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

by Bolesław Prus

  CHAPTER L

  We know not whether the prophets in the underground temple of theSphinx saw the new ruler of Egypt when he halted at the foot of thepyramids, and gave information touching him at the palace, and if sohow they did it. The fact is that when Rameses was approaching theferry, the most worthy Herhor gave orders to rouse the palaceservants, and when their lord was crossing the Nile all priests,generals, and civil dignitaries were assembled in the great hall ofaudience.

  Exactly at sunrise Rameses XIII., at the head of a small escort, rodeinto the palace yard, where the servants fell on their faces beforehim, and the guard presented arms to the sound of drums and trumpets.

  His holiness saluted the army and went to the bathing chambers, wherehe took a bath filled with perfumes. Then he gave permission toarrange his divine hair; but when the barber asked most submissivelyif the pharaoh commanded to shave his head and beard, the lordreplied,--

  "There is no need. I am not a priest, but a warrior."

  These words reached the audience-hall a moment later; in an hour theyhad gone around the palace; about midday they had passed through everypart of the city of Memphis, and toward evening they were known in allthe temples of the state, from Tami-n-hor and Sabne-Chetam on thenorth to Sunnu and Pilak on the south.

  At this intelligence the nomarchs, the nobility, the army, the people,and the foreigners were wild with delight, but the sacred order ofpriests mourned the more zealously the dead pharaoh.

  When his holiness emerged from the bath he put on a warrior's shortshirt with black and yellow stripes, and a yellow breast-piece; on hisfeet sandals fastened with thongs, and on his head a low helmet with acirclet. Then he girded on that Assyrian sword which he had worn atthe battle of the Soda Lakes, and, surrounded by a great suite ofgenerals, he entered with a clatter and clinking the audience-hall.

  There the high priest Herhor stood before him, having at his sideSem, the holy high priest, Mefres, and others, and behind him thechief judges of Thebes and Memphis, some of the nearer nomarchs, thechief treasurer, also the overseers of the house of wheat, the houseof cattle, the house of garments, the house of slaves, the house ofsilver and gold, and a multitude of other dignitaries.

  Herhor bowed before Rameses, and said with emotion,--

  "Lord! it has pleased thy eternally living father to withdraw to thegods where he is enjoying endless delight. To thee, then, has fallenthe duty of caring for the fate of the orphan kingdom.

  "Be greeted, therefore, O lord and ruler of the world, and, holiness, maythou live through eternity Cham-Sem-Merer-Amen-Rameses-Neter-haq-an."

  Those present repeated this salutation with enthusiasm. They expectedthe new ruler to show some emotion or feeling. To the astonishment ofall he merely moved his brow and answered,--

  "In accordance with the will of his holiness, my father, and with thelaws of Egypt, I take possession of government and will conduct it tothe glory of the state and the happiness of the people."

  He turned suddenly to Herhor and, looking him sharply in the eyes,inquired,--

  "On thy mitre, worthiness, I see the golden serpent. Why hast thou putthat symbol of regal power on thy head?"

  A deathlike silence settled on the assembly. The haughtiest man inEgypt had never dreamed that the young lord would begin rule byputting a question like that to the most powerful person in the state,more powerful, perhaps, than the late pharaoh.

  But behind the young lord stood a number of generals; in the courtyardglittered the bronze-covered regiments of the guard; and crossing theNile at that moment was an army wild from the triumph at the SodaLakes, and enamored of its leader.

  The powerful Herhor grew pale as wax, and the voice could not issuefrom his straitened throat.

  "I ask your worthiness," repeated the pharaoh, calmly, "by what rightis the regal serpent on thy mitre?"

  "This is the mitre of thy grandfather, the holy Amenhotep," answeredHerhor, in a low voice. "The supreme council commanded me to wear iton occasions."

  "My holy grandfather," replied the pharaoh, "was father of the queen,and in the way of favor he received the right to adorn his mitre withthe ureus. But, so far as is known to me, his sacred vestment iscounted among the relics of the temple of Amon."

  Herhor had recovered.

  "Deign to remember, holiness," explained he, "that for twenty-fourhours Egypt has been deprived of its legal ruler. Meanwhile some onehad to wake and put to sleep the god Osiris, to impart blessings tothe people and render homage to the ancestors of the pharaoh.

  "In such a grievous time the supreme council commanded me to wear thisholy relic, so that the order of the state and the service of the godsmight not be neglected. But the moment that we have a lawful andmighty ruler I set aside the wondrous relic."

