cleopatra-第3节

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them。　Then；　too；　we　will　get　the　rolls　deciphered。　I　expect　that　they

only　contain　the　usual　thing；　copies　of　the　'Book　of　the　Dead；'　but

there　/may/　be　something　else　in　them。　Needless　to　say；　I　did　not

narrate　this　little　adventure　in　Egypt；　or　I　should　have　had　the

Boulac　Museum　people　on　my　track。　Good…bye；　'Mafish　Fineesh；'　as　Ali

Baba　always　said。〃







In　due　course；　my　friend；　the　writer　of　the　letter　from　which　I　have

quoted；　arrived　in　London；　and　on　the　very　next　day　we　paid　a　visit　to

a　learned　acquaintance　well　versed　in　Hieroglyphics　and　Demotic

writing。　The　anxiety　with　which　we　watched　him　skilfully　damping　and

unfolding　one　of　the　rolls　and　peering　through　his　gold…rimmed　glasses

at　the　mysterious　characters　may　well　be　imagined。



〃Hum；〃　he　said；　〃whatever　it　is；　this　is　/not/　a　copy　of　the　'Book　of

the　Dead。'　By　George；　what's　this？　CleCleoCleopatra　Why；　my

dear　Sirs；　as　I　am　a　living　man；　this　is　the　history　of　somebody　who

lived　in　the　days　of　Cleopatra；　/the/　Cleopatra；　for　here's　Antony's

name　with　hers！　Well；　there's　six　months'　work　before　me　heresix

months；　at　the　very　least！〃　And　in　that　joyful　prospect　he　fairly　lost

control　of　himself；　and　skipped　about　the　room；　shaking　hands　with　us

at　intervals；　and　saying　〃I'll　translateI'll　translate　it　if　it

kills　me；　and　we　will　publish　it；　and；　by　the　living　Osiris；　it　shall

drive　every　Egyptologist　in　Europe　mad　with　envy！　Oh；　what　a　find！

what　a　most　glorious　find！〃







And　O　you　whose　eyes　fall　upon　these　pages；　see；　they　have　been

translated；　and　they　have　been　printed；　and　here　they　lie　before　you

an　undiscovered　land　wherein　you　are　free　to　travel！



Harmachis　speaks　to　you　from　his　forgotten　tomb。　The　walls　of　Time

fall　down；　and；　as　at　the　lightning's　leap；　a　picture　from　the　past

starts　upon　your　view；　framed　in　the　darkness　of　the　ages。



He　shows　you　those　two　Egypts　which　the　silent　pyramids　looked　down

upon　long　centuries　agothe　Egypt　of　the　Greek；　the　Roman；　and　the

Ptolemy；　and　that　other　outworn　Egypt　of　the　Hierophant；　hoary　with

years；　heavy　with　the　legends　of　antiquity　and　the　memory　of　long…lost

honours。



He　tells　you　how　the　smouldering　loyalty　of　the　land　of　Khem　blazed　up

before　it　died；　and　how　fiercely　the　old　Time…consecrated　Faith

struggled　against　the　conquering　tide　of　Change　that　rose；　like　Nile

at　flood；　and　drowned　the　ancient　Gods　of　Egypt。



Here；　in　his　pages；　you　shall　learn　the　glory　of　Isis　the　Many…shaped；

the　Executrix　of　Decrees。　Here　you　shall　make　acquaintance　with　the

shade　of　Cleopatra；　that　〃Thing　of　Flame；〃　whose　passion…breathing

beauty　shaped　the　destiny　of　Empires。　Here　you　shall　read　how　the　soul

of　Charmion　was　slain　of　the　sword　her　vengeance　smithied。



Here　Harmachis；　the　doomed　Egyptian；　being　about　to　die；　salutes　you

who　follow　on　the　path　he　trod。　In　the　story　of　his　broken　years　he

