The writing tablet (Carnarvon Tablet I) is a document of the highest historical importance, preserving as it does a contemporary record of the conflict of the Theban Dynasty with the Hyksos. On the face of the tablet eight lines of hieratic contain the introduction to the famous Proverbs of Ptah-hetep, setting forth how the Wazir Ptah-hetep, son of a king, spoke to his King Assa of the advance of old age upon him and the diminution of all his powers, and requested that he might delegate his duties to his son, whom he would instruct in the words and ways of the Ancients. The King accorded his request and bade him proceed, and thus originated the rules of good conduct which go by the name of the old Wazir. The text[18] of the tablet shows some considerable differences of reading from the only other copy known--that in the Prisse Papyrus. Below this fragment of philosophy are marked the lines of a draught-board, in squares 10 × 3. Four of the compartments contain hieratic signs indicating their place in the game. The historical text on the other side consisted of no less than seventeen long lines. Unhappily the flaking of the stucco[19] about the fracture has robbed us of one line and of the greater part of two more. The text is singularly difficult, and this great gap, added to some minor imperfections, further obscures the meaning. In the following brief analysis I have had the help of a number of excellent readings suggested by Mr. A. H. Gardiner. The text is dated in the seventh year of King Kamosi, who is described as beloved of Amen-Ra, the god of Karnak. His Majesty was speaking in his palace unto the court and nobles who attended him, ‘Consider for what is my might! One prince is in Avaris, another in Ethiopia!’ He continues to discourse of the division of the land and mentions Memphis and Cusae in an obscure context. ‘And the nobles of his court said, “Behold, the Asiatics have approached (?) unto Cusae, they have drawn (?) their tongues in one manner, [saying?] We are happy with our Black Land as far as Cusae, ... our barley is in the papyrus-marshes ... our barley is not taken.”’ The meaning of this is very uncertain. Then after a gap, ‘they are painful to His Majesty,’ perhaps referring to the replies of the countries.