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

by Bolesław Prus

  CHAPTER XXIX

  The prince journeyed on horseback in company with a number of officersto Pi-Bast, the famous capital of the province of Habu.

  The month Paoni had passed, Epiphi was beginning (April and May). Thesun stood high, heralding the most violent season of heat for Egypt. Amighty wind from the desert had blown in repeatedly; men and beastsfell because of heat, and on fields and trees a gray dust had begun tosettle under which vegetation was dying.

  Roses had been harvested and turned into oil; wheat had been gatheredas well as the second crop of clover. Well-sweeps and buckets movedwith double energy, irrigating the earth with dirty water to fit itfor new seed. Men had begun to gather grapes and figs. The Nile hadfallen, water in canals was low and of evil odor. Above the wholecountry a fine dust was borne along in a deluge of burning sun-rays.

  In spite of this Prince Rameses rode on and felt gladsome. The life ofa penitent in the temple had grown irksome; he yearned for feasts,uproar, and women.

  Meanwhile the country, intersected with a net of canals, though flatand monotonous, was pleasing. In the province of Habu lived people ofanother origin: not the old Egyptians, but descendants of the valiantHyksos, who on a time had conquered Egypt and governed that land for anumber of generations.

  The old Egyptians despised this remnant of a conquering race expelledfrom power afterward, but Rameses looked on them with satisfaction.They were large and strong, their bearing was proud, and there wasmanly energy in their faces. They did not fall prostrate before theprince and his officers, like Egyptians, but looked at him withoutdislike, but also without timidity. Neither were their shoulderscovered with scars from beating; the scribes respected them becausethey knew that if a Hyksos were beaten he would return the blows, andmight kill the man who gave them. Moreover the Hyksos enjoyed thepharaoh's favor, for their people furnished the choicest warriors.

  As the retinue of the heir approached Pi-Bast, whose temples andpalaces were visible through the haze of dust, as through a veil ofmuslin, the neighborhood grew more active. Along the broad highway andthe canals men were taking to market cattle, wheat, fruit, wine,flowers, bread, and a multitude of other articles of dailyconsumption. The torrent of people and goods moving toward the citywas as noisy and dense as that outside Memphis in the holiday season.Around Pi-Bast reigned throughout the whole year the uproar of amarket-day, which ceased only in the night time.

  The cause of this was simple. In that city stood the renowned andancient temple of Astarte. This temple was revered throughout WesternAsia and attracted throngs of pilgrims. It could be said withoutexaggeration that outside Pi-Bast thirty thousand strangers campeddaily,--Arabs, Phoenicians, Jews, Philistines, Hittites, Assyrians,and others. The Egyptian government bore itself kindly toward thesepilgrims, who brought it a considerable income; the priests enduredthem, and the people of neighboring provinces carried on an activetrade with them.

  For the space of an hour's journey from Pi-Bast the mud huts and tentsof strangers covered the open country. As one neared the city, thosehuts increased in number and transient inhabitants swarmed more andmore densely around them. Some were preparing food under the open sky,others were purchasing provisions which came in continually, stillothers were going in procession to the temple. Here and there werelarge crowds before places of amusement, where beast-tamers,serpent-charmers, athletes, female dancers, and jugglers exhibitedtheir adroitness.

  Above all this multitude of people were heat and uproar.

  Before the gate of the city Rameses was greeted by his court and bythe nomarch of Habu surrounded by his officials. But the greeting,despite cordiality, was so cold that the astonished viceroy whisperedto Tutmosis,--

  "What does this mean, that he looks on me as if I had come to measureout punishment?"

  "Because thou hast the face of a man who has been associating withdivinity."

  He spoke truth. Whether because of ascetic life, or the society ofpriests, or of long meditation, the prince had changed greatly. He hadgrown thin, his complexion had darkened, and in his face and bearingmuch dignity was evident. In the course of weeks he had grown someyears older.

  On one of the main streets of the city there was such a dense throngof people that the police had to open a way for the heir and hisretinue. But these people did not greet the prince; they had merelygathered around a small palace as if waiting for some person.

