An Egyptian Princess (Historical Novel). Georg Ebers

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СКАЧАТЬ raised her dark, thoughtful eyes and fixed them long and enquiringly on the beautiful youth. He bowed low before the blushing maiden, kissed her garment, and said:

      “I salute thee, as my future queen and sister! I can believe that thy heart is sore at parting from thy home, thy parents, brethren and sisters; but be of good courage; thy husband is a great hero, and a powerful king; our mother is the noblest of women, and among the Persians the beauty and virtue of woman is as much revered as the life-giving light of the sun. Of thee, thou sister of the lily Nitetis, whom, by her side I might venture to call the rose, I beg forgiveness, for robbing thee of thy dearest friend.”

      As he said these words he looked eagerly into Tachot’s beautiful blue eyes; she bent low, pressing her hand upon her heart, and gazed on him long after Amasis had drawn him away to a seat immediately opposite the dancing-girls, who were just about to display their skill for the entertainment of the guests. A thin petticoat was the only clothing of these girls, who threw and wound their flexible limbs to a measure played on harp and tambourine. After the dance appeared Egyptian singers and buffoons for the further amusement of the company.

      At length some of the courtiers forsook the hall, their grave demeanor being somewhat overcome by intoxication.

      [Unfortunately women, as well as men, are to be seen depicted on the

       monuments in an intoxicated condition. One man is being carried

       home, like a log of wood, on the heads of his servants. Wilkinson

       II. 168. Another is standing on his head II. 169. and several

       ladies are in the act of returning the excessive quantity which they

       have drunk. Wilkinson II. 167. At the great Techu-festival at

       Dendera intoxication seems to have been as much commanded as at the

       festivals of Dionysus under the Ptolemies, one of whom (Ptolemy

       Dionysus) threatened those who remained sober with the punishment of

       death. But intoxication was in general looked upon by the Egyptians

       as a forbidden and despicable vice. In the Papyrus Anastasi IV.,

       for instance, we read these words on a drunkard: “Thou art as a

       sanctuary without a divinity, as a house without bread,” and

       further: “How carefully should men avoid beer (hek).” A number of

       passages in the Papyrus denounce drunkards.]

      The women were carried home in gay litters by slaves with torches; and only the highest military commanders, the Persian ambassadors and a few officials, especial friends of Amasis, remained behind. These were retained by the master of the ceremonies, and conducted to a richly-ornamented saloon, where a gigantic wine-bowl standing on a table adorned in the Greek fashion, invited to a drinking-bout.

      Amasis was seated on a high arm-chair at the head of the table; at his left the youthful Bartja, at his right the aged Croesus. Besides these and the other Persians, Theodorus and Ibykus, the friends of Polykrates, already known to us, and Aristomachus, now commander of the Greek body-guard, were among the king’s guests.

      Amasis, whom we have just heard in such grave discourse with Croesus, now indulged in jest and satire. He seemed once more the wild officer, the bold reveller of the olden days.

      His sparkling, clever jokes, at times playful, at times scornful, flew round among the revellers. The guests responded in loud, perhaps often artificial laughter, to their king’s jokes, goblet after goblet was emptied, and the rejoicings had reached their highest point, when suddenly the master of the ceremonies appeared, bearing a small gilded mummy; and displaying it to the gaze of the assembly, exclaimed. “Drink, jest, and be merry, for all too soon ye shall become like unto this!”

      [Wilkinson gives drawings of these mummies (II. 410.) hundreds of

       which were placed in the tombs, and have been preserved to us.

       Lucian was present at a banquet, when they were handed round. The

       Greeks seem to have adopted this custom, but with their usual talent

       for beautifying all they touched, substituted a winged figure of

       death for the mummy. Maxims similar to the following one are by no

       means rare. “Cast off all care; be mindful only of pleasure until

       the day cometh when then must depart on the journey, whose goal is

       the realm of silence!” Copied from the tomb of Neferhotep to

       Abd-el-Qurnah.]

      “Is it your custom thus to introduce death at all your banquets?” said Bartja, becoming serious, “or is this only a jest devised for to-day by your master of the ceremonies?”

      “Since the earliest ages,” answered Amasis, “it has been our custom to display these mummies at banquets, in order to increase the mirth of the revellers, by reminding them that one must enjoy the time while it is here. Thou, young butterfly, hast still many a long and joyful year before thee; but we, Croesus, we old men, must hold by this firmly. Fill the goblets, cup-bearer, let not one moment of our lives be wasted! Thou canst drink well, thou golden-haired Persian! Truly the great gods have endowed thee not only with beautiful eyes, and blooming beauty, but with a good throat! Let me embrace thee, thou glorious youth, thou rogue! What thinkest thou Croesus? my daughter Tachot can speak of nothing else than of this beardless youth, who seems to have quite turned her little head with his sweet looks and words. Thou needest not to blush, young madcap! A man such as thou art, may well look at king’s daughters; but wert thou thy father Cyrus himself, I could not allow my Tachot to leave me for Persia!”

      “Father!” whispered the crown-prince Psamtik, interrupting this conversation. “Father, take care what you say, and remember Phanes.” The king turned a frowning glance on his son; but following his advice, took much less part in the conversation, which now became more general.

      The seat at the banquet-table, occupied by Aristomachus, placed him nearly opposite to Croesus, on whom, in total silence and without once indulging in a smile at the king’s jests, his eyes had been fixed from the beginning of the revel. When the Pharaoh ceased to speak, he accosted Croesus suddenly with the following question: “I would know, Lydian, whether the snow still covered the mountains, when ye left Persia.”

      Smiling, and a little surprised at this strange speech, Croesus answered: “Most of the Persian mountains were green when we started for Egypt four months ago; but there are heights in the land of Cambyses on which, even in the hottest seasons, the snow never melts, and the glimmer of their white crests we could still perceive, as we descended into the plains.”

      The Spartan’s face brightened visibly, and Croesus, attracted by this serious, earnest man, asked his name. “My name is Aristomachus.”

      “That name seems known to me.”

      “You were acquainted with many Hellenes, and my name is common among them.”

      “Your dialect would bespeak you my opinion a Spartan.”

      “I was one once.”

      “And СКАЧАТЬ