Rather am I minded to send an army to the land of Goshen with orders to despatch this people, who conspired to murder the Prince of Egypt, through the Gateway of the West, there to worship their god in heaven or in hell.
Aye, to slay them all from the greybeard down to the suckling at the breast." "I hear Pharaoh," said Seti, quietly.
"Such is my will," went on Meneptah, "and those who accompanied you upon your business, and all my councillors think as I do, for truly Egypt cannot bear so hideous a treason.

Yet, according to our law and custom it is needful, before such great acts of war and policy are undertaken, that he who stands next to the throne, and is destined to fill it, should give consent thereto.

Do you consent, Prince of Egypt ?" "I do not consent, Pharaoh.

I think it would be a wicked deed that tens of thousands should be massacred for the reason that a few fools waylaid a man who chanced to be of royal blood, because by inadvertence, he had desecrated their sanctuary." Now I saw that this answer made Pharaoh wroth, for never before had his will been crossed in such a fashion.

Still he controlled himself, and asked: "Do you then consent, Prince, to a gentler sentence, namely that the Hebrew people should be broken up; that the more dangerous of them should be sent to labour in the desert mines and quarries, and the rest distributed throughout Egypt, there to live as slaves ?" "I do not consent, Pharaoh.