The entrance to the pharaoh's palace at Memphis was through a gate
placed between two lofty towers or pylons. The external walls of these
buildings were of gray sandstone covered from foundation to summit
with bas-reliefs.
At the top of the gate rose the arms of the state, or its symbol: a
winged globe, from behind which appeared two serpents. Lower down sat
a series of gods to which the pharaohs were bringing offerings. On
side pillars images of the gods were cut out also in five rows, one
above the other, while below were hieroglyphic inscriptions.
On the walls of each pylon the chief place was occupied by a flat
sculpture of Rameses the Great, who held in one hand an uplifted axe
and grasped in the other, by the hair of the head, a crowd of people
tied in a bundle, like parsley. Above the king stood or sat two rows
of gods; still higher, a line of people with offerings; at the very
summit of the pylons were winged serpents intertwined with scarabs.
Those pylons with walls narrowing toward the top, the gate which
connected them, the flat sculptures in which order was mingled with
gloomy fantasy and piety with cruelty, produced a tremendous
impression. It seemed difficult to enter that place, impossible to go
out, and a burden to live there.
From the gate, before which stood troops and a throng of small
officials, those who entered came into a court surrounded by porticos
resting on pillars. That was an ornamental garden, in which were
cultivated aloes, palms, pomegranates, and cedars in pots, all placed
in rows and selected according to size. In the middle shot up a
fountain; the paths were sprinkled with colored sand.
Under the gallery sat or walked higher officials of the state,
speaking in low tones.
From the court, through a high door, the visitor passed to a hall of
twelve lofty columns. The hall was large, but as the columns also were
large, the hall seemed diminutive. It was lighted by small windows in
the walls and through a rectangular opening in the roof. Coolness and
shade prevailed there; the shade was almost a gloom, which did not,
however, prevent him who entered from seeing the yellow walls and
pillars, covered with lines of paintings. At the top leaves and
flowers were represented; lower down, the gods; still lower, people
who carried their statues or brought them offerings; and between these
groups were lines of hieroglyphs.
All this was painted in clear, almost glaring colors,--green, red, and
blue.
In this hall, with its varied mosaic pavement, stood in silence, white
robed and barefoot, the priests, the highest dignitaries of State,
Herhor, the minister of war, also the leaders Nitager and Patrokles,
who had been summoned to the presence of the pharaoh.
His holiness Rameses XII., as usual before he held council, was
placing offerings before the gods in his chapel. This continued rather
long. Every moment some priest or official ran in from the more
distant chambers and communicated news touching the course of the
service.
"The lord has broken the seal to the chapel-- He is washing the sacred
divinity-- Now he is putting it away-- Now he has closed the door--"
On the faces of courtiers, notwithstanding their offices, concern and
humility were evident. But Herhor was indifferent, Patrokles
impatient, and Nitager now and then disturbed with his deep voice the
solemn silence. After every such impolite sound from the old leader,
the courtiers moved, like frightened sheep, and looked at one another,
as if saying,--
"This rustic has been hunting barbarians all his life, we may pardon
him."
From remoter chambers were heard the sound of bells and the clatter of
weapons. Into the hall came in two ranks some tens of the guard in
gilt helmets, in breastplates, and with drawn swords, next two ranks
of priests, and at last appeared the pharaoh, carried in a litter,
surrounded by clouds of smoke and incense.
The ruler of Egypt, Rameses XII., was nearly sixty years old. His
face was withered. He wore a white mantle; on his head was a red and
white cap with a golden serpent; in his hand he held a long staff.
When the retinue showed itself, all present fell on their faces,
except Patrokles, who, as a barbarian, stopped at a low bow, while
Nitager knelt on one knee, but soon rose again.
The litter stopped before a baldachin under which was an ebony throne
on an elevation. The pharaoh descended slowly from the litter, looked
awhile at those present, and then, taking his seat on the throne,
gazed fixedly at the cornice on which was painted a rose-colored globe
with blue wings and green serpents.
On the right of the pharaoh stood the chief scribe, on the left a
judge with a staff; both wore immense wigs.
At a sign from the judge all sat down or knelt on the pavement, while
the scribe said to the pharaoh,--
"Our lord and mighty ruler! Thy servant Nitager, the great guard on
the eastern boundary, has come to render thee homage, and has brought
tribute from conquered nations: a vase of green stone filled with
gold, three hundred oxen, a hundred horses, and the fragrant wood
teshep."
"That is a mean tribute, my lord," said Nitager. "Real treasures we
can find only on the Euphrates, where splendid kings, though weak so
far, need much to be reminded of Rameses the Great."
