Page:Key to Easy Latin Stories for beginners.djvu/28

 73.But men, whether Egyptians or foreigners, (who have been) carried off by a crocodile, or killed by the river itself, are treated with great honour. For the inhabitants of that place bury the corpse (when) cast up, with the greatest care: nor is it lawful for any one else, either relation or friend, to touch a corpse of this land, but the priests of the Kile alone bury it.

74.Against the mosquitoes they do this. They build very lofty towers; they ascend these (when) about to sleep, for the mosquitoes are prevented by the wind (from approaching). But men who live around the marshes protect themselves in this way instead of towers. Each man has a net: with this during the day he catches fish, but by night makes use of it in the house: he places a net on the bed, then slipping himseK in, he sleeps under it. Eor the mosquitoes can bite through clothes, but they do not even attempt (to do so) through the net.

75.Rhampsinitus, king of the Egyptians, is said to have descended (while) alive beneath the earth, and to have played hazard with Ceres in the infernal regions, and to have come off partly victorious, and partly to have been defeated by her: at last, having again returned thence, to have brought back as a gift from the same (goddess), a golden cloak. On account of this journey of Ehampsinitus to the infernal regions, the Egyptians keep a feast. One of the priests puts on a cloak, made by them on the same day: the others cover his eyes with a cap, and then conduct him to the road leading to the temple of Ceres: then they themselves return. Then the priest & said to be conducted by two wolves to the temple of Ceres, and back again to the same place.

76.To the Egyptians first of all, the soul of man has seemed to be immortal. Now this is what they say of the soul: When the body is dying it enters into another animal. Having finished