[Illustration:  101.jpg A WORKSHOP OF SHOEMAKERS MANUFACTURING SANDALS]

Drawn by Faucher-Gudin, from Champollion’s Monuments de l’Eypte et de la Nubie.  This Picture belongs to the XVIIIth dynasty; but the sandals in it are, however, quite like those to be seen on more ancient monuments.

The dyer, his fingers reeking—­and their smell is that of fish-spawn;—­his two eyes are oppressed with fatigue,—­his hand does not stop,—­and, as he spends his time in cutting out rags—­he has a hatred of garments.—­The shoemaker is very unfortunate;—­he moans ceaselessly,—­his health is the health of the spawning fish,—­and he gnaws the leather.—­The baker makes dough,—­subjects the loaves to the fire;—­while his head is inside the oven,—­his son holds him by the legs;—­if he slips from the hands of his son,—­he falls there into the flames.”  These are the miseries inherent to the trades themselves:  the levying of the tax added to the catalogue a long sequel of vexations and annoyances, which were renewed several times in the year at regular intervals.

[Illustration:  101.jpg THE BAKER MAKING HIS BREAD AND PLACING IT IN THE OVEN]

     Drawn by Faucher-Gudin, from the painted picture in one of
     the small antechambers of the tomb of Ramses III., at Bab-
     el-Moluk.

Even at the present day, the fellah does not pay his contributions except under protest and by compulsion, but the determination not to meet obligations except beneath the stick, was proverbial from ancient times:  whoever paid his dues before he had received a merciless beating would be overwhelmed with reproaches by his family, and jeered at without pity by his neighbours.  The time when the tax fell due, came upon the nomes as a terrible crisis which affected the whole population.  For several days there was nothing to be heard but protestations, threats, beating, cries of pain from the tax-payers, and piercing lamentations from women and children.  The performance over, calm was re-established, and the good people, binding up their wounds, resumed their round of daily life until the next tax-gathering.

The towns of this period presented nearly the same confined and mysterious appearance as those of the present day.*

* I have had occasion to make “soundings” or excavations at various points in very ancient towns and villages, at Thebes, Abydos and Mataniyeh, and I give here a resume of my observations.  Professor Petrie has brought to light and regularly explored several cities of the XIIth and XVIIIth dynasties, situated at the entrance to the Fayum.  I have borrowed many points in my description from the various works which he has published on the subject, Kahun, Gurob and Hawara, 1890; and Illahun, Kahun and Gurob, 1891.

[Illustration:  103.jpg THE HOUSE OF A GREAT EGYPTIAN LORD]