An Egyptian Princess, Complete

nd palaces of its cities, (protected from the force of the water by dikes), and the tops of the tall palm-trees and acacias could be seen above its surface. The branches of

re at roost in the tops of the trees, while the pelicans, storks and cranes squatted in groups on the shore under the shelter of the papyrus-reeds and Nile-beans. The pelicans and storks remained motionless, their long bills hidden beneath their wings, but the cranes were startled by the mere beat of an oar, stretching their necks, and peering anxiously into the distance, if they heard

eclining on low cushions. They were evidently not Egyptians; their Greek descent could be perceived even by the moonlight. The elder was an unusually tall and powerful man of more than sixty; thick grey curls, showing very little attempt at arrangement, hung down over his short, firm throat; he wore a simple, homely cloak, and kept his eyes gloomily fixed o

ht summer-mantle, worn

d generally made of e

imation, was worn by

ly by the

hat time the only Hellenic port i

form the scene of a p

ile Delta, in the Sait

Canopic mouth of th

was founded by Milesi

t in the earliest time

mouth of the Nile in

the Egyptians with the

to the little island o

town of

ust at our destination, Aristomachus! That pleasant house to the left yonder, in the garden of palms which you can see rising above the waters, is the dwelling of my friend Rhodopis. It was built by her husband Charaxus, and all her friends,

e month of October, w

ns can now be accur

mportant and laborious

ey are occasioned by t

ws on the high mountai

ne a gradual rising of

15th and 20th June, t

ning of October the wa

hich, even after havi

t to attain; then, at

ncreasing rapidity, th

March, the Nile is sti

, when the volume of i

of that in

e Athenians been wont to extol old women?" At this remark the other smiled, and answered in a self-satisfied tone, "My knowledge of the world, and particularly of women, is, I flatter myself, an extended one, and yet I repeat, that in all Egypt I know of no nobler creature than this grey-haired woman. When you

stomachus shook his head in denial, and answered: "To you, sanguine Athenians, the melodies of your country may be cheering:

on) flourished in Spar

ave in Sardes, and he

him his freedom. His

ghts of a Lacedaemo

directorship in the en

eeded in naturalizing

oric-Laconian. After a

able and of love, he i

From the frequent

have been originally

ise of women, and the

Spartan women (more

gained the name of

re me as in a vision, I see its pine and olive groves, its cold, emerald green rivers, its blue sea, the shimmer of its towns, its snowy mountain-tops and marble temples, and a half-sweet, half-bitter tear steals down my cheek as the music ceases, and I awake to remember that I am in Egypt, in this monotonous, hot, eccentric country, which, the gods be praised, I am soon about to quit. But, Aristomachus,

om the boat, the Spartan following with a heavier, firmer tread. Aristomachus had a wooden leg, but his step was s

bs, yellow mimosa, the snowy gelder-rose, jasmine and lilac, red roses and laburnums, overshadowed by tall palm-trees, acacias and

lture. They well understood how to mark out neat flower-beds, plant groups of trees and shrubs in regular order, water the whole by aqueducts

erstand what this can mean," he said. "I hear no voices, there is not a single light to be seen, the boats are al

name of the owner we

Egyptian country-hou

re almost exclusively

to this day the iron s

ither were flags unkn

riptions on the staffs

tually erected for lig

ey attracted th

tten?"-Here a deep voice suddenly interrupted him with

came up. "But how is it that this garden is as still as an Egyptian tomb, and yet the flag of

shortly. The evening being so fine, she determined on taking a pleasure-trip on the Nile with her guests. They started at sunset, two hours ago, and the evening meal is already prepared; they cannot remain away much longer. I pray you, Phanes, to have patience

e around him now brilliantly lighted by the moon, said, "Explain to me, Phanes, by what good fortune this Rhodop

ere) of the Greeks mu

eputation. The better

igence and culture of

e Ionian provinces. A

d her well-attested re

ne Rhodopis was a c

Miletus, became the wi

hais; her daughter was

gus. Finally, statues

fore you enter her house. So long as we were on the Nile, I would not intrude my tale upon you; that ancient river has a wonderful power of comp

ears old, and I remember that his age and sanctity filled me with a strange dread; but how far older, how far more sacred, is this hoary river

landed aristocracy of the island. The little girl grew day by day more beautiful, graceful and clever, and was soon an object of love and admiration to all who knew her. AEsop, the fable-writer, who was at that

s so beautiful and accomplished, that the jealous wife of Iadmon would not suffer her to remain any longer in the house, and the Samian was forced, with a heavy heart, to sell her to a certain Xanthus. The government of Samos at that time was still in the hands of the less opulent nobles; had Polykrates then been at the head of affairs, Xa

angers were coming from far to Naukratis for her sake alone, that the people of Lesbos ro

us the beauty of Rhod

k knew her

iting verses, derisive of her brother and his purchase, but Alcaeus on the other hand, approved, and gave expression to this feeling in glowing songs on the charms of Rhodopis. And now Sappho's brother, who had till then remained undistinguished among the many strangers at Naukratis, became a noted man through Rhodopis. His house was soon the centre of attraction to all foreigners, by whom she was overwhelmed with gifts. The King Hophra, hearing of her beauty and talent, sent for her to Memphis, and offered to buy her of Charaxus, but the latter had already long, though secretly, given Rhodopis her freedom, and loved her far too well to

elcomed as a goddess. During this interval Amasis, the present king of Egypt, had usurped the throne of th

will be said in our te