The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-11-05
The King Turned Angriy Upon the General


crusted with gems. The King drank the huge draft without taking the cup from his lips and then handing it back the boy retired. The wino seemed to re- store hirn to his former careless and luxurious self and he said, Well, well enough of this-no cruelty. mind. And now for the river and the banquet Again he sent his voice down the pas sage bidding some slave bring Myrraf
 to his presence.
 | Salemenes begged that the King would forego the banquet in the pavilioi over the Euphrates and that he would not leave the palace that night. Sar" dwanapalus swore that he would not forego the banquet. If his enemies were to kill him they would find him ready to die amid lights and flowers and fc- male loveliness But he would die fight ing: yes, he would have his armor on as he feasted. Myrrah came in as Salemenes was pleading with the King and, knowing that whatever the general recommended was for the best inter ests of the King, added her prayers to those of the general, until at length Sardanapalus consented to feast for that night in the great banquet hall of the palace and not go forth.
 Salemenes having hurried away with the Kings signet to take such meas ures as he deemed necessary for the safety of the throne, Sardanapalus told the Ionian girl all that had passed be- tween him and the general.
 He spoke well'' said Myrrah This
 Is no time to think of festivals. I am a Greek, and therefore do not fear for myself. l am slave, and why shopld l regret the chance of freedom? But I
 ovo, and therefore l turn pale"
 II also love, Myrrah," said the King fondlq, but l blanch not"
 That means,', said Hyrrh, that you love neither yourself nor me; for he who loves another loves himself, even for that others sake. King, I am your subject; master, I am your slave; man, l have loved you. l am an lonian and therefore when I love a stranger I am more degraded by that love than by my chains. Still have loved you. If that love of mine is strong enough for all this, Shdii II ilOl Dt SLiOuS tIOuSH tO Cidtll the privilege of saving you? Sire, arouse yourself. Kingdoms are not thus to be iost. Think of thy ancestors"
 Again the heroic spark in Sardanapalus blazed out and, his while manner chang ing, he said: q will be King, sole in Assyria, or with Baal Nimrod and Sem lramis elsewhere. Fate made me what ,alr l,,,t I ,,-ilI not live degraded.
 While this scene was taking place .r the place the two chief conspirators were watching from one of the terraces of the royal dwelling the setting of the sun. They were Belcses, the Chadean higi priest a soothsayer and a soldier as we'll and the aspiring and ambitious Mede, the General Arbaces. Both were satraps of outlying provinces but with their troops had been for long time in Ninevun, where they had hung about the court and arranged skilfuly their conspiracy. Though the programme was that Arbaces should usurp the crown and seize tne scepter of the line of Nimrod from he weak hands of Sardanapalus, yet it was the scheming Chsldean Beleses who did the plotting and who hoped to be the real power behind the throne when he should have made the rough soldier king.
 'Tho sun goes down. said Beleses. "IIc seems to set more slowly, taking the last look of Assyria' g empire. Thou sun whicn snkest. and thou stars which arise. if I have read you aright, success awaits my plans and the doom of Sardanapalus ts fixed. The twilight dies and now 'tis night. Arbaces, see you that star? Tis thy natal star, thy birth plpnet"
 Arbaces glanced with a smile of con tempt at the star indicated by the Chal- dean. and then. with a haughty gesture touched his scabbard and said: My star- hangs in my scabbard by my side; when it shines it shall outdazzle nieteors. If almost shames me that we shall have such an easy victory, To .,ull sa bloodv despot from his throne and grapple with him. clashng steel on steel, were well worth the while. But this Sardanapalus' Why, when raise my sword against him I shall expect to hear him whine"
 Do not think It replied lseleses. 'Sar- has that in him which willl give you all the fighting you want--be