"Answer my servant Nitager," said the pharaoh to the scribe, "that his
words will be taken under careful consideration. But now ask him what
he thinks of the military ability of my son and heir, whom he had the
honor of meeting near Pi-Bailos yesterday."
"Our lord, the master of nine nations, asks thee, Nitager--" began the
scribe.
But the leader interrupted quickly, to the great dissatisfaction of
the courtiers,--
"I hear myself what my lord says. Only the heir to the throne could be
his mouth when he turns to me; not thou, chief scribe."
The scribe looked with consternation at the daring leader, but the
pharaoh answered,--
"My faithful Nitager speaks truth."
The minister of war bowed.
Now the judge announced to all present--to the priests, the officials,
and the guards that--they might go to the palace courtyard; and he
himself, bowing to the throne, was the first to go thither. In the
hall remained only the pharaoh, Herhor, and the two leaders.
"Incline thy ears, O sovereign, and listen to complaints," began
Nitager. "This morning the official priest, who came at thy command to
anoint my hair, told me that in going to thee I was to leave my
sandals in the entrance hall. Meanwhile it is known, not only in Upper
and Lower Egypt, but in the Hittite country, Libya, Phoenicia, and the
land of Punt, that twenty years ago thou didst give me the right to
stand before thee in sandals."
"Thou speakest truth," said the pharaoh. "Various disorders have crept
into the court ceremonial."
"Only give command, O king, and my veterans will produce order
immediately," added Nitager.
At a sign given by the minister of war, a number of officials ran in:
one brought sandals and put them on Nitager's feet; others put down
costly stools for the minister and leaders.
When the three dignitaries were seated, Rameses XII. said,--
"Tell me, Nitager, dost thou think that my son will be a leader?--But
tell pure truth."
"By Amon of Thebes, by the glory of my ancestors in whom was blood
royal, I swear that thy heir, Prince Rameses, will be a great leader,
if the gods permit," replied Nitager. "He is a young man, a lad yet;
still he concentrated his regiments, eased their march, and provided
for them. He pleased me most of all by this, that he did not lose his
head when I cut off the road before him, but led his men to the
attack. He will be a leader, and will conquer the Assyrians, whom we
must vanquish to-day if they are not to be seen on the Nile by our
grandchildren."
"What dost thou say to that?" inquired the pharaoh of Herhor.
"As to the Assyrians, I think that the worthy Nitager is concerned
about them too early. We must strengthen ourselves well before we
begin a new war. As to the heir, Nitager says justly that the young
man has the qualities of a leader: he is as keen as a fox, and has the
energy of a lion. Still he made many blunders yesterday."
"Who among us has not made them?" put in Patrokles, silent thus far.
"The heir," continued the minister, "led the main corps wisely, but he
neglected his staff; through this neglect we marched so slowly and in
such disorder that Nitager was able to cut off the road before us."
"Perhaps Rameses counted on your dignity," said Nitager.
"In government and war we must count on no man: one unreckoned little
stone may overturn everything," said the minister.
"If thou, worthiness," answered Patrokles, "had not pushed the columns
from the road because of those scarabs--"
"Thou, worthiness, art a foreigner and an unbeliever," retorted
Herhor, "hence this speech. But we Egyptians understand that when the
people and the soldiers cease to reverence the scarabs, their sons
will cease to fear the ureus (the serpent). From contempt of the gods
is born revolt against the pharaohs."
"But what are axes for?" asked Nitager. "Whoso wishes to keep a head
on his shoulders let him listen to the supreme commander."
"What then is your final opinion of the heir?" asked the pharaoh of
Herhor.
"Living image of the sun, child of the gods," replied the minister.
"Command to anoint Rameses, give him a grand chain and ten talents,
but do not appoint him yet to command the corps in Memphis. The prince
is too young for that office, too passionate and inexperienced. Can we
recognize him as the equal of Patrokles, who has trampled the
Ethiopians and the Libyans in twenty battles? Or can we place him at
the side of Nitager, whose name alone brings pallor to our northern
and eastern enemies?"
The pharaoh rested his head on his hand, meditated, and said,--
"Depart with my favor and in peace. I will do what is indicated by
wisdom and justice."
The dignitaries bowed low, and Rameses XII., without waiting for his
suite, passed to remoter chambers.
When the two leaders found themselves alone in the entrance hall,
Nitager said to Patrokles,--
"Here priests rule as in their own house. I see that. But what a
leader that Herhor is! He vanquished us before we spoke; he does not
grant a corps to the heir."
"He praised me so that I dared not utter a word," said Patrokles.
