of a liturgical office in connection with his father Namaroti, a work which resembles in its sentiments the devotions of Bamses II. to the memory of Seti.  He succeeded in arranging a marriage between his son Osorkon and a princess of the royal line, the daughter of Psiukhannit II., by which alliance he secured the Tanite succession; he obtained as a wife for his second son Auputi, the priestess of Amon, and thus obtained an indirect influence over the Said and Nubia.*

* The date of the death of Painotmu II. is fixed at the XVIth year of his reign, according to the inscriptions in the pit at Deir el-Bahari.  This would be the date of the accession of Auputi’, if Auputi succeeded him directly, as I am inclined to believe; but if Psiukhannit was his immediate successor, and if Nsbindidi succeeded Manakhpirri, we must place the accession of Auputi some years later.

[Illustration:  413.jpg NSITANIBASHIRU]

     Drawn by Boudier, from a photograph by E. Brugsch-Bey.

This priestess was probably a daughter or niece of Painotmu II., but we are unacquainted with her name.  The princesses continued to play a preponderating part in the transmission of power, and we may assume that the lady in question was one of those whose names have come down to us—­Nsikhonsu, Nsitani-bashiru, or Isimkhobiu II., who brought with her as a dowry the Bubastite fief.  We are at a loss whether to place Auputi immediately after Painotmu, or between the ephemeral pontificates of a certain Psiukhannit and a certain Nsbindidi.  His succession imposed a very onerous duty upon him.  Thebes was going through the agonies of famine and misery, and no police supervision in the world could secure the treasures stored up in the tombs of a more prosperous age from the attacks of a famished people.  Arrests, trials, and punishments were ineffectual against the violation of the sepulchres, and even the royal mummies—­including those placed in the chapel of Amenothes I. by previous high priests—­were not exempt from outrage.  The remains of the most glorious of the Pharaohs were reclining in this chapel, forming a sort of solemn parliament:  here was Saqnunri Tiuaqni, the last member of the XVIIth dynasty; here also were the first of the XVIIIth—­Ahmosis, Amenothes I., and the three of the name Thutmosis, together with the favourites of their respective harems—­Nofritari, Ahhotpu II., Anhapu, Honittimihu, and Sitkamosis; and, in addition, Ramses I., Seti I., Ramses II. of the XIXth dynasty, Ramses III. and Ramses X. of the XXth dynasty.  The “Servants of the True Place” were accustomed to celebrate at the appointed periods the necessary rites established in their honour.  Inspectors, appointed for the purpose by the government, determined from time to time the identity of the royal mummies, and examined into the condition of their wrappings and coffins:  after each inspection a report, giving the date and the name of the functionary