About midnight the revered queen, Nikotris, desired an audience of his holiness.

The worthy lady was pale and trembling. She commanded the officers to leave the pharaoh's chamber, and when alone with her son she said, weeping,--

"My son, I bring thee very bad omens."

"I should prefer, queen, to hear accurate information of the strength and intention of my enemies."

"This evening the statue of the divine Isis in my chapel turned its face to the wall, and water became blood-red in the sacred cistern."

"That proves," replied the pharaoh, "that there are traitors in the palace. But they are not very dangerous if they are able only to defile water and turn statues back forward."

"All our servants," continued the queen, "all the people are convinced that if thy army enters the temples, great misfortune will fall upon Egypt."

"A greater misfortune," said the pharaoh, "is the insolence of the priesthood. Admitted by my ever-living father to the palace, they think to-day that they have become its owners. But by the G.o.ds, what shall I become at last in presence of their all-mightiness? And shall I not be free to claim my rights as a sovereign?"

"At least--at least," said the lady after a while, "be gracious. Yes, thou must claim thy rights, but do not permit thy soldiers to violate holy places and do injustice to the priesthood. Remember that the gracious G.o.ds send down delight on Egypt, and the priests in spite of their errors (who is without them) have rendered incomparable services to this country. Only think, if thou shouldest impoverish and dismiss them, thou wouldst destroy wisdom which has raised our kingdom above all others."

The pharaoh took his mother by both hands, kissed her, and replied, smiling,--

"Women must always exaggerate. Thou art speaking to me, mother, as if I were the chief of wild Hyksos, and not a pharaoh. Do I wish injustice to the priests? Do I hate their wisdom, even such barren wisdom as that of investigating the course of the stars which move in the heavens without our aid, and do not enrich us one uten? Neither their wisdom nor their piety troubles me, but the wretchedness of Egypt, which within is growing weak from hunger, and without is afraid of any threat from a.s.syria. Meanwhile the priests, in spite of their wisdom, not merely do not wish to help me in my measures, but they present resistance in the most dangerous manner.

"Let me, mother, convince them that not they, but I am the master of my own heritage. I should not be able to take revenge on the submissive, but I will trample on the necks of the insolent.

"They know this, but still do not trust, and--with a lack of real power--they wish to frighten me by declaring some misfortune. That is their last resource and weapon. When they understand that I do not fear their terrors they will submit. And then not a stone will fall from their temples, or one ring be lost from their treasures.

"I know those men! To-day they put on a great front, for I am far from them. But when I stretch out a bronze fist they will fall on their faces, and all this confusion will end in general prosperity and contentment."

The queen embraced his feet and went out comforted, imploring him, however, to respect the G.o.ds and spare their servants.

After the departure of his mother he summoned Tutmosis.

"To-morrow," said the pharaoh, "my troops will occupy the temples. But tell the commanders of regiments, let them know that it is my will, that the holy places must be inviolate, and that no one is to raise a hand on any priest in Egypt."

"Even on Mefres and Herhor?" inquired Tutmosis.

"Even on them. They will be punished enough when they are put out of their present positions; they will live in learned temples to pray and investigate wisdom without hindrance."

"It will be as thou commandest, holiness--though--"

Rameses raised his finger in sign that he did not wish to hear arguments. And then, to change the conversation, he said, with a smile,--

"Dost thou remember, Tutmosis, the manuvres at Pi-Bailos? Two years have pa.s.sed. When I was angry then at the insolence and greed of the priests, couldst thou think that I should reckon with them so early?

But poor Sarah--and my little son. How beautiful he was!"

Two tears rolled down the pharaoh's cheeks.

"Indeed, if I were not a son of the G.o.ds, who are magnanimous and merciful, my enemies would pa.s.s through grievous hours to-morrow. How many humiliations have they put on me! How often have my eyes grown dark from weeping!"

