavens at dawn
daily. The goddess Tefnut is seated on thy head, she hurleth her flames
of fire against thy enemies, and maketh them to be destroyed utterly.
Thou art equipped by Ra, thou art mighty through his words of power,
thou art the heir of thy father upon his throne, and thy Doubles rest in
the Doubles of Ra, even as the taste of what hath been in the mouth
remaineth therein. A will hath been done into writing by the lord of
Khemenu (Thoth), the scribe of the library of Ra-Harmakhis, in the hall
of the divine house (or temple) of Anu (Heliopolis), stablished,
perfected, and made permanent in hieroglyphs under the feet of
Ra-Harmakhis, and he shall transmit it to the son of his son for ever
and ever. Homage to thee, O son of Ra, who wast begotten by Temu
himself. Thou didst create thyself, and thou hadst no mother. Thou art
Truth, the lord of Truth, thou art the Power, the ruling power of the
gods. Thou dost conduct the Eye of thy father Ra. They give gifts unto
thee into thine own hands. Thou makest to be at peace the Great Goddess,
when storms are passing over her. Thou dost stretch out the heavens on
high, and dost establish them with thine own hands. Every god boweth in
homage before thee, the King of the South, the King of the North, Shu,
the son of RA, life, strength and health be to thee! Thou, O great god
Pautti, art furnished with the brilliance of the Eye [of Ra] in
Heliopolis, to overthrow the Seba fiends on behalf of thy father. Thou
makest the divine Boat to sail onwards in peace. The mariners who are
therein exult, and all the gods shout for joy when they hear thy divine
name. Greater, yea greater (_i.e._ twice great) art thou than the gods
in thy name of Shu, son of Ra."

CHAPTER XIII

MORAL AND PHILOSOPHICAL LITERATURE

Side by side with the great mass of literature of a magical and
religious character that flourished in Egypt under the Ancient Empire,
we find that there existed also a class of writings that are remarkably
like those c