cleopatra-第15节

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learning；　thy　mind　consents　thereto；　then　mount　thy　throne；　O　Pharaoh

and　swear　the　oath！



〃Long　has　Khemi　groaned　beneath　the　mailed　heel　of　the　Greek；　and

trembled　at　the　shadow　of　the　Roman's　spear；　long　has　the　ancient

worship　of　its　Gods　been　desecrated；　and　its　people　crushed　with

oppression。　But　we　believe　that　the　hour　of　deliverance　is　at　hand；

and　with　the　solemn　voice　of　Egypt　and　by　the　ancient　Gods　of　Egypt；

to　whose　cause　thou　art　of　all　men　bound；　we　call　upon　thee；　Prince；

to　be　the　sword　of　our　deliverance。　Hearken！　Twenty　thousand　good　and

leal　men　are　sworn　to　wait　upon　thy　word；　and　at　thy　signal　to　rise　as

one；　to　put　the　Grecian　to　the　sword；　and　with　their　blood　and

substance　to　build　thee　a　throne　set　more　surely　on　the　soil　of　Khem

than　are　its　ancient　pyramidssuch　a　throne　as　shall　even　roll　the

Roman　legions　back。　And　for　the　signal；　it　shall　be　the　death　of　that

bold　harlot；　Cleopatra。　Thou　must　compass　her　death；　Harmachis；　in

such　fashion　as　shall　be　shown　to　thee；　and　with　her　blood　anoint　the

Royal　throne　of　Egypt。



〃Canst　thou　refuse；　O　our　Hope？　Doth　not　the　holy　love　of　country

swell　within　thy　heart？　Canst　thou　dash　the　cup　of　Freedom　from　thy

lips　and　bear　to　drink　the　bitter　draught　of　slaves？　The　emprise　is

great；　maybe　it　shall　fail；　and　thou　with　thy　life；　as　we　with　ours；

shalt　pay　the　price　of　our　endeavour。　But　what　of　it；　Harmachis？　Is

life；　then；　so　sweet？　Are　we　so　softly　cushioned　on　the　stony　bed　of

earth？　Is　bitterness　and　sorrow　in　its　sum　so　small　and　scant　a　thing？

Do　we　here　breathe　so　divine　an　air　that　we　should　fear　to　face　the

passage　of　our　breath？　What　have　we　here　but　hope　and　memory？　What　see

we　here　but　shadows？　Shall　we　then　fear　to　pass　pure…handed　where

Fulfilment　is　and　memory　is　lost　in　its　own　source；　and　shadows　die　in

the　light　which　cast　them？　O　Harmachis；　that　man　alone　is　truly　blest

who　crowns　his　life　with　Fame's　most　splendid　wreath。　For；　since　to

all　the　Brood　of　Earth　Death　hands　his　poppy…flowers；　he　indeed　is

happy　to　whom　there　is　occasion　given　to　weave　them　in　a　crown　of

glory。　And　how　can　a　man　die　better　than　in　a　great　endeavour　to

strike　the　gyves　from　his　Country's　limbs　so　that　she　again　may　stand

in　the　face　of　Heaven　and　raise　the　shrill　shout　of　Freedom；　and；　clad

once　more　in　a　panoply　of　strength；　trample　under　foot　the　fetters　of

her　servitude；　defying　the　tyrant　nations　of　the　earth　to　set　their

seal　upon　her　brow？



〃Khem　calls　thee；　Harmachis。　Come　then；　thou　Deliverer；　leap　like

Horus　from　the　firmament；　break　her　chains；　scatter　her　foes；　and　rule

a　Pharaoh　on　Pharaoh's　Throne〃



〃Enough；　enough！〃　I　cried；　while　the　long　murmur　of　applause　swept

about　the　columns　and　up　the　massy　walls。　〃Enough；　is　there　any　need

to　adjure　me　thus？　Had　I　a　hundred　lives；　would　I　not　most　gladly　lay

them　down　for　Egypt？〃



〃Well　said；　well　said！〃　answered　Sepa。　〃Now　go　forth　with　the　woman

