that he may run with
greater ease, illustrates a custom, still common in Egypt, among the
Arabs and peasants of the country, who find the power of the foot
greater when freed from the encumbrance of a shoe.

To those who arrived from a journey, or who desired it, water was
brought for their feet, previous to entering the festive chamber. They
also washed their hands before dinner, the water being brought in the
same manner as at the present day; and ewers, not unlike those used by
the modern Egyptians, are represented, with the basins belonging to
them, in the paintings of a Theban tomb. In the houses of the rich
they were of gold, or other costly materials. Herodotus mentions the
golden foot-pan, in which Amasis and his guests used to wash their
feet.

The Greeks had the same custom of bringing water to the guests,
numerous instances of which we find in Homer; as when Telemachus and
the son of Nestor were received at the house of Menelaus, and when
Asphalion poured it upon the hands of his master, and the same guests,
on another occasion. Virgil also describes the servants bringing water
for this purpose when AEneas was entertained by Dido. Nor was the
ceremony thought superfluous, or declined, even though they had
previously bathed and been anointed with oil.

It is also probable that, like the Greeks, the Egyptians anointed
themselves before they left home; but still it was customary for a
servant to attend every guest, as he seated himself, and to anoint his
head; which was one of the principal tokens of welcome. The ointment
was sweet-scented, and was contained in an alabaster, or in an elegant
glass or porcelain vase, some of which have been found in the tombs of
Thebes. Servants took the sandals of the guests as they arrived, and
either put them by in a convenient place in the house, or held them on
their arm while they waited upon them.

After the ceremony of anointing was over, and in some cases at the
time of entering the saloon, a lotus flower was presented to each
guest, who held it in his hand during the entertainment. Servants then
brought necklaces of flowers, composed chiefly of the lotus; a garland
was also put round the head, and a single lotus bud, or a full-blown
flower, was so attached as to hang over the forehead. Many of them,
made up into wreaths and other devices, were suspended upon stands in
the room ready for immediate use; and servants were constantly
employed to bring other fresh flow