and demotic sources, and a chapter
is devoted to the forms of Egyptian verse, its rhythm and accent. The
interesting "Song of the Harper," which is found on the same Harris
Papyrus, is also fully edited and collated with the parallel texts from
the Theban tombs, and compared with other writings dealing with death
from the agnostic point of view. The following extracts are translated
from the German:

LOVE-SICKNESS

I will lie down within doors
For I am sick with wrongs. T
hen my neighbours come in to visit me.
With them cometh my sister,
She will make fun of the physicians;
She knoweth mine illness.

THE LUCKY DOORKEEPER

The villa of my sister!--
Her gates (are) in the midst of the domain--
(So oft as) its portals open,
(So oft as) the bolt is withdrawn,
Then is my sister angry:
O were I but set as the gatekeeper!
I should cause her to chide me;
(Then) I should hear her voice in anger,
A child in fear before her!

THE UNSUCCESSFUL BIRD-CATCHER

The voice of the wild goose crieth,
(For) she hath taken her bait;
(But) thy love restraineth me,
I cannot free her (from the snare);
(So) must I take (home) my net.
What (shall I say) to my mother,
To whom (I am wont) to come daily
Laden with wild fowl?
I lay not my snare to-day
(For) thy love hath taken hold upon me.

The most ardent interest that has been manifested in the Egyptian
records had its origin in the desire to find evidence corroborative of
the Hebrew accounts of the Egyptian captivity of the Jewish people.* The
Egyptian word-treasury being at last unlocked, it was hoped that
much new light would be thrown on Hebrew history. But the hope proved
illusive. After ardent researches of hosts of fervid seekers for half
a century, scarcely a word of reference to the Hebrews has been found
among the Egyptian records.

* The only inscription relating directly to the Israelites
will be found described in Chapter VII.

If depicted at all, the Hebrew captives are simply grouped with other
subordinate peoples, not even considered worthy of the dignity of names.
Nor is this strange when one reflects on the subordinate position which
the Hebrews held in the ancient world. In historical as in other matter,
much depends upon the point of view, and a series of events that seemed
all-important from the Hebrew