Thomas County cat., 1889-12-26

that naught knew he of Its secrets. Then
she was angered, aud swore that so surely
As she ruled in Egypt she would tear II
down, stone by stone, and discover the
secret at lis heart. Again he laughed. aud
in the words of the proverb which they
have here at Alexandria, told her that
mountains live longer than Kings" There
on She smiled ut his ready answer aud let
nim 20. Also my uncle Sepa told me that
on the morrow should see this Cleopatra.
For 1t was her birthday (as, indeed. it was
also mine), and, dressed as the Holy Isis.
she would pass in state from her palace on
the LocIias 10 the Serapeum to offer sac
ri6ce at the shr ne Of the false God who
sits therein. Aud he said thereafter that
the fashion whereby should gain entrance
to the household Of the Queen should be
contTived.
Then, being very weary, went to rest;
but could sleep little for the strangeness OF
the place, the noises in the streets, and the
thought Of the morrow. While It was yet
dark; rose, climbed the stair to the roof Of
the house, and waited. Presently the suns
rays shot out like arrows, and lit upon the
white wonder Of the maroIe Pharos, where
OF the light instantly sank and died, as
though, indeed, the sun had killed it. Now
the rays fell upon the marble palaces of the
Lochias where Cleopatra lay, aud lit them
up till they famed like jewel set on the
dark, cool bosom Of the sea. Away the
light few, kissing the Soma's sacred dome,
wherein Alexander sleeps, touching The
high tops Of thousand palaces and tem-
piles; past the por,icoes Of the great mu-
scum that loomed near at hand, striking
the lofty shrine where, carven Of ivory, is
NIrs - <l,of f,1o III
last seeming to lose itself in the vast and
gloomy Metropolis. Then, as the dawn
gathered into day, the great food
Of brightness overbrimming the bowl
Of night flowed into the lower lands
and streets, and showed Alexandria red in
the sunrise Us the mantle of king, and
shaped as mantle. The Etesian wind
came up from the north and swept away the
vapor from the harbors, so that saw their
blue waters rocking thousand ships. I
saw, too, that mighty mole Of the Hepta-
stadium; saw the hundreds of streets,
the countless houses, the innumerabie
wealth and splendor of Alexandria, set like
queen betwlXt Mareolis and the ocean,
und dominating both, and was filed with
wonder. This, then, was one city in my
herit &c of lands and citiesl Well, it was
worth the grasping. And having looked
my full and fed my heart, as it were, with
the sight of splendor, communed with
the Holy Isis and came down from the
roof.
In the chamber beneath was nv uncle
Sepa. told him that / had been watch
ing the sun rise over the city of Alex
andria.
SOL" he said, looking at me from beneath
h.,r ,6,H
thou of Alexandria,"
answered.
internal Gods sink Of corruption, a bub-
bling we'll of iniquity, a home o. false faith
springirg from false hearts! would that
NOT one stone Of it were left upon another
stone, and that its wealth lay deep beneath
yonder watersl would that the gulls were
screaming across its site, aud that the
wind, untainted by Grecian breath, swept
through its ruins from ocean to Mareotis!
o Royal Harmachls ,et not the luxury and
beauty of Alexandria poison thy sense: for
in their deadly air Faith perishes and Reli-
gion can not spread her heavenly wings.
When the hour comes for thee to rule,
Harmachis, cast down this accursed CITY,
and, as thy fathers did, set up thy throne in
the white walls OF Memfi For tell thee
that for Egypt Alexandria is but splendid
gate OF ruin, and while it endures all ma
tions Of the earth shall march through it to
the plunder Of the land, and all false faiths
shall nestle in It and breed the overthrow
of Egypts Gods"
lmade no answer, for there was truth in
his words. And yet to me the city seemed
very fair to look on. After we had eaten,
MY uncie told me it was now time to set
out TO view the march Of Cleopatra, as she
went in triumph to the shine of Serap,s
For although she would not pass till wi h.
in two hours Of the midday, vet these peo-
pie OF Alexandria have SO great love of
shows ana iiling that had we not presently
Set forth by no means could we have come
through the press of the multitudes who
were already gathering along the highways
where the Queen must ride So we went
QUITO take our place upon astand. fashioned
ortimber, that had been built at the side Of
the great road which pierces through the
city, even to The Canopic Gate. For there
in my uncle had purchased a right to enter.
I'D that Ceariy.
And with much struggle we won our way
through the great crowds that were al.
ready gathered in the streets, till we
ISuC.!Su Tue ScaUbifllnS OF timber. which
was rooted in with an awning and gayly
hung with scarlet cloths. Here we seated
O. lselvcs upon a bench and waited for
Some hours. watching the multitude press
past, shouting, singing and talking loudly
IN many tongues. At length came sol!iers
to clear the road. cl? after the Roman
fashion. in coats of ,,.lin arluor After
them marched heralds enjoiuiug silence
twnere@t the populace sang and shouted al
tie more loudly. and crying that Cleo
para, the Queen, was coming. Then fol-
lowed a thousand Cilician skirmishrrs, a
thousand Thracians. thousand Mac, do
hams, and a thousand Gauis, lch armed
alter the fashion of their own country
linen passed five hundred men of those
who are c lied the Fenced Horseuen, for
both men and horses were altogether cov-
cred with arnor. Next came youths and
maidens sumptuously drap~d and wearing
golden crowns, and with them images SYM
boiiz;ng Day and Night, Morning and Noon.
the Heavens and the Earth. AT er these
came many fair women pouring perfumes
On me road and others scattering bloom.