[NOTE: There is a short list of bookmarks, or pointers, at the end of thefile for those who may wish to sample the author's ideas before making anentire meal of them. D. W. ] AN EGYPTIAN PRINCESS, Part 2. By Georg Ebers Volume 6. CHAPTER I. The principal steward of the banquet went forward to meet the guests asthey entered, and, assisted by other noble staff-bearers (chamberlainsand masters of the ceremonies), led them to their appointed places. When they were all seated, a flourish of trumpets announced that the kingwas near. As he entered the hall every one rose, and the multitudereceived him with a thundering shout of "Victory to the king!" again andagain repeated. The way to his seat was marked by a purple Sardian carpet, only to betrodden by himself and Kassandane. His blind mother, led by Croesus, went first and took her seat at the head of the table, on a thronesomewhat higher than the golden chair for Cambyses, which stood by it. The king's lawful wives sat on his left hand; Nitetis next to him, thenAtossa, and by her side the pale, plainly-dressed Phaedime; next to thislast wife of Cambyses sat Boges, the eunuch. Then came the high-priestOropastes, some of the principal Magi, the satraps of various provinces(among them the Jew Belteshazzar), and a number of Persians, Medes andeunuchs, all holding high offices under the crown. Bartja sat at the king's right hand, and after him Croesus, Hystaspes, Gobryas, Araspes, and others of the Achaemenidae, according to their rankand age. Of the concubines, the greater number sat at the foot of thetable; some stood opposite to Cambyses, and enlivened the banquet bysongs and music. A number of eunuchs stood behind them, whose duty itwas to see that they did not raise their eyes towards the men. Cambyses' first glance was bestowed on Nitetis; she sat by him in all thesplendor and dignity of a queen, but looking very, very pale in her newpurple robes. Their eyes met, and Cambyses felt that such a look could only come fromone who loved him very dearly. But his own love told him that somethinghad troubled her. There was a sad seriousness about her mouth, and aslight cloud, which only he could see, seemed to veil the usually calm, clear and cheerful expression of her eyes. "I will ask her afterwardswhat has happened, " thought he, "but it will not do to let my subjects seehow much I love this girl. " He kissed his mother, sister, brother and his nearest relations on theforehead--said a short prayer thanking the gods for their mercies andentreating a happy new year for himself and the Persians--named theimmense sum he intended to present to his countrymen on this day, andthen called on the staff bearers to bring the petitioners before hisface, who hoped to obtain some reasonable request from the king on thisday of grace. As every petitioner had been obliged to lay his request before theprincipal staff bearer the day before, in order to ascertain whether itwas admissible, they all received satisfactory answers. The petitions ofthe women had been enquired into by the eunuchs in the same manner, andthey too were now conducted before their lord and master by Boges, Kassandane alone remaining seated. The long procession was opened by Nitetis and Atossa, and the twoprincesses were immediately followed by Phaedime and another beauty. Thelatter was magnificently dressed and had been paired with Phaedime byBoges, in order to make the almost poverty-stricken simplicity of thefallen favorite more apparent. Intaphernes and Otanes looked as annoyed as Boges had expected, on seeingtheir grandchild and daughter so pale, and in such miserable array, inthe midst of all this splendor and magnificence. Cambyses had had experience of Phaedime's former extravagance in mattersof dress, and, when he saw her standing before him so plainly dressed andso pale, looked both angry and astonished. His brow darkened, and as shebent low before him, he asked her in an angry and tyrannical tone: "Whatis the meaning of this beggarly dress at my table, on the day set apartin my honor? Have you forgotten, that in our country it is the customnever to appear unadorned before the king? Verily, if it were not mybirthday, and if I did not owe you some consideration as the daughter ofour dearest kinsman, I should order the eunuchs to take you back to theharem, that you might have time to think over your conduct in solitude. " These words rendered the mortified woman's task much easier. . . . Shebegan to weep loud and bitterly, raising her hands and eyes to her angrylord in such a beseeching manner that his anger was changed intocompassion, and he raised her from the ground with the question: "Haveyou a petition to ask of me?" "What can I find to wish for, now that the sun of my life has withdrawnhis light?" was her faltering answer, hindered by sobs. Cambyses shrugged his shoulders, and asked again "Is there nothing thenthat you wish for? I used to be able to dry your tears with presents;ask me for some golden comfort to-day. " "Phaedime has nothing left to wish for now. For whom can she put onjewels when her king, her husband, withdraws the light of hiscountenance?" "Then I can do nothing for you, " exclaimed Cambyses, turning away angrilyfrom the kneeling woman. Boges had been quite right in advising Phaedimeto paint herself with white, for underneath the pale color her cheekswere burning with shame and anger. But, in spite of all, she controlledher passionate feelings, made the same deep obeisance to Nitetis as tothe queen-mother, and allowed her tears to flow fast and freely in sightof all the Achaemenidae. Otanes and Intaphernes could scarcely suppress their indignation atseeing their daughter and grandchild thus humbled, and many anAchaemenidae looked on, feeling deep sympathy with the unhappy Phaedimeand a hidden grudge against the favored, beautiful stranger. The formalities were at last at an end and the feast began. Just beforethe king, in a golden basket, and gracefully bordered round with otherfruits, lay a gigantic pomegranate, as large as a child's head. Cambyses noticed it now for the first time, examined its enormous sizeand rare beauty with the eye of a connoisseur, and said: "Who grew thiswonderful pomegranate?" "Thy servant Oropastes, " answered the chief of the Magi, with a lowobeisance. "For many years I have studied the art of gardening, and haveventured to lay this, the most beautiful fruit of my labors, at the feetof my king. " "I owe you thanks, " cried the king: "My friends, this pomegranate willassist me in the choice of a governor at home when we go out to war, for, by Mithras, the man who can cherish and foster a little tree so carefullywill do greater things than these. What a splendid fruit! Surely it'slike was never seen before. I thank you again, Oropastes, and as thethanks of a king must never consist of empty words alone, I name you atonce vicegerent of my entire kingdom, in case of war. For we shall notdream away our time much longer in this idle rest, my friends. A Persiangets low-spirited without the joys of war. " A murmur of applause ran through the ranks of the Achaemenidae and freshshouts of "Victory to the king" resounded through the hall. Their angeron account of the humiliation of a woman was quickly forgotten; thoughtsof coming battles, undying renown and conqueror's laurels to be won bydeeds of arms, and recollections of their former mighty deeds raised thespirits of the revellers. The king himself was more moderate than usual to-day, but he encouragedhis guests to drink, enjoying their noisy merriment and overflowingmirth; taking, however, far more pleasure still in the fascinating beautyof the Egyptian Princess, who sat at his side, paler than usual, andthoroughly exhausted by the exertions of the morning and the unaccustomedweight of the high tiara. He had never felt so happy as on this day. What indeed could he wish for more than he already possessed? Had notthe gods given him every thing that a man could desire? and, over andabove all this, had not they flung into his lap the precious gift oflove? His usual inflexibility seemed to have changed into benevolence, and his stern severity into good-nature, as he turned to his brotherBartja with the words: "Come brother, have you forgotten my promise?Don't you know that to-day you are sure of gaining the dearest wish ofyour heart from me? That's right, drain the goblet, and take courage!but do not ask anything small, for I am in the mood to give largely to-day. Ah, it is a secret! come nearer then. I am really curious to knowwhat the most fortunate youth in my entire kingdom can long for so much, that he blushes like a girl when his wish is spoken of. " Bartja, whose cheeks were really glowing from agitation, bent his headclose to his brother's ear, and whispered shortly the story of his love. Sappho's father had helped to defend his native town Phocaea against thehosts of Cyrus, and this fact the boy cleverly brought forward, speakingof the girl he loved as the daughter of a Greek warrior of noble birth. In so saying he spoke the truth, but at the same time he suppressed thefacts that this very father had acquired great riches by mercantileundertakings. [The Persians were forbidden by law to contract debts, because debtors were necessarily led to say much that was untrue. Herod. I. For this reason they held all money transactions m contempt, such occupations being also very uncongenial to their military tastes. They despised commerce and abandoned it to the conquered nations. ] He then told his brother how charming, cultivated and loving his Sapphowas, and was just going to call on Croesus for a confirmation of hiswords, when Cambyses interrupted him by kissing his forehead and saying:"You need say no more, brother; do what your heart bids you. I know thepower of love too, and I will help you to gain our mother's consent. "Bartja threw himself at his brother's feet, overcome with gratitude andjoy, but Cambyses raised him kindly and, looking especially at Nitetisand Kassandane, exclaimed: "Listen, my dear ones, the stem of Cyrus isgoing to blossom afresh, for our brother Bartja has resolved to put anend to his single life, so displeasing to the gods. [The Persians were commanded by their religion to marry, and the unmarried were held up to ridicule. Vendid. IV. Fargard. 130. The highest duty of man was to create and promote life, and to have many children was therefore considered praiseworthy. Herod. I. 136. ] In a few days the young lover will leave us for your country, Nitetis, and will bring back another jewel from the shores of the Nile to ourmountain home. " "What is the matter, sister?" cried Atossa, before her brother hadfinished speaking. Nitetis had fainted, and Atossa was sprinkling herforehead with wine as she lay in her arms. "What was it?" asked the blind Kassandane, when Nitetis had awakened toconsciousness a few moments later. "The joy--the happiness--Tachot, " faltered Nitetis. Cambyses, as well ashis sister, had sprung to the fainting girl's help. When she hadrecovered consciousness, he asked her to take some wine to revive hercompletely, gave her the cup with his own hand, and then went on at thepoint at which he had left off in his account: "Bartja is going to yourown country, my wife--to Naukratis on the Nile--to fetch thence thegranddaughter of a certain Rhodopis, and daughter of a noble warrior, anative of the brave town of Phocaea, as his wife. " "What was that?" cried the blind queen-mother. "What is the matter with you?" exclaimed Atossa again, in an anxious, almost reproachful tone. "Nitetis!" cried Croesus admonishingly. But the warning came too late;the cup which her royal lover had given her slipped from her hands andfell ringing on the floor. All eyes were fixed on the king's features inanxious suspense. He had sprung from his seat pale as death; his lipstrembled and his fist was clenched. Nitetis looked up at her loverimploringly, but he was afraid of meeting those wonderful, fascinatingeyes, and turned his head away, saying in a hoarse voice: "Take the womenback to their apartments, Boges. I have seen enough of them--let usbegin our drinking-bout--good-night, my mother; take care how you nourishvipers with your heart's blood. Sleep well, Egyptian, and pray to thegods to give you a more equal power of dissembling your feelings. To-morrow, my friends, we will go out hunting. Here, cup-bearer, give mesome wine! fill the large goblet, but taste it well--yes, well--for to-day I am afraid of poison; to-day for the first time. Do you hear, Egyptian? I am afraid of poison! and every child knows--ah-ha--that allthe poison, as well as the medicine comes from Egypt. " Nitetis left the hall, --she hardly knew how, --more staggering thanwalking. Boges accompanied her, telling the bearers to make haste. When they reached the hanging-gardens he gave her up to the care of theeunuch in attendance, and took his leave, not respectfully as usual, butchuckling, rubbing his hands, and speaking in an intimate andconfidential tone: "Dream about the handsome Bartja and his Egyptianlady-love, my white Nile-kitten! Haven't you any message for thebeautiful boy, whose love-story frightened you so terribly? Think alittle. Poor Boges will very gladly play the go-between; the poordespised Boges wishes you so well--the humble Boges will be so sorry whenhe sees the proud palm-tree from Sais cut down. Boges is a prophet; heforetells you a speedy return home to Egypt, or a quiet bed in the blackearth in Babylon, and the kind Boges wishes you a peaceful sleep. Farewell, my broken flower, my gay, bright viper, wounded by its ownsting, my pretty fir-cone, fallen from the tall pine-tree!" "How dare you speak in this impudent manner?" said the indignantprincess. "Thank you, " answered the wretch, smiling. "I shall complain of your conduct, " threatened Nitetis. "You are very amiable, " answered Boges. "Go out of my sight, " she cried. "I will obey your kind and gentle hints;" he answered softly, as ifwhispering words of love into her ear. She started back in disgust andfear at these scornful words; she saw how full of terror they were forher, turned her back on him and went quickly into the house, but hisvoice