[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 10. 

CHAPTER XIII. 

The waters of the Nile had begun to rise again. Two months had passedaway since Phanes' disappearance, and much had happened. 

The very day on which he left Egypt, Sappho had given birth to a girl, and had so far regained strength since then under the care of hergrandmother, as to be able to join in an excursion up the Nile, whichCroesus had suggested should take place on the festival of the goddessNeith. Since the departure of Phanes, Cambyses' behavior had become sointolerable, that Bartja, with the permission of his brother, had takenSappho to live in the royal palace at Memphis, in order to escape anypainful collision. Rhodopis, at whose house Croesus and his son, Bartja, Darius and Zopyrus were constant guests, had agreed to join the party. 

On the morning of the festival-day they started in a gorgeously decoratedboat, from a point between thirty and forty miles below Memphis, favoredby a good north-wind and urged rapidly forward by a large number ofrowers. 

A wooden roof or canopy, gilded and brightly painted, sheltered them fromthe sun. Croesus sat by Rhodopis, Theopompus the Milesian lay at herfeet. Sappho was leaning against Bartja. Syloson, the brother ofPolykrates, had made himself a comfortable resting-place next to Darius, who was looking thought fully into the water. Gyges and Zopyrus busiedthemselves in making wreaths for the women, from the flowers handed themby an Egyptian slave. 

"It seems hardly possible, " said Bartja, "that we can be rowing againstthe stream. The boat flies like a swallow. "

"This fresh north-wind brings us forward, " answered Theopompus. "Andthen the Egyptian boatmen understand their work splendidly. "

"And row all the better just because we are sailing against the stream, "added Croesus. "Resistance always brings out a man's best powers. "

"Yes, " said Rhodopis, "sometimes we even make difficulties, if the riverof life seems too smooth. "

"True, " answered Darius. "A noble mind can never swim with the stream. In quiet inactivity all men are equal. We must be seen fighting, to berightly estimated. "

"Such noble-minded champions must be very cautious, though, " saidRhodopis, "lest they become contentious, and quarrelsome. Do you seethose melons lying on the black soil yonder, like golden balls? Not onewould have come to perfection if the sower had been too lavish with hisseed. The fruit would have been choked by too luxuriant tendrils andleaves. Man is born to struggle and to work, but in this, as ineverything else, he must know how to be moderate if his efforts are tosucceed. The art of true wisdom is to keep within limits. "

"Oh, if Cambyses could only hear you!" exclaimed Croesus. "Instead ofbeing contented with his immense conquests, and now thinking for thewelfare of his subjects, he has all sorts of distant plans in his head. He wishes to conquer the entire world, and yet, since Phanes left, scarcely a day has passed in which he has not been conquered himself bythe Div of drunkenness. "

"Has his mother no influence over him?" asked Rhodopis. "She is a noblewoman. "

"She could not even move his resolution to marry Atossa, and was forcedto be present at the marriage feast. "

"Poor Atossa!" murmured Sappho. 

"She does not pass a very happy life as Queen of Persia, " answeredCroesus; "and her own naturally impetuous disposition makes it all themore difficult or her to live contentedly with this husband and mother;I am sorry to hear it said that Cambyses neglects her sadly, and treatsher like a child. But the marriage does not seem to have astonished theEgyptians, as brothers and sisters often marry here. "

"In Persia too, " said Darius, putting on an appearance of the mostperfect composure, "marriages with very near relations are thought to bethe best. "

"But to return to the king, " said Croesus, turning the conversation forDarius' sake. "I can assure you, Rhodopis, that he may really be calleda noble man. His violent and hasty deeds are repented of almost as soonas committed, and the resolution to be a just and merciful ruler hasnever forsaken him. At supper, for instance, lately, before his mind wasclouded by the influence of wine, he asked us what the Persians thoughtof him in comparison with his father. "

"And what was the answer?" said Rhodopis. "Intaphernes got us out ofthe trap cleverly enough, " answered Zopyrus, laughing. "He exclaimed:'We are of opinion that you deserve the preference, inasmuch as you havenot only preserved intact the inheritance bequeathed you by Cyrus, buthave extended his dominion beyond the seas by your conquest of Egypt. 'This answer did not seem to please the king, however, and poorIntaphernes was not a little horrified to hear him strike his fiston the table and cry, 'Flatterer, miserable flatterer!' He then turnedto Croesus and asked his opinion. Our wise friend answered at once:'My opinion is that you have not attained to the greatness of yourfather; for, ' added he in a pacifying tone, 'one thing is wanting to you--a son such as Cyrus bequeathed us in yourself. "

"First-rate, first-rate, " cried Rhodopis clapping her hands and laughing. "An answer that would have done honor to the ready-witted Odysseushimself. And how did the king take your honeyed pill?"

"He was very much pleased, thanked Croesus, and called him his friend. "

"And I, " said Croesus taking up the conversation, "used the favorableopportunity to dissuade him from the campaigns he has been planningagainst the long lived Ethiopians, the Ammonians and the Carthaginians. Of the first of these three nations we know scarcely anything but throughfabulous tales; by attacking them we should lose much and gain little. The oasis of Ammon is scarcely accessible to a large army, on account ofthe desert by which it is surrounded; besides which, it seems to mesacrilegious to make war upon a god in the hope of obtaining possessionof his treasures, whether we be his worshippers or not. As to theCarthaginians, facts have already justified my predictions. Our fleet ismanned principally by Syrians and Phoenicians, and they have, as might beexpected, refused to go to war against their brethren. Cambyses laughedat my reasons, and ended by swearing, when he was already somewhatintoxicated, that he could carry out difficult undertakings and subduepowerful nations, even without the help of Bartja and Phanes. "

"What could that allusion to you mean, my son?" asked Rhodopis. 

"He won the battle of Pelusiam, " cried Zopyrus, before his friend couldanswer. "He and no one else!"

"Yes, " added Croesus, "and you might have been more prudent, and haveremembered that it is a dangerous thing to excite the jealousy of a manlike Cambyses. You all of you forget that his heart is sore, and thatthe slightest vexation pains him. He has lost the woman he really loved;his dearest friend is gone; and now you want to disparage the last thingin this world that he still cares for, --his military glory. "

"Don't blame him, " said Bartja, grasping the old man's hand. "My brotherhas never been unjust, and is far from envying me what I must call mygood fortune, for that my attack arrived just at the right time canhardly be reckoned as a merit on my part. You know he gave me thissplendid sabre, a hundred thorough-bred horses, and a golden hand-millas rewards of my bravery. "

Croesus' words had caused Sappho a little anxiety at first; but thisvanished on hearing her husband speak so confidently, and by the timeZopyrus had finished his wreath and placed it on Rhodopis' head, all herfears were forgotten. 

Gyges had prepared his for the young mother. It was made of snow-whitewater-lilies, and, when she placed it among her brown curls, she lookedso wonderfully lovely in the simple ornament, that Bartja could not helpkissing her on the forehead, though so many witnesses were present. Thislittle episode gave a merry turn to the conversation; every one did hisbest to enliven the others, refreshments of all kinds were handed round, and even Darius lost his gravity for a time and joined in the jests thatwere passing among his friends. 

When the sun had set, the slaves set elegantly-carved chairs, footstools, and little tables on the open part of the deck. Our cheerful party nowrepaired thither and beheld a sight so marvellously beautiful as to bequite beyond their expectations. 

The feast of Neith, called in Egyptian "the lampburning, " was celebratedby a universal illumination, which began at the rising of the moon. Theshores of the Nile looked like two long lines of fire. Every temple, house and but was ornamented with lamps according to the means of itspossessors. The porches of the country-houses and the little towers onthe larger buildings were all lighted up by brilliant flames, burning inpans of pitch and sending up clouds of smoke, in which the flags andpennons waved gently backwards and forwards. The palm-trees andsycamores were silvered by the moonlight and threw strange fantasticreflections on the red waters of the Nile-red from the fiery glow of thehouses on their shores. But strong and glowing as was the light of theillumination, its rays had not power to reach the middle of the giantriver, where the boat was making its course, and the pleasure-party feltas if they were sailing in dark night between two brilliant days. Nowand then a brightly-lighted boat would come swiftly across the river andseem, as it neared the shore, to be cutting its way through a glowingstream of molten iron. 

Lotus-blossoms, white as snow, lay on the surface of the river, risingand falling with the waves, and looking like eyes in the water. Not asound could be heard from either shore. The echoes were carried away bythe north-wind, and the measured stroke of the oars and monotonous songof the rowers were the only sounds that broke the stillness of thisstrange night--a night robbed of its darkness. 

For a long time the friends gazed without speaking at the wonderfulsight, which seemed to glide past them. Zopyrus was the first to breakthe silence by saying, as he drew a long breath: "I really envy you, Bartja. If things were as they should be, every one of us would have hisdearest wife at his side on such a night as this. "

"And who forbade you to bring one of your wives?" answered the happyhusband. 

"The other five, " said the youth with a sigh. "If I had allowed Oroetes'little daughter Parysatis, my youngest favorite, to come out alone withme to-night, this wonderful sight would have been my last; tomorrow therewould have been one pair of eyes less in the world. "

Bartja took Sappho's hand and held it fast, saying, "I fancy one wifewill content me as long as I live. " The young mother pressed his handwarmly again, and said, turning to Zopyrus: "I don't quite trust you, myfriend. It seems to me that it is not the anger of your wives you fear, so much as the commission of an offence against the customs of yourcountry. I have been told that my poor Bartja gets terribly scolded inthe women's apartments for not setting eunuchs to watch over me, and forletting me share his pleasures. "

"He does spoil you terribly, " answered Zopyrus, "and our wives arebeginning to quote him as an example of kindness and indulgence, wheneverwe try to hold the reins a little tight. Indeed there will soon be aregular women's mutiny at the king's gate, and the Achaemenidae whoescaped the swords and arrows of the Egyptians, will fall victims tosharp tongues and floods of salt tears. "

"Oh! you most impolite Persian!" said Syloson laughing. "We must makeyou more respectful to these images of Aphrodite. "

"You Greeks! that's a good idea, " answered the youth. "By Mithras, ourwives are quite as well off as yours. It's only the Egyptian women, thatare so wonderfully free. "

"Yes, you are quite right, " said Rhodopis. "The inhabitants of thisstrange land have for thousands of years granted our weaker sex the samerights, that they demand for themselves. Indeed, in many respects, theyhave given us the preference. For instance, by the Egyptian law it isthe daughters, not the sons, who are commanded to foster and provide fortheir aged parents, showing how well the fathers of this now humbledpeople understood women's nature, and how rightly they acknowledged thatshe far surpasses man in thoughtful solicitude and self-forgetful love. Do not laugh at these worshippers of animals. I confess that I cannotunderstand them, but I feel true admiration for a people in the teachingof whose priests, even Pythagoras, that great master in the art ofknowledge, assured me lies a wisdom as mighty as the Pyramids. "

"And your great master was right, " exclaimed Darius. "You know that Iobtained Neithotep's freedom, and, for some weeks past, have seen him andOnuphis very constantly, indeed they have been teaching me. And oh, howmuch I have learnt already from those two old men, of which I had no ideabefore! How much that is sad I can forget, when I am listening to them!They are acquainted with the entire history of the heavens and the earth. They know the name of every king, and the circumstances of everyimportant event that has occurred during the last four thousand years, the courses of the stars, the works of their own artists and sayings oftheir sages, during the same immense period of time. All this knowledgeis recorded in huge books, which have been preserved in a palace atThebes, called the "place of healing for the soul. Their laws are afountain of pure wisdom, and a comprehensive intellect has been shown inthe adaptation of all their state institutions to the needs of thecountry. I wish we could boast of the same regularity and order at home. The idea that lies at the root of all their knowledge is the use ofnumbers, the only means by which it is possible to calculate the courseof the stars, to ascertain and determine the limits of all that exists, and, by the application of which in the shortening and lengthening of thestrings of musical instruments, tones can be regulated. 

 [We agree with Iamblichus in supposing, that these Pythagorean views were derived from the Egyptian mysteries. ]

"Numbers are the only certain things; they can neither be controlled norperverted. Every nation has its own ideas of right and wrong; every lawcan be rendered invalid by circumstances; but the results obtained fromnumbers can never be overthrown. Who can dispute, for instance, thattwice two make four? Numbers determine the contents of every existingthing; whatever is, is equal to its contents, numbers therefore are thetrue being, the essence of all that is. "

"In the name of Mithras, Darius, do leave off talking in that style, unless you want to turn my brain, " interrupted Zopyrus. "Why, to hearyou, one would fancy you'd been spending your life among these oldEgyptian speculators and had never had a sword in your hand. What onearth have we to do with numbers?"

"More than you fancy, " answered Rhodopis. "This theory of numbersbelongs to the mysteries of the Egyptian priests, and Pythagoras learntit from the very Onuphis who is now teaching you, Darius. If you willcome to see me soon, I will show you how wonderfully that great Samianbrought the laws of numbers and of the harmonies into agreement. Butlook, there are the Pyramids!"

The whole party rose at these words, and stood speechless, gazing at thegrand sight which opened before them. 

The Pyramids lay on the left bank of the Nile, in the silver moonshine, massive and awful, as if bruising the earth beneath them with theirweight; the giant graves of mighty rulers. They seemed examples of man'screative power, and at the same time warnings of the vanity andmutability of earthly greatness. For where was Chufu now, --the king whohad cemented that mountain of stone with the sweat of his subjects?Where was the long-lived Chafra who had despised the gods, and, defiantin the consciousness of his own strength, was said to have closed thegates of the temples in order to make himself and his name immortal bybuilding a tomb of superhuman dimensions?

