Excerpt from The Manners and Customs of the Ancient Egyptians, Vol. 1 of 3
In order to form an accurate opinion of the manners of an ancient people, it is of paramount importance to inquire into their origin and history, and to trace the progress of those steps which gradually led to their improvement and civilization. To judge impartially of their character, we must examine the comparative state of other neighboring and contemporary nations, and measure it by the standard of the era in which they lived. We should also bear in mind the general habits of that portion of the globe whence they derived their origin, or which they inhabited, and, in contemplating the customs of an Eastern people, avoid as much as possible the invidious comparison of European and Oriental manners. Many of those laws or customs which are wise and beneficial to society in one part of the world are deemed superfluous, and even injurious, in another; and the same system which by some is looked upon as indispensable for their welfare and happiness, would be rejected by others as incompatible with the feelings of an independent spirit.
The necessity of discrimination on this point must, therefore, be evident to every one who considers the subject with a view to truth and impartiality; and, in order to enable the reader to form a just opinion of the character of the Egyptians, I commence the present work with a brief account of the general history and early advancement of that ancient state. But if, as must necessarily be the case, this account is deficient and unsatisfactory, I plead as my excuse the scanty means of information afforded either by the writers of antiquity or by monumental record; and trust that the reader will indulgently consider the difficulties which present themselves in so intricate a question.
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