Episode 17

I became acquainted with the eternal laws of Good and Evil， and with the mystery of that trust which is held of man； also I learnt the secrets of the pyramids--which I would that I had never known.

Further， I read the records of the past， and of the acts and words of the ancient kings who were before me since the rule of Horus upon earth； and I was made to know all craft of state， the lore of earth， and with it the history of Greece and Rome. Also I learnt the Grecian and Roman tongues， of which indeed I already had some knowledge--and all this while， for five long years， I kept my hands clean and my heart pure， and did no evil in the sight of God or man； but laboured heavily to acquire all things， and to prepare myself for the destiny that awaited me.

Twice every year greetings and letters came from my father Amenemhat， and twice every year I sent back my answers asking if the time had come to cease from labour. And so the days of my probation sped away till I grew faint and weary at heart， for being now a man， ay and learned， I longed to make a beginning of the life of men. And often I wondered if this talk and prophecy of the things that were to be was but a dream born of the brains of men whose wish ran before their thought. I was， indeed， of the Royal blood， that I knew： for my uncle， Sepa the Priest， showed me a secret record of the descent， traced without break from father to son， and graven in mystic symbols on a tablet of the stone of Syene. But of what avail was it to be Royal by right when Egypt， my heritage， was a slave--a slave to do the pleasure and minister to the luxury of the Macedonian Lagid？--ay， and when she had been so long a serf that， perchance， she had forgotten how to put off the servile smile of Bondage and once more to look across the world with Freedom's happy eyes？

Then I bethought me of my prayer upon the pylon tower of Abouthis and of the answer given to my prayer， and wondered if that， too， were a dream.

And one night， as， weary with study， I walked within the sacred grove that is in the garden of the temple， and mused thus， I met my uncle Sepa， who also was walking and thinking.

"Hold！" he cried in his great voice； "why is thy face so sad， Harmachis？ Has the last problem that we studied overwhelmed thee？"

"Nay， my uncle，" I answered， "I am overwhelmed indeed， but not of the problem； it was a light one. My heart is heavy， for I am weary of life within these cloisters， and the piled-up weight of knowledge crushes me. It is of no avail to store up force which cannot be used."

"Ah， thou art impatient， Harmachis，" he answered； "it is ever the way of foolish youth. Thou wouldst taste of the battle； thou dost tire of watching the breakers fall upon the beach， thou wouldst plunge into them and venture the desperate hazard of the war. And so thou wouldst be going， Harmachis？ The bird would fly the nest as， when they are grown， the swallows fly from the eaves of the Temple. Well， it shall be as thou desirest； the hour is at hand. I have taught thee all that I have learned， and methinks that the pupil has outrun his master，" and he paused and wiped his bright black eyes， for he was very sad at the thought of my departure.

"And whither shall I go， my uncle？" I asked rejoicing； "back to Abouthis to be initiated into the mysteries of the Gods？"

"Ay， back to Abouthis， and from Abouthis to Alexandria， and from Alexandria to the Throne of thy fathers， Harmachis！ Listen， now； things are thus： Thou knowest how Cleopatra， the Queen， fled into Syria when that false eunuch Pothinus set the will of her father Aulêtes at naught and raised her brother Ptolemy to the sole lordship of Egypt. Thou knowest also how she came back， like a Queen indeed， with a great army in her train， and lay at Pelusium， and how at this juncture the mighty C？sar， that great man， that greatest of all men， sailed with a weak company hither to Alexandria from Pharsalia's bloody field in hot pursuit of Pompey. But he found Pompey already dead， having been basely murdered by Achillas， the General， and Lucius Septimius， the chief of the Roman legions in Egypt， and thou knowest how the Alexandrians were troubled at his coming and would have slain his lictors. Then， as thou hast heard， C？sar seized Ptolemy， the young King， and his sister Arsino？， and bade the army of Cleopatra and the army of Ptolemy， under Achillas， which lay facing each other at Pelusium， disband and go their ways. And for answer Achillas marched on C？sar， and besieged him straitly in the Bruchium at Alexandria， and so， for a while， things were， and none knew who should reign in Egypt.