Tutmosis

“ At last he ceased to visit the regiments stationed at Pi-Bast, but assembling at the palace all the young nobles, he amused himself and feasted, repressing in his heart indignation at the priests and anxiety for the fate of the country.
"Thou wilt see!" said he once to Tutmosis. "The holy prophets will manage us so that Musawasa will take Lower Egypt, and we shall have to flee to Thebes, if not to Sunnu, unless the Ethiopians drive us also from that place."
"Thou speakest truth," replied Tutmosis; "our rulers' acts resemble those of traitors." ”

“ And thy army would be larger than that which Ramses the Great had behind him,"
This zeal of the Phoenicians did not please the heir, but he was silent on that subject.
"But what will happen if the priests learn of your conversations?" inquired he. "None of you will escape death, be sure of that."
"They will learn nothing," replied Tutmosis, joyfully. "They trust too much in their power, they pay their spies badly, and have disgusted all Egypt with their pride and rapacity. ”

“ After the departure of his mother he summoned Tutmosis.
"Tomorrow," said the pharaoh, "my troops will occupy the temples. But tell the commanders of regiments, let them know that it is my will, that the holy places must be inviolate, and that no one is to raise a hand on any priest in Egypt."
"Even on Mefres and Herhor?" inquired Tutmosis.
"Even on them. They will be punished enough when they are put out of their present positions; they will live in learned temples to pray and investigate wisdom without hindrance."
"It will be as Thou commandest, holiness though." ”

“ But I must remind thee, holiness, that today people attacked Phoenician houses in Memphis."
"Oho! That was not needed."
"It seems to me, too," continued Tutmosis, "that since Thou hast commanded Pentuer to investigate the condition of earth-tillers and laborers the priests are exciting the nomarchs and nobles. They say that it is thy wish to ruin the nobility for the sake of the people." ”

“ They will all vote with our lord, but from the multitude we must select the wisest."
He took leave of the pharaoh and went out.
"But thou, Tutmosis," inquired Ramses.
"My lord," said the favorite, "I am so certain of thy nobility and army that I make bold to turn to thee with a request for myself."
"Thou wishest money?"
"Not at all. I wish to marry."
"Thou!" exclaimed the pharaoh. "What woman has earned from the gods such a happiness?"
"She is the beautiful Hebron, the daughter of Antefa, the most worthy nomarch of Thebes," replied Tutmosis, laughing. ”

“ I understand now-why a dog tears the cat which has crossed his path."
"Thou art accustomed to Jews and Phoenicians, worthiness, Thou hast met
Assyrians now for the first time," put in Tutmosis.
"Stupidity! the Phoenicians!" continued the prince, as if to himself.
"The Phoenicians, the Philistines, the Arabs, the Libyans, even the
Ethiopians seem, as it were, members of our own family. When they fail
to pay tribute, we are angry; when they pay, we forget our feeling. ”

“ But first of all I will seize their treasures, which have always been bloated, but which from the time of Ramses the Great have begun to swell out, and today are so swollen that the treasure of the pharaoh is invisible because of them."
"Woe to me and to thee!" sighed Tutmosis. "Thou hast plans under which this hill would bend could it hear and understand them. And where are thy forces, thy assistance, thy warriors? Against thee the whole people will rise, led by a class of men with mighty influence. But who is on thy rider?"
Ramses listened and fell to thinking. At last he said,
"The army." ”

“ After the priest had gone, Tutmosis entered.
"The Greeks are raising the pile for their chief," said he, "and a number of Libyan women have agreed to wail at the funeral ceremony."
"We shall be present," answered Ramses. "Dost Thou know that my son is killed? such a little child. When I carried him he laughed and held out his little hands to me. What wickedness may be in the human heart is beyond comprehension. If that vile Lykon had attempted my life I could understand, even forgive him. But to slay a little child."
"But have they told thee of Sarah's devotion?" inquired Tutmosis. ”

“ It is possible to fondle a lion, to buy a Phœnician, to win the attachment of a Libyan and an Ethiopian. It is possible to win favor from a Chaldean priest, for he, like an eagle, soars above heights and is safe from missiles. But an Egyptian prophet who has tried power and luxury thou wilt win with nothing, only his death or thine can end the conflict.”
“Samentu speaks truth,” said Tutmosis. “Happily not his holiness, but we, the warriors, will decide the ancient struggle between the priests and the pharaoh.” ”

