See Exodus ii.

PHARAOH, king of Egypt-a new monarch "which knew not Joseph"-fearful of the increase of the children of Israel, had given orders that all the male children of the Hebrews should be slain as soon as they were born. THIS blood-thirsty command, however, was evaded, "and the people multiplied and waxed very mighty." At length comes the birth of Moses, the account of which is as follows: "And there went a man of the house of Levi, and took to wife a daughter of Levi. And the woman conceived, and bare a son: and when she saw him that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months. And when she could no longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime, and with pitch, and put the child therein, and she laid it in the flags by the river's brink. And his sister stood afar off: to wit what would be done to him. And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash herself at the river, and her maidens walked along by the river's side: and when she saw the ark among the flags, she sent her maid to fetch it. And when she had opened it, she saw the child: and behold, the babe wept. And she had compassion in him, and said, This is one of the Hebrews' children. Then said his sister to Pharaoh's daughter, Shall I go, and call to thee a nurse of the Hebrew-women, that she may nurse the child for thee And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, Go: And the maid went and called the child's mother. And Pharaoh's daughter said unto her, Take this child away, and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages. And the woman took the child and nursed it." The moment selected by the artist is when the ark of bulrushes is being drawn to shore by one of the attendants of the Egyptian princess, who stands under the downy plumes of her two fan-bearers giving directions in regard to -the child, whose beauty has won her heart. 'The flowing stream, the waving reeds, the regal costume and state of the Princess and her retinue, are lovely surroundings of the slumbering child, before whom lies so great and wondrous a destiny.