cleopatra-第9章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



AND　OF　THE　WORDS　OF　SEPA



At　the　dawning　of　the　next　day　I　was　awakened　by　a　priest　of　the

temple；　who　brought　word　to　me　to　make　ready　for　the　journey　of　which

my　father　had　spoken；　inasmuch　as　there　was　an　occasion　for　me　to　pass

down　the　river　to　Annu　el　Ra。　Now　this　is　the　Heliopolis　of　the

Greeks；　whither　I　should　go　in　the　company　of　some　priests　of　Ptah　at

Memphis　who　had　come　hither　to　Abouthis　to　lay　the　body　of　one　of

their　great　men　in　the　tomb　that　had　been　prepared　near　the　resting

place　of　the　blessed　Osiris。



So　I　made　ready；　and　the　same　evening；　having　received　letters　and

embraced　my　father　and　those　about　the　temple　who　were　dear　to　me；　I

passed　down　the　banks　of　Sihor；　and　we　sailed　with　the　south　wind。　As

the　pilot　stood　upon　the　prow　and　with　a　rod　in　his　hand　bade　the

sailor…men　loosen　the　stakes　by　which　the　vessel　was　moored　to　the

banks；　the　old　wife；　Atoua；　hobbled　up；　her　basket　of　simples　in　her

hand；　and；　calling　out　farewell；　threw　a　sandal　after　me　for　good

chance；　which　sandal　I　kept　for　many　years。



So　we　sailed；　and　for　six　days　passed　down　the　wonderful　river；　making

fast　each　night　at　some　convenient　spot。　But　when　I　lost　sight　of　the

familiar　things　that　I　had　seen　day　by　day　since　I　had　eyes　to　see；

and　found　myself　alone　among　strange　faces；　I　felt　very　sore　at　heart；

and　would　have　wept　had　I　not　been　ashamed。　And　of　all　the　wonderful

things　I　saw　I　will　not　write　here；　for；　though　they　were　new　to　me；

have　they　not　been　known　to　men　since　such　time　as　the　Gods　ruled　in

Egypt？　But　the　priests　who　were　with　me　showed　me　no　little　honour　and

expounded　to　me　what　were　the　things　I　saw。



On　the　morning　of　the　seventh　day　we　came　to　Memphis；　the　city　of　the

White　Hall。　Here；　for　three　days　I　rested　from　my　journey　and　was

entertained　of　the　priests　of　the　wonderful　Temple　of　Ptah　the

Creator；　and　shown　the　beauties　of　the　great　and　marvellous　city。　Also

I　was　led　in　secret　by　the　High　Priest　and　two　others　into　the　holy

presence　of　the　God　Apis；　the　Ptah　who　deigns　to　dwell　among　men　in

the　form　of　a　bull。　The　God　was　black；　and　on　his　forehead　there　was　a

white　square；　on　his　back　was　a　white　mark　shaped　like　an　eagle；

beneath　his　tongue　was　the　likeness　of　a　scarab？us；　in　his　tail　were

double　hairs；　and　a　plate　of　pure　gold　hung　between　his　horns。　I

entered　the　place　of　the　God　and　worshipped；　while　the　High　Priest　and

those　with　him　stood　aside；　watching　earnestly。　And　when　I　had

worshipped；　saying　the　words　which　had　been　told　me；　the　God　knelt；

and　lay　down　before　me。　Then　the　High　Priest　and　those　with　him；　who；

as　I　heard　in　after　time；　were　great　men　of　Upper　Egypt；　approached

wondering；　and；　saying　no　word；　made　obeisance　to　me　because　of　the

omen。　And　many　other　things　I　saw　in　Memphis　that　are　too　long　to

write　of　here。



On　the　fourth　day　some　priests　of　Annu　came　to　lead　me　to　Sepa；　my

uncle；　the　High　Priest　of　Annu。　So；　having　bidden　farewell　to　those　of

Memphis；　we　crossed　the　river　and　rode　on　asses　two　parts　of　a　day's

journey　through　many　villages；　which　we　found　in　great　poverty　because

of　the　oppression　of　the　tax…gatherers。　Also；　as　we　went；　I　saw　for

the　first　time　the　great　pyramids　that　are　beyond　the　image　of　the　God

Horemkhu；　that　Sphinx　whom　the　Greeks　name　Harmachis；　and　the　Temples

of　the　Divine　Mother　Isis；　Queen　of　the　Memnonia；　and　the　God　Osiris；

Lord　of　Rosatou；　of　which　temples；　together　with　the　Temple　of　the

worship　of　the　Divine　Menkau…ra；　I；　Harmachis；　am　by　right　Divine　the

Hereditary　High　Priest。　I　saw　them　and　marvelled　at　their　greatness

and　the　white　carven　limestone；　and　red　granite　of　Syene；　that　flashed

the　sun's　rays　back　to　heaven。　But　at　this　time　I　knew　nothing　of　the

treasure　that　was　hid　in　/Her/；　which　is　the　third　among　the　pyramids

would　I　had　never　known　of　it！



And　so　at　last　we　came　within　sight　of　Annu；　which　after　Memphis　has

