第1章

ThisbooksuggeststhattherealPharaohoftheExoduswasnotMeneptahorMerenptah，sonofRamesestheGreat，butthemysterioususurper，Amenmeses，whoforayearortwooccupiedthethronebetweenthedeathofMeneptahandtheaccessionofhissontheheir-apparent，thegentle-naturedSetiII。 OfthefateofAmenmeseshistorysaysnothing；hemaywellhaveperishedintheRedSeaorrathertheSeaofReeds，for，unlikethoseofMeneptahandthesecondSeti，hisbodyhasnotbeenfound。 StudentsofEgyptologywillbefamiliarwiththewritingsofthescribeandnovelistAnana，orAnaasheisherecalled。 ItwastheAuthor’shopetodedicatethisstorytoSirGastonMaspero，K。C。M。G。，DirectoroftheCairoMuseum，withwhomonseveraloccasionshediscusseditsplotsomeyearsago。Unhappily，however，weigheddownbyoneofthebereavementsofthewar，thisgreatEgyptologistdiedintheintervalbetweenitswritinganditspublication。Still，sinceLadyMasperoinformshimthatsuchisthewishofhisfamily，headdsthededicationwhichhehadproposedtooffertothateminentwriterandstudentofthepast。 DearSirGastonMaspero，WhenyouassuredmeastoaromanceofmineconcerningancientEgypt，thatitwassofullofthe“innerspiritoftheoldEgyptians“that，afterkindredeffortsofyourownandalifetimeofstudy，youcouldnotconceivehowithadbeenpossibleforittospringfromthebrainofamodernman，Ithoughtyourverdict，comingfromsuchajudge，oneofthegreatestcomplimentsthateverIreceived。Itisthisopinionofyoursindeedwhichinducesmetoofferyouanothertaleofalikecomplexion。EspeciallyamIencouragedtheretobyacertainconversationbetweenusinCairo，whilewegazedatthemajesticcountenanceofthePharaohMeneptah，forthenitwas，asyoumayrecall，thatyousaidyouthoughttheplanofthisbookprobableandthatitcommendeditselftoyourknowledgeofthosedimdays。 Withgratitudeforyourhelpandkindnessandthesinceresthomagetoyouraccumulatedloreconcerningthemostmysteriousofalltheperishedpeoplesoftheearth，BelievemetoremainYourtrueadmirer，H。RiderHaggard。 Thisisthestoryofme，Anathescribe，sonofMeri，andofcertainofthedaysthatIhavespentupontheearth。ThesethingsIhavewrittendownnowthatIamveryoldinthereignofRameses，thethirdofthatname，whenEgyptisoncemorestrongandasshewasintheancienttime。Ihavewrittenthembeforedeathtakesme，thattheymaybeburiedwithmeindeath，forasmyspiritshallariseinthehourofresurrection，soalsothesemywordsmayariseintheirhourandtelltothosewhoshallcomeaftermeupontheearthofwhatIknewupontheearth。LetitbeasThoseinheavenshalldecree。AtleastI writeandwhatIwriteistrue。 ItellofhisdivineMajestywhomIlovedandloveasmyownsoul，SetiMeneptahthesecond，whosedayofbirthwasmydayofbirth，theHawkwhohasflowntoheavenbeforeme；ofUsertitheProud，hisqueen，shewhoafterwardsmarriedhisdivineMajesty，Saptah，whomI sawlaidinhertombatThebes。ItellofMerapi，whowasnamedMoonofIsrael，andofherpeople，theHebrews，whodweltforlonginEgyptanddepartedthence，havingpaidusbackinlossandshameforallthegoodandillwegavethem。ItellofthewarbetweenthegodsofEgyptandthegodofIsrael，andofmuchthatbefelltherein。 AlsoI，theKing’sCompanion，thegreatscribe，thebelovedofthePharaohswhohavelivedbeneaththesunwithme，tellofothermenandmatters。Behold!isitnotwritteninthisroll？Read，yewhoshallfindinthedaysunborn，ifyourgodshavegivenyouskill。Read，O childrenofthefuture，andlearnthesecretsofthatpastwhichtoyouissofarawayandyetintruthsonear。 Asitchanced，althoughthePrinceSetiandIwerebornuponthesamedayandtherefore，liketheothermothersofgentlerankwhosechildrensawthelightuponthatday，mymotherreceivedPharaoh’sgiftandIreceivedthetitleofRoyalTwininRa，neverdidIseteyesuponthedivinePrinceSetiuntilthethirtiethbirthdayofbothofus。Allofwhichhappenedthus。 InthosedaysthegreatPharaoh，Ramesesthesecond，andafterhimhissonMeneptahwhosucceededwhenhewasalreadyold，sincethemightyRameseswastakentoOsirisafterhehadcountedonehundredrisingsoftheNile，dweltforthemostpartatthecityofTanisinthedesert，whereasIdweltwithmyparentsattheancient，white-walledcityofMemphisontheNile。AttimesMeneptahandhiscourtvisitedMemphis，asalsotheyvisitedThebes，wherethiskingliesinhisroyaltombto-day。Butsaveononeoccasion，theyoungPrinceSeti，theheir-apparent，theHopeofEgypt，camenotwiththem，becausehismother，Asnefert，didnotfavourMemphis，wheresometroublehadbefallenherinyouth——theysayitwasalovematterthatcosttheloverhislifeandherasoreheart——andSetistayedwithhismotherwhowouldnotsufferhimoutofsightofhereyes。 Oncehecameindeedwhenhewasfifteenyearsofage，tobeproclaimedtothepeopleassonofhisfather，asSonoftheSun，asthefutureweareroftheDoubleCrown，andthenwe，histwinsinRa——therewerenineteenofuswhoweregentlyborn——werecalledbynametomeethimandtokisshisroyalfeet。