the stone sarcophagus, with the dedicatory inscription of king Khabbash. The sarcophagus itself stands in the northern gallery leading to the Apis-tombs, and almost bars the approach, while the lid lies on the ground in the southern gallery. The two were never brought together to enclose the deceased bull. The lid itself bears the following inscription:

'Year 2, month Athyr, under the Majesty of king Kabbash, the friend of Apis-Osiris, of Horus "of Kakem" (a name for the locality of the Apis tombs).'

The latest authentic inscription, proving the death of an Apis under the Pharaohs, is a memorial-stone of the 3rd year of king Nakht-neb-ef, in which the bull died, that is, about 356 B.C. With this we conclude our review of the Apis tablets, and turn to other inscriptions, which belong to the times of the Persian kings.

DYN. XXVII. EGYPTIANS IN THE PERSIAN SERVICE. 303

§ II. THE PERSIANS IN EGYPT.

We can hardly award to the Egyptian nobles, who lived in the neighbourhood of the royal court at Saïs, the praise of especial loyalty to their masters. As soon as the Persians made good their footing in Egypt and honoured Saïs especially by their visits, there were found many descendants of the former royal houses, who did not think it beneath their dignity to prove themselves submissive to the Great King of Persia, and to enter his service.

Among these there was, in particular, a Sutenrekh (i.e. King's-grandson '), named Uza-hor-en-piris, a son of Paf-tot-nit (the high-priest of the goddess Nit) and his wife Tum-iri-tis, probably a daughter of king Apries (Uah-ab-ra). To this nobleman the command of the royal fleet had been entrusted under the kings Amasis and Psamethik III. When Cambyses conquered Egypt, Uza-hor-en-pi-ris passed at once into the service of the Persian king. On the famous shrine-bearing statue of this eminent noble

in the Vatican at Rome, he himself relates

6 Already mentioned as a work of art, p. 291. The late Viscount E. de Rougé was the first who contributed to science some fragments of the above inscription (Revue Archéologique, 1851). Our translation-which has profited by the latest advances in the science of deciphering the old Egyptian writings-contains for the first time the whole inscription in its entire sequence. [The tenth volume of Records of the Past contains a new translation of this inscription, or rather series of ten inscriptions, on the statue

quite unaffectedly the history of his life, from which we have derived the foregoing account of his family.

I. When the great lord of all nations, Kambathet (Cambyses), came to Egypt, at that time the people of all lands were with him, he ruled this land as king in its whole extent. They settled in it, inasmuch as he was a great king of Egypt and the great lord of all lands. He committed to me the office of a president of the physicians, and kept me beside him as friend and temple-master. His official name was assigned to him as KingMastu-ra." I made known to him the greatness of the city of Saïs, as the city of Neith, the great mother, who gave birth to the sun-god Ra-he was the first-born, no (other) being was yet born-moreover (I informed him) also of the high consequence of the habitation of Neith-it is such as a heaven-in all its quarters ::—moreover also of the high importance of the chambers of Neith, which are the abodes of Neith and of all the gods in them; as well as the high consequence of the temple Hakheb, in which the great king and lord of the heaven resides; moreover also of the high importance of the south-chamber, of the northchamber, of the chamber of the morning-sun Ra, and of the chamber of the evening-sun Tum. These are the mysterious abodes of all the gods.

II. And I made my complaint to king Kambathet concerning all the foreigners, who had taken up their quarters in the temple of Neith, that they might be driven out, that so the temple of Neith might be established in its full splendour, as was the case formerly. Then the king gave command to drive out all foreigners, who had taken up their quarters in the temple of Neith, and to pull down all their huts and all their chattels in this temple, and they themselves were forced to remove out of the precincts of this temple. The king gave command to purify this temple of Neith, and to restore to it all its inhabitants, and to acknowledge the people as

6

called the Pastophorus of the Vatican,' by Mr. Le Page Renouf, who reads the name of the Egyptian officer Ut'a-Hor-resenet. Mr. Renouf acknowledges his obligation to the above translation (in the German) of Dr. Brugsch, whose example he follows in suppressing the name and titles which begin each inscription, and for which there is often no equivalent in our modern languages. We have followed Mr. Renouf in prefixing a distinctive number to each of the separate inscriptions.-ED.]

