Page images
PDF
EPUB

her. Struggling and panting, with a half-uttered exclamation of agony, the princess started from her sleep. All was calm around, and she raised herself on one hand to collect her scattered senses, as passing the other over her brow she turned towards the light of the declining moon. Was she indeed awake? Within the sacred line of columns, where none but royal foot had ever trod, there stood before her, proud in commanding height, the same faultless form she had beheld in her troubled dream. The same deep blue eye was fixed on hers, but no aspic crown encircled the brow of alabaster, from which the wind gently raised the rich and clustering curls, that needed not the foreign garb he wore to mark the youth a stranger. Her senses were bewildered, there was still the sound of waters, but it was her own pellucid fountain's murmuring fall! The strange and wondrous temple had indeed faded from her sight, and there was nothing but a sweet familiar scene around. She gazed again in mute astonishment upon the youth who seemed about to speak, but a faint stir amongst the drowsy maidens without, startling him, with a light and hasty tread he reached the verge of the pavilion, whence having turned once more to look on the motionless princess, he snatched a rose from the flowers scattered around, and bounding down the steps, his form was lost among the aromatic shrubs of the garden. Alarmed, yet pleased, despite herself, the fair Nementhis rose from her perfumed cushions, but

cared not to awaken the still slumbering attendants, nor did she seek the interpretation of her dream, for she loved to think it was her guardian spirit she had seen, clothed in an earthly though a beauteous form,the sounding footsteps of the stranger having proclaimed that it was no aërial visitant that had broken on her repose, although his dignity and grace, almost divine, might well have made her think him such. Full of these gentle fantasies, she wandered forth among the roses, and mused on the vision that had passed.

The night was far advanced, and the moon was gradually sinking, casting a last lingering ray through the sapphire sky, so pale that it no longer obscured the myriads of twinkling stars which had till then been lost in its mild radiance. How many gazing eyes were now fixed intently on those bright luminaries, which shone in the blue arch of heaven with a concentrated light unknown to colder climes ! From many a lofty tower, the priests and sages of this mystic land breathed holy aspiration to the souls of their departed great, whom they fondly thought enshrined in those distant spheres of glory; or traced with wrapt, prophetic eye, the eternal hieroglyphics of the sky, which it was given to them alone to read. In bright succession had arisen, far above the dark verge of the horizon, the clustering Pleiades, the sparkling Aldebaran, and stormy Orus,* with his brilliant belt and sword; the last, on earth

* Orion.

a hero and avenger of his father's wrong, now fixed immortally on high, heralds the approach of Sothin,* and of Kyon, sacred to Isis and Osiris. Slowly the hour arrived when Egypt was to bow before these orbs, greeting the two brilliant stars, as they rose long before the sun, "sentinel and watchdog of the year." The astrologers read in the expanded volume of the universe, a table of mysterious ill, and the only reply they could give the king concerning his meditated embassy, was, "woe and death" to the noble who should undertake to lead it further they could not declare. None but one of the highest rank was deemed worthy to enter the sacred precincts of the Lybian temple, and hear the heavenly voice of the oracle, which invariably refused all reply to other than a voluntary messenger. It was therefore in vain that Mycerinus, still determined on his project, issued his proclamations; in all the land of Egypt there was not one found who would brave the prophecy of "Woe and Death." The king offered gold, jewels, honours-yet none appeared; till he swore by Isis and Osiris, to grant to him who would perform his will, a boon, whatever he should ask, even were it the half of his dominions. A mournful silence reigned throughout the vast peristyle, as the assembly around the throne waited the result of this royal promise. Not a voice was heard even to whisper, and every eye was * Sirius. + Procyon.

turned to the enamelled gates of entrance. At length they slowly unclosed, and the officers of the court led forward a young man of majestic height and noble bearing. He bent his forehead to the ground before the monarch, then stood erect in native dignity, whilst the venerable Uchoreus, chief of the thirty judges of the land, announced him as willing to obey the king's behest.

But there arose a murmur of disapprobation from the surrounding courtiers.

The candidate was evidently a foreigner, and as such ought not to enter the immediate service of the king, who was attended only by natives of noble rank. Perhaps some lowborn slave was now before them, and could such be worthy so important a mission? A glance of scorn shot from the eyes of the youth, and his full arched lip expressed haughty contempt as he heard the sounds of disapprobation, which, waxing louder and louder, were mingled with vituperative exclamations against the hated Greeks; and words of surprise that their monarch should hesitate, even for an instant, to dismiss one of that nation, an abomination in their sight. Then rose Uchoreus, and waving his ivory and jewel-tipped staff, the tumult sank to a slight murmur. Advancing from his seat, the sage prostrated himself before the monarch, and having obtained permission to speak, he thus addressed the assembly." Ye lords of Egypt, wherefore are ye murmuring among yourselves? Can the wisdom of the king be arraigned?

Can ye say

aught against the line from which Uchoreus springs? Say, my colleagues, was I not chosen as your chief because no son of Egypt boasted a nobler or more pure descent?"-Unanimous were the voices bearing testimony to the words of their honoured judge. "Then hear me," continued the venerable man; "he against whom ye raise these cries, is of the blood of Misraïm's kings; the son of mine only daughter, my loved and lost Salatis. Ye know that when the mighty Cheops sent me into Greece, my fair child journeyed with me, but returned no more! Sorrowing, I left her in that distant country, the plighted bride of Codrus, last and best of the Athenian kings; but though pre-eminent in virtue, as in rank, I long denied a daughter of the unsullied race of Egypt's kings to a detested Greek-but alas! in vain-she left me: for when were youthful affections swayed by the cold counsels of age? I forgave and blessed her; but never more did these old arms embrace the darling of mine age-she died in her adopted country, sorrowing for the husband of her choice! During the fatal wars between Athens and the Heraclidæ, the voice of the Delphic Oracle declared the victory to that nation whose king was slain the first-bravely did Codrus sacrifice himself, and justly was he deemed the father of his country!' The Athenians proclaiming none worthy to succeed him but Jupiter, appointed twelve Archons to rule over them. Medon, first born of the patriot monarch, judges

« PreviousContinue »