History of Egypt, Chaldea, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria in the Light of Recent DiscoveryKing, L. W. (Leonard William)
History
History of Egypt, Chaldea, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria in the Light of Recent Discovery
King, L. W. (Leonard William)
Egypt -- History -- To 332 B.C.; History, Ancient
Here, however, a difficulty presented itself,--the harbour was filled
with the piratical ships of the Cretan Tjakaray, who refused to allow
Uenuamen to return to Egypt. They said, ‘Seize him; let no ship of his
go unto the land of Egypt!’ “Then,” says Uenuamen in the papyrus, “I sat
down and wept. The scribe of the prince came out unto me; he said unto
me, ‘What ail-eth thee?’ I replied, ‘Seest thou not the birds which fly,
which fly back unto Egypt? Look at them, they go unto the cool canal,
and how long do I remain abandoned here? Seest thou not those who would
prevent my return?’ He went away and spoke unto the prince, who began
to weep at the words which were told unto him and which were so sad. He
sent his scribe out unto me, who brought me two measures of wine and a
deer. He sent me Tentnuet, an Egyptian singing-girl who was with him,
saying unto her, ‘Sing unto him, that he may not grieve!’ He sent word
unto me, ‘Eat, drink, and grieve not! To-morrow shalt thou hear all that
I shall say.’ On the morrow he had the people of his harbour summoned,
and he stood in the midst of them, and he said unto the Tjakaray, ‘What
aileth you?’ They answered him, ‘We will pursue the piratical ships
which thou sendest unto Egypt with our unhappy companions.’ He said unto
them, ‘I cannot seize the ambassador of Amen in my land. Let me send him
away and then do ye pursue after him to seize him!’ He sent me on board,
and he sent me away... to the haven of the sea. The wind drove me upon
the land of Alashiya. The people of the city came out in order to slay
me. I was dragged by them to the place where Hatiba, the queen of the
city, was. I met her as she was going out of one of her houses into
the other. I greeted her and said unto the people who stood by her, ‘Is
there not one among you who understandeth the speech of Egypt?’ One
of them replied, ‘I understand it.’ I said unto him, ‘Say unto thy
mistress: even as far as the city in which Amen dwelleth (i. e. Thebes)
have I heard the proverb, “In all cities is injustice done; only in
Alashiya is justice to be found,” and now is injustice done here every
day!’ She said, ‘What is it that thou sayest?’ I said unto her, ‘Since
the sea raged and the wind drove me upon the land in which thou livest,
therefore thou wilt not allow them to seize my body and to kill me, for
verily I am an ambassador of Amen. Remember that I am one who will be
sought for always. And if these men of the Prince of Byblos whom they
seek to kill (are killed), verily if their chief finds ten men of thine,
will he not kill them also?’ She summoned the men, and they were brought
before her. She said unto me, ‘Lie down and sleep...’”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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