The Project Gutenberg eBook of The beloved of Hathor and the shrine of the golden hawk
This ebook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and
most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions
whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms
of the Project Gutenberg License included with this ebook or online
at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States,
you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located
before using this eBook.
Title: The beloved of Hathor and the shrine of the golden hawk
Author: Florence Farr
Olivia Shakespear
Release date: June 8, 2025 [eBook #76242]
Language: English
Original publication: London: Farncombe & Son, 1902
Credits: Mairi, Chris Hapka and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive)
*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE BELOVED OF HATHOR AND THE SHRINE OF THE GOLDEN HAWK ***
THE BELOVED OF HATHOR
AND THE SHRINE OF THE
GOLDEN HAWK. ❦ BY
FLORENCE FARR AND
O. SHAKESPEAR. ❦ ❦
ALL COPYRIGHTS AND ACTING RIGHTS RESERVED BY THE AUTHORS
------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE BELOVED OF HATHOR, AND
THE SHRINE OF THE GOLDEN HAWK.
BY FLORENCE FARR, AUTHOR OF “THE DANCING
FAUN,” &c., AND O. SHAKESPEAR, AUTHOR OF
“RUPERT ARMSTRONG,” “LOVE ON A MORTAL
LEASE,” &c. ❦ ❦ ❦ ❦ ❦ ❦
------------------------------------------------
❦ The action takes place in the first play on the roof of the Temple of
Hathor, and in the second in a cave of Mount Bakhua, the home of the
Metal-working Fire Magicians near Sinai. But the Authors wish the plays
to be represented, not scenically but decoratively, with a simple white
background or pale sienna hangings, so arranged that the figures of the
actors, moving across the stage, may reproduce the effect of the ancient
frescoes or illuminated papyri.
_THE ARGUMENT OF THE BELOVED OF HATHOR._
❦ The scene is in the Temple of Hathor, at the time of the expulsion of
the Hyksos, about 1500 B.C. Aahmes, the beloved of Hathor, has for many
years been watched over by her High Priestess, in order that through him
the great spiritual kingdom of Egypt might be restored. His final choice
is between this great destiny and the mere splendour of material
victory.
_CHARACTERS IN THE BELOVED OF HATHOR._
❦ _Ranoutet_, the chief priestess of Hathor, and of royal blood, aged
thirty-five. She wears a long black wig with a double fillet; a large
square of cloth of gold is wound closely round her figure under the
arms; she also wears a thin striped gauze overdress, an enamelled and
beaded collar, sandals, and armlets. She puts on a vulture-crown during
the war dance.
❦ _Nouferou_, the daughter of a man of noble rank and of a wandering
woman, who deserted him after the birth of her child. Nouferou inherits
the wild instincts of her mother. She is seventeen years old. Her dress
is white and gold. The wig is short and surmounted by a cone and lily.
❦ _Aahmes_, a warrior chief of the Red Race, afterwards becomes king. He
is in the prime of life. He wears an embroidered waistcloth over a thin
cotton shirt, a cloth helmet, and carries a spear.
❦ _Ouny_, a child attendant of the Temple of Hathor. Dressed in white.
❦ The Chanters and Musicians do not appear.
❦ ❦ ❦ ❦ ❦ ❦ ❦ ❦ ❦ ❦ ❦ ❦
_THE ARGUMENT OF THE SHRINE OF THE GOLDEN HAWK._
❦ The scene is in a cave on Mount Bakhua, near Sinai, about 4000 B.C.
Gebuel, the Magician of Fire and Metals, makes a talisman to Heru in the
form of a Golden Hawk, in the hope of overwhelming the power of Zozer,
King of Egypt, builder of the Step-pyramid at Sakkara. Zozer finds this
out, and sends his daughter, who is skilled in the sombre mysteries of
Isis, to win for Egypt the Golden Hawk, giver of exultation of heart.
_CHARACTERS IN THE SHRINE OF THE GOLDEN HAWK._
❦ _Gebuel_, a magician who has earned a great reputation for power in
the brotherhood. He wears a richly decorated robe of red and gold,
sandals, and a conical headdress with hawks’ eyes on either side of it.
His age is forty-five.
❦ _The Priest of the Floods and Storms_ wears a robe and symbolic
headdress of blue and green.
❦ _The Priest of the Harvests and Famines_ is also dressed symbolically.
❦ _Nectoris_, daughter of Zozer, King of Egypt, is dressed as a member
of a religious order; her undergarment and wig are of the ancient
Egyptian pattern, but she is completely veiled in a thick gauze drapery.
She is twenty-six years old.
