Part 2

Then TA-BUVUE laughed: 'I think he spake This word to thee for TA-BUVUE'S sake.-- Go, speak to SETNE, saying: "Who am I That thou shouldst send my bondmaid gifts to take?

I am no common woman; I am one Born of great kings, who walk my ways alone, Priestess of Bast, the Queen of the Two Worlds, And seeking no man's gift and fearing none.

If me thou seekest, I will speak within Mine own house: knock and thou shalt enter in: In Per-Bast, by the Houses of the Dead, Past Kemi, where the desert doth begin.

There ask for TA-BUVUE. I go hence Now with my maids to make magnificence Before thee. And no man shall watch thy way Into my house, nor mark thy coming thence."'

The Slave returned, and SETNE'S heart did fail For very joy at hearing of the tale. He called his servants: 'Make me a swift boat Ready, with rowers and a silken sail.'

And SETNE marvelled in his heart a space, And in his mirror looked; and, lo, his face Seemed beautiful again, and all his limbs Light, like a young man when he runs a race.

So walked he to the boat and entered in, And bade them row as ne'er they rowed, to win Per-Bast, beyond the Houses of the Dead, Past Kemi, where the desert doth begin.

And there, behold, a tower exceeding tall Set in a pleasant place; and a great wall Was round it, and a garden to the north With many trees. And SETNE gave a call:

'Whose is this tower?' And heard an answer: 'Here Dwells TA-BUVUE, daughter of the Seer Of Bast, she who is named The Beautiful.' And SETNE entered and no man was near.

And up the garden ways he went, and cast His eyes on all and marvelled as he passed: And TA-BUVUE came and held his hand And spoke: 'Now by the Holiness of Bast,

This day is happiness. Come to mine high Chamber, we two alone amid the sky.' So up the stair they went, to a cool room Of turquoise wrought and lapis lazuli.

Couches were there, decked with fair linen strand Like PHARAOH'S couch; and cups of gold did stand On a great dresser, and a cup of gold Was filled with wine and laid in SETNE'S hand.

And TA-BUVUE said: 'Take wine and meat.' But he said: 'Love, how could I drink or eat?' Then in a censer burning gums they brought And spices rare and unguent for his feet.

Lo, none was like her, none that bore the name Of woman! And his heart rose like a flame: 'O TA-BUVUE, let the end be now: Let us make perfect that for which we came!'

'Is not this house thine own and I thy bride?' Said she: 'Yet one thing first shalt thou decide. I am no common woman, but to Bast Pure, and full-filled of majesty and pride.

Thy present wife put from thee, that no soul Near me may stand; and write it in a scroll. And all thy wealth of Priesthoods and of Powers, With me alone thou shalt divide the whole.'

Said SETNE: 'Call a scribe.' And at their call The scribe came; and he wrote a scroll withal And cast off SETNE'S wife; and SETNE'S wealth, With TA-BUVUE did he share it all.

And in that hour one spoke to SETNE: 'Lo, Thy children, waiting in the court below, Sit with the dogs and curling cats of Bast.' And SETNE said: 'Bring them, and let them know.'

Then TA-BUVUE laid her raiment proud Off, and put on soft linen, like one vowed To bridal; and her body through the robe Shone, as the moon shines through a little cloud.

And back she turned to him and poured him wine, And said: 'These children must not strive with mine. Make them to sign the scroll, too, and give up Their part in thee.' And SETNE made them sign.

The fine, fine, linen robed her like a mist Which robeth RA in pearl and amethyst; And SETNE marvelled gazing; and again She spoke, and SETNE'S hand she took and kissed:

'These children, knowing all to me thou art, Hate me.--Let them be mine to take apart And do my will upon them.' And he said: 'Do all the abomination of thy heart.'

She slew them then, and from her window fine Cast them. And far below he heard the whine Of dogs that tore and curling cats of Bast Which lapped their blood. And SETNE drank his wine.

He said: 'Those children that were slain had birth By me. O Woman, thou hast made much dearth About me. Give me that for which I came, Else have I nothing, nothing, on this earth.'

'Hast thou not me,' she said, 'in place of all? Come, therefore!' And she led him through the hall To a fair couch, ebon and ivory; And down he lay, and spread swift arms withal

To clasp her; and within his arms outspread, Behold, she withered, withered; and her head It had no eyes, and downward all her jaw Dropped, like the jaws of the uncared-for dead.

