The Pharaoh and the Priest: An Historical Novel of Ancient Egypt

by Bolesław Prus

  CHAPTER VI

  The entrance to the pharaoh's palace at Memphis was through a gateplaced between two lofty towers or pylons. The external walls of thesebuildings were of gray sandstone covered from foundation to summitwith bas-reliefs.

  At the top of the gate rose the arms of the state, or its symbol: awinged globe, from behind which appeared two serpents. Lower down sata series of gods to which the pharaohs were bringing offerings. Onside pillars images of the gods were cut out also in five rows, oneabove the other, while below were hieroglyphic inscriptions.

  On the walls of each pylon the chief place was occupied by a flatsculpture of Rameses the Great, who held in one hand an uplifted axeand grasped in the other, by the hair of the head, a crowd of peopletied in a bundle, like parsley. Above the king stood or sat two rowsof gods; still higher, a line of people with offerings; at the verysummit of the pylons were winged serpents intertwined with scarabs.

  Those pylons with walls narrowing toward the top, the gate whichconnected them, the flat sculptures in which order was mingled withgloomy fantasy and piety with cruelty, produced a tremendousimpression. It seemed difficult to enter that place, impossible to goout, and a burden to live there.

  From the gate, before which stood troops and a throng of smallofficials, those who entered came into a court surrounded by porticosresting on pillars. That was an ornamental garden, in which werecultivated aloes, palms, pomegranates, and cedars in pots, all placedin rows and selected according to size. In the middle shot up afountain; the paths were sprinkled with colored sand.

  Under the gallery sat or walked higher officials of the state,speaking in low tones.

  From the court, through a high door, the visitor passed to a hall oftwelve lofty columns. The hall was large, but as the columns also werelarge, the hall seemed diminutive. It was lighted by small windows inthe walls and through a rectangular opening in the roof. Coolness andshade prevailed there; the shade was almost a gloom, which did not,however, prevent him who entered from seeing the yellow walls andpillars, covered with lines of paintings. At the top leaves andflowers were represented; lower down, the gods; still lower, peoplewho carried their statues or brought them offerings; and between thesegroups were lines of hieroglyphs.

  All this was painted in clear, almost glaring colors,--green, red, andblue.

  In this hall, with its varied mosaic pavement, stood in silence, whiterobed and barefoot, the priests, the highest dignitaries of State,Herhor, the minister of war, also the leaders Nitager and Patrokles,who had been summoned to the presence of the pharaoh.

  His holiness Rameses XII., as usual before he held council, wasplacing offerings before the gods in his chapel. This continued ratherlong. Every moment some priest or official ran in from the moredistant chambers and communicated news touching the course of theservice.

  "The lord has broken the seal to the chapel-- He is washing the sacreddivinity-- Now he is putting it away-- Now he has closed the door--"

  On the faces of courtiers, notwithstanding their offices, concern andhumility were evident. But Herhor was indifferent, Patroklesimpatient, and Nitager now and then disturbed with his deep voice thesolemn silence. After every such impolite sound from the old leader,the courtiers moved, like frightened sheep, and looked at one another,as if saying,--

  "This rustic has been hunting barbarians all his life, we may pardonhim."

  From remoter chambers were heard the sound of bells and the clatter ofweapons. Into the hall came in two ranks some tens of the guard ingilt helmets, in breastplates, and with drawn swords, next two ranksof priests, and at last appeared the pharaoh, carried in a litter,surrounded by clouds of smoke and incense.

  The ruler of Egypt, Rameses XII., was nearly sixty years old. Hisface was withered. He wore a white mantle; on his head was a red andwhite cap with a golden serpent; in his hand he held a long staff.

  When the retinue showed itself, all present fell on their faces,except Patrokles, who, as a barbarian, stopped at a low bow, whileNitager knelt on one knee, but soon rose again.

  The litter stopped before a baldachin under which was an ebony throneon an elevation. The pharaoh descended slowly from the litter, lookedawhile at those present, and then, taking his seat on the throne,gazed fixedly at the cornice on which was painted a rose-colored globewith blue wings and green serpents.

  On the right of the pharaoh stood the chief scribe, on the left ajudge with a staff; both wore immense wigs.

  At a sign from the judge all sat down or knelt on the pavement, whilethe scribe said to the pharaoh,--

  "Our lord and mighty ruler! Thy servant Nitager, the great guard onthe eastern boundary, has come to render thee homage, and has broughttribute from conquered nations: a vase of green stone filled withgold, three hundred oxen, a hundred horses, and the fragrant woodteshep."

  "That is a mean tribute, my lord," said Nitager. "Real treasures wecan find only on the Euphrates, where splendid kings, though weak sofar, need much to be reminded of Rameses the Great."

