te in the
dust beneath him.

The peculiar views of Khuen-Aten, or Amenhotep IV., were maintained by
the two or three succeeding kings, who had short and disturbed reigns.
After them there arose a king called Horus, or Har-em-hebi, who utterly
swept away the "Disk-worshippers," ruined their new city, obliterated
their names, mutilated their monuments, and restored the ancient
religion of the Egyptians to its former place as the religion, not only
of the people, but of the court. Henceforth, what was called "heresy"
ceased to show itself in the land.

XV.

BEGINNING OF THE DECLINE OF EGYPT.

The internal troubles connected with the "Disk-worship" had for about
forty years distracted the attention of the Egyptians from their Asiatic
possessions; and this circumstance had favoured the development of a
highly important power in Western Asia. The Hittites, whose motto was
"reculer pour mieux sauter," having withdrawn themselves from Syria
during the time of the Egyptian attacks, retaining, perhaps, their hold
on Carchemish (Jerabus), but not seeking to extend themselves further
southward, took heart of grace when the Egyptian expeditions ceased, and
descending from their mountain fastnesses to the Syrian plains and
vales, rapidly established their dominion over the regions recently
conquered by Thothmes I. and Thothmes III. Without absorbing the old
native races, they reduced them under their sway, and reigned as lords
paramount over the entire region between the Middle Euphrates and the
Mediterranean, the Taurus range and the borders of Egypt. The chief of
the subject races were the Kharu, in the tract bordering upon Egypt; the
Rutennu, in Central and Northern Palestine; and in Southern Coelesyria,
the Amairu or Amorites. The Hittites themselves occupied the lower
Coelesyrian valley, and the tract reaching thence to the Euphrates. They
were at this period so far centralized into a nation as to have placed
themselves under a single monarch; and about the time when Egypt had
recovered from the troubles caused by the "Disk-worshippers," and was
again at liberty to look abroad, Saplal, Grand-Duke of Khita, a great
and puissant sovereign, sat upon the Hittite throne.

Saplal's power, and his threatening attitude on the north-eastern border
of Egypt, drew upon him the jealousy of Ramesses I., father of the great
Seti, and (according to the prevalent tradition) founder of the
"nineteenth dynasty." To defend onesel