cleopatra-第16章

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of　the　party　of　Egypt　gathered　to　the　number　of　thirty…seven　from

every　nome；　and　each　great　city　of　their　nome；　meeting　together　at

Abouthis。　They　came　in　every　guisesome　as　priests；　some　as　pilgrims

to　the　Shrine；　and　some　as　beggars。　Among　them　was　my　uncle；　Sepa；

who；　though　he　clad　himself　as　a　travelling　doctor；　had　much　ado　to

keep　his　loud　voice　from　betraying　him。　Indeed；　I　myself　knew　him　by

it；　meeting　him　as　I　walked　in　thought　upon　the　banks　of　the　canal；

although　it　was　then　dusk　and　the　great　cape；　which；　after　the　fashion

of　such　doctors；　he　had　thrown　about　his　head；　half　hid　his　face。



〃A　pest　on　thee！〃　he　cried；　when　I　greeted　him　by　his　name。　〃Cannot　a

man　cease　to　be　himself　for　a　single　hour？　Didst　thou　but　know　the

pains　that　it　has　cost　me　to　learn　to　play　this　partand　now　thou

readest　who　I　am　even　in　the　dark！〃



And　then；　still　talking　in　his　loud　voice；　he　told　me　how　he　had

travelled　hither　on　foot；　the　better　to　escape　the　spies　who　ply　to

and　fro　upon　the　river。　But　he　said　he　should　return　by　the　water；　or

take　another　guise；　for　since　he　had　come　as　a　doctor　he　had　been

forced　to　play　a　doctor's　part；　knowing　but　little　of　the　arts　of

medicine；　and；　as　he　greatly　feared；　there　were　many　between　Annu　and

Abouthis　who　had　suffered　from　it。＇*＇　And　he　laughed　loudly　and

embraced　me；　forgetting　his　part。　For　he　was　too　whole　at　heart　to　be

an　actor　and　other　than　himself；　and　would　have　entered　Abouthis　with

me　holding　my　hand；　had　I　not　chid　him　for　his　folly。



＇*＇　In　Ancient　Egypt　an　unskilful　or　negligent　physician　was　liable　to

　　　　very　heavy　penalties。Editor。



At　length　all　were　gathered。



It　was　night；　and　the　gates　of　the　temple　were　shut。　None　were　left

within　them；　except　the　thirty…seven；　my　father；　the　High　Priest

Amenemhat；　that　aged　priest　who　had　led　me　to　the　Shrine　of　Isis；　the

old　wife；　Atoua；　who；　according　to　ancient　custom；　was　to　prepare　me

for　the　anointing；　and　some　five　other　priests；　sworn　to　secrecy　by

that　oath　which　none　may　break。　They　gathered　in　the　second　hall　of

the　great　temple；　but　I　remained　alone；　clad　in　my　white　robe；　in　the

passage　where　are　the　names　of　six…and…seventy　ancient　Kings；　who　were

before　the　day　of　the　divine　Sethi。　There　I　rested　in　darkness；　till

at　length　my　father；　Amenemhat；　came；　bearing　a　lamp；　and；　bowing　low

before　me；　led　me　by　the　hand　forth　into　the　great　hall。　Here　and

there；　between　its　mighty　pillars；　lights　were　burning　that　dimly

showed　the　sculptured　images　upon　the　walls；　and　dimly　fell　upon　the

long　line　of　the　seven…and…thirty　Lords；　Priests；　and　Princes；　who；

seated　upon　carven　chairs；　awaited　my　coming　in　silence。　Before　them；

facing　away　from　the　seven　Sanctuaries；　a　throne　was　set；　around　which

stood　the　priests　holding　the　sacred　images　and　banners。　As　I　came

into　the　dim　and　holy　place；　the　Dignitaries　rose；　and　bowed　before

me；　speaking　no　word；　while　my　father　led　me　to　the　steps　of　the

throne；　and　in　a　low　voice　bade　me　stand　before　it。



Then　he　spoke：



〃Lords；　Priests；　and　Princes　of　the　ancient　orders　of　the　land　of　Khem

Nobles　from　the　Upper　and　the　Lower　Country；　have　gathered　in　answer

to　my　summons；　hear　me：　I　present　to　you；　with　such　scant　formality　as

the　occasion　can　afford；　the　Prince　Harmachis；　by　right　and　true

descent　of　blood　the　descendant　and　heir　of　the　ancient　Pharaohs　of

our　most　unhappy　land。　He　is　priest　of　the　inmost　circle　of　the

Mysteries　of　the　Divine　Isis；　Master　of　the　MysteriesHereditary

Priest　of　the　Pyramids；　which　are　by　Memphis；　Instructed　in　the　Solemn

Rites　of　the　Holy　Osiris。　Is　there　any　among　you　who　has　aught　to　urge

against　the　true　line　of　his　blood？〃



He　paused；　and　my　uncle　Sepa；　rising　from　his　chair；　spoke：　〃We　have

made　examination　of　the　records　and　there　is　none；　O　Amenemhat。　He　is

of　the　Royal　blood；　his　descent　is　true。〃



〃Is　there　any　among　you；〃　went　on　my　father；　〃who　can　deny　that　this