ImadereadytogoinafinenewrobeembroideredinpurplewiththenameofSetiandmyown。ButonthatverymorningbythegiftofsomeevilgodIwassmittenwithspotsallovermyfaceandbody，acommonsicknessthataffectstheyoung。SoithappenedthatIdidnotseethePrince，forbeforeIwaswellagainhehadleftMemphis。 NowmyfatherMeriwasascribeofthegreattempleofPtah，andIwasbroughtuptohistradeintheschoolofthetemple，whereIcopiedmanyrollsandalsowroteoutBooksoftheDeadwhichIadornedwithpaintings。Indeed，inthisbusinessIbecamesocleverthat，aftermyfatherwentblindsomeyearsbeforehisdeath，Iearnedenoughtokeephim，andmysistersalsountiltheymarried。MotherIhadnone，forshewasgatheredtoOsiriswhileIwasstillverylittle。Solifewentonfromyeartoyear，butinmyheartIhatedmylot。WhileIwasstillaboythereroseupinmeadesire——nottocopywhatothershadwritten，buttowritewhatothersshouldcopy。Ibecameadreamerofdreams。Walkingatnightbeneaththepalm-treesuponthebanksoftheNileIwatchedthemoonshininguponthewaters，andinitsraysI seemedtoseemanybeautifulthings。PicturesappearedtherewhichweredifferentfromanythatIsawintheworldofmen，althoughinthemweremenandwomenandevengods。 OfthesepicturesImadestoriesinmyheartandatlast，althoughthatwasnotforsomeyears，Ibegantowritethesestoriesdowninmysparehours。Mysistersfoundmedoingsoandtoldmyfather，whoscoldedmeforsuchfoolishnesswhichhesaidwouldneverfurnishmewithbreadandbeer。ButstillIwroteoninsecretbythelightofthelampinmychamberatnight。Thenmysistersmarried，andonedaymyfatherdiedsuddenlywhilehewasrecitingprayersinthetemple。I causedhimtobeembalmedinthebestfashionandburiedwithhonourinthetombhehadmadereadyforhimself，althoughtopaythecostsI wasobligedtocopyBooksoftheDeadfornearlytwoyears，workingsohardthatIfoundnotimeforthewritingofstories。 WhenatlengthIwasfreefromdebtImetamaidenfromThebeswithabeautifulfacethatalwaysseemedtosmile，andshetookmyheartfrommybreastintoherown。Intheend，afterIreturnedfromfightinginthewaragainsttheNineBowBarbarians，towhichIwassummonedlikeothermen，Imarriedher。Asforhername，letitbe，Iwillnotthinkofiteventomyself。Wehadonechild，alittlegirlwhichdiedwithintwoyearsofherbirth，andthenIlearnedwhatsorrowcanmeantoman。Atfirstmywifewassad，buthergriefdepartedwithtimeandshesmiledagainassheusedtodo。Onlyshesaidthatshewouldbearnomorechildrenforthegodstotake。HavinglittletodoshebegantogoaboutthecityandmakefriendswhomIdidnotknow，forofthese，beingabeautifulwoman，shefoundmany。TheendofitwasthatshedepartedbacktoThebeswithasoldierwhomIhadneverseen，forIwasalwaysworkingathomethinkingofthebabewhowasdeadandhowhappinessisabirdthatnomancansnare，thoughsometimes，ofitsownwill，itfliesinathiswindow-place。 ItwasafterthisthatmyhairwentwhitebeforeIhadcountedthirtyyears。 Now，asIhadnonetoworkforandmywantswerefewandsimple，I foundmoretimeforthewritingofstorieswhich，forthemostpart，weresomewhatsad。Oneofthesestoriesafellowscribeborrowedfrommeandreadaloudtoacompany，whomitpleasedsomuchthatthereweremanywhoaskedleavetocopyitandpublishitabroad。SobydegreesIbecameknownasatelleroftales，whichtalesIcausedtobecopiedandsold，thoughoutofthemImadebutlittle。StillmyfamegrewtillonadayIreceivedamessagefromthePrinceSeti，mytwininRa，sayingthathehadreadcertainofmywritingswhichpleasedhimmuchandthatitwashiswishtolookuponmyface。I thankedhimhumblybythemessengerandansweredthatIwouldtraveltoTanisandwaituponhisHighness。First，however，IfinishedthelongeststorywhichIhadyetwritten。ItwascalledtheTaleofTwoBrothers，andtoldhowthefaithlesswifeofoneofthembroughttroubleontheother，sothathewaskilled。Ofhow，also，thejustgodsbroughthimtolifeagain，andmanyothermatters。ThisstoryI dedicatedtohisHighness，thePrinceSeti，andwithitinthebosomofmyrobeItravelledtoTanis，havinghiddenaboutmeasumofgoldthatIhadsaved。 SoIcametoTanisatthebeginningofwinterand，walkingtothepalaceofthePrince，boldlydemandedanaudience。Butnowmytroublesbegan，fortheguardsandwatchmenthrustmefromthedoors。IntheendIbribedthemandwasadmittedtotheantechambers，whereweremerchants，jugglers，dancing-women，officers，andmanyothers，allofthem，itseemed，waitingtoseethePrince；folkwho，havingnothingtodo，pleasedthemselvesbymakingmockofme，astranger。WhenIhadmixedwiththemforseveraldays，Igainedtheirfriendshipbytellingtothemoneofmystories，afterwhichIwasalwayswelcomeamongthem。StillIcouldcomenonearertothePrince，andasmystoreofmoneywasbeginningtorunlow，IbethoughtmethatIwouldreturntoMemphis。