y evidence of a
quick intellect and a dignified self-respect.

His artificial curls had been laid aside, and the bald, smooth head
formed a strange contrast to the furrowed countenance, giving an
appearance of unusual height to the forehead, generally so very low
among the Egyptians. The brightly-colored walls of the room, on
which numerous sentences in hieroglyphic characters were painted, the
different statues of the goddess painted likewise in gay colors, and
the snow-white garments of the aged priest, were calculated to fill a
stranger not only with wonder, but with a species of awe.

The old man received the prince with much affection, and asked:

"What brings my illustrious son to the poor servant of the Deity?"

"I have much to report to thee, my father;" answered Psamtik with a
triumphant smile, "for I come in this moment from Amasis."

"Then he has at length granted thee an audience?"

"At length!"

"Thy countenance tells me that thou hast been favorably received by our
lord, thy father."

"After having first experienced his wrath. For, when I laid before him
the petition with which thou hadst entrusted me, he was exceeding wroth
and nearly crushed me by his awful words."

"Thou hadst surely grieved him by thy language. Didst thou approach
him as I advised thee, with lowliness, as a son humbly beseeching his
father?"

"No, my father, I was irritated and indignant."

"Then was Amasis right to be wrathful, for never should a son meet his
father in anger; still less when he hath a request to bring before him.
Thou know'st the promise, 'The days of him that honoreth his father
shall be many.'

[This Egyptian command hears a remarkable resemblance to the fifth
in the Hebrew decalogue, both having a promise annexed. It occurs
in the Prisse Papyrus, the most ancient sacred writing extant.]

In this one thing, my scholar, thou errest always; to gain thine ends
thou usest violence and roughness, where good and gentle words would
more surely prevail. A kind word hath far more power than an angry
one, and much may depend on the way in which a man ordereth his speech.
Hearken to that which I will now relate. In former years there was a
king in Egypt named Snefru, who ruled in Memphis. And it came to pass
that he dreamed, and in his dream his teeth fell out of his mouth.
And he sent for the soothsayers and told them the dream. The first
interpreter answered: 'Woe unto thee, O king, all thy kinsmen s