❦ _The Ka_ has the same kind of dress. She is the double or other self
of Nectoris. The Ka is frequently represented on ancient frescoes as a
smaller figure walking behind the king or queen. It represents the
subtle body, and supports and strengthens the more material body.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE BELOVED OF HATHOR
❦ _The play is to be acted against a plain white backcloth with pale
brown hangings on either side, striped to resemble the decoration of a
papyrus roll._
❦ _Ranoutet is lying on a couch with lions’ heads. L., an altar with
cauldron, crown, and incense spoon. A long fan in corner. Ranoutet holds
some lotuses in Egyptian fashion._
❦ _Ouny enters with a festival basket on her head containing lotuses and
conical loaves._
❦ ❦ ❦ ❦ ❦ ❦ ❦ ❦ ❦ ❦ ❦ ❦
_Ouny._
Here are the offerings to the setting sun. (_She places offerings
on altar and comes forward._) It is the last many brave men will
see.
_Ranoutet._
Has news arrived? Has the great Aahmes carried out his plan? Has
our mighty leader drawn the foes of Egypt into his net?
_Ouny._
Lady of wisdom, it is so. They have bidden me tell you that
victory comes with the dawn. The Hyksos, hateful in our land,
know nought of our armed men, who lie in wait for them, by order
of great Aahmes, along the road which they will follow to reach
our city. With the dawn the soldiers of Egypt will rise from
their hiding places and slay the Hyksos, and they shall be swept
from our land. This is the message of Aahmes to you, O lady of
wisdom.
(_Ouny kneels and touches the earth with her head. Ranoutet
rises and blesses her._)
_Ranoutet._
Dear messenger from the greatest in Egypt, may the gods protect
you, and may the gods protect Aahmes, now warrior, priest in
future years, the light of all our hearts.
_Ouny._
Great Aahmes is indeed a king of men. The leaders of the people
love him above all others. He stands almost as near their hearts
as you do, lady.
_Ranoutet._
Ah, yes, he is blessed from his birth. The foretelling of this
victory has been long in our ears; when it comes to pass we of
the temple will receive him with great honour. He is the beloved
of Hathor, and her will has been his pleasure. If he can
withstand temptation in the supreme hour of earthly triumph, she
will receive him into the great mysteries.
_Ouny._
Can Aahmes still be tempted—Aahmes, the lover of Hathor?
_Ranoutet._
The hour is at hand which is to try his strength of purpose. The
goddess will give us the victory, that our sacred land may be
purged of the people of Asia, who have worked in her evil and
uncleanness; but the soul of Aahmes stands alone in the last
trial, and can know no strength but its own. No name but the name
of Aahmes can be invoked; no power but the power of Aahmes can
prevail.
_Ouny._
Lady of wisdom, terror pierces me like a spear. Can it be that
the goddess will take back her great gift even after his hands
are raised to receive it? Can the goddess turn from her beloved?
and can Aahmes be an outcast from the sanctuary?
_Ranoutet._
These things are hidden in the heart of Hathor—the heart of mercy
and justice. To her mercy we commend him; to her justice we give
him up without fear. O Hathor, great diviner of beauty, who
rulest in those places where desire fails, and the substance of
human life fades and passes into eternal truth; O Hathor, guard
thy servant and do well to him.
_Ouny._
Will you not aid him, mighty priestess?
_Ranoutet._
I will do all that is permitted. Bring me the secret mirror and
the Lybian wax, the holy herbs and oil. I will burn incense from
all the corners of the world, and I will have lustral water and
the holy wands of power, the sacred Natron essence of the gods,
who alone can purify all shameful things by their touch. With
these I will bless great Aahmes and all his works once more. And
I will send up an incantation in the hour of battle, before which
all the dreadful gods of Asia shall be bound because their
worshippers have made our land unclean with going to and fro.
_Ouny goes, saluting and muttering the formula_,
I go in peace; may peace go with me!
(_Ranoutet puts on a crown bound with Urcari snakes and
faces the place of the sun. She pours out a libation._)
_Ranoutet._
O Ra Toum, thou enterest the kingdom of our Lady of the West
beyond the holy mountain Mannu amid flaming orisons. Thou fallest
into peace between the guardian serpents who are on either side
of thee. Thou art one with the sun-disk in the West, and its
powers have their place behind thee. Thy way divides the heavens,
and the gods of the North and the South bow before thee. I, too,
bow before thee, O creator of the gods; before thee who art king
over the souls dwelling in the circle of thy path. The blessed
one receives thee into the deep shadows of her embrace as thou
enterest into the mountain of the West.
(_She burns incense. Ouny returns with a magic mirror, wax,
cymbals, and serpent wands. Ranoutet takes beeswax and begins
to model it into shape._)
_Voice outside._
Will the great priestess Ranoutet receive the warrior chief
Aahmes?
(_Ranoutet hastily takes off the ceremonial crown, and
directs Ouny to cover the altar, and goes out. She re-enters,
after Ouny has done what is necessary, followed by Aahmes
carrying Nouferou. Ranoutet helps him lay her on the couch._)
_Aahmes._
Her heart is silent, she has seen men slain.
_Ranoutet._
She seems of noble birth; how is it that she went unattended?
_Aahmes._
The gods alone can tell. She is the Lady Nouferou. I found her
helpless in the hands of ruffians far from her home. Her father’s
palace is an hour’s journey hence. I cannot take her there
to-night, and I come to ask you to shelter her.
_Ranoutet._
She is known to you?