 [Herodotus repeats, in good faith, that the builders of the great Pyramids were despisers of the gods. The tombs of their faithful subjects at the foot of these huge structures prove, however, that they owe their bad repute to the hatred of the people, who could not forget the era of their hardest bondage, and branded the memories of their oppressors wherever an opportunity could be found. We might use the word "tradition" instead of "the people, " for this it is which puts the feeling and tone of mind of the multitude into the form of history. ]

Their empty sarcophagi are perhaps tokens, that the judges of the deadfound them unworthy of rest in the grave, unworthy of the resurrection, whereas the builder of the third and most beautiful pyramid, Menkera, whocontented himself with a smaller monument, and reopened the gates of thetemples, was allowed to rest in peace in his coffin of blue basalt. 

There they lay in the quiet night, these mighty pyramids, shone on by thebright stars, guarded by the watchman of the desert--the giganticsphinx, --and overlooking the barren rocks of the Libyan stony mountains. At their feet, in beautifully-ornamented tombs, slept the mummies oftheir faithful subjects, and opposite the monument of the pious Menkerastood a temple, where prayers were said by the priests for the souls ofthe many dead buried in the great Memphian city of the dead. In thewest, where the sun went down behind the Libyan mountains, where thefruitful land ended and the desert began--there the people of Memphis hadburied their dead; and as our gay party looked towards the west they feltawed into a solemn silence. 

But their boat sped on before the north-wind; they left the city of thedead behind them and passed the enormous dikes built to protect the cityof Menes from the violence of the floods; the city of the Pharaohs camein sight, dazzlingly bright with the myriads of flames which had beenkindled in honor of the goddess Neith, and when at last the gigantictemple of Ptah appeared, the most ancient building of the most ancientland, the spell broke, their tongues were loosed, and they burst out intoloud exclamations of delight. 

It was illuminated by thousands of lamps; a hundred fires burnt on itsPylons, its battlemented walls and roofs. Burning torches flared betweenthe rows of sphinxes which connected the various gates with the mainbuilding, and the now empty house of the god Apis was so surrounded bycolored fires that it gleamed like a white limestone rock in a tropicalsunset. Pennons, flags and garlands waved above the brilliant picture;music and loud songs could be heard from below. 

"Glorious, " cried Rhodopis in enthusiasm, "glorious! Look how thepainted walls and columns gleam in the light, and what marvellous figuresthe shadows of the obelisks and sphinxes throw on the smooth yellowpavement!"

"And how mysterious the sacred grove looks yonder!" added Croesus. "Inever saw anything so wonderful before. "

"I have seen something more wonderful still, " said Darius. "You willhardly believe me when I tell you that I have witnessed a celebration ofthe mysteries of Neith. "

"Tell us what you saw, tell us!" was the universal outcry. 

"At first Neithotep refused me admission, but when I promised to remainhidden, and besides, to obtain the freedom of his child, he led me up tohis observatory, from which there is a very extensive view, and told methat I should see a representation of the fates of Osiris and his wifeIsis. 

"He had scarcely left, when the sacred grove became so brightlyilluminated by colored lights that I was able to see into its innermostdepths. 

"A lake, smooth as glass, lay before me, surrounded by beautiful treesand flower-beds. Golden boats were sailing on this lake and in them satlovely boys and girls dressed in snow-white garments, and singing sweetsongs as they passed over the water. There were no rowers to directthese boats, and yet they moved over the ripples of the lake in agraceful order, as if guided by some magic unseen hand. A large shipsailed in the midst of this little fleet. Its deck glittered withprecious stones. It seemed to be steered by one beautiful boy only, and, strange to say, the rudder he guided consisted of one white lotusflower, the delicate leaves of which seemed scarcely to touch the water. A verylovely woman, dressed like a queen, lay on silken cushions in the middleof the vessel; by her side sat a man of larger stature than that ofordinary mortals. He wore a crown of ivy on his flowing curls, apanther-skin hung over his shoulders and he held a crooked staff in theright hand. In the back part of the ship was a roof made of ivy, lotus-blossoms and roses; beneath it stood a milk-white cow with golden horns, covered with a cloth of purple. The man was Osiris, the woman Isis, theboy at the helm their son Horus, and the cow was the animal sacred to theimmortal Isis. The little boats all skimmed over the water, singing gladsongs of joy as they passed by the ship, and receiving in return showersof flowers and fruits, thrown down upon the lovely singers by the god andgoddess within. Suddenly I heard the roll of thunder. It came crashingon, louder, and louder, and in the midst of this awful sound a man in theskin of a wild boar, with hideous features and bristling red hair, cameout of the gloomiest part of the sacred grove, plunged into the lake, followed by seventy creatures like himself, and swam up to the ship ofOsiris. 

 [We have taken our description of this spectacle entirely from the Osiris-myth, as we find it in Plutarch, Isis and Orisis 13-19. Diod. I. 22. And a thousand times repeated on the monuments. Horus is called "the avenger of his father, " &c. We copy the battle with all its phases from an inscription at Edfu, interpreted by Naville. ]

"The little boats fled with the swiftness of the wind, and the tremblingboy helmsman dropped his lotusblossom. 

"The dreadful monster then rushed on Osiris, and, with the help of hiscomrades, killed him, threw the body into a coffin and the coffin intothe lake, the waters of which seemed to carry it away as if by magic. Isis meanwhile had escaped to land in one of the small boats, and was nowrunning hither and thither on the shores of the lake, with streaminghair, lamenting her dead husband and followed by the virgins who hadescaped with her. Their songs and dances, while seeking the body ofOsiris, were strangely plaintive and touching, and the girls accompaniedthe dance by waving black Byssus scarfs in wonderfully graceful curves. Neither were the youths idle; they busied themselves in making a costlycoffin for the vanished corpse of the god, accompanying their work withdances and the sound of castanets. When this was finished they joinedthe maidens in the train of the lamenting Isis and wandered on the shorewith them, singing and searching. 

"Suddenly a low song rose from some invisible lips. It swelled louderand louder and announced, that the body of the god had been transportedby the currents of the Mediterranean to Gebal in distant Phoenicia. Thissinging voice thrilled to my very heart; Neithotep's son, who was mycompanion, called it 'the wind of rumor. '

"When Isis heard the glad news, she threw off her mourning garments andsang a song of triumphant rejoicing, accompanied by the voices of herbeautiful followers. Rumor had not lied; the goddess really found thesarcophagus and the dead body of her husband on the northern shore of thelake. 

 [It is natural, that Isis should find the body of her husband in the north. The connection between Phoenicia and Egypt in this myth, as it has been handed down to us by Plutarch, is very remarkable. We consider the explanation of the close affinity between the Isis and Osiris and the Adonis myths to be in the fact, that Egyptians and Phoenicians lived together on the shores of the Delta where the latter had planted their colonies. Plutarch's story of the finding of Osiris' dead body is very charming. Isis and Osiris. Ed. Parth. 15. ]

"They brought both to land with dances; Isis threw herself on the belovedcorpse, called on the name of Osiris and covered the mummy with kisses, while the youths wove a wonderful tomb of lotus-flowers and ivy. 

"When the coffin had been laid under this beautiful vault, Isis left thesad place of mourning and went to look for her son. She found him at theeast end of the lake, where for a long time I had seen a beautiful youthpractising arms with a number of companions. 

"While she was rejoicing over her newly-found child, a fresh peal ofthunder told that Typhon had returned. This time the monster rushed uponthe beautiful flowering grave, tore the body out of its coffin, hewed itinto fourteen pieces, and strewed them over the shores of the lake. 

"When Isis came back to the grave, she found nothing but faded flowersand an empty coffin; but at fourteen different places on the shorefourteen beautiful colored flames were burning. She and her virgins ranto these flames, while Horus led the youths to battle against Typhon onthe opposite shore. 

"My eyes and ears hardly sufficed for all I had to see and hear. On theone shore a fearful and interesting struggle, peals of thunder and thebraying of trumpets; on the other the sweet voices of the women, singingthe most captivating songs to the most enchanting dances, for Isis hadfound a portion of her husband's body at every fire and was rejoicing. 

"That was something for you, Zopyrus! I know of no words to describe thegrace of those girls' movements, or how beautiful it was to see themfirst mingling in intricate confusion, then suddenly standing infaultless, unbroken lines, falling again into the same lovely tumult andpassing once more into order, and all this with the greatest swiftness. Bright rays of light flashed from their whirling ranks all the time, foreach dancer had a mirror fastened between her shoulders, which flashedwhile she was in motion, and reflected the scene when she was still. 

"Just as Isis had found the last limb but one of the murdered Osiris, loud songs of triumph and the flourish of trumpets resounded from theopposite shore. 

"Horus had conquered Typhon, and was forcing his way into the netherregions to free his father. The gate to this lower world opened on thewest side of the lake and was guarded by a fierce female hippopotamus. 

"And now a lovely music of flutes and harps came nearer and nearer, heavenly perfumes rose into the air, a rosy light spread over the sacredgrove, growing brighter every minute, and Osiris came up from the lowerworld, led by his victorious son. Isis hastened to embrace her risen anddelivered husband, gave the beautiful Horus his lotus-flower againinstead of the sword, and scattered fruits and flowers over the earth, while Osiris seated himself under a canopy wreathed with ivy, andreceived the homage of all the spirits of the earth and of the Amenti. "

 [The lower world, in Egyptian Amenti, properly speaking, the West or kingdom of death, to which the soul returns at the death of the body, as the sun at his setting. In a hieroglyphic inscription of the time of the Ptolemies the Amenti is called Hades. ]

Darius was silent. Rhodopis began:

"We thank you for your charming account; but this strange spectacle musthave a higher meaning, and we should thank you doubly if you wouldexplain that to us. "

"Your idea is quite right, " answered Darius, "but what I know I dare nottell. I was obliged to promise Neithotep with an oath, not to tell talesout of school. "

"Shall I tell you, " asked Rhodopis, "what conclusions various hints fromPythagoras and Onuphis have led me to draw, as to the meaning of thisdrama? Isis seems to me to represent the bountiful earth; Osiris, humidity or the Nile, which makes the earth fruitful; Horus, the youngspring; Typhon, the scorching drought. The bounteous earth, robbed ofher productive power, seeks this beloved husband with lamentations in thecooler regions of the north, where the Nile discharges his waters. Atlast Horus, the young springing power of nature, is grown up and conquersTyphon, or the scorching drought. Osiris, as is the case with thefruitful principle of nature, was only apparently dead, rises from thenether regions and once more rules the blessed valley of the Nile, inconcert with his wife, the bounteous earth. "

"And as the murdered god behaved properly in the lower regions, " saidZopyrus, laughing, "he is allowed, at the end of this odd story, toreceive homage from the inhabitants of Hamestegan, Duzakh and Gorothman, or whatever they call these abodes for the Egyptian spirit-host. "

"They are called Amenti, " said Darius, falling into his friend's merrymood; but you must know that the history of this divine pair representsnot only the life of nature, but also that of the human soul, which, likethe murdered Osiris, lives an eternal life, even when the body is dead. "

"Thank you, " said the other; "I'll try to remember that if I shouldchance to die in Egypt. But really, cost what it may, I must see thiswonderful sight soon. "

"Just my own wish, " said Rhodopis. "Age is inquisitive. "

"You will never be old, " interrupted Darius. "Your conversation and yourfeatures have remained alike beautiful, and your mind is as clear andbright as your eyes. "

"Forgive me for interrupting you, " said Rhodopis, as if she had not heardhis flattering words, "but the word 'eyes' reminds me of the oculistNebenchari, and my memory fails me so often, that I must ask you what hasbecome of him, before I forget. I hear nothing now of this skilfuloperator to whom the noble Kassandane owes her sight. "

"He is much to be pitied, " replied Darius. "Even before we reachedPelusium he had begun to avoid society, and scorned even to speak withhis countryman Onuphis. His gaunt old servant was the only being allowedto wait on or be with him. But after the battle his whole behaviorchanged. He went to the king with a radiant countenance, and askedpermission to accompany him to Sais, and to choose two citizens of thattown to be his slaves. Cambyses thought he could not refuse anything tothe man, who had been such a benefactor to his mother, and granted himfull power to do what he wished. On arriving at Amasis' capital, he wentat once to the temple of Neith, caused the high-priest (who had moreoverplaced himself at the head of the citizens hostile to Persia), to bearrested, and with him a certain oculist named Petammon. He theninformed them that, as punishment for the burning of certain papers, theywould be condemned to serve a Persian to whom he should sell them, forthe term of their natural lives, and to perform the most menial servicesof slaves in a foreign country. I was present at this scene, and Iassure you I trembled before the Egyptian as he said these words to hisenemies. Neithotep, however, listened quietly, and when Nebenchari hadfinished, answered him thus: If thou, foolish son, hast betrayed thycountry for the sake of thy burnt manuscripts, the deed has been neitherjust nor wise. I preserved thy valuable works with the greatest care, laid them up in our temple, and sent a complete copy to the library atThebes. Nothing was burnt but the letters from Amasis to thy father, and a worthless old chest. Psamtik and Petammon were present, and it wasthen and there resolved that a new family tomb in the city of the deadshould be built for thee as a compensation for the loss of papers, which, in order to save Egypt, we were unfortunately forced to destroy. On itswalls thou canst behold pleasing paintings of the gods to whom thou hastdevoted thy life, the most sacred chapters from the book of the dead, andmany other beautiful pictures touching thine own life and character. "

"The physician turned very pale--asked first to see his books, and thenhis new and beautifully-fitted-up tomb. He then gave his slaves theirfreedom, (notwithstanding which they were still taken to Memphis asprisoners of war), and went home, often passing his hand across hisforehead on the way, and with the uncertain step of one intoxicated. On reaching his house he made a will, bequeathing all he possessed to thegrandson of his old servant Hib, and, alleging that he was ill, went tobed. The next morning he was found dead. He had poisoned himself withthe fearful strychnos-juice. "

"Miserable man" said Croesus. "The gods had blinded him, and he reapeddespair instead of revenge, as a reward for his treachery. "

"I pity him, " murmured Rhodopis. "But look, the rowers are taking intheir oars. We are at the end of our journey; there are your litters andcarriages waiting for you. It was a beautiful trip. Farewell, my dearones; come to Naukratis soon, I shall return at once with Theopompus andSyloson. Give little Parmys a thousand kisses from me, and tell Melittanever to take her out at noon. It is dangerous for the eyes. Good-night, Croesus; good-night, friends, farewell my dear son. "

The Persians left the vessel with many a nod and farewell word, andBartja, looking round once more, missed his footing and fell on thelanding-pier. 