been　seen　is　no　large　town；　but　stands　on　raised　ground；　before　which

are　lakes　fed　by　a　canal。　Behind　the　town　is　the　inclosed　field　of　the

Temple　of　the　God　Ra。



We　dismounted　at　the　pylon；　and　were　met　beneath　the　portico　by　a　man

not　great　of　stature；　but　of　noble　aspect；　having　his　head　shaven；　and

with　dark　eyes　that　twinkled　like　the　further　stars。



〃Hold！〃　he　cried；　in　a　great　voice　which　fitted　his　weak　body　but　ill。

〃Hold！　I　am　Sepa；　who　opens　the　mouth　of　the　Gods！〃



〃And　I；〃　I　said；　〃am　Harmachis；　son　of　Amenemhat；　Hereditary　High

Priest　and　Ruler　of　the　Holy　City　Abouthis；　and　I　bear　letters　to

thee；　O　Sepa！〃



〃Enter；〃　he　said。　〃Enter！〃　scanning　me　all　the　while　with　his

twinkling　eyes。　〃Enter；　my　son！〃　And　he　took　me　and　led　me　to　a

chamber　in　the　inner　hall；　closed　to　the　door；　and　then；　having

glanced　at　the　letters　that　I　brought；　of　a　sudden　he　fell　upon　my

neck　and　embraced　me。



〃Welcome；〃　he　cried；　〃welcome；　son　of　my　own　sister；　and　hope　of　Khem！

Not　in　vain　have　I　prayed　the　Gods　that　I　might　live　to　look　upon　thy

face　and　impart　to　thee　the　wisdom　which　perchance　I　alone　have

mastered　of　those　who　are　left　alive　in　Egypt。　There　are　few　whom　it

is　lawful　that　I　should　teach。　But　thine　is　the　great　destiny；　and

thine　shall　be　the　ears　to　hear　the　lessons　of　the　Gods。〃



And　he　embraced　me　once　more　and　bade　me　go　bathe　and　eat；　saying　that

on　the　morrow　he　would　speak　with　me　further。



This　of　a　truth　he　did；　and　at　such　length　that　I　will　forbear　to　set

down　all　he　said　both　then　and　afterwards；　for　if　I　did　so　there　would

be　no　papyrus　left　in　Egypt　when　the　task　was　ended。　Therefore；　having

much　to　tell　and　but　little　time　to　tell　it；　I　will　pass　over　the

events　of　the　years　that　followed。



For　this　was　the　manner　of　my　life。　I　rose　early；　I　attended　the

worship　of　the　Temple；　and　I　gave　my　days　to　study。　I　learnt　of　the

rites　of　religion　and　their　meaning；　and　of　the　beginning　of　the　Gods

and　the　beginning　of　the　Upper　World。　I　learnt　of　the　mystery　of　the

movements　of　the　stars；　and　of　how　the　earth　rolls　on　among　them。　I

was　instructed　in　that　ancient　knowledge　which　is　called　magic；　and　in

the　way　of　interpretation　of　dreams；　and　of　the　drawing　nigh　to　God。　I

was　taught　the　language　of　symbols　and　their　outer　and　inner　secrets。

I　became　acquainted　with　the　eternal　laws　of　Good　and　Evil；　and　with

the　mystery　of　that　trust　which　is　held　of　man；　also　I　learnt　the

secrets　of　the　pyramidswhich　I　would　that　I　had　never　known。

Further；　I　read　the　records　of　the　past；　and　of　the　acts　and　words　of

the　ancient　kings　who　were　before　me　since　the　rule　of　Horus　upon

earth；　and　I　was　made　to　know　all　craft　of　state；　the　lore　of　earth；

and　with　it　the　history　of　Greece　and　Rome。　Also　I　learnt　the　Grecian

and　Roman　tongues；　of　which　indeed　I　already　had　some　knowledgeand

all　this　while；　for　five　long　years；　I　kept　my　hands　clean　and　my

heart　pure；　and　did　no　evil　in　the　sight　of　God　or　man；　but　laboured

heavily　to　acquire　all　things；　and　to　prepare　myself　for　the　destiny

that　awaited　me。



Twice　every　year　greetings　and　letters　came　from　my　father　Amenemhat；

and　twice　every　year　I　sent　back　my　answers　asking　if　the　time　had

come　to　cease　from　labour。　And　so　the　days　of　my　probation　sped　away

till　I　grew　faint　and　weary　at　heart；　for　being　now　a　man；　ay　and

learned；　I　longed　to　make　a　beginning　of　the　life　of　men。　And　often　I

wondered　if　this　talk　and　prophecy　of　the　things　that　were　to　be　was

but　a　dream　born　of　the　brains　of　men　whose　wish　ran　before　their

thought。　I　was；　indeed；　of　the　Royal　blood；　that　I　knew：　for　my　uncle；

Sepa　the　Priest；　showed　me　a　secret　record　of　the　descent；　traced

without　break　from　father　to　son；　and　graven　in　mystic　symbols　on　a

tablet　of　the　stone　of　Syene。　But　of　what　avail　was　it　to　be　Royal　by

right　when　Egypt；　my　heritage；　was　a　slavea　slave　to　do　the　pleasure

and　minister　to　the　luxury　of　the　Macedonian　Lagid？ay；　and　when　she

had　been　so　long　a　serf　that；　perchance；　sh