THE ADVENTURES OF SANEHAT

The hereditary prince, royal seal-bearer, confidential friend, judge,
keeper of the gate of the foreigners, true and beloved royal
acquaintance, the royal follower Sanehat says:--

I attended my lord as a follower of the king, of the house of the
hereditary princess, the greatly favoured, the royal wife,
Ankhet-Usertesen, who shares the dwelling of the royal son Amenemhat in
Kanefer.

In the thirtieth year, the month Paophi, the seventh day the god entered
his horizon, the king Sehotepabra flew up to heaven and joined the sun's
disc, the follower of the god met his maker. The palace was silenced,
and in mourning, the great gates were closed, the courtiers crouching
on the ground, the people in hushed mourning.

His majesty had sent a great army with the nobles to the land of the
Temehu (Lybia), his son and heir, the good god king Usertesen as their
leader. Now he was returning, and had brought away living captives and
all kinds of cattle without end. The councillors of the palace had sent
to the West to let the king know the matter that had come to pass in the
inner hall. The messenger was to meet him on the road, and reach him at
the time of evening: the matter was urgent. "A hawk had soared with his
followers." Thus said he, not to let the army know of it Even if the
royal sons who commanded in that army send a message, he was not to
speak to a single one of them. But I was standing near, and heard his
voice while he was speaking. I fled far away, my heart beating, my arms
failing, trembling had fallen on all my limbs. I turned about in running
to seek a place to hide me, and I threw myself between two bushes, to
wait while they should pass by.

THE FLIGHT

Then I turned me toward the south, not from wishing to come into this
palace--for I knew not if war was declared--nor even thinking a wish to
live after this sovereign.

I turned my back to the sycamore, I reached Shi-Seneferu, and rested on
the open field. In the morning I went on and overtook a man, who passed
by the edge of the road. He asked of me mercy, for he feared me. By
the evening I drew near to Kher-ahau (? old Cairo), and I crossed the
river on a raft without a rudder. Carried over by the west wind, I
passed over to the east to the quarries of Aku and the land of the
goddess Herit, mistress of the red mountain (Gebel Ahmar). Then I fled
on foot, northward, and reached the walls of the prince, built to
repel the Sati. I crouched in a bush for fear of being seen by the
guards, changed each day, who watch on the top of the fortress. I took
my way by night, and at the lighting or the day I reached Peten, and
turned me toward the valley of Kemur. Then thirst hasted me on; I
dried up, and my throat narrowed, and I said, "This is the taste of
death." When I lifted up my heart and gathered strength, I heard a
voice and the lowing of cattle. I saw men of the Sati, and one of
them--a friend unto Egypt--knew me. Behold he gave me water and boiled
me milk, and I went with him to his camp; they did me good, and one
tribe passed me on to another. I passed on to Sun, and reached the
land of Adim (Edom).