DYN. XXVII.

INSCRIPTION OF UZA-HOR-EN-PI-RIS.

305

servants of the temple. He gave command to replace the sacred property of Neith, the great mother, and of all the gods in Saïs, as it had been formerly. He gave command to re-establish the order of all their festivals and of all their processions, as they were formerly. All this did the king, because I had made him acquainted with the high consequence of Saïs, for it is the city of all the gods. May they remain on their thrones in her for ever!

III. 'When king Kambathet came to Saïs, he entered the temple of Neith in person. He testified in every good way his reverence for the great exalted holy goddess, Neith, the great mother, and for the great gods in Saïs, as all the pious kings had done. He did this, because I had made him acquainted with the high importance of the holy goddess, for she is the mother of the Sun-god Ra himself.

IV. The king bestowed all that was good upon the temple of Neith. He caused the libations to be offered to the Everlasting One in the house of Neith, as all the kings of former times had done. He did this because I had informed him of all the good that should be done for this temple.

V. I established the property of Neith, the great mother, as the king had ordered, for the duration of eternity. I caused the monuments of Neith, the lady of Saïs, to be set up in every proper way, as an able servant of his master ought to do. I was a good man before his face. I protected the people under the very heavy misfortune which had befallen the whole land, such as this country had never experienced before. I was a shield to the weak against the powerful; I protected him who honoured me, and he found it best for him. I did all good for them, when the time had come to do it.

I

VI. 'I entrusted to them the prophetic offices; I gave them the best land, as the king had commanded, to endure for ever. made a present of proper burial to such as (died) without a coffin; I nourished all their children and built up again all their houses; I did for them all that is good, as a father does for his son, then when the calamity fell upon this nome, at the time when the grievous calamity befel the whole land.

VII. 'Now king Ntariuth (Darius)-may he live for ever!-commanded me to go to Egypt, while he was in the land of Elam, -for he also was the great lord of all lands and a great king of Egypt,-in order that I might reinstate the number of the sacred

scribes of the temples, and might revive whatever had fallen into ruin. The foreigners escorted me from land to land, and brought me safe to Egypt, according to the command of the lord of the land. I did according to what he had commanded. I chose of the sons of the inhabitants from all their (schools?)-to the great sorrow of those who were childless-and I placed them under expert masters, skilful in all kinds of learning, that they might perform all their works. And the king ordered that all favour should be shown them, because of the pleasure with which they performed all their works. I supplied all those who distinguished themselves with whatever they needed for the scribe's profession, according to their progress. The king did all this because he knew that such a work was the best means of awakening to new life all that was falling into ruin, in order to uphold the name of all the gods, their temples, their revenues, and the ordinance of their feasts for ever.

VIII. 'I was honoured by each of my masters, so long as I sojourned on the earth. Therefore they gave me decorations of gold, and showed me all favour.

IX. 'O ye gods who are in Saïs! Remember all the good that has been done by the president of the physicians, Uza-hor-en-pi-ris. In all that ye are willing to requite him for all his benefits, establish for him a great name in this land for ever.

X. O Osiris! thou Eternal one! The president of the physicians Uza-hor-en-pi-ris throws his arms around thee, to guard thy image. Do for him all good according to what he has done, (as) the protector of thy shrine for ever.' 7

We refrain from any further comment on the foregoing text, the historical value of which, as the contemporary record of an eye-witness, and in part the author, of the events which he relates, can hardly be overrated. In this account, king

7 The last words, addressed to Osiris, the Eternal, have relation to the particular form of the statue. The chief physician of Saïs is represented as standing upright, with his hands embracing a shrine, in the interior of which is seen the mummy of Osiris. It should not be forgotten that the Persian kings were glad to employ the Egyptian physicians, whose skill gained them high renown in the ancient world.