Chapter X: Prologue (9)

Now it happened, by chance, that (in my wanderings to and fro) I had never been altogether unmindful of the prediction of Belmarduk the god of Assyria, which he made to me when I dreamed in my barge in Egypt. And, once, when I was flying in my Love-drawn chariot, over the Aigaian Sea, and over Asia and Galatia and Kappadokia and Armenia, I espied the fair little realm of Moxoene, where mountains and pine and oak-forests were set round and about the salt Thospitian Sea; and the folk of the place were singularly comely, and intelligent and brave, having also ingenious and reverend minds: but they seemed to be as sheep without a shepherd.

Wherefore, I determined that the time had come for obeying the decrees of The Supreme, fulfilling the prediction of Belmarduk the god, and the sixth prediction which Thalos my innocent slave read in the palm-mirror. Moreover, I remembered the wish which Great Zeys had confirmed to me.

For which causes, then, I gave a great and splendid banquet to the immortals; and, when we had taken away the desire of eating and drinking (for I provided very exquisite odours of unmentioned and unthought-of fragrance), then, I stood up on my throne before them all; and my lordly spirit thus addressed Great Zeys, saying: “O Father and King of gods and men, let it not be imputed to me for an evil word when I ask that the drink-offering may be poured, and that I may go upon my way. For I am a little tired. For it seems that there is jealousy among the immortal goddesses because of the superior beauty of Golden Helen, to whom white-armed Hera and Aphrodite (lady of the dog-star) have spoken unwinged words. And they also complain because tameless Eros, the oldest and youngest of all gods, hath willingly tamed himself so far and for this occasion only to go before me and before Queen Helen in the way. For which cause, then, this is my wish, which thou already hast confirmed to me by thine irrevocable nod. I wish to go away at once, and in peace, from this blooming peak of Olympos, with Queen Helen my unsullied wife, and with my gear, that we may live once more among earth-trampling men, among whom we shall not be the least, seeing that we are immortal and have the secret wisdom of the gods. And I have found the kingdom of Moxoene by the Thospitian Sea, where I wish to dwell. Now, then, send me on my way, giving me good fortune, that I may take my noble wife to the beautiful home which I shall make for her. But ye, blessed gods, be pleased to abide here, all of you, making glad your own blooming wives and children, and enjoying all sorts of delicious delights.”

Thus I spoke. And my heart and lordly mind were exultant in my breast. For immense confusion and hubbub arose among the immortal gods; and the two jealous queens (the most righteous of goddesses), thoroughly exasperated by the wily and audacious mildness of my contemptuous words, bridled and sniffed, tossing their heads and beating their fat knees, glancing this way and that, madly, and saying that so many rash things had never been said before for them to sit there and hear.

But wing-footed Hermes, my grandsire, said: “Let him go where he will, this much-enduring much-contriving Odysseys who is surely Peer of Zeys in counsel, and Queen Helen who is indubitably the loveliest of mortals or immortals: for my rede is that my child deserves to be satisfied. But I myself will never be very far away from him in Moxoene; and, when ye gods by chance shall want a messenger, take blooming Iris of the rainbow.”

But bravely-steadfast Herakles said: “Let him go where he will, this hero Odysseys, and Queen Helen the most faithful of wives: for they ought to have some happiness after so much ill. But I myself will be at their call, whenever they ask for a champion.”

But in like manner also spoke my own cousin Perseys of the sea, the most renowned of heroes. And all the important gods and goddesses signified approval in the customary manner.

But Eros leaped up, blindfolded, naked, like a young and ruddy flame; and he said: “Oh, let them go where they will. But thou, O Great Zeys, whom I not seldom have wounded, be ware that I will not desert such true lovers as these. And, if thou keepest me here, thou wilt keep no more of me than my body. But I will make me a nest in their hearts for ever and ever. For I know where I am a welcome guest, and where I am unwelcome, and where I am treated simply as a blooming pastime with childish play, and where with due worship and honour.”

Then, the Father and King of gods and men drew down his immortal eyebrows: for the matter was an extremely grave one; and he gave judgment, saying: “Let us by any means secure a quiet life. And, forasmuch as King Odysseys desireth to leave us peaceably, retiring to an earthly kingdom with his dear wife and his proper paraphernalia, let him go to Moxoene thus. And let them have all health and comfort in their going. It pleaseth us; and, so, of our own free will, we command that it shall be done.”

