xious times; the peoples of Syria and Libya, long kept in
servitude, at length rebelled, and the long distance between Karnak and
Gaza soon began to be irksome to princes who had to be constantly on
the alert on the Canaanite frontier, and who found it impossible to have
their head-quarters six hundred miles from the scene of hostilities.
Hence it came about that Ramses II., Minephtah, and Ramses III. all
took up their abode in the Delta during the greater part of their active
life; they restored its ancient towns and founded new ones, which
soon acquired considerable wealth by foreign commerce. The centre
of government of the empire, which, after the dissolution of the old
Memphite state, had been removed southwards to Thebes on account of the
conquest of Ethiopia and the encroachment of Theban civilization upon
Nubia and the Sudan, now gradually returned northwards, and passing over
Heracleo-polis, which had exercised a transitory supremacy, at length
established itself in the Delta. Tanis, Bubastis, Sais, Mondes, and
Sebennytos all disputed the honour of forming the royal residence, and
all in turn during the course of ages enjoyed the privilege without ever
rising to the rank of Thebes, or producing any sovereigns to be compared
with those of her triumphant dynasties. Tanis was, as we have seen, the
first of these to rule the whole of the Nile valley. Its prosperity had
continued to increase from the time that Ramses II. began to rebuild it;
the remaining inhabitants of Avaris, mingled with the natives of pure
race and the prisoners of war settled there, had furnished it with an
active and industrious population, which had considerably increased
during the peaceful reigns of the XXth dynasty. The surrounding country,
drained and cultivated by unremitting efforts, became one of the most
fruitful parts of the Delta; there was a large exportation of fish
and corn, to which were soon added the various products of its
manufactories, such as linen and woollen stuffs, ornaments, and objects
in glass and in precious metals.*

* The immense number of designs taken from aquatic plants,
as, for instance, the papyrus and the lotus, single or in
groups, as well as from fish and aquatic birds, which we
observe on objects of Phoenician goldsmiths' work, leads me
to believe that the Tyrian and Sidonian artists borrowed
most of their models from the Delta, and doubtless from
Tanis, the most flouris