FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126  
127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   >>   >|  
oyal as my own. Even more royal, an old friend said, and warned me against your ambition and your exaltation. Then my heart changed, for I were not Seti's son if I allow myself to injure a friend through idle apprehensions; and he who stands so high that men fear that he may try to rise above Rameses, seems to me to be worthy of Bent-Anat. Woo her, and, should she consent freely, the marriage may be celebrated on the day when I return home. You are young enough to make a wife happy, and your mature wisdom will guard my child from misfortune. Bent-Anat shall know that her father, and king, encourages your suit; but pray too to the Hathors, that they may influence Bent-Anat's heart in your favor, for to her decision we must both submit." The Regent had changed color several times while reading this letter. Now he laid it on the table with a shrug of his shoulders, stood up, clasped his hand behind him, and, with his eyes cast meditatively on the floor, leaned against one of the pillars which supported the beams of the roof. The longer he thought, the less amiable his expression became. "A pill sweetened with honey, [Two recipes for pills are found in the papyri, one with honey for women, and one without for men.] such as they give to women," he muttered to himself. Then he went back to the table, read the king's letter through once more, and said: "One may learn from it how to deny by granting, and at the same time not to forget to give it a brilliant show of magnanimity. Rameses knows his daughter. She is a girl like any other, and will take good care not to choose a man twice as old as herself, and who might be her father. Rameses will 'submit'--I am to I submit!' And to what? to the judgment and the choice of a wilful child!" With these words he threw the letter so vehemently on to the table, that it slipped off on to the floor. The mute slave picked it up, and laid it carefully on the table again, while his master threw a ball into a silver bason. Several attendants rushed into the room, and Ani ordered them to bring to him the captive dwarf of the Lady Katuti. His soul rose in indignation against the king, who in his remote camp-tent could fancy he had made him happy by a proof of his highest favor. When we are plotting against a man we are inclined to regard him as an enemy, and if he offers us a rose we believe it to be for the sake, not of the perfume, but of the thorns. The dwarf Nemu was
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126  
127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
Rameses
 

letter

 

submit

 
father
 

friend

 

changed

 

choose

 

brilliant

 

magnanimity

 

forget


granting

 
daughter
 

perfume

 
thorns
 
choice
 

Several

 

attendants

 

rushed

 

silver

 

master


indignation

 

Katuti

 

remote

 

captive

 

ordered

 
inclined
 

regard

 

judgment

 

offers

 

wilful


plotting

 

picked

 
carefully
 

vehemently

 

slipped

 

highest

 

celebrated

 

return

 

marriage

 

freely


consent
 
misfortune
 

wisdom

 

mature

 

worthy

 
exaltation
 

ambition

 
warned
 
stands
 

injure