THE GREATEST OF THE PHARAOHS.

RAMESES II., called the Great, was the third king of the 19th Dynasty, and the son of Seti I. The date generally ascribed to him is 1333 B.C. He

is commonly identified with the Pharaoh of the Oppression ; while his son Menephtah is supposed to have been the Pharaoh of the Exodus. His reign marks the most flourishing period of Egyptian arms, art and literature. He himself was a valiant warrior and conqueror. There are several variants of his name; Ramessu is the exact hieroglyphical form; but he was also called Ses, Sestesu, Setesu, and Sethoris; and Herodotus

and other Greek writers named him Sesostris. He erected many monuments and built many temples, some of which remain the mightiest examples of Egyptian architecture.

Rameses reigned sixty-seven years; at the age of twelve he sat beside his father on the throne; and it was while still a young man that he headed the famous campaign against the Hittites in northern Syria, which inspired the court poet, Pentaur, to write the poem in which the heroic exploits of the king are described. It was near Kadesh, on the Orontes, that Rameses approved his courage, rescuing the vanguard of his army from an ambush prepared by the enemy, and achieving a great victory over them.

The bravery and ability of this monarch were equalled only by his vanity. He caused Pentaur's poem to be inscribed

on the walls of numerous temples, four of which still survive, together with a copy on papyrus. Obelisks attest his mighty deeds, and his face and form are reproduced in countless statues, one of which, found in a shattered condition at Zoan or Tanis, near Tel-el-Kebir, was the largest colossus known, measuring ninety-two feet in height, without the pedestal. The obelisk now in the Central Park of New York was originally designed as a memorial of his predecessor, Thothmes III., but was appropriated and inscribed by Rameses. At Abu-Simbel, in Nubia, he caused to be hewn out of the solid rock a magnificent temple, with a façade 100 feet in breadth and height, in the steep front of the precipice. Guarding the entrance are four colossal figures of Rameses, enthroned, each sixty-six feet in height; in the first chamber the walls are sculptured with his deeds; while the inner sanctuary contains another seated statue of himself, together with the gods Amen, Ptah and Horus. Again, in the Rameseum, at Thebes, the most stupendous temple in Egypt, built by this king, there are the remains of still another enthroned image of Rameses, which is estimated to have weighed not less than 1000 tons. Assuredly this monarch labored resolutely to achieve earthly immortality, and not wholly in vain. His name is writ in granite from Syria to Nubia, and from the ruins of his monuments might be created many cities.

Rameses recorded on the walls of his temple at Abu-Simbel that he was the father of 119 children; but none of them, nor all together, achieved a fraction of his renown. His court at Thebes was magnificent; scholars and men of genius were welcome there; the great library, over the door of which was the legend, "The Dispensary of the Soul," and which Kagabu, surnamed the Elegant, administered, contained the finest collection of papyri that had ever been brought together. Enna, the poet and romance-writer, who composed for the entertainment of the king's sons "The Tale of Two Brothers," translated below, was one of the ornaments of his reign. Rameses II. created what might be termed the Augustan Age of Egypt, and under him the kingdom of the Nile attained its greatest glory.

of the campaign. It was translated by Brugsch Bey, from whose version the following rendering has been prepared:

The king of the vile Hittites mustered many warriors; his chariots were as the sand of the sea, and three men of war stood in each car; and all the strength of his army was arrayed, footmen and horsemen; they stood, but durst not advance against Pharaoh the King.

But the king of the Hittites prepared an ambush to the northwest of Kadesh; and the chief part of his army was concealed there; but others went forth from the south of Kadesh, and fell upon the centre of Pharaoh's army, and, taking them unawares, overthrew them, even the legion of Pra-Makhu.

Now the station of Pharaoh the King was on the western side of the River Arunatha (Orontes), near the northern wall of the city; and they came unto the King, and told him what had befallen.

