The Pharaoh And The Priest Part 118

"We have a preliminary treaty with a.s.syria," put in Herhor.

"A woman might give such an answer, but not a minister of war," said Rameses, with indignation. "What does a treaty mean when there is no army behind it: To-day one-half of the troops which King a.s.sar commands would crush us."

"Deign to be at rest, holy lord. At the first news of a.s.syrian treason we should have half a million of warriors."

The pharaoh laughed in his face.

"What? How? Thou art mad, priest! Thou art groping among papyruses, but I have served seven years in the army, and there was almost no day which I did not pa.s.s in drill or manuvres. How couldst thou have an army of half a million in the course of a few months?"

"All the n.o.bility would rise."

"What is thy n.o.bility? n.o.bility is not an army. To form an army of half a million, at least a hundred and fifty regiments are needed, and we, as thou thyself sayest, have forty. How could those men who to-day are herding cattle, ploughing land, making pots, or drinking and idling on their lands, learn the art of warfare? Egyptians are poor materials for an army. I know that, for I see them daily. A Libyan, a Greek, a Hitt.i.te, in boyhood even uses a bow and arrows and a sling; he handles a club perfectly; in a year he learns to march pa.s.sably.

But only in three years will an Egyptian march in some fashion. It is true that he grows accustomed to a sword and a spear in two years, but to cast missiles four years are too short a time for him. So in the course of a few months ye could put out not an army, but half a million of a rabble which the a.s.syrians would break to pieces in the twinkle of an eye. For, though the a.s.syrian regiments are poor and badly trained, an a.s.syrian knows how to hurl stones and shoot arrows; he knows how to cut and thrust, and, above all, he has the onrush of a wild beast, which is lacking in the mild Egyptians altogether. We break the enemy by this, that our trained and drilled regiments are like a battering ram: it is necessary to beat down one-half of our men before the column is injured. But when the column is broken, there is no Egyptian army."

"Thou speakest wisdom," said Herhor to the panting pharaoh. "Only the G.o.ds possess such acquaintance with things. I know that the forces of Egypt are too weak; that to create new ones many years of labor are needed. For this very reason I wish to conclude a treaty with a.s.syria."

"But ye have concluded it already!"

"For the moment. Sargon, in view of the sickness of thy father, and fearing thee, holiness, deferred the conclusion of a regular treaty till thou shouldst ascend the throne."

The pharaoh fell into anger again.

"What?" cried he. "Then they think really of seizing Phnicia! And do they suppose that I will sign the infamy of my reign? Evil spirits have seized all of you!"

The audience was ended. Herhor fell on his face this time, but while returning from his lord he considered in his heart,--

"His holiness has heard the report, hence he does not reject my services. I have told him that he must sign a treaty with a.s.syria, hence the most difficult question is finished. He will come to his mind before Sargon returns to us. But he is a lion, and not even a lion, but a mad elephant. Still he became pharaoh only because he is the grandson of a high priest. He does not understand yet that those same hands which raised him so high--"

In the antechamber the worthy Herhor halted, thought over something; at last instead of going to his own dwelling he went to Queen Nikotris.

In the garden there were neither women nor children, but from the scattered villas came groans. Those were from women belonging to the house of the late pharaoh who were lamenting that sovereign who had gone to the west. Their sorrow, it seemed, was sincere.

Meanwhile the supreme judge entered the cabinet of the new pharaoh.

"What hast thou to tell me, worthiness?" asked Rameses.

"Some days ago an unusual thing happened near Thebes," replied the judge. "A laborer killed his wife and three children and drowned himself in the sacred lake."

"Had he gone mad?"

"It seems that his act was caused by hunger."

The pharaoh grew thoughtful.

"A strange event," said he, "but I wish to hear of something else.

What crimes happen most commonly in these days?"

The supreme judge hesitated.

"Speak boldly," said the pharaoh, now grown impatient, "and hide nothing from me. I know that Egypt has fallen into a mora.s.s; I wish to draw it out, hence I must know everything."

"The most usual crimes are revolts. But only common people revolt,"

added the judge, hastily.

"I am listening," said the pharaoh.

"In Kosem a regiment of masons and stone-cutters revolted recently; for some time needful supplies had been refused them. In Sechem earth-tillers killed a scribe who was collecting taxes. In Melcatis and Pi-Hebit also earth-tillers wrecked the houses of Phnician tenants. At Kasa they refused to repair the ca.n.a.l, declaring that pay from the treasury was due them for that labor. Finally in the porphyry quarries the convicts killed their overseers and tried to escape in a body to the seacoast."

"This news does not surprise me," replied the pharaoh. "But what dost thou think?"

"It is necessary first of all to punish the guilty."

"But I think it necessary first of all to give laborers what belongs to them. A hungry ox will lie down; a hungry horse will totter on his feet and pant. How, then, can we ask a hungry man to work and not declare that he is suffering?"

"Then, holiness--"

"Pentuer will open a council to investigate these matters,"

interrupted the pharaoh. "Meanwhile I have no desire to punish."

"In that case a general insurrection will break out," cried the judge, in alarm.

The pharaoh rested his chin on his hands and considered,--

"Well," said he, after a while, "let the courts do their work, but as mildly as possible. And this very day Pentuer will a.s.semble his council."

"In truth," added he, after a time, "it is easier to make a decision in battle than in the disorder which has mastered Egypt."

When the supreme judge had departed, the pharaoh summoned Tutmosis. He directed him to salute in the name of the sovereign the army returning from the Soda Lakes, and to distribute twenty talents among the officers and warriors.

Then he commanded Pentuer to come; meanwhile he received the chief treasurer.

"I wish to know," said he, "what the condition of the treasury is."

"We have," replied the dignitary, "at this moment twenty thousand talents of value in the granaries, stables, storehouses, and chests, while taxes are coming in daily."

"But insurrections are breaking out daily," added the pharaoh. "What is our general income and outgo?"

"On the army we expend yearly twenty thousand talents; on the court two to three thousand talents monthly."

"Well, what further? And public works?"

"At present they are carried on without expense," said the treasurer, dropping his head.

"And the income?"

"We have as much as we expend," whispered the official.

"Then we have forty or fifty thousand talents yearly. And where is the rest?"