Part 39 (1/2)

”Worthiness, I have begged thee to acquaint me with the secret of governing Aa. Thou hast done so, thou hast shown me the country and the officials, but still I know nothing. On the contrary. I am like a man in the underground divisions of a temple who sees so many pa.s.sages about him that he is unable at last to find his way out into daylight.”

The nomarch was confused.

”What am I to do?” asked he. ”What dost thou wish of me, O ruler?

Only say the word and I will yield to thee office, property, even life.”

And, seeing that the prince received this a.s.surance with graciousness, he continued,--

”During thy journey thou hast seen the people of this province. Thou wilt say that all were not present. Agreed. I will command all to a.s.semble, and they are, men, women, old men, and children, about two hundred thousand. From the summit of the pylon thou wert pleased to survey our whole province. But if it be thy wish, we can examine from near by every field, every village, and every street of the city of Sochem. Finally I have shown thee the officials; it is true, the very lowest were absent. But command and all will stand before thee to-morrow and fall on their faces. What am I to do more? Tell me, most worthy lord.”

”I believe that thou art most faithful,” answered Rameses. ”Therefore explain to me two things: first, why has the income of his holiness diminished? second, what art thou doing thyself in the province?”

Otoes was confused, and the prince added quickly,--

”I wish to know what thou art doing here, and by what methods, since I am young and only commencing to govern.”

”Thou hast the wisdom of a century,” whispered the nomarch.

”Therefore it is proper,” continued the prince, ”that I should ask men of experience and that thou shouldst give me knowledge.”

”I will show thee all, and give every explanation,” said Otoes. ”But we should go to a place where there is no uproar.”

In fact, in the palace which the prince occupied as many people thronged in the inner and outer court as at a fair. They ate, drank, sang, raced or rested, and all this to enhance the glory of the viceroy whom they were serving.

About three in the afternoon, the nomarch gave command to bring two horses, and with the prince he rode forth from the city westward. The court remained in the palace and amused itself with still greater gladness.

The day was beautiful, cool; the earth was covered with plants and flowers. Over the heads of the hors.e.m.e.n were heard the songs of birds, the air was full of fragrance.

”How pleasant it is here!” exclaimed Rameses. ”Now I am able to collect my thoughts for the first time in a month. I had begun to think that a whole regiment of chariots had a.s.sembled in my head, and that from morning till evening reviews were held there.”

”Such is the fate of a ruler in this world,” said the nomarch.

They halted on an eminence. At their feet lay an immense meadow, cut through by a blue stream. On the north and on the south were white walls of towns; beyond the meadow on the rim of the horizon extended the reddish sands of the western desert, from which came an occasional breath of heated air, as if from a furnace.

On the meadow were countless herds of animals,--horned and hornless oxen, sheep, goats, a.s.ses, antelopes, even rhinoceroses.

Here and there were visible swampy places covered with water plants and reeds in which were teeming wild geese, ducks, doves, storks, pelicans, and ibises.

”Behold, lord,” said Otoes, ”a picture of our country, Queneh, Egypt.

Osiris fell in love with this strip of land in the midst of deserts; he covered it with plants and living creatures, so as to have from them profit. Then the kindly G.o.d took a human form and became the first pharaoh. When he felt that his body was withering, he left it and entered into his son, and later on into his son's son.

”Thus Osiris lives among us, since the beginning of ages, as pharaoh, and he gains profit from Egypt and its wealth which he himself created. The lord has extended like a mighty tree. All the pharaohs are his roots, the nomarchs and priests his larger branches, the n.o.bles the smaller branches. The visible G.o.d sits on the throne of the earth and receives the income which belongs to him from Egypt; the invisible G.o.d receives offerings in the temples, and declares his will through the lips of the priesthood.”

”Thou utterest truth,” said the viceroy. ”Thus is it written.”

”Since Osiris the pharaoh,” continued the nomarch, ”cannot himself be occupied in the management of the country, he has appointed us nomarchs, who come of his blood, to watch over his property.”

”That is true,” said Rameses. ”Sometimes even the sun G.o.d becomes incarnate in a nomarch and begins a new dynasty. Thus rose the dynasties of Memphis, Elephantina, Thebes, and Ksoi.”