  "Answer my servant Nitager," said the pharaoh to the scribe, "that hiswords will be taken under careful consideration. But now ask him whathe thinks of the military ability of my son and heir, whom he had thehonor of meeting near Pi-Bailos yesterday."

  "Our lord, the master of nine nations, asks thee, Nitager--" began thescribe.

  But the leader interrupted quickly, to the great dissatisfaction ofthe courtiers,--

  "I hear myself what my lord says. Only the heir to the throne could behis mouth when he turns to me; not thou, chief scribe."

  The scribe looked with consternation at the daring leader, but thepharaoh answered,--

  "My faithful Nitager speaks truth."

  The minister of war bowed.

  Now the judge announced to all present--to the priests, the officials,and the guards that--they might go to the palace courtyard; and hehimself, bowing to the throne, was the first to go thither. In thehall remained only the pharaoh, Herhor, and the two leaders.

  "Incline thy ears, O sovereign, and listen to complaints," beganNitager. "This morning the official priest, who came at thy command toanoint my hair, told me that in going to thee I was to leave mysandals in the entrance hall. Meanwhile it is known, not only in Upperand Lower Egypt, but in the Hittite country, Libya, Phoenicia, and theland of Punt, that twenty years ago thou didst give me the right tostand before thee in sandals."

  "Thou speakest truth," said the pharaoh. "Various disorders have creptinto the court ceremonial."

  "Only give command, O king, and my veterans will produce orderimmediately," added Nitager.

  At a sign given by the minister of war, a number of officials ran in:one brought sandals and put them on Nitager's feet; others put downcostly stools for the minister and leaders.

  When the three dignitaries were seated, Rameses XII. said,--

  "Tell me, Nitager, dost thou think that my son will be a leader?--Buttell pure truth."

  "By Amon of Thebes, by the glory of my ancestors in whom was bloodroyal, I swear that thy heir, Prince Rameses, will be a great leader,if the gods permit," replied Nitager. "He is a young man, a lad yet;still he concentrated his regiments, eased their march, and providedfor them. He pleased me most of all by this, that he did not lose hishead when I cut off the road before him, but led his men to theattack. He will be a leader, and will conquer the Assyrians, whom wemust vanquish to-day if they are not to be seen on the Nile by ourgrandchildren."

  "What dost thou say to that?" inquired the pharaoh of Herhor.

  "As to the Assyrians, I think that the worthy Nitager is concernedabout them too early. We must strengthen ourselves well before webegin a new war. As to the heir, Nitager says justly that the youngman has the qualities of a leader: he is as keen as a fox, and has theenergy of a lion. Still he made many blunders yesterday."

  "Who among us has not made them?" put in Patrokles, silent thus far.

  "The heir," continued the minister, "led the main corps wisely, but heneglected his staff; throu
gh this neglect we marched so slowly and insuch disorder that Nitager was able to cut off the road before us."

  "Perhaps Rameses counted on your dignity," said Nitager.

  "In government and war we must count on no man: one unreckoned littlestone may overturn everything," said the minister.

  "If thou, worthiness," answered Patrokles, "had not pushed the columnsfrom the road because of those scarabs--"

  "Thou, worthiness, art a foreigner and an unbeliever," retortedHerhor, "hence this speech. But we Egyptians understand that when thepeople and the soldiers cease to reverence the scarabs, their sonswill cease to fear the ureus (the serpent). From contempt of the godsis born revolt against the pharaohs."

  "But what are axes for?" asked Nitager. "Whoso wishes to keep a headon his shoulders let him listen to the supreme commander."

  "What then is your final opinion of the heir?" asked the pharaoh ofHerhor.

  "Living image of the sun, child of the gods," replied the minister."Command to anoint Rameses, give him a grand chain and ten talents,but do not appoint him yet to command the corps in Memphis. The princeis too young for that office, too passionate and inexperienced. Can werecognize him as the equal of Patrokles, who has trampled theEthiopians and the Libyans in twenty battles? Or can we place him atthe side of Nitager, whose name alone brings pallor to our northernand eastern enemies?"

  The pharaoh rested his head on his hand, meditated, and said,--

  "Depart with my favor and in peace. I will do what is indicated bywisdom and justice."

  The dignitaries bowed low, and Rameses XII., without waiting for hissuite, passed to remoter chambers.

  When the two leaders found themselves alone in the entrance hall,Nitager said to Patrokles,--

  "Here priests rule as in their own house. I see that. But what aleader that Herhor is! He vanquished us before we spoke; he does notgrant a corps to the heir."

  "He praised me so that I dared not utter a word," said Patrokles.

