I compared the present with the past: What were the priests?
How had they come to be what they are?
What would Egypt be without them?
There is not an art, not a science, not a faculty that is not thought out, constructed, and practised by us.

We crown the kings, we named the Gods, and taught the people to honor them as divine--for the crowd needs a hand to lead it, and under which it shall tremble as under the mighty hand of Fate.

We are the willing ministers of the divine representative of Ra on the throne, so long as he rules in accordance with our institutions--as the One God reigns, subject to eternal laws.

He used to choose his counsellors from among us; we told him what would benefit the country, he heard us willingly, and executed our plans.

The old kings were the hands, but we, the priests, were the head.