the almost inevitable accompaniment of every accession to the Egyptian
throne.

The earliest dynasties had their origin in the "White Wall," but the
Pharaohs hardly ever made this town their residence, and it would be
incorrect to say that they considered it as their capital; each king
chose for himself in the Memphite or Letopolite nome, between the
entrance to the Fayûni and the apex of the Delta, a special residence,
where he dwelt with his court, and from whence he governed Egypt. Such
a multitude as formed his court needed not an ordinary palace, but an
entire city. A brick wall, surmounted by battlements, formed a square
or rectangular enclosure around it, and was of sufficient thickness
and height not only to defy a popular insurrection or the surprises of
marauding Bedouin, but to resist for a long time a regular siege. At the
extreme end of one of its façades, was a single tall and narrow opening,
closed by a wooden door supported on bronze hinges, and surmounted with
a row of pointed metal ornaments; this opened into a long narrow passage
between the external wall and a partition wall of equal strength; at
the end of the passage in the angle was a second door, sometimes leading
into a second passage, but more often opening into a large courtyard,
where the dwelling-houses were somewhat crowded together: assailants ran
the risk of being annihilated in the passage before reaching the centre
of the place.* The royal residence could be immediately distinguished by
the projecting balconies on its façade, from which, as from a tribune,
Pharaoh could watch the evolutions of his guard, the stately approach of
foreign envoys, Egyptian nobles seeking audience, or such officials as
he desired to reward for their services. They advanced from the far
end of the court, stopped before the balcony, and after prostrating
themselves stood up, bowed their heads, wrung and twisted their hands,
now quickly, now slowly, in a rhythmical manner, and rendered worship to