An Egyptian Princess, Volume 6.

ed sunken; two physicians stood waiting behind him with all kinds of instruments and vessels in their hands. Cambyses had, only a few minutes before,

een subject from his birth, and which was called "sacred" by

but it had seized him to-day with fearful violence, owing

nd; but though the epileptic fit had not subdued his anger it had at least so far

that Phaedime whose place in the king's favor had been given to Nitetis, Oropastes the high-priest, Croesus, and behind them Boges, the chief of the eunuc

ther, and said in a dull hollow voice: "High-priest, tell us what awaits the man who dece

awful sentence on the bridge Chinvat; for he has transgressed the highest commands, and, by committing three crimes, has forfeited th

the Divs to the bridge Chinvat, where they are questioned as to their past lives and cond

wretch! never will I listen to that smooth, hypocritical tongue again, or look at those treacherous

the floor with his forehead, raised his hands and cried: "May thy days and years bring nought but happiness and prosperity

hangels of the Hebrews. They surround the throne of Auramazda and sy

shedding a brother's blood; the smoke thereof will rise to heaven and become a cloud that must darken the days of the murderer, and at last cast down the lightnings of vengeance on his head. But I know that thou desirest justice, not murder. Act then as those who have to pronounce a sentence, and hea

sign to Bischen to retire, and comm

th his life. Finding myself better towards evening, I went up to the hanging-gardens to see if everything was in order there, and also to look at the rare flower which was to blossom

ed the king, "and keep

se noble witnesses, if everything was in order. He affirmed that this was the case and added, that he had just come from Nitetis, that she had wept the whole day, and neither tasted food nor drink. Feeling anxious lest my noble mistress should become worse, I commissioned Kandaules to fetc

the different entrances

-The man was standing by the window of the Egyptian Princess's apartment, and uttered a low whistle when he heard us coming up. Another figure

istance of not more than four steps. While I was thinking whether I should be justified in arresting a son of Cyrus, Croesus called to Bartja, and the two figures suddenly disappeared behind a cypress. N

ambyses ground his teeth and asked in a voice of great emoti

es

ot lay hands o

diers, not

for every knave more

e criminal just as we formerly l

ognize Bartj

es

, can you too giv

le likeness." Boges grew pale at these words; Cambyses, however, shook his head as if the idea did not please him, and said: "Whom am I to beli

as ours, will prove that

r of such an outrageous criminal?" asked Ca

ted Araspes, Darius, Gyges

upon him, he lowered his voice, and said: "What have you to bring forward in favor of t

ready to swear by Mithras, that we have not left Bartja

e to give in favor of your brother's innocence; I watched the rising of the Tistar-sta

crutinizing eye first on the one and then on the other party of these strange witnesses, who wished

his chained hands, took advantage of the silence to say, making at the sam

pe

. I confess that no judge was ever placed in such a perplexing position. The best men in your kingdom testify against one another, friend against friend, father against son. But I tell you that were the entire Persian nation to rise up against you, and swear that Cambyses had committed this or that evil deed, and you were to say, 'I d

thras, and by all pure spirits, that I am innocent. May my life become extinct and my race perish from off the

few moments' thought, said: "I should like to believe you, for I cannot bear to imagine you the worst and most abandoned of men. To- morrow we will

orm of Bartja, in order to ruin the king's brother and sta

was just going to offer his hand to Bartja, when a staff- bearer came in and gave the

ies and turquoises. As he looked he turned pale, and dashed the dagger on the gr

ad mortally wounded. Croesus, you ought to know it too, for my father brought it from your treasure-house at Sardis. At last you are really convicted, you liar!-you impostor!

must have lost it, a

ads for theirs, you guards, if they escape. Not one word more will I hear; away with you, you perjured villains! Boges, go at once to the hanging-gardens and br

litary apartments, and, notwithstanding the hour, she had risen in order to try and discover the truth and warn her son against pronouncing a too hasty decision. She believed firmly that Bartja and Nitetis were innocent, though she could not explai

g as many painful details as possible, confirmed her in her belief of th

exhausted. His blind mother seated herself at his side, Croesus and Oropastes took their station at the foot o

d, Farg. VII. there is a detailed list of medical fees. "The physician shall treat a priest for a pious blessing or spell, the master of a house for a small draught animal, etc., the lord of a district for a team of four oxen. If the physician cures the mistress of the house, a female ass shall be his fee, etc., etc." We read in the same Fargard,

m not to yield to passionate anger, and to remember wh

I see that I must get rid of everything that rouses my anger. The Eg

pacify his anger, but neither prayers, tears, nor her motherly exhortations, could in th

ns any longer. Nitetis has been proved guilty. A man was seen to leave her sleeping-apartment in the night, and that ma

of that letter?" asked Cro

hless creature made use of characters,

the ominous piece of writing lay, saying: "There it is; read it; but do not hide or alter a s

too true; I dare not be angry any longer with those poets who have written severely against women. Alas, they are all false and faithless! O Kassandane, how the Gods deceive us!

