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

ZOAN.

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We have a picture of Zoan in the days of Ramses,
in the words of an Egyptian poet, which lights up its
sombre aspect of to-day with the vivid colours of three
thousand years ago; as when one passes from the barren,
deathly, sun-smitten desert into the refreshing cool of
a newly opened sepulchral chapel, lively with the
harmonious brightness in which the old nation re-
joiced.

' I arrived at the city of Ramses-mi-amen.' 'She is'
'beautiful, beautiful. There is nought like her among
the monuments of Thebes,' ' the very secret of the
pleasures of life. Her fields are full of lovely places,
abounding in the produce of food daily, her pools are
full of fish, her ponds of ducks, her meadows are verdant
with herbage, the bower with blooming garlands. The
garden is perfumed with the odour of honey; the
meadow-land is steeped in moisture. Her granaries are
full of wheat and barley, heaped up as high as heaven,
vegetables and reeds (are) in the garden of herbs ;
flowers for posies in the fruit-house; lemons, citrons of
two kinds, figs, in the orchard ; sweet wine' there is
'which one mixes with honey;' fish of various kinds,
some from the Euphrates, others such as are presented

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