_Aahmes._
I have fought under her father’s leadership; and she was still a
child when I last feasted at his palace. How she came to this
adventure I can in no way tell.
(_Ranoutet restores Nouferou. Nouferou recovers and holds
out her hands to Aahmes, not seeing Ranoutet._)
_Nouferou_ (_to Aahmes, who kneels by her side_).
You killed men for my sake. Oh, I am afraid! I see their hideous
faces like beasts of prey! their claws clutch at my heart! Oh,
save me from this horror!
(_She throws herself into his arms._)
_Ranoutet_ (_with anxiety_).
Are the dead men still lying in the street?
_Aahmes._
I had no eyes to see what the crowd did with them.
_Ranoutet_ (_crosses to the door_).
I will send mourners to give notice of the dead. Until they have
been purified no help can come to Lady Nouferou. (_Exit
muttering_) I go in peace; may peace go with me!
_Nouferou._
Where am I? Who is that stern-faced priestess?
_Aahmes_ (_rising_).
She is the great Priestess Ranoutet, of the blood royal—the
wisest of the devotees. She is so near the hearts of the gods
that they will do all things at her behest, and Egypt has never
known famine, plague, or defeat since she first served them; and
when the war is over and the new dynasty established she will be
queen.
_Nouferou_ (_sadly_).
She will be queen and you will be king. She can choose no other
consort.
_Aahmes._
No man may dare desire such a fate unless the gods decree it.
_Nouferou_ (_walks across_).
Ah, no! I was forgetting. Love is not love among the priests. I
was forgetting the fierce laws of the gods, who stand between the
lovers holding the sceptre of ritual, and at each cry of nature
sternly denying!
_Aahmes._
And yet they say that the divine love which is given to the
Children of Wisdom, that their hearts may lie poised between the
two infinities of life and death, is greater than the earthly
love, for it is the servant of life and the lord of death. (_He
sits on the end of the couch._) But tell me how you left your
home and came unattended to the city.
_Nouferou._
I was forbidden to leave the palace. My father punishes—punishes
like the gods—and stands always denying me all joy in life. I was
a rebel and ran out alone, evading my old nurse. I longed to see
the soldiers and hear the clash of arms, and hear the war chant;
for I am told, before a battle there is a wonderous dance no
woman may see, when those about to die deliver up their souls to
Maut, the Vulture-Mother and Avenger.
_Aahmes._
Hush, these are mysteries of which none may speak.
_Nouferou._
I burn for knowledge, for the freedom of a bird upon the wing. I
am weary of the speech of the wise, who have not wisdom; who
would tell me that Egyptian women must always be discreet and
secret. I hear crying in me the blood of my mother, who was no
Egyptian, but a wanderer. It spoke in her, and she listened to
its wooing as to a lover; and she forsook my father, and, leaving
me with him, she came back no more.
_Aahmes._
Do you forget what fate awaited the wanderer?
_Nouferou._
A short life my mother had. I, too, would live here for a little
while, then go to join the shining spirits outside the walls of
heaven. I do not desire old age and ugliness in Egypt, nor the
great wisdom of the gods in heaven. To be always beautiful and
young is enough.
(_Aahmes rises, works round the back to R._)
_Ranoutet_ (_re-enters, muttering_).
I come in peace; may peace come with me. (_Comes forward._) The
rites for the slain are being carried out. Rest now, Lady
Nouferou, and let the little Ouny fan you and call about you your
own attendant spirits; for the spirits of the dead have passed to
their own place.
_Nouferou._
I am well; I need no rest.
_Ranoutet_ (_firmly_).
Rest, Lady Nouferou.
(_Nouferou lies on the couch, and Ouny fans her with long
feather fan._)
_Aahmes_ (_to himself_).
It were easy to die young, and live among the golden nets of
heaven—to die and drift like the Hammametu dancing in the rays of
the sun—to have neither thought nor human care, nor the stress of
human life.
_Ranoutet._
Do you forget Egypt, Aahmes? Would you have the destiny of those
formless souls, whose little light flickers through the one short
life they know, and then the rest is darkness? Is it in vain you
have become part of your country, dedicated to her tradition;
dedicated for ever to her destiny? Egypt has claimed her son, and
Egypt is no foster-mother whose claim can be put lightly aside.
There is no choice for her worshippers, for to fail in her
service means death to the soul.
_Aahmes._
Ah! Ranoutet, I know the terror of the second death, and my heart
is Egypt’s! My heart longs for Egypt! As I have fought for Egypt
in the past, so I will live for Egypt in the future! Is not such
service easy when she speaks to me through you, the greatest
priestess within the memory of the most ancient scribes? Give me
your blessing, for we have to do great work to-night.
_Ranoutet._
Let us go into the sanctuary together, for Hathor has heard my
invocation. She will receive you as her minister. After the
battle fought for Egypt comes the enlightenment. Then comes the
supreme vision. This flesh shall fall from you. You shall be no
more the warrior of Egypt, but shall know yourself to be the Lord
of Space and Being! Your soul shall tremble and rejoice at her
own image looming out of the darkness of what you now call life!
