"Our lord, thy son and servant, the worthy Ramses, to whom Thou hast given life and power, says the following,
"'The cause of Egypt's suffering is the loss of fertile lands taken by the desert, and the loss of men who die from want and hard labor. But know, our lord, that the damage caused thy treasury by priests is no less than that wrought by death and the desert; for not only are the temples filled with gold and jewels, which would suffice to pay our debts entirely, but the holy fathers and the prophets have the best lands, the best slaves and laborers, and lands far greater in extent than those of the divine pharaoh.
"'Thy son and slave, Ramses, says this to thee, he who all the time of his journey had his eyes open like a fish, and his ears set forward like an ass which is watching.'."
The prince stopped. Tutmosis repeated the words mentally.
"If," continued the viceroy, "his holiness asks for my opinion of the
Assyrians, fall on thy face and answer,
"'Thy servant Ramses, if Thou permit, makes bold to say that the Assyrians are strong and large men, and have perfect weapons; but it is evident that they have bad training. At the heels of Sargon marched the best Assyrian warriors, archers, axemen, spearmen, and still there were not six among them who could march in line warrior fashion. Besides they carry their spears crookedly, their swords are badly hung, they bear their axes like carpenters or butchers. Their clothing is heavy, their rude sandals gall their feet, and their shields, though strong, are of small use, for the men are awkward."
"Thou speakest truth," said Tutmosis. "I have noticed that, and I have heard the same from Egyptian officers who declare that Assyrian troops, like those which we saw here, would offer less resistance than the hordes of Libya."
"Say also to our lord, who gives us life, that all the nobles and the
Egyptian army are indignant at the mere report that Assyria might annex
Phoenicia. Why, Phoenicia is the port of Egypt, and the Phoenicians the
best warriors in our navy.
"Say, besides, that I have heard from Phoenicians (of this his holiness must know best of all) that Assyria is weak at the moment, for she has a war on her northern and eastern boundaries; all western Asia is arming against her. Should we attack today, we could win immense wealth, and take multitudes of captives who would help our slaves in their labor.
"But say, in conclusion, that the wisdom of my father excels that of all men, therefore I shall do whatsoever he commands, if only he gives not Phoenicia to King Assar; if he gives it, we are ruined. Phoenicia is the bronze door of our treasure-house, and where is the man who would yield his door to a robber?"