The prince knelt, and thanked his father; but Rameses took the curly head in his hands and said: "You have won praise and reward by your splendid deeds from the father whom you have saved and filled with pride.

But the king watches over the laws, and guides the destiny cf this land, the king must blame you, nay perhaps punish you.

You could not yield to the discipline of school, where we all must learn to obey if we would afterwards exercise our authority with moderation, and without any orders you left Egypt and joined the army.

You showed the courage and strength of a man, but the folly of a boy in all that regards prudence and foresight--things harder to learn for the son of a race of heroes than mere hitting and slashing at random; you, without experience, measured yourself against masters of the art of war, and what was the consequence?
Twice you fell a prisoner into the hands of the enemy, and I had to ransom you.
"The king of the Danaids gave you up in exchange for his daughter, and he rejoices long since in the restoration of his child; but we, in losing her, lost the most powerful means of coercing the seafaring nations of the islands and northern coasts of the great sea who are constantly increasing in might and daring, and so diminished our chances of securing a solid and abiding peace.
"Thus--through the careless wilfulness of a boy, the great work is endangered which I had hoped to have achieved.

It grieves me particularly to humiliate your spirit to-day, when I have had so much reason to encourage you with praise.