its own frontier. The Punt, a people of Arabia, the Sliiipha, supposed to be of Cyprus, and the Ruten, a people of the Euplirates or Tigris, thus confessed tlie power of Thothmes ; and the monuments at Thebes are rich in delineations of the elephants and bears, camelopards and asses, the eliony, ivory, gold, and sil- ver which they brought for tribute. Ver}- beautiful specimens of ancient Egyptian painting belong to the time of this king; indeed his reign, with that of Thothmes II preceding it, and those of Amenoph II (B.C. cir. 141(j), Thothmes IV (whose name is borne by the sphinx at the pyramids), and Amenoph III fol- lowing it, may be considered as comprising the best period of Egj'ptian art ; all the earlier time showing a gradual improvement, and all the later a gradual de- clension. In the reign of Thothmes IV (B.C. cir. 1410), according to Manetho, the Shepherds took their final departure. The conquests of Amenoph III (B.C. cir. 1403) were also very extensive ; traces of his pow- er are found in various parts of Ethiopia ; he states on scarabiei, struck apparently to commemorate his mar- riage, that his northern boundarj' was in Mesopota- mia, his southern in Kara (Choloij ?). From his fea- tures, he seems to have been partly of Ethiopian ori- gin. His long reign of nearly forty years was marked by the construction of magnificent temples. Of these, the greatest were two at Thebes ; one on the west bank, of which little remains but the two great colossi that stood on each side of the approach to it, and one of which is known as the vocal Memnon. He like- wise built, on the opposite bank, the great temple, now called that of El-Uksor, which Barneses II afterwards much enlarged. The tomb of this king 3fet remains at Thebes. For a period of about thirty j'ears after the reign of Amenoph III, Egypt was disturbed bj' the rule of stranger kings, who aljandoned the national re- ligion, and introduced a pure sun-worship. It is not known from whence thej' came, but they were regard- ed by the Egyptians as usurpers, and the monuments of them are defaced or ruined by those who overthrew them. Sir G.Wilkinson supposes that Amenoph III maj' have belonged to their race ; but, if so, we must date the commencement of their rule from the end of his reign, as then began that change of the state re- ligion which was the great peculiarity of the foreign dominiition. How or when the sun-worshippers were destroyed or expelled from Egypt does not appear. Horus, or Hai-em-heb, who succeeded them (B.C. cir. 1367), was probably the prince V)y whom they were overthrown. He was a son of Amenoph III, and con- tinued the line of Diospolite sovereigns. The records of his reign are not important ; but the sculptures at Silsilis commemorate a successful expedition against the negroes. Horus was indirectly' succeeded by Ra- meses I, with whom substantially commences the 19th dynasty, about B.C. 1324. His tomb at Thebes marks tiie new dynasty, by being in a diiferent locality from that of Amenoph III, and being the first in the vallej' thenceforward set apart as the cemeterj^ of the Theban kings. After a short and unimportant reign, he was succeeded In' his son Sethi I, or Sethos (B.C. 1322). He is known liy the magnificent hypostyle hall in the great temple of El-Karnak, which he built, and on the outside of the north wall of which arc sculptured the achievements of his arms. His tomb, cruelly defaced by travellers, is the most beautiful in the Valley of the Kings, and shows that his reign must have been a long one, as the sepulchre of an Egyptian king was commenced about the time of his accession, and thus indicated the length of his reign. He conquered the Khita. or Hittites, and took their stronghold Ketesh, varioush' held to he at or near Emesa, on or near the Orontes, or Kadesh, or even Ashtaroth. His son Ba- rneses 1 1, who was probablj' for some time associated with him in the throne, became the most illustrious of the ancient kings of Egypt (B.C. cir. 1307). If he did not exceed all others in foreign conquests, he
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