Therefore, when Morning donned her saffron robes, and ascended from bathing in the streams of ocean, to give light to immortals and mortals, then, all the divine ones (save the two blameless queens), having loaded my chariot with sweet gifts, came gateward to speed us on our way. But Aphrodite the lady of the dog-star (the most righteous of goddesses) pettishly called for her son, holding him between her knees for once, and caressing his ruddy young neck, with malicious intent to prevent him from going with us.

But then, indeed, a marvellous portent was manifested.

For my gigantic silver-shining chariot, inlaid with crabs and moons in mother-of-pearl, stood in the gateway of lofty Olympos loaded with my gear. And, poised on the front of its rail, was the silver image of Love, larger than life, blindfolded, naked, most alluringly proportioned, with his well-winged arms spread abroad in the very act of taking flight; and his reins were girded with the silver chain, of which the taslets dangled behind down to the rail of the chariot. But, when Queen Helen saw that invidious hag detaining our charioteer out of jealousy, then, she looked at me sadly, letting fall a round tear, not knowing how we should go. To whom I spoke unwinged words, saying very firmly: “Mount, my child, nor be affrighted with any amazement whatever: for dreadful among mortals and immortals is the wrath of a suppliant. And we, indeed, are the suppliants of Love.”

Thus I spoke: but we two mounted in turn; and Queen Helen pulled the chain, having confidence in the promise of the god. And, as she worked the magic inchantment, both our hearts glowed with undying fire. And we saw young and ruddy Eros, clasped between his wretched mother’s knees, become suddenly white and rigid: but he himself came; and the silver image of Love lived, and was Love, bursting into ardent life, and flying away with us, leaving no more than the wraith of Love with Aphrodite (most righteous of goddesses) howling on lofty Olympos.

Thus, then, I left the abodes of the immortals, coming to rule my kingdom of Moxoene on the grain-giving earth.

FOOTNOTES:

[65] I do hope and trust, and (in fact) I believe that he means “hedgehogs”: though I confess that I myself never derived much real sport from the chase of those beasts. Perhaps “porpentines” would be a more exact rendering. A. H.

THE THIRTY-THIRD PAPYRUS

Now the deeds which I have done and the wiles which I have wrought, in my kingdom of Moxoene, are on this wise. And, seeing that they are both great and numerous, I will have them fairly written out by the hand of Empedokles son of Polypemon, my scribe, on one-and-twenty new rolls of fine papyrus, and sealed with my kingly sigil.

On the first roll, it shall be written of my coming with Queen Helen to Moxoene, flying out of the open heaven in my silver-shining chariot, having a glorious sheen like the moon. And, when the people saw us, they received us with gladness and piety and exquisite sacrifices: for, though we scintillated with truly godly splendour, and appeared to be of very much more than mortal stature, yet we were benign of aspect and not terrible; and the tribes (also) of the country are not slavish or timid by nature, but brave and strong, and of an upright ingenious mind.

On the second roll, it shall be written of the stablishing of my kingdom. For, when the news of my coming went abroad, then, the chiefs of the fifteen tribes between the Great River[66] and River Araxes and Media Atropatene with Assyria and Mesopotamia came, of their own free will, to pay homage to me, swearing faithful allegiance. And these were the fifteen princes of the fifteen tribes of Akilisene and Derxene and Phasianene and Bagravandene and Dasranalene and Khorzianene and Balabitene and Astianene and Anzitene and Sophene and Arzanene and Gordavanene and Arapakitene and Thositene and Moxoene.

On the third roll, it shall be written of the constitution of my kingdom as a limited theocracy: for I, the king, and Helen, the queen, accept the obedience and the worship of the nation, as god and goddess of Moxoene, for the present and in the absence of anything better. Here, also, it shall be written of the manner of the said obedience and worship: of the language of Moxoene: of my kingly name Balthazar, and the signification of the same.

