Now, after sailing and rowing against the stream for certain days, I came to the City of the Ford of the Ox.  Here the river changes his name, and is called Isis, after the name of the goddess of the Egyptians.  But whether the Britons brought the name from Egypt or whether the Egyptians took it from the Britons, not knowing I prefer not to say.  But to me it seems that the Britons are a colony of the Egyptians, or the Egyptians a colony of the Britons.  Moreover, when I was in Egypt I saw certain soldiers in white helmets, who were certainly British.  But what they did there (as Egypt neither belongs to Britain nor Britain to Egypt) I know not, neither could they tell me.  But one of them replied to me in that line of Homer (if the Odyssey be Homer’s), ’We have come to a sorry Cyprus, and a sad Egypt.’  Others told me that they once marched against the Ethiopians, and having defeated them several times, then came back again, leaving their property to the Ethiopians.  But as to the truth of this I leave it to every man to form his own opinion.

Having come into the City of the Priests, I went forth into the street, and found a priest of the baser sort, who for a piece of silver led me hither and thither among the temples, discoursing of many things.

Now it seemed to me a strange thing that the city was empty, and no man dwelling therein, save a few priests only, and their wives, and their children, who are drawn to and fro in little carriages dragged by women, but the priest told me that during half the year the city was desolate, for that there came somewhat called ‘The Long,’ or ‘The Vac,’ and drave out the young priests.  And he said that these did no other thing but row boats, and throw balls from one to the other, and this they were made to do, he said, that the young priests might learn to be humble, for they are the proudest of men.  But whether he spoke truth or not I know not, only I set down what he told me.  But to anyone considering it, this appears rather to jump with his story—­namely, that the young priests have houses on the river, painted of divers colours, all of them empty.

Then the priest, at my desire, brought me to one of the temples, that I might seek out all things concerning Herodotus the Halicarnassian, from one who knew.  Now this temple is not the fairest in the city, but less fair and goodly than the old temples, yet goodlier and more fair than the new temples; and over the roof there is the image of an eagle made of stone—­no small marvel, but a great one, how men came to fashion him; and that temple is called the House of Queens.  Here they sacrifice a boar once every year; and concerning this they tell a certain sacred story which I know but will not utter.