And SETNE strove to rise, but cloud on cloud Held him: hot wind and hate and laughter loud, And one that wept for a world's glory gone, And dust, dust, dust: and SETNE shrieked aloud:

And saw: and, lo, all naked in the day In a waste place of bricks and shards he lay, And clutched a burning kiln. And near him passed The way and much folk jeering on the way,

Soldiers and priests, beggars and men of pride. And SETNE rolled him in the dust and cried: 'My children!' And a great lord rose in wrath: 'Thy children stand this hour at PHARAOH'S side,

Thou naked man! Thou Priest whom none shall bless! And ask for thee. What? Is it drunkenness?' And SETNE said: 'They live.' And said: 'O King, Throw me, I pray, some robe in this distress,

Wrought by dead NEFREKEPTA in his ire. I go to yield him up his worst desire, A fork upon my neck, between my hands A rod, and on my head a bowl of fire.'

One of the bondmen threw him, at that call, A poor man's robe; and on to PHARAOH'S Hall He journeyed with them, and stretched out his arms And clasped his sons, and told to PHARAOH all.

'Yea, take the Book, take quickly,' PHARAOH said, 'The rod, the fork, the fire upon thine head, And seek dead NEFREKEPTA in his tomb, And kneel and pray the pardon of the dead.'

And SETNE heard; and quick ere set of sun He stood before the Tomb, and one by one Passed the great doors, and opened the last door, And, lo, a light through all the chamber shone,

A great light, like the going forth of RA. And while he stood the Woman cried: 'Aha, SETNE, thou com'st! And if thou com'st alive 'Tis PTAH hath saved thee and the grace of PTAH.'

But NEFREKEPTA laughed. And SETNE came Kneeling: 'O King, with rod and fork and flame I come,' he said; 'and yield thee up thy Book. What is thy judgement? Is it further shame?'

But NEFREKEPTA laughed: 'I would not now Make thee my slave, nor smite, nor burn thy brow. This was enough.--Yet one thing lacketh me Still, and thereto I bind thee by a vow.

Far off in a strange grave 'mid much annoy My wife AHURE lieth and the boy MERAB; 'tis but their shadows, by the art Of a good scribe, dwell here and have no joy.

Therefore I charge upon thee my behest: Go, bring from Coptos to this House of Rest My wife AHURE and MERAB the boy.' And SETNE rose and took on him the quest.

And straightway before PHARAOH bowed his head And told him all the tale. And PHARAOH said: 'I give thee mine own pleasure-ship to sail To Coptos and bring back those ancient dead.'

So PHARAOH'S pleasure-ship with all its crew Was brought, and southward on the wind they flew To Coptos; and the High Priest saw the ship, And all the Priests, and came in haste thereto.

The Priests of ISIS and HARPOCRATES And the Chief Priest; SETNE to all of these Gave ox and goose and wine, and with them walked On Coptos Hill amid the tombs and trees.

Three days and nights among the tombs they trod In Coptos on the Hill, and every sod They turned and marked, and every graven stone, And the Scribes' writings in the House of God.

But never could they find by night nor day The tomb where MERAB and AHURE lay. And NEFREKEPTA knew they found it not, And sent his shadow forth to guide their way.

Like an old man, a bent and aged Priest, It sate. And SETNE said: 'Joy be increased, O Father! Thou dost know the things of old; Three days and nights we search, and have not ceased,

To find the tomb which holds AHURE dead And MERAB.' Then the old man raised his head: 'The father of my grandsire in old days Spoke of it to my grandsire; and he said

The father of his grandsire once had told His grandsire how those two were laid of old Far in the southmost corner, where the house Now stands in which the scrivener tells his gold.'

And SETNE said: 'Old man, methinks I see Some hate here. Hath the scrivener injured thee, That thou wouldst wreck his house and dig beneath?' He answered: 'Have a watch set over me;

Then raze the scrivener's house, and, under ground By the south corner, if there be not found Both MERAB and AHURE, have me slain!' So there they held him and a guard stood round.

The scrivener's house was razed; and that same day They found where MERAB and AHURE lay, And, like great PHARAOHS, down to PHARAOH'S boat Bore them 'mid Priests and Princes in array.

And SETNE sought that ancient man, and, lo, He was not. By that sign did SETNE know This too was NEFREKEPTA. Then they built The scrivener's house again, and turned to go:

And went on board, and back to Memphis bore Those PHARAOHS home, with stream and wind and oar; Singing they went, and PHARAOH heard them sing; And PHARAOH rose and met them by the shore,

And led those Mighty Ones in robes of pride To NEFREKEPTA'S tomb, and sanctified Their entering in, and made a mound above; And there for ever sleep they, side by side.

And there is finished all that fell between SETNE and NEFREKEPTA and his Queen AHURE and the boy MERAB. 'Twas writ In the first month of winter, Year XV.

Oxford: Horace Hart, M.A. Printer to the University

Transcriber's Note:-

Original spelling and punctuation retained.

End of Project Gutenberg's The Story of Nefrekepta, by Gilbert Murray