The Pharaoh And The Priest Part 36

Distant sounds of trumpets were heard for a second time.

"In the name of the just and ever-living Eloy, Archima, Rabu, I conjure and summon thee. In the name of the star, which is the sun, by this its sign, by the glorious and awful name of the living G.o.d."

The trumpets sounded again, and stopped on a sudden. Before the altar appeared a crowned vision with a sceptre in its hand, and sitting on a lion.

"Beroes! Beroes!" cried the vision, with a restrained voice. "Why dost thou summon me?"

"I wish my brethren of this temple to receive me with sincere hearts, and incline their ears to the words which I bring them from brethren in Babylon," said the Chaldean.

"Be it so," said the vision, and vanished.

The Chaldean stood as motionless as a statue, with his head thrown back, with hands lifted upward. He stood thus half an hour in a position impossible for an ordinary person.

During this time a part of the wall which formed one side of the cave pushed back, and three Egyptian priests entered. At sight of the Chaldean, who seemed to lie in the air, resting his shoulders on an invisible support, the priests looked at one another with amazement.

The eldest said,--

"Long ago there were men like this among us, but no one has such power in our day."

They walked around him on all sides, touched his stiffened members, and looked with fear at his face, which was bloodless and sallow, like that of a corpse.

"Is he dead?" asked the youngest.

After these words the body of the Chaldean, which had been bent backward, returned to a perpendicular position. On his face appeared a slight flush, and his upraised hands dropped. He sighed, rubbed his eyes like a man roused from sleep, looked at the priests, and said after a while, turning to the eldest,--

"Thou art Mefres, high priest of the temple of Ptah in Memphis. Thou art Herhor, high priest of Amon in Thebes, the first dignity in this state after the pharaoh. Thou," he indicated the youngest, "art Pentuer, the second prophet in the temple of Amon, and the adviser of Herhor."

"Thou art undoubtedly Beroes, the high priest and sage of Babylon, whose coming was announced to us a year ago," answered Mefres.

"Thou hast told truth," said the Chaldean.

He embraced them in turn, and they inclined before him.

"I bring you great words from our common fatherland, which is Wisdom,"

said Beroes. "Be pleased to listen and act as is needful."

At a sign from Herhor, Pentuer withdrew to the rear of the cave and brought out three armchairs of light wood for his superiors, and a low stool for his own use. He seated himself near the lamp, and took from his bosom a small dagger and wax-covered tablets.

When all three had occupied their chairs, the Chaldean began,--

"Mefres, the highest college of priests in Babylon addresses thee: 'The sacred order of priests in Egypt is falling. Many priests collect money and women, and pa.s.s their lives amid pleasure. Wisdom is neglected. Ye have no power over the world which is invisible. Ye have no power over your own souls. Some of you have lost the highest faith, and the future is concealed from you. Things worse than this even happen; for many priests, feeling that their spiritual power is exhausted, have entered the way of falsehood and deceive simple people by cunning devices.'

"The highest college says this: 'If ye wish to return to the good road, Beroes will remain some years with you, so as to rouse true light on the Nile by the aid of a spark brought from the high altar of Babylon.'"

"All is as thou sayest," answered Mefres, confused. "Remain with us therefore a number of years, so that the youth growing up at present may remember thy wisdom."

"And now, Herhor, to thee come words from the highest college."

Herhor inclined his head.

"Because ye neglect the great secrets, your priests have not noted that evil years are approaching Egypt. Ye are threatened by internal disasters from which only virtue and wisdom can save you. But the worst is that if in the course of the coming decade ye begin war with a.s.syria, she will defeat your forces. Her armies will come to the Nile and destroy all that has existed here for ages.

"Such an ominous juncture of stars as is now weighing on Egypt happened first during the XIV. dynasty, when the Hyksos kings captured and plundered this country. It will come for the third time in five or six hundred years from a.s.syria and the people of Paras, who dwell to the east of Chaldea."

The priests listened in terror. Herhor was pale; the tablets fell from Pentuer's fingers; Mefres held the amulet hanging on his breast, and prayed while his lips were parching.

