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were　prophesied。　Therefore；　my　father　shut　the　doors；　and　caused　all

those　who　stood　by　to　swear　upon　the　holy　symbol　of　his　office；　and　by

the　name　of　the　Divine　Three；　and　by　the　Soul　of　her　who　lay　dead　upon

the　stones　beside　them；　that　nothing　of　what　they　had　seen　and　heard

should　pass　their　lips。



Now　among　the　company　was　the　old　wife；　Atoua；　who　had　been　the　nurse

of　my　mother；　and　loved　her　well；　and　in　these　days；　though　I　know　not

how　it　had　been　in　the　past；　nor　how　it　shall　be　in　the　future；　there

is　no　oath　that　can　bind　a　woman's　tongue。　And　so　it　came　about　that

by…and…by；　when　the　matter　had　become　homely　in　her　mind；　and　her　fear

had　fallen　from　her；　she　spoke　of　the　prophecy　to　her　daughter；　who

nursed　me　at　the　breast　now　that　my　mother　was　dead。　She　did　this　as

they　walked　together　in　the　desert　carrying　food　to　the　husband　of　the

daughter；　who　was　a　sculptor；　and　shaped　effigies　of　the　holy　Gods　in

the　tombs　that　are　fashioned　in　the　rocktelling　the　daughter；　my

nurse；　how　great　must　be　her　care　and　love　toward　the　child　that

should　one　day　be　Pharaoh；　and　drive　the　Ptolemies　from　Egypt。　But　the

daughter；　my　nurse；　was　so　filled　with　wonder　at　what　she　heard　that

she　could　not　keep　the　tale　locked　within　her　breast；　and　in　the　night

she　awoke　her　husband；　and；　in　her　turn；　whispered　it　to　him；　and

thereby　compassed　her　own　destruction；　and　the　destruction　of　her

child；　my　foster…brother。　For　the　man　told　his　friend；　and　the　friend

was　a　spy　of　Ptolemy's；　and　thus　the　tale　came　to　Pharaoh's　ears。



Now；　Pharaoh　was　much　troubled　thereat；　for　though　when　he　was　full　of

wine　he　would　make　a　mock　of　the　God　of　the　Egyptians；　and　swear　that

the　Roman　Senate　was　the　only　God　to　whom　he　bowed　the　knee；　yet　in

his　heart　he　was　terribly　afraid；　as　I　have　learned　from　one　who　was

his　physician。　For　when　he　was　alone　at　night　he　would　scream　and　cry

aloud　to　the　great　Serapis；　who　indeed　is　no　true　God；　and　to　other

Gods；　fearing　lest　he　should　be　murdered　and　his　soul　handed　over　to

the　tormentors。　Also；　when　he　felt　his　throne　tremble　under　him；　he

would　send　large　presents　to　the　temples；　asking　a　message　from　the

oracles；　and　more　especially　from　the　oracle　that　is　at　Phil？。

Therefore；　when　it　came　to　his　ears　that　the　wife　of　the　High　Priest

of　the　great　and　ancient　Temple　of　Abouthis　had　been　filled　with　the

Spirit　of　Prophecy　before　she　died；　and　foretold　that　her　son　should

be　Pharaoh；　he　was　much　afraid；　and　summoning　some　trusty　guardswho；

being　Greeks；　did　not　fear　to　do　sacrilegehe　despatched　them　by　boat

up　the　Nile；　with　orders　to　come　to　Abouthis　and　cut　off　the　head　of

the　child　of　the　High　Priest　and　bring　it　to　him　in　a　basket。



But；　as　it　chanced；　the　boat　in　which　the　guards　came　was　of　deep

draught；　and；　the　time　of　their　coming　being　at　the　lowest　ebb　of　the

river；　it　struck　and　remained　fast　upon　a　bank　of　mud　that　is　opposite

