Part 8 (1/2)

Then I woke up at [the mention of] crops, my heart (or, courage) came [back], and was equal to my [former] despair, and I made the following decree in the temple of my father Khnemu:-

The king giveth an offering to Khnemu[FN#192] the Lord of the city of Qebhet,[FN#193] the Governor of Ta-Sti,[FN#194] in return for those things which thou hast done for me. There shall be given unto thee on thy right hand [the river bank] of Manu,[FN#195] and on thy left hand the river bank of Abu, together with the land about the city, for a s.p.a.ce of twenty measures,[FN#196] on the east side and on the west side, with the gardens, and the river front ”everywhere throughout the region included in these measures. From every husbandman who tilleth the ground, and maketh to live again the slain, and placeth water upon the river banks and all the islands which are in front of the region of these measures, shall be demanded a further contribution from the growing crops and from every storehouse, as ”thy share.

[FN#192] Or perhaps, Khnemu-Ra.

[FN#193] Qebhet is the name given to the whole region of the First Cataract.

[FN#194] The ”Land of the Bow,” i.e., the Northern Sudan.

[FN#195] The Land of the setting sun, the West.

[FN#196] Schoinos.

”Whatsoever is caught in the nets by every fisherman and by every fowler, and whatsoever is taken by the catchers of fish, and by the snarers of birds, and by every hunter of wild animals, and by every man who snareth lions in the mountains, when these things enter [the city] one tenth of them shall be demanded.

”And of all the calves which are cast throughout the regions which are included in these measures, one tenth of their number ”shall be set apart as animals which are sealed for all the burnt offerings which are offered up daily.

”And, moreover, the gift of one tenth shall be levied upon the gold, ivory, ebony, spices, carnelians (?), sa wood, seshes spice, dum palm fruit (?), nef wood, and upon woods and products of every kind whatsoever, which the Khentiu, [FN#197] and the Khentiu of Hen- Resu,[FN#198] and the Egyptians, and every person whatsoever [shall bring in].

[FN#197] The inhabitants of the Northern Sudan, probably as far to the south as Napata.

[FN#198] The people of the Island of Meroe, and probably those living on the Blue and White Niles.

”And [every] hand shall pa.s.s them by, and no officer of the revenue whatsoever shall utter a word beyond these places to demand (or, levy on) things from them, or to take things over and above [those which are intended for] thy capital city.

”And I will give unto thee the land belonging to the city, which beareth stones, and good land for cultivation. Nothing thereof shall be [diminished] or withheld, ”of all these things in order to deceive the scribes, and the revenue officers, and the inspectors of the king, on whom it shall be inc.u.mbent to certify everything.

”And further, I will cause the masons, and the hewers of ore (?), and the workers in metal, and the smelters (?) of gold, and the sculptors in stone, ”and the ore-crushers, and the furnace-men (?), and handicraftsmen of every kind whatsoever, who work in hewing, and cutting, and polis.h.i.+ng these stones, and in gold, and silver, and copper, and lead, and every worker in wood who shall cut down any tree, or carry on a trade of any kind, or work which is connected with the wood trade, to ”pay t.i.the upon all the natural products (?), and also upon the hard stones which are brought from their beds above, and quarried stones of all kinds.

”And there shall be an inspector over the weighing of the gold, and silver, and copper, and real (i.e., precious) stones, and the [other] things, which the metal-workers require for the House of Gold, ”and the sculptors of the images of the G.o.ds need in the making and repairing of them, and [these things] shall be exempted from t.i.thing, and the workmen also. And everything shall be delivered (or, given) in front of the storehouse to their children, a second time, for the protection of everything. And whatsoever is before thy G.o.d-house shall be in abundance, just as it hath ever been from the earliest time.

”And a copy of this decree shall be inscribed upon a stele, [which shall be set up] in the holy place, according to the writing of the [original] doc.u.ment which is cut upon wood, and [figures of] this G.o.d and the overseers of the temple shall be [cut] thereon. Whosoever shall spit upon that which is on it shall be admonished by the rope. And the overseers of the priests, and every overseer of the people of the House of the G.o.d, shall ensure the perpetuation of my name in the House of the G.o.d Khnemu-Ra, the lord of Abu (Elephantine), for ever.”

THE LEGEND OF THE DEATH OF HORUS THROUGH THE STING OF A SCORPION AND OF HIS RESURRECTION THROUGH THOTH, AND OTHER MAGICAL TEXTS.

I.-INCANTATIONS AGAINST REPTILES AND NOXIOUS CREATURES IN GENERAL.

Get thee back, Apep, thou enemy of Ra, thou winding serpent in the form of an intestine, without arms [and] without legs. Thy body cannot stand upright so that thou mayest have therein being, long is thy[FN#199] tail in front of thy den, thou enemy; retreat before Ra. Thy head shall be cut off, and the slaughter of thee shall be carried out. Thou shalt not lift up thy face, for his (i.e., Ra's) flame is in thy accursed soul. The odour which is in his chamber of slaughter is in thy members, and thy form shall be overthrown by the slaughtering knife of the great G.o.d. The spell of the Scorpion-G.o.ddess Serq driveth back thy might. Stand still, stand still, and retreat through her spell.

[FN#199] Literally, ”his.”

Be vomited, O poison, I adjure thee to come forth on the earth. Horus uttereth a spell over thee, Horus hacketh thee in pieces, he spitteth upon thee; thou shalt not rise up towards heaven, but shalt totter downwards, O feeble one, without strength, cowardly, unable to fight, blind, without eyes, and with thine head turned upside down. Lift not up thy face. Get thee back quickly, and find not the way. Lie down in despair, rejoice not, retreat speedily, and show not thy face because of the speech of Horus, who is perfect in words of power. The poison rejoiced, [but] the heart[s] of many were very sad thereat. Horus hath smitten it with his magical spells, and he who was in sorrow is [now] in joy. Stand still then, O thou who art in sorrow, [for] Horus hath been endowed with life. He coineth charged, appearing himself to overthrow the Sebiu fiends which bite. All men when they see Ra praise the son of Osiris. Get thee back, Worm, and draw out thy poison which is in all the members of him that is under the knife. Verily the might of the word of power of Horus is against thee. Vomit thou, O Enemy, get thee back, O poison.

9. THE CHAPTER OF CASTING A SPELL ON THE CAT.

Recite [the following formula]:-

”Hail, Ra, come to thy daughter! A scorpion hath stung her on a lonely road. Her cry hath penetrated the heights of heaven, and is heard along the paths. The poison hath entered into her body, and circulateth through her flesh. She hath set her mouth against it;[FN#200] verily the poison is in her members.

[FN#200] i.e., she hath directed her words against it.