rang after her: "Don't forget my lovely queen, think of me now andthen; for everything that happens in the next few days will be a keepsakefrom the poor despised Boges. " As soon as she had disappeared he changed his tone, and commanded thesentries in the severest and most tyrannical manner, to keep a strictwatch over the hanging-gardens. "Certain death, " said he, "to whicheverof you allows any one but myself to enter these gardens. No one, remember--no one--and least of all messengers from the queen-mother, Atossa or any of the great people, may venture to set foot on thesesteps. If Croesus or Oropastes should wish to speak to the EgyptianPrincess, refuse them decidedly. Do you understand? I repeat it, whoever is begged or bribed into disobedience will not see the light ofto-morrow's sun. Nobody may enter these gardens without expresspermission from my own mouth. I think you know me. Here, take thesegold staters, your work will be heavier now; but remember, I swear byPlithras not to spare one of you who is careless or disobedient. " The men made a due obeisance and determined to obey; they knew thatBoges' threats were never meant in joke, and fancied something great mustbe coming to pass, as the stingy eunuch never spent his staters withoutgood reason. Boges was carried back to the banqueting-hall in the same litter, whichhad brought Nitetis away. The king's wives had left, but the concubines were all standing in theirappointed place, singing their monotonous songs, though quite unheard bythe uproarious men. The drinkers had already long forgotten the fainting woman. The uproarand confusion rose with every fresh wine-cup. They forgot the dignity ofthe place where they were assembled, and the presence of their mightyruler. They shouted in their drunken joy; warriors embraced one another with atenderness only excited by wine, here and there a novice was carried awayin the arms of a pair of sturdy attendants, while an old hand at the workwould seize a wine-jug instead of a goblet, and drain it at a draughtamid the cheers of the lookers-on. The king sat on at the head of the table, pale as death, staring into thewine-cup as if unconscious of what was going on around hint. But at thesight of his brother his fist clenched. He would neither speak to him, nor answer his questions. The longer hesat there gazing into vacancy, the firmer became his conviction thatNitetis had deceived him, --that she had pretended to love him while herheart really belonged to Bartja. How shamefully they had made sport ofhim! How deeply rooted must have been the faithlessness of this cleverhypocrite, if the mere news that his brother loved some one else couldnot only destroy all her powers of dissimulation, but actually depriveher of consciousness! When Nitetis left the hall, Otanes, the father of Phaedime had calledout: "The Egyptian women seem to take great interest in the love-affairsof their brothers-in-law. The Persian women are not so generous withtheir feelings; they keep them for their husbands. " Cambyses was too proud to let it be seen that he had heard these words;like the ostrich, he feigned deafness and blindness in order not to seemaware of the looks and murmurs of his guests, which all went to provethat he had been deceived. Bartja could have had no share in her perfidy; she had loved thishandsome youth, and perhaps all the more because she had not been able tohope for a return of her love. If he had had the slightest suspicion ofhis brother, he would have killed him on the spot. Bartja was certainlyinnocent of any share in the deception and in his brother's misery, butstill he was the cause of all; so the old grudge, which had only justbeen allowed to slumber, woke again; and, as a relapse is always moredangerous than the original illness, the newly-roused anger was moreviolent than what he had formerly felt. He thought and thought, but he could not devise a fitting punishment forthis false woman. Her death would not content his vengeance, she mustsuffer something worse than mere death! Should he send her back to Egypt, disgraced and shamed? Oh, no! sheloved her country, and she would be received by her parents with openarms. Should he, after she had confessed her guilt, (for he wasdetermined to force a confession from her) shut her up in a solitarydungeon? or should he deliver her over to Boges, to be the servant ofhis concubines? Yes! now he had hit upon the right punishment. Thus thefaithless creature should be disciplined, and the hypocrite, who haddared to make sport of him--the All-powerful--forced to atone for hercrimes. Then he said to himself: "Bartja must not stay here; fire and water havemore in common than we two--he always fortunate and happy, and I somiserable. Some day or other his descendants will divide my treasures, and wear my crown; but as yet I am king, and I will show that I am. " The thought of his proud, powerful position flashed through him likelightning. He woke from his dreams into new life, flung his goldengoblet far into the hall, so that the wine flew round like rain, andcried: "We have had enough of this idle talk and useless noise. Let ushold a council of war, drunken as we are, and consider what answer weought to give the Massagetae. Hystaspes, you are the eldest, give usyour opinion first. " [Herod. I. 134. The Persians deliberated and resolved when they were intoxicated, and when they were sober reconsidered their determinations. Tacitus tells the same of the old Germans. Germ, c. 22. ] Hystaspes, the father of Darius, was an old man. He answered: "It seemsto me, that the messengers of this wandering tribe have left us nochoice. We cannot go to war against desert wastes; but as our host isalready under arms and our swords have lain long in their scabbards, warwe must have. We only want a few good enemies, and I know no easier workthan to make them. " At these words the Persians broke into loud shouts of delight; butCroesus only waited till the noise had ceased to say: "Hystaspes, you andI are both old men; but you are a thorough Persian and fancy you can onlybe happy in battle and bloodshed. You are now obliged to lean forsupport on the staff, which used to be the badge of your rank ascommander, and yet you speak like a hot-blooded boy. I agree with youthat enemies are easy enough to find, but only fools go out to look forthem. The man who tries to make enemies is like a wretch who mutilateshis own body. If the enemies are there, let us go out to meet them likewise men who wish to look misfortune boldly in the face; but let us nevertry to begin an unjust war, hateful to the gods. We will wait untilwrong has been done us, and then go to victory or death, conscious thatwe have right on our side. " The old man was interrupted by a low murmur of applause, drowned howeverquickly by cries of "Hystaspes is right! let us look for an enemy!" It was now the turn of the envoy Prexaspes to speak, and he answeredlaughing: "Let us follow the advice of both these noble old men. We willdo as Croesus bids us and not go out to seek an enemy, but at the sametime we will follow Hystaspes' advice by raising our claims andpronouncing every one our enemy, who does not cheerfully consent tobecome a member of the kingdom founded by our great father Cyrus. Forinstance, we will ask the Indians if they would feel proud to obey yoursceptre, Cambyses. If they answer no, it is a sign that they do not loveus, and whoever does not love us, must be our enemy. " "That won't do, " cried Zopyrus. "We must have war at any price. " "I vote for Croesus, " said Gobryas. "And I too, " said the nobleArtabazus. "We are for Hystaspes, " shouted the warrior Araspes, the old Intaphernes, and some more of Cyrus's old companions-in-arms. "War we must have at any price, " roared the general Megabyzus, the fatherof Zopyrus, striking the table so sharply with his heavy fist, that thegolden vessels rang again, and some goblets even fell; "but not with theMassagetac--not with a flying foe. " "There must be no war with the Massagetae, " said the high-priestOropastes. "The gods themselves have avenged Cyrus's death upon them. " Cambyses sat for some moments, quietly and coldly watching theunrestrained enthusiasm of his warriors, and then, rising from his seat, thundered out the words: "Silence, and listen to your king!" The words worked like magic on this multitude of drunken men. Even thosewho were most under the influence of wine, listened to their king in akind of unconscious obedience. He lowered his voice and went on: "I didnot ask whether you wished for peace or war--I know that every Persianprefers the labor of war to an inglorious idleness--but I wished to knowwhat answer you would give the Massagetan warriors. Do you consider thatthe soul of my father--of the man to whom you owe all your greatness--hasbeen sufficiently avenged?" A dull murmur in the affirmative, interrupted by some violent voices inthe negative, was the answer. The king then asked a second question:"Shall we accept the conditions proposed by their envoys, and grant peaceto this nation, already so scourged and desolated by the gods?" To thisthey all agreed eagerly. "That is what I wished to know, " continued Cambyses. "To-morrow, when weare sober, we will follow the old custom and reconsider what has beenresolved on during our intoxication. Drink on, all of you, as long asthe night lasts. To-morrow, at the last crow of the sacred bird Parodar, I shall expect you to meet me for the chase, at the gate of the temple ofBel. " So saying, the king left the hall, followed by a thundering "Victory tothe king!" Boges had slipped out quietly before him. In the forecourthe found one of the gardener's boys from the hanging-gardens. "What do you want here?" asked Boges. "I have something for the princeBartja. " "For Bartja? Has he asked your master to send him some seeds or slips?" The boy shook his sunburnt head and smiled roguishly. "Some one else sent you then?" said Boges becoming more attentive. "Yes, some one else. " "Ah! the Egyptian has sent a message to her brother-in-law?" "Who told you that?" "Nitetis spoke to me about it. Here, give me what you have; I will giveit to Bartja at once. " "I was not to give it to any one but the prince himself. " "Give it to me; it will be safer in my hands than in yours. " "I dare not. " "Obey me at once, or--" At this moment the king came up. Boges thought a moment, and then calledin a loud voice to the whip-bearers on duty at the palace-gate, to takethe astonished boy up. "What is the matter here?" asked Cambyses. "This fellow, " answered the eunuch, "has had the audacity to make his wayinto the palace with a message from your consort Nitetis to Bartja. " At sight of the king, the boy had fallen on his knees, touching theground with his forehead. Cambyses looked at him and turned deadly pale. Then, turning to theeunuch, he asked: "What does the Egyptian Princess wish from my brother?" "The boy declares that he has orders to give up what has been entrustedto him to no one but Bartja. " On hearing this the boy looked imploringlyup at the king, and held out a little papyrus roll. Cambyses snatched it out of his hand, but the next moment stampedfuriously on the ground at seeing that the letter was written in Greek, which he could not read. He collected himself, however, and, with an awful look, asked the boy whohad given him the letter. "The Egyptian lady's waiting-woman Mandane, "he answered; "the Magian's daughter. " "For my brother Bartja?" "She said I was to give the letter to the handsome prince, before thebanquet, with a greeting from her mistress Nitetis, and I was to tell him. . . " Here the king stamped so furiously, that the boy was frightened and couldonly stammer: "Before the banquet the prince was walking with you, so Icould not speak to him, and now I am waiting for him here, for Mandanepromised to give me a piece of gold if I did what she told me cleverly. " "And that you have not done, " thundered the king, fancying himselfshamefully deceived. "No, indeed you have not. Here, guards, seize thisfellow!" The boy begged and prayed, but all in vain; the whip-bearers seizedhim quick as thought, and Cambyses, who went off at once to his ownapartments, was soon out of reach of his whining entreaties for mercy. Boges followed his master, rubbing his fat hands, and laughing quietly tohimself. The king's attendants began their work of disrobing him, but he told themangrily to leave him at once. As soon as they were gone, he called Bogesand said in a low voice: "From this time forward the hanging-gardens andthe Egyptian are under your control. Watch her carefully! If a singlehuman being or a message reaches her without my knowledge, your life willbe the forfeit. " "But if Kassandane or Atossa should send to her?" "Turn the messengers away, and send word that every attempt to see orcommunicate with Nitetis will be regarded by me as a personal offence. " "May I ask a favor for myself, O King?" "The time is not well chosen for asking favors. " "I feel ill. Permit some one else to take charge of the hanging-gardensfor to-morrow only. " "No!