Then　I　told　him　all　that　the　old　wife　had　said。
  〃And　thou　believest；　Harmachis；　my　son？〃
  〃Nay；〃　I　answered；　〃how　should　I　believe　such　tales？　Surely　she　is
  mad。　All　the　people　know　her　for　mad。〃
  Now　for　the　first　time　he　looked　towards　me；　who　was　standing　in　the
  shadow。
  〃My　son！　my　son！〃　he　cried；　〃thou　art　wrong。　She　is　not　mad。　The　woman
  spoke　the　truth；　she　spoke　not　of　herself；　but　of　the　voice　within　her
  that　cannot　lie。　For　this　Atoua　is　a　prophetess　and　holy。　Now　learn
  thou　the　destiny　that　the　Gods　of　Egypt　have　given　to　thee　to　fulfil；
  and　woe　be　unto　thee　if　by　any　weakness　thou　dost　fail　therein！
  Listen：　thou　art　no　stranger　adopted　into　my　house　and　the　worship　of
  the　Temple；　thou　art　my　very　son；　saved　to　me　by　this　same　woman。　But；
  Harmachis；　thou　art　more　than　this；　for　in　thee　and　me　alone　yet　flows
  the　Imperial　blood　of　Egypt。　Thou　and　I　alone　of　men　alive　are
  descended；　without　break　or　flaw；　from　that　Pharaoh　Nekt…nebf　whom
  Ochus　the　Persian　drove　from　Egypt。　The　Persian　came　and　the　Persian
  went；　and　after　the　Persian　came　the　Macedonian；　and　now　for　nigh　upon
  three　hundred　years　the　Lagid？　have　usurped　the　double　crown；　defiling
  the　land　of　Khem　and　corrupting　the　worship　of　its　Gods。　And　mark　thou
  this：　but　now；　two　weeks　since；　Ptolemy　Neus　Dionysus；　Ptolemy　Aulêtes
  the　Piper；　who　would　have　slain　thee；　is　dead；　and　but　now　hath　the
  Eunuch　Pothinus；　that　very　eunuch　who　came　hither；　years　ago；　to　cut
  thee　off；　set　at　naught　the　will　of　his　master；　the　dead　Aulêtes；　and
  placed　the　boy　Ptolemy　upon　the　throne。　And　therefore　his　sister
  Cleopatra；　that　fierce　and　beautiful　girl；　has　fled　into　Syria；　and
  there；　if　I　err　not；　she　will　gather　her　armies　and　make　war　upon　her
  brother　Ptolemy：　for　by　her　father's　will　she　was　left　joint…sovereign
  with　him。　And；　meanwhile；　mark　thou　this；　my　son：　the　Roman　eagle
  hangs　on　high；　waiting　with　ready　talons　till　such　time　as　he　may　fall
  upon　the　fat　wether　Egypt　and　rend　him。　And　mark　again：　the　people　of
  Egypt　are　weary　of　the　foreign　yoke；　they　hate　the　memory　of　the
  Persians；　and　they　are　sick　at　heart　of　being　named　〃Men　of　Macedonia〃
  in　the　markets　of　Alexandria。　The　whole　land　mutters　and　murmurs
  beneath　the　yoke　of　the　Greek　and　the　shadow　of　the　Roman。
  〃Have　we　not　been　oppressed？　Have　not　our　children　been　butchered　and
  our　gains　wrung　from　us　to　fill　the　bottomless　greed　and　lust　of　the
  Lagid？？　Have　not　the　temples　been　forsaken？ay；　have　not　the
  majesties　of　the　Eternal　Gods　been　set　at　naught　by　these　Grecian
  babblers；　who　have　dared　to　meddle　with　the　immortal　truths；　and　name
  the　Most　High　by　another　nameby　the　name　of　Serapisconfounding　the
  substance　of　the　Invisible？　Does　not　Egypt　cry　aloud　for　freedom？and
  shall　she　cry　in　vain？　Nay；　nay；　for　thou；　my　son；　art　the　appointed
  way　of　deliverance。　To　thee；　being　sunk　in　eld；　I　have　decreed　my
  rights。　Already　thy　name　is　whispered　in　many　a　sanctuary；　from　Abu　to