When I had dwelt there half a year Amu-an-shi--who is the prince of the
Upper Tenu--sent for me and said: "Dwell thou with me that thou mayest
hear the speech of Egypt." He said thus for that he knew of my
excellence, and had heard tell of my worth, for men of Egypt who were
there with him bore witness of me. Behold he said to me, "For what cause
hast thou come hither? Has a matter come to pass in the palace? Has the
king of the two lands, Sehetep-abra gone to heaven? That which has
happened about this is not known." But I answered with concealment, and
said, "When I came from the land of the Tamahu, and my desires were
there changed in me, if I fled away it was not by reason of remorse that
I took the way of a fugitive; I have not failed in my duty, my mouth has
not said any bitter words, I have not heard any evil counsel, my name
has not come into the mouth of a magistrate. I know not by what I have
been led into this land." And Amu-an-shi said, "This is by the will of
the god (king of Egypt), for what is a land like if it know not that
excellent god, of whom the dread is upon the lands of strangers, as
they dread Sekhet in a year of pestilence." I spake to him, and
replied, "Forgive me, his son now enters the palace, and has received
the heritage of his father. He is a god who has none like him, and
there is none before him. He is a master of wisdom, prudent in his
designs, excellent in his decrees, with good-will to him who goes or
who comes; he subdued the land of strangers while his father yet lived
in his palace, and he rendered account of that which his father
destined him to perform. He is a brave man, who verily strikes with
his sword; a valiant one, who has not his equal; he springs upon the
barbarians, and throws himself on the spoilers; he breaks the horns
and weakens the hands, and those whom he smites cannot raise the
buckler. He is fearless, and dashes the heads, and none can stand
before him. He is swift of foot, to destroy him who flies; and none
who flees from him reaches his home. His heart is strong in his time;
he is a lion who strikes with the claw, and never has he turned his
back. His heart is closed to pity; and when he sees multitudes, he
leaves none to live behind him. He is a valiant one who springs in
front when he sees resistance; he is a warrior who rejoices when he
flies on the barbarians. He seizes the buckler, he rushes forward, he
never needs to strike again, he slays and none can turn his lance; and
when he takes the bow the barbarians flee from his arms like dogs; for
the great goddess has given to him to strike those who know her not;
and if he reaches forth he spares none, and leaves nought behind. He
is a friend of great sweetness, who knows how to gain love; his land
loves him more than itself, and rejoices in him more than in its own
god; men and women run to his call. A king, he has ruled from his
birth; he, from his birth, has increased births, a sole being, a
divine essence, by whom this land rejoices to be governed. He enlarges
the borders of the South, but he covets not the lands of the North;
he does not smite the Sati, nor crush the Nemau-shau If he descends
here, let him know thy name, by the homage which thou wilt pay to his
majesty. For he refuses not to bless the land which obeys him."

And he replied to me, "Egypt is indeed happy and well settled; behold
thou art far from it, but whilst thou art with me I will do good unto
thee." And he placed me before his children, he married his eldest
daughter to me, and gave me the choice of all his land, even among the
best of that which he had on the border of the next land. It is a goodly
land, laa is its name. There are figs and grapes; there is wine commoner
than water; abundant is the honey, many are its olives; and all fruits
are upon its trees; there is barley and wheat, and cattle of kinds
without end. This was truly a great thing that he granted me, when the
prince came to invest me, and establish me as prince of a tribe in the
best of his land. I had my continual portion of bread and of wine each
day, of cooked meat, of roasted fowl, as well as the wild game which I
took, or which was brought to me, besides what my dogs captured. They
made me much butter, and prepared milk of all kinds. I passed many
years, the children that I had became great, each ruling his tribe.
When a messenger went or came to the palace, he turned aside from the
way to come to me; for I helped every man. I gave water to the
thirsty, I set on his way him who went astray, and I rescued the
robbed. The Sati who went far, to strike and turn back the princes of
other lands, I ordained their goings; for the Prince of the Tenu for
many years appointed me to be general of his soldiers. In every land
which I attacked I played the champion, I took the cattle, I led away
the vassals, I carried off the slaves, I slew the people, by my sword,
my bow, my marches and my good devices. I was excellent to the heart
of my prince; he loved me when he knew my power, and set me over his
children when he saw the strength of my arms.

A champion of the Tenu came to defy me in my tent: a bold man without
equal, for he had vanquished the whole country. He said, "Let Sanehat
fight with me;" for he desired to overthrow me, he thought to take my
cattle for his tribe. The prince counselled with me. I said, "I know
him not. I certainly am not of his degree, I hold me far from his
place. Have I ever opened his door, or leaped over his fence? It is
some envious jealousy from seeing me; does he think that I am like
some steer among the cows, whom the bull overthrows? If this is a
wretch who thinks to enrich himself at my cost, not a Bedawi and a
Bedawi fit for fight, then let us put the matter to judgment. Verily a
true bull loves battle, but a vain-glorious bull turns his back for
fear of contest; if he has a heart for combat, let him speak what he
pleases. Will God forget what He has ordained, and how shall that be
known?" I lay down; and when I had rested I strung my bow, I made
ready my arrows, I loosened my poignard, I furbished my arms. At dawn
the land of the Tenu came together; it had gathered its tribes and
called all the neighbouring people, it spake of nothing but the fight.
Each heart burnt for me, men and women crying out; for each heart was
troubled for me, and they said, "Is there another strong one who would
fight with him? Behold the adversary has a buckler, a battle axe, and
an armful of javelins." Then I drew him to the attack; I turned aside
his arrows, and they struck the ground in vain. One drew near to the
other, and he fell on me, and then I shot him. My arrow fastened in
his neck, he cried out, and fell on his face: I drove his lance into
him, and raised my shout of victory on his back. Whilst all the men of
the land rejoiced, I, and his vassals whom he had oppressed, gave
thanks unto Mentu. This prince, Amu-an-shi, embraced me. Then I
carried off his goods and took his cattle, that which he had wished to
do to me, I did even so unto him; I seized that which was in his tent,
I spoiled his dwelling. As time went on I increased the richness of my
treasures and the number of my cattle.

