Uarda: a Romance of Ancient Egypt

r train of followers stood befo

h of the princess to the chief priest. She stood alone in her chariot, in advance of all her companions, for

n three sides with colonnades. The walls and architraves, the pillars and the fluted cornice, which slightly curved in over the court, were gorgeous with ma

ated Egyptian incen

preserved in the pap

temples, and elsewhe

repared by the chemis

la of Dioskorides was

galangae, juniper ber

e, mastic, myrrh, Burg

d, in semi-circular array, stood more than a hundred white-robed priests, who all t

e asked what these songs of lamentation might signify, for about this sacred place lamentation and mystery for ever lingered. "Hail to the child of Rameses!"-

to the door of the temple. But as she prepared to cross the forecourt, suddenly, without warning, the priests' chant swelled to a terrible, almost thu

checked her steps. The

ontifical robes, stood before her in the way, his

abode of the Gods closes its portals on the unclean, be they slaves or princes. In the name of the Immortals, from whom thou art descende

she felt that an unworthy part had been assigned to her in a carefully-premeditated scene; she forgot her resolution to accuse herself of uncleanness, and already her lips were parted in vehement protest against the pries

ood silent, but she endured the gaze,

ent which was gathering like thunder clouds in his soul, and said, with

ive: Hast thou entered this holy place in order that the Celestial

he answer to thee," replied B

in whose name I now command thee to quit this

ivered. "I will go," she

easy and yet fascinated, agitated, yet with secretly uplifted soul. Her deed seemed to him of boundless audacity, and yet one suited to her true and noble nature. By her side, Ameni, his revered and admired master, sank into

ed tie, he felt, linked their souls, and the look which he saw them exchange startled him. The rebellious princess h

paused. Then he

e priest, and looked at h

rward, and stood bet

elf. Hear this:-to thee, the misguided child, much may be forgiven. But a servant of the Divinity," and with these words he turned a threatening glance on Pentaur-"a priest, who in the war of free-will against law becomes a

aur standing opposite to her. Her face was red and white by turns, as light and shad

ok a step t

n himself. A deep sympathy, a nameless anguish seized her soul, and before Pentau

t-as Pentaur said it by the hut of the paraschites.

t lovingly, he looked down on the princess, blessed her and conducted her before the holy of holies, there had cloud

what prayers and exercises she might attain once more to perfect pur

priests stationed in the forecou

interrupted it from time to time with ringing cries of wailing, for alread

appearance the people impatiently waited, would not show herself. One and another said the princess had

roused, and rising with every minute. They reviled the pride of the priests, and their senseless, worthless, institutions. A drunken soldier, who soon reeled back into the tavern which he had but just left, distinguished himself as ringleader, and was the

r, the great gate was thrown open, and with a solemn step Ameni, in full robes, and followed by twenty pastophori-[An or

ere s

urb our worship?" he a

in which the frequently repeated name o

eable composure, and, rai

ld the guilt of the highest as of the lowest among you. They reward the pious, but they punish the o

k the hol

rument used by the Egy

ns are extant in Museu

The Sistrum is rounde

hich are shaken." On

e head of a cat w

behind him raised a solemn hymn, and the crowd sank on their knees; nor

ir servant. Leave this spot and ma

e patrol, without meeting with any opposition, clear

ouse of thy father rests on the shoulders of the people. Loosen the old laws wh

r-post, gazed at her in beatitude. She let her whip fall to the ground, that he might pick it up and restore it to her, but he did

arting wheels on the flag-way of the Avenue of Sphinxes had altogether died away, and

en silently and mechanically he went towards the open court in which his disciples awaited him. But instead of, as usual, considering on the way the subject he was to treat, his spirit and heart were occupied with the occurrences of the last few hours. One image reigned supreme in his imagination, filling it with delight-it was that

to do. He supported himself against the wall of the court, and opened the papyrus-roll handed to him by his favorite pupil, the young Anana. It was the bo

t at the end of yesterday's lecture, and intended to resume to-day; but between yesterday and to-da