Then arose Pharaoh, in strength like unto his divine father Mentu, and took weapons in his hand, and put on his armor, like unto Baal;

And he took his horses, called "The Victory of Thebes," which were from the royal stables of Miamun;

And Pharaoh smote the horses, and they charged into the centre of the host of the Hittites; and there was none with the King.

And the King looked, and lo! the enemy surrounded him, two thousand and five hundred of their best warriors in their chariots, three men in each chariot; and they came behind the King, and upon each side of him.

And Pharaoh the King said, "Behold, of my princes, and of my great men and captains, there was none with me, and my men of war forsook me."

And Pharaoh said, "O Father Ammon, where art thou? Shall a father forget his son? Behold, thou knowest my ways; I have not erred from the judgments of thy mouth; the vows which I vowed unto thee have I kept; shall the king who rules in Egypt bow beneath the yoke of the stranger?

"Verily Ammon should prevail over the herders of cattle, and should stand above him who knoweth not God.

"Behold, O Ammon, have I not built unto thee monuments, and filled thy temples with many prisoners? Shall not the altars which I built unto thee last a thousand years?

"Have not I sacrified unto thee of my substance, even ten thousand oxen, and burnt woods of sweet savor upon thy altars, and withheld naught that thy heart craved?

"Put thou, therefore, to shame him that disobeyeth thee, and give honor to him that lifteth up his hands unto thee.

"Behold, my heart has ever inclined itself unto thee; I have done thy will, and called upon thy name.

"And now, behold! I stand alone in the midst of a multitude, which are as the sands of the sea in number, and my men and my chariots were afraid, and have deserted me, not giving ear unto my voice, when I, the King, cried unto them for succor.

"But the strength of Ammon is greater than the strength of a myriad of fighting-men, and ten thousand chariots; yea, than ten thousand brothers and sons, gathered together in one place to help me.

"Behold, Ammon is the Lord, and beside, him all men are as nothing;

"That which hath come unto me is according to thy word. "Behold, I will obey thy word and alone I will uplift my voice unto thee, even from the ends of the earth,

"Saying, 'Help me, O Father Ammon, against mine enemy, the Hittite!'"

Then was my voice heard even in the hall of the temple of Hermonthis; yea, Ammon gave ear and answered to my supplication.

I shouted for joy, for from behind his voice came unto me,

saying,

"Lo, I have hastened unto thee, Rameses Miamun,

"Lo, I stand besides thee, lo, it is I, even thy father, Ra, the mighty Sun-god,

"Lo, my hand shall fight for thee, and my arm be strong to succor thee,

"And my power shall prevail against the myriads who come against thee.

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'For I am the God of victory, and the heart of a brave man is pleasing unto me,

"And in thee have I found a righteous spirit, and my soul rejoices in thy might and thy valor."

Now when this came to pass, behold, my heart was changed within me, and I became like unto Mentu, the God of Battles; My left hand shook the spear, and my right hand held the sword, even as Baal, before them that saw me;

And I charged into the midst of them, two thousand and five hundred chariots with horses, and the hoofs of my horses trampled upon them.

None raised his hand against me, for their hearts failed within them, and with fear were their limbs loosened, and the spear and the dart durst they not wield against me.

And I cast them down into the water, as falls the crocodile from the bank, so fell they, yea, one by one fell they upon their faces, and at my pleasure I smote them,

So that none looked behind, but where he fell, there he lay dead, nor did any lift up his head on that day of my smiting.

But the King of the Hittites stood in the midst of his warriors and his chariots, and saw the valor of Pharaoh in the battle, who was alone, with none to help him; he saw, and he turned his race and fled;

Then sent he forth his princes, to do battle with Pharaoh, well armed were they with bows and with swords;

The chiefs of Leka and of Masa, the kings of Malunna, and Qar-qa-mash (Carchemish), king of the Dardani, and Khilibu of Keshkesh, and the brothers of the king, with five thousand horses, they came on against me, and their faces were set against mine, which flamed as the sun.

Then charged I upon them, like unto Mentu in his anger,