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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6833f05 --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +* text=auto +*.txt text +*.md text diff --git a/5457.txt b/5457.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..4319d84 --- /dev/null +++ b/5457.txt @@ -0,0 +1,2565 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook An Egyptian Princess, by Georg Ebers, v8 +#19 in our series by Georg Ebers + +Copyright laws are changing all over the world. Be sure to check the +copyright laws for your country before downloading or redistributing +this or any other Project Gutenberg eBook. + +This header should be the first thing seen when viewing this Project +Gutenberg file. Please do not remove it. Do not change or edit the +header without written permission. + +Please read the "legal small print," and other information about the +eBook and Project Gutenberg at the bottom of this file. Included is +important information about your specific rights and restrictions in +how the file may be used. You can also find out about how to make a +donation to Project Gutenberg, and how to get involved. + + +**Welcome To The World of Free Plain Vanilla Electronic Texts** + +**EBooks Readable By Both Humans and By Computers, Since 1971** + +*****These EBooks Were Prepared By Thousands of Volunteers***** + + +Title: An Egyptian Princess, Volume 8. + +Author: Georg Ebers + +Release Date: April, 2004 [EBook #5457] +[Yes, we are more than one year ahead of schedule] +[This file was first posted on May 7, 2002] + +Edition: 10 + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + + + + + +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK AN EGYPTIAN PRINCESS, BY EBERS, V8 *** + + + +This eBook was produced by David Widger <widger@cecomet.net> + + + +[NOTE: There is a short list of bookmarks, or pointers, at the end of the +file for those who may wish to sample the author's ideas before making an +entire meal of them. D.W.] + + + + + +AN EGYPTIAN PRINCESS, Part 2. + +By Georg Ebers + +Volume 8. + + + +CHAPTER VIII. + +The sun was already trying to break a path for his rays through the thick +curtains, that closed the window of the sick-room, but Nebenchari had not +moved from the Egyptian girl's bedside. Sometimes he felt her pulse, or +spread sweet-scented ointments on her forehead or chest, and then he +would sit gazing dreamily into vacancy. Nitetis seemed to have sunk into +a deep sleep after an attack of convulsions. At the foot of her bed +stood six Persian doctors, murmuring incantations under the orders of +Nebenchari, whose superior science they acknowledged, and who was seated +at the bed's head. + +Every time he felt the sick girl's pulse he shrugged his shoulders, and +the gesture was immediately imitated by his Persian colleagues. From +time to time the curtain was lifted and a lovely head appeared, whose +questioning blue eyes fixed at once on the physician, but were always +dismissed with the same melancholy shrug. It was Atossa. Twice she had +ventured into the room, stepping so lightly as hardly to touch the thick +carpet of Milesian wool, had stolen to her friend's bedside and lightly +kissed her forehead, on which the pearly dew of death was standing, but +each time a severe and reproving glance from Nebenchari had sent her back +again into the next room, where her mother Kassandane was lying, awaiting +the end. + +Cambyses had left the sick-room at sunrise, on seeing that Nitetis had +fallen asleep; he flung himself on to his horse, and accompanied by +Phanes, Prexaspes, Otanes, Darius, and a number of courtiers, only just +aroused from their sleep, took a wild ride through the game-park. He +knew by experience, that he could best overcome or forget any violent +mental emotion when mounted on an unmanageable horse. + +Nebenchari started on hearing the sound of horses' hoofs in the distance. +In a waking dream he had seen Cambyses enter his native land at the head +of immense hosts; he had seen its cities and temples on fire, and its +gigantic pyramids crumbling to pieces under the powerful blows of his +mighty hand. Women and children lay in the smouldering ruins, and +plaintive cries arose from the tombs in which the very mummies moved like +living beings; and all these-priests, warriors, women, and children--the +living and the dead--all had uttered his,--Nebenchari's,--name, and had +cursed him as a traitor to his country. A cold shiver struck to his +heart; it beat more convulsively than the blood in the veins of the dying +girl at his side. Again the curtain was raised; Atossa stole in once +more and laid her hand on his shoulder. He started and awoke. +Nebenchari had been sitting three days and nights with scarcely any +intermission by this sick-bed, and such dreams were the natural +consequence. + +Atossa slipped back to her mother. Not a sound broke the sultry air of +the sick-room, and Nebenchiari's thoughts reverted to his dream. He told +himself that he was on the point of becoming a traitor and a criminal, +the visions he had just beheld passed before him again, but this time it +was another, and a different one which gained the foremost place. The +forms of Amasis, who had laughed at and exiled him,--of Psamtik and the +priests,--who had burnt his works,--stood near him; they were heavily +fettered and besought mercy at his hands. His lips moved, but this was +not the place in which to utter the cruel words which rose to them. And +then the stern man wiped away a tear as he remembered the long nights, in +which he had sat with the reed in his hand, by the dull light of the +lamp, carefully painting every sign of the fine hieratic character in +which he committed his ideas and experience to writing. He had +discovered remedies for many diseases of the eye, spoken of in the sacred +books of Thoth and the writings of a famous old physician of Byblos as +incurable, but, knowing that he should be accused of sacrilege by his +colleagues, if he ventured on a correction or improvement of the sacred +writings, he had entitled his work, "Additional writings on the +treatment of diseases of the eye, by the great god Thoth, newly +discovered by the oculist Nebenchari." + +He had resolved on bequeathing his works to the library at Thebes, that +his experience might be useful to his successors and bring forth fruit +for the whole body of sufferers. This was to be his reward for the long +nights which he had sacrificed to science--recognition after death, and +fame for the caste to which he belonged. And there stood his old rival +Petammon, by the side of the crown-prince in the grove of Neith, and +stirred the consuming fire, after having stolen his discovery of the +operation of couching. Their malicious faces were tinged by the red glow +of the flames, which rose with their spiteful laughter towards heaven, as +if demanding vengeance. A little further off he saw in his dream Amasis +receiving his father's letters from the hands of the high-priest. +Scornful and mocking words were being uttered by the king; Neithotep +looked exultant.--In these visions Nebenchari was so lost, that one of +the Persian doctors was obliged to point out to him that his patient was +awake. He nodded in reply, pointing to his own weary eyes with a smile, +felt the sick girl's pulse, and asked her in Egyptian how she had slept. + +"I do not know," she answered, in a voice that was hardly audible. "It +seemed to me that I was asleep, and yet I saw and heard everything that +had happened in the room. I felt so weak that I hardly knew whether I +was awake or asleep. Has not Atossa been here several times?" + +"Yes." + +"And Cambyses stayed with Kassandane until sunrise; then he went out, +mounted his horse Reksch, and rode into the game-park." + +"How do you know that?" + +"I saw it." + +Nebenchari looked anxiously into the girl's shining eyes. She went on: +"A great many dogs have been brought into the court behind this house." + +"Probably the king has ordered a hunt, in order to deaden the pain which +he feels at seeing you suffer." + +"Oh, no. I know better what it means. Oropastes taught me, that +whenever a Persian dies dogs' are brought in, that the Divs may enter +into them." + +"But you are living, my mistress, and . . ." + +"Oh, I know very well that I shall die. I knew that I had not many hours +more to live, even if I had not seen how you and the other physicians +shrugged your shoulders whenever you looked at me. That poison is +deadly." + +"You are speaking too much, my mistress, it will hurt you." + +"Oh let me speak, Nebenchari! I must ask you to do something for me +before I die." + +"I am your servant." + +"No, Nebenchari, you must be my friend and priest. You are not angry +with me for having prayed to the Persian gods? Our own Hathor was always +my best friend still. Yes, I see by your face that you forgiven me. +Then you must promise not to allow my corpse to be torn in pieces by dogs +and vultures. The thought is so very dreadful. You will promise to +embalm my body and ornament it with amulets?" + +"If the king allows." + +"Of course he will. How could Cambyses possibly refuse my last request?" + +"Then my skill is at your service." + +"Thank you; but I have still something else to ask." + +"You must be brief. My Persian colleagues are already making signs to +me, to enjoin silence on you." + +"Can't you send them away for a moment?" + +"I will try to do so." + +Nebenchari then went up and spoke to the Magi for a few minutes, and they +left the room. An important incantation, at which no one but the two +concerned might be present, and the application of a new and secret +antidotal poison were the pretexts which he had used in order to get rid +of them. + +When they were alone, Nitetis drew a breath of relief and said: "Give me +your priestly blessing on my long journey into the nether world, and +prepare me for my pilgrimage to Osiris." + +Nebenchari knelt down by her bed and in a low voice repeated hymns, +Nitetis making devotional responses. + +The physician represented Osiris, the lord of the nether world--Nitetis +the soul, justifying itself before him. + +When these ceremonies were ended the sick girl breathed more freely. +Nebenchari could not but feel moved in looking at this young suicide. He +felt confident that he had saved a soul for the gods of his native land, +had cheered the last sad and painful hours of one of God's good +creatures. During these last moments, compassion and benevolence had +excluded every bitter feeling; but when he remembered that this lovely +creature owed all her misery to Amasis too, the old black cloud of +thought darkened his mind again.--Nitetis, after lying silent for some +time, turned to her new friend with a pleasant smile, and said: "I shall +find mercy with the judges of the dead now, shall not I?" + +"I hope and believe so." + +"Perhaps I may find Tachot before the throne of Osiris, and my father..." + +"Your father and mother are waiting for you there. Now in your last hour +bless those who begot you, and curse those who have robbed you of your +parents, your crown and your life." + +"I do not understand you." + +"Curse those who robbed you of your parents, crown and life, girl!" +cried the physician again, rising to his full height, breathing hard as +he said the words, and gazing down on the dying girl. "Curse those +wretches, girl! that curse will do more in gaining mercy from the judges +of the dead, than thousands of good works!" And as he said this he +seized her hand and pressed it violently. + +Nitetis looked up uneasily into his indignant face, and stammered in +blind obedience, 'I curse." + +"Those who robbed my parents of their throne and lives!" + +"Those who robbed my parents of their throne and their lives," she +repeated after him, and then crying, "Oh, my heart!" sank back exhausted +on the bed. + +Nebenchari bent down, and before the royal physicians could return, +kissed her forehead gently, murmuring: "She dies my confederate. The +gods hearken to the prayers of those who die innocent. By carrying the +sword into Egypt, I shall avenge king Hophra's wrongs as well as my own." + +When Nitetis opened her eyes once more, a few hours later, Kassandane was +holding her right hand, Atossa kneeling at her feet, and Croesus standing +at the head of her bed, trying, with the failing strength of old age, to +support the gigantic frame of the king, who was so completely overpowered +by his grief, that he staggered like a drunken man. The dying girl's +eyes lighted up as she looked round on this circle. She was wonderfully +beautiful. Cambyses came closer and kissed her lips; they were growing +cold in death. It was the first kiss he had ever given her, and the +last. Two large tears sprang to her eyes; their light was fast growing +dim; she murmured Cambyses' name softly, fell back in Atossa's arms, and +died. + +We shall not give a detailed account of the next few hours: it would be +an unpleasant task to describe how, at a signal from the principal +Persian doctor, every one, except Nebenchari and Croesus, hastily left +the room; how dogs were brought in and their sagacious heads turned +towards the corpse in order to scare the demon of death;--how, directly +after Nitetis' death, Kassandane, Atossa and their entire retinue moved +into another house in order to avoid defilement;--how fire was +extinguished throughout the dwelling, that the pure element might be +removed from the polluting spirits of death;--how spells and exorcisms +were muttered, and how every person and thing, which had approached or +been brought into contact with the dead body, was subjected to numerous +purifications with water and pungent fluids. + +The same evening Cambyses was seized by one of his old epileptic attacks. +Two days later he gave Nebenchari permission to embalm Nitetis' body in +the Egyptian manner, according to her last wish. The king gave way to +the most immoderate grief; he tore the flesh of his arms, rent his +clothes and strewed ashes on his head, and on his couch. All the +magnates of his court were obliged to follow his example. The troops +mounted guard with rent banners and muffled drums. The cymbals and +kettle-drums of the "Immortals" were bound round with crape. The horses +which Nitetis had used, as well as all which were then in use by the +court, were colored blue and deprived of their tails; the entire court +appeared in mourning robes of dark brown, rent to the girdle, and the +Magi were compelled to pray three days and nights unceasingly for the +soul of the dead, which was supposed to be awaiting its sentence for +eternity at the bridge Chinvat on the third night. + +Neither the king, Kassandane, nor Atossa shrank from submitting to the +necessary