He sprang up in a moment without Zopyrus' help, who came running back, calling out, "Take care, Bartja! It's unlucky to fall in steppingashore. I did the very same thing, when we left the ship that time atNaukratis. "

CHAPTER XIV. 

While our friends were enjoying their row on the Nile, Cambyses' envoy, Prexaspes, had returned from a mission to the long-lived Ethiopians. Hepraised their strength and stature, described the way to their country asalmost inaccessible to a large army, and had plenty of marvellous talesto tell. How, for instance; they always chose the strongest andhandsomest man in their nation for their king, and obeyed himunconditionally: how many of them reached the age of 120 years, and someeven passed it: how they ate nothing but boiled flesh, drank new milk andwashed in a spring the waters of which had the scent of violets, gave aremarkable lustre to their skins, and were so light that wood could notswim in them: how their captives wore golden fetters, because othermetals were rare and dear in their country; and lastly, how they coveredthe bodies of the dead with plaster or stucco, over which a coating ofsome glass-like material was poured, and kept the pillars thus formed oneyear in their houses, during which time sacrifices were offered them, andat the year's end they were placed in rows around the town. 

The king of this strange people had accepted Cambyses' presents, saying, in a scornful tone, that he new well his friendship was of no importanceto the Persians, and Prexaspes had only been sent to spy out the land. If the prince of Asia were a just man, he would be contented with his ownimmense empire and not try to subjugate a people who had done him nowrong. "Take your king this bow, " he said, "and advise him not to beginthe war with us, until the Persians are able to bend such weapons aseasily as we do. Cambyses may thank the gods, that the Ethiopians havenever taken it into their heads to conquer countries which do not belongto them. "

He then unbent his mighty bow of ebony, and gave it to Prexaspes to taketo his lord. 

Cambyses laughed at the bragging African, invited his nobles to a trialof the bow the next morning, and awarded Prexaspes for the clever way inwhich he had overcome the difficulties of his journey and acquittedhimself of his mission. He then went to rest, as usual intoxicated, andfell into a disturbed sleep, in which he dreamed that Bartja was seatedon the throne of Persia, and that the crown of his head touched theheavens. 

This was a dream, which he could interpret without the aid of soothsayeror Chaldean. It roused his anger first, and then made him thoughtful. 

He could not sleep, and such questions as the following came into hismind: "Haven't you given your brother reason to feel revengeful? Do youthink he can forget that you imprisoned and condemned him to death, whenhe was innocent? And if he should raise his hand against you, would notall the Achaemenidae take his part? Have I ever done, or have I anyintention of ever doing anything to win the love of these venalcourtiers? Since Nitetis died and that strange Greek fled, has therebeen a single human being, in whom I have the least confidence or onwhose affection I can rely?"

These thoughts and questionings excited him so fearfully, that he sprangfrom his bed, crying: "Love and I have nothing to do with one another. Other men maybe kind and good if they like; I must be stern, or I shallfall into the hands of those who hate me--hate me because I have beenjust, and have visited heavy sins with heavy chastisements. They whisperflattering words in my ear; they curse me when my back is turned. Thegods themselves must be my enemies, or why do they rob me of everythingI love, deny me posterity and even that military glory which is my justdue? Is Bartja so much better than I, that everything which I am forcedto give up should be his in hundred-fold measure? Love, friendship, fame, children, everything flows to him as the rivers to the sea, whilemy heart is parched like the desert. But I am king still. I can showhim which is the stronger of us two, and I will, though his forehead maytouch the heavens. In Persia there can be only one great man. He or I, --I or he. In a few days I'll send him back to Asia and make him satrapof Bactria. There he can nurse his child and listen to his wife's songs, while I am winning glory in Ethiopia, which it shall not be in his powerto lessen. Ho, there, dressers! bring my robes and a good morning-draught of wine. I'll show the Persians that I'm fit to be King ofEthiopia, and can beat them all at bending a bow. Here, give me anothercup of wine. I'd bend that bow, if it were a young cedar and its stringa cable!" So saying he drained an immense bowl of wine and went into thepalace-garden, conscious of his enormous strength and therefore sure ofsuccess. 

All his nobles were assembled waiting for him there, welcomed him withloud acclamations, and fell on their faces to the ground before theirking. 

Pillars, connected by scarlet cords, had been quickly set up between theclosely-cut hedges and straight avenues. From these cords, suspended bygold and silver rings, yellow and dark blue hangings fluttered in thebreeze. Gilded wooden benches had been placed round in a large circle, and nimble cup-bearers handed wine in costly vessels to the companyassembled for the shooting-match. 

At a sign from the king the Achaemenidae rose from the earth. 

Cambyses glanced over their ranks, and his face brightened on seeingthat Bartja was not there. Prexaspes handed him the Ethiopian bow, andpointed out a target at some distance. Cambyses laughed at the largesize of the target, weighted the bow with his right hand, challenged hissubjects to try their fortune first, and handed the bow to the agedHystaspes, as the highest in rank among the Achaemenidae. 

While Hystaspes first, and then all the heads of the six other highestfamilies in Persia, were using their utmost efforts to bend this monsterweapon in vain, the king emptied goblet after goblet of wine, his spiritsrising as he watched their vain endeavors to solve the Ethiopian'sproblem. At last Darius, who was famous for his skill in archery, tookthe bow. Nearly the same result. The wood was inflexible as iron andall his efforts only availed to move it one finger's breadth. The kinggave him a friendly nod in reward for his success, and then, lookinground on his friends and relations in a manner that betokened the mostperfect assurance, he said: "Give me the bow now, Darius. I will showyou, that there is only one man in Persia who deserves the name of king;--only one who can venture to take the field against the Ethiopians;--only one who can bend this bow. "

He grasped it tightly with his left hand, taking the string, which was asthick as a man's finger and made from the intestines of a lion, in hisright, fetched a deep breath, bent his mighty back and pulled and pulled;collected all his strength for greater and greater efforts, strained hissinews till they threatened to break, and the veins in his forehead wereswollen to bursting, did not even disdain to use his feet and legs, butall in vain. After a quarter of an hour of almost superhuman exertion, his strength gave way, the ebony, which he had succeeded in bending evenfarther than Darius, flew back and set all his further endeavors atnought. At last, feeling himself thoroughly exhausted, he dashed the bowon to the ground in a passion, crying: "The Ethiopian is a liar! nomortal man has ever bent that bow. What is impossible for my arm ispossible for no other. In three days we will start for Ethiopia. I willchallenge the impostor to a single combat, and ye shall see which is thestronger. Take up the bow, Prexaspes, and keep it carefully. The blackliar shall be strangled with his own bow-string. This wood is reallyharder than iron, and I confess that the man who could bend it, wouldreally be my master. I should not be ashamed to call him so, for he mustbe of better stuff than I. "

As he finished speaking, Bartja appeared in the circle of assembledPersians. His glorious figure was set off to advantage by his richdress, his features were bright with happiness and a feeling of consciousstrength. He passed through the ranks of the Achaemenidae with many afriendly nod, which was warmly returned, and going straight to hisbrother, kissed his robe, looked up frankly and cheerfully into hisgloomy eyes, and said: "I am a little late, and ask your forgiveness, mylord and brother. Or have I really come in time? Yes, yes, I seethere's no arrow in the target yet, so I am sure you, the best archer inthe world, cannot have tried your strength yet. But you look soenquiringly at me. Then I will confess that our child kept me. Thelittle creature laughed to-day for the first time, and was so charmingwith its mother, that I forgot how time was passing while I watched them. You have all full leave to laugh at my folly; I really don't know how toexcuse myself. See, the little one has pulled my star from the chain. But I think, my brother, you will give me a new one to-day if I shouldhit the bull's eye. Shall I shoot first, or will you begin, mySovereign?"

"Give him the bow, Prexaspes, " said Cambyses, not even deigning to lookat his brother. 

Bartja took it and was proceeding to examine the wood and the string, when Cambyses suddenly called out, with a mocking laugh: "By Mithras, Ibelieve you want to try your sweet looks on the bow, and win its favor inthat fashion, as you do the hearts of men. Give it back to Prexaspes. It's easier to play with beautiful women and laughing children, than witha weapon like this, which mocks the strength even of real men. "

Bartja blushed with anger and annoyance at this speech, which was utteredin the bitterest tone, picked up the giant arrow that lay before him, placed himself opposite the target, summoned all his strength, bent thebow, by an almost superhuman effort, and sent the arrow into the verycentre of the target, where its iron point remained, while the woodenshaft split into a hundred shivers. 

 [Herodotus tells this story (III, 30. ), and we are indebted to him also for our information of the events which follow. The following inscription, said to have been placed over the grave of Darius, and communicated by Onesikritus, (Strabo 730. ) proves that the Persians were very proud of being reputed good archers: "I was a friend to my friends, the best rider and archer, a first-rate hunter; I could do everything. "]

Most of the Achaemenidae burst into loud shouts of delight at thismarvellous proof of strength; but Bartja's nearest friends turned paleand were silent; they were watching the king, who literally quivered withrage, and Bartja, who was radiant with pride and joy. 

Cambyses was a fearful sight at that moment. It seemed to him as if thatarrow, in piercing the target, had pierced his own heart, his strength, dignity and honor. Sparks floated before his eyes, in his ears was asound like the breaking of a stormy sea on the shore; his cheeks glowedand he grasped the arm of Prexaspes who was at his side. Prexaspes onlytoo well understood what that pressure meant, when given by a royal hand, and murmured: "Poor Bartja!"

At last the king succeeded in recovering his presence of mind. Withoutsaying a word, he threw a gold chain to his brother, ordered his noblesto follow him, and left the garden, but only to wander restlessly up anddown his apartments, and try to drown his rage in wine. Suddenly heseemed to have formed a resolution and ordered all the courtiers, exceptPrexaspes, to leave the hall. When they were alone, he called out in ahoarse voice and with a look that proved the extent of his intoxication:"This life is not to be borne! Rid me of my enemy, and I will call youmy friend and benefactor. "

Prexaspes trembled, threw himself at the king's feet and raised his handsimploringly; but Cambyses was too intoxicated, and too much blinded byhis hatred to understand the action. He fancied the prostration wasmeant as a sign of devotion to his will, signed to him to rise, andwhispered, as if afraid of hearing his own words: "Act quickly andsecretly; and, as you value your life, let no one know of the upstart'sdeath. Depart, and when your work is finished, take as much as you likeout of the treasury. But keep your wits about you. The boy has a strongarm and a winning tongue. Think of your own wife and children, if hetries to win you over with his smooth words. "

As he spoke he emptied a fresh goblet of pure wine, staggered through thedoor of the room, calling out as he turned his back on Prexaspes: "Woe beto you if that upstart, that woman's hero, that fellow who has robbed meof my honor, is left alive. "

Long after he had left the hall, Prexaspes stood fixed on the spot wherehe had heard these words. The man was ambitious, but neither mean norbad, and he felt crushed by the awful task allotted to him. He knew thathis refusal to execute it would bring death or disgrace on himself and onhis family; but he loved Bartja, and besides, his whole nature revoltedat the thought of becoming a common, hired murderer. A fearful strugglebegan in his mind, and raged long after he left the palace. On the wayhome he met Croesus and Darius. He fancied they would see from his looksthat he was already on the way to a great crime, and hid himself behindthe projecting gate of a large Egyptian house. As they passed, he heardCroesus say: "I reproached him bitterly, little as he deserves reproachin general, for having given such an inopportune proof of his greatstrength. We may really thank the gods, that Cambyses did not layviolent hands on him in a fit of passion. He has followed my advice nowand gone with his wife to Sais. For the next few days Bartja must notcome near the king; the mere sight of him might rouse his anger again, and a monarch can always find unprincipled servants . . . "

The rest of the sentence died away in the distance, but the words he hadheard were enough to make Prexaspes start, as if Croesus had accused himof the shameful deed. He resolved in that moment that, come what would, his hands should not be stained with the blood of a friend. Thisresolution restored him his old erect bearing and firm gait for the time, but when he reached the dwelling which had been assigned as his abode inSais his two boys ran to the door to meet him. They had stolen away fromthe play-ground of the sons of the Achaemenidae, (who, as was always thecase, had accompanied the king and the army), to see their father for amoment. He felt a strange tenderness, which he could not explain tohimself, on taking them in his arms, and kissed the beautiful boys oncemore on their telling him that they must go back to their play-groundagain, or they should be punished. Within, he found his favorite wifeplaying with their youngest child, a sweet little girl. Again the samestrange, inexplicable feeling of tenderness. He overcame it this timefor fear of betraying his secret to his young wife, and retired to hisown apartment early. 

Night had come on. 

