An Egyptian Princess, Complete

of returning the exces

n II. 167. At the gr

eems to have been as m

under the Ptolemies,

hose who remained sobe

n was in general looke

spicable vice. In the

these words on a dru

divinity, as a house

ly should men avoid b

e Papyrus deno

and a few officials, especial friends of Amasis, remained behind. These were retained by the master of the ceremonies, and conducted

ht the aged Croesus. Besides these and the other Persians, Theodorus and Ibykus, the friends of Polykrates,

h Croesus, now indulged in jest and satire. He seemed once

to their king's jokes, goblet after goblet was emptied, and the rejoicings had reached their highest point, when suddenly the master of the ceremonies appeared, be

ings of these mummies

the tombs, and have

a banquet, when they

opted this custom, but

hey touched, substitu

axims similar to the f

all care; be mindful

en must depart on the

!" Copied from the t

l-Qur

quets?" said Bartja, becoming serious, "or is this only a

his firmly. Fill the goblets, cup-bearer, let not one moment of our lives be wasted! Thou canst drink well, thou golden-haired Persian! Truly the great gods have endowed thee not only with beautiful eyes, and blooming beauty, but with a good throat! Let me embrace thee, thou glorious youth, thou rogue! What thinkest thou Croesus? my dau

care what you say, and remember Phanes." The king turned a frowning glance on his son; but f

ndulging in a smile at the king's jests, his eyes had been fixed from the beginning of the revel. When the Pharaoh ceased to speak, he accos

we started for Egypt four months ago; but there are heights in the land of Cambyses on which, even in the hottest seaso

roesus, attracted by this serious, earnest m

seems kno

many Hellenes, and my na

d bespeak you my o

s one

ow no

ive land without permiss

ken it with you

es

hat re

ape dis

as your

committ

accused

es

author of you

urs

ed that this was no jest, and those who sat near the speakers, and had been followi

to speak; at last, however, at t

having sold both ship and wine-vessel to the Samians. As they could not convict me of the crime, and had yet determined on my ruin, I was sentenced to two days' and nights' exposure on the pillory. My foot was chained to it during the night; but before the morning of disgrace dawned, my brother brought me secretly a sword, that my honor might be saved, though at the expense of my life. But I could not die before revenging myself on the men who had worked my ruin; and therefore, cutting the manacled foot from my leg, I escaped, and hid in the rushes on the banks of th

a exclaimed: "Spartan, I would I could take you back with me to Susa, that my friends t

ery Spartan would have done the same. In our country

ould you have borne to stand at the pillory?" Bartja reddened,

u?" asked Darius of t

e of you two," answered he, grasping u

s of Amasis, Croesus and Gyges, the meaning glances of the Egyptians, a

n to his native land, on the approach of the men from the snowy mount

h that was praiseworthy; and, as the other guests, many of whom had lost consciousness through excessive drinking, were leaving the hall, the dethrone

PTE

usual to the bath, arrayed him in the royal vestments and led him to the altar in the court of the palace, where in presence of the populace he offered sacrifice. During the offering the priests sang pra

able portions of the holy writings, containing the deeds and sayings of great men, and then conduc

epeated ceremonies and hours of work; the remaining portion of the

he had thus replied to the indignant high-priest: "Look at this bow! if always bent it must lose its power, but

of a Province]-for money to carry on different embankments rendered necessary by the last inundation, w

rts from all parts of the country, now became suddenly serious and thoughtful

ever; he bowed low and reverentiall

then asked abruptly and sternly: "Wh

th quivering lips. "Seven times have I petitioned for the g

y visit. Thou desirest an answer to thy do

thee, and to remind thee that I am not the o

t thou o

his own country, and must leave Naukratis in a few days. What g

kindness which I hav

ieve in the gr

t of character. Phanes will not betr

rhaps, but my

guard! I have nothi

es, yet as Egypt's future I ought to be near thy heart. Remember, that at thy death, which may the gods long avert, I s

betray our land to any foreign enemy; he is as intimately acquainted with it as we are; and beside this, he

e, Nitetis is a king's daughter and will

he worst of crimes, to be deceived the greatest disgrace; thou hast deceived the highest and proudest of the nation, and what can one

an never prove his point. I, the father, Ladice the mother must know best whether Nitetis is our child or not. We call her so, who dare aver the contrary? If it please Phanes to betray our land to any other enemy beside the Persians, let him; I fear nothing! Tho

fath

ine own incapacity moved me to place him in thy room as commander of the troops. Ah! thou growest pale! Verily, I owe Phanes thanks for confid

tranger, when we depended on ourselves and our own strength, and lived according to the ancient laws of our ancestors and our gods? Those days beheld the most distant lands subjugated by Rameses, and heard Egypt celebrated in the whole world as its first and greatest nation. What are we now? The king hims

n of Sethos, reigned o