--now leave me. " "I am in a burning fever and have lost consciousness three times duringthe day--if when I am in that state any one should . . . " But who could take your place?" "The Lydian captain of the eunuchs, Kandaules. He is true as gold, andinflexibly severe. One day of rest would restore me to health. Havemercy, O King!" "No one is so badly served as the king himself. Kandaules may take yourplace to-morrow, but give hum the strictest orders, and say that theslightest neglect will put his life in danger. --Now depart. " "Yet one word, my King: to-morrow night the rare blue lily in thehanging-gardens will open. Hystaspes, Intaphernes, Gobyras, Croesus andOropastes, the greatest horticulturists at your court, would very muchlike to see it. May they be allowed to visit the gardens for a fewminutes? Kandaules shall see that they enter into no communication withthe Egyptian. " "Kandaules must keep his eyes open, if he cares for his own life. --Go!" Boges made a deep obeisance and left the king's apartment. He threw afew gold pieces to the slaves who bore the torches before him. He was sovery happy. Every thing had succeeded beyond his expectations:--the fateof Nitetis was as good as decided, and he held the life of Kandaules, hishated colleague, in his own hands. Cambyses spent the night in pacing up and down his apartment. By cock-crow he had decided that Nitetis should be forced to confess her guilt, and then be sent into the great harem to wait on the concubines. Bartja, the destroyer of his happiness, should set off at once for Egypt, and onhis return become the satrap of some distant provinces. He did not wishto incur the guilt of a brother's murder, but he knew his own temper toowell not to fear that in a moment of sudden anger, he might kill one hehated so much, and therefore wished to remove him out of the reach of hispassion. Two hours after the sun had risen, Cambyses was riding on his fierysteed, far in front of a Countless train of followers armed with shields, swords, lances, bows and lassos, in pursuit of the game which was to befound in the immense preserves near Babylon, and was to be started fromits lair by more than a thousand dogs. [The same immense trains of followers of course accompanied the kings on their hunting expeditions, as on their journeys. As the Persian nobility were very fond of hunting, their boys were taught this sport at an early age. According to Strabo, kings themselves boasted of having been mighty hunters in the inscriptions on their tombs. A relief has been found m the ruins of Persepolis, on which the king is strangling a lion with his right arm, but this is supposed to have a historical, not a symbolical meaning. Similar representations occur on Assyrian monuments. Izdubar strangling a lion and fighting with a lion (relief at Khorsabad) is admirably copied in Delitzsch's edition of G. Smith's Chaldean Genesis. Layard discovered some representations of hunting-scenes during his excavations; as, for instance, stags and wild boars among the reeds; and the Greeks often mention the immense troops of followers on horse and foot who attended the kings of Persia when they went hunting. According to Xenophon, Cyrop. I. 2. II. 4. Every hunter was obliged to be armed with a bow and arrows, two lances, sword and shield. In Firdusi's Book of Kings we read that the lasso was also a favorite weapon. Hawking was well known to the Persians more than 900 years ago. Book of Kabus XVIII. P. 495. The boomerang was used in catching birds as well by the Persians as by the ancient Egyptians and the present savage tribes of New Holland. ] CHAPTER II. The hunt was over. Waggons full of game, amongst which were severalenormous wild boars killed by the king's own hand, were driven homebehind the sports men. At the palace-gates the latter dispersed to theirseveral abodes, in order to exchange the simple Persian leather hunting-costume for the splendid Median court-dress. In the course of the day's sport Cambyses had (with difficultyrestraining his agitation) given his brother the seemingly kind order tostart the next day for Egypt in order to fetch Sappho and accompany herto Persia. At the same time he assigned him the revenues of Bactra, Rhagae and Sinope for the maintenance of his new household, and to hisyoung wife, all the duties levied from her native town Phocaea, as pin-money. Bartja thanked his generous brother with undisguised warmth, but Cambysesremained cold as ice, uttered a few farewell words, and then, riding offin pursuit of a wild ass, turned his back upon him. On the way home from the chase the prince invited his bosom-friendsCroesus, Darius, Zopyrus and Gyges to drink a parting-cup with him. Croesus promised to join them later, as he had promised to visit the bluelily at the rising of the Tistarstar. He had been to the hanging-gardens that morning early to visit Nitetis, but had been refused entrance by the guards, and the blue lily seemed nowto offer him another chance of seeing and speaking to his beloved pupil. He wished for this very much, as he could not thoroughly understand herbehavior the day before, and was uneasy at the strict watch set over her. The young Achaemenidae sat cheerfully talking together in the twilight ina shady bower in the royal gardens, cool fountains plashing round them. Araspes, a Persian of high rank, who had been one of Cyrus's friends, hadjoined them, and did full justice to the prince's excellent wine. "Fortunate Bartja!" cried the old bachelor, "going out to a goldencountry to fetch the woman you love; while I, miserable old fellow, amblamed by everybody, and totter to my grave without wife or children toweep for me and pray the gods to be merciful to my poor soul. " "Why think of such things?" cried Zopyrus, flourishing the wine-cup. "There's no woman so perfect that her husband does not, at least once aday, repent that he ever took a wife. Be merry, old friend, and rememberthat it's all your own fault. If you thought a wife would make youhappy, why did not you do as I have done? I am only twenty-two years oldand have five stately wives and a troop of the most beautiful slaves inmy house. " Araspes smiled bitterly. "And what hinders you from marrying now?" said Gyges. "You are a matchfor many a younger man in appearance, strength, courage and perseverance. You are one of the king's nearest relations too--I tell you, Araspes, youmight have twenty young and beautiful wives. " "Look after your own affairs, " answered Araspes. "In your place, Icertainly should not have waited to marry till I was thirty. " "An oracle has forbidden my marrying. " "Folly? how can a sensible man care for what an oracle says? It is onlyby dreams, that the gods announce the future to men. I should havethought that your own father was example enough of the shameful way inwhich those lying priests deceive their best friends. " "That is a matter which you do not understand, Araspes. " "And never wish to, boy, for you only believe in oracles because youdon't understand them, and in your short-sightedness call everything thatis beyond your comprehension a miracle. And you place more confidence inanything that seems to you miraculous, than in the plain simple truththat lies before your face. An oracle deceived your father and plungedhim into ruin, but the oracle is miraculous, and so you too, in perfectconfidence, allow it to rob you of happiness!" "That is blasphemy, Araspes. Are the gods to be blamed because wemisunderstand their words?" "Certainly: for if they wished to benefit us they would give us, with thewords, the necessary penetration for discovering their meaning. Whatgood does a beautiful speech do me, if it is in a foreign language that Ido not understand?" "Leave off this useless discussion, " said Darius, "and tell us instead, Araspes, how it is that, though you congratulate every man on becoming abridegroom, you yourself have so long submitted to be blamed by thepriests, slighted at all entertainments and festivals, and abused by thewomen, only because you choose to live and die a bachelor?" Araspes looked down thoughtfully, then shook himself, took a long draughtfrom the wine-cup, and said, "I have my reasons, friends, but I cannottell them now. " "Tell them, tell them, " was the answer. "No, children, I cannot, indeed I cannot. This cup I drain to the healthof the charming Sappho, and this second to your good fortune, myfavorite, Darius. " "Thanks, Araspes!" exclaimed Bartja, joyfully raising his goblet to hislips. "You mean well, I know, " muttered Darius, looking down gloomily. "What's this, you son of Hystaspes?" cried the old man, looking morenarrowly at the serious face of the youth. "Dark looks like these don'tsit well on a betrothed lover, who is to drink to the health of hisdearest one. Is not Gobryas' little daughter the noblest of all theyoung Persian girls after Atossa? and isn't she beautiful?" "Artystone has every talent and quality that a daughter of theAchaemenidae ought to possess, " was Darius's answer, but his brow did notclear as he said the words. "Well, if you want more than that, you must be very hard to please. " Darius raised his goblet and looked down into the wine. "The boy is in love, as sure as my name is Araspes!" exclaimed the elderman. "What a set of foolish fellows you are, " broke in Zopyrus at thisexclamation. "One of you has remained a bachelor in defiance of allPersian customs; another has been frightened out of marrying by anoracle; Bartja has determined to be content with only one wife; andDarius looks like a Destur chanting the funeral-service, because hisfather has told him to make himself happy with the most beautiful andaristocratic girl in Persia!" "Zopyrus is right, " cried Araspes. "Darius is ungrateful to fortune. " Bartja meanwhile kept his eyes fixed on the friend, who was thus blamedby the others. He saw that their jests annoyed him, and feeling his owngreat happiness doubly in that moment, pressed Darius's hand, saying:"I am so sorry that I cannot be present at your wedding. By the time Icome back, I hope you will be reconciled to your father's choice. " "Perhaps, " said Darius, "I may be able to show a second and even a thirdwife by that time. " "Anahita" grant it!" exclaimed Zopyrus. "The Achaemenidae would soonbecome extinct, if every one were to follow such examples as Gyges andAraspes have set us. And your one wife, Bartja, is really not worthtalking about. It is your duty to marry three wives at once, in order tokeep up your father's family--the race of Cyrus. " "I hate our custom of marrying many wives, " answered Bartja. "Throughdoing this, we make ourselves inferior to the women, for we expect themto remain faithful to us all our lives, and we, who are bound to respecttruth and faithfulness above every thing else, swear inviolable love toone woman to-day, and to another to-morrow. " "Nonsense!" cried Zopyrus. "I'd rather lose my tongue than tell a he toa man, but our wives are so awfully deceitful, that one has no choice butto pay them back in their own coin. " "The Greek women are different, " said Bartja, "because they aredifferently treated. Sappho told me of one, I think her name wasPenelope, who waited twenty years faithfully and lovingly for herhusband, though every one believed he was dead, and she had fifty loversa day at her house. " "My wives would not wait so long for me, " said Zopyrus laughing. "Totell the truth, I don't think I should be sorry to find an empty house, if I came back after twenty years. For then I could take some new wivesinto my harem, young and beautiful, instead of the unfaithful ones, who, besides, would have grown old. But alas! every woman does not find someone to run away with her, and our women would rather have an absenthusband than none at all. " "If your wives could hear what you are saying!" said Araspes. "They would declare war with me at once, or, what is still worse, conclude a peace with one another. " "How would that be worse?" "How? it is easy to see, that you have had no experience. " "Then let us into the secrets of your married life. " "With pleasure. You can easily fancy, that five wives in one house donot live quite so peacefully as five doves in a cage; mine at least carryon an uninterrupted, mortal warfare. But I have accustomed myself tothat, and their sprightliness even amuses me. A year ago, however, theycame to terms with one another, and this day of peace was the mostmiserable in my life. " "You are jesting. " "No, indeed, I am quite in earnest. The wretched eunuch who had to keepwatch over the five, allowed them to see an old jewel-merchant from Tyre. Each of them chose a separate and expensive set of jewels. When I camehome Sudabe came up and begged for money to pay for these ornaments. Thethings were too dear, and I refused. Every one of the five then came andbegged me separately for the money; I refused each of them point blankand went off to court. When I came back, there were all my wives weepingside by side, embracing one another and calling each other fellow-sufferers. These former enemies rose up against me with the mosttouching unanimity, and so overwhelmed me with revilings and threats thatI left the room. They closed their doors against me. The next morningthe lamentations of the evening before were continued. I fled once moreand went hunting with the king, and when I came back, tired, hungry andhalf-frozen--for it was in spring, we were already at Ecbatana, and thesnow was lying an ell deep on the Orontes--there was no fire on thehearth and nothing to eat. These noble creatures had entered into analliance in order to punish me, had put out the fire, forbidden the cooksto do their duty and, which was worse than all--had kept the jewels! Nosooner had I ordered the slaves to make a fire and prepare food, than theimpudent jewel-dealer appeared and demanded his money. I refused again, passed another solitary night, and in the morning sacrificed ten talentsfor the sake of peace. Since that time harmony and peace among mybeloved wives seems to me as much to be feared as the evil Divsthemselves, and I see their little quarrels with the greatest pleasure. " "Poor Zopyrus!" cried Bartja. "Why poor?" asked this five-fold husband. "I tell you I am much happierthan you are. My wives are young and charming, and when they grow old, what is to hinder me from taking others, still handsomer, and who, by theside of the faded beauties, will be doubly charming. Ho! slave--bringsome lamps. The sun has gone down, and the wine loses all its flavorwhen the table is not brightly lighted. " At this moment the voice of Darius, who had left the arbor and gone outinto the garden, was heard calling: "Come and hear how beautifully thenightingale is singing. " "By Mithras, you son of Hystaspes, you must be in love, " interruptedAraspes. "The flowery darts of love must have entered the heart of him, who leaves his wine to listen to the nightingale. " "You are right there, father, " cried Bartja. "Philomel, as the Greekscall our Gulgul, is the lovers' bird among all nations, for love hasgiven her her beautiful song. What beauty were you dreaming of, Darius, when you went out to listen to the nightingale?" "I was not dreaming of any, " answered he. "You know how fond I am ofwatching the stars, and the Tistar-star rose so splendidly