  Then Herhor took from his head the mitre adorned with the ureus, andgave it to the high priest Mefres.

  The threatening face of the pharaoh grew calm, and he turned his stepstoward the throne.

  Suddenly the holy Mefres barred the way, and said while bending to thepavement,--

  "Deign, holy lord, to hear my most submissive prayer."

  But neither in his voice nor his eyes was there submission when,straightening himself, he continued,--

  "I have words from the supreme council of high priests."

  "Utter them," said the pharaoh.

  "It is known to thee, holiness, that a pharaoh who has not receivedordination as high priest cannot perform the highest sacrifices; thatis, dress and undress the miraculous Osiris--"

  "I understand," interrupted Rameses, "I am a pharaoh who has notreceived the ordination of high priest."

  "For that reason," continued Mefres, "the supreme council begs theesubmissively, holiness, to appoint a high priest to take thy place inreligious functions."

  When they heard these decided words, the high priests and civildignitaries trembled and squirmed as if standing on hot stones, andthe generals touched their swords as if involuntarily. The holy Mefreslooked at them with unconcealed contempt, and fixed his cold glanceagain on the face of the pharaoh.

  But the lord of the world showed no trouble even this time.

  "It is well," said he, "that thou hast reminded me, worthiness, ofthis important duty. The military profession and affairs of state donot permit me to occupy myself with the ceremonies of our holyreligion, so I must appoint a substitute."

  While speaking he looked around at the men assembled.

  On the left of Herhor stood the holy Sem. Rameses glanced into hismild and honest face and inquired suddenly,--

  "Who and what art thou, worthiness?"

  "My name is Sem; I am high priest of the temple of Ptah in Pi-Bast."

  "Thou wilt be my substitute in religious ceremonies," said thepharaoh, pointing toward him with his finger.

  A murmur of astonishment ran through the assembly.

  After long meditation and counsels it would have been difficult toselect a more worthy priest for that high office.

  Herhor grew much paler than before; Mefres pressed his blue lipstogether tightly and dropped his eyelids.

  A moment later the new pharaoh sat on his throne, which instead offeet had the carved figures of princes and the kings of nine nations.

  Soon Herhor gave to the lord, on a golden plate, a white and also ared crown.

  The sovereign placed the crowns on his own head in silence, whilethose present fell prostrate.

  That was not the solemn coronation; it was merely taking possession ofpower.

  When the priests had incensed the pharaoh and had sung a hymn toOsiris, imploring that god to pour all blessings on the sovereign,dignitaries of the civil power and of the army were permitted to kissthe lowest step of the throne. Then Rameses took a gold spoon, and,repeating a prayer which the holy Sem pronounced aloud, he incensedthe statues of the gods arranged in line on both sides of thepharaoh's chapel.

  "What am I to do now?" inquired he.

  "Show thyself to the people," replied Herhor.
r />   Through a gilded, widely opened door his holiness ascended marblesteps to a terrace, and, raising his hands, faced in turn toward thefour sides of the universe. The sound of trumpets was heard, and fromthe summits of pylons banners were hung out. Whoso was in a field, ina yard, on the street, fell prostrate; the stick, raised above theback of a beast or a slave, was lowered without giving the blow, andall criminals against the state who had been sentenced that dayreceived grace.

  Descending from the terrace the pharaoh inquired,--

  "Have I something more to do?"

  "Refreshments and affairs of state are awaiting thee, holiness,"replied Herhor.

  "After that I may rest," said the pharaoh. "Where are the remains ofhis holiness, my father?"

  "Given to the embalmers," whispered Herhor.

  Tears filled the pharaoh's eyes, and his mouth quivered, but herestrained himself and looked down in silence. It was not proper thatservants should see emotion in such a mighty ruler.

  Wishing to turn the pharaoh's attention to another subject, Herhorasked,--

  "Wilt thou be pleased, holiness, to receive the homage due from thequeen, thy mother?"

  "I? Am I to receive homage from my mother?" asked Rameses, withrepressed voice.

  "Hast thou forgotten what the sage Eney said? Perhaps holy Sem willrepeat those beautiful words to us."

  "Remember," quoted Sem, "that she gave birth to thee and nourishedthee in every manner--"

  "Speak further; speak!" insisted the pharaoh, striving always tocommand himself.

