We know not whether the prophets in the underground temple of the
Sphinx saw the new ruler of Egypt when he halted at the foot of the
pyramids, and gave information touching him at the palace, and if so
how they did it. The fact is that when Rameses was approaching the
ferry, the most worthy Herhor gave orders to rouse the palace
servants, and when their lord was crossing the Nile all priests,
generals, and civil dignitaries were assembled in the great hall of
audience.
Exactly at sunrise Rameses XIII., at the head of a small escort, rode
into the palace yard, where the servants fell on their faces before
him, and the guard presented arms to the sound of drums and trumpets.
His holiness saluted the army and went to the bathing chambers, where
he took a bath filled with perfumes. Then he gave permission to
arrange his divine hair; but when the barber asked most submissively
if the pharaoh commanded to shave his head and beard, the lord
replied,--
"There is no need. I am not a priest, but a warrior."
These words reached the audience-hall a moment later; in an hour they
had gone around the palace; about midday they had passed through every
part of the city of Memphis, and toward evening they were known in all
the temples of the state, from Tami-n-hor and Sabne-Chetam on the
north to Sunnu and Pilak on the south.
At this intelligence the nomarchs, the nobility, the army, the people,
and the foreigners were wild with delight, but the sacred order of
priests mourned the more zealously the dead pharaoh.
When his holiness emerged from the bath he put on a warrior's short
shirt with black and yellow stripes, and a yellow breast-piece; on his
feet sandals fastened with thongs, and on his head a low helmet with a
circlet. Then he girded on that Assyrian sword which he had worn at
the battle of the Soda Lakes, and, surrounded by a great suite of
generals, he entered with a clatter and clinking the audience-hall.
There the high priest Herhor stood before him, having at his side
Sem, the holy high priest, Mefres, and others, and behind him the
chief judges of Thebes and Memphis, some of the nearer nomarchs, the
chief treasurer, also the overseers of the house of wheat, the house
of cattle, the house of garments, the house of slaves, the house of
silver and gold, and a multitude of other dignitaries.
Herhor bowed before Rameses, and said with emotion,--
"Lord! it has pleased thy eternally living father to withdraw to the
gods where he is enjoying endless delight. To thee, then, has fallen
the duty of caring for the fate of the orphan kingdom.
"Be greeted, therefore, O lord and ruler of the world, and, holiness, may
thou live through eternity Cham-Sem-Merer-Amen-Rameses-Neter-haq-an."
Those present repeated this salutation with enthusiasm. They expected
the new ruler to show some emotion or feeling. To the astonishment of
all he merely moved his brow and answered,--
"In accordance with the will of his holiness, my father, and with the
laws of Egypt, I take possession of government and will conduct it to
the glory of the state and the happiness of the people."
He turned suddenly to Herhor and, looking him sharply in the eyes,
inquired,--
"On thy mitre, worthiness, I see the golden serpent. Why hast thou put
that symbol of regal power on thy head?"
A deathlike silence settled on the assembly. The haughtiest man in
Egypt had never dreamed that the young lord would begin rule by
putting a question like that to the most powerful person in the state,
more powerful, perhaps, than the late pharaoh.
But behind the young lord stood a number of generals; in the courtyard
glittered the bronze-covered regiments of the guard; and crossing the
Nile at that moment was an army wild from the triumph at the Soda
Lakes, and enamored of its leader.
The powerful Herhor grew pale as wax, and the voice could not issue
from his straitened throat.
"I ask your worthiness," repeated the pharaoh, calmly, "by what right
is the regal serpent on thy mitre?"
"This is the mitre of thy grandfather, the holy Amenhôtep," answered
Herhor, in a low voice. "The supreme council commanded me to wear it
on occasions."
"My holy grandfather," replied the pharaoh, "was father of the queen,
and in the way of favor he received the right to adorn his mitre with
the ureus. But, so far as is known to me, his sacred vestment is
counted among the relics of the temple of Amon."
Herhor had recovered.
"Deign to remember, holiness," explained he, "that for twenty-four
hours Egypt has been deprived of its legal ruler. Meanwhile some one
had to wake and put to sleep the god Osiris, to impart blessings to
the people and render homage to the ancestors of the pharaoh.
"In such a grievous time the supreme council commanded me to wear this
holy relic, so that the order of the state and the service of the gods
might not be neglected. But the moment that we have a lawful and
mighty ruler I set aside the wondrous relic."