The sorely-tried man could not sleep; he turned restlessly from side toside. The fearful thought, that his refusal to do the king's will wouldbe the ruin of his wife and children, stood before his wakeful eyes inthe most vivid colors. The strength to keep his good resolution forsookhim, and even Croesus' words, which, when he first heard them had givenhis nobler feelings the victory, now came in as a power on the otherside. "A monarch can always find unprincipled servants. " Yes, the wordswere an affront, but at the same time a reminder, that though he mightdefy the king's command a hundred others would be ready to obey it. Nosooner had this thought become clear to him, than he started up, examineda number of daggers which hung, carefully arranged, above his bed, andlaid the sharpest on the little table before him. 

He then began to pace the room in deep thought, often going to theopening which served as a window, to cool his burning forehead and seeif dawn were near. 

When at last daylight appeared, he heard the sounding brass calling theboys to early prayer. That reminded him of his sons and he examined thedagger a second time. A troop of gaily-dressed courtiers rode by ontheir way to the king. He put the dagger in his girdle; and at last, onhearing the merry laughter of his youngest child sound from the women'sapartments, he set the tiara hastily on his head, left the house withouttaking leave of his wife, and, accompanied by a number of slaves, wentdown to the Nile. There he threw himself into a boat and ordered therowers to take him to Sais. 

 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

A few hours after the fatal shooting-match, Bartja had followed Croesus'advice and had gone off to Sais with his young wife. They found Rhodopisthere. She had yielded to an irresistible impulse and, instead ofreturning to Naukratis, had stopped at Sais. Bartja's fall on steppingashore had disturbed her, and she had with her own eyes seen an owl flyfrom the left side close by his head. These evil omens, to a heart whichhad by no means outgrown the superstitions of the age, added to aconfused succession of distressing dreams which had disturbed herslumbers, and her usual wish to be always near Bartja and Sappho, led her to decide quickly on waiting for her granddaughter at Sais. 

Bartja and Sappho were delighted to find such a welcome guest, andafter she had dandled and played with her great grandchild, the littleParmys, to her heart's content, they led her to the rooms which had beenprepared for her. 

 [Herodotus states, that beside Atossa, &c. . Darius took a daughter of the deceased Bartja, named Parmys, to be his wife. Herod. III. 88. She is also mentioned VII. 78. ]

They were the same in which the unhappy Tachot had spent the last monthsof her fading existence. Rhodopis could not see all the little trifleswhich showed, not only the age and sex of the former occupant, but hertastes and disposition, without feeling very sad. On the dressing-tablewere a number of little ointment-boxes and small bottles for perfumes, cosmetics, washes and oils. Two larger boxes, one in the form of a Nile-goose, and another on the side of which a woman playing on a lute hadbeen painted, had once contained the princess's costly golden ornaments, and the metal mirror with a handle in the form of a sleeping maiden, hadonce reflected her beautiful face with its pale pink flush. Everythingin the room, from the elegant little couch resting on lions' claws, tothe delicately-carved ivory combs on the toilet-table, proved that theoutward adornments of life had possessed much charm for the former ownerof these rooms. The golden sisirum and the delicately-wrought nabla, the strings of which had long ago been broken, testified to her taste formusic, while the broken spindle in the corner, and some unfinished netsof glass beads shewed that she had been fond of woman's usual work. 

It was a sad pleasure to Rhodopis to examine all these things, and thepicture which she drew in her own mind of Tachot after the inspection, differed very little from the reality. At last interest and curiosityled her to a large painted chest. She lifted the light cover and found, first, a few dried flowers; then a ball, round which some skilful handhad wreathed roses and leaves, once fresh and bright, now, alas, long agodead and withered. Beside these were a number of amulets in differentforms, one representing the goddess of truth, another containing spellswritten on a strip of papyrus and concealed in a little golden case. Then her eyes fell on some letters written in the Greek character. Sheread them by the light of the lamp. They were from Nitetis in Persia toher supposed sister, and were written in ignorance of the latter'sillness. When Rhodopis laid them down her eyes were full of tears. Thedead girl's secret lay open before her. She knew now that Tachot hadloved Bartja, that he had given her the faded flowers, and that she hadwreathed the ball with roses because he had thrown it to her. Theamulets must have been intended either to heal her sick heart, or toawaken love in his. 

As she was putting the letters back in their old place, she touched somecloths which seemed put in to fill up the bottom of the chest, and felt ahard round substance underneath. She raised them, and discovered a bustmade of colored wax, such a wonderfully-exact portrait of Nitetis, thatan involuntary exclamation of surprise broke from her, and it was longbefore she could turn her eyes away from Theodorus' marvellous work. 

She went to rest and fell asleep, thinking of the sad fate of Nitetis, the Egyptian Princess. 

The next morning Rhodopis went into the garden--the same into which weled our readers during the lifetime of Amasis-and found Bartja and Sapphoin an arbor overgrown with vines. 

Sappho was seated in a light wicker-work chair. Her child lay on herlap, stretching out its little hands and feet, sometimes to its father, who was kneeling on the ground before them, and then to its mother whoselaughing face was bent down over her little one. 

Bartja was very happy with his child. When the little creature buriedits tiny fingers in his curls and beard, he would draw his head back tofeel the strength of the little hand, would. Kiss its rosy feet, itslittle round white shoulders and dimpled arms. Sappho enjoyed the fun, always trying to draw the little one's attention to its father. 

Sometimes, when she stooped down to kiss the rosy baby lips, her foreheadwould touch his curls and he would steal the kiss meant for the littleParmys. 

Rhodopis watched them a long time unperceived, and, with tears of joy inher eyes, prayed the gods that they might long be as happy as they nowwere. At last she came into the arbor to wish them good-morning, andbestowed much praise on old Melitta for appearing at the right moment, parasol in hand, to take her charge out of the sunshine before it becametoo bright and hot, and put her to sleep. 

The old slave had been appointed head-nurse to the high-born child, andacquitted herself in her new office with an amount of importance whichwas very comical. Hiding her old limbs under rich Persian robes, shemoved about exulting in the new and delightful right to command, and kepther inferiors in perpetual motion. 

Sappho followed Melitta into the palace, first whispering in herhusband's ear with her arm round his neck: "Tell my grandmothereverything and ask whether you are right. "

Before he could answer, she had stopped his mouth with a kiss, and thenhurried after the old woman who was departing with dignified steps. 

The prince smiled as he watched her graceful walk and beautiful figure, and said, turning to Rhodopis: "Does not it strike you, that she hasgrown taller lately. "

"It seems so, " answered Rhodopis. "A woman's girlhood has its ownpeculiar charm, but her true dignity comes with motherhood. It is thefeeling of having fulfilled her destiny, which raises her head and makesus fancy she has grown taller. "

"Yes, " said Bartja, "I think she is happy. Yesterday our opinionsdiffered for the first time, and as she was leaving us just now, shebegged me, privately, to lay the question before you, which I am veryglad to do, for I honor your experience and wisdom just as much, as Ilove her childlike inexperience. "

Bartja then told the story of the unfortunate shooting-match, finishingwith these words: "Croesus blames my imprudence, but I know my brother; Iknow that when he is angry he is capable of any act of violence, and itis not impossible that at the moment when he felt himself defeated hecould have killed me; but I know too, that when his fierce passion hascooled, he will forget my boastful deed, and only try to excel me byothers of the same kind. A year ago he was by far the best marksman inPersia, and would be so still, if drink and epilepsy had not underminedhis strength. I must confess I feel as if I were becoming stronger everyday. "

"Yes, " interrupted Rhodopis, "pure happiness strengthens a man's arm, just as it adds to the beauty of a woman, while intemperance and mentaldistress ruin both body and mind far more surely even than old age. Myson, beware of your brother; his strong arm has become paralyzed, and hisgenerosity can be forfeited too. Trust my experience, that the man whois the slave of one evil passion, is very seldom master of the rest;besides which, no one feels humiliation so bitterly as he who is sinking--who knows that his powers are forsaking him. I say again, beware ofyour brother, and trust the voice of experience more than that of yourown heart, which, because it is generous itself, believes every one elseto be so. "

"I see, " said Bartja, "that you will take Sappho's side. Difficult as itwill be for her to part from you, she has still begged me to return withher to Persia. She thinks that Cambyses may forget his anger, when I amout of sight. I thought she was over-anxious, and besides, it woulddisappoint me not to take part in the expedition against the Ethiopians. "

"But I entreat you, " interrupted Rhodopis, "to follow her advice. Thegods only know what pain it will give me to lose you both, and yet Irepeat a thousand times: Go back to Persia, and remember that none butfools stake life and happiness to no purpose. As to the war withEthiopia, it is mere madness; instead of subduing those black inhabitantsof the south, you yourselves will be conquered by heat, thirst and allthe horrors of the desert. In saying this I refer to the campaigns ingeneral; as to your own share in them, I can only say that if no fame isto be won there, you will be putting your own life and the happiness ofyour family in jeopardy literally for nothing, and that if, on the otherhand, you should distinguish yourself again, it would only be givingfresh cause of jealousy and anger to your brother. No, go to Persia, assoon as you can. "

Bartja was just beginning to make various objections to these arguments, when he caught sight of Prexaspes coming up to them, looking very pale. 

After the usual greeting, the envoy whispered to Bartja, that he shouldlike to speak with him alone. Rhodopis left them at once, and he began, playing with the rings on his right hand as he spoke, in a constrained, embarrassed way. "I come from the king. Your display of strengthirritated him yesterday, and he does not wish to see you again for sometime. His orders are, that you set out for Arabia to buy up all thecamels that are to be had. 

 [Camels are never represented on the Egyptian monuments, whereas they were in great use among the Arabians and Persians, and are now a necessity on the Nile. They must have existed in Egypt, however. Hekekyan-Bey discovered the bones of a dromedary in a deep bore. Representations of these creatures were probably forbid We know this was the case with the cock, of which bird there were large numbers in Egypt: It is remarkable, that camels were not introduced into Barbary until after the birth of Christ. ]

"As these animals can bear thirst very long, they are to be used inconveying food and water for our army on the Ethiopian campaign. Theremust be no delay. Take leave of your wife, and (I speak by the king'scommand) be ready to start before dark. You will be absent at least amonth. I am to accompany you as far as Pelusium. Kassandane wishes tohave your wife and child near her during your absence. Send them toMemphis as soon as possible; under the protection of the queen mother, they will be in safety. "

Prexaspes' short, constrained way of speaking did not strike Bartja. He rejoiced at what seemed to him great moderation on the part of hisbrother, and at receiving a commission which relieved him of all doubton the question of leaving Egypt, gave his friend, (as he supposed himto be), his hand to kiss and an invitation to follow him into the palace. 

In the cool of the evening, he took a short but very affectionatefarewell of Sappho and his child, who was asleep in Melitta's arms, toldhis wife to set out as soon as possible on her journey to Kassandane, called out jestingly to his mother-in-law, that at least this time shehad been mistaken in her judgment of a man's character, (meaning hisbrother's), and sprang on to his horse. 

As Prexaspes was mounting, Sappho whispered to him, "Take care of thatreckless fellow, and remind him of me and his child, when you see himrunning into unnecessary danger. "

"I shall have to leave him at Pelusium, " answered the envoy, busyinghimself with the bridle of his horse in order to avoid meeting her eyes. 

"Then may the gods take him into their keeping!" exclaimed Sappho, clasping her husband's hand, and bursting into tears, which she could notkeep back. Bartja looked down and saw his usually trustful wife intears. He felt sadder than he had ever felt before. Stooping downlovingly from his saddle, he put his strong arm round her waist, liftedher up to him, and as she stood supporting herself on his foot in thestirrup, pressed her to his heart, as if for a long last farewell. Hethen let her safely and gently to the ground, took his child up to him onthe saddle, kissed and fondled the little creature, and told herlaughingly to make her mother very happy while he was away, exchangedsome warm words of farewell with Rhodopis, and then, spurring his horsetill the creature reared, dashed through the gateway of the Pharaohs'palace, with Prexaspes at his side. 

When the sound of the horses' hoofs had died away in the distance, Sappholaid her head on her grandmother's shoulder and wept uncontrollably. Rhodopis remonstrated and blamed, but all in vain, she could not stop hertears. 

CHAPTER XV. 

On the morning after the trial of the bow, Cambyses was seized by such aviolent attack of his old illness, that he was forced to keep his roomfor two days and nights, ill in mind and body; at times raging like amadman, at others weak and powerless as a little child. 

On the third day he recovered consciousness and remembered the awfulcharge he had laid on Prexaspes, and that it was only too possible hemight have executed it already. At this thought he trembled, as he hadnever trembled in his life before. He sent at once for the envoy'seldest son, who was one of the royal cup-bearers. The boy said hisfather had left Memphis, without taking leave of his family. He thensent for Darius, Zopyrus and Gyges, knowing how tenderly they lovedBartja, and enquired after their friend. On hearing from them that hewas at Sais, he sent the three youths thither at once, charging them, ifthey met Prexaspes on the way, to send him back to Memphis without delay. This haste and the king's strange behavior were quite incomprehensible tothe young Achaemenidae; nevertheless they set out on their journey withall speed, fearing that something must be wrong. 

Cambyses, meanwhile, was miserably restless, inwardly cursed his habit ofdrinking and tasted no wine the whole of that clay. Seeing his mother inthe palace-gardens, he avoided her; he durst not meet her eye. 

The next eight days passed without any sign of Prexaspes' return; theyseemed to the king like a year. A hundred times he sent for the youngcup-bearer and asked if his father had returned; a hundred times hereceived the same disappointing answer. 

At sunset on the thirteenth day, Kassandane sent to beg a visit from him. The king went at once, for now he longed to look on the face of hismother; he fancied it might give him back his lost sleep. 

