Brugsch, Heinrich: Egypt under the pharaohs: a history derived entirely from the monuments (London, 1891)

byn. xii. INSCRIPTION OF AMENI 61

land of the Negroes), ascending the river, and the way brought me
to the uttermost boundary of the land. I convoyed the booty of
my master, and my praise reached heaven when his Majesty re-
turned home successful. He had smitten his enemies in the miser-
able country of Cush. I returned home in his retinue, with a
joyful countenance. Not one of my warriors was missing.

Again I went up (the river) to convoy the golden treasures to
his Majesty King Usertsen—may he live long ! I went with the
king's eldest son and heir to the throne, Amend—life, strength, and
health be to him ! I went up with the number of 400 chosen
persons of my warriors. They returned home successful : no one
was missing. I brought back the gold. That was the beginning of
my distinctions on the part of the kings.

My father praised me. After that I again went up (the river)
to convoy the treasures to the town of Coptos, in company with the
hereditary lord and chief governor of the town, Usertsen—life,
strength, and health be to him ! I went up with 400 men, chosen
out of the strongest people of the nome of Mah. I arrived happily.
My warriors will certify all that I have said.

I was a kind master, of a gentle character, a governor who
loved his city. I passed many a year as governor in the nome of
Mah. All the works for the palace of the king were placed in my
hands. Also the chiefs of ... of the temples of the nome of Mah
gave me thousands of cows with their calves. I received thanks
for this on the part of the royal palace, because of the yearly
supply of milch cows. I gave up all the produce to the palace, and
I kept back nothing for myself out of all the workshops. No child
of the poor did I afflict, no widow did I oppress, no landowner did
I displace, no herdsman did I drive away, from no ' five-hand
master' (small farmer) did I take away his men for (my own)
works. No one was unhappy in my time ; no one was hungry in
my days, not even in the years of famine, for I had tilled all the
fields of the nome of Mah, up to its southern and northern frontiers.
Thus I prolonged the life of its inhabitants, and preserved the food
which it produced. No hungry man was in it. I distributed
equally to the widow as to the married woman. I did not prefer
the great to the humble in all that I gave away ; and when the
inundations of the Nile were great, then the owner of the seed was
master of his property ; nothing of the produce of the field was
withdrawn from him by my hand.

The concluding words of this inscription have given
pse to the idea that they contain an allusion to the so-
journ of Joseph in Egypt and to the seven years of famine.