purifications; they repeated, as if for one of their nearest +relations, thirty prayers for the dead, while, in a house outside the +city gates Nebenchari began to embalm her body in the most costly manner, +and according to the strictest rules of his art. + + + [Embalming was practised in three different ways. The first cost a + talent of silver (L225.); the second 20 Minae (L60.) and the third + was very inexpensive. Herod. II. 86-88. Diod. I. 9. The brain + was first drawn out through the nose and the skull filled with + spices. The intestines were then taken out, and the body filled in + like manner with aromatic spices. When all was finished, the corpse + was left 70 days in a solution of soda, and then wrapped in bandages + of byssus spread over with gum. The microscopical examinations of + mummy-bandages made by Dr. Ure and Prof. Czermak have proved that + byssus is linen, not cotton. The manner of embalming just described + is the most expensive, and the latest chemical researches prove that + the description given of it by the Greeks was tolerably correct. L. + Penicher maintains that the bodies were first somewhat dried in + ovens, and that then resin of the cedar-tree, or asphalte, was + poured into every opening. According to Herodotus, female corpses + were embalmed by women. Herod. II. 89. The subject is treated in + great detail by Pettigrew, History of Egyptian Mummies. London. + 1834. Czermak's microscopical examinations of Egyptian mummies show + how marvellously the smallest portions of the bodies were preserved, + and confirm the statements of Herodotus on many points. The + monuments also contain much information in regard to embalming, and + we now know the purpose of nearly all the amulets placed with the + dead.] + +For nine days Cambyses remained in a condition, which seemed little short +of insanity. At times furious, at others dull and stupefied, he did not +even allow his relations or the high-priest to approach him. On the +morning of the tenth day he sent for the chief of the seven judges and +commanded, that as lenient a sentence as possible should be pronounced on +Gaumata. Nitetis, on her dying-bed, had begged him to spare the life of +this unhappy youth. + +One hour later the sentence was submitted to the king for ratification. +It ran thus: "Victory to the king! Inasmuch as Cambyses, the eye of the +world and the sun of righteousness, hath, in his great mercy, which is as +broad as the heavens and as inexhaustible as the great deep, commanded us +to punish the crime of the son of the Magi, Gaumata, with the indulgence +of a mother instead of with the severity of a judge, we, the seven judges +of the realm, have determined to grant his forfeited life. Inasmuch, +however, as by the folly of this youth the lives of the noblest and best +in this realm have been imperilled, and it may reasonably be apprehended +that he may again abuse the marvellous likeness to Bartja, the noble son +of Cyrus, in which the gods have been pleased in their mercy to fashion +his form and face, and thereby bring prejudice upon the pure and +righteous, we have determined to disfigure him in such wise, that in the +time to come it will be a light matter to discern between this, the most +worthless subject of the realm, and him who is most worthy. We +therefore, by the royal Will and command, pronounce sentence, that both +the ears of Gaumata be cut off, for the honor of the righteous and shame +of the impure." + +Cambyses confirmed this sentence at once, and it was executed the same +day. + + [With reference to Gaumata's punishment, the same which Herodotus + says was inflicted on the pretended Smerdis, we would observe that + even Persians of high rank were sometimes deprived of their ears. + In the Behistan inscription (Spiegel p. 15 and 21.) the ears, tongue + and nose of the man highest in rank among the rebels, were cut off. + Similar punishments are quoted by Brisson.] + +Oropastes did not dare to intercede for his brother, though this +ignominious punishment mortified his ambitious mind more than even a +sentence of death could have done. As he was afraid that his own +influence and consideration might suffer through this mutilated brother, +he ordered him to leave Babylon at once for a country-house of his own on +Mount Arakadris. + +During the few days which had just passed, a shabbily-dressed and +closely-veiled woman had watched day and night at the great gate of the +palace; neither the threats of the sentries nor the coarse jests of the +palace-servants could drive her from her post. She never allowed one of +the less important officials to pass without eagerly questioning him, +first as to the state of the Egyptian Princess, and then what had become +of Gaumata. When his sentence was told her as a good joke by a +chattering lamp-lighter, she went off into the strangest excitement, and +astonished the poor man so much by kissing his robe, that he thought she +must be crazed, and gave her an alms. She refused the money, but +remained at her post, subsisting on the bread which was given her by the +compassionate distributors of food. Three days later Gaumata himself, +with his head bound up, was driven out in a closed harmamaxa. She rushed +to the carriage and ran screaming by the side of it, until the driver +stopped his mules and asked what she wanted. She threw back her veil and +showed the poor, suffering youth her pretty face covered with deep +blushes. Gaumata uttered a low cry as he recognized her, collected +himself, however, in a moment, and said: "What do you want with me, +Mandane?" + +The wretched girl raised her hands beseechingly to him, crying: "Oh, do +not leave me, Gaumata! Take me with you! I forgive you all the misery +you have brought on me and my poor mistress. I love you so much, I will +take care of you and nurse you as if I were the lowest servant-girl." + +A short struggle passed in Gaumata's mind. He was just going to open the +carriage-door and clasp Mandane-his earliest love-in his arms, when the +sound of horses' hoofs coming nearer struck on his ear, and looking round +he saw, a carriage full of Magi, among whom were several who had been his +companions at the school for priests. He felt ashamed and afraid of +being seen by the very youths, whom he had often treated proudly and +haughtily because he was the brother of the high-priest, threw Mandane a +purse of gold, which his brother had given him at parting, and ordered +the driver to go on as fast as possible. The mules galloped off. +Mandane kicked the purse away, rushed after the carriage and clung to it +firmly. One of the wheels caught her dress and dragged her down. With +the strength of despair she sprang up, ran after the mules, overtook them +on a slight ascent which had lessened their speed, and seized the reins. +The driver used his three-lashed whip, or scourge, the creatures reared, +pulled the girl down and rushed on. Her last cry of agony pierced the +wounds of the mutilated man like a sharp lance-thrust. + + ..................... + +On the twelfth day after Nitetis' death Cambyses went out hunting, in the +hope that the danger and excitement of the sport might divert his mind. +The magnates and men of high rank at his court received him with thunders +of applause, for which he returned cordial thanks. These few days of +grief had worked a great change in a man so unaccustomed to suffering as +Cambyses. His face was pale, his raven-black hair and beard had grown +grey, and the consciousness of victory which usually shone in his eyes +was dimmed. Had he not, only too painfully, experienced that there was a +stronger will than his own, and that, easily as he could destroy, it did +not he in his power to preserve the life of the meanest creature? Before +starting, Cambyses mustered his troop of sportsmen, and calling Gobryas, +asked why Phanes was not there. + +"My King did not order . . ." + +"He is my guest and companion, once for all; call him and follow us." + +Gobryas bowed, dashed back to the palace, and in half an hour reappeared +among the royal retinue with Phanes. + +The Athenian was warmly welcomed by many of the group, a fact which seems +strange when we remember that courtiers are of all men the most prone to +envy, and a royal favorite always the most likely object to excite their +ill will. But Phanes seemed a rare exception to this rule. He had met +the Achaemenidae in so frank and winning a manner, had excited so many +hopes by the hints he had thrown out of an expected and important war, +and had aroused so much merriment by well-told jests, such as the +Persians had never heard before, that there were very few who did not +welcome his appearance gladly, and when--in company with the king--he +separated from the rest in chase of a wild ass, they openly confessed to +one another, that they had never before seen so perfect a man. The +clever way in which he had brought the innocence of the accused to light, +the finesse which he had shown in securing the king's favor, and the ease +with which he had learnt the Persian language in so short a time, were +all subjects of admiration. Neither was there one even of the +Achaemenidae themselves, who exceeded him in beauty of face or symmetry +of figure. In the chase he proved himself a perfect horseman, and in a +conflict with a bear an exceptionally courageous and skilful sportsman. +On the way home, as the courtiers were extolling all the wonderful +qualities possessed by the king's favorite, old Araspes exclaimed, +"I quite agree with you that this Greek, who by the way has proved +himself a better soldier than anything else, is no common man, but I am +sure you would not praise him half as much, if he were not a foreigner +and a novelty." + +Phanes happened to be only separated from the speaker by some thick +bushes, and heard these words. When the other had finished, he went up +and said, smiling: "I understood what you said and feel obliged to you +for your kind opinion. The last sentence, however, gave me even more +pleasure than the first, because it confirmed my own idea that the +Persians are the most generous people in the world--they praise the +virtues of other nations as much, or even more, than their own." + +His hearers smiled, well pleased at this flattering remark, and Phanes +went on: "How different the Jews are now, for instance! They fancy +themselves the exclusive favorites of the gods, and by so doing incur the +contempt of all wise men, and the hatred of the whole world. And then +the Egyptians! You have no idea of the perversity of that people. Why, +if the priests could have their way entirely, (and they have a great deal +of power in their hands) not a foreigner would be left alive in Egypt, +nor a single stranger allowed to enter the country. A true Egyptian +would rather starve, than eat out of the same dish with one of us. There +are more strange, astonishing and wonderful things to be seen in that +country than anywhere else in the world. And yet, to do it justice, +I must say that Egypt has been well spoken of as the richest and most +highly cultivated land under the sun. The man who possesses that kingdom +need not envy the very gods themselves. It would be mere child's play to +conquer that beautiful country. Ten years there gave me a perfect +insight into the condition of things, and I know that their entire +military caste would not be sufficient to resist one such troop as your +Immortals. Well, who knows what the future may bring! Perhaps we may +all make a little trip together to the Nile some day. In my opinion, +your good swords have been rather long idle." These well-calculated +words were received with such shouts of applause, that the king turned +his horse to enquire the cause. Phanes answered quickly that the +Achaemenidae were rejoicing in the thought that a war might possibly be +near at hand. + +"What war?" asked the king, with the first smile that had been seen on +his face for many days. + +"We were only speaking in general of the possibility of such a thing," +answered Phanes carelessly; then, riding up to the king's side, his voice +took an impressive tone full of feeling, and looking earnestly into his +face, he began: "It is true, my Sovereign, that I was not born in this +beautiful country as one of your subjects, nor can I boast of a long +acquaintance with the most powerful of monarchs, but yet I cannot resist +the presumptuous, perhaps criminal thought, that the gods at my birth +appointed me to be your real friend. It is not your rich gifts that have +drawn me to you. I did not need them, for I belong to the wealthier +class of my countrymen, and I have no son,--no heir,--to whom I can +bequeath my treasures. Once I had a boy--a beautiful, gentle child; +--but I was not going to speak of that,--I . . . Are you offended at +my freedom of speech, my Sovereign?" + +"What is there to offend me?" answered the king, who had never been +spoken to in this manner before, and felt strongly attracted to the +original foreigner. + +"Till to-day I felt that your grief was too sacred to be disturbed, but +now the time has come to rouse you from it and to make your heart glow +once more. You will have to hear what must be very painful to you." + +"There is nothing more now, that can grieve me." + +"What I am going to tell you will not give you pain; on the contrary, it +will rouse your anger." + +"You make me curious." + +"You have been shamefully deceived; you and that lovely creature, who +died such an early death a few days ago." + +Cambyses' eyes flashed a demand for further information. + +"Amasis, the King of Egypt, has dared to make sport of you, the lord of +the world. That gentle girl was not his daughter, though she herself +believed that she was; she . . ." + +"Impossible!" + +"It would seem so, and yet I am speaking the simple truth. Amasis spun a +web of lies, in which he managed to entrap, not only the whole world, but +you too, my Sovereign. Nitetis, the most lovely creature ever born of +woman, was the daughter of a king, but not of the usurper Amasis. +Hophra, the rightful king of Egypt, was the father of this pearl among +women. You may well frown, my Sovereign. It is a cruel thing to be +betrayed by one's friends and allies." + +Cambyses spurred his horse, and after a silence of some moments, kept by +Phanes purposely, that his words might make a deeper impression, cried, +"Tell me more! I wish to know everything." + +"Hophra had been living twenty years in easy captivity in Sais after his +dethronement, when his wife, who had borne him three children and buried +them all, felt that she was about to give birth to a fourth. Hophra, in +his joy, determined to offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving in the temple of +Pacht, the Egyptian goddess supposed to confer the blessing of children, +when, on his way thither, a former magnate of his court, named +Patarbemis, whom, in a fit of unjust anger, he had ignominiously +mutilated, fell upon him with a troop of slaves and massacred him. +Amasis had the unhappy widow brought to his palace at once, and assigned +her an apartment next to the one occupied by his own queen Ladice, who +was also expecting soon to give birth to a child. A girl was born to +Hophra's widow, but the mother died in the same hour, and two days later +Ladice bore a child also.