drawn up for their reply, all differ widely from those which we see in
the despatches coming from commanders of garrisons or actual vassals. In
the former it is no longer a slave or a feudatory addressing his master
and awaiting his orders, but equals holding courteous communication
with each other, the brother of Alasia or of Mitanni with his brother of
Egypt. They inform him of their good health, and then, before entering
on business, they express their good wishes for himself, his wives, his
sons, the lords of his court, his brave soldiers, and for his horses.
They were careful never to forget that with a single word their
correspondent could let loose upon them a whirlwind of chariots and
archers without number, but the respect they felt for his formidable
power never degenerated into a fear which would humiliate them before
him with their faces in the dust.

This interchange of diplomatic compliments was called for by a variety
of exigencies, such as incidents arising on the frontier, secret
intrigues, personal alliances, and questions of general politics. The
kings of Mesopotamia and of Northern Syria, even those of Assyria and
Chaldæa, who were preserved by distance from the dangers of a direct
invasion, were in constant fear of an unexpected war, and heartily
desired the downfall of Egypt; they endeavoured meanwhile to occupy the
Pharaoh so fully at home that he had no leisure to attack them. Even if
they did not venture to give open encouragement to the disposition in
his subjects to revolt, they at least experienced no scruple in hiring
emissaries who secretly fanned the flame of discontent. The Pharaoh,
aroused to indignation by such plotting, reminded them of their
former oaths and treaties. The king in question would thereupon deny
everything, would speak of his tried friendship, and recall the fact
that he had refused to help a rebel against his beloved brother.* These
protestations of innocence were usually accompanied by presents, and