books from the days of the Empire with the corrections of the masters still adorning the margins; the abundance of errors would console the modern of 133 The chief m nstruction was the dictation or copying which were written upon tsherds or limestone The subjects were largely commercial for the Egyptians were the first and greatest utilitarians; but the chief topic of pedagogic discourse virtue, and the a ever, was w chief problem, discipline. aeoeDo not spend th time in wishing, or wilt come to a bad end,ac we read one of the copy-books. atoeLet thy mouth read the book in thy hand; take advice from those who know more than thou dosta€ a€"this last is probably one of the oldest phrases in any language. Discipline was vigorous, and based upon the simplest principles. atoeThe youth has a back,ae says a euphemist for the ears of the young are placed on the manuscript, atoeand attends when he is beaten back a€ A pupil writes to his u didst beat my back, and thy instructions went former teacher: into my ear a€ That this animal training did not always succeed appears from a papyrus in which a teacher laments that his former pupils love books much less than beer.135