to-night, thatI left the wine to watch it. The nightingales were singing so loudly toone another, that if I had not wished to hear them I must have stopped myears. " "You kept them wide open, however, " said Araspes laughing. "Yourenraptured exclamation proved that. " "Enough of this, " cried Darius, to whom these jokes were gettingwearisome. "I really must beg you to leave off making allusions tomatters, which I do not care to hear spoken of. " "Imprudent fellow!" whispered the older man; "now you really havebetrayed yourself. If you were not in love, you would have laughedinstead of getting angry. Still I won't go on provoking you--tell mewhat you have just been reading in the stars. " At these words Darius looked up again into the starry sky and fixed hiseyes on a bright constellation hanging over the horizon. Zopyrus watchedhim and called out to his friends, "Something important must be happeningup there. Darius, tell us what's going on in the heavens just now. " "Nothing good, " answered the other. "Bartja, I have something to say toyou alone. " "Why to me alone? Araspes always keeps his own counsel, and from therest of you I never have any secrets. " "Still--" "Speak out. " "No, I wish you would come into the garden with me. " Bartja nodded to the others, who were still sitting over their wine, laidhis hand on Darius' shoulder and went out with him into the brightmoonlight. As soon as they were alone, Darius seized both his friend'shands, and said: "To-day is the third time that things have happened inthe heavens, which bode no good for you. Your evil star has approachedyour favorable constellation so nearly, that a mere novice in astrologycould see some serious danger was at hand. Be on your guard, Bartja, andstart for Egypt to-day; the stars tell me that the danger is here on theEuphrates, not abroad. " "Do you believe implicitly in the stars?" "Implicitly. They never lie. " "Then it would be folly to try and avoid what they have foretold. " "Yes, no man can run away from his destiny; but that very destiny is likea fencing-master--his favorite pupils are those who have the courage andskill to parry his own blows. Start for Egypt to-day, Bartja. " "I cannot--I haven't taken leave of my mother and Atossa. " "Send them a farewell message, and tell Croesus to explain the reason ofyour starting so quickly. " "They would call me a coward. " "It is cowardly to yield to any mortal, but to go out of the way of one'sfate is wisdom. " "You contradict yourself, Darius. What would the fencing-master say to arunaway-pupil?" "He would rejoice in the stratagem, by which an isolated individual triedto escape a superior force. " "But the superior force must conquer at last. --What would be the use ofmy trying to put off a danger which, you say yourself, cannot be averted?If my tooth aches, I have it drawn at once, instead of tormenting andmaking myself miserable for weeks by putting off the painful operation asa coward or a woman would, till the last moment. I can await this comingdanger bravely, and the sooner it comes the better, for then I shall haveit behind me. " "You do not know how serious it is. " "Are you afraid for my life?" "No. " "Then tell me, what you are afraid of. " "That Egyptian priest with whom I used to study the stars, once cast yourhoroscope with me. He knew more about the heavens, than any man I eversaw. I learnt a great deal from him, and I will not hide from you thateven then he drew my attention to dangers that threaten you now. " "And you did not tell me?" "Why should I have made you uneasy beforehand? Now that your destiny isdrawing near, I warn you. " "Thank you, --I will be careful. In former times I should not havelistened to such a warning, but now that I love Sappho, I feel as if mylife were not so much my own to do what I like with, as it used to be. " "I understand this feeling . . . " "You understand it? Then Araspes was right? You don't deny?" "A mere dream without any hope of fulfilment. " "But what woman could refuse you?" "Refuse!" "I don't understand you. Do you mean to say that you--the boldestsportsman, the strongest wrestler--the wisest of all the young Persians--that you, Darius, are afraid of a woman?" "Bartja, may I tell you more, than I would tell even to my own father?" "Yes. " "I love the daughter of Cyrus, your sister and the king's, Atossa. " "Have I understood you rightly? you love Atossa? Be praised for this, O ye pure Amescha cpenta! Now I shall never believe in your stars again, for instead of the danger with which they threatened me, here comes anunexpected happiness. Embrace me, my brother, and tell me the wholestory, that I may see whether I can help you to turn this hopeless dream, as you call it, into a reality. " "You will remember that before our journey to Egypt, we went with theentire court from Ecbatana to Susa. I was in command of the division ofthe "Immortals" appointed to escort the carriages containing the king'smother and sister, and his wives. In going through the narrow pass whichleads over the Orontes, the horses of your mother's carriage slipped. The yoke to which the horses were harnessed broke from the pole, and theheavy, four-wheeled carriage fell over the precipice without obstruction. [There was a yoke at the end of the shaft of a Persian carriage, which was fastened on to the backs of the horses and took the place of our horse-collar and pole-chain. ] On seeing it disappear, we were horrified and spurred our horses to theplace as quickly as possible. We expected of course to see onlyfragments of the carriages and the dead bodies of its inmates, but thegods had taken them into their almighty protection, and there lay thecarriage, with broken wheels, in the arms of two gigantic cypresses whichhad taken firm root in the fissures of the slate rocks, and whose darktops reached up to the edge of the carriage-road. "As quick as thought I sprang from my horse and scrambled down one of thecypresses. Your mother and sister stretched their arms to me, crying forhelp. The danger was frightful, for the sides of the carriage had beenso shattered by the fall, that they threatened every moment to give way, in which case those inside it must inevitably have fallen into the black, unfathomable abyss which looked like an abode for the gloomy Divs, andstretched his jaws wide to crush its beautiful victims. "I stood before the shattered carriage as it hung over the precipiceready to fall to pieces every moment, and then for the first time I metyour sister's imploring look. From that moment I loved her, but at thetime I was much too intent on saving them, to think of anything else, andhad no idea what had taken place within me. I dragged the tremblingwomen out of the carriage, and one minute later it rolled down the abysscrashing into a thousand pieces. I am a strong man, but I confess thatall my strength was required to keep myself and the two women fromfalling over the precipice until ropes were thrown to us from above. Atossa hung round my neck, and Kassandane lay on my breast, supported bymy left arm; with the right I fastened the rope round my waist, we weredrawn up, and I found myself a few minutes later on the high-road--yourmother and sister were saved. "As soon as one of the Magi had bound up the wounds cut by the rope in myside, the king sent for me, gave me the chain I am now wearing and therevenues of an entire satrapy, and then took me to his mother and sister. They expressed their gratitude very warmly; Kassandane allowed me to kissher forehead, and gave me all the jewels she had worn at the time of theaccident, as a present for my future wife. Atossa took a ring from herfinger, put it on mine and kissed my hand in the warmth of her emotion--you know how eager and excitable she is. Since that happy day--thehappiest in my life--I have never seen your sister, till yesterdayevening, when we sat opposite to each other at the banquet. Our eyesmet. I saw nothing but Atossa, and I think she has not forgotten the manwho saved her. Kassandane . . . " "Oh, my mother would be delighted to have you for a son-in-law; I willanswer for that. As to the king, your father must apply to him; he isour uncle and has a right to ask the hand of Cyrus's daughter for hisson. " "But have you forgotten your father's dream? You know that Cambyses hasalways looked on me with suspicion since that time. " "Oh, that has been long forgotten. My father dreamt before his deaththat you had wings, and was misled by the soothsayers into the fancy thatyou, though you were only eighteen then, would try to gain the crown. Cambyses thought of this dream too; but, when you saved my mother andsister, Croesus explained to him that this must have been its fulfilment, as no one but Darius or a winged eagle could possibly have possessedstrength and dexterity enough to hang suspended over such an abyss. " "Yes, and I remember too that these words did not please your brother. He chooses to be the only eagle in Persia; but Croesus does not spare hisvanity--" "Where can Croesus be all this time?" "In the hanging-gardens. My father and Gobryas have very likely detainedhim. " Just at that moment the voice of Zopyrus was heard exclaiming, "Well, Icall that polite! Bartja invites us to a wine-party and leaves ussitting here without a host, while he talks secrets yonder. " "We are coming, we are coming, " answered Bartja. Then taking the hand ofDarius heartily, he said: "I am very glad that you love Atossa. I shallstay here till the day after to-morrow, let the stars threaten me withall the dangers in the world. To-morrow I will find out what Atossafeels, and when every thing is in the right track I shall go away, andleave my winged Darius to his own powers. " So saying Bartja went back into the arbor, and his friend began to watchthe stars again. The longer he looked the sadder and more serious becamehis face, and when the Tistar-star set, he murmured, "Poor Bartja!" Hisfriends called him, and he was on the point of returning to them, when hecaught sight of a new star, and began to examine its position carefully. His serious looks gave way to a triumphant smile, his tall figure seemedto grow taller still, he pressed his hand on his heart and whispered:"Use your pinions, winged Darius; your star will be on your side, " andthen returned to his friends. A few minutes after, Croesus came up to the arbor. The youths sprangfrom their seats to welcome the old man, but when he saw Bartja's face bythe bright moonlight, he stood as if transfixed by a flash of lightning. "What has happened, father?" asked Gyges, seizing his hand anxiously. "Nothing, nothing, " he stammered almost inaudibly, and pushing his son onone side, whispered in Bartja's ear: "Unhappy boy, you are still here?don't delay any longer, --fly at once! the whip-bearers are close at myheels, and I assure you that if you don't use the greatest speed, youwill have to forfeit your double imprudence with your life. " "But Croesus, I have . . . " "You have set at nought the law of the land and of the court, and, inappearance at least, have done great offence to your brother's honor. . . . " "You are speaking . . . " "Fly, I tell you--fly at once; for if your visit to the hanging-gardenswas ever so innocently meant, you are still in the greatest danger. Youknow Cambyses' violent temper so well; how could you so wickedly disobeyhis express command?" "I don't understand. " "No excuses, --fly! don't you know that, Cambyses has long been jealousof you, and that your visit to the Egyptian to-night . . . " "I have never once set foot in the hanging-gardens, since Nitetis hasbeen here. " "Don't add a lie to your offence, I . . . " "But I swear to you . . . " "Do you wish to turn a thoughtless act into a crime by adding the guiltof perjury? The whip-bearers are coming, fly!" "I shall remain here, and abide by my oath. " "You are infatuated! It is not an hour ago since I myself, Hystaspes, and others of the Achaemenidae saw you in the hanging-gardens . . . " In his astonishment Bartja had, half involuntarily, allowed himself to beled away, but when he heard this he stood still, called his friends andsaid "Croesus says he met me an hour ago in the hanging-gardens, you knowthat since the sun set I have not been away from you. Give yourtestimony, that in this case an evil Div must have made sport of ourfriend and his companions. " "I swear to you, father, " cried Gyges, "that Bartja has not left thisgarden for some hours. " "And we confirm the same, " added Araspes, Zopyrus and Darius with onevoice. "You want to deceive me?" said Croesus getting very angry, and lookingat each of them reproachfully: "Do you fancy that I am blind or mad? Doyou think that your witness will outweigh the words of such men asHystaspes, Gobryas, Artaphernes and the high priest, Oropastes? In spiteof all your false testimony, which no amount of friendship can justify, Bartja will have to die unless he flies at once. " "May Angramainjus destroy me, " said Araspes interrupting the old man, "ifBartja was in the hanging-gardens two hours ago!" and Gyges added: "Don't call me your son any longer, if we have given false testimony. " Darius was beginning to appeal to the eternal stars, but Bartja put anend to this confusion of voices by saying in a decided tone: "A divisionof the bodyguard is coming into the garden. I am to be arrested; Icannot escape because I am innocent, and to fly would lay me open tosuspicion. By the soul of my father, the blind eyes of my mother, andthe pure light of the sun, Croesus, I swear that I am not lying. " "Am I to believe you, in spite of my own eyes which have never yetdeceived me? But I will, boy, for I love you. I do not and I will notknow whether you are innocent or guilty, but this I do know, you mustfly, and fly at once. You know Cambyses. My carriage is waiting at thegate. Don't spare the horses, save yourself even if you drive them todeath. The Soldiers seem to know what they have been sent to do; therecan be no question that they delay so long only in order to give theirfavorite time to escape. Fly, fly, or it is all over with you. " Darius, too, pushed his friend forward, exclaiming: "Fly, Bartja, andremember the warning that the heavens