a teacher who
wrote characters with chalks of various colors.

When the prince entered, the pupils, almost all of the same age that he
was, fell on their faces. The teacher bowed, and stopped his actual
labor to explain to the youths the great meaning of knowledge.

"My beloved," said he, "a man who has no heart for wisdom must occupy
himself with handwork and torment his eyesight. But he who understands
the worth of knowledge and forms himself accordingly may gain all kinds
of power and every court office. Remember this. [Authentic]

"Look at the wretched fate of men unacquainted with writing. A smith is
black and grimy, his hands are full of lumps, and he toils night and
day all his lifetime. The quarryman pulls his arms out to satisfy his
stomach. The mason while forming a capital in lotus shape is hurled off
by wind from the scaffold. A weaver has bent knees, a maker of weapons
is ever traveling: barely does he come to his house in the evening when
he must leave it. The fingers of a wall painter smell disagreeably, and
his time passes in trimming up trifles. The courier when taking
farewell of his family must leave a will, for he may have to meet wild
beasts or Asiatics.

"I have shown you the lot of men of various labors, for I wish you to
love writing, which is your mother, and now I will present to you its
beauties. It is not an empty word on earth, it is the most important of
all occupations. He who makes use of writing is respected from
childhood; he accomplishes every great mission. But he who takes no
part in it lives on in wretchedness. School sciences are as difficult
as mountains, but one day of them lasts through eternity. So learn
quickly and you will love them. The scribe has a princely position; his
pen and his book win him wealth and acceptance."

After a sounding discourse on the dignity of knowledge, a discourse
which Egyptian pupils had heard without change for three millenniums,
the master took chalk and on the alabaster wall began to write the
alphabet. Each letter was expressed through a number of hieroglyphs, or
a number of demotic characters. The picture of an eye, a bird, or a
panther signified A, a sheep or a pot B, a man standing or a boat T, a
serpent R, a man sitting or a star S. The abundance of signs expressing
each sound made the art of reading or writing extremely laborious.

Ramses was wearied by mere listening, during which the only relief was
when the teacher commanded some p