Bolesław Prus

“ The Asiatics and the Libyan prisoners all woke, but each man merely pressed up to the cliff more closely, and possessed by great fear remained silent.
In nature something dreadful was happening. Night covered the earth, and through the sky black or ruddy clouds of sand rushed with mad impetus. It seemed as though all the sand of the desert, now alive, had sprung up and was flying to some place with the speed of a stone whirled from the sling of a warrior. ”

“ Let them collect the tribute predestined for thy needs and for thy use, but let them not take secretly other tributes which never go into thy treasury, and enrich only thy servants and the servants of those servants.
“Command them to govern without injustice to us and our children, for thou art to us a deity and a ruler forever. Imitate the sun, which sends his light to all and gives life and strength to them. We, thy Libyan subjects, implore thy favor and fall on our faces before thee, O heir of the great and mighty pharaoh.” ”

“ Were the prince to take to the temple any slave or condemned criminal and let him stretch out his hand, the man would die that same instant."
"For ye would kill him."
"Each one of us would die just like an ordinary criminal were he to approach the altar sacrilegiously. In presence of the gods, my prince, a pharaoh or a priest means as little as a slave."
"What am I to do, then?" asked Ramses.
"Seek an answer to thy trouble in the temple, after Thou hast purified thyself by prayers and fasting," answered the priest. "While Egypt is Egypt, no ruler has gained wisdom of state in another way." ”

“ The prince felt a wound in his heart, and felt as if through that wound some feeling had gone from him. It was not passion, for passion remained; but it was esteem for Kama, and faith in her.
"Wonderful are these Phoenicians," thought the heir; "one may go wild for them, but 'tis not possible to trust them."
He felt wearied, and took farewell of the priestess. He looked around the chamber as though it were difficult to leave the place; and while going, he said to himself,
"And still Thou wilt be mine, and Phoenician gods will not kill thee, if they regard their own priests and temples." ”

“ Where is the man who is sure of his fate, the man who can look with unfailing eye at the morrow? Does he who toils on the field know that rain is not under his power, and that not he shows its way to the locust swarm? Does the merchant who gives his wealth to the winds, which come he knows not whence, and his life to the waves on that abyss which swallows all, and returns nothing? ”

“ Dagon was astonished, and looked with widely opened eyes at her.
“Then it must be that thou knowest not, Sarah, the value of this goblet. But I give it to thy father, who is my brother.”
“I cannot take it,” whispered Sarah.
“Oh!” cried Dagon. “Then thou, Sarah, wilt pay me for this goblet in another way, without speaking to thy lord. But a woman as beautiful as thou must have gold and jewels, and should have her own banker to bring her money when she pleases, not alone when her lord likes.”
“I cannot!” whispered Sarah, without concealing her repulsion for the banker. ”

“ Now I will render thee a service: Come in the night to the temple of Astaroth, but bind thyself to keep the secret. Come alone, and Thou wilt be convinced as to who the gods are who speak in the temples and touch us."
"I will come," said Ramses, after some meditation.
"Forewarn me, prince, on the morning of the day, and I will give thee the evening password; Thou wilt be admitted. Only betray neither me nor thyself," said the Phoenician, with a kindly smile. "Men never pardon betrayal of their secrets, though gods pardon sometimes." ”

“ But I have convinced myself during the first day that I am merely a shadow of the former rulers of Egypt; for what can a pharaoh be without wealth, without an array, and, above all, without faithful subjects? I am like the statues of the gods which they incense, and before which they place offerings. The statues are powerless and the offerings serve to fatten the priests. But, true, thou art on their side. ”

“ If Thou lose I shall be unhappy, for Thou wilt not improve the lot of the worker. And if Thou win? May I not live to that! for shouldst Thou break the lamp, who knows whether Thou wouldst not put out the fire of wisdom which for thousands of years has illuminated Egypt and mankind.
"These, lord, are the reasons why I will not take part in thy struggle with the sacred order of priests. I feel that the struggle is approaching, and I suffer because such a worm as I am unable to prevent it. But I will not participate, for I should have to betray either thee, or the God, the creator of wisdom." ”

“ I shall build a temple, not to Osiris or Isis, but to the One God in whom all believe: the Egyptians, the Chaldeans, the Phoenicians, and the Jews. I wish that temple to be like the palace of King Assar, the model of which Sargon brought to my father."
"Those are great plans," said the high priest, shaking his head, "but it is impossible to execute them. The Babylonian towers are not lasting because of their form, they overturn easily, while our edifices must endure for ages. A temple to the One God we may not raise, for he needs no food, drink, or raiment. ”