The light of the world shall be revealed to you amid the clash of
the worlds which shall own you their master, O lord of that which
has no end and no beginning!
_A Priest chanting without._
Flame round my crown the fiery snakes
About me and around.
The chantress sings, the sistrum shakes,
In symphony of sound.
Fire from the gods a lightning makes,
Earth’s thundrous depths resound.
_Ranoutet._
Accept the portent and receive the Yeoiret crown.
(_Aahmes kneels and is crowned by Ranoutet._)
To thee the earth, to thee the power,
The life and strength be given!
The scarab rests upon the flower!
The veil of the shrine is riven!
The stars are falling, for the hour
Sounds when the earth meets heaven.
_Ranoutet._
You hear the sacred hymn. The moment is propitious. Come to the
shrine of the goddess. To-night the battle for your soul must be
fought and won!
(_Aahmes follows her out. In the meantime Nouferou has been
watching them intently. She springs up and seizes the child,
gazing intently into its face as she speaks._)
_Nouferou._
Ouny, Ouny, do you love me?
_Ouny._
Yes.
_Nouferou._
Listen now, Ouny; my little Ouny. Do you love me very much?
(_She takes it in her arms._)
_Ouny._
Yes.
_Nouferou_ (_covers it with kisses_).
Now tell me how much you love me.
_Ouny._
I think you a very pretty lady.
_Nouferou_ (_laughs and clasps the child_).
Quick! now tell me what is the ceremony the great Priestess
Ranoutet performs to-night. Tell me, where will it take place?
_Ouny._
Here.
_Nouferou._
Tell me, will she make images of the enemies of Aahmes, and so
contrive by her magical arts that Aahmes shall overcome the
hateful Hyksos?
(_Ouny nods._)
_Nouferou._
Will she make a mighty image of Aahmes and small images of the
Hyksos, and will she place the foot of Aahmes on their heads, and
will she place nooses round their necks, and give the cords into
the hands of Aahmes, that he may hold their lives in the hollow
of his hands?
(_Ouny nods again._)
_Nouferou._
Fetch me some sacred wax, dear little Ouny, and I will help in
the ceremony. I am well skilled in magic, and would gladly aid
the mighty priestess in these simple arts.
_Ouny_ (_rises and goes to the covered altar_).
All things await the Lady Ranoutet. There is much wax, and I will
light the fire; it will help you to do the work more quickly.
(_The child lights the cauldron from the lamp which Ranoutet
brings in with her. Ranoutet returns wearily. It is dark. She
sinks on couch in profound thought._)
_Nouferou._
Lady, I have some simple skill in magic, and if you work to-night
in the sacred Libyan wax, I pray you let me help you. I long to
try, and in some measure repay the noble warrior chief.
_Ranoutet_ (_carelessly_).
Hush! I am thinking. Anything you will. But I must rest in peace,
to be ready for work at the hour of battle. The soldiers have
performed the sacred dance: the final preparations are going on:
they are stealing silently out of the town to reinforce the
leading troops, which even now surround the Hyksos. Aahmes will
lead the attack at dawn; and dawn will be the signal for the
watchers of the night!
_Nouferou._
Sleep, lady, and I will mould the waxen images. One, half a cubit
high for Aahmes; and two, one finger’s breadth in height to
represent the Hyksos leaders.
_Ranoutet._
That is the right proportion. I thank you for your service.
(_Goes out with lamp, which Ouny gives her, in opposite
direction to main entrance._)
_Nouferou_
(_takes wax and gives a small portion of it to Ouny_). Go, child,
and make two little images of the hideous Hyksos chiefs: copy
them from the walls in the great court of the Temple and bind
them with cords. Then sit at the foot of the stairs and play your
psaltery softly, and I will call you when your mistress wakes.
_Ouny._
Thanks, noble lady! I go in peace; may peace go with me! (_Goes
out._)
(_Nouferou takes cauldron of fire; and wax. She kneels by
the altar and models the form of a man; as she does so she
says_:—)
O noble Aahmes, may Nou protect thy hair!
O noble Aahmes, may Ra protect thine eyes!
(_Soft music begins._)
O noble Aahmes, may Anubis protect thy lips!
O noble Aahmes, may Isis protect thy neck!
O noble Aahmes, may Selket protect thy body!
O noble Aahmes, may Neith protect thine arms!
O noble Aahmes, may Nut protect thy legs!
O noble Aahmes, may Ptah protect thy feet!
I mould thee, Knoume moulds thee in beauty and strength, and
nourishes thee in the fields of the blessed! Heart of Aahmes,
thou art the dwelling of the creator of Aahmes. What thou doest,
he will do; what thou lovest, he will love!
(_She places statue on altar, and slowly moves round it,
waving her arms. She stands before the wax image and chants_:)
Aahmes, Aahmes, follow me
Where the poppy fields are white.
Aahmes, Aahmes, sleep the sleep
Deep with dreams of love’s delight.
Aahmes, Aahmes, follow me
Where there shines a hidden star.