--But I see we are in the court of the palace. +If you allow, I will have the report of the physician, by whom this +imposture was effected, read before you. Several of his notes have, +by a remarkable conjuncture of circumstances, which I will explain to you +later, fallen into my hands. A former high-priest of Heliopolis, +Onuphis, is now living in Babylon, and understands all the different +styles of writing in use among his countrymen. Nebenchari will, of +course, refuse to help in disclosing an imposture, which must inevitably +lead to the ruin of his country." + +"In an hour I expect to see you here with the man you have just spoken +of. Croesus, Nebenchari, and all the Achaemenidae who were in Egypt, +will have to appear also. I must have certainty before I can act, and +your testimony alone is not sufficient, because I know from Amasis, that +you have cause to feel a grudge against his house." + +At the time appointed all were assembled before the king in obedience to +his command. + +Onuphis, the former high-priest, was an old man of eighty. A pair of +large, clear, intelligent, grey eyes looked out of a head so worn and +wasted, as to be more like a mere skull than the head of a living man. +He held a large papyrus-roll in his gaunt hand, and was seated in an easy +chair, as his paralyzed limbs did not allow of his standing, even in the +king's presence. His dress was snow-white, as beseemed a priest, but +there were patches and rents to be seen here and there. His figure might +perhaps once have been tall and slender, but it was now so bent and +shrunk by age, privation and suffering, as to look unnatural and +dwarfish, in comparison with the size of his head. + +Nebenchari, who revered Onuphis, not only as a high-priest deeply +initiated in the most solemn mysteries, but also on account of his great +age, stood by his side and arranged his cushions. At his left stood +Phanes, and then Croesus, Darius and Prexaspes. + +The king sat upon his throne. His face was dark and stern as he broke +the silence with the following words:--"This noble Greek, who, I am +inclined to believe, is my friend, has brought me strange tidings. He +says that I have been basely deceived by Amasis, that my deceased wife +was not his, but his predecessor's daughter." + +A murmur of astonishment ran through the assembly. "This old man is here +to prove the imposture." Onuphis gave a sign of assent. + +"Prexaspes, my first question is to you. When Nitetis was entrusted to +your care, was it expressly said that she was the daughter of Amasis?" + +"Expressly. Nebenchari had, it is true, praised Tachot to the noble +Kassandane as the most beautiful of the twin sisters; but Amasis insisted +on sending Nitetis to Persia. I imagined that, by confiding his most +precious jewel to your care, he meant to put you under a special +obligation; and as it seemed to me that Nitetis surpassed her sister, not +only in beauty but in dignity of character, I ceased to sue for the hand +of Tachot. In his letter to you too, as you will remember, he spoke of +confiding to you his most beautiful, his dearest child." + +"Those were his words." + +"And Nitetis was, without question, the more beautiful and the nobler of +the two sisters," said Croesus in confirmation of the envoy's remark. +"But it certainly did strike me that Tachot was her royal parents' +favorite." + +"Yes," said Darius, "without doubt. Once, at a revel, Amasis joked +Bartja in these words: "Don't look too deep into Tachot's eyes, for if +you were a god, I could not allow you to take her to Persia! Psamtik +was evidently annoyed at this remark and said to the king, 'Father, +remember Phanes.'" + +"Phanes!" + +"Yes, my Sovereign," answered the Athenian. "Once, when he was +intoxicated, Amasis let out his secret to me, and Psamtik was warning him +not to forget himself a second time." + +"Tell the story as it occurred." + +"On my return from Cyprus to Sais as a conqueror, a great entertainment +was given at court. Amasis distinguished me in every way, as having won +a rich province for him, and even, to the dismay of his own countrymen, +embraced me. His affection increased with his intoxication, and at last, +as Psamtik and I were leading him to his private apartments, he stopped +at the door of his daughter's room, and said: 'The girls sleep there. If +you will put away your own wife, Athenian, I will give you Nitetis. I +should like to have you for a son-in-law. There's a secret about that +girl, Phanes; she's not my own child.' Before his drunken father could +say more, Psamtik laid his hand before his mouth, and sent me roughly +away to my lodging, where I thought the matter over and conjectured what +I now, from reliable sources, know to be the truth. I entreat you, +command this old man to translate those parts of the physician +Sonnophre's journal, which allude to this story." + +Cambyses nodded his consent, and the old man began to read in a voice far +louder than any one could have supposed possible from his infirm +appearance "On the fifth day of the month Thoth, I was sent for by the +king. I had expected this, as the queen was near her confinement. With +my assistance she was easily and safely delivered of a child--a weakly +girl. As soon as the nurse had taken charge of this child, Amasis led me +behind a curtain which ran across his wife's sleeping-apartment. There +lay another infant, which I recognized as the child of Hophra's widow, +who herself had died under my hands on the third day of the same month. +The king then said, pointing to this strong child, 'This little creature +has no parents, but, as it is written in the law that we are to show +mercy to the desolate orphans, Ladice and I have determined to bring her +up as our own daughter. We do not, however, wish that this deed should +be made known, either to the world or to the child herself, and I ask you +to keep the secret and spread a report that Ladice has given birth to +twins. If you accomplish this according to our wish, you shall receive +to-day five thousand rings of gold, and the fifth part of this sum +yearly, during your life. I made my obeisance in silence, ordered every +one to leave the sick room, and, when I again called them in, announced +that Ladice had given birth to a second girl. Amasis' real child +received the name of Tachot, the spurious one was called Nitetis." + +At these words Cambyses rose from his seat, and strode through the hall; +but Onuphis continued, without allowing himself to be disturbed: "Sixth +day of the month Thoth. This morning I had just lain down to rest after +the fatigues of the night, when a servant appeared with the promised gold +and a letter from the king, asking me to procure a dead child, to be +buried with great ceremony as the deceased daughter of King Hophra. +After a great deal of trouble I succeeded, an hour ago, in obtaining one +from a poor girl who had given birth to a child secretly in the house of +the old woman, who lives at the entrance to the City of the Dead. The +little one had caused her shame and sorrow enough, but she would not be +persuaded to give up the body of her darling, until I promised that it +should be embalmed and buried in the most splendid manner. We put the +little corpse into my large medicine-chest, my son Nebenchari carried it +this time instead of my servant Hib, and so it was introduced into the +room where Hophra's widow had died. The poor girl's baby will receive a +magnificent funeral. I wish I might venture to tell her, what a glorious +lot awaits her darling after death. Nebenchari has just been sent for by +the king." + +At the second mention of this name, Cambyses stopped in his walk, and +said: "Is our oculist Nebenchari the man whose name is mentioned in this +manuscript?" + +"Nebenchari," returned Phanes, "is the son of this very Sonnophre who +changed the children." + +The physician did not raise his eyes; his face was gloomy and sullen. + +Cambyses took the roll of papyrus out of Onuphis' band, looked at the +characters with which it was covered, shook his head, went up to +Nebenchari and said: + +"Look at these characters and tell me if it is your father's writing." + +Nebenchari fell on his knees and raised his hands. + +"I ask, did your father paint these signs?" + +"I do not know-whether . . . Indeed . . ." + +"I will know the truth. Yes or no?" + +"Yes, my King; but . . ." + +"Rise, and be assured of my favor. Faithfulness to his ruler is the +ornament of a subject; but do not forget that I am your king now. +Kassandane tells me, that you are going to undertake a delicate operation +to-morrow in order to restore her sight. Are you not venturing too +much?" + +"I can depend on my own skill, my Sovereign." + +"One more question. Did you know of this fraud?" + +"Yes." + +"And you allowed me to remain in error?" + +"I had been compelled to swear secrecy and an oath . . ." + +"An oath is sacred. Gobryas, see that both these Egyptians receive a +portion from my table. Old man, you seem to require better food." + +"I need nothing beyond air to breathe, a morsel of bread and a draught of +water to preserve me from dying of hunger and thirst, a clean robe, that +I may be pleasing in the eyes of the gods and in my own, and a small +chamber for myself, that I may be a hindrance to no man. I have never +been richer than to-day." + +"How so?" + +"I am about to give away a kingdom." + +"You speak in enigmas." + +"By my translation of to-day I have proved, that your deceased consort +was the child of Hophra. Now, our law allows the daughter of a king to +succeed to the throne, when there is neither son nor brother living; if +she should die childless, her husband becomes her legitimate successor. +Amasis is a usurper, but the throne of Egypt is the lawful birthright of +Hophra and his descendants. Psamtik forfeits every right to the crown +the moment that a brother, son, daughter or son-in-law of Hophra appears. +I can, therefore, salute my present sovereign as the future monarch of my +own beautiful native land." + +Cambyses smiled self-complacently, and Onuphis went on: "I have read in +the stars too, that Psamtik's ruin and your own accession to the throne +of Egypt have been fore-ordained." + +"We'll show that the stars were right," cried the king, "and as for you, +you liberal old fellow, I command you to ask me any wish you like." + +"Give me a conveyance, and let me follow your army to Egypt. I long to +close my eyes on the Nile." + +"Your wish is granted. Now, my friends, leave me, and see that all those +who usually eat at my table are present at this evening's revel. We will +hold a council of war over the luscious wine. Methinks a campaign in +Egypt will pay better than a contest with the Massagetae." + +He was answered by a joyful shout of "Victory to the king!" They all +then left the hall, and Cambyses, summoning his dressers, proceeded for +the first time to exchange his mourning garments for the splendid royal +robes. + +Croesus and Phanes went into the green and pleasant garden lying on the +eastern side of the royal palace, which abounded in groves of trees, +shrubberies, fountains and flower-beds. Phanes was radiant with delight; +Croesus full of care and thought. + +"Have you duly reflected," said the latter, "on the burning brand that +you have just flung out into the world?" + +"It is only children and fools that act without reflection," was the +answer. + +"You forget those who are deluded by passion." + +"I do not belong to that number." + +"And yet revenge is the most fearful of all the passions." + +"Only when it is practised in the heat of feeling. My revenge is as cool +as this piece of iron; but I know my duty." + +"The highest duty of a good man, is to subordinate his own welfare to +that of his country." + +"That I know." + +"You seem to forget, however, that with Egypt you are delivering your own +country over to the Persians." + +"I do not agree with you there." + +"Do you believe, that when all the rest of the Mediterranean coasts +belong to Persia, she will leave your beautiful Greece untouched?" + +"Certainly not, but I know my own countrymen; I believe them fully +capable of a victorious resistance to the hosts of the barbarians, and am +confident that their courage and greatness will rise with the nearness of +the danger. It will unite our divided tribes into one great nation, and +be the ruin of the tyrants." + +"I cannot argue with you, for I am no longer acquainted with the state of +things in your native country, and besides, I believe you to be a wise +man--not one who would plunge a nation into ruin merely for the +gratification of his own ambition. It is a fearful thing that entire +nations should have to suffer for the guilt of one man, if that man be +one who wears a crown. And now, if my opinion is of any importance to +you, tell me what the deed was which has roused your desire of +vengeance." + +"Listen then, and never try again to turn me from my purpose. You know +the heir to the Egyptian throne, and you know Rhodopis too. The former +was, for many reasons, my mortal enemy, the latter the friend of every +Greek, but mine especially. When I was obliged to leave Egypt, Psamtik +threatened me with his vengeance; your son Gyges saved my life. A few +weeks later my two children came to Naukratis, in order to follow me out +to Sigeum. Rhodopis took them kindly under her protection, but some +wretch had discovered the secret and betrayed it to the prince. The very +next night her house was surrounded and searched,--my children found and +taken captive. Amasis had meanwhile become blind, and allowed his +miserable son to do what he liked; the wretch dared to . . ." + +"Kill your only son?" + +"You have said it." + +"And your other child?" + +"The girl is still in their hands." + +"They will do her an injury when they hear . . ." + +"Let her die. Better go to one's grave childless, than unrevenged." + +"I understand. I cannot blame you any longer. The boy's blood must be +revenged." + +And so saying, the old man pressed the Athenian's right hand. The latter +dried his tears, mastered his emotion, and cried: "Let us go to the +council of war now. No one can be so thankful for Psamtik's infamous +deeds as Cambyses. That man with his hasty passions was never made to be +a prince of peace." + +"And yet it seems to me the highest duty of a king is to work for the +inner welfare of his kingdom. But human beings are strange creatures; +they praise their butchers more than their benefactors. How many poems +have been written on Achilles! but did any one ever dream of writing +songs on the wise government of Pittakus?" + +"More courage is required to shed blood, than to plant trees." + +"But much more kindness and wisdom to heal wounds, than to make them.