The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1886-11-05
AN EGYPTIAN ROMANCE.
It Is Told In the Papyrus Recently Ac.
CURED by the Berlin Museum.

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The National Zeitung gives the fol
lowing interesting summary of the
papyrus which the Berlin museum re.
Gently acquired from the heirs of Rich.
ard Lepsius, and the reading OF which
has only just been completed This
papyruS, which was written in the vul.
gar tongue, Is not only of archaeological
Importance but of much literary inter
est; being neither more nor less than n
historical novel. though left in an un-
finished state. The papyrus dates from
the sixteenth century b. c., and from
the eighteenth dynasty; but the story re-
lated in it goes back nearly thousand
years to the reign of King Cheops, the
tabled builder of the pyramids.
When the story opens King Cheops is
seated among his sons and listening to
their tales of the miracles said to have
been wrought at the court of his prcde-
ccssors. Prince Chophren, who after
ward built the second pyramid. related
that magician in the reign of King
Nebka had made waxen crocodile
which, if placed in the chamber of q
wife untrue to her husband, would
seize her and her paramount and deliver
them over to the husband. Another
Prince related that King Suefru. the
father of Cheops. feeling oppressed and
not knowing how to relieve his heart"
took counsel of wise man; who adj
vised him to 60 to the banks of the lake
near the palace and let all the maidens
of the court row up and down the water.
This was done, and the mOnarch's heart
was relieved. But all of sudden one
of the maidens began to make lamen-
tations, for she had dropped jewel in
to the water, which was forty feet. deep.
A magician was sent for. and, reciting
an incarnation, he coaxed the jewel up
from the bottom of the lake and re-
turned it to the maiden.
King Cheops was so struck with won
der at these stories, 1that he ordered sac
rifces to be offered to the names of this
sage and of the magicians; but Prince
Hardadaf informed him that they were
not all dead, and that one of them.
named Dedi, dwelt in the city of bed
Sneirii. Prince Hardadaf described him
as being a hundred years old. but as
still able to eat daily five hundred rolls
of bread and the quarter of an OK, and
to drink hundred tlagons of beer. He
was able to unite n head to the trunk
from which it had been dccapitated; to
make lions follow him like dogs, and he
also knew the place where would be
found certain precious materials of the
house of tho god Thoth, which King
Cheops was very anxious to have for
building his pyramid. The King sent
Prince Hardadaf to fetch the sage Dedi,
whom he found stretched upon his bed.
the Kings presence; and. upon being
asked by his majesty whether it was true
that he could reunitc decaptated head
to the trunk. replied in the affirmative;
whereupon the King ordered prisoner
to be brought out for experiment. But
the sage Dedi asked that IN animal
might be supplied him and not man;
whereupon u goose was brought. Its
head was cut off and placed in the east
ern corner of the chamber, with the
body in the western corner. and Dedi
then pronounced form of words, inn
mediatcly after which the body got up
and walked, the head wriggling along
the pavement until the two met and re-
joined, the goose then waddling away.
Dedi repeated the same miracle with q
duck and bull, and the King then
questioned him rs to the house of Thoth.
Dedi said that the materials which the
King wished for were in house at
Heliopolis; but that he had not the
power to make them over to him; the
only one who could do so being the
eldest one of the three sons whom Red
Dedt should bear. Red Debt, he added,
was the wife of the priest of the Sun ut
Sachcbu; and she would bear three sons
to god, and these three sons would all
be Kings, the eldest being also high
priest of Heliopolis. When the King
heard those words he was troubled.
There is n hiatus in the papyrus ut
th;s point; and, without being told what
course King Cheops has determined
upon, we arrive ut the main incident of
the story-namcly, the birth of the chill
dren of the Sun. When Red Dedt felt
the first pangs of childbirth, the Sun
sent for the goddcsses Isis, Nephthys,
Mcsechent and Hekt. rs well as the god
Chnum, and said to them: Deliver
Red Dedt of the three children, who will
one day be Kings in this land; they will
build you temples. they will feed your
affairs, they will make you many liba-
tons, and will enrich your sanctuaries. :"
The gods and goddessos assumed the
shape OF mortal women, and went to the
house of the priest and offered to deliver
his wife. The priest accepted, and Red
Dedt accordingly gave birth to three
boys an ell long and with lusty arms
Mesechent predicted that they would all
reign; and they were, in fact, the three
first Kings of the fifth dynasty-Userkaf,
Sahure, and Kakar. The priest, full of
gratitude, gave corn to the supposed
midwives, who then took their flight in
to cmpyrean. But when the divinities
got near to the domain of the Sun, Isis
said, "How is it that we have wrought
no miracle for the children whom we
have delivered from their mothers
womb Thereupon, the goddesses
stirred up tempest, and, after having
enchanted the corn, caused the wind to
carry 1t into the priests house. When
Red Dedt, after two weeks rest, re-
sumed the management of her house
hold, the servant told her that the corn
Oiyen IN tho mid wivos was still i'm tho