shows　to　you　what　may　in　its　degree　be　the　story　of　your　own。　Crying

aloud　from　that　dim　Amenti＇*＇　where　to…day　he　wears　out　his　long

atoning　time；　he　tells；　in　the　history　of　his　fall；　the　fate　of　him

who；　however　sorely　tried；　forgets　his　God；　his　Honour；　and　his

Country。



＇*＇　The　Egyptian　Hades　or　Purgatory。Editor。












BOOK　I



THE　PREPARATION　OF　HARMACHIS







CHAPTER　I



OF　THE　BIRTH　OF　HARMACHIS；　THE　PROPHECY　OF　THE　HATHORS；

AND　THE　SLAYING　OF　THE　INNOCENT　CHILD



By　Osiris　who　sleeps　at　Abouthis；　I　write　the　truth。



I；　Harmachis；　Hereditary　Priest　of　the　Temple；　reared　by　the　divine

Sethi；　aforetime　a　Pharaoh　of　Egypt；　and　now　justified　in　Osiris　and

ruling　in　Amenti。　I；　Harmachis；　by　right　Divine　and　by　true　descent　of

blood　King　of　the　Double　Crown；　and　Pharaoh　of　the　Upper　and　Lower

Land。　I；　Harmachis；　who　cast　aside　the　opening　flower　of　our　hope；　who

turned　from　the　glorious　path；　who　forgot　the　voice　of　God　in

hearkening　to　the　voice　of　woman。　I；　Harmachis；　the　fallen；　in　whom

are　gathered　up　all　woes　as　waters　are　gathered　in　a　desert　well；　who

have　tasted　of　every　shame；　who　through　betrayal　have　betrayed；　who　in

losing　the　glory　that　is　here　have　lost　the　glory　which　is　to　be；　who

am　utterly　undoneI　write；　and；　by　Him　who　sleeps　at　Abouthis；　I

write　the　truth。



O　Egypt！dear　land　of　Khem；　whose　black　soil　nourished　up　my　mortal

partland　that　I　have　betrayedO　Osiris！Isis！Horus！ye　Gods　of

Egypt　whom　I　have　betrayed！O　ye　temples　whose　pylons　strike　the　sky；

whose　faith　I　have　betrayed！O　Royal　blood　of　the　Pharaohs　of　eld；

that　yet　runs　within　these　withered　veinswhose　virtue　I　have

betrayed！O　Invisible　Essence　of　all　Good！　and　O　Fate；　whose　balance

rested　on　my　handhear　me；　and；　to　the　day　of　utter　doom；　bear　me

witness　that　I　write　the　truth。







Even　while　I　write；　beyond　the　fertile　fields；　the　Nile　is　running

red；　as　though　with　blood。　Before　me　the　sunlight　beats　upon　the　far

Arabian　hills；　and　falls　upon　the　piles　of　Abouthis。　Still　the　priests

make　orison　within　the　temples　at　Abouthis　that　know　me　no　more；　still

the　sacrifice　is　offered；　and　the　stony　roofs　echo　back　the　people's

prayers。　Still　from　this　lone　cell　within　my　prison…tower；　I；　the　Word

of　Shame；　watch　thy　fluttering　banners；　Abouthis；　flaunting　from　thy

pylon　walls；　and　hear　the　chants　as　the　long　procession　winds　from

sanctuary　to　sanctuary。



Abouthis；　lost　Abouthis！　my　heart　goes　out　toward　thee！　For　the　day

comes　when　the　desert　sands　shall　fill　thy　secret　places！　Thy　Gods　are

doomed；　O　Abouthis！　New　Faiths　shall　make　a　mock　of　all　thy　Holies；

and　Centurion　shall　call　upon　Centurion　across　thy　fortress…walls。　I

weepI　weep　tears　of　blood：　for　mine　is　the　sin　that　brought　about

these　evils　and　mine　for　ever　is　their　shame。



Behold；　it　is　written　hereafter。







Here　in　Abouthis　I　was　born；　I；　Harmachis；　and　my　father；　the

justified　in　Osiris；　was　High　Priest　of　the　Temple　of　Sethi。　And　on

that　same　day　of　my　birth　Cleopatra；　the　Queen　of　Egypt；　was　born

