Maximums of Ptah Hotep

Decay falls upon and decline takes the place of youth.

Be not arrogant of that which you know; deal with the ignorant as with
tthe learned; for the bariers of art are not closed, no artist being
in possession of perfection to which he would aspire, but good words
are more difficult to find than the emerald, for it is by slaves that
it is descovered among rocks of pegmatite.

If you find a disputant whial he is hot, and if he is supirior to you
in ability, lower the hands behind the back, do not get into a passion
with him. As he will not let you destroy his words, it is wrong to
interupt him, that proclames that you are incapebable of keeping
yourself calm when you are contradicted. If then you have to do w/a
disputant whial he is hot, immitate one who des not stir. You have the
advantage over him if you keep silent when he is uttering evil words.
The better of the two is he who is impassive. You are right in the
opinion of the great.

If you find a disputant whial he is hot, do not despise him because
you are not of the same opinion. Be not agnry against him when he is
wrong; away with such a thing. He fights against himself; require him
not further to flatter your feelings. Do not amuse yourself with the
spectacle which you have before you ; it is odio, it is mean, it is
the part of a despicable soul to do so. As soon as you let yoruself be
moved by your feelings, combat this desire as a thing that is reproved
by the great.

If you have, as a lelader, to decide on the conduct of a great number
of men, seek the most perfect manner of doing so that your own condut
may be with out repoval or reaporach. Justice is great, invariable and
assured; it has not been disturbed since the age of Ptah. To throw
obsticles in the way of the laws is to open the way before violence.
Shall that which is below gain the upper hand, if the unjust does not
attain to the place of justice? Even he who says: I take for myself of
my own free will but says not : I take by virtue of my own authority.
The limitations of justice are invariable, such as the instruction.

Inspire men not with fear, else Ptah will fight against you in the
same manner. If anyone aserts that he lives by such means, Ptah will
take away the bread from his mouth. If anyone asserts that he enriches
himself thereby, Ptah says I may take those riches to myself. If
anyone asserts that he beats others, Ptah will end by reducing him to
impotance. Let no one inspire men with fear, this is the will of Ptah.
Let one provide sustenance for them in the lap of peace; it will them
be that they will freely give what has been torn from them by terror.


If you are among the persons seated with meat in the house of a
greater man thatn yourself, take that which he gives you, bowing to
the ground, regard that which he gives y ou but point not at it,
regard it not grequently; he is a blamewrothy person who departs from
this rule. Speak not to the great man more than he requires, for no
one knows what may be dsipleasing to him. Speak when he invites you
and your worth will be pleaseing. As for the great man who has plenty
of means of existence, his conduct is as he desires to repose. He
realises his intetnion. The great man streaching forth his hand does
that to which other men do not attain. But as the means of existence
are under the will of ptah, one can not rebell agaisnt it.

If you are one of those who bring the messages of one great man to
another, confirm yourself exactly to that wwhere with he has charged
you, perfomr for him the commission he has assigned you. Beware of
altering in speaking the offensive words which one great person
addressess another; he who perverts the truthfullness of his way, in
order to repeat only what produces pleasure in the words of every man,
great or small, is a detestable person.

If you are a farmer, gather crops in the field wich the great Ptah has
given you, do not boast in the house of your neighbor, it is better
to make oneself dreaded by one's deads. As for him who , master of his
own way of accting, being all-powerful, seizes the goods of others,
like a crockodile in the midst, even of watchment his children are an
object of maledietion of scorn and of hatred on account of it, whial
his father is grievously distressd and as for the mother, who has born
him, happy is another reather, than herslef. But a man becoms a god
when he is chief of a tribe which has confidence in following him.

If you abse yourself in obeying a superior, your conduct is entirely
good before Ptah, knowing who you ought to obey and who to command,
do not lift up your heart against him. As you k now that in him is
authority, be respectful toward him. As belonging to him. Wealth comes
only at Ptah's own good will and his caprice only is the law, Ptah,
who has created his superiority turnes himself from him and he is
overthrown.


Be active durring the time of your existance, do not do more than
commanded. Do not spoil the time of your activity: he is a blame
worthy person when he makes bad use of his moments. Do not loose the
daily opportunity of increasing that which your house possesses.
Activity produces riches and riches do not endure when it slackens.