“ Dost Thou not see that each man of us occupies some position, low, less low, or very low, in which he must labor? But dost Thou suffer because Thou art not pharaoh, and thy tomb will not be a pyramid? Thou dost not ponder at all over this, for Thou knowest it to be the world's condition. Each creature does its own duty: the ox ploughs, the ass bears the traveler, I cool his worthiness, Thou rememberest and thinkest for him, while the earth-worker tills land and pays tribute. ”

“ Look at the wretched fate of men unacquainted with writing. A smith is black and grimy, his hands are full of lumps, and he toils night and day all his lifetime. The quarryman pulls his arms out to satisfy his stomach. The mason while forming a capital in lotus shape is hurled off by wind from the scaffold. A weaver has bent knees, a maker of weapons is ever travelling: barely does he come to his house in the evening when he must leave it. ”

“ Pentuer drew back, and muttered an exorcism.
"Speak not thus, worthy lord," said he, in confusion, "lest evil spirits circling through the desert may seize thy words. A word, remember this, ruler, is like a stone sent from a sling; it may strike a wall, rebound, and hit the man who hurled it."
The prince motioned with his hand contemptuously.
"It is all one," replied he. "A life in which every one stops my will has no worth for me. When the gods do not bar me, the winds of the desert do; when evil spirits are not against me, the priests are. Is the power of a pharaoh to be of such sort. ”

“ Where art thou gone from me, where art thou, hen of mine? Thou hast fled, thou art gone from me. I give thee drink and clean grain; what I give is so good that slaves envy thee. Where art thou gone, my hen—wilt thou not answer me? Night will come down on thee, think of that; thou wilt not reach thy home, where all are at work for thee. Come; if thou come not, a falcon will fly from the desert and tear the heart out of thee. If he come thou wilt call in vain, as I now call in vain to thee. ”

“ Indignation among the aristocracy was immense, but no one betrayed himself; on the contrary, as well at the court of Ramses as at the courts of the nomarchs of Lower Egypt, people amused themselves perfectly. It might have been thought that with the weather had fallen on men a rage not only for amusements but for riot. There was no day without spectacles, feasts, and triumphal festivals; there was no night without illuminations and uproar. Not only in Pi-Bast but in every city it had become the fashion to run through the streets with torches, music, and, above all, with full pitchers. ”

“ The pharaoh fell to thinking.
"Thou art right," said he. "A spear will not harm him who knows how to ward it off, and a deceitful road will not lead astray the sage who knows the word of truth. But how wilt Thou manage to make stones in the wall move apart before thee, and columns change into doors of entrance?"
Samentu shrugged his shoulders contemptuously.
"In my temple," replied he, "there are imperceptible entrances even more difficult to open than those in the labyrinth. Whoso knows the key to a mystery can go everywhere, as Thou hast said justly, O holiness." ”

“ Every moment some boat struck or overturned a boat and some man fell into the water, out of which luckily the crocodiles had fled, frightened by the unparalleled uproar. On the banks men ran into one another, for no one paid heed to his neighbor, his father, or his child, but fixed his wild eyes on the gilded beak of the barge and the tent of the pharaoh. Even people who were trampled, whose ribs the wild crowd broke stupidly, and whose joints they put out, had no cry save this,—
“May he live through eternity, O our ruler!—Shine on, thou the sun of Egypt!” ”

“ Never hast Thou asked for gifts, or favored those who do not hesitate to seek success even under the beds of princes' favorites. Thou art milder than a lamb, and as calm as a night on the Nile. Thy kisses are like perfume from the land of Punt, and thy embrace as sweet as the sleep of a wearied laborer. ”

“ But no man can gaze into His heart and spy out His purposes.
“Before the gleam of His garments mighty spirits hide their faces. Before His glance the gods of great cities and nations turn aside and shrink like withering leaves.
“He is power, He is life, He is wisdom. He is thy Lord, thy God, O Israel!”
“Why command, worthiness, to turn away our barge?” asked the worthy Nikotris.
“Lady, dost thou know that hymn?” asked Herhor, in a language understood by priests alone. “That stupid girl is singing in the middle of the Nile a prayer permitted only in the most secret recesses of our temples.” ”

“ This repulsive statue, full of double meaning, which seems to exult because we appear like locusts when we stand near it,—it is neither a man nor a beast nor a rock— What is it, then? What is its meaning? Or that smile which it has— If thou admire the everlasting endurance of the pyramids, it smiles; if thou go past to converse with the tombs, it smiles. Whether the fields of Egypt are green, or Typhon lets loose his fiery steeds, or the slave seeks his freedom in the desert, or Rameses the Great drives conquered nations before him, it has for all one and the same changeless smile. ”

