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

by Bolesław Prus

  CHAPTER LIV

  During seventy days, in the course of which the revered remains weresteeping in the solution of soda, Egypt was in mourning.

  The temples were closed; there were no processions. All music ceased;no feasts were given. Dancing women became wailers; instead of dancingthey tore their hair; this also brought them income.

  No one drank wine, no one ate meat. The highest dignitaries went incoarse garments and barefoot. No one shaved (with the exception ofpriests); the most devoted did not wash, they smeared their faces withmud, and scattered ashes on their hair.

  From the Mediterranean to the first cataract of the Nile, from theLibyan desert to the peninsula of Sinai reigned sadness and silence.The sun of Egypt had quenched, had gone to the West, the giver of lifeand gladness had deserted his servants.

  In the highest circles the most fashionable conversation touched theuniversal sorrow, which was communicated even to nature.

  "Hast thou not observed," said one dignitary to another, "that thedays are shorter and darker?"

  "I did not wish to unburden myself of this before thee," replied theother, "but it is so in reality. I have even noticed that fewer starsshine at night, and that the full moon lasts a shorter time, and thenew moon longer than usual."

  "The shepherds say that cattle at pasture will not eat, they onlybellow."

  "And I have heard from hunters that lions are reduced by weeping; theydo not attack deer, for lions eat no meat at present."

  "A terrible time! Come to me this evening and we will drink a glass ofmourning liquor which my cellarer has invented."

  "Thou hast, I suppose, dark beer of Sidon?"

  "May the gods forbid that at this time we should use drinks whichrejoice people. The liquor which my cellarer has invented is not beer;it is more like wine mixed with musk and fragrant plants."

  "A very proper drink when our lord is sojourning in the quarter of thedead, where the odor of musk and embalming herbs is always prevalent."

  Thus during seventy days did dignitaries mortify themselves.

  The first quiver of delight ran through Egypt when it was announcedfrom the quarter of the dead that the body of the sovereign had beentaken from the soda bath, and that embalmers and priests wereperforming ceremonies over it.

  That day for the first time people cut their hair and whoso had thewish washed himself. But in fact there was no need of mortification,since Horus had found the remains of Osiris. The ruler of Egypt,thanks to the art of embalmers, had received life, and, thanks to theprayers of the priests and the _Book of the Dead_, he had become equalto the gods.

  From that moment on, the late pharaoh, Mer-Amen-Rameses, was called"Osiris" officially; unofficially, he had been called that since hisdeath.

  The innate joyfulness of the Egyptian people began to gain the victoryover mourning, especially among warriors, artisans, and laborers.Delight took on, among common people, forms which at times wereinappropriate. Reports began to circulate, it was unknown where theyhad originated, that the new pharaoh, whom the whole people lovedinstinctively, intended to occupy himself with improving the conditionof earth-tillers, laborers, and even captives. For this cause ithappened, an unheard-of thing, that masons, cabinet makers, potters,instead of drinking quietly and speaking of their own occupation, orfamily interests, dared to complain in dramshops, not only of taxes,but even to complain of the power of the priesthood. Andearth-tillers, instead of devoting time free of labor to prayers andthe memory of their ancestors, told one another how well it would beif each man had some bit of land as his own, and could rest one day inseven.

  Of the army, and especially foreign regiments, nothing was to be said.Those men imagined that they were the most noted class in Egypt, andif they were not, they would soon be, after some fortunate war in thenear future.

  But the nomarchs, the nobility living on estates, and above all, thehigh priests of various temples mourned their deceased lord withsolemnity, though they might have rejoiced, since the pharaoh hadbecome Osiris.

  Taking things as they were, the new ruler had interfered with no onethus far, hence the cause of grief for dignitaries lay in those samereports which delighted common people. The nomarchs and the nobilitygrieved at the thought that their earth-tillers might be idle fiftydays in a year, and, what was worse, possess land, though even of anextent on which a tomb might be erected. Priests grew pale and grittedtheir teeth when they saw the management of Rameses XIII. and the wayin which he treated them.

  In fact, immense changes had taken place in the pharaoh's palace.

  The pharaoh had transferred his residence to one of the wingbuildings, in which almost all the chambers were occupied by generals.In the cellars Greek warriors were quartered, on the first story theguard, in the chambers along the wall, Ethiopians. Guard around thebuilding was kept by Asiatics, and near the chambers of his holinesswas quartered that squadron from which were selected the warriors whohad accompanied their lord when he hunted Tehenna through the desert.

  What was worse, his holiness, in spite of the recent rebellion of theLibyans restored to them his favor; he condemned none to punishment,and gave them his confidence.

