."

"But Ameni," said Chamus, bowing respectfully to his father, "seems to
have stirred up his ambition, and to support him with his advice. The
chief of the House of Seti is a man of great ability, and at least half
of the priesthood are his adherents."

"I know it," replied the king. "Their lordships owe me a grudge because I
have called their serfs to arms, and they want them to till their acres.
A pretty sort of people they have sent me! their courage flies with the
first arrow. They shall guard the camp tomorrow; they will be equal to
that when it is made clear to their understanding that, if they let the
tents be taken, the bread, meat and wines-skins will also fall into the
hands of the enemy. If Kadesh is taken by storm, the temples of the Nile
shall have the greater part of the spoil, and you yourself, my young
high-priest of Memphis, shall show your colleagues that Rameses repays in
bushels that which he has taken in handfuls from the ministers of the
Gods."

"Ameni's disaffection," replied Chamus, "has a deeper root; thy mighty
spirit seeks and finds its own way--"

"But their lordships," interrupted Rameses, "are accustomed to govern the
king too, and I--I do not do them credit. I rule as vicar of the Lord of
the Gods, but--I myself am no God, though they attribute to me the honors
of a divinity; and in all humility of heart I willingly leave it to them
to be the mediators between the Immortals and me or my people. Human
affairs certainly I choose to manage in my own way. And now no more of
them. I cannot bear to doubt my friends, and trustfulness is so dear, so
essential to me, that I must indulge in it even if my confidence results
in my being deceived."

The king glanced at Mena, who handed him a golden cup--which he emptied.
He looked at the glittering beaker, and then, with a flash of his grave,
bright eyes, he added:

"And if I am betrayed--if ten such as Ameni and Ani entice my people into
a snare--I shall return home, and will tread the reptiles into dust."

His deep voice rang out the words, as if he were a herald proclaiming a
victorious deed of arms. Not a word was spoken, not a hand moved, when he
ceased speaking. Then he raised his cup, and said:

"It is well before the battle to uplift our hearts! We have done great
deeds; distant nations have felt our hand; we have planted our pillars of
conquest by their rivers, and graven the record of our deeds on their
rocks.

[Herodotus spea