the　mouth　of　the　road　running　across　the　plains　to　Abouthis；　and；　as

the　north　wind　was　blowing　very　fiercely；　it　was　like　to　sink。　Thereon

the　guards　of　Pharaoh　called　out　to　the　common　people；　who　laboured　at

lifting　water　along　the　banks　of　the　river；　to　come　with　boats　and

take　them　off；　but；　seeing　that　they　were　Greeks　of　Alexandria；　the

people　would　not；　for　the　Egyptians　do　not　love　the　Greeks。　Then　the

guards　cried　that　they　were　on　Pharaoh's　business；　and　still　the

people　would　not；　asking　what　was　their　business。　Whereon　a　eunuch

among　them　who　had　made　himself　drunk　in　his　fear；　told　them　that　they

came　to　slay　the　child　of　Amenemhat；　the　High　Priest；　of　whom　it　was

prophesied　that　he　should　be　Pharaoh　and　sweep　the　Greeks　from　Egypt。

And　then　the　people　feared　to　stand　longer　in　doubt；　but　brought

boats；　not　knowing　what　might　be　meant　by　the　man's　words。　But　there

was　one　amongst　thema　farmer　and　an　overseer　of　canalswho　was　a

kinsman　of　my　mother's　and　had　been　present　when　she　prophesied；　and

he　turned　and　ran　swiftly　for　three　parts　of　an　hour；　till　he　came　to

where　I　lay　in　the　house　that　is　without　the　north　wall　of　the　great

Temple。　Now；　as　it　chanced；　my　father　was　away　in　that　part　of　the

Place　of　Tombs　which　is　to　the　left　of　the　large　fortress；　and

Pharaoh's　guards；　mounted　on　asses；　were　hard　upon　us。　Then　the

messenger　cried　to　the　old　wife；　Atoua；　whose　tongue　had　brought　about

the　evil；　and　told　how　the　soldiers　drew　near　to　slay　me。　And　they

looked　at　each　other；　not　knowing　what　to　do；　for；　had　they　hid　me；

the　guards　would　not　have　stayed　their　search　till　I　was　found。　But

the　man；　gazing　through　the　doorway；　saw　a　little　child　at　play：



〃Woman；〃　he　said；　〃whose　is　that　child？〃



〃It　is　my　grandchild；〃　she　answered；　〃the　foster…brother　of　the　Prince

Harmachis；　the　child　to　whose　mother　we　owe　this　evil　case。〃



〃Woman；〃　he　said；　〃thou　knowest　thy　duty；　do　it！〃　and　he　again　pointed

at　the　child。　〃I　command　thee；　by　the　Holy　Name！〃



Atoua　trembled　exceedingly；　because　the　child　was　of　her　own　blood；

but；　nevertheless；　she　took　the　boy　and　washed　him　and　set　a　robe　of

silk　upon　him；　and　laid　him　on　my　cradle。　And　me　she　took　and　smeared

with　mud　to　make　my　fair　skin　darker；　and；　drawing　my　garment　from　me；

set　me　to　play　in　the　dirt　of　the　yard；　which　I　did　right　gladly。



Then　the　man　hid　himself；　and　presently　the　soldiers　rode　up　and　asked

of　the　old　wife　if　this　were　the　dwelling　of　the　High　Priest

Amenemhat？　And　she　told　them　yea；　and；　bidding　them　enter；　offered

them　honey　and　milk；　for　they　were　thirsty。



When　they　had　drunk；　the　eunuch　who　was　with　them　asked　if　that　were

the　son　of　Amenemhat　who　lay　in　the　cradle；　and　she　said　〃Yeayea；〃

and　began　to　tell　the　guards　how　he　would　be　great；　for　it　had　been

prophesied　of　him　that　he　should　one　day　rule　them　all。



But　the　Greek　guards　laughed；　and　one　of　them；　seizing　the　child；

smote　off　his　head　with　a　sword；　and　the　eunuch　drew　forth　the　signet