themselves wrote in the stars foryou. " Bartja, however, stood silent, shook his handsome head, waved his friendsback, and answered: "I never ran away yet, and I mean to hold my groundto-day. Cowardice is worse than death in my opinion, and I would rathersuffer wrong at the hands of others than disgrace myself. There are thesoldiers! Well met, Bischen. You've come to arrest me, haven't you?Wait one moment, till I have said good-bye to my friends. " Bischen, the officer he spoke to, was one of Cyrus's old captains; he hadgiven Bartja his first lessons in shooting and throwing the spear, hadfought by his side in the war with the Tapuri, and loved him as if hewere his own son. He interrupted him, saying: "There is no need to takeleave of your friends, for the king, who is raging like a madman, orderedme not only to arrest you, but every one else who might be with you. " And then he added in a low voice: "The king is beside himself with rageand threatens to have your life. You must fly. My men will do what Itell them blindfold; they will not pursue you; and I am so old that itwould be little loss to Persia, if my head were the price of mydisobedience. " "Thanks, thanks, my friend, " said Bartja, giving him his hand; "but Icannot accept your offer, because I am innocent, and I know that thoughCambyses is hasty, he is not unjust. Come friends, I think the king willgive us a hearing to-day, late as it is. " CHAPTER III. Two hours later Bartja and his friends were standing before the king. The gigantic man was seated on his golden throne; he was pale and hiseyes looked sunken; two physicians stood waiting behind him with allkinds of instruments and vessels in their hands. Cambyses had, only afew minutes before, recovered consciousness, after lying for more than anhour in one of those awful fits, so destructive both to mind and body, which we call epileptic. [The dangerous disease to which Herodotus says Cambyses had been subject from his birth, and which was called "sacred" by some, can scarcely be other than epilepsy. See Herod, III. 33. ] Since Nitetis' arrival he had been free from this illness; but it hadseized him to-day with fearful violence, owing to the overpowering mentalexcitement he had gone through. If he had met Bartja a few hours before, he would have killed him withhis own hand; but though the epileptic fit had not subdued his anger ithad at least so far quieted it, that he was in a condition to hear whatwas to be said on both sides. At the right hand of the throne stood Hystaspes, Darius's grey-hairedfather, Gobryas, his future father-in-law, the aged Intaphernes, thegrandfather of that Phaedime whose place in the king's favor had beengiven to Nitetis, Oropastes the high-priest, Croesus, and behind themBoges, the chief of the eunuchs. At its left Bartja, whose hands wereheavily fettered, Araspes, Darius, Zopyrus and Gyges. In the backgroundstood some hundred officials and grandees. After a long silence Cambyses raised his eyes, fixed a withering look onhis fettered brother, and said in a dull hollow voice: "High-priest, tellus what awaits the man who deceives his brother, dishonors and offendshis king, and darkens his own heart by black lies. " Oropastes came forward and answered: "As soon as such a one is provedguilty, a death full of torment awaits him in this world, and an awfulsentence on the bridge Chinvat; for he has transgressed the highestcommands, and, by committing three crimes, has forfeited the mercy of ourlaw, which commands that his life shall be granted to the man who hassinned but once, even though he be only a slave. " [On the third day after death, at the rising of the bright sun, the souls are conducted by the Divs to the bridge Chinvat, where they are questioned as to their past lives and conduct. Vendid. Fargard. XIX. 93. On that spot the two supernatural powers fight for the soul. ] "Then Bartja has deserved death. Lead him away, guards, and stranglehim! Take him away! Be silent, wretch! never will I listen to thatsmooth, hypocritical tongue again, or look at those treacherous eyes. They come from the Divs and delude every one with their wanton glances. Off with him, guards!" Bischen, the captain, came up to obey the order, but in the same momentCroesus threw himself at the king's feet, touched the floor with hisforehead, raised his hands and cried: "May thy days and years bringnought but happiness and prosperity; may Auramazda pour down all theblessings of this life upon thee, and the Amescha cpenta be the guardiansof thy throne! [The Amescha cpenta, "holy immortal ones, " maybe compared to the archangels of the Hebrews. They surround the throne of Auramazda and symbolize the highest virtues. Later we find their number fixed at six. ] Do not close thine ear to the words of the aged, but remember that thyfather Cyrus appointed me to be thy counsellor. Thou art about to slaythy brother; but I say unto thee, do not indulge anger; strive to controlit. It is the duty of kings and of the wise, not to act without dueenquiry. Beware of shedding a brother's blood; the smoke thereof willrise to heaven and become a cloud that must darken the days of themurderer, and at last cast down the lightnings of vengeance on his head. But I know that thou desirest justice, not murder. Act then as those whohave to pronounce a sentence, and hear both sides before deciding. Whenthis has been done, if the criminal is proved guilty and confesses hiscrime, the smoke of his blood will rise to heaven as a friendly shadow, instead of a darkening cloud, and thou wilt have earned the fame of ajust judge instead of deserving the divine judgments. " Cambyses listened in silence, made a sign to Bischen to retire, andcommanded Boges to repeat his accusation. The eunuch made an obeisance, and began: "I was ill and obliged to leavethe Egyptian and the Hanging-gardens in the care of my colleagueKandaules, who has paid for his negligence with his life. Finding myselfbetter towards evening, I went up to the hanging-gardens to see ifeverything was in order there, and also to look at the rare flower whichwas to blossom in the night. The king, (Auramazda grant him victory!)had commanded that the Egyptian should be more strictly watched thanusual, because she had dared to send the noble Bartja . . . " "Be silent, " interrupted the king, "and keep to the matter in hand. " "Just as the Tistar-star was rising, I came into the garden, and staidsome time there with these noble Achaemenidae, the high-priest and theking Croesus, looking at the blue lily, which was marvellously beautiful. I then called my colleague Kandaules and asked him, in the presence ofthese noble witnesses, if everything was in order. He affirmed that thiswas the case and added, that he had just come from Nitetis, that she hadwept the whole day, and neither tasted food nor drink. Feeling anxiouslest my noble mistress should become worse, I commissioned Kandaules tofetch a physician, and was just on the point of leaving the nobleAchaemenidae, in order in person to ascertain my mistress's state ofhealth, when I saw in the moon-light the figure of a man. I was so illand weak, that I could hardly stand and had no one near to help me, except the gardener. "My men were on guard at the different entrances, some distance from us. "I clapped my hands to call some of them, but, as they did not come, Iwent nearer to the house myself, under the protection of these noblemen. --The man was standing by the window of the Egyptian Princess'sapartment, and uttered a low whistle when he heard us coming up. Anotherfigure appeared directly--clearly recognizable in the bright moonlight--sprang out of the sleeping-room window and came towards us with hercompanion. "I could hardly believe my eyes on discovering that the intruder was noother than the noble Bartja. A fig-tree concealed us from the fugitives, but we could distinctly see them, as they passed us at a distance of notmore than four steps. While I was thinking whether I should be justifiedin arresting a son of Cyrus, Croesus called to Bartja, and the twofigures suddenly disappeared behind a cypress. No one but your brotherhimself can possibly explain the strange way in which he disappeared. Iwent at once to search the house, and found the Egyptian lyingunconscious on the couch in her sleeping-room. " Every one listened to this story in the greatest suspense. Cambysesground his teeth and asked in a voice of great emotion: "Can you testifyto the words of the eunuch, Hystaspes?" "Yes. " "Why did you not lay hands on the offender?" "We are soldiers, not policemen. " "Or rather you care for every knave more than for your king. " "We honor our king, and abhor the criminal just as we formerly loved theinnocent son of Cyrus. " "Did you recognize Bartja distinctly?" "Yes. " "And you, Croesus, can you too give no other answer?" "No! I fancied I saw your brother in the moonlight then, as clearly as Isee him now; but I believe we must have been deceived by some remarkablelikeness. " Boges grew pale at these words; Cambyses, however, shook hishead as if the idea did not please him, and said: "Whom am I to believethen, if the eyes of my best warriors fail them? and who would wish to bea judge, if testimony such as yours is not to be considered valid?" "Evidence quite as weighty as ours, will prove that we must have been inerror. " "Will any one dare to give evidence in favor of such an outrageouscriminal?" asked Cambyses, springing up and stamping his foot. "We will, " "I, " "we, " shouted Araspes, Darius, Gyges and Zopyrus withone voice. "Traitors, knaves!" cried the king. But as he caught sight of Croesus'warning eye fixed upon him, he lowered his voice, and said: "What haveyou to bring forward in favor of this fellow? Take care what you say, and consider well what punishment awaits perjurers. " "We know that well enough, " said Araspes, "and yet we are ready to swearby Mithras, that we have not left Bartja or his garden one moment sincewe came back from hunting. " "As for me, " said Darius, "I, the son of Hystaspes, have especiallyconvincing evidence to give in favor of your brother's innocence; Iwatched the rising of the Tistar-star with him; and this, according toBoges, was the very star that shone on his flight. " Hystaspes gazed on his son in astonishment and doubt at hearing thesewords, and Cambyses turned a scrutinizing eye first on the one and thenon the other party of these strange witnesses, who wished so much, andyet found it so impossible, to believe one another, himself unable tocome to a decision. Bartja, who till now had remained perfectly silent, looking down sadly athis chained hands, took advantage of the silence to say, making at thesame time a deep obeisance: "May I be allowed to speak a few words, myKing?" "Speak!" "From our father we learnt to strive after that which was pure and goodonly; so up to this time my life has been unstained. If you have everknown me take part in an evil deed, you have a right not to believe me, but if you find no fault in me then trust to what I say, and rememberthat a son of Cyrus would rather die than tell a lie. I confess that nojudge was ever placed in such a perplexing position. The best men inyour kingdom testify against one another, friend against friend, fatheragainst son. But I tell you that were the entire Persian nation to riseup against you, and swear that Cambyses had committed this or that evildeed, and you were to say, 'I did not commit it, ' I, Bartja, would giveall Persia the lie and exclaim, 'Ye are all false witnesses; soonercould the sea cast up fire than a son of Cyrus allow his mouth to deal inlies. ' No, Cambyses, you and I are so high-born that no one but yourselfcan bear evidence against me; and you can only be judged out of your ownmouth. " Cambyses' looks grew a little milder on hearing these words, and hisbrother went on: "So I swear to you by Mithras, and by all pure spirits, that I am innocent. May my life become extinct and my race perish fromoff the earth, if I tell you a lie, when I say that I have not once setfoot in the hanging-gardens since my return!" Bartja's voice was so firm and his tone so full of assurance, as heuttered this oath that Cambyses ordered his chains to be loosened, and, after a few moments' thought, said: "I should like to believe you, for Icannot bear to imagine you the worst and most abandoned of men. To-morrow we will summon the astrologers, soothsayers and priests. Perhapsthey may be able to discover the truth. Can you see any light in thisdarkness, Oropastes?" "Thy servant supposes, that a Div has taken upon him the form of Bartja, in order to ruin the king's brother and stain thine own royal soul withthe blood of thy father's son. " Cambyses and every one present nodded their assent to this proposition, and the king was just going to offer his hand to Bartja, when a staff-bearer came in and gave the king a dagger. A eunuch had found it underthe windows of Nitetis' sleeping-apartment. Cambyses examined the weapon carefully. Its costly hilt was thickly setwith rubies and turquoises. As he looked he turned pale, and dashed thedagger on the ground before Bartja with such violence, that the stonesfell out of their setting. "This is your dagger, you wretch!" he shrieked, seized by the sameviolent passion as before. "This very morning you used it to give thelast thrust to the wild boar, that I had mortally wounded. Croesus, youought to know it too, for my father brought it from your treasure-houseat Sardis. At last you are really convicted, you liar!