hold on Carchemish (Jerabus), but not seeking to extend themselves further southward, took heart of grace when the Egyptian expeditions ceased, and descending from their mountain fastnesses to the Syrian plains and vales, rapidly established their dominion over the regions recently conquered by Thothmes I. and Thothmes III.  Without absorbing the old native races, they reduced them under their sway, and reigned as lords paramount over the entire region between the Middle Euphrates and the Mediterranean, the Taurus range and the borders of Egypt.  The chief of the subject races were the Kharu, in the tract bordering upon Egypt; the Rutennu, in Central and Northern Palestine; and in Southern Coelesyria, the Amairu or Amorites.  The Hittites themselves occupied the lower Coelesyrian valley, and the tract reaching thence to the Euphrates.  They were at this period so far centralized into a nation as to have placed themselves under a single monarch; and about the time when Egypt had recovered from the troubles caused by the “Disk-worshippers,” and was again at liberty to look abroad, Saplal, Grand-Duke of Khita, a great and puissant sovereign, sat upon the Hittite throne.

Saplal’s power, and his threatening attitude on the north-eastern border of Egypt, drew upon him the jealousy of Ramesses I., father of the great Seti, and (according to the prevalent tradition) founder of the “nineteenth dynasty.”  To defend oneself it is often best to attack, and Ramesses, taking this view, in his first or second year plunged into the enemy’s dominions.  He had the plea that Palestine and Syria, and even Western Mesopotamia, belonged of right to Egypt, which had conquered them by a long series of victories, and had never lost them by any defeat or disaster.  His invasion was a challenge to Saplal either to fight for his ill-gotten gains, or to give them up.  The Hittite king accepted the challenge, and a short struggle followed with an indecisive result.  At its close peace was made, and a formal treaty of alliance drawn out.  Its terms are unknown; but it was probably engraved on a silver plate in the languages of the two powers—­the Egyptian hieroglyphics, and the now well-known Hittite picture-writing—­and set up in duplicate at Carchemish and Thebes.

A brief pause followed the conclusion of the first act of the drama.  On the opening of the second act we find the dramatis personae changed.  Saplal and Ramesses have alike descended into the grave, and their thrones are occupied respectively by the son of the one and the grandson of the other.  In Egypt, Seti-Menephthah I., the Sethos of Manetho, has succeeded his father, Ramesses I.; in the Hittite kingdom, Saplal has left his sceptre to his grandson Mautenar, the son of Marasar, who had probably died before his father.  Two young and inexperienced princes confront one the other in the two neighbour lands, each distrustful of his rival, each covetous of glory, each hopeful of success if war should break