  That corps of priests who had been in the main palace remained withhim it is true, and performed religious ceremonies under the directionof his worthiness Sem. But as the priests did not accompany thepharaoh to meals, to dinners and suppers, their food was far fromexquisite.

  In vain did the holy men declare that they must feed therepresentatives of nineteen dynasties, and a multitude of gods. Thetreasurer, noting the intention of the pharaoh, answered that flowersand perfumes were sufficient for gods and ancestors, and that prophetslike themselves, as morality commanded, should eat barley cakes anddrink beer or water. To support these rude theories the treasurerreferred to the example of Sem, the holy high priest, who lived like apenitent, and what was worse, he told them that his holiness, with thegenerals, had a military kitchen.

  In view of this, the priests of the palace began to consider whetherthey had not better leave the stinted house of the pharaoh and go totheir own dwellings at temples where their duties would be easier, andwhere hunger would not twist their entrails.

  They would have done this before, had not the worthy Herhor and Mefrescommanded them to remain in their places.

  But the position of Herhor near the new pharaoh was not favorable. Theall-powerful minister, who had till of late almost never left thechambers of the pharaoh, sat now alone in his villa, and frequently hedid not see the new ruler for ten days in succession. He was stillminister of war, but he gave out almost no orders. The pharaoh himselfsettled all military questions. He alone read reports of generals; healone decided doubtful questions, while his adjutants took from theminister of war the necessary documents.

  If his worthiness Herhor was ever called before the sovereign it wasonly to be reprimanded.

  Nevertheless, all dignitaries acknowledged that the new pharaoh workedwith great diligence.

  Rameses XIII. rose before sunrise, he bathed and burnt incense beforethe statue of Osiris. Immediately afterward he heard the reports ofthe supreme judge, the chief scribe of the granaries and stables inthe whole country, the high treasurer, finally the chief of hispalaces. This last dignitary suffered most, for there was no day whenhis lord did not tell him that the court cost too much, and kept toomany persons.

  In the palace dwelt several hundred women of the late pharaoh with acorresponding number of servants and children. The chief of thepalace, being reproached continually, dismissed from day to day anumber of persons, and limited the allowances of others. At the end ofa month, therefore, all the ladies of the court ran weeping andwailing to Queen Nikotris, and begged her to rescue them.

  The worthy lady betook herself to the pharaoh, and, falling on herface, begged him to take compassion on the women of his father, andnot let them die in destitution.

  The pharaoh listened to her with frowning brows and commanded thechief of the court not to extend his saving
farther. But at the sametime he told the most worthy lady that after the funeral of hisfather the women would be removed from the palace and sent to thecountry.

  "Our court," said he, "costs about thirty thousand talents yearly, oronce and a half as much as the whole army. I cannot expend such a sumwithout ruining myself and the kingdom."

  "Do as may please thee," answered the queen. "Egypt is thine. But Ifear that the persons rejected from the court will become thyenemies."

  At this he took his mother by the hand, led her to the window, andpointed to a forest of spears held by infantry drilling in thecourtyard.

  This act of the pharaoh produced an unexpected effect. The queen'seyes, which a moment before gleamed with pride, were filled withtears. All at once she bent and kissed her son's hand, saying withemotion,--

  "Thou art, indeed, the son of Isis and Osiris, and I did well when Iyielded thee to the goddess. Egypt at last has a ruler."

  From that time the worthy lady never appealed to her son in anyquestion. And when she was asked for protection, she answered,--

  "I am the servant of his holiness and I advise you to carry out hiscommands without resistance. All he does comes from inspiration of thegods. And who can oppose the gods?"

  After breakfast the pharaoh was occupied in affairs of the ministry ofwar, and the treasury; about three in the afternoon, surrounded by agreat suite, he went to the troops encamped outside Memphis, andreviewed them.

  Indeed, the greatest changes had taken place in the militarycondition.

  In less than two months his holiness had organized five new regiments,or rather he had reestablished those disbanded during the reign of hisfather. He dismissed officers addicted to drunkenness and gambling,also those who tortured warriors.

  Into the military bureaus, where priests alone had held office, heintroduced his most capable adjutants, who very soon masteredimportant documents relative to the army. He commanded to make a listof all men in the state who belonged to the military order, but whofor years had not fulfilled any duty. He opened two new schools, onefor the education of officers, and one for children of twelve years,and renewed a custom then in abeyance, that youths in the army shouldreceive breakfast only after three hours' marching in line and incolumn.

  Finally, no division of the army was permitted to dwell in villages,all must live in camps or in barracks. Each regiment had its fixedfield of exercise, where for whole days the warriors hurled stonesfrom slings or shot arrows from bows at marks from one to two hundredyards distant.