-- +I have still one question which I should very much like to ask you, +before we go into the hall. Will Bartja be able to stay at Naukratis +when Amasis is aware of the king's intentions?" + +"Certainly not. I have prepared him for this, and advised his assuming a +disguise and a false name." + +"Did he agree?" + +"He seemed willing to follow my advice." + +"But at all events it would be well to send a messenger to put him on his +guard." + +"We will ask the king's permission." + +"Now we must go. I see the wagons containing the viands of the royal +household just driving away from the kitchen." + +"How many people are maintained from the king's table daily?" + +"About fifteen thousand." + +"Then the Persians may thank the gods, that their king only takes one meal +a day." + + [This immense royal household is said to have cost 400 talents, that + is (L90,000.) daily. Athenaus, Deipn. p. 607.] + + + + +CHAPTER IX. + +Six weeks after these events a little troop of horsemen might have been +seen riding towards the gates of Sardis. The horses and their riders +were covered with sweat and dust. The former knew that they were drawing +near a town, where there would be stables and mangers, and exerted all +their remaining powers; but yet their pace did not seem nearly fast +enough to satisfy the impatience of two men, dressed in Persian costume, +who rode at the head of the troop. + +The well-kept royal road ran through fields of good black, arable land, +planted with trees of many different kinds. It crossed the outlying +spurs of the Tmolus range of mountains. At their foot stretched rows of +olive, citron and plane-trees, plantations of mulberries and vines; at a +higher level grew firs, cypresses and nut-tree copses. Fig-trees and +date-palms, covered with fruit, stood sprinkled over the fields; and the +woods and meadows were carpeted with brightly-colored and sweetly-scented +flowers. The road led over ravines and brooks, now half dried up by the +heat of summer, and here and there the traveller came upon a well at the +side of the road, carefully enclosed, with seats for the weary, +and sheltering shrubs. Oleanders bloomed in the more damp and shady +places; slender palms waved wherever the sun was hottest. Over this rich +landscape hung a deep blue, perfectly cloudless sky, bounded on its +southern horizon by the snowy peaks of the Tmolus mountains, and on the +west by the Sipylus range of hills, which gave a bluish shimmer in the +distance. + +The road went down into the valley, passing through a little wood of +birches, the stems of which, up to the very tree-top, were twined with +vines covered with bunches of grapes. + +The horsemen stopped at a bend in the road, for there, before them, in +the celebrated valley of the Hermus, lay the golden Sardis, formerly the +capital of the Lydian kingdom and residence of its king, Croesus. + +Above the reed-thatched roofs of its numerous houses rose a black, steep +rock; the white marble buildings on its summit could be seen from a great +distance. These buildings formed the citadel, round the threefold walls +of which, many centuries before, King Meles had carried a lion in order +to render them impregnable. On its southern side the citadel-rock was +not so steep, and houses had been built upon it. Croesus' former palace +lay to the north, on the golden-sanded Pactolus. This reddish-colored +river flowed above the market-place, (which, to our admiring travellers, +looked like a barren spot in the midst of a blooming meadow), ran on in a +westerly direction, and then entered a narrow mountain valley, where it +washed the walls of the temple of Cybele. + +Large gardens stretched away towards the east, and in the midst of them +lay the lake Gygaeus, covered with gay boats and snowy swans, and +sparkling like a mirror. + +A short distance from the lake were a great number of artificial mounds, +three of which were especially noticeable from their size and height. + + [See also Hamilton's Asia Minor, I. P. 145. Herodotus (I. 93.) + calls the tombs of the Lydian kings the largest works of human + hands, next to the Egyptian and Babylonian. These cone-shaped hills + can be seen to this day, standing near the ruins of Sardis, not far + from the lake of Gygaea. Hamilton (Asia Minor, I. p. i) counted + some sixty of them, and could not ride round the hill of Alayattes + in less than ten minutes. Prokesch saw l00 such tumuli. The + largest, tomb of Alyattes, still measures 3400 feet in + circumference, and the length of its slope is 650 feet. According + to Prokesch, gigantic Phallus columns lie on some of these graves.] + +"What can those strange-looking earth-heaps mean?" said Darius, the +leader of the troop, to Prexaspes, Cambyses' envoy, who rode at his side. + +"They are the graves of former Lydian kings," was the answer. "The +middle one is in memory of the princely pair Panthea and Abradatas, and +the largest, that one to the left, was erected to the father of Croesus, +Alyattes. It was raised by the tradesmen, mechanics, and girls, to their +late king, and on the five columns, which stand on its summit, you can +read how much each of these classes contributed to the work. The girls +were the most industrious. Gyges' grandfather is said to have been their +especial friend." + +"Then the grandson must have degenerated very much from the old stock." + +"Yes, and that seems the more remarkable, because Croesus himself in his +youth was by no means averse to women, and the Lydians generally are +devoted to such pleasures. You see the white walls of that temple yonder +in the midst of its sacred grove. That is the temple of the goddess of +Sardis, Cybele or Ma, as they call her. In that grove there is many a +sheltered spot where the young people of Sardis meet, as they say, in +honor of their goddess." + +"Just as in Babylon, at the festival of Mylitta." + +"There is the same custom too on the coast of Cyprus. When I landed +there on the way back from Egypt, I was met by a troop of lovely girls, +who, with songs, dances, and the clang of cymbals, conducted me to the +sacred grove of their goddess." + +"Well, Zopyrus will not grumble at Bartja's illness." + +"He will spend more of his time in the grove of Cybele, than at his +patient's bedside. How glad I shall be to see that jolly fellow again!" + +"Yes, he'll keep you from falling into those melancholy fits that you +have been so subject to lately." "You are quite right to blame me for +those fits, and I must not yield to them, but they are not without +ground. Croesus says we only get low-spirited, when we are either too +lazy or too weak to struggle against annoyances, and I believe he is +right. But no one shall dare to accuse Darius of weakness or idleness. +If I can't rule the world, at least I will be my own master." And as he +said these words, the handsome youth drew himself up, and sat erect in +his saddle. His companion gazed in wonder at him. + +"Really, you son of Hystaspes," he said, "I believe you must be meant for +something great. It was not by chance that, when you were still a mere +child, the gods sent their favorite Cyrus that dream which induced him to +order you into safe keeping." + +"And yet my wings have never appeared." + +"No bodily ones, certainly; but mental ones, likely enough. Young man, +young man, you're on a dangerous road." + +"Have winged creatures any need to be afraid of precipices?" + +"Certainly; when their strength fails them." + +"But I am strong." + +"Stronger creatures than you will try to break your pinions." + +"Let them. I want nothing but what is right, and shall trust to my +star." + +"Do you know its name?" + +"It ruled in the hour of my birth, and its name is Anahita." + +"I think I know better. A burning ambition is the sun, whose rays guide +all your actions. Take care; I tried that way myself once; it leads to +fame or to disgrace, but very seldom to happiness. Fame to the ambitious +is like salt water to the thirsty; the more he gets, the more he wants. +I was once only a poor soldier, and am now Cambyses' ambassador. But +you, what can you have to strive for? There is no man in the kingdom +greater than yourself, after the sons of Cyrus . . . Do my eyes +deceive me? Surely those two men riding to meet us with a troop of +horsemen must be Gyges and Zopyrus. The Angare, who left the inn before +us, must have told them of our coming." + +"To be sure. Look at that fellow Zopyrus, how he's waving and beckoning +with that palm-leaf." + +"Here, you fellows, cut us a few twigs from those bushes-quick. We'll +answer his green palm-leaf with a purple pomegranate-branch." + +In a few minutes the friends had embraced one another, and the two bands +were riding together into the populous town, through the gardens +surrounding the lake Gygaeus, the Sardians' place of recreation. It was +now near sunset, a cooler breeze was beginning to blow, and the citizens +were pouring through the gates to enjoy themselves in the open air. +Lydian and Persian warriors, the former wearing richly-ornamented +helmets, the latter tiaras in the form of a cylinder, were following +girls who were painted and wreathed. Children were being led to the lake +by their nurses, to see the swans fed. An old blind man was seated under +a plane-tree, singing sad ditties to a listening crowd and accompanying +them on the Magadis, the twenty-stringed Lydian lute. Youths were +enjoying themselves at games of ball, ninepins, and dice, and half-grown +girls screaming with fright, when the ball hit one of their group or +nearly fell into the water. + +The travellers scarcely noticed this gay scene, though at another time it +would have delighted them. They were too much interested in enquiring +particulars of Bartja's illness and recovery. + +At the brazen gates of the palace which had formerly belonged to Croesus, +they were met by Oroetes, the satrap of Sardis, in a magnificent court- +dress overloaded with ornaments. He was a stately man, whose small +penetrating black eyes looked sharply out from beneath a bushy mass of +eyebrow. His satrapy was one of the most important and profitable in the +entire kingdom, and his household could bear a comparison with that of +Cambyses in richness and splendor. Though he possessed fewer wives and +attendants than the king, it was no inconsiderable troop of guards, +slaves, eunuchs and gorgeously-dressed officials, which appeared at the +palace-gates to receive the travellers. + +The vice-regal palace, which was still kept up with great magnificence, +had been, in the days when Croesus occupied it, the most splendid of +royal residences; after the taking of Sardis, however, the greater part +of the dethroned king's treasures and works of art had been sent to +Cyrus's treasure-house in Pasargadae. When that time of terror had +passed, the Lydians brought many a hidden treasure into the light of day +once more, and, by their industry and skill in art during the peaceful +years which they enjoyed under Cyrus and Cambyses, recovered their old +position so far, that Sardis was again looked upon as one of the +wealthiest cities of Asia Minor, and therefore, of the world. + +Accustomed as Darius and Prexaspes were to royal splendor, they were +still astonished at the beauty and brilliancy of the satrap's palace. +The marble work, especially, made a great impression on them, as nothing +of the kind was to be found in Babylon, Susa or Ecbatane, where burnt +brick and cedar-wood supply the place of the polished marble. + + [The palace of Persepolis did not exist at the date of our story. + It was built partly of black stone from Mount Rachmed, and partly of + white marble; it was probably begun by Darius. The palace of Susa + was built of brick, (Strabo p. 728) that of Ecbatana of wood + overlaid with plates of gold of immense value, and roofed with tiles + made of the precious metals.] + +They found Bartja lying on a couch in the great hall; he looked very +pale, and stretched out his arms towards them. + +The friends supped together at the satrap's table and then retired to +Bartja's private room, in order to enjoy an undisturbed conversation. + +"Well, Bartja, how did you come by this dangerous illness?" was Darius' +first question after they were seated. + +"I was thoroughly well, as you know," said Bartja, "when we left Babylon, +and we reached Germa, a little town on the Sangarius, without the +slightest hindrance. The ride was long and we were very tired, burnt too +by the scorching May sun, and covered with dust; the river flows by the +station, and its waves looked so clear and bright--so inviting for a +bathe--that in a minute Zopyrus and I were off our horses, undressed, and +in the water. Gyges told us we were very imprudent, but we felt +confident that we were too much inured to such things to get any harm, +and very much enjoyed our swim in the cool, green water. Gyges, +perfectly calm as usual, let us have our own way, waited till our bath +was over, and then plunged in himself. + +"In two hours we were in our saddles again, pushing on as if for our very +lives, changing horses at every station, and turning night into day. + +"We were near Ipsus, when I began to feel violent pains in the head and +limbs. I was ashamed to say anything about it and kept upright on my +saddle, until we had to take fresh horses at Bagis. Just as I was in the +very act of mounting, I lost my senses and strength, and fell down on the +ground in a dead faint." + +"Yes, a pretty fright you gave us," interrupted Zopyrus, "by dropping +down in that fashion. It was fortunate that Gyges was there, for I lost +my wits entirely; he, of course, kept his presence of mind, and after +relieving his feelings in words not exactly flattering to us two, he +behaved like a circumspect general.