also。　I　passed　my　youth　in　yonder　fields　watching　the　baser　people　at

their　labours　and　going　in　and　out　at　will　among　the　great　courts　of

the　temples。　Of　my　mother　I　knew　naught；　for　she　died　when　I　yet　hung

at　the　breast。　But　before　she　died　in　the　reign　of　Ptolemy　Aulêtes；

who　is　named　the　Piper；　so　did　the　old　wife；　Atoua；　told　me；　my　mother

took　a　golden　ur？us；　the　snake　symbol　of　our　Royalty　of　Egypt；　from　a

coffer　of　ivory　and　laid　it　on　my　brow。　And　those　who　saw　her　do　this

believed　that　she　was　distraught　of　the　Divinity；　and　in　her　madness

foreshadowed　that　the　day　of　the　Macedonian　Lagid？　was　ended；　and　that

Egypt's　sceptre　should　pass　again　to　the　hand　of　Egypt's　true　and

Royal　race。　But　when　my　father；　the　old　High　Priest　Amenemhat；　whose

only　child　I　was；　she　who　was　his　wife　before　my　mother　having　been；

for　what　crime　I　know　not；　cursed　with　barrenness　by　Sekhet：　I　say

when　my　father　came　in　and　saw　what　the　dying　woman　had　done；　he

lifted　up　his　hands　towards　the　vault　of　heaven　and　adored　the

Invisible；　because　of　the　sign　that　had　been　sent。　And　as　he　adored；

the　Hathors＇*＇　filled　my　dying　mother　with　the　Spirit　of　Prophecy；　and

she　rose　in　strength　from　the　couch　and　prostrated　herself　thrice

before　the　cradle　where　I　lay　asleep；　the　Royal　asp　upon　my　brow；

crying　aloud：



＇*＇　The　Egyptian　/Parc？/　or　/Fates/。Editor。



〃Hail　to　thee；　fruit　of　my　womb！　Hail　to　thee；　Royal　child！　Hail　to

thee；　Pharaoh　that　shalt　be！　Hail　to　thee；　God　that　shalt　purge　the

land；　Divine　seed　of　Nekt…nebf；　the　descended　from　Isis。　Keep　thee

pure；　and　thou　shalt　rule　and　deliver　Egypt　and　not　be　broken。　But　if

thou　dost　fail　in　thy　hour　of　trial；　then　may　the　curse　of　all　the

Gods　of　Egypt　rest　upon　thee；　and　the　curse　of　thy　Royal　forefathers；

the　justified；　who　ruled　the　land　before　thee　from　the　age　of　Horus。

Then　in　life　mayst　thou　be　wretched；　and　after　death　may　Osiris　refuse

thee；　and　the　judges　of　Amenti　give　judgment　against　thee；　and　Set　and

Sekhet　torment　thee；　till　such　time　as　thy　sin　is　purged；　and　the　Gods

of　Egypt；　called　by　strange　names；　are　once　more　worshipped　in　the

Temples　of　Egypt；　and　the　staff　of　the　Oppressor　is　broken；　and　the

footsteps　of　the　Foreigner　are　swept　clean；　and　the　thing　is

accomplished　as　thou　in　thy　weakness　shalt　cause　it　to　be　done。〃



When　she　had　spoken　thus；　the　Spirit　of　Prophecy　went　out　of　her；　and

she　fell　dead　across　the　cradle　where　I　slept；　so　that　I　awoke　with　a

cry。



But　my　father；　Amenemhat；　the　High　Priest；　trembled；　and　was　very

fearful；　both　because　of　the　words　which　had　been　said　by　the　Spirit

of　the　Hathors　through　the　mouth　of　my　mother；　and　because　what　had

been　uttered　was　treason　against　Ptolemy。　For　he　knew　that；　if　the

matter　should　come　to　the　ears　of　Ptolemy；　Pharaoh　would　send　his

guards　to　destroy　the　life　of　the　child　concerning　whom　such　things

were　prophesied。　Therefore；　my　father　shut　the　doors；　and　caused　all

th