"Mortgaged to the Phnicians, to certain bankers, to merchants, and to the temples."

"Well, but there is besides the inviolable treasure of the pharaohs in gold, platinum, and jewels; how much is that worth?"

"That was taken and distributed ten years ago."

"For what purpose? To whom?"

"For the needs of the court, in gifts to nomarchs and to temples."

"The court had incomes from current taxes. But could presents exhaust the treasury of my father?"

"Osiris Rameses, thy father, holiness, was a bountiful lord and made great offerings."

"Is it possible? Were they so great? I wish to know about this," said the pharaoh, impatiently.

"Exact accounts are in the archives; I remember only general figures."

"Speak!"

"For example," answered the treasurer, hesitatingly, "Osiris Rameses in the course of his happy reign gave to the temples about one hundred towns, one hundred and twenty ships, two million head of cattle, two million bags of wheat, one hundred and twenty thousand horses, eighty thousand slaves, two hundred thousand kegs of beer and wine, three million loaves of bread, thirty thousand garments, thirty thousand vessels of honey, olives, and incense. Besides that, one thousand talents of gold, three thousand talents of silver, ten thousand of bronze, five hundred talents of dark bronze, six million garlands of flowers, twelve hundred statues of G.o.ds, and thirty thousand precious stones.[25] Other numbers I do not remember at the moment, but they are all recorded."

[25] The gifts of Rameses III. to the temples were incomparably greater.

The pharaoh raised his hands with laughter, but after a time fell into anger, and cried, while striking the table with his fist,--

"It is an unheard of thing that a handful of priests should use so much beer and bread, so many garlands and robes, while they have their own income,--an immense income, which exceeds the wants of these holy men a hundred times."

"Thou hast been pleased, holiness, to forget that the priests support tens of thousands of poor; they cure an equal number of sick, and maintain a number of regiments at the expense of the temples."

"What do they want of regiments? Even the pharaohs use troops only in wartime. As to the sick, almost every man of them pays for himself, or works out what he owes the temple for curing him. And the poor? But they work for the temple: they carry water for the G.o.ds, take part in solemnities, and, above all, are connected with the working of miracles. It is they who at the gates of the temples, recover reason, sight, hearing; their wounds are cured, their feet and hands regain strength, while the people looking at these miracles pray all the more eagerly and give offerings to G.o.ds the more bountiful.

"The poor are like the oxen and sheep of the temples: they bring in pure profit--"

"But," the treasurer made bold to put in, "the priests do not expend all the offerings; they lay them up, and increase the capital."

"For what purpose?"

"For some sudden need of the state."

"Who has seen this capital?"

"I have seen it myself," said the dignitary. "The treasures acc.u.mulated in the labyrinth do not decrease; they increase from generation to generation, so that in case--"

"So that the a.s.syrians might have something to take when they conquer Egypt, which is managed by priests so beautifully!" interrupted the pharaoh. "I thank thee, chief treasurer; I knew that the financial condition of Egypt was bad, but I did not suppose the state ruined.

There are rebellions, there is no army, the pharaoh is in poverty; but the treasure in the labyrinth is increasing from generation to generation."

"If each dynasty, an entire dynasty, gave as many gifts to temples as my father has given, the labyrinth would have nineteen thousand talents of gold, about sixty thousand of silver, and so much wheat, and land, so many cattle, slaves, and towns, so many garments and precious stones, that the best accountant could not reckon them."

The chief treasurer was crushed when taking farewell of the sovereign.

But the sovereign himself was not satisfied, for after a moment's thought it seemed to him that he had spoken too plainly with officials.

CHAPTER LII

The guard in the antechamber announced Pentuer. The priest prostrated himself before the pharaoh, and said that he was waiting for commands.

"I do not wish to command," said Rameses, "but to beg thee. Thou knowest that in Egypt there are riots of laborers, artisans, even convicts. There are riots from the sea to the quarries. The only thing lacking is that my warriors should rebel and proclaim as pharaoh--Herhor, for example."

"Live through eternity, holiness!" replied the priest. "There is not a man in Egypt who would not sacrifice himself for thee, and not bless thy name."

"Aha, if they knew," said the ruler, with anger, "how helpless the pharaoh is, and how poor he is, each nomarch would like to be the lord of his province. I thought that on inheriting the double crown I should signify something. But I have convinced myself during the first day that I am merely a shadow of the former rulers of Egypt; for what can a pharaoh be without wealth, without an array, and, above all, without faithful subjects? I am like the statues of the G.o.ds which they incense, and before which they place offerings. The statues are powerless and the offerings serve to fatten the priests. But, true, thou art on their side."

"It is painful to me," answered Pentuer, "that thou speakest thus, holiness, on the first day of thy reign. If news of this were to go over Egypt!"

"To whom can I tell what pains me?" interrupted Rameses. "Thou art my counsellor; I was saved by thee, or at least thou hadst the wish to save my life, not of course to publish to the world that which is happening in the ruler's heart, which heart I open before thee. But thou art right."

He walked up and down in the chamber, and said after a while in a tone considerably calmer,--

"I have appointed thee chief of a council which is to investigate the causes of those ever-recurring riots in Egypt. I wish that only the guilty be punished, and that justice be done those who are injured."

"May the G.o.d support thee with his favor," whispered the priest. "I will do what thou commandest. But the causes of the riots I know already."

"What are they?"

"More than once have I spoken of them to thee, holiness. The toiling people are hungry; they have too much work, and they pay too many taxes. He who worked formerly from sunrise till sunset must begin now an hour before sunrise and finish an hour after sunset. It is not long since a common man might go every tenth day to visit the graves of his mother and father, speak with their shades, and make them offerings.

But to-day no one goes, for no one has time to go.

"Formerly a working man ate three wheat cakes in the course of the day; at present he has not even barley bread. Formerly labor on the ca.n.a.ls, dams, and roads was deducted from the taxes; now the taxes are paid independently while public works are carried on without wages.

These are the causes of riots."

"I am the poorest n.o.ble in the kingdom!" cried the pharaoh, while he tugged at his own hair. "Any landowner gives his cattle proper food and rest; but all men who work for me are tired and hungry.

"What am I to do, then, tell thou who hast begged me to improve the lot of the workers?"

"Wilt thou command me to tell, lord?"

"I will beg, I will command, as thou wishest. Only speak wisely."

"Blessed be thy rule, O true son of Osiris," answered the priest.

"This is what it is proper to do: Command, lord, first of all, that pay be given for labor on public works, as was the case formerly--"

"Of course."

"Next command that field labor last only from sunrise till sunset.

Then direct, as during the divine dynasties, that people rest every seventh day; not every tenth, but every seventh day. Then command that landowners shall not have the right to mortgage earth-tillers, or scribes the right to beat and torture them according to fancy.