cleopatra-第18章

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〃It　is　not　meet；　my　father；〃　I　said。



〃It　is　meet；〃　he　answered；　〃it　is　meet　that　I　should　bow　before　my

King；　but　be　it　as　thou　wilt。　And　so　thou　goest；　Harmachis；　my

blessings　go　with　thee；　O　my　son！　And　may　Those　whom　I　serve　grant　to

me　that　my　old　eyes　may；　indeed；　behold　thee　on　the　throne！　I　have

searched　long；　striving；　Harmachis；　to　read　the　future　that　shall　be；

but　I　can　learn　naught　by　all　my　wisdom。　It　is　hid　from　me；　and　at

times　my　heart　fails。　But　hear　this；　there　is　danger　in　thy　path；　and

it　comes　in　the　form　of　Woman。　I　have　known　it　long；　and　therefore

thou　hast　been　called　to　the　worship　of　the　heavenly　Isis；　who　bids

her　votaries　put　away　the　thought　of　woman　till　such　time　as　she　shall

think　well　to　slacken　the　rule。　Oh；　my　son；　I　would　that　thou　wert　not

so　strong　and　fairstronger　and　fairer；　indeed；　than　any　man　in

Egypt；　as　a　King　should　befor　in　that　strength　and　beauty　may　lie　a

cause　of　stumbling。　Beware；　then；　of　those　witches　of　Alexandria；

lest；　like　a　worm；　some　one　of　them　creep　into　my　heart　and　eat　its

secret　out。〃



〃Have　no　fear；　my　father；〃　I　answered；　frowning；　〃my　thought　is　set　on

other　things　than　red　lips　and　smiling　eyes。〃



〃It　is　good；〃　he　answered；　〃so　may　it　befall。　And　now　farewell。　When

next　we　meet；　may　it　be　in　that　happy　hour　when；　with　all　the　priests

of　the　Upper　Land；　I　move　down　from　Abouthis　to　do　my　homage　to

Pharaoh　on　his　throne。〃



So　I　embraced　him；　and　went。　Alas！　I　little　thought　how　we　should　meet

again。







Thus　it　came　about　that　once　more　I　passed　down　the　Nile　travelling　as

a　man　of　no　estate。　And　to　such　as　were　curious　about　me　it　was　given

out　that　I　was　the　adopted　son　of　the　High　Priest　of　Abouthis；　having

been　brought　up　to　the　priesthood；　and　that　I　had　at　the　last　refused

the　service　of　the　Gods；　and　chosen　to　go　to　Alexandria；　to　seek　my

fortune。　For；　be　it　remembered；　I　was　still　held　to　be　the　grandson　of

the　old　wife；　Atoua；　by　all　those　who　did　not　know　the　truth。



On　the　tenth　night；　sailing　with　the　wind；　we　reached　the　mighty　city

of　Alexandria；　the　city　of　a　thousand　lights。　Above　them　all　towered

the　white　Pharos；　that　wonder　of　the　world；　from　the　crown　of　which　a

light　like　the　light　of　the　sun　blazed　out　across　the　waters　of　the

harbour　to　guide　mariners　on　their　way　across　the　sea。　The　vessel

having　been　cautiously　made　fast　to　the　quay；　for　it　was　night；　I

disembarked　and　stood　wondering　at　the　vast　mass　of　houses；　and

confused　by　the　clamour　of　many　tongues。　For　here　all　peoples　seemed

to　be　gathered　together；　each　speaking　after　the　fashion　of　his　own

land。　And　as　I　stood　a　young　man　came　and　touched　me　on　the　shoulder；

asking　me　if　I　was　from　Abouthis　and　named　Harmachis。　I　said　〃Yea。〃

Then；　bending　over　me；　he　whispered　the　secret　pass…word　into　my　ear；

and；　beckoning　to　two　slaves；　bade　them　bring　my　baggage　from　the

ship。　This　they　did；　fighting　their　way　through　the　crowd　of　porters

who　were　clamouring　for　hire。　Then　I　followed　him　down　the　quay；　which

was　bordered　with　drinking…places；　where　all　sorts　of　men　were

gathered；　tippling　wine　and　watching　the　dancing　of　women；　some　of

whom　were　but　scantily　arrayed；　and　some　not　arrayed　at　all。



And　so　we　went　through　the　lamp…lit　houses　till　at　last　we　reached　the

shore　of　the　great　harbour；　and　turned　to　the　right　along　a　wide　way

paved　with　granite　and　bordered　by　strong　houses；　having　cloisters　in

front　of　them；　the　like　of　which　I　had　never　seen。　Turning　once　more

to　the　right　we　came　to　a　quieter　portion　of　the　city；　where；　except

for　parties　of　strolling　revellers；　the　streets　were　still。　Presently

my　guide　halted　at　a　house　built　of　white　stone。　We　passed　in；　and；

crossing　a　small　courtyard；　entered　a　chamber　where　there　was　a　light。

And　here；　at　last；　I　found　my　uncle　Sepa；　most　glad　to　see　me　safe。



When　I　had　washed　and　eaten；　he　told　me　that　all　things　went　well；　and

