CLEOPATRA.

Cromwell Argus, Volume XXXIV, Issue 1798, 2 September 1902, Page 3

CLEOPATRA.

Being an Account of t l e Fall n 1 Vengeance of Harmachis, the Royal Egyptian.

As Set Forth by His Own Hand

By H. Rider Haggard,

Author of ‘ King Solomon’s Mines,’ * She,’ ‘Allan Quatermain,’ Etc., Etc.

But for me the ceremony was only begun, for to-night was the night of my initiation. Leaving the inner court I bathed myself, and, clad in pure linen, passed, as it is ordained, into an inner, but not the inmost sanctuary, and laid the accustomed offerings on the altar. Then, lifting up my hands to Heaven, I remained for many hours iu contemplation, striving by holy thoughts and prayer to gather up my strength against the mighty moment of my trial. Slowly the hours sped iu the silence of the Temple, till at length the door opened and my father, Amenemhat, the High Priest, came in, clad in white, and leading by the hand the Priest of Isis. For himself, having been married, he did not enter into the mysteries of the Holy Mother. I rose to my feet and stood humbly before the twain.

“Art thou ready?” said the Priest, lifting the lamp he held so that its light fell upon my face. “Art thou ready, O thou chosen one, even to see the glory of the Goddess face to face?"

“I am ready,” I answered. “Bethink thee," he said again, in solemn tones, “this is no small thing. If thou wilt carryout this thy last desire, understand, O Royal Harmachis, that now this very night must thou for awhile die in the flesh, what time thy soul shall look on spiritual things. And if thou diest and there shall be any evil thing found within thy heart, when thou comest at last into that awful presence, woe unto thee, Harmachis, for the breath of life shall no more enter in at the gateway of thy mouth. Utterly shall thou perish as to thy body, and what shall befall thy other parts, if I know I may not say. [According to the Egyptian religion the being man is composed of four parts: the body, the double or astral siiape (ka), the soul (bi), and the spark of life sprung from the Godhead ( khou).] Art thou, therefore, pure and freefrom the thought of sin? Art thou prepared to be gathered to the breast of Her who was and is and will be, and in all things to do Her holy will; for her, while she shall so command, to put away the thought of earthly woman; and to labor always for Her glory till at the end thy life is absorbed in Her eternal life?"

“lam,” I answered; “lead on.” “It is well,” said the Priest. “Noble Amenemhat, we go hence along.” “Farewell, my son,” said my father; “be firm and triumph over the things spiritual as thou shait triumph over the things earthly. He who would truly rule the world must first be lifted up above the world. He must be at one with God, for thus only shall he learn the secrets of the Divine. But beware I The gods demand much of those who dare to enter the circle of their Divinity. If they go back therefrom they shall he judged of a sharper law, and be scourged with a heavier rod. As their glory is, so shall their shame be; for it is no light thing, having cast off thy mortal garb, to soil the raiment of the Spirit in fleshly mire. Therefore, make thy heart strong, O Royal Harmachis! And when thou speedest down the ways of Night and enterest the Holy Presence, remember that from him to whom great gifts have been given shall gifts be required again. And now—if, indeed, thy heart be fixed—go whither it is not as yet given to me to follow thee. Farewell!” For a moment, as my heart weighed these heavy words, I wavered, as well I might. But I was filled with longing to be gathered to the company of the Divine ones, and I know that I had no evil in me, and desired to do only the thing that is just. Therefore, having with so much labor drawn the bow-