  Athu；　already　priests　and　people　swear　allegiance；　even　by　the　sacred
  symbols；　unto　him　who　shall　be　declared　to　them。　Still；　the　time　is
  not　yet；　thou　art　too　green　a　sapling　to　bear　the　weight　of　such　a
  storm。　But　to…day　thou　wast　tried　and　found　wanting。
  〃He　who　would　serve　the　Gods；　Harmachis；　must　put　aside　the　failings
  of　the　flesh。　Taunts　must　not　move　him；　nor　any　lusts　of　man。　Thine　is
  a　high　mission；　but　this　thou　must　learn。　If　thou　learn　it　not；　thou
  shalt　fail　therein；　and　then；　my　curse　be　on　thee！　and　the　curse　of
  Egypt；　and　the　curse　of　Egypt's　broken　Gods！　For　know　thou　this；　that
  even　the　Gods；　who　are　immortal；　may；　in　the　interwoven　scheme　of
  things；　lean　upon　the　man　who　is　their　instrument；　as　a　warrior　on　his
  sword。　And　woe　be　to　the　sword　that　snaps　in　the　hour　of　battle；　for
  it　shall　be　thrown　aside　to　rust　or　perchance　be　melted　with　fire！
  Therefore；　make　thy　heart　pure　and　high　and　strong；　for　thine　is　no
  common　lot；　and　thine　no　mortal　meed。　Triumph；　Harmachis；　and　in　glory
  thou　shalt　goin　glory　here　and　hereafter！　Fail；　and　woewoe　be　on
  thee！〃
  He　paused　and　bowed　his　head；　and　then　went　on：
  〃Of　these　matters　thou　shalt　hear　more　hereafter。　Meanwhile；　thou　hast
  much　to　learn。　To…morrow　I　will　give　thee　letters；　and　thou　shalt
  journey　down　the　Nile；　past　white…walled　Memphis　to　Annu。　There　thou
  shalt　sojourn　certain　years；　and　learn　more　of　our　ancient　wisdom
  beneath　the　shadow　of　those　secret　pyramids　of　which　thou；　too；　art
  the　Hereditary　High　Priest　that　is　to　be。　And　meanwhile；　I　will　sit
  here　and　watch；　for　my　hour　is　not　yet；　and；　by　the　help　of　the　Gods；
  spin　the　web　of　Death　wherein　thou　shalt　catch　and　hold　the　wasp　of
  Macedonia。
  〃Come　hither；　my　son；　come　hither　and　kiss　me　on　the　brow；　for　thou
  art　my　hope；　and　all　the　hope　of　Egypt。　Be　but　true；　soar　to　the　eagle
  crest　of　destiny；　and　thou　shalt　be　glorious　here　and　hereafter。　Be
  false；　fail；　and　I　will　spit　upon　thee；　and　thou　shalt　be　accursed；
  and　thy　soul　shall　remain　in　bondage　till　that　hour　when；　in　the　slow
  flight　of　time；　the　evil　shall　once　more　grow　to　good　and　Egypt　shall
  again　be　free。〃
  I　drew　near；　trembling；　and　kissed　him　on　the　brow。　〃May　all　these
  things　come　upon　me；　and　more；〃　I　said；　〃if　I　fail　thee；　my　father！〃
  〃Nay！〃　he　cried；　〃not　me；　not　me；　but　rather　those　whose　will　I　do。
  And　now　go；　my　son；　and　ponder　in　thy　heart；　and　in　thy　secret　heart
  digest　my　words；　mark　what　thou　shalt　see；　and　gather　up　the　dew　of
  wisdom；　making　thee　ready　for　the　battle。　Fear　not　for　thyself；　thou
  art　protected　from　all　ill。　No　harm　may　touch　thee　from　without；
  thyself　alone　can　be　thine　own　enemy。　I　have　said。〃
  Then　I　went　forth　with　a　full　heart。　The　night　was　very　still；　and
  none　were　stirring　in　the　temple　courts。　I　hurried　through　them；　and
  reached　the　entrance　to　the　pylon　that　is　at　the　outer　gate。　Then；
  seeking　solitude；　and；　as　it　were；　to　draw　near　to　heaven；　I　climbed