Aahmes, Aahmes, turn thy feet
Where the golden dreamings are.
Aahmes, Aahmes, follow me
To the magic fields of sleep.
Aahmes, Aahmes, pluck the flower
That it work a spell more deep.
(_Dances round the altar, then says_:)
Aahmes, Aahmes, I am love,
Calling loudly in thy heart.
Aahmes, Aahmes, I am love;
Never more shall I depart.
_Ouny_ (_running in_).
I must awake the noble Ranoutet. Great Aahmes is below.
_Nouferou._
Hush! I will awaken her. Go you and bid him enter.
(_Ouny goes out. Nouferou puts out the fires. It gets very
dark. Aahmes enters, and she meets him._)
_Nouferou._
The Priestess Ranoutet bid me watch that none disturbed her body,
while she, in sleep, sought counsel of the great Ancestral One,
the ancient power that watches over Egypt.
_Aahmes._
No matter—I came drawn by some desire—I would speak to you, I
know not why.
_Nouferou_ (_puts out brazier_).
Come rest a little, you cannot start till dawn. Your senses
wander for want of sleep. Sit here. (_Business. She presently
walks round him, humming the air of the incantation softly, and
moving her arms as in the dance._)
Sleep, Aahmes, sleep and dream. (_He sleeps._)
Dream, Aahmes, dream and love. (_He gazes at her._)
(_She kneels on the end of the couch._)
Love, Aahmes, love and live.
(_He holds out his arms._)
Live, Aahmes, live and dream.
(_She flings herself into his arms._)
_Aahmes_ (_embracing her_).
Nouferou!
(_Men-at-arms chanting: the sound of marching troops._)
Gather the men-at-arms! the battle breaks,
The weary waiting days are over.
Let each man rush to battle as a lover.
The dawn with clarion note awakes.
Crowned with her radiance on our earth we stand,
Tried warriors of a sacred land,
Which trampling thunder shakes.
(_Ranoutet enters; goes towards the altar; sees Aahmes and
Nouferou on the couch._)
_Ranoutet_ (_in a loud voice_).
Aahmes! the dawn! the dawn!
_Aahmes._
What is the dawn to me? My life is here.
_Ranoutet._
Egypt is crying to her son!
_Aahmes._
Egypt is here.
(_Ranoutet wrings her hands._)
_Nouferou._
I am the dawn, and I am Egypt! Beyond the circle of my arms lies
the night. I am the dawn, and I am Egypt! When I speak with my
beloved the voices of all the world are hushed, and he hears me
only.
_Ranoutet._
O Hathor, look upon this image which I hold in the flames, that
the spell may fall from him in whose semblance it is made, and he
may be undefiled before thee.
(_The chant continues._)
Drums batter, cymbals clash, our hearts and feet
Responding to one splendid measure,
Wrapt with the glory of our mighty pleasure!
Standards on high our enemies to greet!
Answering the dawn’s light with our eyes aglow,
Serene and proud and passionate we go,
Treading the pasture sweet.
_Ranoutet._
The banners are unfurled, standards are raised on high.
_Aahmes._
Who is it that cries in the night?
_Nouferou._
Listen to my voice, O my beloved!
_Ranoutet._
O Hathor, let the spells woven by this woman dissolve before
thee, thou flaming eye of Heru. Let them fall from thy servant,
that he may stand upright and cast them away as the soul casts
away mortality.
(_She reverses the dance. The chant continues_:)
No man of us can be disheartened now;
Death have we challenged by this trial;
Before the hosts of death we dare denial.
Swift mother of our arms, do thou,
Who gavest us our land and the bright sun,
Give us the perfecting of work begun;
Only to thee we bow.
_Ranoutet._
The troops are in array!
_Aahmes._
What am I dreaming?
_Ranoutet._
The glamour of the witch-girl is upon you; your eyes are sealed
by her kiss. She has breathed the spirit of her dream into you.
_Nouferou._
I am the dawn, and I am Egypt. Sleep on, beloved, for our dreams
are a reality and the world a shadow.
(_The chant continues._)
O heart’s blood of remembrance! Long ago
This land upheld our ancient fathers,
And for this land, your land, our land now gathers
One fellowship against the foe.
The spears flash! Be they as your mothers’ eyes.
The trump sounds! Hearken to your fathers’ cries!
March you to battle so![1]
-----
Footnote 1:
N.B.—This poem is largely quoted from “The Coming of War,” by Lionel
Johnson.
-----
_Aahmes_
(_starting away while Nouferou clings to him_). Your eyes are
demon’s eyes! Your arms are chains about my neck! I am lost!
(_He shakes her off._)
_Ranoutet._
The spirit of Temptation has awakened in this girl. Through her
Hathor has tried your strength of purpose, and it has failed you.
Go now to the battle, and pray to the mercy of Hathor that she
may use your arm to strike the Hyksos, so that you fail not in
this also.
_Aahmes_
(_cries_) I am lost! I am lost! (_As he goes voices outside._)
Aahmes! mighty Aahmes!