that　as　yet　there　was　no　thought　of　evil　at　the　Court。　Further；　he

said；　it　having　come　to　the　ears　of　the　Queen　that　the　Priest　of　Annu

was　sojourning　at　Alexandria；　she　sent　for　him　and　closely　questioned

himnot　as　to　any　plot；　for　of　that　she　never　thought；　but　as　to　the

rumour　which　had　reached　her；　that　there　was　treasure　hid　in　the　Great

Pyramid　which　is　by　Annu。　For；　being　ever　wasteful；　she　was　ever　in

want　of　money；　and　had　bethought　her　of　opening　the　Pyramid。　But　he

laughed　at　her；　telling　her　the　Pyramid　was　the　burying…place　of　the

divine　Khufu；　and　that　he　knew　nothing　of　its　secrets。　Then　she　was

angered；　and　swore　that　so　surely　as　she　ruled　in　Egypt　she　would　tear

it　down；　stone　by　stone；　and　discover　the　secret　at　its　heart。　Again

he　laughed；　and；　in　the　words　of　the　proverb　which　they　have　at

Alexandria；　told　her　that　〃Mountains　live　longer　than　Kings。〃　Thereon

she　smiled　at　his　ready　answer；　and　let　him　go。　Also　my　uncle　Sepa

told　me　that　on　the　morrow　I　should　see　this　Cleopatra。　For　it　was　her

birthday　（as；　indeed；　it　was　also　mine）；　and；　dressed　in　the　robes　of

the　Holy　Isis；　she　would　pass　in　state　from　her　palace　on　the　Lochias

to　the　Serapeum　to　offer　a　sacrifice　at　the　Shrine　of　the　false　God

who　sits　in　the　Temple。　And　he　said　that　thereafter　the　fashion　by

which　I　should　gain　entrance　to　the　household　of　the　Queen　should　be

contrived。



Then；　being　very　weary；　I　went　to　rest；　but　could　sleep　little　for　the

strangeness　of　the　place；　the　noises　in　the　streets；　and　the　thought

of　the　morrow。　While　it　was　yet　dark；　I　rose；　climbed　the　stair　to　the

roof　of　the　house；　and　waited。　Presently；　the　sun's　rays　shot　out　like

arrows；　and　lit　upon　the　white　wonder　of　the　marble　Pharos；　whose

light　instantly　sank　and　died；　as　though；　indeed；　the　sun　had　killed

it。　Now　the　rays　fell　upon　the　palaces　of　the　Lochias　where　Cleopatra

lay；　and　lit　them　up　till　they　flamed　like　a　jewel　set　on　the　dark；

cool　bosom　of　the　sea。　Away　the　light　flew；　kissing　the　Soma's　sacred

dome；　beneath　which　Alexander　sleeps；　touching　the　high　tops　of　a

thousand　palaces　and　temples；　past　the　porticoes　of　the　great　museum

that　loomed　near　at　hand；　striking　the　lofty　Shrine；　where；　carved　of

ivory；　is　the　image　of　the　false　God　Serapis；　and　at　last　seeming　to

lose　itself　in　the　vast　and　gloomy　Necropolis。　Then；　as　the　dawn

gathered　into　day；　the　flood　of　brightness；　overbrimming　the　bowl　of

night；　flowed　into　the　lower　lands　and　streets；　and　showed　Alexandria

red　in　the　sunrise　as　the　mantle　of　a　king；　and　shaped　as　a　mantle。

The　Etesian　wind　came　up　from　the　north；　and　swept　away　the　vapour

from　the　harbours；　so　that　I　saw　their　blue　waters　rocking　a　thousand

ships。　I　saw；　too；　that　mighty　mole　the　Heptastadium；　I　saw　the

hundreds　of　streets；　the　countless　houses；　the　innumerable　wealth　and

splendour　of　Alexandria　set　like　a　queen　between　lake　Mareotis　and　the

ocean；　and　dominating　both；　and　I　was　filled　with　wonder。　This；　then；

was　one　city　in　my　heritage　of　lands　and　cities！　Well；　it　was　worth

the　grasping。　And　having　looked　my　full　and　fed　my　heart；　as　it　were；

with　the　sight　of　splendour；　I　communed　with　the　Holy　Isis　and　came

down　from　the　roof。



In　the　chamber　beneath　was　my　uncle　Sepa。　I　told　him　that　I　had　been

watching　the　sun　rise　over　the　city　of　Alexandria。



〃So！〃　he　said；　looking　at　me　from　beneath　his　shaggy　eyebrows；　〃and

what　thinkest　thou　of　Alexandria？〃



〃I　think　it　is　like　some　city　of　the　Gods；〃　I　answered。



〃Ay！〃　he　replied　fiercely；　〃a　city　of　the　infernal　Godsa　sink　of

corruption；　a　bubbling　well　of　iniquity；　a　home　of　false　faith

springing　from　false　hearts。　I　would　that　not　one　stone　of　it　was　left

upon　another　stone；　and　that　its　wealth　lay　deep　beneath　yonder

waters！　I　would　that　the　gulls　were　screaming　across　its　site；　and

that　the　wind；　untainted　by　a　Grecian　breath；　swept　through　its　ruins

from　the　ocean　to　Mareotis！　O　royal　Harmachis；　let　not　the　luxury　and

beauty　of　Alexandria　poison　thy　sense；　fo