OF HIS CROWNING AS PHARAOH
OF THE UPPER AND THE LOWER LAND; AND OF THE OFFERINGS MADE TO PHARAOH

Once again I woke--to find myself stretched at length upon the stone
flooring of the Holy Place of Isis that is at Abouthis. By me stood the
old Priest of the Mysteries, and in his hand was a lamp. He bent over
me, and gazed earnestly upon my face.

"It is day--the day of thy new birth, and thou hast lived to see
it, Harmachis!" he said at length. "I give thanks. Arise, royal
Harmachis--nay, tell me naught of that which has befallen thee. Arise,
beloved of the Holy Mother. Come forth, thou who hast passed the fire
and learned what lies behind the darkness--come forth, O newly-born!"

I rose and, walking faintly, went with him, and, passing out of the
darkness of the Shrines filled with thought and wonder, came once more
into the pure light of the morning. And then I went to my own chamber
and slept; nor did any dreams come to trouble me. But no man--not even
my father--asked me aught of what I saw upon that dread night, or after
what fashion I had communed with the Goddess.

After these things which have been written, I applied myself for a
space to the worship of the Mother Isis, and to the further study of the
outward forms of those mysteries to which I now held the key. Moreover,
I was instructed in matters politic, for many great men of our following
came secretly to see me from all quarters of Egypt, and told me much
of the hatred of the people towards Cleopatra, the Queen, and of other
things. At last the hour drew nigh; it was three months and ten days
from the night when, for a while, I left the flesh, and yet living with
our life, was gathered to the breast of Isis, on which it was agreed
that with due and customary rites, although in utter secrecy, I should
be called to the throne of the Upper and the Lower Land. So it came
about that, as the solemn time drew nigh, great men of the party of
Egypt gathered to the number of thirty-seven from every nome, and each
great city of their nome, meeting together at Abouthis. They came in
every guise--some as priests, some as pilgrims to the Shrine, and some
as beggars. Among them was my uncle, Sepa, who, though he clad himself
as a travelling doctor, had much ado to keep his loud voice from
betraying him. Indeed, I myself knew him by it, meeting him as I walked
in thought upon the banks of the canal, although it was then dusk and
the great cape, which, after the fashion