After he had greeted her with a tenderness so rare from him, that itastonished her, he asked for what reason she had desired his presence. She answered, that Bartja's wife had arrived at Memphis under singularcircumstances and had said she wished to present a gift to Cambyses. Hegave Sappho an audience at once, and heard from her that Prexaspes hadbrought her husband an order to start for Arabia, and herself a summonsto Memphis from the queen-mother. At these words the king turned verypale, and his features were agitated with pain as he looked at hisbrother's lovely young wife. She felt that something unusual was passingin his mind, and such dreadful forebodings arose in her own, that shecould only offer him the gift in silence and with trembling hands. 

"My husband sends you this, " she said, pointing to the ingeniously-wrought box, which contained the wax likeness of Nitetis. Rhodopis hadadvised her to take this to the king in Bartja's name, as a propitiatoryoffering. 

Cambyses showed no curiosity as to the contents of the box, gave it incharge to a eunuch, said a few words which seemed meant as thanks to hissister-in law, and left the women's apartments without even so much asenquiring after Atossa, whose existence he seemed to have forgotten. 

He had come to his mother, believing that the visit would comfort andcalm his troubled mind, but Sappho's words had destroyed his last hope, and with that his last possibility of rest or peace. By this time eitherPrexaspes would already have committed the murder, or perhaps at thatvery moment might be raising his dagger to plunge it into Bartja's heart. 

How could he ever meet his mother again after Bartja's death? how couldhe answer her questions or those of that lovely Sappho, whose large, anxious, appealing eyes had touched him so strangely?

A voice within told him, that his brother's murder would be branded as acowardly, unnatural, and unjust deed, and he shuddered at the thought. It seemed fearful, unbearable, to be called an assassin. He had alreadycaused the death of many a man without the least compunction, but thathad been done either in fair fight, or openly before the world. He wasking, and what the king did was right. Had he killed Bartja with his ownhand, his conscience would not have reproached him; but to have had himprivately put out of the way, after he had given so many proofs ofpossessing first-rate manly qualities, which deserved the highest praise--this tortured him with a feeling of rage at his own want of principle, -a feeling of shame and remorse which he had never known before. Hebegan to despise himself. The consciousness of having acted, and wishedto act justly, forsook him, and he began to fancy, that every one who hadbeen executed by his orders, had been, like Bartja, an innocent victim ofhis fierce anger. These thoughts became so intolerable, that he began todrink once more in the hope of drowning them. But now the wine hadprecisely the opposite effect, and brought such tormenting thoughts, that, worn out as he was already by epileptic fits and his habit ofdrinking, both body and mind threatened to give way to the agitationcaused by the events of the last months. Burning and shivering by turns, he was at last forced to lie down. While the attendants were disrobinghim, he remembered his brother's present, had the box fetched and opened, and then desired to be left alone. The Egyptian paintings on the outsideof the box reminded him of Nitetis, and then he asked himself what shewould have said to his deed. Fever had already begun, and his mind waswandering as he took the beautiful wax bust out of the box. He stared inhorror at the dull, immovable eyes. The likeness was so perfect, and hisjudgment so weakened by wine and fever, that he fancied himself thevictim of some spell, and yet could not turn his eyes from those dearfeatures. Suddenly the eyes seemed to move. He was seized with terror, and, in a kind of convulsion, hurled what he thought had become a livinghead against the wall. The hollow, brittle wax broke into a thousandfragments, and Cambyses sank back on to his bed with a groan. 

From that moment the fever increased. In his delirium the banishedPhanes appeared, singing a scornful Greek song and deriding him in suchinfamous words, that his fists clenched with rage. Then he saw hisfriend and adviser, Croesus, threatening him in the very same words ofwarning, which he had used when Bartja had been sentenced to death by hiscommand on account of Nitetis: "Beware of shedding a brother's blood; thesmoke thereof will rise to heaven and become a cloud, that must darkenthe days of the murderer, and at last cast down the lightnings of heavenupon his head. "

And in his delirious fancy this figure of speech became a reality. Arain of blood streamed down upon him from dark clouds; his clothes andhands were wet with the loathsome moisture. He went down to the Nile tocleanse himself, and suddenly saw Nitetis coming towards him. She hadthe same sweet smile with which Theodorus had modelled her. Enchantedwith this lovely vision, he fell down before her and took her hand, buthe had scarcely touched it, when drops of blood appeared at the tips ofher delicate fingers, and she turned away from him with every sign ofhorror. He humbly implored her to forgive him and come back; sheremained inexorable. He grew angry, and threatened her, first with hiswrath, and then with awful punishments. At last, as she only answeredhis threats by a low scornful laugh, he ventured to throw his dagger ather. She crumbled at once into a thousand pieces, like the wax statue. But the derisive laughter echoed on, and became louder. Many voicesjoined in it, each trying to outbid the other. And the voices of Bartjaand Nitetis were the loudest, --their tone the most bitter. At last hecould bear these fearful sounds no longer and stopped his ears; this wasof no use, and he buried his head, first in the glowing desert-sand andthen in the icy cold Nile-water, until his senses forsook him. Onawaking, the actual state of things seemed incomprehensible to him. Hehad gone to bed in the evening, and yet he now saw, by the direction ofthe sun's rays which fell on his bed, that, instead of dawning as he hadexpected, the day was growing dark. There could be no mistake; he heardthe chorus of priests singing farewell to the setting Mithras. 

Then he heard a number of people moving behind a curtain, which had beenhung up at the head of his bed. He tried to turn in his bed, but couldnot; he was too weak. At last, finding it impossible to discover whetherhe was in real life or still in a dream, he called for his dressers andthe courtiers, who were accustomed to be present when he rose. Theyappeared in a moment, and with them his mother, Prexaspes, a number ofthe learned among the Magi, and some Egyptians who were unknown to him. They told him, that he had been lying in a violent fever for weeks, andhad only escaped death by the special mercy of the gods, the skill of thephysicians, and the unwearied nursing of his mother. He lookedenquiringly first at Kassandane, then at Prexaspes, lost consciousnessagain, and fell into a deep sleep, from which he awoke the next morningwith renewed strength. 

In four days he was strong enough to sit up and able to questionPrexaspes on the only subject, which occupied his thoughts. 

In consideration of his master's weakness the envoy was beginning anevasive reply, when a threatening movement of the king's gaunt, wornhand, and a look which had by no means lost its old power of awing intosubmission, brought him to the point at once, and in the hope of givingthe king a great pleasure and putting his mind completely at rest, hebegan: "Rejoice, O King! the youth, who dared to desire thedisparagement of thy glory, is no more. This hand slew him and buriedhis body at Baal-Zephon. The sand of the desert and the unfruitful wavesof the Red Sea were the only witnesses of the deed; and no creature knowsthereof beside thyself, O King, thy servant Prexaspes, and the gulls andcormorants, that hover over his grave. "

The king uttered a piercing shriek of rage, was seized by a freshshivering-fit, and sank back once more in raving delirium. 

Long weeks passed, every day of which threatened its death. At last, however, his strong constitution gained the day, but his mind had givenway, and remained disordered and weak up to his last hour. 

When he was strong enough to leave the sick-room and to ride and shootonce more, he abandoned himself more than ever to the pleasure ofdrinking, and lost every remnant of self-control. 

The delusion had fixed itself in his disordered mind, that Bartja was notdead, but transformed into the bow of the King of Ethiopia, and that theFeruer (soul) of his father Cyrus had commanded him to restore Bartja toits original form, by subjugating the black nation. 

This idea, which he confided to every one about him as a great secret, pursued him day and night and gave him no rest, until he had started forEthiopia with an immense host. He was forced, however, to return withouthaving accomplished his object, after having miserably lost the greaterpart of his army by heat and the scarcity of provisions. An historian, who may almost be spoken of as contemporary, tells us that the wretchedsoldiers, after having subsisted on herbs as long as they could, came todeserts where there was no sign of vegetation, and in their despairresorted to an expedient almost too fearful to describe. Lots were drawnby every ten men, and he on whom the lot fell was killed and eaten by theother nine. 

 [Herodotus visited Egypt some 60 years after the death of Cambyses, 454 B. C. He describes the Ethiopian campaign, III. 25. ]

At last things went so far, that his subjects compelled this madman toreturn, but only, with their slavish Asiatic feelings, to obey him allthe more blindly, when they found themselves once more in inhabitedregions. 

On reaching Memphis with the wreck of his army, he found the Egyptians inglorious apparel celebrating a festival. They had found a new Apis andwere rejoicing over the reappearance of their god, incarnate in thesacred bull. 

As Cambyses had heard at Thebes, that the army he had sent against theoasis of Ammon in the Libyan desert, had perished miserably in a Khamsin, or Simoom, and that his fleet, which was to conquer Carthage, had refusedto fight with a people of their own race, he fancied that the Memphiansmust be celebrating a festival of joy at the news of his misfortunes, sent for their principal men, and after reproaching them with theirconduct, asked why they had been gloomy and morose after his victories, but joyous at hearing of his misfortunes. The Memphians answered byexplaining the real ground for their merry-making, and told him, thatthe appearance of the sacred bull was always celebrated in Egypt with thegreatest rejoicings. Cambyses called them liars, and, as such, sentencedthem to death. He then sent for the priests; received, however, exactlythe same answer from them. 

With the bitterest irony he asked to be allowed to make the acquaintanceof this new god, and commanded them to bring him. The bull Apis wasbrought and the king told that he was the progeny of a virgin cow and amoonbeam, that he must be black, with a white triangular spot on theforehead, the likeness of an eagle on his back, and on his side thecrescent moon. There must be two kinds of hair on his tail, and on histongue an excrescence in the form of the sacred beetle Scarabaeus. 

When Cambyses saw this deified creature he could discover nothingremarkable in him, and was so enraged that he plunged his sword into itsside. As the blood streamed from the wound and the animal fell, he brokeout into a piercing laugh, and cried: "Ye fools! so your gods are fleshand blood; they can be wounded. Such folly is worthy of you. But yeshall find, that it is not so easy to make a fool of me. Ho, guards!flog these priests soundly, and kill every one whom you find taking partin this mad celebration. " The command was obeyed and fearfullyexasperated the Egyptians. 

 [According to Herod. III. 29. Cambyses' sword slipped and ran into the leg of the sacred bull. As the king died also of a wound in the thigh, this just suits Herodotus, who always tries to put the retribution that comes after presumptuous crime in the strongest light; but it is very unlikely that the bull should have died of a mere thigh wound. ]

Apis died of his wound; the Memphians buried him secretly in the vaultsbelonging to the sacred bulls, near the Serapeum, and, led by Psamtik, attempted an insurrection against the Persians. This was very quicklyput down, however, and cost Psamtik his life, --a life the stains andseverities of which deserve to be forgiven, in consideration of hisunwearied, ceaseless efforts to deliver his people from a foreign yoke, and his death in the cause of freedom. 

Cambyses' madness had meanwhile taken fresh forms. After the failure ofhis attempt to restore Bartja, (transformed as he fancied into a bow) tohis original shape, his irritability increased so frightfully that asingle word, or even a look, was sufficient to make him furious. Stillhis true friend and counsellor, Croesus, never left him, though the kinghad more than once given him over to the guards for execution. But theguards knew their master; they took good care not to lay hands on the oldman, and felt sure of impunity, as the king would either have forgottenhis command, or repented of it by the next day, Once, however, themiserable whip bearers paid a fearful penalty for their lenity. Cambyses, while rejoicing that Croesus was saved, ordered his deliverersto be executed for disobedience without mercy. 

It would be repugnant to us to repeat all the tales of barbarouscruelties, which are told of Cambyses at this insane period of his life;but we cannot resist mentioning a few which seem to us especiallycharacteristic. 

While sitting at table one day, already somewhat intoxicated, he askedPrexaspes what the Persians thought of him. The envoy, who in hopes ofdeadening his tormenting conscience by the performance of noble anddangerous acts, let no opportunity pass of trying to exercise a goodinfluence over his sovereign, answered that they extolled him on everypoint, but thought he was too much addicted to wine. 

These words, though spoken half in jest, put the king into a violentpassion, and he almost shrieked: "So the Persians say, that the wine hastaken away my senses, do they? on the contrary, I'll show them thatthey've lost their own. " And as he spoke he bent his bow, took aim for amoment at Prexaspes' eldest son, who, as cup-bearer, was standing at theback of the hall waiting for and watching every look of his sovereign, and shot him in the breast. He then gave orders that the boy's bodyshould be opened and examined. The arrow had pierced the centre of hisheart. This delighted the senseless tyrant, and he called out with alaugh: "Now you see, Prexaspes, it's the Persians who have lost theirjudgment, not I. Could any one have hit the mark better?"

Prexaspes stood there, pale and motionless, compelled to watch the horridscene, like Niobe when chained to Sipylus. His servile spirit bowedbefore the ruler's power, instead of arming his right hand with thedagger of revenge, and when the frantic king asked him the same questiona second time, he actually answered, pressing his hand on his heart: "Agod could not have hit the mark more exactly. "

A few weeks after this, the king went to Sais, and there was shown therooms formerly occupied by his bride. This brought back all the oldpainful recollections in full force, and at the same time his cloudedmemory reminded him, though without any clearness of detail, that Amasishad deceived both Nitetis and himself. He cursed the dead king andfuriously demanded to be taken to the temple of Neith, where his mummywas laid. There he tore the embalmed body out of its sarcophagus, causedit to be scourged, to be stabbed with pins, had the hair torn off andmaltreated it in every possible way. In conclusion, and contrary to theancient Persian religious law, which held the pollution of pure fire bycorpses to be a deadly sin, he caused Amasis' dead body to be burnt, andcondemned the mummy of his first wife, which lay in a sarcophagus atThebes, her native place, to the same fate. 