  "What is this?" asked Rameses of the nomarch, for this indifference ofthe throng touched the prince disagreeably.

  "Here dwells Hiram," answered the nomarch, "a prince of Tyre, a manof great charity. Every day he distributes bountiful alms, thereforepoor people rush to him."

  Rameses turned on his horse, looked, and said,--

  "I see there laborers of the pharaoh. So they too go for alms to therich Phoenician?"

  The nomarch was silent. Happily they approached the official palace,and the prince forgot Hiram.

  Feasts in honor of the viceroy continued a number of days insuccession, but they did not please him. Gladness was lacking anddisagreeable incidents happened.

  One day a favorite of the prince was dancing before him; she burstinto tears. Rameses seized her in his arms, and asked what her troublewas.

  At first she hesitated, but emboldened by the kindness of her lord,she answered, shedding tears in still greater abundance,--

  "We are thy women, O ruler, we come from great families, and respectis due to us."

  "Thou speakest truth," said Rameses.

  "Meanwhile thy treasurer stints us in allowance, and would deprive usof serving-maids, without whom we cannot bathe or dress our hair."

  Rameses summoned his treasurer, and commanded sternly that his womenshould have all that belonged to their birth and position. Thetreasurer fell on his face before the prince, and promised to carryout all commands of the women. A couple of days later, a rebellionbroke out among the court slaves, who complained that their wine hadbeen taken. The heir ordered to give them wine. But during a reviewtwo days later a deputation from the regiments came to the viceroywith a most humble complaint, that their rations of meat and breadwere diminished. The prince commanded that those petitioners besatisfied.

  Still, two days later a great uproar at the palace roused him in themorning. Rameses inquired what the cause was; the officer on dutyexplained that the pharaoh's laborers had assembled and asked forarrears due them.

  They summoned the treasurer, whom the prince attacked in great anger.

  "What is going on here?" cried he. "Since my return there is no daywithout complaints of injustice. If anything like this is repeated, Ishall order an inquiry and put an end to thy management."

  The trembling treasurer fell on his face again, and groaned,--

  "Slay me, lord! But what am I to do when thy treasury, thy granaries,and thy storehouses are empty?"

  In spite of his anger the prince thought that the treasurer might beinnocent. He commanded him to withdraw, and then summoned Tutmosis.

  "Listen to me," said Rameses to the favorite, "things are done herewhich I do not understand, and to which I am not accustomed. My women,the slaves, the army, the pharaoh's workmen do not receive what is duethem, or their supplies are curtailed. When I asked the treasurer whatthis means, he answered that the treasury and the storehouses areempty."

  "He told truth."

  "How is that?" burst out the prince. "For my journey his holinessassigned two hundred talents in gold and goods. Can it be that allthis is expended?"

  "Yes," answered Tutmosis.

  "How is that?" cried the viceroy. "Did not the nomarchs entertain usall the way?"

  "Yes, but we paid them for doing so."

  "Then they are rogues and robbers if they receive us as guests andthen plunder us."

  "Be not angry, and I will explain."

  "Sit down."

  Tutmosis took a seat.

  "Dost thou know," asked he, "that for a month past I have eaten foodfrom thy kitchen, drunk wine from thy pitchers, and dr
essed from thywardrobe?"

  "Thou hast a right to that privilege."

  "But I have never acted thus hitherto. I have lived, dressed, andamused myself at my own expense, so as not to burden thy treasury. Itis true that thou hast paid my debts more than once, but that was onlya part of my outlay."

  "Never mind the debts!"

  "In a similar condition," continued Tutmosis, "are some tens of nobleyouths of thy court. They maintained themselves so as to uphold thesplendor of the government; but now, like myself, they live at thyexpense, for they have nothing to pay with."

  "Some time I will reward them."

  "Now," continued Tutmosis, "we take from thy treasury, for want isoppressing us; the nomarchs do the same. If they had means they wouldgive feasts and receptions at their own cost; but as they have not themeans they receive recompense. Wilt thou call them rogues now?"

