cleopatra-第4章

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that　same　day　of　my　birth　Cleopatra；　the　Queen　of　Egypt；　was　born

also。　I　passed　my　youth　in　yonder　fields　watching　the　baser　people　at

their　labours　and　going　in　and　out　at　will　among　the　great　courts　of

the　temples。　Of　my　mother　I　knew　naught；　for　she　died　when　I　yet　hung

at　the　breast。　But　before　she　died　in　the　reign　of　Ptolemy　Aulêtes；

who　is　named　the　Piper；　so　did　the　old　wife；　Atoua；　told　me；　my　mother

took　a　golden　ur？us；　the　snake　symbol　of　our　Royalty　of　Egypt；　from　a

coffer　of　ivory　and　laid　it　on　my　brow。　And　those　who　saw　her　do　this

believed　that　she　was　distraught　of　the　Divinity；　and　in　her　madness

foreshadowed　that　the　day　of　the　Macedonian　Lagid？　was　ended；　and　that

Egypt's　sceptre　should　pass　again　to　the　hand　of　Egypt's　true　and

Royal　race。　But　when　my　father；　the　old　High　Priest　Amenemhat；　whose

only　child　I　was；　she　who　was　his　wife　before　my　mother　having　been；

for　what　crime　I　know　not；　cursed　with　barrenness　by　Sekhet：　I　say

when　my　father　came　in　and　saw　what　the　dying　woman　had　done；　he

lifted　up　his　hands　towards　the　vault　of　heaven　and　adored　the

Invisible；　because　of　the　sign　that　had　been　sent。　And　as　he　adored；

the　Hathors＇*＇　filled　my　dying　mother　with　the　Spirit　of　Prophecy；　and

she　rose　in　strength　from　the　couch　and　prostrated　herself　thrice

before　the　cradle　where　I　lay　asleep；　the　Royal　asp　upon　my　brow；

crying　aloud：



＇*＇　The　Egyptian　/Parc？/　or　/Fates/。Editor。



〃Hail　to　thee；　fruit　of　my　womb！　Hail　to　thee；　Royal　child！　Hail　to

thee；　Pharaoh　that　shalt　be！　Hail　to　thee；　God　that　shalt　purge　the

land；　Divine　seed　of　Nekt…nebf；　the　descended　from　Isis。　Keep　thee

pure；　and　thou　shalt　rule　and　deliver　Egypt　and　not　be　broken。　But　if

thou　dost　fail　in　thy　hour　of　trial；　then　may　the　curse　of　all　the

Gods　of　Egypt　rest　upon　thee；　and　the　curse　of　thy　Royal　forefathers；

the　justified；　who　ruled　the　land　before　thee　from　the　age　of　Horus。

Then　in　life　mayst　thou　be　wretched；　and　after　death　may　Osiris　refuse

thee；　and　the　judges　of　Amenti　give　judgment　against　thee；　and　Set　and

Sekhet　torment　thee；　till　such　time　as　thy　sin　is　purged；　and　the　Gods

of　Egypt；　called　by　strange　names；　are　once　more　worshipped　in　the

Temples　of　Egypt；　and　the　staff　of　the　Oppressor　is　broken；　and　the

footsteps　of　the　Foreigner　are　swept　clean；　and　the　thing　is

accomplished　as　thou　in　thy　weakness　shalt　cause　it　to　be　done。〃



When　she　had　spoken　thus；　the　Spirit　of　Prophecy　went　out　of　her；　and

she　fell　dead　across　the　cradle　where　I　slept；　so　that　I　awoke　with　a

cry。



But　my　father；　Amenemhat；　the　High　Priest；　trembled；　and　was　very

fearful；　both　because　of　the　words　which　had　been　said　by　the　Spirit

of　the　Hathors　through　the　mouth　of　my　mother；　and　because　what　had

been　uttered　was　treason　against　Ptolemy。　For　he　knew　that；　if　the

matter　should　come　to　the　ears　of　Ptolemy；　Pharaoh　would　send　his

guards　to　destroy　the　life　of　the　child　concerning　whom　such　things

were　prophesied。　Therefore；　my　father　shut　the　doors；　and　caused　all

those　who　stood　by　to　swear　upon　the　holy　symbol　of　his　office；　and　by

the　name　of　the　Divine　Three；　and　by　the　Soul　of　her　who　lay　dead　upon

the　stones　beside　them；　that　nothing　of　what　they　had　seen　and　heard

should　pass　their　lips。



Now　among　the　company　was　the　old　wife；　Atoua；　who　had　been　the　nurse

of　my　mother；　and　loved　her　well；　and　in　these　days；　though　I　know　not

how　it　had　been　in　the　past；　nor　how　it　shall　be　in　the　future；　there

is　no　oath　that　can　bind　a　woman's　tongue。　And　so　it　came　about　that

by…and…by；　when　the　matter　had　become　homely　in　her　mind；　and　her　fear

had　fallen　from　her；　she　spoke　of　the　prophecy　to　her　daughter；　who

nursed　me　at　the　breast　now　that　my　mother　was　dead。　She　did　this　as

they　walked　together　in　the　desert　carrying　food　to　the　husband　of　the

daughter；　who　was　a　sculptor；　and　shaped　effigies　of　the　holy　Gods　in

the　tombs　that　are　fashioned　in　the　rocktelling　the　daughter；　my

