the god, the camels had broken from their drivers, and were running with frantic speed into the desert, and the birds uttered wild cries as they darted to their nests. But the visitation was brief; the portentous shadow had passed from the sun; and the heavens brightened again with his glorious smile, when Oryntheus with the royal gifts returned to the presence of the high priest. He then learned with dismay that the oracle might not be consulted twice for one suppliant without an interval of fifty days.

The impossibility of accomplishing the object of his embassy ere the lapse of so much weary time, together with the evil omen of the night, so tortured him with anxiety, that he vowed at all hazards to learn his future fate.

Collecting the jewels bestowed by the king, on bended knee he craved the services of the chief priest for one of the royal blood of Athens and of Egypt, when taking from his sunny hair the golden grasshoppers, token of his high descent, coeval with the earth itself, and placing it with the gems at the feet of the old man, he retired in silence to his tent.

Heavily the lingering hours passed away! alternate hope and fear chequered their course, till at length Oryntheus was again summoned to the chamber of the gateway. The high priest was already there, and his aged features glowed with a benignant smile as he placed in his hand a small scroll, on which was traced

the answer of the oracle. The youth eagerly unfolding it, read these lines with trembling haste,—

"The royal Greek who seeks a royal bride,

Shall find her where the Nile's green waters glide!
Let him return in triumph to his shore,

And meet his loved one there, to part no more!"

Joy, the most tumultuous, flushed his countenance on beholding these blissful words; every doubt, every fear vanished from his breast, and hope already seemed to place him at the summit of his wishes. Love and ambition would alike be gratified. The beautiful Nementhis would be his; the serpent crown of royalty might hereafter bind his brows, and haughty Egypt own a Grecian lord! The days flew on in dreams of happiness unclouded by a single care, save impatience at being so long detained from his promised bride, even amongst those groves of exquisite loveliness. He wiled away the time in listening to the words of heavenly wisdom, flowing from the lips of the good and holy priests, or in wandering through the verdant recesses of the woods, and in exploring the dark and sacred grottos where the mummies of the happy Ammonians repose; his thoughts were all of joy and future bliss, and the evil omen of the fountain was forgotten, or remembered only with contempt.

At length he placed in his bosom the oracle's reply, containing the fate of the king of Egypt; it was inscribed on a papyrus leaf, closely wrapped in many

folds of perfumed byssus, and his heart beat wildly against it; he felt with added certainty, that he now indeed might claim the hand of the fair princess as his promised boon.

He hastened his departure, and soon his white tents were no longer seen beneath the palm trees-no dark Egyptians rested in their shade; the stir of the encampment was succeeded by profound repose, and the verdant Oasis was once more left, with its stately temple, its sparkling fountain, and its sacred groves, to the solitude of the desert.

After nine days' tedious travel, Oryntheus and his wearied escort emerged from the last gorge of the Lybian mountains, and slowly descended upon the plains of Egypt. Far different was the prospect opening on their view from what it had been when last they passed that way. The wide lake had yielded to the richest pastures; on every side extended vast tracts of cultivated land and fruitful orchards; the busy people were scattered over the fields, engaged in their various employments, and rejoiced at being no longer confined to the dull monotony of their cities. The teeming earth appeared to joy in its release from watery bondage; and though in other climes it was the season of the falling leaf, in this blessed and fertile land a second spring put forth its dewy blossoms. All nature seemed

to harmonise with the feelings of the exulting Greek as he mounted his fleet courser and scoured across the plain, leaving his fainting people to their calm repose. He rode with headlong speed through the heat of day, and twice before he reached his journey's end was he obliged to stop at the public stables on the way, to change his flagging steed. At length the distant towers of Memphis rose before him, but the sun was fast declining before he entered its unclosed gates.

'T was strange! There were no thronging crowds within the streets, and even the buildings seemed untenanted; nothing obstructed his way to the palace of the Pharoahs. He hastily dismounted, and passed onwards. The slanting rays of the sun fell on the red pillars of Joseph's Hall, but that, like all around, was deserted. At last, he descried a few stragglers hurrying through the streets; and following their steps, they led him towards the banks of the Nile. Some sacred rite, some holy mystery was enacting. Not a single bark floated on the river, but a countless multitude thronged its shore, and it required the whole force of his youthful strength and towering height to pierce through the dense mass; at length, he came to a line of priests, in their nebris robes of panther's skin, and vests of fine linen, dyed of a purple colour, the sun shining on the golden asps which encircled their brows and waists. A barrier, impervious to the struggling crowd, was formed by the sacred persons of these

motionless priests, but they recognised and immediately gave way to the messenger of their king; to one who, they trusted, had brought the long-expected answer of the oracle; and they passed the young prince through their ranks, when the whole scene was disclosed before him.

It was the marriage of the Nile, and all the wealth of Egypt seemed scattered on its shore. A wide amphitheatre was marked out by a circle of golden censers, their curling smoke obscuring the forms of the priests behind them. The whole ground sparkled with gems of various colours, which were lightly pressed beneath the measured tread of a thousand dancing maidens, who were throwing flowers and perfumes in the air. A splendid throne was raised at one extremity of the open space, and its golden canopy gleamed in the last rays of the setting sun; but the king was not beneath it. Oryntheus beheld him standing on a high terrace, immediately above the river; there too, the thirty judges of the land, and the chiefs of the Memphian temples were assembled; and, as they all turned towards the sun, a low chant sounded on his ear. He advanced and mingled with the group: still gazing on the face of Mycerinus, he perceived in it an expression of despair so terrible, that it seemed as if the solemn ceremony alone stayed the utterance of grief almost too dreadful for human feelings to support. A quick movement among the priests hid the monarch