of　Pharaoh　as　warrant　for　the　deed　and　showed　it　to　the　old　wife；

Atoua；　bidding　her　tell　the　High　Priest　that　his　son　should　be　King

without　a　head。



And　as　they　went　one　of　their　number　saw　me　playing　in　the　dirt　and

called　out　that　there　was　more　breeding　in　yonder　brat　than　in　the

Prince　Harmachis；　and　for　a　moment　they　wavered；　thinking　to　slay　me

also；　but　in　the　end　they　passed　on；　bearing　the　head　of　my　foster…

brother；　for　they　loved　not　to　murder　little　children。



After　a　while；　the　mother　of　the　dead　child　returned　from　the　market…

place；　and　when　she　found　what　had　been　done；　she　and　her　husband

would　have　killed　Atoua　the　old　wife；　her　mother；　and　given　me　up　to

the　soldiers　of　Pharaoh。　But　my　father　came　in　also　and　learned　the

truth；　and　he　caused　the　man　and　his　wife　to　be　seized　by　night　and

hidden　away　in　the　dark　places　of　the　temple；　so　that　none　saw　them

more。



But　I　would　to…day　that　it　had　been　the　will　of　the　Gods　that　I　had

been　slain　of　the　soldiers　and　not　the　innocent　child。







Thereafter　it　was　given　out　that　the　High　Priest　Amenemhat　had　taken

me　to　be　as　a　son　to　him　in　the　place　of　that　Harmachis　who　was　slain

of　Pharaoh。







CHAPTER　II



OF　THE　DISOBEDIENCE　OF　HARMACHIS；　OF　THE　SLAYING　OF　THE

LION；　AND　OF　THE　SPEECH　OF　THE　OLD　WIFE；　ATOUA



And　after　these　things　Ptolemy　the　Piper　troubled　us　no　more；　nor　did

he　again　send　his　soldiers　to　seek　for　him　of　whom　it　was　prophesied

that　he　should　be　Pharaoh。　For　the　head　of　the　child；　my　foster…

brother；　was　brought　to　him　by　the　eunuch　as　he　sat　in　his　palace　of

marble　at　Alexandria；　flushed　with　Cyprian　wine；　and　played　upon　the

flute　before　his　women。　And　at　his　bidding　the　eunuch　lifted　up　the

head　by　the　hair　for　him　to　look　on。　Then　he　laughed　and　smote　it　on

the　cheek　with　his　sandal；　bidding　one　of　the　girls　crown　Pharaoh　with

flowers。　And　he　bowed　the　knee；　and　mocked　the　head　of　the　innocent

child。　But　the　girl；　who　was　sharp　of　tonguefor　all　of　this　I　heard

in　after　yearssaid　to　him　that　〃he　did　well　to　bow　the　knee；　for

this　child　was　indeed　Pharaoh；　the　greatest　of　Pharaohs；　and　his　name

was　the　/Osiris/　and　his　throne　was　/Death/。〃



Aulêtes　was　much　troubled　at　these　words；　and　trembled；　for；　being　a

wicked　man；　he　greatly　feared　entering　into　Amenti。　So　he　caused　the

girl　to　be　slain　because　of　the　evil　omen　of　her　saying；　crying　that

he　would　send　her　to　worship　that　Pharaoh　whom　she　had　named。　And　the

other　women　he　sent　away；　and　played　no　more　upon　the　flute　till　he

was　once　again　drunk　on　the　morrow。　But　the　Alexandrians　made　a　song

on　the　matter；　which　is　still　sung　about　the　streets。　And　this　is　the

beginning　of　it



　　Ptolemy　the　Piper　played

　　　　Over　dead　and　dying；

　　Piped　and　played　he　well。

　　　　Sure　that　flute　of　his　was　made

　　Of　the　dank　reed　sighing

　　　　O'er　the　streams　of　Hell。

　　There　beneath　the　shadows　grey；

　　　　With　the　sisters　three；

　　Shall　he　pipe　for　many　a　day。