The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-07-15

The Oldest Books n the world.
Under the title OF Oidest Books IN the World.
we have an account Of the religion. philoso-
ply and ethics Of the ancient Egyptians by
DR.. ISAAC MYER (Kegan Paul. Trench.
Trubner a co... What 10 here presented Is
an annotated English translation OF certain
very archaic Egyptian writings which bear
witness to the existence OF advanced Ideas
concerning morality and good manners among
the ancient Egyptians.
The first document Is the Prisse papy-
rus, generally but incorrectly known as
the Book OF Ptah-hotep. NJ. E. Prisse
d'Avennes, who gave this papyrus to the Ma
tonal Library in Paris and published II
in is47. had acquired it from one OF the fel-
labs whom he had employed to assist In max
ing excavations in the Metropolis OF Thebes.
This man pretended that the manuscript was
the property OF a third person who did not
know whence II came, but NJ. Prisse suspected
that the object in view was to make him pay
again for a commodity which already belonged
TO him from its having been unearthed In the
excavations which were then being made at
his Expense: and that the papyrus came from
the hypogaeum. or tomb OF one OF the kings
Of the XIth dynasty. The large and solid
character Of the writing on this papyrus sup
ports the belief that It was penned rather earlier
than the XIIth dynasty tabout 277s-2seS b. CO
The document contains eighteen pages OF
hieratlc writing; the characters are large ana
firm and they approach more closely to the
hieroglyphic type than does any other known
text. II there be some uncertainty a. to the
epoch In which the pspyrus itself was penned,
yet, u we accept the statements contained
in It, We may determine precisely the date
10 which we should refer the original compost
ton. The FIRST two pages Of the manuscript.
on which are TO be found some precepts re-
lating to manners and morals. form a sepa-
rate treatise which. "a II declares. was COM
posed at the beginning Of the reign Of Sneferu.
a Pharaoh Of the lid dynasty. who. according
TO Brugsch Bey. hourished about s7e6 B. c.
According to Prof. Petrie. the middle point
Of Sneferu's reign was some $50 years earlier.
The writer Of this prmeval book seems to
have been named Kaquemna; his Anal words
are: Then the Majesty Of the King Of the
South and OF the North that Is Of the whole
world as II was known to the Egyptiansl ar
rived in port THAT is diedl: behold. then was
raised the Majesty Of the King Of the South
and Of tho North. sneferu. a king benehcent
over this entire land. Then I. Kaquemna.
was made a project The last sixteen pages
Of the Prisse papyrus contain another book.
a treatise on morals. alleged by itself to have
been composed by a project, or feuda lord.
named Ptah-hotep. during the reign Of King
ASA, a Pharaoh Of the With dynasty. who, &C.
cording TO Petrie. fourished about 8Ss0-35s6
b. C.. II Ia entitled "Precepts Of the Project.
the Feudal Lord Ptah-hotep. under the Majesty
Of the King Of the South and OF the North.
ASA, living eternally. forever" Between the
two ~treatises here mentioned there was for
merly a third writing on the papyrus. but
this has been scraped on. and q surface some
ffty-two inches long has been repolished 80
as to be ready to be written upon again.
Mr.. +. l.. Grintn's translation OF the Book Of
Kaquemna Is reproduced In the book before
us. We make the following extracts: If
thou art sent on a mission 70 decide q dispute
in which many witnesses have to speak. seek
to find out the truth. Let the timid be en-
couraged: lot the correct speaker be praised;
let the sack OF the silent be opened; let the place
OF him who Is quiet In speech be wide; let knives
be directed against the transsressor; let no
one approach out Of his turn" n again:
DO not magnify thy heart on account Of thy
valor in the midst Of thy young men: beware
lest thou be superseded. for the future Is not
known: God can overthrow such a one"
These injunctions are ethical; others have good
manners In view. For example: If thou
sittest at meat with common people. desire
not the bread that thou lowest; restrain thy
desire; greediness IL base. A cup Of water
oucnches tho thirst, a mouthful Of herbs
strengthens the heart. Ignoble Is he who Is
driven by his tomach. and who leaves his
hosts when he knows not how to All his stom-
aoh In thor house" On the other hand.
shrink not from meat In the presence OF a
elutton; take what he gives thee. refuse It not:
10! the refusal would be Disappointing" For
the same reason. II thou art drinking with q
vinebibber, take thou what ne offers: II will
please his heart" Such was the Egyptian
conception Of good breeding some four thou
sand years before the beginning Of our area.
Now let US look at the precepts Of Ptah-
botsp set down In the reign OF ASA In the NTH
Egyptian dynasty about $3.50 D. e. Ptah-
hotep says to his son: BE not naughty be-
cause OF thy knowledge: converse thou with
the ignorant a. with the scholar; for the barriers
OF art are never closed. no artist ever possess
ing the perfection to which he should aspire
Elsewhere the young man Is enjoined not to
lose temper when disputlng. but to remain
calm and silent: II thou hast to do with q
disputant when he Is hot. act as one who can
not be moved. Thou then hast the advantage
over him. II only In keeping silent when he 10
using evil speech. He who refrains Is OF greater
worth. say the hearers. and thou art right In
the opinion OF the great" The duty Of a father
to q son Is thus formulated: IF thou art a
wise man. train up a son who will be pleasing
to God. II he adjusts his discipline to thy way
and occupies hirlself with thy affairs. - he