On the fourth roll, it shall be written of the _Sacred Lavation_ and of _The Spell of The Three Who are One_, a most efficacious mighty magic inchantment, which, in the very beginning, I wrought upon the persons of all and singular my subjects, in my Thospitian Sea, will-he nill-he: with the names and histories of the two of evil mind who repudiated it, whom a flying dragon ate that same afternoon.[67]

On the fifth roll, it shall be written of the mysteries, which I study and cause to be studied by the few who are worthy; and of the altar, of sunstone and moonstone, to Mithra, Unconquered Father of Fathers, which I set up in my palace for myself and my own, whereat I myself minister as mysteriarch among my sons.

On the sixth roll, it shall be written of the fair children borne to me by Queen Helen, my beloved wife and true: to wit, my darling Diyllos (superb and glancing-eyed like my friend Diokles) born under the Moon and the Crab, and my very dear son Nikolaos born under Hermes and The Virgin, and my twin-son Haliastos and my twin-daughter Halianthe born under Oyranos and The Waterman; and of the _Sacred Lavation_ and _The Spell of The Three Who are One_, which I wrought upon them all at birth.

On the seventh roll, it shall be written of Queen Helen, my meet help and my heart’s constant joy: of all the deeds which she (the divine one of goddesses) has done for the women and children of my kingdom, teaching them the arts of love, obedience, service, housewifery, comforting them in sorrow. Here, also, shall be written of my sweet daughter Silver Halianthe, my sea-flower, who (having been born in my galley on my Thospitian Sea, and having been bred by Queen Helen) has become her golden mother’s second self.

On the eighth roll, it shall be written of my friend glancing-eyed Diokles, and of my own cousin Perseys of the sea (the most renowned of heroes), who came to my kingdom while my sons were young, to teach them all those things which the sons of heroes and of kings must know, and to show them what the sons of heroes and of kings must be.

On the ninth roll, it shall be written of Hermes the Helper and of Eros the Great Inchanter, and of my two faithful slaves Neandros and Thalos. Here, shall be written of the mighty magic which Eros taught to ingenious Neandros my slave, and to my dear son Haliastos desiring it, so that they found out wells of fragrant oil wherein pitch beautifully floats, and also wells of limpid water, for the magic instruments which they make, wherewith they cut the air into compact blocks, storing the same in the secret parts of chariots (which, also, they make), so that the said chariots, fish-shaped, run on the earth, or fly in the air, or swim in and on the sea, more swiftly than a bird or a thought, having no sails nor oars nor even horses to draw them. And with these I win great victories over hairy barbarians, even over the Parthians with their blooming elephants. And here, also, shall be written of the wisdom unspeakable which Hermes taught to ingenious Thalos my slave, and to my strange and very dear son Nikolaos desiring it: so that I placed them over my royal college of mages seeking wisdom, which I stablished on the peak above my Thospitian Sea.

On the tenth roll, it shall be written of the death of my darling son Diyllos, in my war with the Kilikian pirates, in the moment of victory with his circle of dead about him as high as the well-folded tablets of his breast. Herakles lighted his funeral-pyre, heaped with his chariots, his arms, his trophies, and a few of his toys. I could not burn my own work, the most beautiful body of my son. I preserve it, using the best of all my magic art, so that it will be sweet and fresh for me for ever and ever. Here, also, shall be written of the fair and kingly crypt, where I have hidden that vesture of my darling son, with my private treasures; and of my daily visit to look upon him.

On the eleventh roll, it shall be written of the embassador who came from Cæsar Augustus, demanding my submission, requiring me to send my sons, with the sons of neighbouring kings, as hostages, to Rome. Here, also, shall be written of the manner of my dealing with the said embassador, at high noon, on a terrace of my palace builded of white jade and alabaster and eye-chalcedonyx and silver, on the shore of my Thospitian Sea: to whom I casually appeared, of immortal stature, blazing like the serene and vivid moon, arrayed in ermine and silver tissue sown all over with rose-crystals and blue moonstones, flying through the air across the sea in my silver-shining chariot inlaid with crabs and moons in mother-of-pearl, having with me (in the chariot) Queen Helen, daughter of Zeys the Swan, robed in gold and amethyst tissue, with her gold hair floating like a web of woven sunbeams, and with immortal Hermes the Luck-bringer, wing-footed, golden-wanded, flying (as usual) above my head, and with immortal Love, my charioteer. Here, also, shall be written of the splendid ceremonies which I caused to be observed at the interment of the Roman embassador, after his intempestive demise.