--A fool of a doctor came running up +and protested that it was all over with poor Bart, for which I gave him a +good thrashing." + +"Which he didn't particularly object to," said the satrap, laughing, +"seeing that you told them to lay a gold stater on every stripe." + +"Yes, yes, my pugnacity costs me very dear sometimes. But to our story. +As soon as Bartja had opened his eyes, Gyges sent me off to Sardis to +fetch a good physician and an easy travelling-carriage. That ride won't +so soon be imitated. An hour before I reached the gates my third horse +knocked up under me, so I had to trust to my own legs, and began running +as fast as I could. The people must all have thought me mad. At last I +saw a man on horseback--a merchant from Kelaenze--dragged him from his +horse, jumped into the saddle, and, before the next morning dawned, I was +back again with our invalid, bringing the best physician in Sardis, and +Oroetes' most commodious travelling-carriage. We brought him to this +house at a slow footpace, and here a violent fever came on, he became +delirious, talked all the nonsense that could possibly come into a human +brain, and made us so awfully anxious, that the mere remembrance of that +time brings the big drops of perspiration to my forehead." + +Bartja took his friend's hand: "I owe my life to him and Gyges," said he, +turning to Darius. "Till to-day, when they set out to meet you, they +have never left me for a minute; a mother could not have nursed her sick +child more carefully. And Oroetes, I am much obliged to you too; doubly +so because your kindness subjected you to annoyance." + +"How could that be?" asked Darius. + +"That Polykrates of Samos, whose name we heard so often in Egypt, has the +best physician that Greece has ever produced. While I was lying here +ill, Oroetes wrote to this Democedes, making him immense promises, if he +would only come to Sardis directly. The Sainian pirates, who infest the +whole Ionian coast, took the messenger captive and brought Oroetes' +letter to their master Polykrates. He opened it, and sent the messenger +back with the answer, that Democedes was in his pay, and that if Oroetes +needed his advice he must apply to Polykrates himself. Our generous +friend submitted for my sake, and asked the Samian to send his physician +to Sardis." + +"Well," said Prexaspes, "and what followed?" The proud island-prince +sent him at once. He cured me, as you see, and left us a few days ago +loaded with presents." + +"Well," interrupted Zopyrus, "I can quite understand, that Polykrates +likes to keep his physician near him. I assure you, Darius, it would not +be easy to find his equal. He's as handsome as Minutscher, as clever as +Piran Wisa, as strong as Rustem, and as benevolent and helpful as the god +Soma. I wish you could have seen how well he threw those round metal +plates he calls discs. I am no weakling, but when we wrestled he soon +threw me. And then he could tell such famous stories--stories that made +a man's heart dance within him." + + [This very Oroetes afterwards succeeded in enticing Polykrates to + Sardis and there crucified him. Herod. III. 120-125. Valerius + Maximus VI. 9. 5.] + +"We know just such a fellow too," said Darius, smiling at his friend's +enthusiasm. "That Athenian Phanes, who came to prove our innocence." + +"The physician Democedes is from Crotona, a place which must he somewhere +very near the setting sun." + +"But is inhabited by Greeks, like Athens." added Oroetes. "Ah, my young +friends, you must beware of those fellows; they're as cunning, deceitful, +and selfish, as they are strong, clever, and handsome." + +"Democedes is generous and sincere," cried Zopyrus. + +"And Croesus himself thinks Phanes not only an able, but a virtuous man," +added Darius. + +"Sappho too has always, and only spoken well of the Athenian," said +Bartja, in confirmation of Darius's remark. "But don't let us talk any +more about these Greeks," he went on. "They give Oroetes so much trouble +by their refractory and stubborn conduct, that he is not very fond of +them." + +"The gods know that," sighed the satrap. "It's more difficult to keep +one Greek town in order, than all the countries between the Euphrates and +the Tigris." + +While Oroetes was speaking, Zopyrus had gone to the window. "The stars +are already high in the heavens," he said, "and Bartja is tired; so make +haste, Darius, and tell us something about home." + +The son of Hystaspes agreed at once, and began by relating the events +which we have heard already. Bartja, especially, was distressed at +hearing of Nitetis' sad end, and the discovery of Amasis' fraud filled +them all with astonishment. After a short pause, Darius went on: + +"When once Nitetis' descent had been fully proved, Cambyses was like a +changed man. He called a council of war, and appeared at table in the +royal robes instead of his mourning garments. You can fancy what +universal joy the idea of a war with Egypt excited. Even Croesus, who +you know is one of Amasis' well-wishers, and advises peace whenever it is +possible, had not a word to say against it. The next morning, as usual, +what had been resolved on in intoxication was reconsidered by sober +heads; after several opinions had been given, Phanes asked permission to +speak, and spoke I should think for an hour. But how well! It was as if +every word he said came direct from the gods. He has learnt our language +in a wonderfully short time, but it flowed from his lips like honey. +Sometimes he drew tears from every eye, at others excited stormy shouts +of joy, and then wild bursts of rage. His gestures were as graceful as +those of a dancing-girl, but at the same time manly and dignified. I +can't repeat his speech; my poor words, by the side of his, would sound +like the rattle of a drum after a peal of thunder. But when at last, +inspired and carried away by his eloquence, we had unanimously decided on +war, he began to speak once more on the best ways and means of +prosecuting it successfully." + +Here Darius was obliged to stop, as Zopyrus had fallen on his neck in an +ecstasy of delight. Bartja, Gyges and Oroetes were not less delighted, +and they all begged him to go on with his tale. + +"Our army," began Darius afresh, "ought to be at the boundaries of Egypt +by the month Farwardin, (March) as the inundation of the Nile, which +would hinder the march of our infantry, begins in Murdad (July). Phanes +is now on his way to the Arabians to secure their assistance; in hopes +that these sons of the desert may furnish our army with water and guides +through their dry and thirsty land. He will also endeavor to win the +rich island of Cyprus, which he once conquered for Amasis, over to our +side. As it was through his mediation that the kings of the island were +allowed to retain their crowns, they will be willing to listen to his +advice. In short the Athenian leaves nothing uncared for, and knows +every road and path as if he were the sun himself He showed us a picture +of the world on a plate of copper." + +Oroetes nodded and said, "I have such a picture of the world too. A +Milesian named Hekataeus, who spends his life in travelling, drew it, and +gave it me in exchange for a free-pass." + + [Hekataeus of Miletus maybe called "the father of geography," as + Herodotus was "the father of history." He improved the map made by + Anaximander, and his great work, "the journey round the world," was + much prized by the ancients; but unfortunately, with the exception + of some very small fragments, has now perished. Herodotus assures + us, (V. 36.) that Hekataeus was intimately acquainted with every + part of the Persian empire, and had also travelled over Egypt. he + lived at the date of our narrative, having been born at Miletus 550 + B. C. He lived to see the fall of his native city in 4966 B. C. + His map has been restored by Klausen and can be seen also in Mure's + Lan. and Lit. of Ancient Greece. Vol. IV. Maps existed, however, + much earlier, the earliest known being one of the gold-mines, drawn + very cleverly by an Egyptian priest, and so well sketched as to give + a pretty clear idea of the part of the country intended. It is + preserved in the Egyptian Museum at Turin.] + +"What notions these Greeks have in their heads!" exclaimed Zopyrus, who +could not explain to himself what a picture of the world could look like. + +"To-morrow I will show you my copper tablet, said Oroetes, but now we +must allow Darius to go on." + +"So Phanes has gone to Arabia," continued Darius, "and Prexaspes was sent +hither not only to command you, Oroetes, to raise as many forces as +possible, especially Ionians and Carians, of whom Phanes has offered to +undertake the command, but also to propose terms of alliance to +Polykrates." + +"To that pirate!" asked Oroetes, and his face darkened. + +"The very same," answered Prexaspes, not appearing to notice the change +in Oroetes' face. "Phanes has already received assurances from this +important naval power, which sound as if we might expect a favorable +answer to my proposal." + +"The Phoenician, Syrian and Ionian ships of war would be quite sufficient +to cope with the Egyptian fleet." + +"There you are right; but if Polykrates were to declare against us, we +should not be able to hold our own at sea; you say yourself that he is +all-powerful in the AEgean." + +"Still I decidedly disapprove of entering into treaty with such a +robber." + +"We want powerful allies, and Polykrates is very powerful at sea. It +will be time to humble him, when we have used him to help us in +conquering Egypt. For the present I entreat you to suppress all personal +feeling, and keep the success of our great plan alone in view. I am +empowered to say this in the king's name, and to show his ring in token +thereof." + +Oroetes made a brief obeisance before this symbol of despotism, and +asked: "What does Cambyses wish me to do?" + +"He commands you to use every means in your power to secure an alliance +with the Samian; and also to send your troops to join the main army on +the plains of Babylon as soon as possible." + +The satrap bowed and left the room with a look betraying irritation and +defiance. + +When the echo of his footsteps had died away among the colonnades of the +inner court, Zopyrus exclaimed: "Poor fellow, it's really very hard for +him to have to meet that proud man, who has so often behaved insolently +to him, on friendly terms. Think of that story about the physician for +instance." + +"You are too lenient," interrupted Darius. "I don't like this Oroetes. +He has no right to receive the king's commands in that way. Didn't you +see him bite his lips till they bled, when Prexaspes showed him the +king's ring?" + +"Yes," cried the envoy, "he's a defiant, perverse man. He left the room +so quickly, only because he could not keep down his anger any longer." + +"Still," said Bartja, "I hope you will keep his conduct a secret from my +brother, for he has been very good to me." + +Prexaspes bowed, but Darius said: "We must keep an eye on the fellow. +Just here, so far from the king's gate and in the midst of nations +hostile to Persia, we want governors who are more ready to obey their +king than this Oroetes seems to be. Why, he seems to fancy he is King of +Lydia!" + +"Do you dislike the satrap?" said Zopyrus. + +"Well, I think I do," was the answer. "I always take an aversion or a +fancy to people at first sight, and very seldom find reason to change my +mind afterwards. I disliked Oroetes before I heard him speak a word, and +I remember having the same feeling towards Psamtik, though Amasis took my +fancy." + +"There's no doubt that you're very different from the rest of us," said +Zopyrus laughing, "but now, to please me, let this poor Oroetes alone. +I'm glad he's gone though, because we can talk more freely about home. +How is Kassandane? and your worshipped Atossa? Croesus too, how is he? +and what are my wives about? They'll soon have a new companion. To- +morrow I intend to sue for the hand of Oroetes' pretty daughter. We've +talked a good deal of love with our eyes already. I don't know whether +we spoke Persian or Syrian, but we said the most charming things to one +another." + +The friends laughed, and Darius, joining in their merriment, said: "Now +you shall hear a piece of very good news. I have kept it to the last, +because it is the best I have. Now, Bartja, prick up your ears. Your +mother, the noble Kassandane, has been cured of her blindness! Yes, yes, +it is quite true.--Who cured her? Why who should it be, but that crabbed +old Nebenchari, who has become, if possible, moodier than ever. Come, +now, calm yourselves, and let me go on with my story; or it will be +morning before Bartja gets to sleep. Indeed. I think we had better +separate now: you've heard the best, and have something to dream about +What, you will not? Then, in the name of Mithras, I must go on, though +it should make my heart bleed. + +"I'll begin with the king. As long as Phanes was in Babylon, he seemed +to forget his grief for Nitetis. + +"The Athenian was never allowed to leave him. They were as inseparable as +Reksch and Rustem. Cambyses had no time to think of his sorrow, for +Phanes had always some new idea or other, and entertained us all, as well +as the king, marvellously. And we all liked him too; perhaps, because no +one could really envy him. Whenever he was alone, the tears came into +his eyes at the thought of his boy, and this made his great cheerfulness +--a cheerfulness which he always managed to impart to the king, Bartja,-- +the more admirable. Every morning he went down to the Euphrates with +Cambyses and the rest of us, and enjoyed watching the sons of the +Achaemenidae at their exercises. When he saw them riding at full speed +past the sand-hills and shooting the pots placed on them into fragments +with their arrows, or throwing blocks of wood at one another and cleverly +evading the blows, he confessed that he could not imitate them in these +exercises, but at the same time he offered to accept a challenge from any +of us in throwing the spear and in wrestling. In his quick way he sprang +from his horse, stripped off his clothes--it was really a shame--and, to +the delight of the boys, threw their wrestling-master as if he had been a +feather. + + [In the East, nudity was, even in those days, held to be + disgraceful, while the Greeks thought nothing so beautiful as the + naked human body. The Hetaira Phryne was summoned before the judges + for an offence against religion. Her defender, seeing that sentence + was about to be pronounced against his client, suddenly tore away + the garment which covered her bosom. The artifice was successful. + The judges pronounced her not guilty, being convinced that such + wondrous grace and beauty could only belong to a favorite of + Aphrodite. Athen. XIII. p. 590] + +"Then he knocked over a number of bragging fellows, and would have thrown +me too if he had not been too fatigued. I assure you, I am really +stronger than he is, for I can lift greater weights, but he is as nimble +as an eel, and has wonderful tricks by which he gets hold of his +adversary. His being naked too is a great help. If it were not so +indecent, we ought always to