  "Shouldst thou forget that she would raise her hands to the god, andhe would hear her complaint. She bore thee long beneath her heart,like a great burden, and gave thee birth when thy months had expired.She carried thee in her arms afterward, and during three years she puther breast into thy mouth. She reared thee, was not disgusted with thyuncleanness. And when thou wert going to school and wert exercised inwriting, she placed before thy teacher daily bread and beer from herown dwelling."[24]

  [24] Authentic.

  Rameses sighed deeply and said with calmness,--

  "So ye see that it is not proper that my mother should salute me.Rather I will go to her."

  And he passed through a series of halls lined with marble, alabaster,and wood, painted in bright colors, carved and gilded; behind him wenthis immense suite. But when he came to the antechamber of his mother'sapartments, he made a sign to leave him. When he had passed theantechamber, he stopped a while before the door, then knocked andentered quietly.

  In a chamber with bare walls, where in place of furniture there stoodonly a low wooden couch and a broken pitcher holding water, all insign of mourning, Queen Nikotris, the mother of the pharaoh, wassitting on a stone. She was in a coarse shirt, barefoot; her face wassmeared with mud from the Nile, and in her tangled hair there wereashes.

  When she saw Rameses, the worthy lady inclined so as to fall at hisfeet. But the son seized her in his arms, and said with weeping,--

  "If thou, O mother, incline to the ground before _me_, I shall beforced to go under the ground before _thee_."

  The queen drew his head to her bosom, wiped away his tears with thesleeve of her coarse shirt, and then, raising her hands, whispered,--

  "May all the gods, may the spirit of thy father and grandfather,surround thee with blessing and solicitude. O Isis, I have neverspared offerings to thee, but to-day I make the greatest; I give mybeloved son to thee. Let this kingly son become thy son entirely, andmay his greatness and his glory increase thy divine inheritance."

  The pharaoh embraced and kissed his mother repeatedly, then he seatedher on the wooden couch and sat on the stone himself.

  "Has my father left commands to me?" inquired he.

  "He begged thee only to remember him, but he said to the supremecouncil, 'I leave you my heir, who is a lion and an eagle in oneperson; obey him, and he will elevate Egypt to incomparable power.'"

  "Dost thou think that the priests will obey me?"

  "Remember," answered the queen, "that the device of the pharaoh is aserpent, and a serpent means prudence, which is silent, and no oneknows when it will bite mortally. If thou take time as thyconfederate, thou wilt accomplish everything."

  "Herhor is tremendously haughty. To-day he dared to put on the mitreof the holy Amenhotep. Of course I commanded him to set it aside. Iwill remove him from the government,--him and certain members of thesupreme council."

  The queen shook her head.

  "Egypt is thine," said she, "and the gods have endowed thee with greatwisdom. Were it not for that, I should fear terribly a struggle withHerhor."

  "I do not dispute with him; I remove him."

  "Egypt is thine," repeated the queen, "but I fear a struggle with thepriests. It is true that thy father, who was mild beyond measure, hasmade those men insolent, but it is not wise to bring them to despairthrough severity. Besides, think of this: Who will replace them incounsel? They know everything that has been, that is, and that will beon earth and in heaven; they know the most secret thoughts of mankind,and they direct hearts as the wind directs tree leaves. Without themthou wilt be ignorant not only of what is happening in Tyre andNineveh, but even in Thebes and Memphis."

  "I do not reject their wisdom, but I want service," answered thepharaoh. "I know that their understanding is great, but it must becontrolled so that it may not deceive, and it must be directed lest itruin the State. Tell me thyself, mother, what they have done withEgypt in the course of thirty years? The people suffer want, or are inrebellion; the army is small, the treasury is empty, and meanwhile twomonths' distance from us Assyria is increasing like dough containingleaven, and to-day is forcing on us treaties."

  "Do as may please thee, but remember that the device of a pharaoh is aserpent, and a serpent is silence and discretion."

  "Thou speakest truth, mother, but believe me, at certain times daringis better than prudence. The priests planned, as I know to-day, thatthe Libyan war should last entire years. I finished it in the courseof a few days, and only because every day I took some mad but decisivestep-- If I had not rushed to the desert against them, which by theway was a great indiscretion, we should have the Libyans outsideMemphis at this moment."

  "I know that thou didst hunt down Tehenna, and that Typhon caughtthee," said the queen. "O hasty child, thou didst not think of me."

  He smiled.

  "Be of good heart," replied Rameses. "When the pharaoh is in battle,at his left and his right hand stands Amon. Who then can touch him?"

  He embraced the queen once more and departed.