eech, and looked enquiringly at each other. A young priest whispered to his neighbor, "He is praying-" and Anana noticed with silent anxi

site wall, and the painted name of the king with the accompanying title "the good God" met his eye. Startin

to treat this subject as if he were s

ast it came to Anana's turn, who, in well-chosen words, praised the purpose

"the hidden one." He

gis, and after the Hyk

as united with Ra of

all the remaining God

, till in the esoteric

compared to the All f

he husband of his moth

iving Osiris, he is th

ati

R

n-God; later his name

hilosophy for that o

ver

Pt

nhaistas, the oldest

for the creation, th

hnemu stand, as archit

d of truth," because t

m him. He created also

e head of the solar G

which, when he had cl

. Hence his nam

he other Gods,

im enquiringly, now adding approbation. Then taking up the threa

that soared every moment on freer and stronger wings. Melting into pathos, exulting in rapture, he praised the splendor of nature; and the words flowed from his lips like a limpi

he nighttime, and look at the stars as they travel in eternal, unerring, immeasurable, and endless circles on silver barks through the blue vault of heaven, stand by the cradle of the child, by the buds of the flowers, and see how the mother bends over the one, and the bright dew-drops fall on the other. But would you know where the stream of divine goodness is most freely poured out, where the grace of the Creator bestows the richest gifts, and where His holiest altars are prepared? In your own heart; so long as it is pure and full of love. In such a heart, nature is reflected as in a magic mirror, on whose surface the Beautiful shines in three-fold

unced the end of the

th a deep sigh, and for a

w, and walked slowly towards the gate of the court, which led into the sacred grove of t

ted your hearers, my friend," said the high-priest, c

man in fever. He knew this tone in his master's voice, for thus he was accustomed

eacher to utter in the lecture-hall. Only a few weeks since you swore on my hands to guard the mysteries, and this day you have off

with knives,

which will turn to poison for the children who pick it up-yea even though it fall from a sacred tree. Gagabu and I received you among us, against the opinion of the majority of the initiated. We gainsaid all those who doubted your ripeness because of your youth; and you swore

me to be right and true," an

as for us-what the law pres

of the soul-filled body of the All; a portion of the infallible spirit o

e flattering voice of self-lo

peaks in me-as in thee-as in each of u

n his little throne, would proclaim the voice of the god within him as his guide,

k and to find the One. The light which I gaze on and am ble

blind our disciples wi

ng them for f

overflow of a heart i

me

ong his highest titles-boasts of being, and to which the sage bows as much as the common man whom we bring up to blind belief-I stand before you as your father, who h

to the school of life, and make yourself fit for the honored rank of the initiated which, by my error, was bestowed on you

, Sirius or the dog st

oincided with the exac

s a foundation for the

gypti

post to win back my confidence which you have thrown away. No remonstrance; to-night you will receive my blessing, and our authori

urned to

restlessly

r metal pane, and laid it back in its place again, as i

d him deeply, and shaken his confidence i

incess spoken of as a devout and gifted maiden. Her incautious breach of the sacred institution

moment conceal from himself that her sudden change of demeanor resulted much more from the warm flow of her sympathy, or perhaps of her, affec

ree from vanity, and his vanity had been deeply w

of reproof, he had hoped to awaken his ambition through

d

the most hopeful of all hi

dea over the minds of men, and of the priesthood over the king hims

arn to und

Ameni to himself. "In the temple of Hatasu he will have to rule over the inferior orders of slaughterers of victims and incense-burn

nd what woman could resist this highly favored being, who is radiant in beauty as Ra-Harmachis, and from whose lips f

d to and fro,

s, in genius and gifts, like palm trees above their undergrowth.

fell

n name of Moses, who

es, under whose succe

Egypt to

made of better stuff than his companions in destiny, constitutes his own law, and fears to see the great expended in trifles; b

hus Ameni

so-called "holy fathers," his

ously from the law, and defiled herself, and direct that public-you hear me public-prayers shall be put up for her purification in every t

kground. Ameni muttered: "The King will do us some unheard-of violence