--you impostor!The Divs require no weapons, and such a dagger as this is not to bepicked up everywhere. Ah, ha! you are feeling in your girdle! You maywell turn pale; your dagger is gone!" "Yes, it is gone. I must have lost it, and some enemy . . . " "Seize him, Bischen, put on his fetters! Take him to prison--thetraitor, the perjurer! He shall be strangled to-morrow. Death is thepenalty of perjury. Your heads for theirs, you guards, if they escape. Not one word more will I hear; away with you, you perjured villains!Boges, go at once to the hanging-gardens and bring the Egyptian to me. Yet no, I won't see that serpent again. It is very near dawn now, and atnoon she shall be flogged through the streets. Then I'll . . . " But here he was stopped by another fit of epilepsy, and sank down on tothe marble floor in convulsions. At this fearful moment Kassandane wasled into the hall by the old general Megabyzus. The news of whathad happened had found its way to her solitary apartments, and, notwithstanding the hour, she had risen in order to try and discover thetruth and warn her son against pronouncing a too hasty decision. Shebelieved firmly that Bartja and Nitetis were innocent, though she couldnot explain to herself what had happened. Several times she had tried toput herself in communication with Nitetis, but without avail. At lastshe had been herself to the hanging-gardens, but the guards had actuallyhad the hardihood to refuse her admission. Croesus went at once to meet her, told her what had happened, suppressingas many painful details as possible, confirmed her in her belief of theinnocence of the accused, and then took her to the bedside of the king. The convulsions had not lasted long this time. He lay on his golden bedunder purple silk coverlets, pale and exhausted. His blind mother seatedherself at his side, Croesus and Oropastes took their station at the footof the bell, and in another part of the room, four physicians discussedthe patient's condition in low whispers. [It was natural, that medicine should be carefully studied among a people who set such a high value upon life as did the Persians. Pliny indeed, (XXX. I. ) maintains, that the whole of Zoroaster's religion was founded on the science of medicine, and it is true that there are a great many medical directions to be found in the Avesta. In the Vendidad, Farg. VII. There is a detailed list of medical fees. "The physician shall treat a priest for a pious blessing or spell, the master of a house for a small draught animal, etc. , the lord of a district for a team of four oxen. If the physician cures the mistress of the house, a female ass shall be his fee, etc. , etc. " We read in the same Fargard, that the physician had to pass a kind of examination. If he had operated thrice successfully on bad men, on whose bodies he had been permitted to try his skill, he was pronounced "capable for ever. " If, on the other hand, three evil Daevayacna (worshippers of the Divs) died under his hands, he was pronounced "incapable of healing for evermore. "] Kassandane was very gentle with her son; she begged him not to yield topassionate anger, and to remember what a sad effect every such outbursthad on his health. "Yes, mother, you are right, " answered the king, smiling bitterly; "I seethat I must get rid of everything that rouses my anger. The Egyptianmust die, and my perfidious brother shall follow his mistress. " Kassandane used all her eloquence to convince him of the innocence of theaccused, and to pacify his anger, but neither prayers, tears, nor hermotherly exhortations, could in the least alter his resolution to ridhimself of these murderers of his happiness and peace. At last he interrupted her lamentations by saying: "I feel fearfullyexhausted; I cannot bear these sobs and lamentations any longer. Nitetishas been proved guilty. A man was seen to leave her sleeping-apartmentin the night, and that man was not a thief, but the handsomest man inPersia, and one to whom she had dared to send a letter yesterdayevening. " "Do you know the contents of that letter?" asked Croesus, coming up tothe bed. "No; it was written in Greek. The faithless creature made use ofcharacters, which no one at this court can read. " "Will you permit me to translate the letter?" Cambyses pointed to asmall ivory box in which the ominous piece of writing lay, saying: "Thereit is; read it; but do not hide or alter a single word, for to-morrow Ishall have it read over again by one of the merchants from Sinope. " Croesus' hopes revived; he seemed to breathe again as he took the paper. But when he had read it over, his eyes filled with tears and he murmured:"The fable of Pandora is only too true; I dare not be angry any longerwith those poets who have written severely against women. Alas, they areall false and faithless! O Kassandane, how the Gods deceive us! theygrant us the gift of old age, only to strip us bare like trees in winter, and show us that all our fancied gold was dross and all our pleasant andrefreshing drinks poison!" Kassandane wept aloud and tore her costly robes; but Cambyses clenchedhis fist while Croesus was reading the following words: "Nitetis, daughter of Amasis of Egypt, to Bartja, son of the great Cyrus: "I have something important to tell you; I can tell it to no one butyourself. To-morrow I hope I shall meet you in your mother's apartments. It lies in your power to comfort a sad and loving heart, and to give itone happy moment before death. I have a great deal to tell you, and somevery sad news; I repeat that I must see you soon. " The desperate laughter, which burst from her son cut his mother to theheart. She stooped down and was going to kiss him, but Cambyses resistedher caresses, saying: "It is rather a doubtful honor, mother, to be oneof your favorites. Bartja did not wait to be sent for twice by thattreacherous woman, and has disgraced himself by swearing falsely. Hisfriends, the flower of our young men, have covered themselves withindelible infamy for his sake; and through him, your best beloveddaughter . . . But no! Bartja had no share in the corruption of thatfiend in Peri's form. Her life was made up of hypocrisy and deceit, andher death shall prove that I know how to punish. Now leave me, for Imust be alone. " They had scarcely left the room, when he sprang up and paced backwardsand forwards like a madman, till the first crow of the sacred birdParodar. When the sun had risen, he threw himself on his bed again, andfell into a sleep that was like a swoon. Meanwhile Bartja had written Sappho a farewell letter, and was sittingover the wine with his fellow-prisoners and their elder friend Araspes. "Let us be merry, " said Zopyrus, "for I believe it will soon be up withall our merriment. I would lay my life, that we are all of us dead byto-morrow. Pity that men haven't got more than one neck; if we'd two, I would not mind wagering a gold piece or two on the chance of ourremaining alive. " "Zopyrus is quite right, " said Araspes; "we will make merry and keep oureyes open; who knows how soon they may be closed for ever?" "No one need be sad who goes to his death as innocently as we do, " saidGyges. "Here, cup-bearer, fill my goblet!" "Ah! Bartja and Darius!" cried Zopyrus, seeing the two speaking in alow voice together, "there you are at your secrets again. Come to us andpass the wine-cup. By Mithras, I can truly say I never wished for death, but now I quite look forward to the black Azis, because he is going totake us all together. Zopyrus would rather die with his friends, thanlive without them. " "But the great point is to try and explain what has really happened, "said Darius. "It's all the same to me, " said Zopyrus, whether I die with or without anexplanation, so long as I know I am innocent and have not deserved thepunishment of perjury. Try and get us some golden goblets, Bischen; thewine has no flavor out of these miserable brass mugs. Cambyses surelywould not wish us to suffer from poverty in our last hours, though hedoes forbid our fathers and friends to visit us. " "It's not the metal that the cup is made of, " said Bartja, "but thewormwood of death, "that gives the wine its bitter taste. " "No, really, you're quite out there, " exclaimed Zopyrus. "Why I hadnearly forgotten that strangling generally causes death. " As he saidthis, he touched Gyges and whispered: "Be as cheerful as you can! don'tyou see that it's very hard for Bartja to take leave of this world? Whatwere you saying, Darius?" "That I thought Oropastes' idea the only admissible one, that a Div hadtaken the likeness of Bartja and visited the Egyptian in order to ruinus. " "Folly! I don't believe in such things. " "But don't you remember the legend of the Div, who took the beautifulform of a minstrel and appeared before king Kawus?" "Of course, " cried Araspes. "Cyrus had this legend so often recited atthe banquets, that I know it by heart. "Kai Kawus hearkened to the words of the disguised Div and went toMasenderan, and was beaten there by the Divs and deprived of hiseyesight. " "But, " broke in Darius, "Rustem, the great hero, came and conqueredErscheng and the other bad spirits, freed the captives and restored sightto the blind, by dropping the blood of the slaughtered Divs into theireyes. And so it will be with us, my friends! We shall be set free, andthe eyes of Cambyses and of our blind and infatuated fathers will beopened to see our innocence. Listen, Bischen; if we really should beexecuted, go to the Magi, the Chaldwans, and Nebenchari the Egyptian, andtell them they had better not study the stars any longer, for that thosevery stars had proved themselves liars and deceivers to Darius. " "Yes, " interrupted Araspes, "I always said that dreams were the only realprophecies. Before Abradatas fell in the battle of Sardis, the peerlessPanthea dreamt that she saw him pierced by a Lydian arrow. " "You cruel fellow!" exclaimed Zopyrus. "Why do you remind us, that itis much more glorious to die in battle than to have our necks wrung off" "Quite right, " answered the elder man; "I confess that I have seen many adeath, which I should prefer to our own, --indeed to life itself. Ah, boys, there was a time when things went better than they do now. " "Tell us something about those times. " "And tell us why you never married. It won't matter to you in the nextworld, if we do let out your secret. " "There's no secret; any of your own fathers could tell you what you wantto hear from me. Listen then. When I was young, I used to amuse myselfwith women, but I laughed at the idea of love. It occurred, however, that Panthea, the most beautiful of all women, fell into our hands, andCyrus gave her into my charge, because I had always boasted that my heartwas invulnerable. I saw her everyday, and learnt, my friends, that loveis stronger than a man's will. However, she refused all my offers, induced Cyrus to remove me from my office near her, and to accept herhusband Abradatas as an ally. When her handsome husband went out to thewar, this high-minded, faithful woman decked him out with all her ownjewels and told him that the noble conduct of Cyrus, in treating her likea sister, when she was his captive, could only be repaid by the mostdevoted friendship and heroic courage. Abradatas agreed with her, foughtfor Cyrus like a lion, and fell. Panthea killed herself by his deadbody. Her servants, on hearing of this, put an end to their own livestoo at the grave of this best of mistresses. Cyrus shed tears over thisnoble pair, and had a stone set up to their memory, which you can seenear Sardis. On it are the simple words: 'To Panthea, Abradatas, and themost faithful of servants. ' You see, children, the man who had lovedsuch a woman could never care for another. " The young men listened in silence, and remained some time after Araspeshad finished, without uttering a word. At last Bartja raised his handsto heaven and cried: "O thou great Auramazda! why dost thou not grant usa glorious end like Abradatas? Why must we die a shameful death likemurderers?" As he said this Croesus came in, fettered and led by whip-bearers. Thefriends rushed to him with a storm of questions, and Bartja too went upto embrace the man who had been so long his tutor and guide. But the oldman's cheerful face was severe and serious, and his eyes, generally somild, had a gloomy, almost threatening, expression. He waved the princecoldly back, saying, in a voice which trembled with pain and reproach:"Let my hand go, you infatuated boy! you are not worth all the love Ihave hitherto felt for you. You have deceived your brother in a fourfoldmanner, duped your friends, betrayed that poor child who is waiting foryou in Naukratis, and poisoned the heart of Amasis' unhappy daughter. " Bartja listened calmly till he heard the word "deceived"; then his handclenched, and stamping his foot, he cried: "But for your age andinfirmities, and the gratitude I owe you, old man, these slanderous wordswould be your last. " Croesus beard this outbreak of just indignation unmoved, and answered:"This foolish rage proves that you and Cambyses have the same blood inyour veins. It would become you much better to repent of your crimes, and beg your old friend's forgiveness, instead of adding ingratitude tothe unheard-of baseness of your other deeds. " At these words Bartja's anger gave way. His clenched hands sank downpowerless at his side, and his cheeks became pale as death. These signs of sorrow softened the old man's indignation. His love wasstrong enough to embrace the guilty as well as the innocent Bartja, andtaking the young man's right hand in both his own, he looked at him as afather would who finds his son, wounded on the battle-field, and said:"Tell me, my poor, infatuated boy, how was it that your pure heart fellaway so quickly to the evil powers?" Bartja shuddered. The blood came back to his face, but these words cuthim to the heart. For the first time in his life his belief in thejustice of the gods forsook him. He called himself the victim of a cruel, inexorable fate, and felt like abunted animal driven to its last gasp and hearing the dogs and sportsmenfast coming nearer. He had a sensitive, childlike nature, which did notyet know how to meet the hard strokes of fate. His body and his physicalcourage had been hardened against bodily and physical enemies; but histeachers had never told him how to meet a hard lot in life; for Cambysesand Bartja seemed destined only to drink out of the cup of happiness andjoy. Zopyrus could not bear to see his friend in tears. He reproached the oldman angrily with being unjust and severe. Gyges' looks were full ofentreaty, and Araspes stationed himself between the old man and theyouth, as if to ward off the blame of the elder from cutting deeper intothe sad and grieved heart of the younger man. Darius, however, afterhaving watched them for some time, came up with quiet