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Concerning Egypt itself I shall extend my remarks to a great length,
because there is no country that possesses so many wonders, nor any
that has such a number of works which defy description. Not only is
the climate different from that of the rest of the world, and the
rivers unlike any other rivers, but the people also, in most of their
manners and customs, exactly reverse the common practice of mankind.
The women attend the markets and trade, while the men sit at home at
the loom; and here, while the rest of the world works the woof up the
warp, the Egyptians work it down; the women likewise carry burthens
upon their shoulders, while the men carry them upon their heads. They
eat their food out of doors in the streets, but retire for private
purposes to their houses, giving as a reason that what is unseemly,
but necessary, ought to be done in secret, but what has nothing
unseemly about it, should be done openly. A woman cannot serve the
priestly office, either for god or goddess, but men are priests to
both; sons need not support their parents unless they choose, but
daughters must, whether they choose or no.
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