"He is far seeing, and does not tell all he thinks. In the wake of the
heir various young lords who go to war taking singers would have
shoved themselves into the corps, and they would occupy the highest
places. Naturally old officers would fall into idleness from anger,
because promotion had missed them; the exquisites would be idle for
the sake of amusement, and the corps would break up without even
meeting an enemy. Oh, Herhor is a sage!"
"May his wisdom not cost thee more than the inexperience of Rameses,"
whispered Patrokles.
Through a series of chambers filled with columns and adorned with
paintings, where at each door priests and palace officials gave low
obeisances before him, the pharaoh passed to his cabinet. That was a
lofty hall with alabaster walls on which in gold and bright colors
were depicted the most famous events in the reign of Rameses XII.,
therefore homage given him by the inhabitants of Mesopotamia, the
embassy from the King of Buchten, and the triumphal journey of the god
Khonsu through the land of that potentate.
In this hall was the malachite statue of the bird-headed Horus,
adorned with gold and jewels. In front of the statue was an altar
shaped as a truncated pyramid, the king's armor, costly armchairs and
stools, also tables covered with trifles and small objects.
When the pharaoh appeared, one of the priests burnt incense before
him, and one of the officials announced Prince Rameses, who soon
entered and bowed low before his father. On the expressive face of the
prince feverish disquiet was evident.
"Erpatr, I rejoice," said the pharaoh, "that thou hast returned in
good health from a difficult journey."
"Mayst thou live through eternity, holiness, and thy affairs fill the
two worlds!" replied Rameses.
"My military advisers have just informed me of thy labor and
prudence."
The heir's face quivered and changed. He fixed great eyes on the
pharaoh and listened.
"Thy deeds will not remain without reward. Thou wilt receive ten
talents, a great chain, and two Greek regiments with which thou wilt
exercise."
Rameses was amazed, but after a while he asked with a stifled voice,--
"But the corps in Memphis?"
"In a year we will repeat the manoeuvres, and if thou make no mistake
in leading the army thou wilt get the corps."
"I know that Herhor did this!" cried the prince, hardly restraining
his anger.
He looked around, and added, "I can never be alone with thee, my
father; strangers are always between us."
The pharaoh moved his brows slightly, and his suite vanished, like a
crowd of shadows.
"What hast thou to tell me?"
"Only one thing, father. Herhor is my enemy. He accused me to thee and
exposed me to this shame!"
In spite of his posture of obedience the prince gnawed his lips and
balled his fists.
"Herhor is thy friend and my faithful servant. It was his persuasion
that made thee heir to the throne. But--I--will not confide a corps to
a youthful leader who lets himself be cut off from his army."
"I joined it," answered the crushed heir; "but Herhor commanded to
march around two beetles."
"Dost thou wish that a priest should make light of religion in the
presence of the army?"
"My father," whispered Rameses, with quivering voice, "to avoid
spoiling the journey of the beetles a canal was destroyed, and a man
was killed."
"That man raised his own hands on himself."
"But that was the fault of Herhor."
"In the regiments which thou didst concentrate near Pi-Bailos thirty
men died from over-exertion, and several hundred are sick."
The prince dropped his head.
"Rameses," continued the pharaoh, "through thy lips is speaking not a
dignitary of the state who is thinking of the soundness of canals and
the lives of laborers, but an angry person. Anger does not accord with
justice any more than a falcon with a dove."
"Oh, my father," burst out the heir, "if anger carries me away, it is
because I feel the ill-will of the priests and of Herhor."
"But thou art thyself the grandson of a high priest; the priests
taught thee. Thou hast learned more of their secrets than any other
prince ever has."
"I have learned their insatiable pride, and greed of power. And
because I will abridge it they are my enemies. Herhor is not willing
to give me even a corps, for he wishes to manage the whole army."
When he had thrown out these incautious words, the heir was
frightened. But the ruler raised his clear glance, and answered
quietly,--
"I manage the state and the army. From me flow all commands and
decisions. In this world I am the balance of Osiris, and I myself
weigh the services of my servants, be they the heir, a minister, or
the people. Imprudent would he be who should think that all intrigues
are not known to me."
"But, father, if thou hadst seen with thy own eyes the course of the
manoeuvres--"
"I might have seen a leader," interrupted the pharaoh, "who in the
decisive moment was chasing through the bushes after an Israelite
maiden. But I do not wish to observe such stupidity."
The prince fell at his father's feet, and whispered,--
"Did Tutmosis speak to thee of that, lord?"
"Tutmosis is a child, just as thou art. He piles up debts as chief of
staff in the corps of Memphis, and thinks in his heart that the eyes
of the pharaoh cannot reach to his deeds in the desert."