“ Nineteen dynasties have passed like shadows; but it smiles on and would smile even were the Nile to grow dry, and were Egypt to disappear under sand fields.
"Is not that monster the more dreadful that it has a mild human visage? Lasting itself throughout ages, it has never known grief over life, which is fleeting and filled with anguish."
"Dost Thou not remember, lord, the 'faces of the gods," interrupted Pentuer, "or hast Thou not seen mummies? All immortals look on transient things with the selfsame indifference. Even man does when nearing the end of his earth-life." ”

“ When he went out of the chapel the elder priest asked him,
"Well, Erpatr, dost Thou believe now in the might of the gods of
Egypt?"
"Indeed," answered he, "ye are such great sages that the whole world ought to give you offerings and homage. If ye can see the future in an equal degree nothing can oppose you."
After these words a priest entered the chapel and began to pray; soon a voice was heard from the chapel, saying,
"Ramses! the fates of the kingdom are weighed, and before another full moon comes Thou wilt be its ruler."
"O gods!" cried the terrified prince. "Is my father so sick, then?" ”

“ Thou knowest that in Egypt there are riots of laborers, artisans, even convicts. There are riots from the sea to the quarries. The only thing lacking is that my warriors should rebel and proclaim as pharaoh Herhor, for example."
"Live through eternity, holiness!" replied the priest. "There is not a man in Egypt who would not sacrifice himself for thee, and not bless thy name."
"Aha, if they knew," said the ruler, with anger, "how helpless the pharaoh is, and how poor he is, each nomarch would like to be the lord of his province. ”

“ Listen therefore to what the Phoenicians, the Hebrews, the Hittites, and the Egyptians think of the Assyrians, and weigh in thy own heart with care all that agrees in their judgments concerning Assyria. If all tell thee that danger is coming from that point, Thou wilt know that it is coming; but if different men speak variously, be on thy guard also, for wisdom commands us to look for less good and more evil."
"Thy speech is like that of the gods," whispered the heir of Egypt,
"I am old, and from the height of the throne things are seen of which mortal men have not even a suspicion. ”

“ With permission, worthiness, I noticed that Thou couldst lead a regiment in spite of thy young face. But I enter the service of no man. I am a free fisherman; my grandfather was, with permission, a shepherd in Lower Egypt, our family comes of the Hyksos people. It is true that dull Egyptian earth-tillers revile us, but I laugh at them. The earth- tillers and the Hyksos, I say, worthiness, are like an ox and a bull. The earth-tiller may go behind the plough or before it, but the Hyksos will not serve any man, unless in the army of his holiness, that is warrior life. ”

“ Thereupon thunder roared, trumpets and bronze plates sounded; the dissector disguised as Typhon burst into laughter, and cried,—
“O beautiful Isis, who in company with the stars delightest the night, thy consort exists not. Never again will the radiant Osiris sit in the golden boat, never again will that sun appear on the firmament. I have done this, I, Set, and I have hidden him so deeply that none of the gods, nor all the gods together will find him.” ”

“ But he had not even seen a battle, nothing but a yellow dense cloud, whence unearthly shouts were poured out in torrents. Even now he sees that cloud, he hears the uproar, he feels the heat, but there is no battle.
Next he sees a boundless desert, in which he is struggling through the sand with painful effort. He and his men have the best horses in the army, and still they creep forward like turtles. And what heat! Impossible for man to support the like.
And now Typhon springs up, hides the light, burns, bites, suffocates. Pale sparks are shooting forth from Pentuer’s body. ”

“ May I be turned into a Jew if a goblet of that luxury is not worth two drachmas, but to you, my benefactors and fathers, I will give it to-day for one drachma,—only to-day, to make a beginning.”
“Give it for half a drachma a goblet, and we will taste it,” said one of the merchants.
“Half a drachma!” repeated the host. “Sooner will the Nile flow upward toward Thebes than I give such sweetness for half a drachma, unless I do it for thee, Lord Belezis, who art the pearl of Sidon. Hei, slaves! bring to our benefactors the largest pitcher of wine from Cyprus.” ”

“ How great is thy Lord, O Israel! There is no being who can say to Him, 'Do this!' there is no womb which could have given birth to Him. He created the bottomless deeps above which He moves when He wishes. He brings light out of darkness, and from the dust of the earth He creates living things which have voices. ”