wrestle stripped, and anoint our skins, as +the Greeks do, with the olive-oil. He beat us too in throwing the spear, +but the king, who you know is proud of being the best archer in Persia, +sent his arrow farther. Phanes was especially pleased with our rule, +that in a wrestling-match the one who is thrown must kiss the hand of his +victor. At last he showed us a new exercise:--boxing. He refused, +however, to try his skill on any one but a slave, so Cambyses sent for +the biggest and strongest man among the servants--my groom, Bessus--a +giant who can bring the hind legs of a horse together and hold them so +firmly that the creature trembles all over and cannot stir. This big +fellow, taller by a head than Phanes, shrugged his shoulders +contemptuously on hearing that he was to box with the little foreign +gentleman. He felt quite sure of victory, placed himself opposite his +adversary, and dealt him a blow heavy enough to kill an elephant. Phanes +avoided it cleverly, in the same moment hitting the giant with his naked +fist so powerfully under the eyes, that the blood streamed from his nose +and mouth, and the huge, uncouth fellow fell on the ground with a yell. +When they picked him up his face looked like a pumpkin of a greenish-blue +color. The boys shouted with delight at his discomfiture; but we admired +the dexterity of this Greek, and were especially glad to see the king in +such good spirits; we noticed this most when Phanes was singing Greek +songs and dance-melodies to him accompanied by the lute. + +"Meanwhile Kassandane's blindness had been cured, and this of course +tended not a little to disperse the king's melancholy. + +"In short it was a very pleasant time, and I was just going to ask for +Atossa's hand in marriage, when Phanes went off to Arabia, and everything +was changed. + +"No sooner had he turned his back on the gates of Babylon than all the +evil Divs seemed to have entered into the king. He went about, a moody, +silent man, speaking to no one; and to drown his melancholy would begin +drinking, even at an early hour in the morning, quantities of the +strongest Syrian wine. By the evening he was generally so intoxicated +that he had to be carried out of the hall, and would wake up the next +morning with headache and spasms. In the day-time he would wander about +as if looking for something, and in the night they often heard him +calling Nitetis. The physicians became very anxious about his health, +but when they sent him medicine he threw it away. It was quite right of +Croesus to say, as he did once 'Ye Magi and Chaldaeans! before trying to +cure a sick man we must discover the seat of his disease. Do you know it +in this case? No? Then I will tell you what ails the king. He has an +internal complaint and a wound. The former is called ennui, and the +latter is in his heart. The Athenian is a good remedy for the first, but +for the second I know of none; such wounds either scar over of +themselves, or the patient bleeds to death inwardly.'" + +"I know of a remedy for the king though," exclaimed Otanes when he heard +these words. "We must persuade him to send for the women, or at least +for my daughter Phaedime, back from Susa. Love is good for dispersing +melancholy, and makes the blood flow faster." We acknowledged that he +was right, and advised him to remind the king of his banished wives. He +ventured to make the proposal while we were at supper, but got such a +harsh rebuff for his pains, that we all pitied him. Soon after this, +Cambyses sent one morning for all the Mobeds and Chaldaeans, and +commanded them to interpret a strange dream which he had bad. In his +dream he had been standing in the midst of a dry and barren plain: barren +as a threshing-floor, it did not produce a single blade of grass. +Displeased at the desert aspect of the place, he was just going to seek +other and more fruitful regions, when Atossa appeared, and, without +seeing him, ran towards a spring which welled up through the arid soil as +if by enchantment. While he was gazing in wonder at this scene, he +noticed that wherever the foot of his sister touched the parched soil, +graceful terebinths sprang up, changing, as they grew, into cypresses +whose tops reached unto heaven. As he was going to speak to Atossa, he +awoke. + +The Mobeds and Chaldaeans consulted together and interpreted the dream +thus? 'Atossa would be successful in all she undertook.' + +"Cambyses seemed satisfied with this answer, but, as the next night the +vision appeared again, he threatened the wise men with death, unless they +could give him another and a different interpretation. They pondered +long, and at last answered, 'that Atossa would become a queen and the +mother of mighty princes.' + +"This answer really contented the king, and he smiled strangely to +himself as he told us his dream. "The same day Kassandane sent for me +and told me to give up all thoughts of her daughter, as I valued my life. + +"Just as I was leaving the queen's garden I saw Atossa behind a +pomegranate-bush. She beckoned. I went to her; and in that hour we +forgot danger and sorrow, but said farewell to each other for ever. Now +you know all; and now that I have given her up--now that I know it would +be madness even to think of her again--I am obliged to be very stern with +myself, lest, like the king, I should fall into deep melancholy for the +sake of a woman. And this is the end of the story, the close of which we +were all expecting, when Atossa, as I lay under sentence of death, sent +me a rose, and made me the happiest of mortals. If I had not betrayed my +secret then, when we thought our last hour was near, it would have gone +with me to my grave. But what am I talking about? I know I can trust to +your secrecy, but pray don't look at me so deplorably. I think I am +still to be envied, for I have had one hour of enjoyment that would +outweigh a century of misery. Thank you,--thank you: now let me finish +my story as quickly as I can. + +"Three days after I had taken leave of Atossa I had to marry Artystone, +the daughter of Gobryas. She is beautiful, and would make any other man +happy. The day after the wedding the Angare reached Babylon with the +news of your illness. My mind was made up at once; I begged the king to +let me go to you, nurse you, and warn you of the danger which threatens +your life in Egypt--took leave of my bride, in spite of all my father-in- +law's protestations, and went off at full speed with Prexaspes, never +resting till I reached your side, my dear Bartja. Now I shall go with +you and Zopyrus to Egypt, for Gyges must accompany the ambassador to +Samos, as interpreter. This is the king's command; he has been in better +spirits the last few days; the inspection of the masses of troops coming +up to Babylon diverts him, besides which, the Chaldaeans have assured him +that the planet Adar, which belongs to their wargod Chanon, promises a +great victory to the Persian arms. When do you think you shall be able +to travel, Bartja?" + +"To-morrow, if you like," was the answer. "The doctors say the sea- +voyage will do me good, and the journey by land to Smyrna is very short." + +"And I can assure you," added Zopyrus, "that Sappho will cure you sooner +than all the doctors in the world." + +"Then we will start in three days;" said Darius after some consideration, +"we have plenty to do before starting. Remember we are going into what +may almost be called an enemy's country. I have been thinking the matter +over, and it seems to me that Bartja must pass for a Babylonian carpet- +merchant, I for his brother, and Zopyrus for a dealer in Sardian red." + +"Couldn't we be soldiers?" asked Zopyrus. "It's such an ignominious +thing to be taken for cheating pedlers. How would it be, for instance, +if we passed ourselves off for Lydian soldiers, escaped from punishment, +and seeking service in the Egyptian army?" + +"That's not a bad idea," said Bartja, "and I think too that we look more +like soldiers than traders." + +"Looks and manner are no guide," said Gyges. "Those great Greek +merchants and ship-owners go about as proudly as if the world belonged +to them. But I don't find Zopyrus' proposal a bad one." + +"Then so let it be," said Darius, yielding. "In that case Oroetes must +provide us with the uniform of Lydian Taxiarchs." + +"You'd better take the splendid dress of the Chiliarchs" at once, I +think," cried Gyges. + +"Why, on such young men, that would excite suspicion directly." + +"But we can't appear as common soldiers." + +"No, but as Hekatontarchs." + +"All right," said Zopyrus laughing. "Anything you like except a shop- +keeper.--So in three days we are off. I am glad I shall just have time +to make sure of the satrap's little daughter, and to visit the grove of +Cybele at last. Now, goodnight, Bartja; don't get up too early. What +will Sappho say, if you come to her with pale cheeks?" + + + + +CHAPTER X. + +The sun of a hot midsummer-day had risen on Naukratis. The Nile had +already begun to overflow its banks, and the fields and gardens of the +Egyptians were covered with water. + +The harbor was crowded with craft of all kinds. Egyptian vessels were +there, manned by Phoenician colonists from the coasts of the Delta, and +bringing fine woven goods from Malta, metals and precious stones from +Sardinia, wine and copper from Cyprus. Greek triremes laden with oil, +wine and mastic-wood; metal-work and woollen wares from Chalcis, +Phoenician and Syrian craft with gaily-colored sails, and freighted with +cargoes of purple stuffs, gems, spices, glass-work, carpets and cedar- +trees,--used in Egypt, where wood was very scarce, for building purposes, +and taking back gold, ivory, ebony, brightly-plumaged tropical birds, +precious stones and black slaves,--the treasures of Ethiopia; but more +especially the far-famed Egyptian corn, Memphian chariots, lace from +Sais, and the finer sorts of papyrus. The time when commerce was carried +on merely by barter was now, however, long past, and the merchants of +Naukratis not seldom paid for their goods in gold coin and carefully- +weighed silver. + +Large warehouses stood round the harbor of this Greek colony, and +slightly-built dwelling-houses, into which the idle mariners were lured +by the sounds of music and laughter, and the glances and voices of +painted and rouged damsels. Slaves, both white and colored, rowers and +steersmen, in various costumes, were hurrying hither and thither, while +the ships' captains, either dressed in the Greek fashion or in Phoenician +garments of the most glaring colors, were shouting orders to their crews +and delivering up their cargoes to the merchants. Whenever a dispute +arose, the Egyptian police with their long staves, and the Greek warders +of the harbor were quickly at hand. The latter were appointed by the +elders of the merchant-body in this Milesian colony. + +The port was getting empty now, for the hour at which the market opened +was near, and none of the free Greeks cared to be absent from the market- +place then. This time, however, not a few remained behind, curiously +watching a beautifully-built Samian ship, the Okeia, with a long prow +like a swan's neck, on the front of which a likeness of the goddess Hera +was conspicuous. It was discharging its cargo, but the public attention +was more particularly attracted by three handsome youths, in the dress of +Lydian officers, who left the ship, followed by a number of slaves +carrying chests and packages. + +The handsomest of the three travellers, in whom of course our readers +recognize their three young friends, Darius, Bartja and Zopyrus, spoke +to one of the harbor police and asked for the house of Theopompus the +Milesian, to whom they were bound on a visit. + +Polite and ready to do a service, like all the Greeks, the police +functionary at once led the way across the market-place,--where the +opening of business had just been announced by the sound of a bell,--to a +handsome house, the property of the Milesian, Theopompus, one of the most +important and respected men in Naukratis. + +The party, however, did not succeed in crossing the market-place without +hindrance. They found it easy enough to evade the importunities of +impudent fishsellers, and the friendly invitations of butchers, bakers, +sausage and vegetable-sellers, and potters. But when they reached the +part allotted to the flower-girls, Zopyrus was so enchanted with the +scene, that he clapped his hands for joy. + + [Separate portions of the market were set apart for the sale of + different goods. The part appointed for the flower-sellers, who + passed in general for no better than they should be, was called the + "myrtle-market." Aristoph. Thesmoph. 