ye of the lord of all shall cause
to rain on thee the possessions of Egypt, vast tribute from all foreign
countries, and a long life for, many years as one chosen by the Sun,
for my countenance is thine, my heart is thine, no other than thyself is
mine! Nor am I covered by the sand of the mountain on which I rest,
and have given thee this prize that thou mayest do for me what my heart
desires, for I know that thou art my son, my defender; draw nigh, I am
with thee, I am thy well-beloved father." The prince understood that the
god promised him the kingdom on condition of his swearing to clear the
sand from the statue. He was, in fact, chosen to be the husband of the
queens, and immediately after his accession he fulfilled his oath; he
removed the sand, built a chapel between the paws, and erected against
the breast of the statue a stele of red granite, on which he related
his adventure. His reign was as short as that of Amenothes, and his
campaigns both in Asia and Ethiopia were unimportant.*

* The latest date of his reign at present known is that of
the year VII., on the rocks of Konosso, and on a stele of
Sarbut el-Khadim. There is an allusion to his wars against
the Ethiopians in an inscription of Amada, and to his
campaigns against the peoples of the North and South on the
stele of Nofirhait.

[Illustration: 050.jpg THE STELE OF THE SPHINX OF GIZER]

Drawn by Boudier, from a photograph by Emil Brugsch-Bey.

He had succeeded to an empire so firmly established from Naharaim to
Kari,* that, apparently, no rebellion could disturb its peace. One of
the two heiress-princesses, Kuit, the daughter, sister, and wife of a
king, had no living male offspring, but her companion Mutemuau had at
least one son, named Amenothes. In his case, again, the noble birth
of the mother atoned for the defects of the paternal origin. Moreover,
according to tradition, Amon-Ka himself had intervened to renew the
blood of his descendants: he appeared in the person of Thutmosis IV.,
and under this guise became the father of the heir of the Pharaohs.**

* The peoples of Naharaim and of Northern Syria are
represented bringing him tribute, in a tomb at Sheikh-Abd-
el-Qurneh. The inscription published by Mariette, speaks of
the first expedition of Thutmosis IV. to the land of
[Naharai]na, and of the gifts which he lavished on this
occasion on the temple of Anion.

** It was