_Ranoutet_
(_prays_). May Aahmes go forth like the panther of the South! May
Aahmes go forth under the ægis of Hathor in the radiance of her
light! May Aahmes not forget Egypt, Egypt the mother of the
mighty! May Aahmes remember her in her need, that she may requite
him!
_Nouferou._
Woe, woe unto Egypt for the pain she has wrought!
She has warred against love, and love shall abandon her!
Wisdom is very powerful, but she cannot conquer love!
Wisdom is immortal, but love will destroy her works!
_Ranoutet._
Silence! before the sacrilege of your speech reaches to heaven
and awakes the wrath of Hathor, which, shaking the four pillars
of the world, would crush you into dust. Love must serve and
wisdom rule; but you would put love above all! Your love would
have put out the light that shines from the glory of Egypt, and
serve the cause of Egypt’s foes! You would have shamed Aahmes to
all time that love might rule his soul one little hour!
_Nouferou._
I would see Aahmes dead—dead and dishonoured before I’d give him
up to you, Ranoutet!
_Ranoutet._
Hush, hush! even now the battle begins! (_Enter Ouny._) Give me
the magic mirror. (_She looks in it._) Aahmes is in his chariot
leading the attack. Help me, Ouny.
(_Nouferou sits on the couch with her head bowed._)
_Ranoutet_ (_to Ouny_).
Lay the Hyksos’ chiefs under Aahmes’ feet, and when the sistrum
is shaken and the lute is plucked by the chanters and musicians
in the temple court, the Lady Nouferou will help you wave the
holy wands around him, so that the immortal serpents, guardians
of our land, may weave the web of protection round him and round
our troops.
(_Ouny arranges the images as in Egyptian triumphs described
above by Nouferou. Ranoutet holds out serpent wands to
Nouferou, who refuses with a gesture._)
_Ranoutet_ (_pleadingly_).
To-night the goddess strives with the destroyer for Aahmes’ soul!
Think! even now the Threefold Terror may devour him!
_Nouferou._
If Aahmes dies now he is mine—mine on the golden borders of
heaven; if he lives he is yours and Hathor’s.
_Ranoutet._
If Aahmes dies in sin, faithless to Hathor, his soul must die the
second death! There will be no light life for him on the horizons
with you for playfellow.
_Nouferou._
I will not believe it!
_Ranoutet._
That is the law of Hathor. Her servant must be faithful, or he
dies body and soul, and his name is trodden out by the Sebau in
the deepest cavern of Duat.
_Nouferou._
Woe! woe! Desolation, oh desolation! Has Hathor no mercy?
_Ranoutet._
Have you had mercy in your jealous rage? To the battle! to the
battle! Do as I do, and lift up your heart in prayer that Egypt
may conquer, and that Aahmes may conquer in his mortal combat!
(_pause_). And listen to my voice, if Aahmes dies your life shall
be the forfeit! (_Seizes her throat._) The traitress has short
trial in time of war!
_Nouferou._
Mercy! mercy!
_Ranoutet_ (_contemptuously_).
Mercy! see that your actions are fit for justice. (_The music in
the temple court is heard._) Quick, to the serpent dance!
(_Holding out the serpent wands._) Here, take the wands of power
and weave the magic cord.
_The priests chant outside._ Yeioret!
(_Nouferou and Ouny perform a dance._)
_Ranoutet._
Now call the spirits of the earth and sky!
_The priests chant._ Yakhu pout! Yakhu taw!
(_Nouferou and Ouny dance._)
_Ranoutet._
Now clash the cymbals (_presents them ceremonially_), and I will
call on the vultures of death—swift servants of the mother of our
arms!
_The priests chant._ Maut! Maut!
(_Nouferou and Ouny dance and clash cymbals. Drums,
sistrums, and cries of victory rising to a great clamour
without._)
_Nouferou_
(_seizes the image of Aahmes and shrieks_). Then let Aahmes die!
(_She shatters it on the ground and rushes out, Ouny hastens
to replace it._)
_Ranoutet_ (_sternly_).
Go, bring the meaning of this clamour. (_Ouny goes._)
_Ranoutet_
(_gathering together the pieces of the image_). This deed brings
judgment, for it shows that the hour is come when the Truth that
is eternal and the Truth that is of time will divide the ways of
Aahmes. As the semblance of Aahmes is broken, so shall the soul
of Aahmes be broken, and the victory be to the flesh alone. O
Lady Hathor! thou hast given this deed as a sign and an omen.
Nouferou has shattered the semblance of Aahmes, and has broken up
the waters of his soul! They no longer reflect the divine image;
but the troubled fantasies of love and human life. Verily Thy
judgments are keen and sudden as the lightnings in heaven, and
the thunders of Thy punishments make the earth shake in fear! The
ways wherein Thou comest and goest are tremendous, and no foot
but Thine may tread them!
_Ouny_ (_returning_).
Through the crowd I saw the father of Nouferou driving in his
chariot with white horses, and he stopped before the gates of the
temple and asked for her, and she came out from between the gates
doing obeisance to him. She is white and tall, and the crowd
rejoiced to see her; but her father had no smile for her, and
took her into his chariot and made his way through the people,
the horses plunging and scattering them; and I saw her no more.