448.] + +Three wonderfully-lovely girls, in white dresses of some half-transparent +material, with colored borders, were seated together on low stools, +binding roses, violets and orange-blossoms into one long wreath. Their +charming heads were wreathed with flowers too, and looked very like the +lovely rosebuds which one of them, on seeing the young men come up, held +out to their notice. + +"Buy my roses, my handsome gentlemen," she said in a clear, melodious +voice, "to put in your sweethearts' hair." + +Zopyrus took the flowers, and holding the girl's hand fast in his own, +answered, "I come from a far country, my lovely child, and have no +sweetheart in Naukratis yet; so let me put the roses in your own golden +hair, and this piece of gold in your white little hand." + +The girl burst into a merry laugh, showed her sister the handsome +present, and answered: "By Eros, such gentlemen as you cannot want for +sweethearts. Are you brothers?" + +"No." + +"That's a pity, for we are sisters." + +"And you thought we should make three pretty couples?" + +"I may have thought it, but I did not say so." + +"And your sisters?" + + [This passage was suggested by the following epigram of Dionysius + "Roses are blooming on thy cheek, with roses thy basket is laden, + Which dost thou sell? The flowers? Thyself? Or both, my pretty + maiden?"] + +The girls laughed, as if they were but little averse to such a +connection, and offered Bartja and Darius rosebuds too. + +The young men accepted them, gave each a gold piece in return, and were +not allowed to leave these beauties until their helmets had been crowned +with laurel. + +Meanwhile the news of the strangers' remarkable liberality had spread +among the many girls, who were selling ribbons, wreaths and flowers close +by. They all brought roses too and invited the strangers with looks and +words to stay with them and buy their flowers. + +Zopyrus, like many a young gentleman in Naukratis, would gladly have +accepted their invitations, for most of these girls were beautiful, and +their hearts were not difficult to win; but Darius urged him to come +away, and begged Bartja to forbid the thoughtless fellow's staying any +longer. After passing the tables of the money-changers, and the stone +seats on which the citizens sat in the open air and held their +consultations, they arrived at the house of Theopompus. + +The stroke given by their Greek guide with the metal knocker on the +house-door was answered at once by a slave. As the master was at the +market, the strangers were led by the steward, an old servant grown grey +in the service of Theopompus, into the Andronitis, and begged to wait +there until he returned. + +They were still engaged in admiring the paintings on the walls, and the +artistic carving of the stone floor, when Theopompus, the merchant whom +we first learnt to know at the house of Rhodopis, came back from the +market, followed by a great number of slaves bearing his purchases. + + [Men of high rank among the Greeks did not disdain to make purchases + at market, accompanied by their slaves, but respectable women could + not appear there. Female slaves were generally sent to buy what was + needed.] + +He received the strangers with charming politeness and asked in what way +he could be of use to them, on which Bartja, having first convinced +himself that no unwished--for listeners were present, gave him the roll +he had received from Phanes at parting. + +Theopompus had scarcely read its contents, when he made a low bow to the +prince, exclaiming: "By Zeus, the father of hospitality, this is the +greatest honor that could have been conferred upon my house! All I +possess is yours, and I beg you to ask your companions to accept with +kindness what I can offer. Pardon my not having recognized you at once +in your Lydian dress. It seems to me that your hair is shorter and your +beard thicker, than when you left Egypt. Am I right in imagining that +you do not wish to be recognized? It shall be exactly as you wish. He +is the best host, who allows his guests the most freedom. All, now I +recognize your friends; but they have disguised themselves and cut their +curls also. Indeed, I could almost say that you, my friend, +whose name--" + +"My name is Darius." + +"That you, Darius, have dyed your hair black. Yes? Then you see my +memory does not deceive me. But that is nothing to boast of, for I saw +you several times at Sais, and here too, on your arrival and departure. +You ask, my prince, whether you would be generally recognized? Certainly +not. The foreign dress, the change in your hair and the coloring of your +eyebrows have altered you wonderfully. But excuse me a moment, my old +steward seems to have some important message to give." + +In a few minutes Theopompus came back, exclaiming: "No, no, my honored +friends, you have certainly not taken the wisest way of entering +Naukratis incognito. You have been joking with the flower-girls and +paying them for a few roses, not like runaway Lydian Hekatontarchs, but +like the great lords you are. All Naukratis knows the pretty, frivolous +sisters, Stephanion, Chloris and Irene, whose garlands have caught many a +heart, and whose sweet glances have lured many a bright obolus out of the +pockets of our gay young men. They're very fond of visiting the flower- +girls at market-time, and agreements are entered into then for which more +than one gold piece must be paid later; but for a few roses and good +words they are not accustomed to be so liberal as you have been. The +girls have been boasting about you and your gifts, and showing your good +red gold to their stingier suitors. As rumor is a goddess who is very +apt to exaggerate and to make a crocodile out of a lizard, it happened +that news reached the Egyptian captain on guard at the market, that some +newly-arrived Lydian warriors had been scattering gold broadcast among +the flower-girls. This excited suspicion, and induced the Toparch to +send an officer here to enquire from whence you come, and what is the +object of your journey hither. I was obliged to use a little stratagem +to impose upon him, and told him, as I believe you wish, that you were +rich young men from Sardis, who had fled on account of having incurred +the satrap's ill-will. But I see the government officer coming, and with +him the secretary who is to make out passports which will enable you to +remain on the Nile unmolested. I have promised him a handsome reward, if +he can help you in getting admitted into the king's mercenaries. He was +caught and believed my story. You are so young, that nobody would +imagine you were entrusted with a secret mission." + +The talkative Greek had scarcely finished speaking when the clerk, a +lean, dry-looking man, dressed in white, came in, placed himself opposite +the strangers and asked them from whence they came and what was the +object of their journey. + +The youths held to their first assertion, that they were Lydian +Hekatontarchs, and begged the functionary to provide them with passes and +tell them in what way they might most easily obtain admittance into the +king's troop of auxiliaries. + +The man did not hesitate long, after Theopompus had undertaken to be +their surety, and the desired documents were made out. + +Bartja's pass ran thus: + +"Smerdis, the son of Sandon of Sardis, about 22 years of age--figure, +tall and slender-face, well-formed:--nose, straight:--forehead, high with +a small scar in the middle:--is hereby permitted to remain in those parts +of Egypt in which the law allows foreigners to reside, as surety has been +given for him. + "In the King's name. + "Sachons, Clerk." + +Darius and Zopyrus received passports similarly worded. + +When the government official had left the houses, Theopompus rubbed his +hands and said: "Now if you will follow my advice on all points you can +stay in Egypt safely enough. Keep these little rolls as if they were the +apple of your eye, and never part from them. Now, however, I must beg +you to follow me to breakfast and to tell me, if agreeable to you, +whether a report which has just been making the round of the market is +not, as usual, entirely false. A trireme from Kolophon, namely, has +brought the news that your powerful brother, noble Bartja, is preparing +to make war with Amasis." + + ......................... + +On the evening of the same day, Bartja and Sappho saw each other again. +In that first hour surprise and joy together made Sappho's happiness too +great for words. When they were once more seated in the acanthus-grove +whose blossoming branches had so often seen and sheltered their young +love, she embraced him tenderly, but for a long time they did not speak +one word. They saw neither moon nor stars moving silently above them, in +the warm summer night; they did not even hear the nightingales who were +still repeating their favorite, flute-like, Itys-call to one another; nor +did they feel the dew which fell as heavily on their fair heads as on the +flowers in the grass around them. + +At last Bartja, taking both Sappho's hands in his own, looked long and +silently into her face, as if to stamp her likeness for ever on his +memory. When he spoke at last, she cast down her eyes, for he said: +"In my dreams, Sappho, you have always been the most lovely creature that +Auramazda ever created, but now I see you again, you are more lovely even +than my dreams." + +And when a bright, happy glance from her had thanked him for these words, +he drew her closer to him, asking: "Did you often think of me?" + +"I thought only of you." + +"And did you hope to see me soon?" + +"Yes; hour after hour I thought, 'now he must be coming.' Sometimes I +went into the garden in the morning and looked towards your home in the +East, and a bird flew towards me from thence and I felt a twitching in my +right eyelid; or when I was putting my box to rights and found the laurel +crown which I put by as a remembrance, because you looked so well in it, +--Melitta says such wreaths are good for keeping true love--then I used +to clap my hands with joy and think, 'to-day he must come;' and I would +run down to the Nile and wave my handkerchief to every passing boat, for +every boat I thought must be bringing you to me." + + [A bird flying from the right side, and a twitching of the right eye + were considered fortunate omens. Theokrirus, III. 37] + +"But you did not come, and then I went sadly home, and would sit down by +the fire on the hearth in the women's room, and sing, and gaze into the +fire till grandmother would wake me out of my dream by saying: 'Listen to +me, girl; whoever dreams by daylight is in danger of lying awake at +night, and getting up in the morning with a sad heart, a tired brain and +weary limbs. The day was not given us for sleep, and we must live in it +with open eyes, that not a single hour may be idly spent. The past +belongs to the dead; only fools count upon the future; but wise men hold +fast by the ever young present; by work they foster all the various gifts +which Zeus, Apollo, Pallas, Cypris lend; by work they raise, and perfect +and ennoble them, until their feelings, actions, words and thoughts +become harmonious like a well-tuned lute. You cannot serve the man +to whom you have given your whole heart,--to whom in your great love +you look up as so much higher than yourself--you cannot prove the +steadfastness and faithfulness of that love better, than by raising +and improving your mind to the utmost of your power. Every good and +beautiful truth that you learn is an offering to him you love best, +for in giving your whole self, you give your virtues too. But no one +gains this victory in dreams. The dew by which such blossoms are +nourished is called the sweat of man's brow.' So she would speak to me, +and then I started up ashamed and left the hearth, and either took my +lyre to learn new songs, or listened to my loving teacher's words--she +is wiser than most men--attentively and still. And so the time passed +on; a rapid stream, just like our river Nile, which flows unceasingly, +and brings such changing scenes upon its waves, sometimes a golden boat +with streamers gay,--sometimes a fearful, ravenous crocodile." + +"But now we are sitting in the golden boat. Oh, if time's waves would +only cease to flow! If this one moment could but last for aye. You +lovely girl, how perfectly you speak, how well you understand and +remember all this beautiful teaching and make it even more beautiful by +your way of repeating it. Yes, Sappho, I am very proud of you. In you +I have a treasure which makes me richer than my brother, though half +the world belongs to him." + +"You proud of me? you, a king's son, the best and handsomest of your +family?" + +"The greatest worth that I can find in myself is, that you think me +worthy of your love." + +"Tell me, ye gods, how can this little heart hold so much joy without +breaking? 'Tis like a vase that's overfilled with purest, heaviest +gold?" + +"Another heart will help you to bear it; and that is my own, for mine is +again supported by yours, and with that help I can laugh at every evil +that the world or night may bring." + +"Oh, don't excite the envy of the gods; human happiness often vexes them. +Since you left us we have passed some very, very sad days. The two poor +children of our kind Phanes--a boy as beautiful as Eros, and a little +girl as fair and rosy as a summer morning's cloud just lit up by the +sun,--came for some happy days to stay with us. Grandmother grew quite +glad and young again while looking on these little ones, and as for me I +gave them all my heart, though really it is your's and your's alone. But +hearts, you know, are wonderfully made; they're like the sun who sends +his rays everywhere, and loses neither warmth nor light by giving much, +but gives to all their due. I loved those little ones so very much. One +evening we were sitting quite alone with Theopompus in the women's room, +when suddenly we heard aloud, wild noise. The good old Knakias, our +faithful slave, just reached the door as all the bolts gave way, and, +rushing through the entrance-hall into the peristyle, the andronitis, +and so on to us, crashing the door between, came a troop of soldiers. +Grandmother showed them the letter by which Amasis secured our house from +all attack and made it a sure refuge, but they laughed the writing to +scorn and showed us on their side a document with the crown-prince's +seal, in which we were sternly commanded to deliver up Phanes' children +at once to this rough troop of men. Theopompus reproved the soldiers for +their roughness, telling them that the children came from Corinth and had +no connection with Phanes; but the captain of the troop defied and +sneered at him, pushed my grandmother rudely away, forced his way into +her own apartment, where among her most precious treasures, at the head +of her own bed, the two children lay sleeping peacefully, dragged them +out of their little beds and took them in an open boat through the cold +night-air to the royal city. In a few days we heard the boy was dead. +They say he has been killed by Psamtik's orders; and the little girl, so +sweet and dear, is lying in a dismal dungeon, and pining for her father +and for us. Oh, dearest, isn't it a painful thing that sorrows such as +these should come to mar our perfect happiness? My eyes weep joy and +sorrow in the same moment, and my lips, which have just been laughing +with you, have now to tell you this sad story." + +"I feel your pain with you, my child, but it makes my hand clench with +rage instead of filling my eyes with tears. That gentle boy whom you +loved, that little girl who now sits weeping in the dark dungeon, shall +both be revenged. "Trust me; before the Nile has risen again, a powerful +army will have entered Egypt, to demand satisfaction for this murder." + +"Oh, dearest, how your eyes are glowing! I never saw you look so +beautiful before. Yes, yes, the boy must be avenged, and none but you +must be his avenger." + +"My gentle Sappho is becoming warlike too." + +"Yes, women must feel warlike when wickedness is so triumphant; women +rejoice too when such crimes are punished. Tell me has war been declared +already?" + +"Not yet; but hosts on hosts are marching to the valley of the Euphrates +to join our main army." + +"My courage sinks as quickly as it rose. I tremble at the word, the mere +word, war. How many childless mothers Ares makes, how many young fair +heads must wear the widow's veil, how many pillows are wet through with +tears when Pallas takes her shield." + +"But a man developes in war; his heart expands, his arm grows strong. +And none rejoice more than you when he returns a conqueror from the +field. The wife of a Persian, especially, ought to rejoice in the +thought of battle, for her husband's honor and