aste, they
formed a very distinct order or class, separated by important
privileges, and by their habits of life, from the rest of the community,
and recruited mainly from among their own sons, and other near
relatives. Their independence and freedom was secured by a system of
endowments. From a remote antiquity a considerable portion of the land
of Egypt--perhaps as much as one-third--was made over to the priestly
class, large estates being attached to each temple, and held as common
property by the "colleges," which, like the chapters of our cathedrals,
directed the worship of each sacred edifice. These priestly estates
were, we are told, exempt from taxation of any kind; and they appear to
have received continual augmentation from the piety or superstition of
the kings, who constantly made over to their favourite deities fresh
"gardens, orchards, vineyards, fields," and even "cities."

The kings lived always in a considerable amount of awe of the priests.
Though claiming a certain qualified divinity themselves, they yet could
not but be aware that there were divers flaws and Imperfections in
their own divinity--"little rifts within the lute"--which made it not
quite a safe support to trust to, or lean upon, entirely. There were
other greater gods than themselves--gods from whom their own divinity
was derived; and they could not be certain what power or influence the
priests might not have with these superior beings, in whose existence
and ability to benefit and injure men they had the fullest belief.
Consequently, the kings are found to occupy a respectful attitude
towards the priests throughout the whole course of Egyptian history,
from first to last; and this respectful attitude Is especially
maintained towards the great personages in whom the hierarchy
culminates, the head officials, or chief priests, of the temples which
are the principal centres of the national worship--the temple of Ra, or
Tum, at Heliopolis, that of Phthah at Memphis, and that of Ammon at
Thebes. According to the place where the capital was fixed for the time
being, one or other of these three high-priests had the pre-eminence;
and, in the later period of the Ramessides, Thebes having enjoyed
metropolitan dignity for between five and six centuries, the Theban
High-Priest of Ammon was recognized as beyond dispute the chief of the
sacerdotal order, and the next person in the kingdom after the king.

It had naturally resulted from this high posi