_Petition to the king of Egypt._

"Now behold what the god has done for me who trusted in him. Having once
fled away, yet now there is a witness of me in the palace. Once having
fled away, as a fugitive,------now all in the palace give unto me a good
name. After that I had been dying of hunger, now I give bread to those
around. I had left my land naked, and now I am clothed in fine linen.
After having been a wanderer without followers, now I possess many
serfs. My house is fine, my land wide, my memory is established in the
temple of all the gods. And let this flight obtain thy forgiveness;
that I may be appointed in the palace; that I may see the place where
my heart dwells. How great a thing is it that my body should be
embalmed in the land where I was born! To return there is happiness. I
have made offering to God, to grant me this thing. His heart suffers
who has run away unto a strange land. Let him hear the prayer of him
who is afar off, that he may revisit the place of his birth, and the
place from which he removed.

"May the king of Egypt be gracious to me that I may live of his favour.
And I render my homage to the mistress of the land, who is in his
palace; may I hear the news of her children. Thus will my limbs grow
young again. Now old age comes, feebleness seizes me, my eyes are
heavy, my arms are feeble, my legs will not move, my heart is slow.
Death draws nigh to me, soon shall they lead me to the city of
eternity. Let me follow the mistress of all (the queen, his former
mistress); lo! let her tell me the excellencies of her children; may
she bring eternity to me."

Then the majesty of King Kheper-ka-ra, the blessed, spake upon this my
desire that I had made to him. His majesty sent unto me with presents
from the king, that he might enlarge the heart of his servant, like unto
the province of any strange land; and the royal sons who are in the
palace addressed themselves unto me.

_Copy of the decree which was brought--to me who speak to you--to lead
me back into Egypt._

"The Horus, life of births, lord of the crowns, life of births, king
of Upper and Lower Egypt, Kheper-ka-ra, son of the Sun, Amen-em-hat,
ever living unto eternity. Order for the follower Sanehat. Behold this
order of the king is sent to thee to instruct thee of his will.

"Now, although thou hast gone through strange lands from Adim to Tenu,
and passed from one country to another at the wish of thy heart--behold,
what hast thou done, or what has been done against thee, that is amiss?
Moreover, thou reviledst not; but if thy word was denied, thou didst
not speak again in the assembly of the nobles, even if thou wast
desired. Now, therefore, that thou hast thought on this matter which
has come to thy mind, let thy heart not change again; for this thy
Heaven (queen), who is in the palace is fixed, she is flourishing, she
is enjoying the best in the kingdom of the land, and her children are
in the chambers of the palace.

"Leave all the riches that thou hast, and that are with thee,
altogether. When thou shalt come into Egypt behold the palace, and when
thou shalt enter the palace, bow thy face to the ground before the Great
House; thou shalt be chief among the companions. And day by day behold
thou growest old; thy vigour is lost, and thou thinkest on the day of
burial. Thou shalt see thyself come to the blessed state, they shall
give thee the bandages from the hand of Tait, the night of applying the
oil of embalming. They shall follow thy funeral, and visit the tomb on
the day of burial, which shall be in a gilded case, the head painted
with blue, a canopy of cypress wood above thee, and oxen shall draw
thee, the singers going before thee, and they shall dance the funeral
dance. The weepers crouching at the door of thy tomb shall cry aloud
the prayers for offerings: they shall slay victims for thee at the
door of thy pit; and thy pyramid shall be carved in white stone, in
the company of the royal children. Thus thou shalt not die in a
strange land, nor be buried by the Amu; thou shalt not be laid in a
sheep-skin when thou art buried; all people shall beat the earth, and
lament on thy body when thou goest to the tomb."