Then Herhor took from his head the mitre adorned with the ureus, and
gave it to the high priest Mefres.
The threatening face of the pharaoh grew calm, and he turned his steps
toward the throne.
Suddenly the holy Mefres barred the way, and said while bending to the
pavement,--
"Deign, holy lord, to hear my most submissive prayer."
But neither in his voice nor his eyes was there submission when,
straightening himself, he continued,--
"I have words from the supreme council of high priests."
"Utter them," said the pharaoh.
"It is known to thee, holiness, that a pharaoh who has not received
ordination as high priest cannot perform the highest sacrifices; that
is, dress and undress the miraculous Osiris--"
"I understand," interrupted Rameses, "I am a pharaoh who has not
received the ordination of high priest."
"For that reason," continued Mefres, "the supreme council begs thee
submissively, holiness, to appoint a high priest to take thy place in
religious functions."
When they heard these decided words, the high priests and civil
dignitaries trembled and squirmed as if standing on hot stones, and
the generals touched their swords as if involuntarily. The holy Mefres
looked at them with unconcealed contempt, and fixed his cold glance
again on the face of the pharaoh.
But the lord of the world showed no trouble even this time.
"It is well," said he, "that thou hast reminded me, worthiness, of
this important duty. The military profession and affairs of state do
not permit me to occupy myself with the ceremonies of our holy
religion, so I must appoint a substitute."
While speaking he looked around at the men assembled.
On the left of Herhor stood the holy Sem. Rameses glanced into his
mild and honest face and inquired suddenly,--
"Who and what art thou, worthiness?"
"My name is Sem; I am high priest of the temple of Ptah in Pi-Bast."
"Thou wilt be my substitute in religious ceremonies," said the
pharaoh, pointing toward him with his finger.
A murmur of astonishment ran through the assembly.
After long meditation and counsels it would have been difficult to
select a more worthy priest for that high office.
Herhor grew much paler than before; Mefres pressed his blue lips
together tightly and dropped his eyelids.
A moment later the new pharaoh sat on his throne, which instead of
feet had the carved figures of princes and the kings of nine nations.
Soon Herhor gave to the lord, on a golden plate, a white and also a
red crown.
The sovereign placed the crowns on his own head in silence, while
those present fell prostrate.
That was not the solemn coronation; it was merely taking possession of
power.
When the priests had incensed the pharaoh and had sung a hymn to
Osiris, imploring that god to pour all blessings on the sovereign,
dignitaries of the civil power and of the army were permitted to kiss
the lowest step of the throne. Then Rameses took a gold spoon, and,
repeating a prayer which the holy Sem pronounced aloud, he incensed
the statues of the gods arranged in line on both sides of the
pharaoh's chapel.
"What am I to do now?" inquired he.
"Show thyself to the people," replied Herhor.
Through a gilded, widely opened door his holiness ascended marble
steps to a terrace, and, raising his hands, faced in turn toward the
four sides of the universe. The sound of trumpets was heard, and from
the summits of pylons banners were hung out. Whoso was in a field, in
a yard, on the street, fell prostrate; the stick, raised above the
back of a beast or a slave, was lowered without giving the blow, and
all criminals against the state who had been sentenced that day
received grace.
Descending from the terrace the pharaoh inquired,--
"Have I something more to do?"
"Refreshments and affairs of state are awaiting thee, holiness,"
replied Herhor.
"After that I may rest," said the pharaoh. "Where are the remains of
his holiness, my father?"
"Given to the embalmers," whispered Herhor.
Tears filled the pharaoh's eyes, and his mouth quivered, but he
restrained himself and looked down in silence. It was not proper that
servants should see emotion in such a mighty ruler.
Wishing to turn the pharaoh's attention to another subject, Herhor
asked,--
"Wilt thou be pleased, holiness, to receive the homage due from the
queen, thy mother?"
"I? Am I to receive homage from my mother?" asked Rameses, with
repressed voice.
"Hast thou forgotten what the sage Eney said? Perhaps holy Sem will
repeat those beautiful words to us."
"Remember," quoted Sem, "that she gave birth to thee and nourished
thee in every manner--"
"Speak further; speak!" insisted the pharaoh, striving always to
command himself.
"Shouldst thou forget that she would raise her hands to the god, and
he would hear her complaint. She bore thee long beneath her heart,
like a great burden, and gave thee birth when thy months had expired.