If you are a wise man, bring up a son who shall be pleasing to Ptah.
If he confirms his conduct o your way and occupies himself with oyour
affairs as is right, do to him all the good you can; he is your son. A
person attatched to you whom your own self has begotten. Seperate not
your heart from him. But if he conducts himself ill and transgresses
you and your wishes, if he rejects all counsel, if his mouth goes
according to the evil world, strike him on the mouth in return. Give
ordres w/out hesitation and he will not deviate from teh straight path
and there will be less obsticles to interupt the way


If you are employed in the larit, stand or sit rather than walk about.
Lay down rules for yourself from the first; not to absent yourself
when weariness overtakes. Keep an eye on him who enters anouncing that
what he askes is secret. What is entrusted to you is above reaproach
and all contrary argument is a matter to be rejected. He is a god who
penetrates into a place where no relaxation of the rules is made for
the priviledged.


If you are with people who display for you an extreme affection saying
"aspiration of my heart, aspiration of my heart, where , there is no
rememdy.." That whic is said in your heart let it be realized by
springing up spontantiosly. Sovereign master I give myself to your
opinion. Your name is approved w/out speaking. Your body is ful of
vigor, your face is above your meighbors. If then you are accustomed
to the excess of flatter and here be an obsticle to you in your
desires than your impusle is to obey your passion. But who... while
the man who is master of his soul is superior to those whom Ptah has
loaded with his gifts, the man who obeys his passion is under the
power of his wife.


Declare your line of conduct w/out reticence, give your opinion in the
councel of your lord, whial there are people who turn back upon thier
own words when they speak so as not to offend him who has put foreward
a statement and answer not in this fashion. He is a great man who will
recognise the error of another and when he shall rais his voice to
oppose the other about it, he will keep silent after what I have said.


If you are a leader setting foreward your plans according to that
which you decide, perfomr perfect actions which prosterity may
remember, without letting the words prevail with you which multipy
flattery, which excites pride and produces vanity.

If you are a leader of peace, listen tot he discource of the
petitioner. Be not abrupt w/him, that would trouble him. Say not to
him you have already recounted this. Intellegence will encourage him
to accomplish the object of his comming. Posfor being abrupt with the
complatent because he has described what passed when the injury itself
let it not be. The way to obtain a clear explination is to listen with
kindness.

If you desire to excite respect with int he house you enter, for
example, the house of a superior, a friend or any person of
consideration, in short, everyone who's house you enter, keep youself
from making advances to a woman, for there is nothing good in so
doing. There is no prudence in taking part in it, and causes men
destroying themselfves in order to enjoy a moment brief as a dream,
whial they gain death, so as to know it. It is a villanious intention,
that a man who thus excites himself if he goes on to carry it out, his
mind abandons him. For as him who is with out preugnancefor such an
act, there is no good sence at all in him.


If you desire that your conduct should be good and preserved from all
evil, keep yourself from everty attack of bad humor. It is a fatal
malady which leads to discord and there i sno longer any exsistence
for him who gives way to it, for it introcuces discord between fathers
and mothers as well as between brothers and sisters, it causes the
wife and the husband to hate eachother; it cuases contains all kinds
of wickedness, it embodies all kinds of wrong. when a man has
established his just equalibrium and walks in his path, there where he
makes his dwelling, there is not room for bad humor.

Be not of an irritable temper as regards to that which happened to
your side, grumble not over your own affairs. Be not of irritable
temper in regard to your neighbors, better is a compliment to that
which displeases then rudness. It is wrong to get in a passion with
one's neighbors, to be no longer master of one's own words when there
is only a little irritation one creates for oneself an affliction for
the time when on will again be cool.

If you are wise look after your house; love your wife without alloy,
fill her stomach, cloth herback, these are the cares to be bestowed on
her person. Caress her, fufflill her desires durring the time of her
exsistance, it is a kindnesswhich does honor to its position. Be not
brutal, tact will influence better than violence. Behond to what she
aspiser, as what she aims, what she regards. It is that which fixes
her in your house, if you repell her, it is an abyss. Open your arms
for her, respond to her arms, call her display to her your love.


Treat your dependents well, in so far as it belongs to you to do so.
And it belongs to you who Ptah has favored. If any one fails in
treating his dependents it is said he is a person........ "as we do
not know the events which may happen towmorow, he is a wise person by
whom is well treated. When there comes the necessity of showing zeal.
It iwll then be dependants who say come on !! if good treatment has
not quieted the place if it has quitetd it, the dependants are
defaulteres.

do not repeat any extravigance of language, do not listen to it. It is
a thing which as escaped from a hastey mouth.if it is repeated, llook
with out hearing it toward the earth, say nothing in regard to it.
Cause him who speaks to you to know what is just, even him who
provokes to injustice; cause that wich is just to be done, cause it to
triumph. As for that wich is hatefull, according to the law, condemn
it by unveiling it.

