‘There was a great king in Egypt, and his name was Pharaoh. He had numerous armies, with which he made war on all countries, and conquered them all. And when he had conquered the entire world, he became sad and sorrowful; for as he delighted in war, he no longer knew on what to employ himself. At last he bethought him on making war on God; so he sent a defiance to God, daring him to descend from the sky with his angels, and contend with Pharaoh and his armies; but God said, I will not measure my strength with that of a man. But God was incensed against Pharaoh, and resolved to punish him; and he opened a hole in the side of an enormous mountain, and he raised a raging wind, and drove before it Pharaoh and his armies to that hole, and the abyss received them, and the mountain closed upon them; but whosoever goes to that mountain on the night of St. John can hear Pharaoh and his armies singing and yelling therein. And it came to pass, that when Pharaoh and his armies had disappeared, all the kings and the nations which had become subject to Egypt revolted against Egypt, which, having lost her king and her armies, was left utterly without defence; and they made war against her, and prevailed against her, and took her people and drove them forth, dispersing them over all the world.’ So that now, say the Chai, ‘Our horses drink the water of the Guadiana’—(Apilyela gras Chai la panee Lucalee). ‘THE STEEDS OF THE EGYPTIANS DRINK THE WATERS OF THE GUADIANA ‘The region of Chal was our dear native soil, Where in fulness of pleasure we lived without toil; Till dispersed through all lands, ’twas our fortune to be— Our steeds, Guadiana, must now drink of thee. ‘Once kings came from far to kneel down at our gate, And princes rejoic’d on our meanest to wait; But now who so mean but would scorn our degree— Our steeds, Guadiana, must now drink of thee. ‘For the Undebel saw, from his throne in the cloud, That our deeds they were foolish, our hearts they were proud; And in anger he bade us his presence to flee— Our steeds, Guadiana, must now drink of thee. ‘Our horses should drink of no river but one; It sparkles through Chal, ’neath the smile of the sun, But they taste of all streams save that only, and see— Apilyela gras Chai la panee Lucalee.’ CHAPTER II