University of Virginia Library

All this did Hodo with a heedful pen,
On the papyrus write, finishing:—

Then
On ending of the seventh day of the story
Our Lord the King, sitting in state and glory,
Rose from his throne, and in his robe and crown,
With gentle smiling majesty came down.
Before him on their faces that good day
Ithobal and his people lowly lay,
The Lady Nesta and his Captains two,
And in a ring behind their sea-stained crew:
And yet behind, the negroes and the slaves,
While on the stones their bows and spears and glaives,
Rusted in battle, lay; with wild-beast hides
And bars of gold and pearls, and what besides
Their sea spoils were. And our Lord Pharaoh laid
Ithobal's head upon his breast, and said:—
“Ithobal, Son of Magon! for thy King,
Lo! thou hast wrought a wondrous famous thing,
Vaster than victories; I name thee chief
Of all my navies, and I give thee fief
Of lands along my Nilus, grove and field,
Such as shall royal wealth and greatness yield;
As many schœnes as on the dreadful sea
Thou hast accomplished of leagues for me.”
Then did our gracious Lord raise by the hand
The lady, speaking soft:“We understand
Thy wisdom, Daughter! and thy work and worth;
Thou art not of our Egypt by thy birth,
But shalt be, for thy deeds, and by my grace
Princess and Priestess in a chosen place:
I make thee Lady hence of Amen-ru;
Thine now the shrine, and thine its revenue.”
Afterwards many a gift with liberal word
Amongst those others did our mighty Lord
Bestow; and bade Aahmes—Chamberlain—
Pour largesse for them, gold and robes and grain,
And palace meats for life; the slaves set free;
Hanno and Sothës, officers to be;
Handah and Gondah by rich boons repaid;
A house and dowry for each faithful maid,
Asenath and her fellow. There withal
A bounteous feast was set in Pharaoh's hall;
And all the city kept high revelry
Till the moon clomb into the starry sky.