The Ancient History of the Egyptians, Carthaginians, Assyrians,

of government. A nation so grave and serious immediately perceived, t

es no other rule of his actions than his own arbitrary will and pleasure. But here, kings were under greater restraint from the laws than their subjects. They had some particular ones digested by a

nt education; to the end that, as they had the liberty of approaching the king's person day and night, he might, from men so qualified, hear nothing which was unbecoming the royal majesty; nor have any sentiments instilled into him bu

prescribed them, (a thing customary in Egypt, whose inhabitants were all sober, and whose air inspired fru

erplexed, they read the several letters they received; to form a more just and di

ious to the gods, affable to men, moderate, just, magnanimous, sincere; an enemy to falsehood; liberal; master of his passions; punishing crimes with the utmost lenity, but boundless in rewarding merit. He next spoke of the faults which kings might be guilty of; but supposed at the same time that they never committed any, except by surprise or ignorance; and loaded with imprecations such of their ministers as gave them ill council, and suppressed or disguised the truth. Such were the methods of conveying instruction to their kings. It wa

kle the palate, but to satisfy the cravings of nature. One would have concluded, (observes the historian,) that these rules had been laid down by some able physician, who was attentive only to the health of the prince, rather than by a le

ated more immediately this duty; convinced that on this depended not only the ease and comfort of individuals, but the happiness of the state; which would be

administered gratuitously to the people, that justice to which they have a natural right, and which ought to be equally open to all; and, in some sense, to the poor more than the rich, because the latter find a support within themselves; whereas the very condition of the former exposes them more to injuries, and therefore calls louder for the protection of the laws. To guard against surprise, affairs were transacted by writing in the assemblies of these judges. That false eloquence was dreaded, which dazzles the mind, and moves the passions. Truth could not

observance of them. A new custom in Egypt was a kind of miracle.325 All things there ran in the old channel; and the exactness with which little ma

nity and equity of the Egyptians were superior to that of the Romans, who gave the master an absolute power of life and death over his slave. The emperor

ds, whose majesty is trampled upon by invoking their name to a false oath, and

punishment which the person accused was to ha

n:329 but if the unfortunate person could not be succoured, the offender was at least to be impeached; and penalties were decreed for any neglect o

of abode in a public register, that remained in the hands of the magistrate, and to describe his profe

btor, who refused or neglected to pay his debts. Now Egypt took a wise course on this occasion; and, without doing any injury to the personal liberty of its inhabitants, or ruining their families, pursued the debtor with incessant fears of infamy in case he were dishonest. No man was permitted to borrow money without pawning to the creditor the body of his father, whic

uce, by this security, these poor men to an impossibility of discharging their debts, and getting their bread: but, at the same time, they permitted the creditor to imprison the peasants themselves, who alone were capable of using these im

but one woman.334 Whatever was the condition of the woman, whether s

unged; and this is the marriage of brothers with their sisters, which was not only authorized by the laws, but even, in some measure, originated from thei

ed to rise up for the old; and on every occasion, to resign to them the

asure of doing good remains so pure and engaging, that it is impossible for a man to be insensible of it. But it was particularly towards their kings that the Egyptians prided themselves on evincing their gratitude. They honoured them whilst living, as so many visible representations of the Deity; and after their death lamented for them as the fathers of th