“ I would rather be a decurion, nay a simple warrior of his holiness than a centurion in priestly regiments; a pig or a dog may serve them, but not a believing Egyptian!"
Eunana uttered the last words with such mad anger that the pharaoh said in Greek to Tutmosis,
"Take him to the guard. An officer who does not like the priests may be of use to us."
"His holiness, the lord of both worlds has given command to receive thee into his guard," repeated Tutmosis.
"My health and life belong to our lord. May he live through eternity!" ”

“ And such thunders, such voices will be heard round about."
"In every temple I have partisans among the younger priests, and Thou wilt be in the labyrinth" said the pharaoh.
"But our axes?" said Tutmosis. "He is a poor soldier who draws back before flames or frightful pictures, or who loses time listening to mysterious voices."
"Thou speakest well, chief," cried Samentu. "If ye go ahead valiantly, terrors will vanish, voices cease, and flames burn no longer. Now my last word, lord," said the priest, turning to Ramses. ”

“ Regiments are not formed in a few days."
"But enchantments?" inquired Tutmosis.
"There are no enchantments which an axe will not shatter," said Ramses, laughing.
Tutmosis wished at that moment to mention the tricks of the high priests with Lykon, but he was restrained by the thought that his lord would be very angry and lose calmness, through which he was powerful on that day. A chief before battle can think of nothing but action, and there would be time enough for Lykon's case when the priests were in prison. ”

“ Tutmosis shrugged his shoulders, and was silent.
"Was there treason, too, in the temple?" thought the prince. "Summon Dagon in every case," said he, aloud. "I must know the source of these lies, and by the gods, I will end them."
"Thou wilt do well, for all Egypt is frightened. Even today there is no one to lend money, and if those reports continue all commerce will cease. Our aristocracy have fallen into trouble from which none see the issue, and even thy court is in want. A month hence the same thing may happen in the palace of his holiness." ”

“ Pentuer went among the palms, and cried,
"Wake! wake!"
The watchful Asiatics sprang up at once, and began to bridle their horses. Tutmosis also rose, and yawned with a grimace.
"Brr!" grumbled he, "what cold! Sleep is a good thing! I barely dozed a little, and now I am able to go even to the end of the world, even again to the Soda Lakes. ”

“ The prince was offended. Seeing this, Tutmosis said,
"They have told me, lord, that Sarah has lost thy favor."
"Do not mention that Jewess to me," replied Ramses. "But dost Thou know what she did with my son?"
"I know; but that, it seems to me, was not her fault. I heard in Memphis that thy worthy mother and the worthy minister Herhor made thy son a Jew, so that he might rule over Israelites sometime."
"But the Israelites have no king, only priests and judges," interrupted the prince.
"They have not, but they wish to have. They, too, are disgusted with priestly rule." ”

“ If thou wilt convince thyself—oh, that my words be not ill understood—”
The prince grew so gloomy that Tutmosis broke off the conversation and took farewell of his friend at the earliest. When he sat down in his boat, which was furnished with a baldachin and curtains, he drew a deep breath and draining a large goblet of wine, thought,—
“Brr! I thank the gods for not giving me such a character as that which Rameses has. He is a most unhappy man in the happiest conditions. He might have the most beautiful women in Memphis, but he sticks to one to annoy his mother. ”

“ From the moment when she met Ramses in the valley of the desert he had pleased her, but that feeling grew silent immediately beneath the influence of the stunning news that the shapely youth was a son of the pharaoh and heir to the throne of Egypt. When Tutmosis bargained with Gideon to take her to the prince's house, Sarah fell into a state of bewilderment.
She would not renounce Ramses for any treasure, nor at the cost of life, but one could not say that she loved him at that time. Love demands freedom and time to give forth its most beautiful blossoms ”

