Poole, Reginald S.: The cities of Egypt (London, 1882)

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66 CITIES OF EGYPT.

attract us, the border-land has a more' potent charm.
There stood, from the days before Abraham, the for-
tresses, carefully constructed on principles we are pleased
in our ignorance to call modern, with scarp and counter-
scarp, and ditch and glacis, well manned by the best
troops, the sentinel on the ramparts day and night;
there were fought the decisive battles, twice at Raphia
beyond the border, once at Pelusium within ; how many
more times we know not, for native history, eloquent of
success through long ages, is silent of disaster, which is
told only by the allusions of foreign annals.

The border population of all lands is the strongest.
None but vigorous races could live in the din of war,
varied by the dreadful calm that presages invasion.
Either the stoutest of the people were set in the front
rank by royal purpose or their own daring choice, or
strangers were chosen for a post which the natives were
not hardy enough to hold. Thus our own borderers,
from whom the Highland regiments are largely recruited,
are not alone partly of the finest Saxon stock, whether
they call themselves English or Scottish, but there flows
in their veins the blood of the Roman cohorts, Spaniards,
Gauls, Moors, Thracians, Dalmatians, and others, who