If you are a wise man, sitting in the councel of your lord direct your
thoughts toward that which is wise. Be silent rather than scatter your
words. When you speak, know that which can be brought against you. To
speak in the councel is an art and speach is critacized more than any
other labor. It is contradiction which puts its proof.

If you are powerful, respect knowledge and calmness of language
command only to direct, to be absolute is to run into beta. Let not
your heart be haughty, neither let it be meman. Do not let your orders
remain unsaid and cause your answers to penetrate but speak with heat,
assume a serious countenence. As for the vivacity of an ardent heart,
temper it, the gentle man penetrates all obsticles. He who agitates
himself all day long has not a good moment and he who amuses himself
all the day long keeps not his fortune. Aim at fullness, like pilots,
once one is seated, another who and seeks to obey one's orders.

Disturb not a quiet man weaken not the attention of him who is
cocupied. His care to embrace his tack, and he strips his person
through the love for the work which they accomplis. Compose then your
face, even in trouble, that peace may be with you, when agitation is
with.... these are people who succeed in what they desire.

If you are anoyed at a thing, if you are tormented by someone who is
acting with his right, get out of his sight and remember him no more,
when he has ceased to adress you.

Teach others to render homage to a great man, If you gather the crop
for him among men. Cause it to return fully to its owner, at whose
hands is your substance. But the gift of affection is worth more than
the provisions with which your back is covered. For that which the
great man receaves from you will enable your house to live, with out
speaking of the main tenants you enhoy, which you desire to preseve
it, is thereby that he extends a benificiant hand and that in your
home good things are added to good things. Let your love pass into the
heart of those who love you; cause those about you to be loing and
obediant.

If you are the son of the guardians desputed to watch over the public
tranquility, execute your commission with out knowing its meaning and
speak with firmness. Substitute not for that which is the instruction
has said what you believe to be his intervention; the great use words
as it suits them. Your part is to transmit rather than comment apon.

You have become great after having been little; you you have become
rich after having been poor, when you are at the head of the city,
know how not to take advantage of the fact that you have reached the
first rank, harden not your heart because of your elevation, you are
become only the admisistration.l the prefect of the provisions which
belong to ptah. Put not behind you the neighbor who is like you be
unto him as a companion.

Know those who are your faithful to you when you are in low estate,
your merrit then is woth more than those who did your honor... behold
that which a man possesses completely. THis is of more improtance than
his high rank; for this is a matter which passes from one to another.
The merrit of one's son is advantageous to the father and that which
he really is. is worth more than the rememberance of his father.

Let your countanance be cheerful durring the time of your existance
when we see one departing from the stone house who has entered in
order to bring his share of provisions with his face contracted it
shows his stomach is empty and that authority is offensive to him. Let
that not happen to you.

Bend your back before your superiors. You are attatched to the place
of your king. Your house is established in its fortune and yoru
profits are as is fitting. Yet a man is annoyed at haveing an
authority above himself and passes the peroid of life in being vexed.
ALthough that hurts not yoru.... do not plunder the house of your
neighbors, seize not by force the godds which are beside you. Exclaim
not then against that which you hear and do not feel humiliated. It is
necessary to reflect when one is hindered by it that the preasure of
authority is felt aslo by ones beighbor.

If you aim at polished manners, call not whom you accost. Converse
with him especially in such a way as not to anoy him. Enter on a
discussion with him only after having left him time to saturate his
mind with the subject of the conversation. If he lets his ignorance
display itself and if he gives you all oportunity to disgrace him,
treat him with courtesy rather. Proceed not to drive him in a crushing
manner, crush him not. Worry him not in,,, in order that hin his turn
he may not return the subject but depart to the profit of your
conversation.

Distinguish the superintendant who directs from the workman for manual
labor is little evelvated; the inaction of the lands is honorable. If
a man is not in the evil way, that which places him there is the want
of subrodination to authority.


If you take a wife do NOT......... let her be more contednted than
any of her fellows. She will be attatched to you doubly if her chain
is pleasant. Do not repell her, grant that which pleases her, it is to
her contentment that she apreciates your work.

END