_Ranoutet._
That is well; let him look to her.
(_Shouts of_ Aahmes! _outside_.)
_Ouny._
The people shout because great Aahmes is in the midst of them.
Their voice is like the hoarse note of the marsh-birds. He comes
that you should bless the victory.
(_Enter Aahmes. Kneels at Ranoutet’s feet._)
_Aahmes._
O Priestess of Hathor, smite me across the mouth that I may be
dumb, for I am not worthy to speak in the temple! Take away my
ears from me, that I may no longer hear the voice of Hathor; that
terrible voice which carries judgment: for I have failed in the
great trial.
_Ranoutet._
This plant of failure, Aahmes, which you have sown, bears a
flower which to the outward seeming is of splendid colour and a
sweet smell, and its name is Power. Put it upon your heart, and
be strong to rule our people; but know that such a blossom is
arid, and holds no promise of immortal fruit. Have power and the
ruling of the kingdom, but have sorrow also, and eternal grief;
because the doors of Hathor’s sanctuary open to you no more.
SLOW CURTAIN.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE SHRINE OF THE
GOLDEN HAWK. ❦ ❦
❦ _The Priest of the Waters is seated. Enter the Priest of the
Harvests._
❦ ❦ ❦ ❦ ❦ ❦ ❦ ❦ ❦ ❦ ❦ ❦
_The Priest of Harvests._
Our Master finishes his work to-night.
_The Priest of Waters._
At last! Each day his spirit becomes more charged with lonely
suspicion. I doubt sometimes if this act of faith will bear good
fruit for us.
_The Priest of Harvests._
Do not fear. Gebuel, being a great magician and our master, has
promised us the victory. Even the Majesty of Egypt, whose name
shakes our land, is to be overcome.
_The Priest of Waters._
Gebuel shall overcome Zozer, the enemy of our arts.
_The Priest of Harvests._
Hark! did you not hear the distant thunder? Which of us has dared
name the king of Egypt for these many years?
_The Priest of Waters._
Pah! He, whom I have named, is the enemy of our arts. When
I cursed the land of Egypt with a great flood, he opened
watercourses, and the evil became a good, and the desert
was no longer waste.
_The Priest of Harvests._
The curse of famine, which I laid upon the land of Egypt, was
unavailing. I cursed the land when he, whom you have named, was
using the strength of his people to build the pyramid of six
heights and four sides as a tower of magic; for it is raised
above that chamber which lies empty, hidden deep in the earth,
waiting for the divine secret which is to manifest in its depths
and make full its vacancy.
_The Priest of Waters._
Curse the king over Egypt, for he has wrought so that our power
falls from us.
_The Priest of Harvests._
Curse the king over Egypt, for he has annulled the ancient law to
which all the works of men have been obedient! He has made bread
from the substance of heaven; wherewith he fed his people when it
was my will that they should starve.
_The Priest of Waters._
To-night great Gebuel will bless the talisman of Heru, for the
power of Heru is supreme: and if his godhead is on our side, not
even the Egyptian himself can work against our will.
_The Priest of Harvests._
The fire of Heru will take the form of the Golden Hawk; and his
wings shall stretch out, and he shall hover over the secret place
which Gebuel, blessed be he, has made of precious stones and rare
metals. And our ancient glory shall be given to us once more.
_The Priest of Waters._
So long as the Golden Hawk is with us, victory is with us.
_The Priest of Harvests._
Only the taking from us of the Golden Hawk can take victory from
us.
_Gebuel_ (_without_).
Ruler of the rivers and the floods, prepare for the coming of the
Hawk of the North!
_The Priest of Waters._
Here I obey, great Gebuel.
_Gebuel._
Ruler of the Harvests and the Famines, prepare for the coming of
the Hawk of the North!
_The Priest of Harvests._
Here I obey, great Gebuel.
(_Gebuel enters, carrying the enamelled pectoral of the
Golden Hawk._)
_Gebuel._
Let the ruler of the floods and of the storms stand on my right
hand.
(_The Priest of Waters brings libation vase to his right._)
_Gebuel._
Let the ruler of the harvest and the famines stand on my left
hand.
(_The Priest of Harvests brings corn and a cone of bread to
his left._)
_Gebuel._
Take the perfected talisman of the Golden Hawk between your hands
while I invoke Heru, who rests upon the central pillar of the
world! Heru, whose four servers uphold the shining adamantine
heavens! Heru, who has sent forth his retinue to the uttermost
limits of the earth, and remains solitary in the midst whilst
they wind the magic cord on the circle of the wheel. Heru, the
axletree of flame, the source of the fire of life!