"Be on your guard then against a.s.syria," continued the Chaldean, "for her hour is the present. The a.s.syrians are a dreadful people! They despise labor, they live by war. They conquer, they impale on stakes or flay living people, they destroy captured cities and lead away their inhabitants to bondage. For them to kill savage beasts is repose; to pierce prisoners with arrows or scoop out their eyes is amus.e.m.e.nt. Temples they turn into ruins, the vessels of the G.o.ds they use at their banquets, and make buffoons of priests and sages. They adorn their walls with skins torn from living people, and their tables with the blood-stained skulls of their enemies."

When the Chaldean ceased speaking, the worthy Mefres answered,--

"Great prophet, thou hast cast fear on our souls, and dost not indicate a remedy. It may be true, and to a certainty is so, since thou hast said it, that the fates for a certain time will be against us, but how avoid this predicament? In the Nile there are dangerous places through which no boat can pa.s.s safely; so the wisdom of the helmsmen avoids deadly whirlpools. It is the same with misfortunes of nations. A nation is a boat, and an epoch is the river, which at certain periods has whirlpools. If the frail boat of a fisherman can avoid peril, why should not millions of people escape under similar conditions?"

"Thy words are wise," replied Beroes, "but I can answer in part only."

"Dost thou not know all that will happen?" asked Herhor.

"Ask me not touching that which I know, but which I may not disclose at this moment. Most important in your case is to keep peace for ten years with a.s.syria. Ye have power to do that. a.s.syria still dreads you; she knows not the juncture of evil fates above Egypt, and desires to wage war with northern and eastern nations who live near the seacoast. Ye might, therefore, conclude a treaty to-day with a.s.syria."

"On what conditions?" asked Herhor.

"On very good ones. a.s.syria will yield to you the land of Israel as far as the city of Akko, and the land of Edom to the city of Elath. So your boundaries will be advanced ten days march toward the north without war, and ten days toward the east also."

"But Phnicia?" inquired Herhor.

"Approach not temptation!" exclaimed Beroes. "If the pharaoh were to stretch his hand to-day toward Phnicia, in a month a.s.syrian armies intended for the north and east would turn southward, and a year hence or earlier their horses would be swimming in your sacred river."

"Egypt cannot renounce influence over Phnicia," interrupted Herhor, with an outburst.

"Should she not renounce she would prepare her own ruin," said the Chaldean. "Moreover, I repeat the words of the highest college: 'Tell Egypt,' declared the brothers in Babylon, 'to cower to the earth for ten years, like a partridge, for the falcon of evil fate is watching her. Tell her that we Chaldeans hate a.s.syria more than do the Egyptians, for we endure the burden of its rule; but still we recommend to the Egyptians peace with that bloodthirsty nation. Ten years is a short period; after that not only can ye regain your ancient place, but ye can save us.'"

"That is true!" added Mefres.

"Only consider," continued the Chaldean, "should a.s.syria begin war with you, she would involve also Babylon, which hates warfare. War will exhaust our wealth and stop the labor of wisdom. Even were ye not defeated your country would be ruined for a long period. Ye would lose not only people, but the fertile soil, which would be buried by sand in the absence of earth-tillers."

"We understand that," replied Herhor; "hence we have no thought of attacking a.s.syria. But Phnicia--"

"What harm will it be to you," asked Beroes, "if the a.s.syrian robber squeezes the Phnician thief? Your merchants and ours will gain by such action. But if ye want Phnicians, let them settle on your sh.o.r.es. I am sure that the richest and most adroit of them would flee from a.s.syrian conquest."

"What would happen to our fleet, if the a.s.syrians settled in Phnicia?" inquired Herhor.

"That is not your fleet, but the Phnician," replied Beroes. "When Tyrian and Sidonian s.h.i.+ps are lost to you, ye will build your own, and exercise Egyptians in navigation. If ye have mind and a practical character, ye will drive out Phnician commerce from western regions."

Herhor waved his hand.

"I have told that which was commanded me," said Beroes, "and do ye that which pleaseth you. But remember that ten evil years are impending."

"It seems to me, holy father," said Pentuer, "that thou didst speak of internal troubles which threaten Egypt in the future. What will they be, if it please thee to answer thy servant?"

"Do not ask. Those are things which ye ought to know better than I, who am a stranger. Clear sight will discover the disease, and experience will give the remedy."