deliberation toCroesus, and said: "You continue to distress and offend one another, andyet the accused does not seem to know with what offence he is charged, nor will the accuser hearken to his defence. Tell us, Croesus, by thefriendship which has subsisted between us up to this clay, what hasinduced you to judge Bartja so harshly, when only a short time ago youbelieved in his innocence?" The old man told at once what Darius desired to know--that he had seen aletter, written in Nitetis' own hand, in which she made a directconfession of her love to Bartja and asked him to meet her alone. Thetestimony of his own eyes and of the first men in the realm, nay, eventhe dagger found under Nitetis' windows, had not been able to convincehim that his favorite was guilty; but this letter had gone like a burningflash into his heart and destroyed the last remnant of his belief in thevirtue and purity of woman. "I left the king, " he concluded, "perfectly convinced that a sinfulintimacy must subsist between your friend and the Egyptian Princess, whose heart I had believed to be a mirror for goodness and beauty alone. Can you find fault with me for blaming him who so shamefully stained thisclear mirror, and with it his own not less spotless soul?" "But how can I prove my innocence?" cried Bartja, wringing his hands. "If you loved me you would believe me; if you really cared for me. . . . . " "My boy! in trying to save your life only a few minutes ago, I forfeitedmy own. When I heard that Cambyses had really resolved on your death, Ihastened to him with a storm of entreaties; but these were of no avail, and then I was presumptuous enough to reproach him bitterly in hisirritated state of mind. The weak thread of his patience broke, and in afearful passion he commanded the guards to behead me at once. I wasseized directly by Giv, one of the whip-bearers; but as the man is underobligations to me, he granted me my life until this morning, and promisedto conceal the postponement of the execution. I am glad, my sons, that Ishall not outlive you, and shall die an innocent man by the side of theguilty. " These last words roused another storm of contradiction. Again Darius remained calm and quiet in the midst of the tumult. Herepeated once more the story of the whole evening exactly, to prove thatit was impossible Bartja could have committed the crime laid to hischarge. He then called on the accused himself to answer the charge ofdisloyalty and perfidy. Bartja rejected the idea of an understandingwith Nitetis in such short, decided, and convincing words, and confirmedhis assertion with such a fearful oath, that Croesus' persuasion of hisguilt first wavered, then vanished, and when Bartja had ended, he drew adeep breath, like a man delivered from a heavy burden, and clasped him inhis arms. But with all their efforts they could come to no explanation of what hadreally happened. In one thing, however, they were all agreed: thatNitetis loved Bartja and had written the letter with a wrong intention. "No one who saw her, " cried Darius, "when Cambyses announced that Bartjahad chosen a wife, could doubt for a moment that she was in love withhim. When she let the goblet fall, I heard Phaedime's father say thatthe Egyptian women seemed to take a great interest in the affairs oftheir brothers-in-law. " While they were talking, the sun rose and shone pleasantly into theprisoners' room. Bartja murmured Mithras means to make our parting difficult. " "No, " answered Croesus, "he only means to light us kindly on our way intoeternity. " CHAPTER IV. The innocent originator of all this complicated misery had passed many awretched hour since the birthday banquet. Since those harsh words withwhich Cambyses had sent her from the hall, not the smallest fragment ofnews had reached her concerning either her angry lover, or his mother andsister. Not a day had passed since her arrival in Babylon, that had notbeen spent with Kassandane and Atossa; but now, on her desiring to becarried to them, that she might explain her strange conduct, her newguard, Kandaules, forbade her abruptly to leave the house. She hadthought that a free and full account of the contents of her letter fromhome, would clear up all these misunderstandings. She fancied she sawCambyses holding out his hand as if to ask forgiveness for his hastinessand foolish jealousy. And then a joyful feeling stole into her mind asshe remembered a sentence she had once heard Ibykus say: "As feverattacks a strong man more violently than one of weaker constitution; so aheart that loves strongly and deeply can be far more awfully tormented byjealousy, than one which has been only superficially seized by passion. " If this great connoisseur in love were right, Cambyses must love herpassionately, or his jealousy could not have caught fire so quickly andfearfully. Sad thoughts about her home, however, and dark forebodings ofthe future would mix with this confidence in Cambyses' love, and shecould not shut them out. Mid-day came, the sun stood high and burning inthe sky, but no news came from those she loved so well; and a feverishrestlessness seized her which increased as night came on. In thetwilight Boges came to her, and told her, with bitter scorn, that herletter to Bartja had come into the king's hands, and that the gardener'sboy who brought it had been executed. The tortured nerves of theprincess could not resist this fresh blow, and before Boges left, hecarried the poor girl senseless into her sleeping-room, the door of whichhe barred carefully. A few minutes later, two men, one old, the other young, came up throughthe trap-door which Boges had examined so carefully two days before. Theold man remained outside, crouching against the palace, wall; a hand wasseen to beckon from the window: the youth obeyed the signal, swunghimself over the ledge and into the room at a bound. Then words of lovewere exchanged, the names Gaumata and Mandane whispered softly, kissesand vows given and received. At last the old man clapped his hands. Theyouth obeyed, kissed and embraced Nitetis' waiting-maid once more, jumpedout of the window into the garden, hurried past the admirers of the bluelily who were just coming up, slipped with his companion into the trap-door which had been kept open, closed it carefully, and vanished. Mandane hurried to the room in which her mistress generally spent theevening. She was well acquainted with her habits and knew that everyevening, when the stars had risen, Nitetis was accustomed to go to thewindow looking towards the Euphrates, and spend hours gazing into theriver and over the plain; and that at that time she never needed herattendance. So she felt quite safe from fear of discovery in thisquarter, and knowing she was under the protection of the chief of theeunuchs himself, could wait for her lover calmly. But scarcely had she discovered that her mistress had fainted, when sheheard the garden filling with people, a confused sound of men's andeunuchs' voices, and the notes of the trumpet used to summon thesentries. At first she was frightened and fancied her lover had beendiscovered, but Boges appearing and whispering: "He has escaped safely, "she at once ordered the other attendants, whom she had banished to thewomen's apartments during her rendezvous, and who now came flocking back, to carry their mistress into her sleeping-room, and then began using allthe remedies she knew of, to restore her to consciousness. Nitetis hadscarcely opened her eyes when Boges came in, followed by two eunuchs, whom he ordered to load her delicate arms with fetters. Nitetis submitted; she could not utter one word, not even when Bogescalled out as he was leaving the room: "Make yourself happy in your cage, my little imprisoned bird. They've just been telling your lord that aroyal marten has been making merry in your dove-cote. Farewell, andthink of the poor tormented Boges in this tremendous heat, when you feelthe cool damp earth. Yes, my little bird, death teaches us to know ourreal friends, and so I won't have you buried in a coarse linen sack, butin a soft silk shawl. Farewell, my darling!" The poor, heavily-afflicted girl trembled at these words, and when theeunuch was gone, begged Mandane to tell her what it all meant. The girl, instructed by Boges, said that Bartja had stolen secretly into thehanging-gardens, and had been seen by several of the Achaemenidae as hewas on the point of getting in at one of the windows. The king had beentold of his brother's treachery, and people were afraid his jealousymight have fearful consequences. The frivolous girl shed abundant tearsof penitence while she was telling the story, and Nitetis, fancying thisa proof of sincere love and sympathy, felt cheered. When it was over, however, she looked down at her fetters in despair, andit was long before she could think of her dreadful position quietly. Then she read her letter from home again, wrote the words, "I aminnocent, " and told the sobbing girl to give the little note containingthem to the king's mother after her own death, together with her letterfrom home. After doing this she passed a wakeful night which seemed asif it would never end. She remembered that in her box of ointments therewas a specific for improving the complexion, which, if swallowed in asufficiently large quantity, would cause death. She had this poisonbrought to her, and resolved calmly and deliberately, to take her ownlife directly the executioner should draw near. From that moment shetook pleasure in thinking of her last hour, and said to herself: "It istrue he causes my death; but he does it out of love. " Then she thoughtshe would write to him, and confess all her love. He should not receivethe letter until she was dead, that he might not think she had written itto save her life. The hope that this strong, inflexible man mightperhaps shed tears over her last words of love filled her with intensepleasure. In spite of her heavy fetters, she managed to write the following words:"Cambyses will not receive this letter until I am dead. It is to tellhim that I love him more than the gods, the world, yes, more than my ownyoung life. Kassandane and Atossa must think of me kindly. They willsee from my mother's letter that I am innocent, and that it was only formy poor sister's sake that I asked to see Bartja. Boges has told me thatmy death has been resolved upon. When the executioner approaches, Ishall kill myself. I commit this crime against myself, Cambyses, to saveyou from doing a disgraceful deed. " This note and her mother's she gave to the weeping Mandane, and beggedher to give both to Cambyses when she was gone. She then fell on herknees and prayed to the gods of her fathers to forgive her for herapostasy from them. Mandane begged her to remember her weakness and take some rest, but sheanswered: "I do not need any sleep, because, you know, I have such littlewaking-time still left me. " As she went on praying and singing her old Egyptian hymns, her heartreturned more and more to the gods of her fathers, whom she had deniedafter such a short struggle. In almost all the prayers with which shewas acquainted, there was a reference to the life after death. In thenether world, the kingdom of Osiris, where the forty-two judges of thedead pronounce sentence on the worth of the soul after it has beenweighed by the goddess of truth and Thoth, who holds the office of writerin heaven, she could hope to meet her dear ones again, but only in caseher unjustified soul were not obliged to enter on the career oftransmigration through the bodies of different animals, and her body, to whom the soul had been entrusted, remained in a state of preservation. This, "if" filled her with a feverish restlessness. The doctrine thatthe well-being of the soul depended on the preservation of the earthlypart of every human being left behind at death, had been impressed on herfrom childhood. She believed in this error, which had built pyramids andexcavated rocks, and trembled at the thought that, according to thePersian custom, her body would be thrown to the dogs and birds of prey, and so given up to the powers of destruction, that her soul must bedeprived of every hope of eternal life. Then the thought came to her, should she prove unfaithful to the gods of her fathers again, and oncemore fall down before these new spirits of light, who gave the dead bodyover to the elements and only judged the soul? And so she raised herhands to the great and glorious sun, who with his golden sword-like rayswas just dispersing the mists that hung over the Euphrates, and openedher lips to sing her newly-learnt hymns in praise of Mithras; but hervoice failed her, instead of Mithras she could only see her own great Ra, the god she had so often worshipped in Egypt, and instead of a Magianhymn could only sing the one with which the Egyptian priests areaccustomed to greet the rising sun. This hymn brought comfort with it, and as she gazed on the young light, the rays of which were not yet strong enough to dazzle her, she thoughtof her childhood, and the tears gathered in her eyes. Then she lookeddown over the broad plain. There was the Euphrates with his yellow waveslooking so like the Nile; the many villages, just as in her own home, peeping out from among luxuriant cornfields and plantations of fig-trees. To the west lay the royal hunting-park; she could see its tall cypressesand nut-trees miles away in the distance. The dew was glistening onevery little leaf and blade of grass, and the birds sang deliciously inthe shrubberies round her dwelling. Now and then a gentle breath of windarose, carrying the sweet scent of the roses across to her, and playingin the tops of the slender, graceful palms which grew in numbers on thebanks of the river and in the fields around. She had so often admired these beautiful trees, and compared them todancing-girls, as she watched the wind seizing their heavy tops andswaying the slender stems backwards and forwards. And she had often saidto herself that here must be the home of the Phoenix, that wonderful birdfrom the land of palms, who, the priests said, came once in every fivehundred years to the temple of Ra in Heliopolis and burnt himself in thesacred