On his return to Memphis, Cambyses did not shrink from personally ill-treating his wife and sister, Atossa. 

He had ordered a combat of wild beasts to take place, during which, amongst other entertainments of the same kind, a dog was to fight with ayoung lion. The lion had conquered his antagonist, when another dog, thebrother of the conquered one, broke away from his chain, attacked thelion, and with the help of the wounded dog, vanquished him. 

This scene delighted Cambyses, but Kassandane and Atossa, who had beenforced by the king's command to be present, began to weep aloud. 

The tyrant was astonished, and on asking the reason for their tears, received as answer from the impetuous Atossa, that the brave creature whohad risked its own life to save its brother, reminded her of Bartja. Shewould not say by whom he had been murdered, but his murder had never beenavenged. 

These words so roused the king's anger, and so goaded his conscience, that in a fit of insane fury he struck the daring woman, and mightpossibly have killed her, if his mother had not thrown herself into hisarms and exposed her own body to his mad blows. 

Her voice and action checked his rage, for he had not lost reverence forhis mother; but her look of intense anger and contempt, which he clearlysaw and could not forget, begot a fresh delusion in his mind. Hebelieved from that moment, that the eyes of women had power to poisonhim; he started and hid himself behind his companions whenever he saw awoman, and at last commanded that all the female inhabitants of thepalace at Memphis, his mother not excepted, should be sent back toEcbatana. Araspes and Gyges were appointed to be their escort thither. 

 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

The caravan of queens and princesses had arrived at Sais; they alightedat the royal palace. Croesus had accompanied them thus far on their wayfrom Egypt. 

Kassandane had altered very much during the last few years. Grief andsuffering had worn deep lines in her once beautiful face, though they hadhad no power to bow her stately figure. 

Atossa, on the contrary, was more beautiful than ever, notwithstandingall she had suffered. The refractory and impetuous child, the daringspirited girl, had developed into a dignified, animated and determinedwoman. The serious side of life, and three sad years passed with herungovernable husband and brother, had been first-rate masters in theschool of patience, but they had not been able to alienate her heart fromher first love. Sappho's friendship had made up to her in some measurefor the loss of Darius. 

The young Greek had become another creature, since the mysteriousdeparture of her husband. Her rosy color and her lovely smile were bothgone. But she was wonderfully beautiful, in spite of her paleness, herdowncast eyelashes and languid attitude. She looked like Ariadne waitingfor Theseus. Longing and expectation lay in every look, in the low toneof her voice, in her measured walk. At the sound of approaching steps, the opening of a door or the unexpected tones of a man's voice, she wouldstart, get up and listen, and then sink back into the old waiting, longing attitude, disappointed but not hopeless. She began to dreamagain, as she had been so fond of doing in her girlish days. 

She was her old self only when playing with her child. Then the colorcame back to her cheeks, her eyes sparkled, she seemed once more to livein the present, and not only in the past or future. 

Her child was everything to her. In that little one Bartja seemed to bestill alive, and she could love the child with all her heart andstrength, without taking one iota from her love to him. With this littlecreature the gods had mercifully given her an aim in life and a link withthe lower world, the really precious part of which had seemed to vanishwith her vanished husband. Sometimes, as she looked into her baby's blueeyes, so wonderfully like Bartja's, she thought: Why was not she born aboy? He would have grown more like his father from day to day, and atlast, if such a thing indeed could ever be, a second Bartja would havestood before me. 

But such thoughts generally ended soon in her pressing the little onecloser than ever to her heart, and blaming herself for ingratitude andfolly. 

One day Atossa put the same idea in words, exclaiming: "If Parmys wereonly a boy! He would have grown up exactly like his father, and havebeen a second Cyrus for Persia. " Sappho smiled sadly at her friend, andcovered the little one with kisses, but Kassandane said: "Be thankful tothe gods, my child, for having given you a daughter. If Parmys were aboy, he would be taken from you as soon as he had reached his sixth year, to be brought up with the sons of the other Achaemenidae, but yourdaughter will remain your own for many years. "

Sappho trembled at the mere thought of parting from her child; shepressed its little fair curly head close to her breast, and never found, fault with her treasure again for being a girl. 

Atossa's friendship was a great comfort to her poor wounded heart. Withher she could speak of Bartja as much and as often as she would, and wasalways certain of a kind and sympathizing listener. Atossa had loved hervanished brother very dearly. And even a stranger would have enjoyedhearing Sappho tell of her past happiness. Her words rose into realeloquence in speaking of those bright days; she seemed like an inspiredpoetess. Then she would take her lyre, and with her clear, sweet, plaintive voice sing the love-songs of the elder Sappho, in which all herown deepest feelings were so truly expressed, and fancy herself once morewith her lover sitting under the sweet-scented acanthus in the quietnight, and forget the sad reality of her present life. And when, with adeep sigh, she laid aside the lyre and came back out of this dream-kingdom, the tears were always to be seen in Kassandane's eyes, thoughshe did not understand the language in which Sappho had been singing, and Atossa would bend down and kiss her forehead. 

Thus three long years had passed, during which Sappho had seldom seen hergrandmother, for, as the mother of Parmys, she was by the king's command, forbidden to leave the harem, unless permitted and accompanied either byKassandane or the eunuchs. 

On the present occasion Croesus, who had always loved, and loved herstill, like a daughter, had sent for Rhodopis to Sais. He, as well asKassandane, understood her wish to take leave of this, her dearest andmost faithful friend, before setting out for Persia; besides whichKassandane had a great wish to see one in whose praise she had heard somuch. When Sappho's tender and sad farewell was over therefore, Rhodopiswas summoned to the queen-mother. 

A stranger, who saw these two women together, would have thought bothwere queens; it was impossible to decide which of the two had most rightto the title. 

Croesus, standing as he did in as close a relation to the one as to theother, undertook the office of interpreter, and the ready intellect ofRhodopis helped him to carry on an uninterrupted flow of conversation. 

Rhodopis, by her own peculiar attractions, soon won the heart ofKassandane, and the queen knew no better way of proving this than byoffering, in Persian fashion, to grant her some wish. 

Rhodopis hesitated a moment; then raising her hands as if in prayer, shecried: "Leave me my Sappho, the consolation and beauty of my old age. "

Kassandane smiled sadly. "It is not in my power to grant that wish, " sheanswered. "The laws of Persia command, that the children of theAchaemenidae shall be brought up at the king's gate. I dare not allowthe little Parmys, Cyrus' only grandchild, to leave me, and, much asSappho loves you, you know she would not part from her child. Indeed, she has become so dear to me now, and to my daughter, that though I wellunderstand your wish to have her, I could never allow Sappho to leaveus. "

Seeing that Rhodopis' eyes were filling with tears, Kassandane went on:"There is, however, a good way out of our perplexity. Leave Naukratis, and come with us to Persia. There you can spend your last years with usand with your granddaughter, and shall be provided with a royalmaintenance. "

Rhodopis shook her head, hoary but still so beautiful, and answeredin a suppressed voice: "I thank you, noble queen, for this graciousinvitation, but I feel unable to accept it. Every fibre of my heartis rooted in Greece, and I should be tearing my life out by leaving itforever. I am so accustomed to constant activity, perfect freedom, and astirring exchange of thought, that I should languish and die in theconfinement of a harem. Croesus had already prepared me for the graciousproposal you have just made, and I have had a long and difficult battleto fight, before I could decide on resigning my dearest blessing for myhighest good. It is not easy, but it is glorious, it is more worthy ofthe Greek name--to live a good and beautiful life, than a happy one--tofollow duty rather than pleasure. My heart will follow Sappho, but myintellect and experience belong to the Greeks; and if you should everhear that the people of Hellas are ruled by themselves alone, by theirown gods, their own laws, the beautiful and the good, then you will knowthat the work on which Rhodopis, in league with the noblest and best ofher countrymen, has staked her life, is accomplished. Be not angry withthe Greek woman, who confesses that she would rather die free as a beggarthan live in bondage as a queen, though envied by the whole world. "

Kassandane listened in amazement. She only understood part of whatRhodopis had said, but felt that she had spoken well and nobly, and atthe conclusion gave her her hand to kiss. After a short pause, Kassandane said: "Do what you think right, and remember, that as long asI and my daughter live, your granddaughter will never want for true andfaithful love. "

"Your noble countenance and the fame of your great virtue are warrantenough for that. " answered Rhodopis. 

"And also, " added the queen, "the duty which lies upon me to make goodthe wrong, that has been done your Sappho. "

She sighed painfully and went on: "The little Parmys shall be carefullyeducated. She seems to have much natural talent, and can sing the songsof her native country already after her mother. I shall do nothing tocheck her love of music, though, in Persia the religious services are theonly occasions in which that art is studied by any but the lowerclasses. "

At these words Rhodopis' face glowed. "Will you permit me to speakopenly, O Queen?" she said. "Speak without fear, " was Kassandane'sanswer. "When you sighed so painfully just now in speaking of your dearlost son, I thought: Perhaps that brave young hero might have been stillliving, if the Persians had understood better how to educate their sons. Bartja told me in what that education consisted. To shoot, throw thespear, ride, hunt, speak the truth, and perhaps also to distinguishbetween the healing and noxious properties of certain plants: that isdeemed a sufficient educational provision for a man's life. The Greekboys are just as carefully kept to the practice of exercises forhardening and bracing the body; for these exercises are the founders andpreservers of health, the physician is only its repairer and restorer. If, however, by constant practice a Greek youth were to attain to thestrength of a bull, the truth of the Deity, and the wisdom of the mostlearned Egyptian priest, we should still look down upon him were hewanting in two things which only early example and music, combined withthese bodily exercises, can give: grace and symmetry. You smile becauseyou do not understand me, but I can prove to you that music, which, fromwhat Sappho tells me, is not without its moving power for your heart, isas important an element in education as gymnastics, and, strange as itmay sound, has an equal share in effecting the perfection of both bodyand mind. The man who devotes his attention exclusively to music will, if he be of a violent disposition, lose his savage sternness at first; hewill become gentle and pliable as metal in the fire. But at last hiscourage will disappear too; his passionate temper will have changed intoirritability, and he will be of little worth as a warrior, the callingand character most desired in your country. If, on the other hand, heconfines himself to gymnastics only, he will, like Cambyses, excel inmanliness and strength; but his mind--here my comparison ceases--willremain obtuse and blind, his perceptions will be confused, He will notlisten to reason, but will endeavor to carry everything by force, and, lacking grace and proportion, his life will probably become a successionof rude and violent deeds. On this account we conclude that music isnecessary not only for the mind, and gymnastics not only for the body, but that both, working together, elevate and soften the mind andstrengthen the body--give manly grace, and graceful manliness. "

 [The fundamental ideas of this speech are drawn from Plato's ideal "State. "]

After a moment's pause Rhodopis went on: "The youth who has not receivedsuch an education, whose roughness has never been checked even inchildhood, who has been allowed to vent his temper on every one, receiving flattery in return and never hearing reproof; who has beenallowed to command before he has learnt to obey, and who has been broughtup in the belief that splendor, power and riches are the highest good, can never possibly attain to the perfect manhood, which we beseech thegods to grant our boys. And if this unfortunate being happens to havebeen born with an impetuous disposition, ungovernable and eager passions, these will be only nourished and increased by bodily exerciseunaccompanied by the softening influence of music, so that at last achild, who possibly came into the world with good qualities, will, merelythrough the defects in his education, degenerate into a destructiveanimal, a sensual self-destroyer, and a mad and furious tyrant. "

Rhodopis had become animated with her subject. She ceased, saw tears inthe eyes of the queen, and felt that she had gone too far and had woundeda mother's heart, --a heart full of noble feeling. She touched her robe, kissed its border, and said softly: "Forgive me. "

Kassandane looked her forgiveness, courteously saluted Rhodopis andprepared to leave the room. On the threshold, however, she stopped andsaid: "I am not angry. Your reproaches are just; but you too mustendeavor to forgive, for I can assure you that he who has murdered thehappiness of your child and of mine, though the most powerful, is of allmortals the most to be pitied. Farewell! Should you ever stand in needof ought, remember Cyrus' widow, and how she wished to teach you, thatthe virtues the Persians desire most in their children are magnanimityand liberality. "

After saying this she left the apartment. 

On the same day Rhodopis heard that Phanes was dead. He had retired toCrotona in the neighborhood of Pythagoras and there passed his time inreflection, dying with the tranquillity of a philosopher. 

She was deeply affected at this news and said to Croesus: "Greece haslost one of her ablest men, but there are many, who will grow up to behis equals. The increasing power of Persia causes me no fear; indeed, Ibelieve that when the barbarous lust of conquest stretches out its handtowards us, our many-headed Greece will rise as a giant with one head ofdivine power, before which mere barbaric strength must bow as surely asbody before spirit. "

Three days after this, Sappho said farewell for the last time to hergrandmother, and followed the queens to Persia. Notwithstanding theevents which afterwards took place, she continued to believe that Bartjawould return, and full of love, fidelity and tender remembrance, devotedherself entirely to the education of her child and the care of her agedmother-in-law, Kassandane. 

Little Parmys became very beautiful, and learnt to love the memory of hervanished father next to the gods of her native land, for her mother'stales had brought him as vividly before her as if he had been still aliveand present with them. 

Atossa's subsequent good fortune and happiness did not cool herfriendship. She always called Sappho her sister. The hanging-gardenswere the latter's residence in summer, and in her conversations therewith Kassandane and Atossa one name was often mentioned--the name of her, who had been the innocent cause of events which had decided the destiniesof great kingdoms and noble lives--the Egyptian Princess. 

CHAPTER XVI. 