jtring to my ear, I'was fain to let flytho jhaft. ‘‘Lead on,” I cried, with a loud yoice, “lead on, O holy Priest! I follow iheel” l And we went forth. CHAPTER VL ‘ ~ IF THE INITIATION OF HARMACHIS; OF HIS VISIONS; OF HIS PASSING TO THE CITY THAT IS IN THE PLACE OF DEATH; AND OF THE DECLARATION OF ISIS, THE MESSENGER. SILENCE we I passed into the shrine [ of Isis. Dark it was ) and bare—only the I feeble light from the lamp gleamed faintly upon the sculptired walls, where, in a nindred effigies, the loly Mother suckled he Holy Child. The Tiest closed the doors nd bolted them. uir-b again,” he said, “art ion ready, Harmachis!” “Once again,” I answered, “I am ready.” He spoke no more; but, having lifted up his hands in prayer, led me to the center of the Holy, and with a swift motion put out the lamp. “Look before thee, O Harmachis!” he cried; and his voice sounded hollow in the solemn place. I gazed and saw nothing. But from the niche that is high in the wall, wherein Is hid the sacred symbol of the Goddess, on which few may look, there came a sound as of the rattling rods of the sistrum. And as I listened, awestruck, behold! I saw the outline of the symbol drawn as with fire upon the blackness of the air. Above my head it hung, and rattled while it hung. And as it turned, clearly I saw the face of the Mother Isis that is graven on the one side, and signifies unending birth, and the face of her holy sister, Nephthys, that is graven on the other, and signifies the ending of all birth in death.

Slowly it turned and swung as though some mystic dancer trod the air above me and shook it in her hand. But at length the light went out, and the rattling ceased.

Then of a sudden the end of the chamber became luminous, and in that white light I bchcM picture after picture. I saw the ancient Kile rolling through deserts to the sea. There were no men upon its banks, nor any signs of man, nor any Temples to the Gods. Only wild birds moved on Libor's lonely face, and monstrous brutes plunged and wallowed in his waters. The sun sunk in majesty behind the Libyan Desert and stained the waters red; the mountains towered up toward the silent sky; but In mountain, desert and river there was no sign of human life. And then 1 knew that I saw the world as it had been before man

Wade’s Worm Figsthe Wonderful \Vorm wertiers.

was, and a terror of its loneliness uha-.c', my soul. The picture passed and another rose up in its place. Once again I saw the hanks of

Sihor, and on them crowded wild-faced

creatures, partaking of the nai r,of the ape more than of the nature of mankind. They fought and slew each other. The wild bird sprang up in affright as the fire leapt from reed huts given by foemen’s hands to flame and pillage. They stole aud rent and murdered, dashing out the brains of chil-

dren with axes of stone. And, though no voice told me, I knew that I saw man as he was tens of thousands of years ago when first he marched across the earth.

Yet another picture. Once again I saw the banks of Sihor; but on them fair cities

bloomed like flowers. In and out their gates went men and women, and laden asses passing to and fro from wide, welltilled lands. But f saw no guards or armies, and no weapons of war. All was wisdom prosperity and peace. And, while 1 wondered, a glorious figure, clad iu raiment that shone as flame, came from the gates of a siirine, and the sound of music went before and followed after him. He mounted an ivory throne which was set m a marketplace facing the water, and as Hie sun set called all the multitudes to prayer. With one voice they prayed, bending in adoration. And I understood that herein was shown the reign of the Gods on earth, which was long before the days of Menes. A change came over the dream. Stil, the same fair city, but other men men with greed and evil on their faces -who hated the bonds of righteous doing, and set their hearts on sin. The evening came; the glorious figure mounted the throne and called to prayer, but none bowed themselves iu adoration.

“Wo are aweary of thee!” they cried. “Make Evil King! Slay him I slay himl and loose the bonds of Evill Make Evil King!”

Mightily uprose the glorious shape, gazing with mild eyes upon those wicked ones. “Yo know not what ye ask,” he cried; “but as ye will, so belt! For if I die, by me shall ye once again, after much travail, find a path to the Kingdom of Good!” Even as he spoke a form, foul and hideous to behold, leapt upon him, cursing, slew him, tore him limb from limb, and amidst the clamor of the people sat himself upon the throne and ruled. But a shape whose face was vailed passed down from Heaven on shadowy wings, and with lamentations gathered up the rent fragments of the Being. A moment she bent herself upon them, then lifted up her hands aud wept. And as she wept, behold! from her sides there sprang a warrior armed and with a face like the face of Ra (the sun) at noon. With a shout he, the Avenger, hurled himself upon the monster who had usurped the throne, and they closed in battle, and struggling ever in a straight embrace, passed upward to the skies.

