ch required a great deal of tact, for questions of precedence
gave rise to nearly as many heart-burnings in Egypt as in modern courts.
Uni acquitted himself so dexterously, that he was called upon to act
in a still more delicate capacity. Queen Amitsi was the king's chief
consort. Whether she had dabbled in some intrigue of the palace, or had
been guilty of unfaithfulness in act or in intention, or had been mixed
up in one of those feminine dramas which so frequently disturb the peace
of harems, we do not know. At any rate, Papi considered it necessary to
proceed against her, and appointed Uni to judge the case. Aided only
by his secretary, he drew up the indictment and decided the action so
discreetly, that to this day we do not know of what crime Amitsi was
accused or how the matter ended. Uni felt great pride at having been
preferred before all others for this affair, and not without reason,
"for," says he, "my duties were to superintend the royal forests, and
never before me had a man in my position been initiated into the secrets
of the Royal Harem; but his Majesty initiated me into them because my
wisdom pleased his Majesty more than that of any other of his lieges,
more than that of any other of his mamelukes, more than that of any
other of his servants." These antecedents did not seem calculated to
mark out Uni as a future minister of war; but in the East, when a man
has given proofs of his ability in one branch of administration, there
is a tendency to consider him equally well fitted for service in any
of the others, and the fiat of a prince transforms the clever scribe of
to-day into the general of to-morrow. No one is surprised, not even
the person promoted; he accepts his new duties without flinching, and
frequently distinguishes himself as much in their performance as though
he had been bred to them from his youth up. When Papi had resolved to
give a lesson to the Bedouin of Sinai, he at once thought of Uni, his
"sole friend," who had so skilfully conducted the case of Queen
Amitsi. The expedition was not one of those which could be brought to
a successful issue by the troops of the frontier nomes; it required a
considerable force, and the whole military organization of the country
had to be brought into play. "His Majesty raised troops to the number of
several myriads, in the whole of the south from Elephantine to the nome
of the Haunch, in the Delta, in the two halves of the valley, in each
fort of the for