yonder；　that　she　may　make　thy　hands　clean　before　they　touch　the　sacred

emblems；　and　anoint　thy　brow　before　it　is　encircled　of　the　diadem。〃



And　so　I　went　into　a　chamber　apart　with　the　old　wife；　Atoua。　There；

muttering　prayers；　she　poured　pure　water　over　my　hands　into　a　ewer　of

gold；　and　having　dipped　a　fine　cloth　into　oil　wiped　my　brow　with　it。



〃O　happy　Egypt！〃　she　said；　〃O　happy　Prince；　that　art　come　to　rule　in

Egypt！　O　Royal　youth！too　Royal　to　be　a　priestso　shall　many　a　fair

woman　think；　but；　perchance；　for　thee　they　will　relax　the　priestly

rule；　else　how　shall　the　race　of　Pharaoh　be　carried　on？　O　happy　I；　who

dandled　thee　and　gave　my　flesh　and　blood　to　save　thee！　O　royal　and

beautiful　Harmachis；　born　for　splendour；　happiness；　and　love！〃



〃Cease；　cease；〃　I　said；　for　her　talk　jarred　upon　me；　〃call　me　not

happy　till　thou　knowest　my　end；　and　speak　not　to　me　of　love；　for　with

love　comes　sorrow；　and　mine　is　another　and　a　higher　way。〃



〃Ay；　ay；　so　thou　sayestand　joy；　too；　that　comes　with　love！　Never

talk　lightly　of　love；　my　King；　for　it　brought　thee　here！　/La！　la！/　but

it　is　always　the　way'The　goose　on　the　wing　laughs　at　crocodiles；'　so

goes　their　saying　down　at　Alexandria；　'but　when　the　goose　is　asleep　on

the　water；　it　is　the　crocodiles　that　laugh。'　Not　but　what　women　are

pretty　crocodiles。　Men　worship　the　crocodiles　at　Anthribis

Crocodilopolis　they　call　it　now；　don't　they？but　they　worship　women

all　the　world　over！　/La！/　how　my　tongue　runs　on；　and　thou　about　to　be

crowned　Pharaoh！　Did　I　not　prophesy　it　to　thee？　Well；　thou　art　clean；

Lord　of　the　Double　Crown。　Go　forth！〃



So　I　went　from　the　chamber　with　the　old　wife's　foolish　talk　ringing　in

my　ears；　though　of　a　truth　her　folly　had　ever　a　grain　of　wit　in　it。



As　I　came；　the　Dignitaries　rose　once　more　and　bowed　before　me。　Then　my

father；　without　delay；　drew　near　me；　and　placed　in　my　hands　a　golden

image　of　the　divine　Ma；　the　Goddess　of　Truth；　and　golden　images　of　the

arks　of　the　God　Amen…Ra；　of　the　divine　Mout；　and　the　divine　Khons；　and

spoke　solemnly：



〃Thou　swearest　by　the　living　majesty　of　Ma；　by　the　majesty　of　Amen…Ra；

of　Mout；　and　of　Khons？〃



〃I　swear；〃　I　said。



〃Thou　swearest　by　the　holy　land　of　Khem；　by　Sihor's　flood；　by　the

Temples　of　the　Gods　and　the　eternal　Pyramids？〃



〃I　swear。〃



〃Remembering　thy　hideous　doom　if　thou　shouldst　fail　therein；　thou

swearest　that　thou　wilt　in　all　things　govern　Egypt　according　to　its

ancient　laws；　that　thou　wilt　preserve　the　worship　of　its　Gods；　that

thou　wilt　do　equal　justice；　that　thou　wilt　not　oppress；　that　thou　wilt

not　betray；　that　thou　wilt　make　no　alliance　with　the　Roman　or　the

Greek；　that　thou　wilt　cast　out　the　foreign　Idols；　that　thou　wilt

devote　thy　life　to　the　liberty　of　the　land　of　Khem？〃



〃I　swear。〃



〃It　is　well。　Mount；　then；　the　throne；　that　in　the　presence　of　these

thy　subjects；　I　may　name　thee　Pharaoh。〃



I　mounted　upon　the　throne；　of　which　the　footstool　is　a　Sphinx；　and　the