royal　Harmachis；　by　sanction　of　the　very　Gods；　has　been　gathered　to

Isis；　been　shown　the　way　of　the　Osiris；　been　admitted　to　be　the

Hereditary　High　Priest　of　the　Pyramids　which　are　by　Memphis；　and　of

the　Temples　of　the　Pyramids？〃



Then　that　old　priest　rose　who　had　been　my　guide　in　the　Sanctuary　of

the　Mother　and　made　answer：　〃There　is　none；　O　Amenemhat；　I　know　these

things　of　my　own　knowledge。〃



Once　more　my　father　spoke：　〃Is　there　any　among　you　who　has　aught　to

urge　against　this　royal　Harmachis；　in　that　by　wickedness　of　heart　or

life；　by　uncleanliness　or　falsity；　it　is　not　fit　or　meet　that　we

should　crown　him　Lord　of　all　the　Lands？〃



Then　an　aged　Prince　of　Memphis　arose　and　made　answer：



〃We　have　inquired　of　these　matters：　there　is　none；　O　Amenemhat。〃



〃It　is　well；〃　said　my　father；　〃then　naught　is　wanting　in　the　Prince

Harmachis；　seed　of　Nekt…nebf；　the　Osirian。　Let　the　woman　Atoua　stand

forth　and　tell　this　company　those　things　that　came　to　pass　when；　at

the　hour　of　her　death；　she　who　was　my　wife　prophesied　over　this

Prince；　being　filled　with　the　Spirit　of　the　Hathors。〃



Thereon　old　Atoua　crept　forward　from　the　shadow　of　the　columns；　and

earnestly　told　those　things　that　have　been　written。



〃Ye　have　heard；〃　said　my　father：　〃do　you　believe　that　the　woman　who

was　my　wife　spake　with　the　Divine　voice？〃



〃We　do；〃　they　answered。



Now　my　uncle　Sepa　rose　and　spoke：



〃Royal　Harmachis；　thou　hast　heard。　Know　now　that　we　are　gathered　here

to　crown　thee　King　of　the　Upper　and　the　Lower　Landsthy　holy　father；

Amenemhat；　renouncing　all　his　right　on　thy　behalf。　We　are　met；　not；

indeed；　in　that　pomp　and　ceremony　which　is　due　to　the　occasionfor

what　we　do　must　be　done　in　secret；　lest　our　lives；　and　the　cause　that

is　more　dear　to　us　than　life；　should　pay　the　forfeitbut　yet　with

such　dignity　and　observance　of　the　ancient　rites　as　our　circumstance

may　command。　Learn；　now；　how　this　matter　hangs；　and　if；　after

learning；　thy　mind　consents　thereto；　then　mount　thy　throne；　O　Pharaoh

and　swear　the　oath！



〃Long　has　Khemi　groaned　beneath　the　mailed　heel　of　the　Greek；　and

trembled　at　the　shadow　of　the　Roman's　spear；　long　has　the　ancient

worship　of　its　Gods　been　desecrated；　and　its　people　crushed　with

oppression。　But　we　believe　that　the　hour　of　deliverance　is　at　hand；

and　with　the　solemn　voice　of　Egypt　and　by　the　ancient　Gods　of　Egypt；

to　whose　cause　thou　art　of　all　men　bound；　we　call　upon　thee；　Prince；

to　be　the　sword　of　our　deliverance。　Hearken！　Twenty　thousand　good　and

leal　men　are　sworn　to　wait　upon　thy　word；　and　at　thy　signal　to　rise　as

one；　to　put　the　Grecian　to　the　sword；　and　with　their　blood　and

substance　to　build　thee　a　throne　set　more　surely　on　the　soil　of　Khem

than　are　its　ancient　pyramidssuch　a　throne　as　shall　even　roll　the

Roman　legions　back。　And　for　the　signal；　it　shall　be　the　death　of　that

bold　harlot；　Cleopatra。　Thou　must　compass　her　death；　Harmachis；　in

such　fashion　as　shall　be　shown　to　thee；　and　with　her　blood　anoint　the

Royal　throne　of　Egypt。



〃Canst　thou　refuse；　O　our　Hope？　Doth　not　the　holy　love　of　country

swell　within　thy　heart？　Canst　thou　dash　the　cup　of　Freedom　from　thy

lips　and　bear　to　drink　the　bitter　draught　of　slaves？　The　emprise　is

great；　maybe　it　shall　fail；　and　thou　with　thy　life；　as　we　with　ours；

shalt　pay　the　price　of　our　endeavour。　But　what　of　it；　Harmachis？　Is

life；　then；　so　sweet？　Are　we　so　softly　cushioned　on　the　stony　bed　of

earth？　Is　bitterness　and　sorrow　in　its　sum　so　small　and　scant　a　thing？

Do　we　here　breathe　so　divine　an　air　that　we　should　fear　to　face　the

passage　of　our　breath？　What　have　we　here　but　hope　and　memory？　What　see

we　here　but　shadows？　Shall　we　then　fear　to　pass　pure…handed　where

Fulfilment　is　and　memory　is　lost　in　its　own　source；　and　shadows　die　in

the　light　which　cast　them？　O　Harmachis；　that　man　alone　is　truly　blest

who　crowns　his　life　with　Fame's　most　splendid　wreath。　For；　since　to

all　the　Brood　of　Earth　Death　hands　his　poppy…flowers；　he　indeed　is