fame are dearer to her +than his life." + +"Go to the war. I shall pray for you there." + +"And victory will be with the right. First we will conquer Pharaoh's +host, then release Phanes' little daughter . . ." + +"And then Aristomachus, the brave old man who succeeded Phanes when he +fled. He has vanished, no one knows whither, but people say that the +crown-prince has either imprisoned him in a dismal dungeon on account of +his having uttered threats of retaliating the cruelty shown to Phanes' +children, or--what would be worse--has had him dragged off to some +distant quarry. The poor old man was exiled from his home, not for his +own fault, but by the malice of his enemies, and the very day on which we +lost sight of him an embassy arrived here from the Spartan people +recalling Aristomachus to the Eurotas with all the honors Greece could +bestow, because his sons had brought great glory to their country. A +ship wreathed with flowers was sent to fetch the honored old man, and at +the head of the deputation was his own brave, strong son, now crowned +with glory and fame." + +"I know him. He's a man of iron. Once he mutilated himself cruelly to +avoid disgrace. By the Anahita star, which is setting so beautifully in +the east, he shall be revenged!" + +"Oh, can it be so late? To me the time has gone by like a sweet breeze, +which kissed my forehead and passed away. Did not you hear some one +call? They will be waiting for us, and you must be at your friend's +house in the town before dawn. Good-bye, my brave hero." + +"Good-bye, my dearest one. In five days we shall hear our marriage-hymn. +But you tremble as if we were going to battle instead of to our wedding." + +"I'm trembling at the greatness of our joy; one always trembles in +expectation of anything unusually great." + +"Hark, Rhodopis is calling again; let us go. I have asked Theopompus to +arrange everything about our wedding with her according to the usual +custom; and I shall remain in his house incognito until I can carry you +off as my own dear wife." + +"And I will go with you." + +The next morning, as the three friends were walking with their host in +his garden, Zopyrus exclaimed: "Wily, Bartja, I've been dreaming all +night of your Sappho. What a lucky fellow you are! Why I fancied my new +wife in Sardis was no end of a beauty until I saw Sappho, and now when I +think of her she seems like an owl. If Araspes could see Sappho he would +be obliged to confess that even Panthea had been outdone at last. Such a +creature was never made before. Auramazda is an awful spendthrift; he +might have made three beauties out of Sappho. And how charmingly it +sounded when she said 'good-night' to us in Persian." + +"While I was away," said Bartja, "she has been taking a great deal of +trouble to learn Persian from the wife of a Babylonian carpet-merchant, +a native of Susa, who is living at Naukratis, in order to surprise me. + +"Yes, she is a glorious girl," said Theopompus. "My late wife loved the +little one as if she had been her own child. She would have liked to +have had her as a wife for our son who manages the affairs of my house at +Miletus, but the gods have ordained otherwise! Ah, how glad she would +have been to see the wedding garland at Rhodopis' door!" + +"Is it the custom here to ornament a bride's house with flowers?" said +Zopyrus. + +"Certainly," answered Theopompus. "When you see a door hung with flowers +you may always know that house contains a bride; an olive-branch is a +sign that a boy has just come into the world, and a strip of woollen +cloth hanging over the gate that a girl has been born; but a vessel of +water before the door is the token of death. But business-hour at the +market is very near, my friends, and I must leave you, as I have affairs +of great importance to transact." + +"I will accompany you," said Zopyrus, "I want to order some garlands for +Rhodopis' house." + +"Aha," laughed the Milesian. "I see, you want to talk to the flower- +girls again. Come, it's of no use to deny. Well, if you like you can +come with me, but don't be so generous as you were yesterday, and don't +forget that if certain news of war should arrive, your disguise may prove +dangerous." + +The Greek then had his sandals fastened on by his slaves and started for +the market, accompanied by Zopyrus. In a few hours he returned with such +a serious expression on his usually cheerful face, that it was easy to +see something very important had happened. + +"I found the whole town in great agitation," he said to the two friends +who had remained at home; "there is a report that Amasis is at the point +of death. We had all met on the place of exchange in order to settle our +business, and I was on the point of selling all my stored goods at such +high prices as to secure me a first-rate profit, with which, when the +prospect of an important war had lowered prices again, I could have +bought in fresh goods--you see it stands me in good stead to know your +royal brother's intentions so early--when suddenly the Toparch appeared +among us, and announced that Amasis was not only seriously ill, but that +the physicians had given up all hope, and he himself felt he was very +near death. We must hold ourselves in readiness for this at any moment, +and for a very serious change in the face of affairs. The death of +Amasis is the severest loss that could happen to us Greeks; he was always +our friend, and favored us whenever he could, while his son is our avowed +enemy and will do his utmost to expel us from the country. If his father +had allowed, and he himself had not felt so strongly the importance and +value of our mercenary troops, he would have turned us hateful foreigners +out long ago. Naukratis and its temples are odious to him. When Amasis +is dead our town will hail Cambyses' army with delight, for I have had +experience already, in my native town Miletus, that you are accustomed to +show respect to those who are not Persians and to protect their rights." + +"Yes," said Bartja, "I will take care that all your ancient liberties +shall be confirmed by my brother and new ones granted you." + +"Well, I only hope he will soon be here," exclaimed the Greek, "for we +know that Psamtik, as soon as he possibly can, will order our temples, +which are an abomination to him, to be demolished. The building of a +place of sacrifice for the Greeks at Memphis has long been put +a stop to." + +"But here," said Darius, "we saw a number of splendid temples as we came +up from the harbor." + +"Oh, yes, we have several.--Ah, there comes Zopyrus; the slaves are +carrying a perfect grove of garlands behind him. He's laughing so +heartily, he must have amused himself famously with the flower-girls. +Good-morning, my friend. The sad news which fills all Naukratis does not +seem to disturb you much." + +"Oh, for anything I care, Amasis may go on living a hundred years yet. +But if be dies now, people will have something else to do beside looking +after us. When do you set off for Rhodopis' house, friends?" + +"At dusk." + +"Then please, ask her to accept these flowers from me. I never thought I +could have been so taken by an old woman before. Every word she says +sounds like music, and though she speaks so gravely and wisely it's as +pleasant to the ear as a merry joke. But I shan't go with you this time, +Bartja; I should only be in the way. Darius, what have you made up your +mind to do?" + +"I don't want to lose one chance of a conversation with Rhodopis." + +"Well, I don't blame you. You're all for learning and knowing +everything, and I'm for enjoying. Friends, what do you say to letting me +off this evening? You see..." + +"I know all about it," interrupted Bartja laughing: "You've only seen the +flower-girls by daylight as yet, and you would like to know how they look +by lamplight." + +"Yes, that's it," said Zopyrus, putting on a grave face. "On that point +I am quite as eager after knowledge as Darius." + +"Well, we wish you much pleasure with your three sisters." + +"No, no, not all three, if you please; Stephanion, the youngest, is my +favorite." + +Morning had already dawned when Bartja, Darius and Theopompus left +Rhodopis' house. Syloson, a Greek noble who had been banished from his +native land by his own brother, Polykrates the tyrant, had been spending +the evening with them, and was now returning in their company to +Naukratis, where he had been living many years. + +This man, though an exile, was liberally supplied with money by his +brother, kept the most brilliant establishment in Naukratis, and was as +famous for his extravagant hospitality as for his strength and +cleverness. Syloson was a very handsome man too, and so remarkable for +the good taste and splendor of his dress, that the youth of Naukratis +prided themselves on imitating the cut and hang of his robes. Being +unmarried, he spent many of his evenings at Rhodopis' house, and had been +told the secret of her granddaughter's betrothal. + +On that evening it had been settled, that in four days the marriage +should be celebrated with the greatest privacy. Bartja had formally +betrothed himself to Sappho by eating a quince with her, on the same day +on which she had offered sacrifices to Zeus, Hera, and the other deities +who protected marriage. The wedding-banquet was to be given at the house +of Theopompus, which was looked upon as the bridegroom's. The prince's +costly bridal presents had been entrusted to Rhodopis' care, and Bartja +had insisted on renouncing the paternal inheritance which belonged to his +bride and on transferring it to Rhodopis, notwithstanding her determined +resistance. + +Syloson accompanied the friends to Rhodopis' house, and was just about to +leave them, when a loud noise in the streets broke the quiet stillness of +the night, and soon after, a troop of the watch passed by, taking a man +to prison. The prisoner seemed highly indignant, and the less his broken +Greek oaths and his utterances in some other totally unintelligible +language were understood by the Egyptian guards, the more violent he +became. + +Directly Bartja and Darius heard the voice they ran up, and recognized +Zopyrus at once. + +Syloson and Theopompus stopped the guards, and asked what their captive +had done. The officer on duty recognized them directly; indeed every +child in Naukratis knew the Milesian merchant and the brother of the +tyrant Polykrates by sight; and he answered at once, with a respectful +salutation, that the foreign youth they were leading away had been guilty +of murder. + +Theopompus then took him on one side and endeavored, by liberal promises, +to obtain the freedom of the prisoner. The man, however, would concede +nothing but a permission to speak with his captive. Meanwhile his +friends begged Zopyrus to tell them at once what had happened, and heard +the following story: The thoughtless fellow had visited the flower-girls +at dusk and remained till dawn. He had scarcely closed their housedoor +on his way home, when he found himself surrounded by a number of young +men, who had probably been lying in wait for him, as he had already had a +quarrel with one of them, who called himself the betrothed lover of +Stephanion, on that very morning. The girl had told her troublesome +admirer to leave her flowers alone, and had thanked Zopyrus for +threatening to use personal violence to the intruder. When the young +Achaemenidae found himself surrounded, he drew his sword and easily +dispersed his adversaries, as they were only armed with sticks, but +chanced to wound the jealous lover, who was more violent than the rest, +so seriously, that he fell to the ground. Meanwhile the watch had come +up, and as Zopyrus' victim howled "thieves" and "murder" incessantly, +they proceeded to arrest the offender. This was not so easy. His blood +was up, and rushing on them with his drawn sword, he had already cut his +way through the first troop when a second came up. He was not to be +daunted, attacked them too, split the skull of one, wounded another in +the arm and was taking aim for a third blow, when he felt a cord round +his neck. It was drawn tighter and tighter till at last he could not +breathe and fell down insensible. By the time he came to his senses he +was bound, and notwithstanding all his appeals to his pass and the name +of Theopompus, was forced to follow his captors. + +When the tale was finished the Milesian did not attempt to conceal his +strong disapprobation, and told Zopyrus that his most unseasonable love +of fighting might be followed by the saddest consequences. After saying +this, he turned to the officer and begged him to accept his own personal +security for the prisoner. The other, however, refused gravely, saying +he might forfeit his own life by doing so, as a law existed in Egypt by +which the concealer of a murder was condemned to death. He must, he +assured them, take the culprit to Sais and deliver him over to the +Nomarch for punishment. "He has murdered an Egyptian," were his last +words, "and must therefore be tried by an Egyptian supreme court. In any +other case I should be delighted to render you any service in my power." + +During this conversation Zopyrus had been begging his friends not to take +any trouble about him. "By Mithras," he cried, when Bartja offered to +declare himself to the Egyptians as a means of procuring his freedom, "I +vow I'll stab myself without a second thought, if you give yourselves up +to those dogs of Egyptians. Why the whole town is talking about the war +already, and do you think that if Psamtik knew he'd got such splendid +game in his net, he would let you loose? He would keep you as hostages, +of course. No, no, my friends. Good-bye; may Auramazda send you his +best blessings! and don't quite forget the jovial Zopyrus, who lived and +died for love and war." + +The captain of the band placed himself at the head of his men, gave the +order to march, and in a few minutes Zopyrus was out of sight. + + + + +ETEXT EDITOR'S BOOKMARKS: + +Corpse to be torn in pieces by dogs and vultures +He is the best host, who allows his guests the most freedom +The past belongs to the dead; only fools count upon the future +They praise their butchers more than their benefactors +We've talked a good deal of love with our eyes already +Wise men hold fast by the ever young present + + + + + +*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK AN EGYPTIAN PRINCESS, BY EBERS, V8 *** + +************This file should be named 5457.txt or 5457.zip ************ + +This eBook was produced by David Widger + +Project Gutenberg eBooks are often created from several printed +editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the US +unless a copyright notice is included. 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