canopy　the　overshadowing　wings　of　Ma。　Then　Amenemhat　drew　nigh　once

again　and　placed　the　Pshent　upon　my　brow；　and　on　my　head　the　Double

Crown；　and　the　Royal　Robe　about　my　shoulders；　and　in　my　hands　the

Sceptre　and　the　Scourge。



〃Royal　Harmachis；〃　he　cried；　〃by　these　outward　signs　and　tokens；　I；

the　High　Priest　of　the　Temple　of　Ra…Men…Ma　at　Abouthis；　crown　thee

Pharaoh　of　the　Upper　and　Lower　Land。　Reign　and　prosper；　O　Hope　of

Khemi！〃



〃Reign　and　prosper；　Pharaoh！〃　echoed　the　Dignitaries；　bowing　down

before　me。



Then；　one　by　one；　they　swore　allegiance；　till　all　had　sworn。　And；

having　sworn；　my　father　took　me　by　the　hand；　he　led　me　in　solemn

procession　into　each　of　the　seven　Sanctuaries　that　are　in　this　Temple

of　Ra…Men…Ma；　and　in　each　I　made　offerings；　swung　incense；　and

officiated　as　priest。　Clad　in　the　Royal　robes　I　made　offerings　in　the

Shrine　of　Horus；　in　the　Shrine　of　Isis；　in　the　Shrine　of　Osiris；　in

the　Shrine　of　Amen…Ra；　in　the　Shrine　of　Horemku；　in　the　Shrine　of

Ptah；　till　at　length　I　reached　the　Shrine　of　the　King's　Chamber。



Here　they　made　their　offering　to　me；　as　the　Divine　Pharaoh；　and　left

me　very　wearybut　a　King。



＇Here　the　first　and　smallest　of　the　papyrus　rolls　comes　to　an　end。＇









BOOK　II



THE　FALL　OF　HARMACHIS







CHAPTER　I



OF　THE　FAREWELL　OF　AMENEMHAT　TO　HARMACHIS；　OF　THE　COMING

OF　HARMACHIS　TO　ALEXANDRIA；　OF　THE　EXHORTATION　OF　SEPA；　OF

THE　PASSING　OF　CLEOPATRA　ROBED　AS　ISIS；　AND　OF　THE　OVERTHROW

OF　THE　GLADIATOR　BY　HARMACHIS



Now　the　long　days　of　preparation　had　passed；　and　the　time　was　at　hand。

I　was　initiated；　and　I　was　crowned；　so　that　although　the　common　folk

knew　me　not；　or　knew　me　only　as　Priest　of　Isis；　there　were　in　Egypt

thousands　who　at　heart　bowed　down　to　me　as　Pharaoh。　The　hour　was　at

hand；　and　my　soul　went　forth　to　meet　it。　For　I　longed　to　overthrow　the

foreigner；　to　set　Egypt　free；　to　mount　the　throne　that　was　my

heritage；　and　cleanse　the　temples　of　my　Gods。　I　was　fain　for　the

struggle；　and　I　never　doubted　of　its　end。　I　looked　into　the　mirror；

and　saw　triumph　written　on　my　brows。　The　future　stretched　a　path　of

glory　from　my　feetay；　glittering　with　glory　like　Sihor　in　the　sun。　I

communed　with　my　Mother　Isis；　I　sat　within　my　chamber　and　took　counsel

with　my　heart；　I　planned　new　temples；　I　revolved　great　laws　that　I

would　put　forth　for　my　people's　weal；　and　in　my　ears　rang　the　shouts

of　exultation　which　should　greet　victorious　Pharaoh　on　his　throne。



But　still　I　tarried　a　little　while　at　Abouthis；　and；　having　been

commanded　to　do　so；　let　my　hair；　that　had　been　shorn；　grow　again　long

and　black　as　the　raven's　wing；　instructing　myself　meanwhile　in　all

manly　exercises　and　feats　of　arms。　Also；　for　a　purpose　which　shall　be

seen；　I　perfected　myself　in　the　magic　art　of　the　Egyptians；　and　in　the

reading　of　the　stars；　in　which　things；　indeed；　I　already　have　great

skill。



Now；　this　was　the　plan　that　had　been　built　up。　My　uncle　Sepa　had；　for

a　while；　left