he will not feel weary of his duties.”  Immediately following these words come the “Precepts of beautiful speech” of Ptah-hetep, whose full titles are given, viz. the Erpa, the Duke, the father of the god (i.e. the king), the friend of God, the son of the king.  Governor of Memphis, confidential servant of the king.  These Precepts instruct the ignorant, and teach them to understand fine speech; among them are the following: 

“Be not haughty because of thy knowledge.  Converse with the ignorant man as well as with him that is educated.

“Do not terrify the people, for if thou dost, God will punish thee.  If any man saith that he is going to live by these means, God will make his mouth empty of food.  If a man saith that he is going to make himself powerful (or rich) thereby, saying, ’I shall reap advantage, having knowledge,’ and if he saith, ‘I will beat down the other man,’ he will arrive at the result of being able to do nothing.  Let no man terrify the people, for the command of God is that they shall enjoy rest.

“If thou art one of a company seated to eat in the house of a man who is greater than thyself, take what he giveth thee [without remark].  Set it before thee.  Look at what is before thee, but not too closely, and do not look at it too often.  The man who rejecteth it is an ill-mannered person.  Do not speak to interrupt when he is speaking, for one knoweth not when he may disapprove.  Speak when he addresseth thee, and then thy words shall be acceptable.  When a man hath wealth he ordereth his actions according to his own dictates.  He doeth what he willeth....  The great man can effect by the mere lifting up of his hand what a [poor] man cannot.  Since the eating of bread is according to the dispensation of God, a man cannot object thereto.

“If thou art a man whose duty it is to enter into the presence of a nobleman with a message from another nobleman, take care to say correctly and in the correct way what thou art sent to say; give the message exactly as he said it.  Take great care not to spoil it in delivery and so to set one nobleman against another.  He who wresteth the truth in transmitting the message, and only repeateth it in words that give pleasure to all men, gentleman or common man, is an abominable person.

“If thou art a farmer, till the field which the great God hath given thee.  Eat not too much when thou art near thy neighbours....  The children of the man who, being a man of substance, seizeth [prey] like the crocodile in the presence of the field labourers, are cursed because of his behaviour, his father suffereth poignant grief, and as for the mother who bore him, every other woman is happier than she.  A man who is the leader of a clan (or tribe) that trusteth him and followeth him becometh a god.

“If thou dost humble thyself and dost obey a wise man, thy behaviour will be held to be good before God.  Since thou knowest who are to serve, and who are to command, let not thy heart magnify itself against the latter.  Since thou knowest who hath the power, hold in fear him that hath it....