Col VI.

COL. VI.

(1) An inquiry of the lamp. You go to a clean dark cell without light and you dig a new hole in an east wall (2) and you take a white lamp in which no minium or gum water has been put, its wick being clean, and you fill it with clean genuine Oasis oil, (3) and you recite the spells of praising Ra at dawn in his rising and you bring the lamp when lighted opposite the sun and recite to it the spells as below four times, (4) and you take it into the cell, you being pure, and the boy also, and you pronounce the spells to the boy, he not looking at the lamp, his eyes being (5) closed, seven times. You put pure frankincense on the brazier. You put your finger on the boy's head, his eyes being closed. (6) When you have finished you make him open his eyes towards the lamp; then he sees the shadow of the god about the lamp, and he inquires for you (7) concerning that which you desire. You must do it at midday in a place without light, if it be that you are inquiring for a spirit damned, a wick of sail-cloth (?) (8) is what you put in the lamp and you fill it with clean butter. If it is some other business, a clean wick with pure genuine oil (9) is that which you put in the lamp; if you will do it to bring

p. 52 p. 53

a woman to a man, ointment of roses is that which you put in the lamp. You must lay the lamp (10) on a new brick and the boy also must sit on another brick with his eyes closed. You cry down into his head four times. (11) The spells which you recite <to the lamp> to the wick previously before you recite to the boy: Formula: 'Art thou the unique great wick of the linen of Thoth? (12) Art thou the byssus robe of Osiris, the divine Drowned, woven by the hand of Isis, spun by the hand of Nephthys? (13) Art thou the original band that was made for Osiris Khentamente? Art thou the great bandage with which Anubis put forth his hand to the body of Osiris the mighty god? (14) I have brought thee to-day--ho! thou wick--to cause the boy to look into thee, that thou mayest make reply to every matter concerning which I ask here to-day. (15) Is it that you will (?) not do it? O wick, I have put thee in the hand of the black cow, I have lighted thee in the hand (16) of the female cow. Blood of the Drowned one is that which I put to thee for oil; the hand of Anubis is that which is laid on thee. The spells (17) of the great Sorcerer are those which I recite to thee. Do thou bring me the god in whose hand is the command to-day and let him give me answer as to everything about which(18) I inquire here to-day truly without falsehood. Ho! Nut, mother of water, ho! Apet, mother of fire,

p. 54 p. 55

[paragraph continues] (19) come unto me, Nut, mother of water, come Apet, mother of fire, come unto me Yaho.' You say it drawling(?) with your voice exceedingly. You say again: 'Esex, Poe, Ef-khe-ton,' otherwise said, 'Khet-on,' seven times. If it is a direct (?) inquiry, these alone are the things that you recite (21) to the lamp, and you lie down without speaking. But if obduracy take place, you rise, you recite (22) his summons, which is his compulsion. Formula: 'I am the Ram's face, Youth is my name: I was born under the venerable persea (23) in Abydos, I am the soul of the great chief who is in Abydos; I am the guardian of the great corpse that is in U-pek; (24) I am he whose eyes are as the eyes of Akhom when he watcheth Osiris by night; I am Teptuf upon the desert of Abydos; (25) I am he that watcheth the great corpse which is in Busiris; I am he who watcheth for Light-scarab-noble (?).' (In margin) The spells that you write on the lamp, Bakhukhsikhukh (and figures) (26) 'whose name is hidden in my heart; Bibiou (Soul of souls) is his name.' Formula, seven times. If it is a direct (?) inquiry, (27) these things alone are what you recite. If it is an inquiry by the boy that you are about, you recite these aforesaid to the lamp (28) before calling down into the head of the boy, you turn round (?), you recite this other invocation to the lamp also. Formula: 'O Osiris, O lamp (29) that giveth vision

p. 57

of the things <of days> above, that giveth vision of the things below and vice versa, O lamp (bis), Amen is moored in thee; O lamp (bis) I (30) invoke thee, thou goest up to the shore of the great sea, the sea of Syria, the sea of Osiris. Do I speak (31) to thee? Dost thou come that I may send thee? Ho, lamp, witness (?) to thyself, since thou hast found Osiris upon his boat of papyrus and teḥen, (32) Isis being at his head, Nephthys at his feet, and the male and female gods about him. Speak, Isis, let it be told (33) to Osiris concerning the things which I ask about, to cause the god to come in whose hand is the command, and give me answer to everything about which I shall inquire (34) here to-day. When Isis said "Let a god be summoned to me that I may send him, he being discreet (?) as to the business on which he will go and he accomplish it," (35) they went and they brought to her; thou art the lamp that was brought to her. The fury of Sekhmet thy mother and of Heke thy father is (36) cast at thee, thou shalt not be lighted for Osiris and Isis, thou shalt not be lighted for Anubis until thou hast given me an answer to everything which I ask (37) about here to-day truly without telling me falsehood. If thou wilt not do it, I will not give thee oil.