a legion of
chariot-warriors, and the order of the lion to wear round his neck
was bestowed on him for his bravery. The prince knelt, and thanked his
father; but Rameses took the curly head in his hands and said:

"You have won praise and reward by your splendid deeds from the father
whom you have saved and filled with pride. But the king watches over the
laws, and guides the destiny cf this land, the king must blame you, nay
perhaps punish you. You could not yield to the discipline of school,
where we all must learn to obey if we would afterwards exercise our
authority with moderation, and without any orders you left Egypt and
joined the army. You showed the courage and strength of a man, but the
folly of a boy in all that regards prudence and foresight--things harder
to learn for the son of a race of heroes than mere hitting and slashing
at random; you, without experience, measured yourself against masters of
the art of war, and what was the consequence? Twice you fell a prisoner
into the hands of the enemy, and I had to ransom you.

"The king of the Danaids gave you up in exchange for his daughter,
and he rejoices long since in the restoration of his child; but we,
in losing her, lost the most powerful means of coercing the seafaring
nations of the islands and northern coasts of the great sea who are
constantly increasing in might and daring, and so diminished our chances
of securing a solid and abiding peace.

"Thus--through the careless wilfulness of a boy, the great work
is endangered which I had hoped to have achieved. It grieves me
particularly to humiliate your spirit to-day, when I have had so much
reason to encourage you with praise. Nor will I punish you, only warn
you and teach you. The mechanism of the state is like the working of the
cogged wheels which move the water-works on the shore of the Nile-if
one tooth is missing the whole comes to a stand-still however strong
the beasts that labor to turn it. Each of you--bear this in mind--is a
main-wheel in the great machine of the state, and can serve an end only
by acting unresistingly in obedience to the motive power. Now rise! we
may perhaps succeed in obtaining good security from the Asiatic king,
though we have lost our hostage."

Heralds at this moment marched into the tent, and announced that
the representative of the Cheta king and the allied princes were in
attendance in the council tent; Rameses put on the crown of Upper and
Lower Egypt and all