forth in procession from the sanctuary, bearing the statue of the god along the banks, to the sound of instruments and the chanting of hymns. [Illustration: 051.jpg NILE GODS FROM THE TEMPLE OF SETI I. AT ABYDOS BRINGING FOOD TO EVERY NOME OF EGYPT. 1] 1 From a drawing by Faucher-Gudin, after a photograph by Beato. "I.--Hail to thee, Hapi!--who appearest in the land and comest--to give life to Egypt;--thou who dost hide thy coming in darkness--in this very day whereon thy coming is sung,--wave, which spreadest over the orchards created by Ra--to give life to all them that are athirst--who refusest to give drink unto the desert--of the overflow of the waters of heaven; as soon as thou descendest,--Sibu, the earth-god, is enamoured of bread,--Napri, the god of grain, presents his offering,--Phtah maketh every workshop to prosper. "II.--Lord of the fish! as soon as he passeth the cataract--the birds no longer descend upon the fields;--creator of corn, maker of barley,--he prolongeth the existence of temples.--Do his fingers cease from their labours, or doth he suffer?--then are all the millions of beings in misery;--doth he wane in heaven? then the gods--themselves, and all men perish. "III.--The cattle are driven mad, and all the world--both great and small, are in torment!--But if, on the contrary, the prayers of men are heard at his rising--and (for them) he maketh himself Khnumu,--when he ariseth, then the earth shouts for joy,--then are all bellies joyful,--each back is shaken with laughter,--and every tooth grindeth. "IV.--Bringing food, rich in sustenance,--creator of all good things,--lord of all seeds of life, pleasant unto his elect,--if his friendship is secured--he produceth fodder for the cattle,--and he provideth for the sacrifices of all the gods,--finer than any other is the incense which cometh from him;--he taketh possession of the two lands--and the granaries are filled, the storehouses are prosperous,--and the goods of the poor are multiplied. "V.--He is at the service of all prayers to answer them,--withholding nothing. To make boats to be that is his strength.--Stones are not sculptured for him--nor statues whereon the double crown is placed;--he is unseen;--no tribute is paid unto him and no offerings are brought unto him,--he is not charmed by words of mystery;--the place of his dwelling is unknown, nor can his shrine be found by virtue of magic writings. "VI.--There is no house large enough for thee,--nor any who may penetrate within thy heart!--Nevertheless, the generations of thy children rejoice in thee--for thou dost rule as a king--whose decrees are established for the whole earth,--who is manifest in presence of the people of the South and of the North,--by whom the tears are washed from every eye,--and who is lavish of his bounties.