On the twelfth roll, it shall be written of the names of all the mages of all kingdoms on the wide-bosomed earth, whom I have brought into my kingdom, where they teach their wisdom to me and to my mages, and learn ours, serving me in both ways. Here also shall be written of the histories of those mages, and of the magics which they have used as masters.

On the thirteenth roll, it shall be written (in the hand of Empedokles son of Polypemon, and in his own words) of who he was and whence he came: but he shall write also (in my words) of the reason why I brought him into my kingdom, and of what he has done there.

On the fourteenth roll, it shall be written of the book of magic inchantments which I (of my wisdom) compiled for my royal college of mages seeking wisdom: of the parts of the said book, and also the secret[68]....

FOOTNOTES:

[66] Euphrates, of course. A. H.

[67] The word here is “pterodactyl.” The largest known specimen of this abominable winged lizard measures about six metres from wing-tip to wing-tip. Its frightful crocodilish jaws seem to indicate a very voracious appetite. But I was unaware that the species persisted till so late a date. Perhaps I ought to add that the “pteranodon” was about the same size: but the wing-dimension of the “rhamphorhynkhos” was only a little over two metres. Both, however, seem to have been extremely nasty creatures. A. H.

[68] Most unfortunately this Thirty-third Papyrus ends abruptly here. A. H.

THE THIRTY-FOURTH PAPYRUS

Now I, Queen Helen, daughter of Zeys, an immortal, say these words to be written fairly by Empedokles son of Polypemon, scribe of my beloved lord and true husband King Balthazar of Moxoene, whom the immortals and the Argives call King Odysseys, but he calls himself Nikolaos the Crab, viceroy of Victory queen of the stalwart stately Anglicans.

And these are the words which I shall say for the scribe to write.

* * * * *

Yesterday, at dawn, our strange and very dear son Nikolaos Diadokhos came with the faithful Thalos from our royal college of mages.

They said to the king that they had seen a great new Star, suddenly shining in the south-western heaven, far brighter than any other star ever seen, and moving south-westward.

My lord and husband the king, having straitly examined them, became filled with fear and gladness strangely commingled. I never have seen him thus.

My lord and husband the king enacted an act of regency, naming me, Queen Helen, as Regent of his kingdom of Moxoene.

My lord and husband the king arrayed himself in his silver-shining panoply, and he caused our strange and very dear son Nikolaos Diadokhos and the faithful Thalos to put on their garments of glory.

My lord and husband the king summoned his silver-shining chariot; and he caused our strange and very dear son Nikolaos Diadokhos and the faithful Thalos to mount to their places.

My lord and husband the king, with his own hands, took out of our treasury that casket of rock-crystal, three spans long and two spans deep and one span broad, which, during his leisure of these many years, he has carved with crabs and moons and inlaid with blue moonstones, binding it with hasps and hinges and bands of silver, all with his own hands; and he filled it full with our royal quintessence of gum-olibanon, which he has sublimed, also with his own hands during his leisure of these many years.

My lord and husband the king kissed me in a manner which he never has used before, bidding me to be of good heart and ready to receive tidings of great joy.

Having done all these strange things, my lord and husband the king ascended his silver-shining chariot, with the two mages aforesaid, taking with him the rock-crystal casket of frankincense aforesaid; and, so, he very swiftly departed south-westward, at sunset, following the Star.

Now I, Queen Helen, daughter of Zeys, an immortal, having already endured many evils, and being now perturbed in my mind, have caused these words to be written, that I may place them in a most secret holy crypt. And I will place them with that which is most dear, which is there, and with the secret silver urns which contain toys, and with the secret silver chest which contains writings, because these are the chief treasures of my lord the king.

And, when I have done this, I will see the secret holy crypt closed by Empedokles son of Polypemon and by the faithful Neandros. And I will seal the door with the royal sigil. And I will see the very door itself hidden by the faithful Neandros.

And I will do all these things, that my lord and husband the king may find his secrets safe, when he shall return to me. For I know not when he shall return to me.

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