When this order came to me, I was in the midst of my tribe. When it was
read unto me, I threw me on the dust, I threw dust in my hair; I went
around my tent rejoicing and saying, "How may it be that such a thing
is done to the servant, who with a rebellious heart has fled to
strange lands? Now with an excellent deliverance, and mercy delivering
me from death, thou shall cause me to end my days in the palace."

_Copy of the answer to this order._

"The follower Sanehat says: In excellent peace above everything consider
of this flight that he made here in his ignorance; Thou, the Good God,
Lord of both Lands, Loved of Ra, Favourite of Mentu, the lord of Thebes,
and of Amen, lord of thrones of the lands, of Sebek, Ra, Horus, Hathor,
Atmu, and of his fellow-gods, of Sopdu, Neferbiu, Samsetu, Horus, lord
of the east, and of the royal uraeus which rules on thy head, of the
chief gods of the waters, of Min, Horus of the desert, Urrit, mistress
of Punt, Nut, Harnekht, Ra, all the gods of the land of Egypt, and of
the isles of the sea. May they give life and peace to thy nostril, may
they load thee with their gifts, may they give to thee eternity
without end, everlastingness without bound. May the fear of thee be
doubled in the lands of the deserts. Mayest thou subdue the circuit of
the sun's disc. This is the prayer to his master of the humble servant
who is saved from a foreign land.

"O wise king, the wise words which are pronounced in the wisdom of the
majesty of the sovereign, thy humble servant fears to tell. It is a
great thing to repeat. O great God, like unto Ra in fulfilling that to
which he has set his hand, what am I that he should take thought for me?
Am I among those whom he regards, and for whom he arranges? Thy majesty
is as Horus, and the strength of thy arms extends to all lands.

"Then let his Majesty bring Maki of Adma, Kenti-au-ush of Khenti-keshu,
and Tenus from the two lands ol the Fenkhu; these are the princes who
bear witness of me as to all that has passed, out of love for thyself.
Does not Tenu believe that it belongs to thee like thy dogs. Behold
this flight that I have made: I did not have it in my heart; it was
like the leading of a dream, as a man of Adehi (Delta) sees himself in
Abu (Elephantine), as a man of the plain of Egypt who sees himself in
the deserts. There was no fear, there was no hastening after me, I did
not listen to an evil plot, my name was not heard in the mouth of the
magistrate; but my limbs went, my feet wandered, my heart drew me; my
god commanded this flight, and drew me on; but I am not stiff-necked.
Does a man fear when he sees his own land? Ra spread thy fear over the
land, thy terrors in every strange land. Behold me now in the palace,
behold me in this place; and lo! thou art he who is over all the
horizon; the sun rises at thy pleasure, the water in the rivers is
drunk at thy will, the wind in heaven is breathed at thy saying.

"I who speak to thee shall leave my goods to the generations to follow
in this land. And as to this messenger who is come even let thy majesty
do as pleaseth him, for one lives by the breath that thou givest. O thou
who art beloved of Ra, of Horus, and of Hathor; Mentu, lord of Thebes,
desires that thy august nostril should live for ever."

I made a feast in Iaa, to pass over my goods to my children. My eldest
son was leading my tribe, all my goods passed to him, and I gave him my
corn and all my cattle, my fruit, and all my pleasant trees. When I had
taken my road to the south, and arrived at the roads of Horus, the
officer who was over the garrison sent a messenger to the palace to give
notice. His majesty sent the good overseer of the peasants of the king's
domains, and boats laden with presents from the king for the Sati who
had come to conduct me to the roads of Horus. I spoke to each one by his
name, and I gave the presents to each as was intended. I received and I
returned the salutation, and I continued thus until I reached the city
of Thetu.

