his even happen; for many
priests, feeling that their spiritual power is exhausted, have entered
the way of falsehood and deceive simple people by cunning devices.'

"The highest college says this: 'If ye wish to return to the good road,
Beroes will remain some years with you, so as to rouse true light on
the Nile by the aid of a spark brought from the high altar of
Babylon.'."

"All is as Thou sayest," answered Mefres, confused. "Remain with us
therefore a number of years, so that the youth growing up at present
may remember thy wisdom."

"And now, Herhor, to thee come words from the highest college."

Herhor inclined his head.

"Because ye neglect the great secrets, your priests have not noted that
evil years are approaching Egypt. Ye are threatened by internal
disasters from which only virtue and wisdom can save you. But the worst
is that if in the course of the coming decade ye begin war with
Assyria, she will defeat your forces. Her armies will come to the Nile
and destroy all that has existed here for ages.

"Such an ominous juncture of stars as is now weighing on Egypt happened
first during the XIV. dynasty, when the Hyksos kings captured and
plundered this country. It will come for the third time in five or six
hundred years from Assyria and the people of Paras, who dwell to the
east of Chaldea."

The priests listened in terror. Herhor was pale; the tablets fell from
Pentuer's fingers; Mefres held the amulet hanging on his breast, and
prayed while his lips were parching.

"Be on your guard then against Assyria," continued the Chaldean, "for
her hour is the present. The Assyrians are a dreadful people! They
despise labor, they live by war. They conquer, they impale on stakes or
flay living people, they destroy captured cities and lead away their
inhabitants to bondage. For them to kill savage beasts is repose; to
pierce prisoners with arrows or scoop out their eyes is amusement.
Temples they turn into ruins, the vessels of the gods they use at their
banquets, and make buffoons of priests and sages. They adorn their
walls with skins torn from living people, and their tables with the
blood-stained skulls of their enemies."

When the Chaldean ceased speaking, the worthy Mefres answered,

"Great prophet, Thou hast cast fear on our souls, and dost not indicate
a remedy. It may be true, and to a certainty is so, since Thou hast
said it, that the fates for a certain time will be against us, but how
avoid th