  the　pylon's　two　hundred　steps；　until　at　length　I　reached　the　massive
  roof。　Here　I　leaned　my　breast　against　the　parapet；　and　looked　forth。
  As　I　looked；　the　red　edge　of　the　full　moon　floated　up　over　the　Arabian
  hills；　and　her　rays　fell　upon　the　pylon　where　I　stood　and　the　temple
  walls　beyond；　lighting　the　visages　of　the　carven　Gods。　Then　the　cold
  light　struck　the　stretch　of　well…tilled　lands；　now　whitening　to　the
  harvest；　and　as　the　heavenly　lamp　of　Isis　passed　up　to　the　sky；　her
  rays　crept　slowly　down　to　the　valley；　where　Sihor；　father　of　the　land
  of　Khem；　rolls　on　toward　the　sea。
  Now　the　bright　beams　kissed　the　water　that　smiled　an　answer　back；　and
  now　mountain　and　valley；　river；　temple；　town；　and　plain　were　flooded
  with　white　light；　for　Mother　Isis　was　arisen；　and　threw　her　gleaming
  robe　across　the　bosom　of　the　earth。　It　was　beautiful；　with　the　beauty
  of　a　dream；　and　solemn　as　the　hour　after　death。　Mightily；　indeed；　the
  temples　towered　up　against　the　face　of　night。　Never　had　they　seemed　so
  grand　to　me　as　in　that　hourthose　eternal　shrines；　before　whose　walls
  Time　himself　shall　wither。　And　it　was　to　be　mine　to　rule　this　moonlit
  land；　mine　to　preserve　those　sacred　shrines；　and　cherish　the　honour　of
  their　Gods；　mine　to　cast　out　the　Ptolemy　and　free　Egypt　from　the
  foreign　yoke！　In　my　veins　ran　the　blood　of　those　great　Kings　who　await
  the　day　of　Resurrection；　sleeping　in　the　tombs　of　the　valley　of
  Thebes。　My　spirit　swelled　within　me　as　I　dreamed　upon　this　glorious
  destiny；　I　closed　my　hands；　and　there；　upon　the　pylon；　I　prayed　as　I
  had　never　prayed　before　to　the　Godhead；　who　is　called　by　many　names；
  and　in　many　forms　made　manifest。
  〃O　Amen；〃　I　prayed；　〃God　of　Gods；　who　hast　been　from　the　beginning；
  Lord　of　Truth；　who　art；　and　of　whom　all　are；　who　givest　out　thy
  Godhead　and　gatherest　it　up　again；　in　the　circle　of　whom　the　Divine
  ones　move　and　are；　who　wast　from　all　time　the　Self…begot；　and　who
  shalt　be　till　timehearken　unto　me。＇*＇
  ＇*＇　For　a　somewhat　similar　definition　of　the　Godhead　see　the　funeral
  papyrus　of　Nesikhonsu；　a　Princess　of　the　Twenty…first　Dynasty。
  Editor。
  〃O　AmenOsiris；　the　sacrifice　by　whom　we　are　justified；　Lord　of　the
  Region　of　the　Winds；　Ruler　of　the　Ages；　Dweller　in　the　West；　the
  Supreme　in　Amenti；　hearken　unto　me。
  〃O　Isis；　great　Mother　Goddess；　mother　of　the　Horusmysterious　Mother；
  Sister；　Spouse；　hearken　unto　me。　If；　indeed；　I　am　the　chosen　of　the
  Gods　to　carry　out　the　purpose　of　the　Gods；　let　a　sign　be　given　me；
  even　now；　to　seal　my　life　to　the　life　above。　Stretch　out　your　arms
  towards　me；　O　ye　Gods；　and　uncover　the　glory　of　your　countenance。
  Hear！　ah；　hear　me！〃　And　I　cast　myself　upon　my　knees　and　lifted　up　my
  eyes　to　heaven。
  And　as　I　knelt；　a　cloud　grew　upon　the　face　of　the　moon　covering　it　up；
  so　that　the　night　became　dark；　and　the　silence　deepened　all　around
  even　the　dogs　far　below　in　the　city　ceased　to　howl；　while　the　silence
  grew　and　grew　till　it　was　heavy　as　death。　I　felt　my　spirit　l