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

260

RAMSES II.

OH. XII.

the ground, and with their hands they prayed to the king. They
praised this divine benefactor, while they exalted his grace in his.
presence.

The king speaks to them after an interval : ' I have called you
because of a determination regarding that which I am about to do.
I have beheld the houses of the necropolis, the graves of Abydos.-
The buildings of them require labour from the times of their pos-
sessors down to the present day. When the son arose in the place
of his father, he did not renew the memorial of his parent. In
my mind I have pondered with myself the splendid occasion for
good works for coming times (?). The most beautiful thing to'
behold, the best thing to hear, is a child with a thankful breast,
whose heart beats for his father. Wherefore my heart urges me to'
do what is good for Meneptah. I will cause them to talk for ever
and eternally of his son, who has awakened his name to life. My
father Osiris will reward me for this with a long existence, like his^
son Horus. Let me do what he did; let me be excellent, just as
he was excellent, for my parent, I, who am a scion of the sun-god
Ra.

' [I gave orders for the buildings], I myself laid their foundation-
stone to build [the work. I had an image] made of him who begat
me, my father, of gold, quite new.

' In the first year of my reign as king I had given orders to'
provide his temple with stores. I secured to him his fields, [and
fixed their boundaries,] and appointed him revenues for his worship,
[and arranged the sacrifices of oxen and geese and bread] and wine
and incense and other things. I planted for him groves to grow up
for him. Thus was his house under my protection ; I took upon
myself all his buildings from the time that [I was crowned as king].
And thus I was a child [whose heart was full of thanks towards]
his father who had exalted me.

' I will renew the memorial. I will not neglect his tomb as-
children are accustomed to do, who do not remember their father.
[Men shall speak of me] as of a son who did good, and shall estimate
the strength of my father in me his child. I will complete it be-
cause I am lord of the land. I will take care of it because it is
fitting and right.

' I clothe the walls in the temple of my parent. I will commis-
sion the man of my choice to hasten the buildings for him, to build
up again what was sunken of its walls, [and to raise up] his temple
wings on the [front side,] to clothe his house, to erect his pillars,
and to place the blocks on the places of the foundation-stone.