the transport
to be brought back. Queen Teye evidently showed no desire to be mixed up
in so unpleasant a business, but Napkhuria demanded that the messenger
Gilia should be sent to him.

Most probably this often-mentioned Gilia was the witness present at the
casting and despatching of the images. Tushratta gave evasive answers, and
his last letter (more than two hundred lines in length) is something in
the nature of an ultimatum. On both sides fresh complaints are brought
forward, and the settlement of each one of them was made dependent on the
settlement of the principal question. Napkhuria threatened to close his
land against all subjects of Mitani, and, as no later document has been
found, it is probable that at this point all intercourse ceased. A much
mutilated letter from Gebal to Egypt announces the departure of the king
of Mitani with an armed force; but it is doubtful whether this can be
quoted in the present connection.

The characters of the two irreconcilable monarchs, who show each other up
so admirably for our edification, make any question as to which had right
on his side seem comparatively trifling. Tushratta was evidently much
distressed that he dared not venture to send his Gilia back again and that
none of the later letters which he had from Nimmuria contained any word of
the golden images. It is evident also that Napkhuria, supported by Teye,
had actually recalled embassies that his father had already sent out. The
old king, who had called Ishtar of Nineveh to his help, may have been
brought by the approach of death into a generous state of mind not
uncommon in such cases. Even now we say, "He must be near his end," when a
man shows unexpected and unusual gentleness. It is quite possible that
Nimmuria had ordered the images in question to be made for his worthy
friend without giving any formal promise to send them, and that as soon as
Tushratta learned what had happened, he promptly interposed with a lie, in
hope of appealing to Napkhuria's sense of the fitness of things. That,
however, was expecting too much.

IV. LETTERS FROM ASIATIC VASSALS.

Four-fifths of the number of letters consist of reports and communications
from Egyptian governors, military commanders, magistrates, and other
officials in Western Asia. The form of address from these subordinates to
the Pharaoh is naturally very different from "Royal Brother," and in
hurried announcements it is often contracted. Written in f