She carried thee in her arms afterward, and during three years she put
her breast into thy mouth. She reared thee, was not disgusted with thy
uncleanness. And when thou wert going to school and wert exercised in
writing, she placed before thy teacher daily bread and beer from her
own dwelling."[24]
[24] Authentic.
Rameses sighed deeply and said with calmness,--
"So ye see that it is not proper that my mother should salute me.
Rather I will go to her."
And he passed through a series of halls lined with marble, alabaster,
and wood, painted in bright colors, carved and gilded; behind him went
his immense suite. But when he came to the antechamber of his mother's
apartments, he made a sign to leave him. When he had passed the
antechamber, he stopped a while before the door, then knocked and
entered quietly.
In a chamber with bare walls, where in place of furniture there stood
only a low wooden couch and a broken pitcher holding water, all in
sign of mourning, Queen Nikotris, the mother of the pharaoh, was
sitting on a stone. She was in a coarse shirt, barefoot; her face was
smeared with mud from the Nile, and in her tangled hair there were
ashes.
When she saw Rameses, the worthy lady inclined so as to fall at his
feet. But the son seized her in his arms, and said with weeping,--
"If thou, O mother, incline to the ground before _me_, I shall be
forced to go under the ground before _thee_."
The queen drew his head to her bosom, wiped away his tears with the
sleeve of her coarse shirt, and then, raising her hands, whispered,--
"May all the gods, may the spirit of thy father and grandfather,
surround thee with blessing and solicitude. O Isis, I have never
spared offerings to thee, but to-day I make the greatest; I give my
beloved son to thee. Let this kingly son become thy son entirely, and
may his greatness and his glory increase thy divine inheritance."
The pharaoh embraced and kissed his mother repeatedly, then he seated
her on the wooden couch and sat on the stone himself.
"Has my father left commands to me?" inquired he.
"He begged thee only to remember him, but he said to the supreme
council, 'I leave you my heir, who is a lion and an eagle in one
person; obey him, and he will elevate Egypt to incomparable power.'"
"Dost thou think that the priests will obey me?"
"Remember," answered the queen, "that the device of the pharaoh is a
serpent, and a serpent means prudence, which is silent, and no one
knows when it will bite mortally. If thou take time as thy
confederate, thou wilt accomplish everything."
"Herhor is tremendously haughty. To-day he dared to put on the mitre
of the holy Amenhôtep. Of course I commanded him to set it aside. I
will remove him from the government,--him and certain members of the
supreme council."
The queen shook her head.
"Egypt is thine," said she, "and the gods have endowed thee with great
wisdom. Were it not for that, I should fear terribly a struggle with
Herhor."
"I do not dispute with him; I remove him."
"Egypt is thine," repeated the queen, "but I fear a struggle with the
priests. It is true that thy father, who was mild beyond measure, has
made those men insolent, but it is not wise to bring them to despair
through severity. Besides, think of this: Who will replace them in
counsel? They know everything that has been, that is, and that will be
on earth and in heaven; they know the most secret thoughts of mankind,
and they direct hearts as the wind directs tree leaves. Without them
thou wilt be ignorant not only of what is happening in Tyre and
Nineveh, but even in Thebes and Memphis."
"I do not reject their wisdom, but I want service," answered the
pharaoh. "I know that their understanding is great, but it must be
controlled so that it may not deceive, and it must be directed lest it
ruin the State. Tell me thyself, mother, what they have done with
Egypt in the course of thirty years? The people suffer want, or are in
rebellion; the army is small, the treasury is empty, and meanwhile two
months' distance from us Assyria is increasing like dough containing
leaven, and to-day is forcing on us treaties."
"Do as may please thee, but remember that the device of a pharaoh is a
serpent, and a serpent is silence and discretion."
"Thou speakest truth, mother, but believe me, at certain times daring
is better than prudence. The priests planned, as I know to-day, that
the Libyan war should last entire years. I finished it in the course
of a few days, and only because every day I took some mad but decisive
step-- If I had not rushed to the desert against them, which by the
way was a great indiscretion, we should have the Libyans outside
Memphis at this moment."
"I know that thou didst hunt down Tehenna, and that Typhon caught
thee," said the queen. "O hasty child, thou didst not think of me."
He smiled.
"Be of good heart," replied Rameses. "When the pharaoh is in battle,
at his left and his right hand stands Amon. Who then can touch him?"
He embraced the queen once more and departed.