Here we might end this tale, but that we feel bound to give our readerssome account of the last days of Cambyses. We have already described theruin of his mind, but his physical end remains still to be told, and alsothe subsequent fate of some of the other characters in our history. 

A short time after the departure of the queens, news reached Naukratisthat Oroetes, the satrap of Lydia, had, by a stratagem, allured his oldenemy, Polykrates, to Sardis and crucified him there, thus fulfillingwhat Amasis had prophecied of the tyrant's mournful end. This act thesatrap had committed on his own responsibility, events having taken placein the Median kingdom which threatened the fall of the Achaemenidaeandynasty. 

The king's long absence in a foreign country had either weakened orentirely dissipated, the fear which the mere mention of his name hadformerly inspired in those who felt inclined to rebel. The awe that hissubjects had formerly felt for him, vanished at the tidings of hismadness, and the news that he had wantonly exposed the lives of thousandsof their countrymen to certain death in the deserts of Libya andEthiopia, inspired the enraged Asiatics with a hatred which, whenskilfully fed by the powerful Magi, soon roused, first the Medes andAssyrians, and then the Persians, to defection and open insurrection. Motives of self-interest led the ambitious high-priest, Oropastes, whomCambyses had appointed regent in his absence, to place himself at thehead of this movement. He flattered the people by remitting their taxes, by large gifts and larger promises, and finding his clemency gratefullyrecognized, determined on an imposture, by which he hoped to win thecrown of Persia for his own family. 

He had not forgotten the marvellous likeness between his brother Gaumata(who had been condemned to lose his ears) and Bartja, the son of Cyrus, and on hearing that the latter, the universal favorite, as he well knew, of the Persian nation, had disappeared, resolved to turn this to accountby passing off his brother as the vanished prince, and setting him on thethrone in place of Cambyses. The hatred felt throughout the entirekingdom towards their insane king, and the love and attachment of thenation to Bartja, made this stratagem so easy of accomplishment, thatwhen at last messengers from Oropastes arrived in all the provinces ofthe empire declaring to the discontented citizens that, notwithstandingthe rumor they had heard, the younger son of Cyrus was still alive, hadrevolted from his brother, ascended his father's throne and granted toall his subjects freedom from tribute and from military service during aperiod of three years, the new ruler was acknowledged throughout thekingdom with rejoicings. 

The pretended Bartja, who was fully aware of his brother's mentalsuperiority, had obeyed his directions in every particular, had taken uphis residence in the palace of Nisaea, --in the plains of Media, placedthe crown on his head, declared the royal harem his own, and had shownhimself once from a distance to the people, who were to recognize in himthe murdered Bartja. After that time, however, for fear of being at lastunmasked, he concealed himself in his palace, giving himself up, afterthe manner of Asiatic monarchs, to every kind of indulgence, while hisbrother held the sceptre with a firm hand, and conferred all theimportant offices of state on his friends and family. 

No sooner did Oropastes feel firm ground under his feet, than hedespatched the eunuch Ixabates to Egypt, to inform the army of the changeof rulers that had taken place and persuade them to revolt in favor ofBartja, who he knew had been idolized by the Soldiers. 

The messenger had been well chosen, fulfilled his mission with muchskill, and had already won over a considerable part of the army for thenew king, when he was taken prisoner by some Syrians, who brought him toMemphis in hopes of reward. 

On arriving in the city of the Pyramids he was brought before the king, and promised impunity on condition of revealing the entire truth. 

The messenger then confirmed the rumor, which had reached Egypt, thatBartja had ascended the throne of Cyrus and had been recognized by thegreater part of the empire. 

Cambyses started with terror at these tidings, as one who saw a dead manrise from his grave. He was by this time fully aware that Bartja hadbeen murdered by Prexaspes at his own command, but in this moment hebegan to suspect that the envoy had deceived him and spared his brother'slife. The thought had no sooner entered his mind than he uttered it, reproaching Prexaspes so bitterly with treachery, as to elicit from him atremendous oath, that he had murdered and buried the unfortunate Bartjawith his own hand. 

Oropastes' messenger was next asked whether he had seen the new kinghimself. He answered that he had not, adding that the supposed brotherof Cambyses had only once appeared in public, and had then shown himselfto the people from a distance. On hearing this, Prexaspes saw throughthe whole web of trickery at once, reminded the king of the unhappymisunderstandings to which the marvellous likeness between Bartja andGaumata had formerly given rise, and concluded by offering to stake hisown life on the correctness of his supposition. The explanation pleasedthe king, and from that moment his diseased mind was possessed by one newidea to the exclusion of all others--the seizure and slaughter of theMagi. 

The host was ordered to prepare for marching. Aryandes, --one of theAchaemenidae, was appointed satrap of Egypt, and the army startedhomeward without delay. Driven by this new delusion, the king took norest by day or night, till at last his over-ridden and ill-used horsefell with him, and he was severely wounded in the fall by his own dagger. 

After lying insensible for some days, he opened his eyes and asked firstto see Araspes, then his mother, and lastly Atossa, although these threehad set out on their journey home months before. From all he said itappeared that during the last four years, from the attack of fever untilthe present accident, he had been living in a kind of sleep. He seemedastonished and pained at hearing what had happened during these years. But of his brother's death he was fully aware. He knew that Prexaspeshad killed him by his--the king's--orders and had told him that Bartjalay buried on the shores of the Red Sea. --During the night which followedthis return to his senses it became clear to himself also, that his mindhad been wandering for along time. Towards morning he fell into a deepsleep, and this so restored his strength, that on waking he called forCroesus and required an exact relation of the events that had passedduring the last few years. 

His old friend and adviser obeyed; he felt that Cambyses was stillentrusted to his care, and in the hope, faint as it was, of bringing himback to the right way, he did not suppress one of the king's acts ofviolence in his relation. 

His joy was therefore great at perceiving, that his words made a deepimpression on the newly-awakened mind of the king. With tears in hiseyes, and with the ashamed look of a child, he grieved over his wrongdeeds and his madness, begged Croesus to forgive him, thanked him forhaving borne so long and faithfully with him, and commissioned him to askKassandane and Sappho especially for forgiveness, but also, Atossa andall whom he had unjustly offended. 

The old man wept too, but his tears were tears of joy and he repeatedlyassured Cambyses that he would recover and have ample opportunity ofmaking amends for the past. But to all this Cambyses shook his headresolutely, and, pale and wan as he looked, begged Croesus to have hiscouch carried on to a rising ground in the open air, and then to summonthe Achaemenidae. When these orders, in spite of the physicians, hadbeen obeyed, Cambyses was raised into an upright sitting position, andbegan, in a voice which could be heard at a considerable distance:

"The time to reveal my great secret has arrived, O ye Persians. Deceivedby a vision, provoked and annoyed by my brother, I caused him to bemurdered in my wrath. Prexaspes wrought the evil deed by my command, butinstead of bringing me the peace I yearned for, that deed has tortured meinto madness and death. By this my confession ye will be convinced, thatmy brother Bartja is really dead. The Magi have usurped the throne ofthe Achaemenidae. Oropastes, whom I left in Persia as my vicegerent andhis brother Gaumata, who resembles Bartja so nearly that even Croesus, Intaphernes and my uncle, the noble Hystaspes, were once deceived by thelikeness, have placed themselves at their head. Woe is me, that I havemurdered him who, as my nearest kinsman, should have avenged on the Magithis affront to my honor. But I cannot recall him from the dead, and Itherefore appoint you the executors of my last will. By the Feruer of mydead father, and in the name of all good and pure spirits, I conjure younot to suffer the government to fall into the hands of the unfaithfulMagi. If they have obtained possession thereof by artifice, wrest itfrom their hands in like manner; if by force, use force to win it back. Obey this my last will, and the earth will yield you its fruitsabundantly; your wives, your flocks and herds shall be blessed andfreedom shall be your portion. Refuse to obey it, and ye shall sufferthe corresponding evils; yea, your end, and that of every Persian shallbe even as mine. "

After these words the king wept and sank back fainting, on seeing which, the Achaemenidae rent their clothes and burst into loud lamentations. Afew hours later Cambyses died in Croesus' arms. Nitetis was his lastthought; he died with her name on his lips and tears of penitence in hiseyes. When the Persians had left the unclean corpse, Croesus knelt downbeside it and cried, raising his hand to heaven: "Great Cyrus, I havekept my oath. I have remained this miserable man's faithful advisereven unto his end. "

The next morning the old man betook himself, accompanied by his sonGyges, to the town of Barene, which belonged to him, and lived there manyyears as a father to his subjects, revered by Darius and praised by allhis contemporaries. 

 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

After Cambyses' death the heads of the seven Persian tribes held acouncil, and resolved, as a first measure, on obtaining certaininformation as to the person of the usurper. With this view, Otanes senta confidential eunuch to his daughter Phaedime, who, as they knew, hadcome into the possession of the new king with the rest of Cambyses'harem. 

 [The names of the seven conspiring chiefs, given by Herodotus agree for the most part with those in the cuneiform inscriptions. The names are: Otanes, Intaphernes, Gobryas, Megabyzus, Aspatines, Hydarnes and Darius Hystaspis. In the inscription Otana: Vindafrand, Gaubaruva, Ardumams, Vidarna, Bagabukhsa and Darayavus. ]

Before the messenger returned, the greater part of the army haddispersed, the soldiers seizing this favorable opportunity to return totheir homes and families, after so many years of absence. At last, however, the long-expected messenger came back and brought for answer, that the new king had only visited Phaedime once, but that during thatvisit she had, at great personal risk, discovered that he had lost bothears. Without this discovery, however, she could assert positively thatthough there were a thousand points of similarity between the usurper andthe murdered Bartja, the former was in reality none other than Gaumata, the brother of Oropastes. Her old friend Boges had resumed his office ofchief of the eunuchs, and had revealed to her the secrets of the Magi. The high-priest had met the former keeper of the women begging in thestreets of Susa, and had restored him to his old office with the words:"You have forfeited your life, but I want men of your stamp. " Inconclusion. Phaedime entreated her father to use every means in hispower for the overthrow of the Magi, as they treated her with thegreatest contempt and she was the most miserable of women. 

Though none of the Achaemenidae hall really for a moment believed; thatBartja was alive and had seized on the throne, so clear an account of thereal person of the usurper was very welcome to them, and they resolved atonce to march on Nisaea with the remnant of the army and overthrow theMagi either by craft or force. 

They entered the new capital unassailed, and finding that the majority ofthe people seemed content with the new government, they also pretended toacknowledge the king as the son of Cyrus, to whom they were prepared todo homage. The Magi, however, were not deceived; they shut themselves upin their palace, assembled an army in the Nisaean plain, promised thesoldiers high pay, and used every effort to strengthen the belief of thepeople in Gaumata's disguise. On this point no one could do them moreinjury, or, if he chose, be more useful to them, than Prexaspes. He wasmuch looked up to by the Persians, and his assurance, that he had notmurdered Bartja, would have been sufficient to tame the fast-spreadingreport of the real way in which the youth had met his death. Oropastes, therefore, sent for Prexaspes, who, since the king's dying words, hadbeen avoided by all the men of his own rank and had led the life of anoutlaw, and promised him an immense sum of money, if he would ascend ahigh tower and declare to the people, assembled in the court beneath, that evil-disposed men had called him Bartja's murderer, whereas he hadseen the new king with his own eyes and had recognized in him the youngerson of his benefactor. Prexaspes made no objection to this proposal, took a tender leave of his family while the people were being assembled, uttered a short prayer before the sacred fire-altar and walked proudly tothe palace. On his way thither he met the chiefs of the seven tribes andseeing that they avoided him, called out to them: "I am worthy of yourcontempt, but I will try to deserve your forgiveness. "

Seeing Darius look back, he hastened towards him, grasped his hand andsaid: "I have loved you like a son; take care of my children when I am nomore, and use your pinions, winged Darius. " Then, with the same prouddemeanor he ascended the tower. 

Many thousands of the citizens of Nisaea were within reach of his voice, as he cried aloud: "Ye all know that the kings who have, up to thepresent time, loaded you with honor and glory, belonged to the house ofthe Achaemenidae. Cyrus governed you like a real father, Cambyses was astern master, and Bartja would have guided you like a bridegroom, if I, with this right hand which I now show you, had not slain him on theshores of the Red Sea. By Mithras, it was with a bleeding heart that Icommitted this wicked deed, but I did it as a faithful servant inobedience to the king's command. Nevertheless, it has haunted me by dayand night; for four long years I have been pursued and tormented by thespirits of darkness, who scare sleep from the murderer's couch. I havenow resolved to end this painful, despairing existence by a worthy deed, and though even this may procure me no mercy at the bridge of Chinvat, in the mouths of men, at least, I shall have redeemed my honorable namefrom the stain with which I defiled it. Know then, that the man whogives himself out for the son of Cyrus, sent me hither; he promised merich rewards if I would deceive you by declaring him to be Bartja, theson of the Achaemenidae. But I scorn his promises and swear by Mithrasand the Feruers of the kings, the most solemn oaths I am acquainted with, that the man who is now ruling you is none other than the Magian Gaumata, he who was deprived of his ears, the brother of the king's vicegerent andhigh-priest, Oropastes, whom ye all know. If it be your will to forgetall the glory ye owe to the Achaemenidae, if to this ingratitude yechoose to add your own degradation, then acknowledge these creatures andcall them your kings; but if ye despise a lie and are ashamed to obeyworthless impostors, drive the Magi from the throne before Mithras hasleft the heavens, and proclaim the noblest of the Achaemenidae, Darius, the exalted son of Hystaspes, who promises to become a second Cyrus, asyour king. And now, in order that ye may believe my words and notsuspect that Darius sent me hither to win you over to his side, I willcommit a deed, which must destroy every doubt and prove that the truthand glory of the Achaemenidae are clearer to me, than life itself. Blessed be ye if ye follow my counsels, but curses rest upon you, if yeneglect to reconquer the throne from the Magi and revenge yourselves uponthem. --Behold, I die a true and honorable man!"