When the land was brightened, and the new day began, four men came with
a summons for me; and the four men went to lead me to the palace. I
saluted with both my hands on the ground; the royal children stood at
the courtyard to conduct me: the courtiers who were to lead me to the
hall brought me on the way to the royal chamber.

I found his Majesty on the great throne in the hall of pale gold. Then I
threw myself on my belly; this god, in whose presence I was, knew me
not. He questioned me graciously, but I was as one seized with
blindness, my spirit fainted, my limbs failed, my heart was no longer in
my bosom, and I knew the difference between life and death. His
majesty said to one of the companions, "Lift him up, let him speak to
me." And his majesty said, "Behold thou hast come, thou hast trodden
the deserts, thou hast played the wanderer. Decay falls on thee, old
age has reached thee; it is no small thing that thy body should be
embalmed, that the Pedtiu shall not bury thee. Do not, do not, be
silent and speechless; tell thy name; is it fear that prevents thee?"
I answered in reply, "I fear, what is it that my lord has said that I
should answer it? I have not called on me the hand of God, but it is
terror in my body, like that which brings sudden death. Now behold I
am before thee; thou art life; let thy majesty do what pleaseth him."

The royal children were brought in, and his majesty said to the queen,
"Behold thou Sanehat has come as an Amu, whom the Sati have produced."

She cried aloud, and the royal children spake with one voice, saying,
before his majesty, "Verily it is not so, O king, my lord." Said his
majesty, "It is verily he." Then they brought their collars, and their
wands, and their sistra in their hands, and displayed them before his
majesty; and they sang--

"May thy hands prosper, O king; May the ornaments of the Lady of Heaven
continue. May the goddess Nub give life to thy nostril; May the mistress
of the stars favour thee, when thou sailest south and north. All
wisdom is in the mouth of thy majesty; Thy uraeus is on thy forehead,
thou drivest away the miserable.

"Thou art pacified, O Ra, lord of the lands; They call on thee as on the
mistress of all. Strong is thy horn, Thou lettest fly thine arrow. Grant
the breath to him who is without it; Grant good things to this
traveller, Samehit the Pedti, born in the land of Egypt, Who fled away
from fear of thee, And fled this land from thy terrors. Does not the
face grow pale, of him who beholds thy countenance; Does not the eye
fear, which looks upon thee."

Said his majesty, "Let him not fear, let him be freed from terror. He
shall be a Royal Friend amongst the nobles; he shall be put within the
circle of the courtiers. Go ye to the chamber of praise to seek wealth
for him."

When I went out from the palace, the royal children offered their hands
to me; we walked afterwards to the Great Gates. I was placed in a house
of a king's son, in which were delicate things, a place of coolness,
fruits of the granary, treasures of the White House, clothes of the
king's guardrobe, frankincense, the finest perfumes of the king and the
nobles whom he loves, in every chamber. All the servitors were in their
several offices.

Years were removed from my limbs: I was shaved, and polled my locks of
hair; the foulness was cast to the desert with the garments of the
Nemau-sha. I clothed me in fine linen, and anointed myself with the fine
oil of Egypt; I laid me on a bed. I gave up the sand to those who lie
on it; the oil of wood to him who would anoint himself therewith.
There was given to me the mansion of a lord of serfs, which had
belonged to a royal friend. There many excellent things were in its
buildings; all its wood was renewed. There were brought to me portions
from the palace, thrice and four times each day; besides the gifts of
the royal children, always, without ceasing. There was built for me a
pyramid of stone amongst the pyramids. The overseer of the architects
measured its ground; the chief treasurer wrote it; the sacred masons
cut the well; the chief of the labourers on the tombs brought the
bricks; all things used to make strong a building were there used.
There were given to me peasants; there were made for me a garden, and
fields in it before my mansion, as is done for the chief royal friend.
My statue was inlayed with gold, its girdle of pale gold; his majesty
caused it to be made. Such is not done to a man of low degree.

May I be in the favour of the king until the day shall come of my death.

_(This is finished from beginning to end, as was found in the writing.)_