and incense. Besides that, one thousand
talents of gold, three thousand talents of silver, ten thousand of
bronze, five hundred talents of dark bronze, six million garlands of
flowers, twelve hundred statues of gods, and thirty thousand precious
stones. [The gifts of Ramses III to the temples were incomparably
greater] Other numbers I do not remember at the moment, but they are
all recorded."

The pharaoh raised his hands with laughter, but after a time fell into
anger, and cried, while striking the table with his fist,

"It is an unheard of thing that a handful of priests should use so much
beer and bread, so many garlands and robes, while they have their own
income, an immense income, which exceeds the wants of these holy men a
hundred times."

"Thou hast been pleased, holiness, to forget that the priests support
tens of thousands of poor; they cure an equal number of sick, and
maintain a number of regiments at the expense of the temples."

"What do they want of regiments? Even the pharaohs use troops only in
wartime. As to the sick, almost every man of them pays for himself, or
works out what he owes the temple for curing him. And the poor? But
they work for the temple: they carry water for the gods, take part in
solemnities, and, above all, are connected with the working of
miracles. It is they who at the gates of the temples recover reason,
sight, hearing; their wounds are cured, their feet and hands regain
strength, while the people looking at these miracles pray all the more
eagerly and give offerings to gods the more bountiful.

"The poor are like the oxen and sheep of the temples: they bring in
pure profit."

"But," the treasurer made bold to put in, "the priests do not expend
all the offerings; they lay them up, and increase the capital."

"For what purpose?"

"For some sudden need of the state."

"Who has seen this capital?"

"I have seen it myself," said the dignitary. "The treasures accumulated
in the labyrinth do not decrease; they increase from generation to
generation, so that in case."

"So that the Assyrians might have something to take when they conquer
Egypt, which is managed by priests so beautifully!" interrupted the
pharaoh. "I thank thee, chief treasurer; I knew that the financial
condition of Egypt was bad, but I did not suppose the state ruined.
There are rebellions, there is no army, the pharaoh is in poverty; but
the treasure in the labyrinth is increasing from generation to
g