“ Authentic.
“What does he wish?” asked the pharaoh of Tutmosis, observing etiquette for the first time.
“His holiness is pleased to inquire what thy wish is?” repeated Tutmosis.
The deceitful Eunana, remaining on his knees, turned toward the favorite, and said,—
“Thou art the ear and eye of the land; thou givest delight and life, hence I will answer thee as at the judgment of Osiris: I have served in the priests’ regiment of the divine Isis ten years; I have fought six years on the eastern boundary. Men of my [Pg 569] age are commanders of thousands, but I am only a centurion. ”

“ The heir waved his hand contemptuously.
"A charioteer of his holiness means more than any king, especially any king of the Israelites, who as yet have no kingdom."
"In every case, Sarah's fault is not so great," put in Tutmosis.
"Then know that I will pay the priests sometime."
"They are not to blame so greatly. For instance, the worthy Herhor did this to increase the glory and power of thy dynasty. And he did it with the knowledge of thy mother."
"But why does Mefres interfere? His single duty is to care for the temple, not influence the fate of the pharaoh's descendants." ”

“ I am even certain that I saw thee at the fair in Pi-Bailos, enchanting serpents.”
The two young men fell into perfect humor.
“But who art thou?” asked Rameses of the girl, taking her hand, which she drew back.
“Be not so bold. I am Sarah, the daughter of Gideon, the manager of this estate.”
“A Jewess,” said Rameses; and a shadow passed over his face.
“What harm in that? what harm in that?” cried Tutmosis. [Pg 25] “Dost think that Jewesses are less sweet than Egyptian girls? They are only more modest and more difficult, which gives their love an uncommon charm.” ”

“ They never calculate on the love of people."
"And that I know their political secrets," added the prince.
"Ei!" hissed Tutmosis. "That is the one thing that was not needed."
"No help for it now," said Ramses. "Send out our couriers immediately to the regiments; let the chiefs meet to-morrow morning in a military council. Give command to light alarm signals, so that all the troops of Lower Egypt may march toward the western border to-morrow. Go to the nomarchs here, and command them to inform all the others to collect clothing, provisions, and weapons." ”

“ Thou knowest that they recognize only the One in temples. They perform miracles, too, at which they laugh.
"Only the lowest people strike the earth with their foreheads before statues in the old way. Even working women have doubts now about the all-might of Osiris, Set, and Horus; the scribes cheat the gods in accounts, and the priests use them as a lock and chain to secure their treasures."
"Oho!" continued Tutmosis; "the clays have passed when all Egypt believed in everything announced from temples. ”

“ About this, that ye are no longer a government, but a group of officers and officials whom the priests send whithersoever they wish and whensoever it pleases them. For three days, there is such terrible confusion in Lower Egypt that the people are killing us, your only friends, the Phœnicians. And why is this? Because government has dropped from your hands, and the priests have seized it.”
“Thou speakest thus for thou knowest not the position,” replied Tutmosis. “It is true that the priests thwart us and organize attacks on Phœnicians. But power is in the hands of the pharaoh ”

“ Moreover, the aristocracy, the army, the scribes, the laborers, even the minor priests are only waiting for the signal to attack the temples, take out the treasures, and lay them at the feet of the pharaoh. When their treasures fail, all their power will be lost to the holy fathers. They will cease even to work miracles, for to work them gold rings are needed."
The prince turned conversation to other subjects and gave Tutmosis the sign of withdrawal. ”

“ Tutmosis straightened himself, and asked,—
“Wilt thou command to take them to prison?”
“Wouldst thou?”
[Pg 539] “There is not an officer in Egypt who would hesitate to carry out an order from our lord and leader.”
“In that case,” said the pharaoh, deliberately, “there is no need to imprison any one. I have too much power on my side and too much contempt for the priesthood. A man does not put into a box bound with iron the carrion which he meets on the highway; he merely passes around it.” ”

“ He was troubled, however, by the bearing of Mefres and other priests. Ramses thought that those dignitaries would reproach him for having become so indebted to Hiram in spite of those lessons which he had received in the temple. Meanwhile the holy fathers were silent and did not even show themselves.
"What does this mean?" asked the prince one day of Tutmosis; "the priests do not reproach us? We have never indulged in such excesses before. Music is sounding from morning till evening; we drink, beginning with sunrise, and we fall asleep with women in our arms or pitchers at our heads." ”