CHAPTER LXV

On the 20th of Paofi Memphis looked as it might during a great solemn festival. All occupations had ceased; even carriers were not bearing burdens. The whole population had come out on the streets, or had collected around the temples,--mainly around the temple of Ptah, which was the best defended, and where the spiritual dignitaries had come together, also those lay officials who were under the direction of Herhor and Mefres.

Near the temples troops were posted in loose rank, so that the warriors might come to an understanding with the populace.

Among the common people and the army circulated many hucksters, with baskets of bread and with pitchers and skin bags in which there was wine. They entertained free of charge. When any one asked them why they took no pay, some answered that his holiness was entertaining his subjects, while others said,--

"Eat and drink, right-believing Egyptians, for it is unknown whether we shall see to-morrow!"

These were hucksters in the service of the priesthood.

A mult.i.tude of agents were circling about. Some proved to listeners that the priests were rebelling against their lord, and even wanted to poison him, because he had promised the seventh day for rest. Others whispered that the pharaoh had gone mad, and had conspired with foreigners to destroy the temples and Egypt. The first encouraged the people to attack the temples where the priests and nomarchs were arranging to oppress laborers and artisans; the others expressed fear that if the people attacked the temples some great misfortune might fall on them.

Under the walls of Ptah were a number of strong beams, and piles of stones brought, it was unknown from what quarter.

The serious merchants of Memphis, pa.s.sing among the crowds, had no doubt that the popular disturbance was called forth artificially.

Inferior scribes, policemen, overseers of laborers, and disguised decurions denied neither their official positions, nor this, that they were urging the people to occupy the temples. On the other side dissectors, beggars, temple servants and inferior priests, though they wished to conceal their ident.i.ty, were unable to do so, and each one who was endowed with perception saw that they were urging the people to violence. The thinking citizens of Memphis were astonished at this action of partisans of the priesthood, and the people began to fall away from their zeal of yesterday. Genuine Egyptians could not understand what the question was, or who was really calling forth disturbance. The chaos was increased by half-frenzied zealots, who, running about the streets naked, wounded themselves till the blood flowed, and cried,--

"Woe to Egypt! Impiety has pa.s.sed its measure and the hour of judgment is coming! O G.o.ds show your power over the insolence of injustice."

The troops bore themselves calmly, waiting till the people should break into the temples. For an order to that effect had come from the palace; and on the other the officers foresaw ambushes in the temples, and preferred that men of the crowd should perish rather than warriors, who would be sufficiently occupied in every case.

But in spite of the shouts of agitators, and wine given for nothing, the crowd hesitated. Laborers looked at the artisans; the artisans and all were waiting for something.

Suddenly, about one in the afternoon, from side streets a drunken band poured forth toward the temple of Ptah; it was armed with poles and axes and was made up of fishermen, Greek sailors, shepherds, and Libyan vagrants, even convicts from the quarries in Turra. At the head of this band went a laborer of gigantic stature, with a torch in his hand. He stood before the gate of the temple and cried with an immense voice to the people,--

"Do ye know, right believers, what the high priests and the nomarchs are preparing here? They wish to force his holiness, Rameses XIII., to deprive laborers of a barley cake a day, and to impose new taxes on the people, a drachma each man. I say, then, that ye are committing a low and stupid deed by standing here with your arms crossed. We must catch these temple rats at last and give them into the hands of our lord, the pharaoh, against whom these G.o.dless wretches are conspiring.

If our lord yields to priests, who will take the part of honest people?"

"He speaks truth!" called out voices from the mult.i.tude.

"Our lord will command to give us the seventh day for rest."

"And will give us land."

"He had compa.s.sion always for the common people. Remember how he freed those who, two years ago, were under judgment for attacking the house of the Jewess."

"I myself saw him beat a scribe, when the man was dragging an unjust tax from laborers."

"May he live through eternity, our lord, Rameses XIII., the guardian of oppressed laborers!"

"But look!" called out some voice from afar, "the cattle are coming from pasture, as if evening were near."

"What cattle! Go on against the priests!"

"Hei, ye!" cried the giant at the temple gate. "Open to us of your own will, so that we may know what the high priests and the nomarchs are counselling!"