With these words he ascended the highest pinnacle of the tower and casthimself down head foremost, thus expiating the one crime of his life byan honorable death. 

The dead silence with which the people in the court below had listened tohim, was now broken by shrieks of rage and cries for vengeance. Theyburst open the gates of the palace and were pressing in with cries of"Death to the Magi, " when the seven princes of the Persians appeared infront of the raging crowd to resist their entrance. 

At sight of the Achaemenidae the citizens broke into shouts of joy, andcried more impetuously than ever, "Down with the Magi! Victory to KingDarius!"

The son of Hystaspes was then carried by the crowd to a rising ground, from which he told the people that the Magi had been slain by theAchaemenidae, as liars and usurpers. Fresh cries of joy arose in answerto these words, and when at last the bleeding heads of Oropastes andGaumata were shown to the crowd, they rushed with horrid yells throughthe streets of the city, murdering every Magian they could lay hold of. The darkness of night alone was able to stop this awful massacre. 

Four days later, Darius, the son of Hystaspes, was chosen as king by theheads of the Achaemenidae, in consideration of his high birth and noblecharacter, and received by the Persian nation with enthusiasm. Dariushad killed Gaumata with his own hand, and the highpriest had received hisdeath-thrust from the hand of Megabyzus, the father of Zopyrus. WhilePrexaspes was haranguing the people, the seven conspiring Persianprinces, Otanes, Intaphernes, Gobryas, Megabyzus, Aspatines, Hydarnes andDarius, (as representative of his aged father Hystaspes), had entered thepalace by a carelessly-guarded gate, sought out the part of the buildingoccupied by the Magi, and then, assisted by their own knowledge of thepalace, and the fact that most of the guards had been sent to keep watchover the crowd assembled to hear Prexaspes easily penetrated to theapartments in which at that moment they were to be found. Here they wereresisted by a few eunuchs, headed by Boges, but these were overpoweredand killed to a man. Darius became furious on seeing Boges, and killedhim at once. Hearing the dying cries of these eunuchs, the Magi rushedto the spot and prepared to defend themselves. Oropastes snatched alance from the fallen Boges, thrust out one of Intaphernes' eyes andwounded Aspatines in the thigh, but was stabbed by Megabyzus. Gaumatafled into another apartment and tried to bar the door, but was followedtoo soon by Darius and Gobryas; the latter seized, threw him, and kepthim down by the weight of his own body, crying to Darius, who was afraidof making a false stroke in the half-light, and so wounding his companioninstead of Gaumata, "Strike boldly, even if you should stab us both. "Darius obeyed, and fortunately only hit the Magian. 

Thus died Oropastes, the high-priest, and his brother Gaumata, betterknown under the name of the "pseudo" or "pretended Smerdis. "

A few weeks after Darius' election to the throne, which the people saidhad been marvellously influenced by divine miracles and the clevercunning of a groom, he celebrated his coronation brilliantly atPasargadae, and with still more splendor, his marriage with his belovedAtossa. The trials of her life had ripened her character, and she proveda faithful, beloved and respected companion to her husband through thewhole of that active and glorious life, which, as Prexaspes had foretold, made him worthy of the names by which he was afterwards known--Darius theGreat, and a second Cyrus. 

 [Atossa is constantly mentioned as the favorite wife of Darius, and be appointed her son Xerxes to be his successor, though he had three elder sons by the daughter of Gobryas. Herodotus (VII. 3. ) speaks with emphasis of the respect and consideration in which Atossa was held, and Aeschylus, in his Persians, mentions her in her old age, as the much-revered and noble matron. ]

As a general he was circumspect and brave, and at the same timeunderstood so thoroughly how to divide his enormous realm, and toadminister its affairs, that he must be classed with the greatestorganizers of all times and countries. That his feeble successors wereable to keep this Asiatic Colossus of different countries together fortwo hundred years after his death, was entirely owing to Darius. He wasliberal of his own, but sparing of his subjects' treasures, and madetruly royal gifts without demanding more than was his due. He introduceda regular system of taxation, in place of the arbitrary exactionspractised under Cyrus and Cambyses, and never allowed himself to be ledastray in the carrying out of what seemed to him right, either bydifficulties or by the ridicule of the Achaemenidae, who nicknamed himthe "shopkeeper, " on account of what seemed, to their exclusivelymilitary tastes, his petty financial measures. It is by no means one ofhis smallest merits, that he introduced one system of coinage through hisentire empire, and consequently through half the then known world. 

Darius respected the religions and customs of other nations. When thewriting of Cyrus, of the existence of which Cambyses had known nothing, was found in the archives of Ecbatana, he allowed the Jews to carry onthe building of their temple to Jehovah; he also left the Ionian citiesfree to govern their own communities independently. Indeed, he wouldhardly have sent his army against Greece, if the Athenians had notinsulted him. 

In Egypt he had learnt much; among other things, the art of managing theexchequer of his kingdom wisely; for this reason he held the Egyptians inhigh esteem, and granted them many privileges, amongst others a canal toconnect the Nile with the Red Sea, which was greatly to the advantage oftheir commerce. 

 [Traces of this canal can be found as early as the days of Setos I; his son Rameses II. Caused the works to be continued. Under Necho they were recommenced, and possibly finished by Darius. In the time of the Ptolemies, at all events, the canal was already completed. Herod. II. 158. Diod. I. 33. The French, in undertaking to reconstruct the Suez canal, have had much to encounter from the unfriendly commercial policy of the English and their influence over the internal affairs of Egypt, but the unwearied energy and great talent of Monsr. De Lesseps and the patriotism of the French nation have at last succeeded in bringing their great work to a successful close. Whether it will pay is another question. See G. Ebers, Der Kanal von Suez. Nordische Revue, October 1864. The maritime canal connecting the Mediterranean with the Red Sea has also been completed since 1869. We were among those, who attended the brilliant inauguration ceremonies, and now willingly recall many of the doubts expressed in our work 'Durch Gosen zum Sinai'. The number of ships passing through the canal is constantly increasing. ]

During the whole of his reign, Darius endeavored to make amends for theseverity with which Cambyses had treated the Egyptians; even in the lateryears of his life he delighted to study the treasures of their wisdom, and no one was allowed to attack either their religion or customs, aslong as he lived. The old high-priest Neithotep enjoyed the king's favorto the last, and Darius often made use of his wise old master'sastrological knowledge. 

The goodness and clemency of their new ruler was fully acknowledged bythe Egyptians; they called him a deity, as they had called their ownkings, and yet, in the last years of his reign, their desire forindependence led them to forget gratitude and to try to shake off hisgentle yoke, which was only oppressive because it had originally beenforced on them. 

 [The name of Darius occurs very often on the monuments as Ntariusch. It is most frequently found in the inscriptions on the temple in the Oasis el-Khargah, recently photographed by G. Rohlfs. The Egypto- Persian memorial fragments, bearing inscriptions in the hieroglyphic and cuneiform characters are very interesting. Darius' name in Egyptian was generally "Ra, the beloved of Ammon. " On a porcelain vessel in Florence, and in some papyri in Paris and Florence he is called by the divine titles of honor given to the Pharaohs. ]

Their generous ruler and protector did not live to see the end of thisstruggle. 

 [The first rebellion in Egypt, which broke out under Aryandes, the satrap appointed by Cambyses, was put down by Darius in person. He visited Egypt, and promised 100 talents (L22, 500. ) to any one who would find a new Apis. Polyaen. VII. Ii. 7. No second outbreak took place until 486 B. C. About 4 years before the death of Darius. Herod. VI i. Xerxes conquered the rebels two years after his accession, and appointed his brother Achaemenes satrap of Egypt. ]

It was reserved for Xerxes, the successor and son of Darius and Atossa, to bring back the inhabitants of the Nile valley to a forced andtherefore insecure obedience. 

Darius left a worthy monument of his greatness in the glorious palacewhich he built on Mount Rachmed, the ruins of which are the wonder andadmiration of travellers to this day. Six thousand Egyptian workmen, who had been sent to Asia by Cambyses, took part in the work and alsoassisted in building a tomb for Darius and his successors, the rocky andalmost inaccessible chambers of which have defied the ravages of time, and are now the resort of innumerable wild pigeons. 

He caused the history of his deeds to be cut, (in the cuneiform characterand in the Persian, Median and Assyrian languages), on the polished sideof the rock of Bisitun or Behistan, not far from the spot where he savedAtossa's life. The Persian part of this inscription can still bedeciphered with certainty, and contains an account of the events relatedin the last few chapters, very nearly agreeing with our own and that ofHerodotus. The following sentences occur amongst others: "Thus saithDarius the King: That which I have done, was done by the grace ofAuramazda in every way. I fought nineteen battles after the rebellion ofthe kings. By the mercy of Auramazda I conquered them. I took ninekings captive. One was a Median, Gaumata by name. He lied and said:'I am Bardiya (Bartja), the son of Cyrus. ' He caused Persia to rebel. "

Some distance lower down, he names the chiefs who helped him to dethronethe Magi, and in another place the inscription has these words: "Thussaith the King Darius: That which I have done was done in every way bythe grace of Auramazda. Auramazda helped me, and such other gods asthere be. Auramazda and the other gods gave me help, because I was notswift to anger, nor a liar, nor a violent ruler, neither I nor mykinsmen. I have shown favor unto him who helped my brethren, and I havepunished severely him who was my enemy. Thou who shalt be king after me, be not merciful unto him who is a liar or a rebel, but punish him with asevere punishment. Thus saith Darius the King: Thou who shalt hereafterbehold this tablet which I have written, or these pictures, destroy themnot, but so long as thou shalt live preserve them, &c. "

It now only remains to be told that Zopyrus, the son of Megabyzus, continued to the last the king's most faithful friend. 

A courtier once showed the king a pomegranate, and asked him of what onegift of fortune he would like so many repetitions, as there were seeds inthat fruit. Without a moment's hesitation Darius answered, "Of myZopyrus. "--[Plutarch]

The following story will prove that Zopyrus, on his part, well understoodhow to return his royal friend's kindness. After the death of Cambyses, Babylon revolted from the Persian empire. Darius besieged the city ninemonths in vain, and was about to raise the siege, when one day Zopyrusappeared before him bleeding, and deprived of his ears and nose, andexplained that he had mutilated himself thus in order to cheat theBabylonians, who knew him well, as he had formerly been on intimate termswith their daughters. He said he wished to tell the haughty citizens, that Darius had thus disfigured him, and that he had come to them forhelp in revenging himself. He thought they would then place troops athis disposal, with which he intended to impose upon them by making a fewsuccessful sallies at first. His ultimate intention was to getpossession of the keys, and open the Semiramis gate to his friends. 

These words, which were spoken in a joking tone, contrasted so sadly withthe mutilated features of his once handsome friend, that Darius wept, andwhen at last the almost impregnable fortress was really won by Zopyrus'stratagem, he exclaimed: "I would give a hundred Babylons, if my Zopyrushad not thus mutilated himself. "

He then appointed his friend lord of the giant city, gave him its entirerevenues, and honored him every year with the rarest presents. In laterdays he used to say that, with the exception of Cyrus, who had no equal, no man had ever performed so generous a deed as Zopyrus. 

 [Herod. III. 160. Among other presents Zopyrus received a gold hand-mill weighing six talents, the most honorable and distinguished gift a Persian monarch could bestow upon a subject. According to Ktesias, Megabaezus received this gift from Xerxes. ]

Few rulers possessed so many self-sacrificing friends as Darius, becausefew understood so well how to be grateful. 

When Syloson, the brother of the murdered Polykrates, came to Susa andreminded the king of his former services, Darius received him as afriend, placed ships and troops at his service, and helped him to recoverSamos. 

The Samians made a desperate resistance, and said, when at last they wereobliged to yield: "Through Syloson we have much room in our land. "

Rhodopis lived to hear of the murder of Hipparchus, the tyrant of Athens, by Harmodius and Aristogiton, and died at last in the arms of her bestfriends, Theopompus the Milesian and Kallias the Athenian, firm in herbelief of the high calling of her countrymen. 

All Naukratis mourned for her, and Kallias sent a messenger to Susa, toinform the king and Sappho of her death. 

A few months later the satrap of Egypt received the following letter fromthe hand of the king:

 "Inasmuch as we ourselves knew and honored Rhodopis, the Greek, who has lately died in Naukratis, --inasmuch as her granddaughter, as widow of the lawful heir to the Persian throne, enjoys to this day the rank and honors of a queen, --and lastly, inasmuch as I have lately taken the great-grandchild of the same Rhodopis, Parmys, the daughter of Bartja and Sappho, to be my third lawful wife, it seems to me just to grant royal honors to the ancestress of two queens. I therefore command thee to cause the ashes of Rhodopis, whom we have always esteemed as the greatest and rarest among women, to be buried in the greatest and rarest of all monuments, namely, in one of the Pyramids. The costly urn, which thou wilt receive herewith, is sent by Sappho to preserve the ashes of the deceased. "

 Given in the new imperial palace at Persepolis. 

 DARIUS, son of Hystaspes. 

 King. 

ETEXT EDITOR'S BOOKMARKS:

A noble mind can never swim with the streamAge is inquisitiveApis the progeny of a virgin cow and a moonbeamBe not merciful unto him who is a liar or a rebelCanal to connect the Nile with the Red SeaI was not swift to anger, nor a liar, nor a violent rulerIntroduced a regular system of taxation-DariusNumbers are the only certain thingsResistance always brings out a man's best powers