Thcn came picture after picture. I saw powers and peoples clad in various robes and speaking many tongues. I saw them pass and pass and pass in millions—loving, haling, struggling, dying. Some few were happy and some had woe stamped upon their faces; but most bore not the seal of happiness nor of woe, but rather of patience. And ever as they passed from age to age, high above ia the heavens the Avenger fought on with the Evil Thing, while the scale of victory swung now here, now there; but neither conquered, nor was it given to me to know how the battle ended.

And I understood that what I had beheld was the holy vision of the struggle between the Good and the Evil powers. I saw that man was created vile, but those who are above took pity on him and came down to him to make him good and happy, for the two things are one thing. But man returned again to his wicked way, and then did the bright spirit of Good, who is of us called Osiris, but who hath many names, offer himself up for the evil doing of the race that had dethroned him. And from him and the Divine Mothe r,of whom all nature is sprang another spirit who is the Protector of,us on earth, as Osix-is is our justifier in Amenti. .4, For this is the mystery of the Osiris. ’

Of a sudden, as I saw the visions, these things became clear to me. The mummy cloths of symbol and of ceremony that wrap Crisis round fell from him, and I understood the secret of religion. 1 The picture passed, and once again the Priest, my guide, spoke to me. “Hast thou understood, Harmachis, those things which it hath been granted thee to see?”

“I have,” I said. “Are the rites ended?” “Nay, they are but begun. That which follows must thou endure alone! Behold, I leave thee, to return at the morning light. Once more I warn thee that which thou shalt see few may look upon and live. In all my days have I known but three who dared to face this dread hour, aud of those three at dawn but one was found alive. Myself, I have not trod this path. It is too high for me.”

“Depart,” I said; “my soul is athirst for knowledge. I will dare it.” Ho laid his hand upon my head and blessed me. Ho -went. I heard the door shut to behind him, the echoes of his footsteps slowly died away. Then 1 felt that I was alone, alone in the Holy place with things which are not of the earth. Silence fell-silence deep and black as the darkness which was around me. The silence fell; it gathered as the cloud gathered on the face of the moon that night when, a lad, I prayed upon the pylon towers. It gathered denser and yet more dense till it seemed to creep into my heart aud call aloud therein; for utter silence has a voice that is more terrible than the voice of any cry. I spoke; the echoes of my words came back upon me from the walls and seemed to beat me down. The stillness was lighter to endure than an echo such as this. What was I about to see? Should I die, even now, in the fullness of my youth and strength? Terrible were the warnings that had been given to me. I was fear-stricken, and bethought me that I would ily. Fly!—fly whither? The temple door was barred; I could not fly. I was alone with the Godhead, alone with the power that I had Invoked. Nay, my heart was pure—my heart was pure I I would face the terror that was to come, even though I died. “Isis, holy Mother,” I prayed, “Isis, Spouse of Heaven, come unto mo, be with me now. I faint Ibe with me now." And then I knew that things were not as things had been. The air around me began to stir, it rustled as the wings of eagles, it took life. Bright eyes gazed upon mo, strange whispers shook my soul. Upon the darkness were bars of light. They changed and interchanged, they moved to and fro and wove mystic symbols which I could not rend. {Swifter apd swifter flew that shuttle of the light; the symbols grouped, gathered, farted, gathered yet again, faster and still more fast, till my eyas could no more count them. Now I was almat upon a sea of glory; it surged and is iled, as the ocean rolls; it tossed me high, it brought mo low. Glory was piled >ii glory, splendor heaped on splendor’s bead, ;;ad 1 rode above it all. Poor, the lights began to pale in the rollag s or. of air. Great shadows shot across it, linos of darkness pierced it and rushed together on its breast, till at length 1 only was a shape of flame set like a star on the