The Pharaoh And The Priest Part 126

After breakfast the pharaoh was occupied in affairs of the ministry of war, and the treasury; about three in the afternoon, surrounded by a great suite, he went to the troops encamped outside Memphis, and reviewed them.

Indeed, the greatest changes had taken place in the military condition.

In less than two months his holiness had organized five new regiments, or rather he had reestablished those disbanded during the reign of his father. He dismissed officers addicted to drunkenness and gambling, also those who tortured warriors.

Into the military bureaus, where priests alone had held office, he introduced his most capable adjutants, who very soon mastered important doc.u.ments relative to the army. He commanded to make a list of all men in the state who belonged to the military order, but who for years had not fulfilled any duty. He opened two new schools, one for the education of officers, and one for children of twelve years, and renewed a custom then in abeyance, that youths in the army should receive breakfast only after three hours' marching in line and in column.

Finally, no division of the army was permitted to dwell in villages, all must live in camps or in barracks. Each regiment had its fixed field of exercise, where for whole days the warriors hurled stones from slings or shot arrows from bows at marks from one to two hundred yards distant.

A command was issued to all families of military rank that the men should exercise themselves in hurling missiles under direction of officers and decurions of the army. The command was carried out straightway, therefore Egypt looked like a camp in no longer than two months after the death of the twelfth Rameses. For even village or city children, who before had played as scribes and priests, now, imitating their elders, began to play as warriors. So on every square and in every garden, from morning till evening, stones and arrows were whistling, and the courts were filled with complaints about bodily injuries.

Egypt was transformed, as it were, and in spite of complaints a great movement reigned in it, and all because of the new ruler.

The pharaoh himself was pleased and his pride increased, seeing that the whole state arranged itself to his wishes.

But a moment arrived when he became gloomy.

On the very day that the embalmers took the body of Rameses XII. from the soda bath, the chief treasurer, when making his usual report, said to the pharaoh,--

"I know not what to do. We have two thousand talents in the treasury, and for the funeral of the dead pharaoh we need at least one thousand."

"How, two thousand?" asked Rameses, with astonishment. "When I a.s.sumed power thou didst tell me that we had twenty thousand."

"We have expended eighteen."

"In two months?"

"Our outlays are enormous."

"True, but new taxes come in every day."

"The taxes, I know not why, have decreased again, and do not come in so plentifully as I expected. But they too are expended. Be pleased to remember, holiness, that we have five new regiments; hence, about eight thousand men have left their occupations and live at the cost of the treasury."

The pharaoh grew thoughtful.

"We must," said he, "make a new loan. Come to an understanding with Herhor and Mefres, so that the temples may lend to us."

"I have spoken with them. The temples will lend us nothing."

"The prophets are offended," said the pharaoh, smiling. "In that case we must call in unbelievers. Send to me Dagon."

Toward evening the pharaoh's banker came. He fell on the pavement before Rameses and offered him a golden goblet set with jewels.

"Now I can die!" said Dagon, "since my most gracious sovereign has mounted the throne."

"But before thy death, find me a few thousand talents," said his holiness to the kneeling banker.

The Phnician was alarmed. Could he feign great embarra.s.sment?

"Rather command me, holiness, to seek pearls in the Nile, for I shall perish at once, and my lord will not suspect me of ill-will toward him. But to find such a sum to-day!"

Rameses XIII. was astounded.

"How is this?" inquired he. "Then have the Phnicians no money for me?"

"Our blood, our lives, our children we will give thee, holiness. But money--where can we find it?

"Formerly the temples gave us loans at fifteen or twenty per cent yearly, but since, as heir to the throne, thou wert in the temple of Hator at Pi-Bast the priests have refused us every credit.

"If they could they would expel us from Egypt, or, more gladly, they would destroy us. Ah, what we suffer because of them. The earth-tillers do what they like and whenever they like. As rent they give us what drops from their noses. If we strike one of them they rebel to the last man, and if an unfortunate Phnician goes for redress to a court he either loses his case or pays terribly.

"Our hours in this land are numbered," wailed Dagon.

The pharaoh frowned.

"I will take up these matters," answered he, "and the courts will give thee justice. Meanwhile, I need about five thousand talents."

"Where shall we get them, O lord?" groaned out Dagon. "Find us purchasers, holiness, and we will sell all our property movable and immovable, only to carry out thy commands. But where are the purchasers? There are none except the priests, who would value our property at a trifle, and then not pay ready money."

"Send to Tyre, to Sidon," interrupted Rameses. "Each of those cities might lend, not five, but a hundred thousand talents."

"Tyre and Sidon!" repeated Dagon. "To-day all Phnicia is collecting gold and jewels to pay the a.s.syrians. Envoys of King a.s.sar are circling about through our country and they say that if we pay a liberal sum yearly the King and the satraps not only will not oppress us, but will offer us more profits than those which we have now in Egypt, O holiness, through thy favor."

The pharaoh grew pale and set his teeth. The banker noted this and added, quickly,--

"But why should I waste thy time, holiness, with my stupid talk? Here in Memphis is Prince Hiram; he perhaps will explain all this to my lord far better than I can, for he is a sage and a member of the supreme council in our cities."

"Send him hither quickly," replied Rameses, "for thy conversation with me, Dagon, is not that of a banker, but of a wailing woman at a funeral."

The Phnician touched the floor once again with his forehead, and inquired,--

"What if the worthy Hiram cannot come immediately? It is late now, it is true. But he is in such fear of the priests that he would rather come at night to do homage, O holiness."

The pharaoh bit his lips, but agreed to that project; so he sent Tutmosis with the banker to conduct Hiram to the palace by secret pa.s.sages.

CHAPTER LV

About ten in the evening Hiram stood before his lord. He was dressed in the dark robe of a Memphis huckster.

"Why dost thou steal in thus, worthiness?" inquired Rameses. "Is my palace a prison, or a house of lepers?"

"Ah, our sovereign!" sighed the old Phnician. "Since thou hast become lord of Egypt the criminals are those who dare to see thee and not give account of what thou art pleased to tell them."

"To whom must ye repeat my words?" inquired the pharaoh.