Library of the World's Best Literature, Ancient and Modern — Volume 13
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Library of the World's Best Literature, Ancient and Modern — Volume 13
Literature -- Collections
At the point at which the mutilated papyrus begins, we find
that Ahura is telling Setna the story of her life. Apparently
he has just been told how she sent a messenger to the king,
asking that she may be married to her brother Na-nefer-ka-ptah.
The king has refused her request, and the messenger has
reproached him for his unkindness; the king replies:--]
"It is thou who art dealing wrongly towards me. If it happen that I have
not a child after two children, is it the law to marry the one with the
other of them? I will marry Naneferkaptah with the daughter of a
commander of troops, and I will marry Ahura with the son of another
commander of troops: it has so happened in our family much.'
"It came to pass that the amusement was set before Pharaoh, and they
came for me and took me to the amusement named, and it happened that my
soul was troubled exceedingly and I behaved not in my manner of the
previous day. Said Pharaoh to me, 'Ahura, is it thou that didst cause
them to come to me in these anxieties, saying, "Let me marry with
Naneferkaptah, my elder brother"?'
"Said I to him, 'Let me marry with the son of a commander of troops, and
let him marry with the daughter of another commander of troops: it has
happened in our family much.'
"I laughed, Pharaoh laughed, and his soul was exceeding gladdened. Said
Pharaoh to the steward of the king's house, 'Let Ahura be taken to the
house of Naneferkaptah to-night, and let all things that are good be
taken with her.'
"I was taken as a wife to the house of Naneferkaptah in the night named,
and a present of silver and gold was brought to me; the household of
Pharaoh caused them all to be brought to me. And Naneferkaptah made a
good day[83] with me; he received all the heads of the household of
Pharaoh. And he found me pleasing, he quarreled not with me, ever, ever:
each of us loved his fellow. And when I was about to bear a child,
report of it was made before Pharaoh, and his soul was exceeding
gladdened, and Pharaoh caused many things to be taken for me on the
instant; he caused to be brought to me a present of silver and gold and
royal linen, beautiful exceedingly. Then came my time of bearing; I bore
this boy that is before thee, whose name is called Merab, and he was
caused to write in the book of the 'House of Life.'[84]
"It came to pass that Naneferkaptah, my brother, had no habit on the
earth[85] but to walk in the cemetery of Memphis, reading the writings
that were in the catacombs of the Pharaohs, with the tablets of the
scribes of the 'House of Life,' and the inscriptions that were on the
monuments; and he was eager for writing exceedingly.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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