  "I condemned them too harshly. Anger, like smoke, covered my eyes,"said Rameses. "I am ashamed of my words; none the less I wish thatneither courtiers, soldiers, nor working men should suffer injustice.But since my means are exhausted it will be necessary to borrow. Woulda hundred talents suffice? What thinkest thou?"

  "I think that no one would lend us a hundred talents," whisperedTutmosis.

  The viceroy looked at him haughtily.

  "Is that a fit answer to the son of a pharaoh?" asked he.

  "Dismiss me from thy presence," said Tutmosis, sadly, "but I have toldthe truth. At present no one will make us a loan, for there is no oneto do so."

  "What is Dagon for?" wondered the prince. "He is not near my court; ishe dead?"

  "Dagon is in Pi-Bast, but he spends whole days with other Phoenicianmerchants in the temple of Astarte in prayer and penance."

  "Why such devotion? Is it because that I was in a temple that mybanker thinks he too should take counsel of the gods?"

  Tutmosis turned on the stool.

  "The Phoenicians," said he, "are alarmed; they are even crushed by thenews--"

  "About what?"

  "Some one has spread the report, worthiness, that when thou shaltmount the throne all Phoenicians will be expelled and their propertyconfiscated."

  "Well, they have time enough before that," laughed Rameses.

  Tutmosis hesitated further. "They say," continued he, in a loweredvoice, "that in recent days the health of his holiness--may he livethrough eternity!--has failed notably."

  "That is untrue!" interrupted the prince, in alarm. "I should know ofit."

  "But the priests are performing religious services in secret for thereturn of health to the pharaoh. I know this to a certainty."

  The prince was astonished.

  "How! my father seriously ill, the priests are praying for him, buttell me nothing?"

  "They say that the illness of his holiness may last a year."

  "Oh, thou hearest fables and art disturbing me. Better tell me aboutthe Phoenicians."

  "I have heard," said Tutmosis, "only what every one has heard,--thatwhile in the temple thou wert convinced of the harm done byPhoenicians, and didst bind thyself to expel them."

  "In the temple?" repeated the heir. "But who knows what that is ofwhich I convinced myself in the temple, and what I decided to do?"

  Tutmosis shrugged his shoulders, and was silent.

  "Was there treason, too, in the temple?" thought the prince. "SummonDagon in every case," said he, aloud. "I must know the source of theselies, and by the gods, I will end them."

  "Thou wilt do well, for all Egypt is frightened. Even to-day there isno one to lend money, and if those reports continue all commerce willcease. Our aristocracy have fallen into trouble from which none seethe issue, and even thy court is in want. A month hence the same thingmay happen in the palace of his holiness--"

  "Silence!" interrupted the prince, "and call Dagon this moment."

  Tutmosis ran out, but the banker appeared no earlier than evening.Around a white mantle he wore a black belt.

  "Hast thou gone mad?" cried the heir, at sight of this. "I will driveoff thy sadness immediately. I need a hundred talents at once. Go, andshow thyself not till thou bring them."

  The banker covered his face and wept.

  "What does this mean?" asked the prince, quickly.

  "Lord," exclaimed Dagon, as he fell on his knees, "seize all myproperty, sell me and my family. Take everything, even our lives--buta hundred talents--where could I find wealth like that? Neither inEgypt nor Phoenicia," continued he, sobbing.

  "Set has seized thee, O Dagon," laughed the heir. "Couldst thoubelieve that I thought of expelling thy Phoenicians?"

  The banker fell at the prince's feet a second time.

  "I know nothing--I am a common merchant, and thy slave--as many daysas there are between the new and the full moon would suffice to makedust of me and spittle of my property."

  "But explain what this means," said the prince, again impatient.

  "I cannot explain anything, and even were I able I have a great sealon my lips--I do nothing now but pray and lament."

  "Do the Phoenicians pray also?" thought the prince.

  "Unable to render any service," continued Dagon, "I will give goodcounsel at least. There is here in Pi-Bast a renowned Syrian, PrinceHiram, an old man, wise and tremendously wealthy. Summon him, Erpatr,ask of him a hundred talents; perhaps he will be able to gratifythee."

  Since Rameses could get no explanations from the banker, he dismissedhim, and promised to send an embassy to Hiram.