"But it will be otherwise: I shall command and ye must accomplish.
Either my royal foot will be planted on your necks or I shall perish."
For two days the revered mummy of Ramses XII remained in the temple of Amon, in a place so sacred that even high priests might not enter, save only Herhor and Mefres. Before the deceased only one lamp was burning, the flame of which, nourished in a miraculous manner, was never extinguished. Over the deceased hung the symbol of the spirit, a man- headed falcon. Whether it was a machine, or really a living being, was known to no one. This is certain, that priests who had the courage to look behind the curtain stealthily saw that this being kept one place in the air unsupported while its lips and eyes continued moving.
The continuation of the funeral began, and the golden boat carried the deceased to the other side of the river. But first it passed through the main street of Thebes surrounded by an immense retinue of priests, wailers, warriors, and people, amid incense, music, wailing and chanting. This was perhaps the most beautiful street in all Egypt. It was broad, smooth, lined with trees. Its houses, four and even five stories high, were covered from roof to foundation with mosaic or with bas-reliefs in colors. It looked as if those buildings had been hung with immense colored tapestry or hidden by colossal pictures representing the work and occupations of merchants, artisans, mariners, also distant lands and their people. In one word that was not a street, but a colossal gallery of pictures, barbarous as to the drawing, but brilliant in colors.
The funeral procession advanced about two kilometers from the north to the south, keeping more or less the centre of the city, then it turned westward toward the river.
In the middle of the river opposite this point was a large island connected by a bridge of boats with the city. To avoid accidents the generals in command reformed the procession; they put four people in a rank, ordered them to move very slowly and forbade them to keep step. With this object the different bands of music at the head of the multitude each played different music.
After a couple of hours the procession passed the first bridge, next the island, then the second bridge, and was on the western bank of the river.
If we might call the eastern part of Thebes the city of gods and kings, the western quarter was that of tombs and mortuary temples.
The procession advanced from the Nile toward the Libyan hills by the middle road. South of this road, on an eminence, stood a temple, commemorating the victories of Ramses III, the walls of which are covered with pictures of conquered nations: Hittites, Amorites, Philistines, Ethiopians, Arabs, Libyans. A little lower down rose two colossal statues of Amenhotep II, the height of which, notwithstanding their sitting posture, was twenty meters. One of these statues was distinguished by the miraculous property that when struck by the rays of the rising sun it gave out sounds like those of a harp whenever chords snap in it.
Still nearer the road, but always on the left, stood the Ramesseum, a beautiful though not very large temple which was built by Ramses II. The entrance to this edifice was guarded by statues with the royal insignia in their hands. In the forecourt towered the statue of Ramses II to the height of sixteen meters.
The road rose gradually, and a very steep eminence became more and more visible; this was as full of holes as a sponge: those holes were the tombs of Egyptian officials. At the entrance to them, among steep cliffs stood the very strange temple of Queen Hatasu. This temple was four hundred and fifty yards long. From the forecourt, surrounded by a wall, there was an entrance by steps to the second court surrounded by columns; under this was a subterranean temple. From the court of columns the passage rose by steps again to a temple cut out in the cliff under which was another subterranean temple. In this way the temple was of two stories, each of which was divided into an upper and a lower part. The stairs were immense, without railing, but furnished with two rows of sphinxes; the entrance to each stairway was guarded by two sitting statues.