The Instruction of Ptah-Hotep and the Instruction of Ke'Gemni Part 4

[9] His belly, presumably.

[10] The above translation is not satisfactory; the text may be corrupt. No intelligible translation of it has yet been made.

[11] _i.e._ all wickedness is contained therein.

[12] A servant.

[13] Compare Prov. xvii. 18.

[14] So also in life, by diversity of aim, alternating work and play, happiness is secured. Tacking is evidently meant in the case of the steersman.

[15] This section refers to the relations between the son of a n.o.bleman and his tutor, dwelling on the benefits from former pupils in high places, if their schooldays have been pleasant. The last sentence of this section, as of sections 23 and 25, is somewhat _a propos des bottes_.

[16] An obscure phrase is here.

[17] Literally, "It is that which preventeth the heart from advancing (?)" A curious phrase.

[18] Literally, after his stick or sceptre.

[19] Who knows them.

[20] The greater part of this section is a play upon the root _'sodem_, which in its meaning includes our _hear_ (_listen_) and _obey_. This tiresome torture of words is frequent in Egyptian, especially in old religious texts.

[21] The "Followers of Horus" are a legendary dynasty of demiG.o.ds, believed by the Egyptians to have ruled for about 13,400 years after the reign of Horus, and before that of Menes. There is also an order of spirits of this name.

[22] A word of unknown meaning; apparently some kind of plant. Such a word seems out of place here, and may be idiomatic, like our "flowery language." But the preceding line obviously refers to this book.

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THE INSTRUCTION OF KE'GEMNI

On Avoiding Offence

1.[1] The cautious man flourisheth, the exact one is praised; the innermost chamber openeth unto the man of silence. Wide[2] is the seat of the man gentle of speech; but knives are prepared against one that forceth a path, that he advance not, save in due season.

2. If thou sit with a company of people, desire not the bread that thou likest: short is the time of restraining the heart, and gluttony is an abomination; therein is the quality of a beast. A cup of water quencheth the thirst, and a mouthful of melon supporteth the heart. A good thing standeth for goodness, but some small thing standeth for plenty.[3] A base man is he that is governed by his belly; he departeth only when he is no longer able to fill full his belly in men's houses.

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3. If thou sit with a glutton, eat with him, then depart (?).

If thou drink with a drunkard, accept [drink], and his heart shall be satisfied.

Refuse not meat when with a greedy man. Take that which he giveth thee; set it not on one side, thinking that it will be a courteous thing.

4. If a man be lacking in good fellows.h.i.+p, no speech hath any influence over him. He is sour of face toward the glad-hearted that are kindly to him; he is a grief unto his mother and his friends; and all men [cry], 'Let thy name be known; thou art silent in thy mouth when thou art addressed!'

5. Be not haughty because of thy might in the midst of thy young soldiers. Beware of making strife, for one knoweth not the things that the G.o.d will do when He punisheth.

The Vizier caused his sons and daughters to be summoned, when he had finished the rules of the conduct of men. And they marvelled when they came to him. Then he said unto them, 'Hearken unto everything that is in writing in this book, even as I have said it in adding unto profitable sayings.' And they cast themselves on their bellies, and they read it, even as it was in writing. And it was better in their opinion than any thing in this land unto its limits.

Now they were living when His Majesty, the King of Upper and Lower Egypt, HEUNI, {64} departed, and His Majesty, the King of Upper and Lower Egypt, SENFoRU, was enthroned as a gracious king over the whole of this land.

Then was Ke'gemni made Governor of his City and Vizier.

IT IS FINISHED.

[1] The original is not divided into sections.

[2] _i.e._ comfortable

[3] This is a rather dark saying, but apparently the author means that although the duly instructed guest will only partake moderately of the abundance before him, what he eats is as good as the rest. His portion will be equal to the whole as regards quality, though inferior as regards quant.i.ty.

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APPENDIX

The Instruction of Amenemhe'et I. is here given as a contrast to the foregoing. It is a Testament, however, rather than an Instruction, and contains more historical matter than didactic. It is written in a terse and pointed style, combined with the parallelism and ant.i.thesis which was the prevailing vehicle of poetic thought in Egyptian. The rank of its author and the exceeding bitterness of his mood make it a doc.u.ment of great interest. There is no reason to doubt its authenticity.

This King was the founder of the glorious Twelfth Dynasty, a period which has been called the Golden Age of Egypt. He ruled from about 2778-2748 B.C., and, although he describes himself as over-lenient, was really one of the most vigorous and powerful of all the Sons of the Sun who for five thousand years wore the double crown of the Two Egypts.

The circ.u.mstances in which the new dynasty arose are not known; nor have we any other record of the attempt on his life, here recounted.

{66} In the twentieth year of his reign he a.s.sociated his son, Senwesert I., with him in a co-regency which lasted ten years. From --8 we gather that the attempted a.s.sa.s.sination took place just before the dual rule; while the Instruction was evidently penned shortly before the writer's death. The 'house' referred to is presumably his pyramid-tomb, called Ke'-nofer-amenemhe'et. _Amenemhe'et is exalted and good_. The site of this building is not known.

This Instruction was popular as a school exercise in the 'New Kingdom,'

and we possess several copies or parts of copies. There is no good text for the latter part (---- 12 _ff_), which is corrupt in such MSS. as contain it.

I have used the critical text of Mr. Griffith, published in the _Zeitschrift fur agyptische Sprache_, 1896.

It is hoped that the Bibliography will be useful to students of the books of Ptah-hotep and Ke'gemni.

B. G. G.

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