incense-flames, only to rise again from his own ashes morebeautiful than before, and, after three days, to fly back again to hishome in the East. While she was thinking of this bird, and wishing thatshe too might rise again from the ashes of her unhappiness to a new andstill more glorious joy, a large bird with brilliant plumage rose out ofthe dark cypresses, which concealed the palace of the man she loved andwho had made her so miserable, and flew towards her. It rose higher andhigher, and at last settled on a palmtree close to her window. She hadnever seen such a bird before, and thought it could not possibly be ausual one, for a little gold chain was fastened to its foot, and its tailseemed made of sunbeams instead of feathers. It must be Benno, the birdof Ra! She fell on her knees again and sang with deep reverence theancient hymn to the Phoenix, never once turning her eyes from thebrilliant bird. The bird listened to her singing, bending his little head with its wavingplumes, wisely and inquisitively from side to side, and flew awaydirectly she ceased. Nitetis looked after him with a smile. It wasreally only a bird of paradise that had broken the chain by which he hadbeen fastened to a tree in the park, but to her he was the Phoenix. Astrange certainty of deliverance filled her heart; she thought the god Rahad sent the bird to her, and that as a happy spirit she should take thatform. So long as we are able to hope and wish, we can bear a great dealof sorrow; if the wished-for happiness does not come, anticipation is atleast prolonged and has its own peculiar sweetness. This feeling is ofitself enough, and contains a kind of enjoyment which can take the placeof reality. Though she was so weary, yet she lay down on her couch withfresh hopes, and fell into a dreamless sleep almost against her will, without having touched the poison. The rising sun generally gives comfort to sad hearts who have passed thenight in weeping, but to a guilty conscience, which longs for darkness, his pure light is an unwelcome guest. While Nitetis slept, Mandane layawake, tormented by fearful remorse. How gladly she would have held backthe sun which was bringing on the day of death to this kindest ofmistresses, and have spent the rest of her own life in perpetual night, if only her yesterday's deed could but have been undone! The good-natured, thoughtless girl called herself a wretched murderessunceasingly, resolved again and again to confess the whole truth and soto save Nitetis; but love of life and fear of death gained the victoryover her weak heart every time. To confess was certain death, and shefelt as if she had been made for life; she had so many hopes for thefuture, and the grave seemed so dreadful. She thought she could perhapshave confessed the whole truth, if perpetual imprisonment had been allshe had to fear; but death! no, she could not resolve on that. Andbesides, would her confession really save the already condemned Nitetis? Had she not sent a message to Bartja herself by that unfortunategardener's boy? This secret correspondence had been discovered, and thatwas enough of itself to ruin Nitetis, even if she, Mandane, had donenothing in the matter. We are never so clever as when we have to findexcuses for our own sins. At sunrise, Mandane was kneeling by her mistress's couch, weepingbitterly and wondering that Nitetis could sleep so calmly. Boges, the eunuch, had passed a sleepless night too, but a very happyone. His hated colleague, Kandaules, whom he had used as a substitutefor himself, had been already executed, by the king's command, fornegligence, and on the supposition that he had accepted a bribe; Nitetiswas not only ruined, but certain to die a shameful death. The influenceof the king's mother had suffered a severe shock; and lastly, he had thepleasure of knowing, not only that he had outwitted every one andsucceeded in all his plans, but that through his favorite Phaedime hemight hope once more to become the all-powerful favorite of former days. That sentence of death had been pronounced on Croesus and the youngheroes, was by no means an unwelcome thought either, as they might havebeen instrumental in bringing his intrigues to light. In the grey of the morning he left the king's apartment and went toPhaedime. The proud Persian had taken no rest. She was waiting for himwith feverish anxiety, as a rumor of all that had happened had alreadyreached the harem and penetrated to her apartments. She was lying on apurple couch in her dressing-room; a thin silken chemise and yellowslippers thickly sown with turquoises and pearls composed her entiredress. Twenty attendants were standing round her, but the moment sheheard Boges she sent her slaves away, sprang up to meet him, andoverwhelmed him with a stream of incoherent questions, all referring toher enemy Nitetis. "Gently, gently, my little bird, " said Boges, laying his hand on hershoulder. "If you can't make up your mind to be as quiet as a littlemouse while I tell my story, and not to ask one question, you won't heara syllable of it to-day. Yes, indeed, my golden queen, I've so much totell that I shall not have finished till to-morrow, if you are tointerrupt me as often as you like. Ah, my little lamb, and I've still somuch to do to-day. First I must be present at an Egyptian donkey-ride;secondly, I must witness an Egyptian execution . . . But I see I amanticipating my story; I must begin at the beginning. I'll allow you tocry, laugh and scream for joy as much as you will, but you're forbiddento ask a single question until I have finished. I think really I havedeserved these caresses. There, now I am quite at my ease, and canbegin. Once upon a time there was a great king in Persia, who had manywives, but he loved Phaedime better than the rest, and set her above allthe others. One day the thought struck him that he would ask for thehand of the King of Egypt's daughter in marriage, and he sent a greatembassy to Sais, with his own brother to do the wooing for him--" "What nonsense!" cried Phaedime impatiently; "I want to know what hashappened now. " "Patience, patience, my impetuous March wind. If you interrupt me again, I shall go away and tell my story to the trees. You really need notgrudge me the pleasure of living my successes over again. While I tellthis story, I feel as happy as a sculptor when he puts down his hammerand gazes at his finished work. " "No, no!" said Phaedime, interrupting him again. "I cannot listennow to what I know quite well already. I am dying of impatience, andevery fresh report that the eunuchs and slave-girls bring makes it worse. I am in a perfect fever--I cannot wait. Ask whatever else you like, onlydeliver me from this awful suspense. Afterwards I will listen to you fordays, if you wish. " Boges' smile at these words was one of great satisfaction; he rubbed hishands and answered: "When I was a child I had no greater pleasure than towatch a fish writhing on the hook; now I have got you, my splendid goldencarp, at the end of my line, and I can't let you go until I have satedmyself on your impatience. " Phaedime sprang up from the couch which she had shared with Boges, stamping her foot and behaving like a naughty child. This seemed toamuse the eunuch immensely; he rubbed his hands again and again, laughedtill the tears ran down over his fat cheeks, emptied many a goblet ofwine to the health of the tortured beauty, and then went on with histale: "It had not escaped me that Cambyses sent his brother (who hadbrought Nitetis from Egypt), out to the war with the Tapuri purely fromjealousy. That proud woman, who was to take no orders from me, seemed tocare as little for the handsome, fair-haired boy as a Jew for pork, or anEgyptian for white beans. But still I resolved to nourish the king'sjealousy, and use it as a means of rendering this impudent creatureharmless, as she seemed likely to succeed in supplanting us both in hisfavor. It was long, however, before I could hit on a feasible plan. "At last the new-year's festival arrived and all the priests in thekingdom assembled at Babylon. For eight days the city was full ofrejoicing, feasting and merry-making. At court it was just the same, andso I had very little time to think of my plans. But just then, when Ihad hardly any hope of succeeding, the gracious Amescha cpenta sent ayouth across my path, who seemed created by Angramainjus himself to suitmy plan. Gaumata, the brother of Oropastes, came to Babylon to bepresent at the great new-year's sacrifice. I saw him first in hisbrother's house, whither I had been sent on a message from the king, andhis likeness to Bartja was so wonderful, that I almost fancied I waslooking at an apparition. When I had finished my business with Oropastesthe youth accompanied me to my carriage. I showed no signs ofastonishment at this remarkable likeness, treated him however, withimmense civility, and begged him to pay me a visit. He came the verysame evening. I sent for my best wine, pressed him to drink, andexperienced, not for the first time, that the juice of the vine has onequality which outweighs all the rest: it can turn even a silent man intoa chatter-box. The youth confessed that the great attraction which hadbrought him to Babylon was, not the sacrifice, but a girl who held theoffice of upper attendant to the Egyptian Princess. He said he had lovedher since he was a child; but his ambitious brother had higher views forhim, and in order to get the lovely Mandane out of his way, had procuredher this situation. At last he begged me to arrange an interview withher. I listened good-naturedly, made a few difficulties, and at lastasked him to come the next day and see how matters were going on. Hecame, and I told him that it might be possible to manage it, but only ifhe would promise to do what I told him without a question. He agreed toeverything, returned to Rhagae at my wish, and did not come to Babylonagain until yesterday, when he arrived secretly at my house, where Iconcealed him. Meanwhile Bartja had returned from the war. The greatpoint now was to excite the king's jealousy again, and ruin the Egyptianat one blow. I roused the indignation of your relations through yourpublic humiliation, and so prepared the way for my plan. Events werewonderfully in my favor. You know how Nitetis behaved at the birthdaybanquet, but you do not know that that very evening she sent a gardener'sboy to the palace with a note for Bartja. The silly fellow managed toget caught and was executed that very night, by command of the king, whowas almost mad with rage; and I took care that Nitetis should be asentirely cut off from all communication with her friends, as if she livedin the nest of the Simurg. You know the rest. " "But how did Gaumata escape?" "Through a trap-door, of which nobody knows but myself, and which stoodwide open waiting for him. Everything turned out marvellously; I evensucceeded in getting hold of a dagger which Bartja had lost whilehunting, and in laying it under Nitetis' window. In order to get rid ofthe prince during these occurrences, and prevent him from meeting theking or any one else who might be important as a witness, I asked theGreek merchant Kolxus, who was then at Babylon with a cargo of Milesiancloth, and who is always willing to do me a favor, because I buy all thewoollen stuffs required for the harem of him, to write a Greek letter, begging Bartja, in the name of her he loved best, to come alone to thefirst station outside the Euphrates gate at the rising of the Tistar-star. But I had a misfortune with this letter, for the messenger managedthe matter clumsily. He declares that he delivered the letter to Bartja;but there can be no doubt that he gave it to some one else, probably toGaumata, and I was not a little dismayed to hear that Bartja was sittingover the wine with his friends on that very evening. Still what had beendone could not be undone, and I knew that the witness of men like yourfather, Hystaslies, Croesus and Intaphernes, would far outweigh anythingthat Darius, Gyges and Araspes could say. The former would testifyagainst their friend, the latter for him. And so at last everything wentas I would have had it. The young gentlemen are sentenced to death andCroesus, who as usual, presumed to speak impertinently to the king, willhave lived his last hour by this time. As to the Egyptian Princess, thesecretary in chief has just been commanded to draw up the followingorder. Now listen and rejoice, my little dove! "'Nitetis, theadulterous daughter of the King of Egypt, shall be punished for herhideous crimes according to the extreme rigor of the law, thus: She shallbe set astride upon an ass and led through the streets of Babylon; andall men shall see that Cambyses knows how to punish a king's daughter, as severely as his magistrates would punish the meanest beggar. --To Boges, chief of the eunuchs, is entrusted the execution of thisorder. By command of King Cambyses. Ariabignes, chief of the Secretaries' "I had scarcely placed these lines in the sleeve of my robe, when theking's mother, with her garments rent, and led by Atossa, pressed hastilyinto the hall. Weeping and lamentation followed; cries, reproaches, curses, entreaties and prayers; but the king remained firm, and I verilybelieve Kassandane and Atossa would have been sent after Croesus andBartja into the other world, if fear of Cyrus's spirit had not preventedthe son, even in this furious rage, from laying hands on his father'swidow. Kassandane, however, did not say one word for Nitetis. She seemsas fully convinced of her guilt as you and I can be. Neither have weanything to fear from the enamored Gaumata. I have hired three men togive him a cool bath in the Euphrates, before he gets back to Rhagae. Ah, ha! the fishes and worms will have a jolly time!" Phaedime joined in Boges' laughter, bestowed on him all the flatteringnames which she had caught from his own smooth tongue, and in token ofher gratitude, hung a heavy chain studded with jewels round his neck withher own beautiful arms. ETEXT EDITOR'S BOOKMARKS: Call everything that is beyond your comprehension a miracleNever so clever as when we have to find excuses for our own sinsSo long as we are able to hope and wish