robes; but Cambyses clenched his fist whil

asis of Egypt, to Bartja

in your mother's apartments. It lies in your power to comfort a sad and loving heart, and to give it one happy

rtja did not wait to be sent for twice by that treacherous woman, and has disgraced himself by swearing falsely. His friends, the flower of our young men, have covered themselves with indelible infamy for his sake; and through him, your

like a madman, till the first crow of the sacred bird Parodar. When the sun had ri

t us be merry," said Zopyrus, "for I believe it will soon be up with all our merriment. I would lay my life, that we are all of us dead by to-morr

will make merry and keep our eyes open; who

goes to his death as i

cup-bearer, fi

. Come to us and pass the wine-cup. By Mithras, I can truly say I never wished for death, but now I quite look forward to the

try and explain what has re

erved the punishment of perjury. Try and get us some golden goblets, Bischen; the wine has no flavor out of these miserable brass mugs.

f," said Bartja, "but the wormwood of deat

enerally causes death." As he said this, he touched Gyges and whispered: "Be as cheerful as you can! d

le one, that a Div had taken the likeness of Bart

't believe in

e Div, who took the beautiful form of a

ad this legend so often recited at t

sed Div and went to Masenderan, and was beaten

r eyes. And so it will be with us, my friends! We shall be set free, and the eyes of Cambyses and of our blind and infatuated fathers will be opened to see our innocence. Listen, Bischen; if we really should be

real prophecies. Before Abradatas fell in the battle of Sardis, the

you remind us, that it is much more glorious to

ny a death, which I should prefer to our own,-indeed to life itself.

ething about

It won't matter to you in the next w

owever, she refused all my offers, induced Cyrus to remove me from my office near her, and to accept her husband Abradatas as an ally. When her handsome husband went out to the war, this high-minded, faithful woman decked him out with all her own jewels and told him that the noble conduct of Cyrus, in treating her like a sister, when she was his captive, could only be repaid by the most devoted friendship and heroic courage. Abradatas agreed with her, fought

ring a word. At last Bartja raised his hands to heaven and cried: "O thou great Auramazda! why dos

s severe and serious, and his eyes, generally so mild, had a gloomy, almost threatening, expression. He waved the prince coldly back, saying, in a voice which trembled with pain and reproach: "Let my hand go, you infatuated boy! you are n

hed, and stamping his foot, he cried: "But for your age and infirmities, and

Cambyses have the same blood in your veins. It would become you much better to repent of your crimes, and be

s clenched hands sank down powerless at hi

Bartja, and taking the young man's right hand in both his own, he looked at him as a father would who finds his son, wounded on the

hese words cut him to the heart. For the first time in h

ad a sensitive, childlike nature, which did not yet know how to meet the hard strokes of fate. His body and his physical courage had been hardened against bodily and physi

ng deeper into the sad and grieved heart of the younger man. Darius, however, after having watched them for some time, came up with quiet deliberation to Croesus, and said: "You continue to distress and offend one another, and yet the accused does not seem to know wi

asked him to meet her alone. The testimony of his own eyes and of the first men in the realm, nay, even the dagger found under Nitetis' windows, had not been able to convince

the Egyptian Princess, whose heart I had believed to be a mirror for goodness and beauty alone. Can you find fault

innocence?" cried Bart

uld believe me; if you

ous enough to reproach him bitterly in his irritated state of mind. The weak thread of his patience broke, and in a fearful passion he commanded the guards to behead me at once. I was seized directly by Giv, one of the whip-bearers; but as t

oused another stor

He then called on the accused himself to answer the charge of disloyalty and perfidy. Bartja rejected the idea of an understanding with Nitetis in such short, decided, and convincing words, and confirmed his asserti

ad really happened. In one thing, however, they were all agreed: that

bt for a moment that she was in love with him. When she let the goblet fall, I heard Phaedime's fathe

sun rose and shone pleasant

ras means to make ou

only means to light us kindl