  "He is far seeing, and does not tell all he thinks. In the wake of theheir various young lords who go to war taking singers would haveshoved themselves into the corps, and they would occupy the highestplaces. Naturally old officers would fall into idleness from anger,because promotion had missed them; the exquisites would be idle forthe sake of amusement, and the corps would break up without evenmeeting an enemy. Oh, Herhor is a sage!"

  "May his wisdom not cost thee more than the inexperience of Rameses,"whispered Patrokles.

  Through a series of chambers filled with columns and adorned withpaintings, where at each door priests and palace officials gave lowobeisances before him, the pharaoh passed to his cabinet. That was alofty hall with alabaster walls on which in gold and bright colorswere depicted the most famous events in the reign of Rameses XII.,therefore homage given him by the inhabitants of Mesopotamia, theembassy from the King of Buchten, and the triumphal journey of the godKhonsu through the land of that potentate.

  In this hall was the malachite statue of the bird-headed Horus,adorned with gold and jewels. In front of the statue was an altarshaped as a truncated pyramid, the king's armor, costly armchairs andstools, also tables covered with trifles and small objects.

  When the pharaoh appeared, one of the priests burnt incense beforehim, and one of the officials announced Prince Rameses, who soonentered and bowed low before his father. On the expressive face of theprince feverish disquiet was evident.

  "Erpatr, I rejoice," said the pharaoh, "that thou hast returned ingood health from a difficult journey."

  "Mayst thou live through eternity, holiness, and thy affairs fill thetwo worlds!" replied Rameses.

  "My military advisers have just informed me of thy labor andprudence."

  The heir's face quivered and changed. He fixed great eyes on thepharaoh and listened.

  "Thy deeds will not remain without reward. Thou wilt receive tentalents, a great chain, and two Greek regiments with which thou wiltexercise."

  Rameses was amazed, but after a while he asked with a stifled voice,--

  "But the corps in Memphis?"

  "In a year we will repeat the manoeuvres, and if thou make no mistakein leading the army thou wilt get the corps."

  "I know that Herhor did this!" cried the prince, hardly restraininghis anger.

  He looked around, and added, "I can never be alone with thee, myfather; strangers are always between us."

  The pharaoh moved his brows slightly, and his suite vanished, like acrowd of shadows.

  "What hast thou to tell me?"

  "Only one thing, father. Herhor is my enemy. He accused me to thee andexposed me to this shame!"

  In spite of his posture of obedience the prince gnawed his lips andballed his fists.

  "Herhor is thy friend and my faithful servant. It was his persuasionthat made thee heir to the throne. But--I--will not confide a corps toa youthful leader who lets himself be cut off from his army."

  "I joined it," answered the crushed heir; "but Herhor commanded tomarch around two beetles."

  "Dost thou wish that a priest should make light of religion in thepresence of the army?"

  "My father," whispered Rameses, with quivering voice, "to avoidspoiling the journey of the beetles a canal was destroyed, and a manwas killed."

  "That man raised his own hands on himself."

  "But that was the fault of Herhor."

  "In the regiments which thou didst concentrate near Pi-Bailos thirtymen died from over-exertion, and several hundred are sick."

  The prince dropped his head.

  "Rameses," continued the pharaoh, "through thy lips is speaking not adignitary of the state who is thinking of the soundness of canals andthe lives of laborers, but an angry person. Anger does not accord withjustice any more than a falcon with a dove."

  "Oh, my father," burst out the heir, "if anger carries me away, it isbecause I feel the ill-will of the priests and of Herhor."

  "But thou art thyself the grandson of a high priest; the prieststaught thee. Thou hast learned more of their secrets than any otherprince ever has."

  "I have learned their insatiable pride, and greed of power. Andbecause I will abridge it they are my enemies. Herhor is not willingto give me even a corps, for he wishes to manage the whole army."

  When he had thrown out these incautious words, the heir wasfrightened. But the ruler raised his clear glance, and answeredquietly,--

  "I manage the state and the army. From me flow all commands anddecisions. In this world I am the balance of Osiris, and I myselfweigh the services of my servants, be they the heir, a minister, orthe people. Imprudent would he be who should think that all intriguesare not known to me."

  "But, father, if thou hadst seen with thy own eyes the course of themanoeuvres--"

  "I might have seen a leader," interrupted the pharaoh, "who in thedecisive moment was chasing through the bushes after an Israelitemaiden. But I do not wish to observe such stupidity."

  The prince fell at his father's feet, and whispered,--

  "Did Tutmosis speak to thee of that, lord?"

  "Tutmosis is a child, just as thou art. He piles up debts as chief ofstaff in the corps of Memphis, and thinks in his heart that the eyesof the pharaoh cannot reach to his deeds in the desert."