nurse；　how　great　must　be　her　care　and　love　toward　the　child　that

should　one　day　be　Pharaoh；　and　drive　the　Ptolemies　from　Egypt。　But　the

daughter；　my　nurse；　was　so　filled　with　wonder　at　what　she　heard　that

she　could　not　keep　the　tale　locked　within　her　breast；　and　in　the　night

she　awoke　her　husband；　and；　in　her　turn；　whispered　it　to　him；　and

thereby　compassed　her　own　destruction；　and　the　destruction　of　her

child；　my　foster…brother。　For　the　man　told　his　friend；　and　the　friend

was　a　spy　of　Ptolemy's；　and　thus　the　tale　came　to　Pharaoh's　ears。



Now；　Pharaoh　was　much　troubled　thereat；　for　though　when　he　was　full　of

wine　he　would　make　a　mock　of　the　God　of　the　Egyptians；　and　swear　that

the　Roman　Senate　was　the　only　God　to　whom　he　bowed　the　knee；　yet　in

his　heart　he　was　terribly　afraid；　as　I　have　learned　from　one　who　was

his　physician。　For　when　he　was　alone　at　night　he　would　scream　and　cry

aloud　to　the　great　Serapis；　who　indeed　is　no　true　God；　and　to　other

Gods；　fearing　lest　he　should　be　murdered　and　his　soul　handed　over　to

the　tormentors。　Also；　when　he　felt　his　throne　tremble　under　him；　he

would　send　large　presents　to　the　temples；　asking　a　message　from　the

oracles；　and　more　especially　from　the　oracle　that　is　at　Phil？。

Therefore；　when　it　came　to　his　ears　that　the　wife　of　the　High　Priest

of　the　great　and　ancient　Temple　of　Abouthis　had　been　filled　with　the

Spirit　of　Prophecy　before　she　died；　and　foretold　that　her　son　should

be　Pharaoh；　he　was　much　afraid；　and　summoning　some　trusty　guardswho；

being　Greeks；　did　not　fear　to　do　sacrilegehe　despatched　them　by　boat

up　the　Nile；　with　orders　to　come　to　Abouthis　and　cut　off　the　head　of

the　child　of　the　High　Priest　and　bring　it　to　him　in　a　basket。



But；　as　it　chanced；　the　boat　in　which　the　guards　came　was　of　deep

draught；　and；　the　time　of　their　coming　being　at　the　lowest　ebb　of　the

river；　it　struck　and　remained　fast　upon　a　bank　of　mud　that　is　opposite

the　mouth　of　the　road　running　across　the　plains　to　Abouthis；　and；　as

the　north　wind　was　blowing　very　fiercely；　it　was　like　to　sink。　Thereon

the　guards　of　Pharaoh　called　out　to　the　common　people；　who　laboured　at

lifting　water　along　the　banks　of　the　river；　to　come　with　boats　and

take　them　off；　but；　seeing　that　they　were　Greeks　of　Alexandria；　the

people　would　not；　for　the　Egyptians　do　not　love　the　Greeks。　Then　the

guards　cried　that　they　were　on　Pharaoh's　business；　and　still　the

people　would　not；　asking　what　was　their　business。　Whereon　a　eunuch

among　them　who　had　made　himself　drunk　in　his　fear；　told　them　that　they

came　to　slay　the　child　of　Amenemhat；　the　High　Priest；　of　whom　it　was

prophesied　that　he　should　be　Pharaoh　and　sweep　the　Greeks　from　Egypt。

And　then　the　people　feared　to　stand　longer　in　doubt；　but　brought

boats；　not　knowing　what　might　be　meant　by　the　man's　words。　But　there

was　one　amongst　thema　farmer　and　an　overseer　of　canalswho　was　a

kinsman　of　my　mother's　and　had　been　present　when　she　prophesied；　and

he　turned　and　ran　swiftly　for　three　parts　of　an　hour；　till　he　came　to

where　I　lay　in　the　house　that　is　without　the　north　wall　of　the　great

Temple。　Now；　as　it　chanced；　my　father　was　away　in　that　part　of　the

Place　of　Tombs　which　is　to　the　left　of　the　large　fortress；　and

Pharaoh's　guards；　mounted　on　asses；　were　hard　upon　us。　Then　the

messenger　cried　to　the　old　wife；　Atoua；　whose　tongue　had　brought　about

the　evil；　and　told　how　the　soldiers　drew　near　to　slay　me。　And　they

looked　at　each　other；　not　knowing　what　to　do；　for；　had　they　hid　me；

the　guards　would　not　have　stayed　their　search　till　I　was　found。　But

the　man；　gazing　through　the　doorway；　saw　a　little　child　at　play：



〃Woman；〃　he　said；　〃whose　is　that　child？〃



〃It　is　my　grandchild；〃　she　answered；　〃the　foster…brother　of　the　Prince

Harmachis；　the　child　to　whose　mother　we　owe　this　evil　case。〃



〃Woman；〃　he　said；　〃thou　knowest　thy　duty；　do　it！〃　and　he　again　pointed

at　the　child。　〃I　command　thee；　by　the　Holy　Name！〃



Atoua　trembled　exceedingly；　because　the　child　was　of　her　own　blood；