These, as I saw, looked on us sullenly enough, more so than before, I thought, perhaps because we were unguarded.

Indeed, turning round I caught sight of a man shaking his fist and of an old hag spitting after us, and wished that we were out of the land of Goshen.

But when I reported it to the Prince he only laughed and took no heed.
"All can see that they hate us Egyptians," he said.

"Well, let it be our task to try to turn their hate to love." "That you will never do, Prince, it is too deep-rooted in their hearts; for generations they have drunk it in with their mother's milk.
Moreover, this is a war of the gods of Egypt and of Israel, and men must go where their gods drive them." "Do you think so, Ana?
Then are men nothing but dust blown by the winds of heaven, blown from the darkness that is before the dawn to be gathered at last and for ever into the darkness of the grave of night ?" He brooded a while, then went on.
"Yet if I were Pharaoh I would let these people go, for without doubt their god has much power and I tell you that I fear them." "Why will he not let them go ?" I asked.

"They are a weakness, not a strength to Egypt, as was shown at the time of the invasion of the Barbarians with whom they sided.