  A command was issued to all families of military rank that the menshould exercise themselves in hurling missiles under direction ofofficers and decurions of the army. The command was carried outstraightway, therefore Egypt looked like a camp in no longer than twomonths after the death of the twelfth Rameses. For even village orcity children, who before had played as scribes and priests, now,imitating their elders, began to play as warriors. So on every squareand in every garden, from morning till evening, stones and arrows werewhistling, and the courts were filled with complaints about bodilyinjuries.

  Egypt was transformed, as it were, and in spite of complaints a greatmovement reigned in it, and all because of the new ruler.

  The pharaoh himself was pleased and his pride increased, seeing thatthe whole state arranged itself to his wishes.

  But a moment arrived when he became gloomy.

  On the very day that the embalmers took the body of Rameses XII. fromthe soda bath, the chief treasurer, when making his usual report, saidto the pharaoh,--

  "I know not what to do. We have two thousand talents in the treasury,and for the funeral of the dead pharaoh we need at least onethousand."

  "How, two thousand?" asked Rameses, with astonishment. "When I assumedpower thou didst tell me that we had twenty thousand."

  "We have expended eighteen."

  "In two months?"

  "Our outlays are enormous."

  "True, but new taxes come in every day."

  "The taxes, I know not why, have decreased again, and do not come inso plentifully as I expected. But they too are expended. Be pleased toremember, holiness, that we have five new regiments; hence, abouteight thousand men have left their occupations and live at the cost ofthe treasury."

  The pharaoh grew thoughtful.

  "We must," said he, "make a new loan. Come to an understanding withHerhor and Mefres, so that the temples may lend to us."

  "I have spoken with them. The temples will lend us nothing."

  "The prophets are offended," said the pharaoh, smiling. "In that casewe must call in unbelievers. Send to me Dagon."

  Toward evening the pharaoh's banker came. He fell on the pavementbefore Rameses and offered him a golden goblet set with jewels.

  "Now I can die!" said Dagon, "since my most gracious sovereign hasmounted the throne."

  "But before thy death, find me a few thousand talents," said hisholiness to the kneeling banker.

  The Phoenician was alarmed. Could he feign great embarrassment?

  "Rather command me, holiness, to seek pearls in the Nile, for I shallperish at once, and my lord will not suspect me of ill-will towardhim. But to find such a sum to-day!"

  Rameses XIII. was astounded.

  "How is this?" inquired he. "Then have the Phoenicians no money forme?"

  "Our blood, our lives, our children we will give thee, holiness. Butmoney--where can we find it?

  "Formerly the temples gave us loans at fifteen or twenty per centyearly, but since, as heir to the throne, thou wert in the temple ofHator at Pi-Bast the priests have refused us every credit.

  "If they could they would expel us from Egypt, or, more gladly, theywould destroy us. Ah, what we suffer because of them. Theearth-tillers do what they like and whenever they like. As rent theygive us what drops from their noses. If we strike one of them theyrebel to the last man, and if an unfortunate Phoenician goes forredress to a court he either loses his case or pays terribly.

  "Our hours in this land are numbered," wailed Dagon.

  The pharaoh frowned.

  "I will take up these matters," answered he, "and the courts will givethee justice. Meanwhile, I need about five thousand talents."

  "Where shall we get them, O lord?" groaned out Dagon. "Find uspurchasers, holiness, and we will sell all our property movable andimmovable, only to carry out thy commands. But where are thepurchasers? There are none except the priests, who would value ourproperty at a trifle, and then not pay ready money."

  "Send to Tyre, to Sidon," interrupted Rameses. "Each of those citiesmight lend, not five, but a hundred thousand talents."

  "Tyre and Sidon!" repeated Dagon. "To-day all Phoenicia is collectinggold and jewels to pay the Assyrians. Envoys of King Assar arecircling about through our country and they say that if we pay aliberal sum yearly the King and the satraps not only will not oppressus, but will offer us more profits than those which we have now inEgypt, O holiness, through thy favor."

  The pharaoh grew pale and set his teeth. The banker noted this andadded, quickly,--

  "But why should I waste thy time, holiness, with my stupid talk? Herein Memphis is Prince Hiram; he perhaps will explain all this to mylord far better than I can, for he is a sage and a member of thesupreme council in our cities."

  "Send him hither quickly," replied Rameses, "for thy conversation withme, Dagon, is not that of a banker, but of a wailing woman at afuneral."

  The Phoenician touched the floor once again with his forehead, andinquired,--

  "What if the worthy Hiram cannot come immediately? It is late now, itis true. But he is in such fear of the priests that he would rathercome at night to do homage, O holiness."

  The pharaoh bit his lips, but agreed to that project; so he sentTutmosis with the banker to conduct Hiram to the palace by secretpassages.