(_The priests each hold one side of the pectoral while
Gebuel rests his hands on their shoulders and prays._)
_Gebuel._
O Ancient, before all time! Supreme Ruler over the work of That
Mighty Countenance which speaks the Word of Life! Pour thy golden
fire into this Golden Hawk now coming into being. I have made
thee in the image of the mountain hawk which thou hast chosen to
be thy symbol because of his fearless eye, which alone can
affront the eye of heaven. Thou hast commanded, and I have made
thy visible image in unchanging gold. May thy chosen ones rejoice
in its presence, feeling the spirit of peace resting upon them.
(_Removes his hands from the shoulders of the priests._) Lift the
bolt of the doors of the sanctuary.
(_Priests go out. Gebuel holds the pectoral on high. Priests
return._)
_Priests._
It is done, mighty one.
(_Gebuel stands before the door. The priests kneel on either
side of him._)
_Gebuel._
Hail in the holy place of thine Epiphany, solitary one! O thou
who restest on the star in the centre of the Northern heavens!
That star which alone is immovable. Thou art the celestial abode
of our god, Star of the North! Divine Hawk, hovering in the blue
night, dark as lapis lazuli! Immovable eye, in the midst of the
wheel of the stars, send down a ray from thy splendid solitude
upon this hawk—image of thee, thou solitary one, resting upon the
empty air, immovable as thou art in the midst of heaven. Let the
Priest of the Harvest and the Famine do homage before Heru! (_He
prostrates himself._) Let the Priest of the Floods and the Storms
do homage before Heru! (_He prostrates himself._) Hail, Hawk of
Gold! I give thy symbol into thine own keeping. Hail to thee,
resting over the Star of the North!
(_Veils himself and enters the sanctuary. The priests rise
and replace their symbols upon the altar._)
_The Priest of Harvests._ So long as Heru in the form of the
Golden Hawk is hidden within the shrine, victory is hidden
between our hands.
_The Priest of Waters._ The Golden Hawk is hidden within the
shrine; and victory is hidden between our hands.
(_Gebuel re-enters trembling. The priests support him._)
_Gebuel._
I am stricken by his eyes; I am stricken by the eyes of Heru.
(_They lead him to the seat._)
_Gebuel_ (_staring in front of him_).
The Star of the North shines beyond the open gates; but some
strong hand holds me back. I have a strange knowledge of one
coming—whose coming will bring darkness. (_Tries to stand._) I
cannot stand. Close the doors quickly. Drop the bolt. (_This is
done._) Bring me the sweet-smelling fire that I may breathe it
and find strength. (_They burn incense. He gradually recovers._)
Bring me the stones of wisdom, that I may understand this
portent. (_They bring two stones._) Let the secret be read and
the sign given. Speak! let me know the riddle. (_He holds the
stones to his ears. He says to the priests_) Leave me, for the
answer is adverse. There is a secret evil even at the doors of
this holy place. Go cleanse yourselves with rites till I summon
you again before me. (_The attendant priests go out._) O Heru,
dost thou demand that a victim should be sacrificed? How have I
unwittingly sinned against thee? Thou sayest, “One must be made
desolate.” Someone is to be made desolate.
(_Nectoris knocks outside._)
_Gebuel._
Who is there?
_Nectoris._
A wanderer.
_Gebuel._
There is food and shelter for all a little to the westward of
this place.
_Nectoris._
I ask no food for the body. I come to feed the soul on wisdom.
(_Gebuel opens the door._) Hail to you, guardian of the
mysteries.
(_She salutes him in the Egyptian manner._)
_Gebuel._
What wisdom do you seek?
_Nectoris._
The wisdom of the Golden Hawk.
_Gebuel._
Who told you of this place?
_Nectoris._
In my dreams I went into the forest where the bronze and gold
serpents coil like flames amid the leaves, and they made me wise
with great sayings, and the spirits of power passed into my
spirit; for the forest was the forest of knowledge. But when I
held the image of the Hawk exalted on the standard of the crossed
pole before the serpents, they paled and grew dim in the presence
of a strength greater than theirs; and as I looked the wood
became silent and empty, and the creatures of the wisdom, which
is of time, faded away.
_Gebuel._
The serpent is wisdom from the beginning of time, but the Golden
Hawk is poised in the immensities between that which has been and
the revelation of the last secret.
_Nectoris._
Even so. I saw before me the Hawk brooding with spread wings in
space beyond the worlds, in the midst of the network of the
stars; and as its wings moved they fanned the golden denseness of
the air, and sparks arose and came and went like luminous winged
creatures.
_Gebuel._
They are the flames of life.
_Nectoris._
I saw three towers rising from the head of the bird like a great
crown, and from them sprang the souls of the heroes.
_Gebuel._
Even so. This is one of the greater mysteries.
_Nectoris._
From the wings and the heart sprang the souls of the workers, who
make beautiful all they touch.
_Gebuel._
The heart is the kindling will of the golden one.
_Nectoris._
From the feet of the bird came the workers of less skill and
cunning, and these make the foundations of the works of beauty,
and drift onwards, without the inspiration and the kindling fire.
_Gebuel._
Where did you learn to discern these mysteries, my daughter?
_Nectoris._
Since my childhood I have lived among strangers in a place of
dreams. I have wandered from land to land searching for wisdom. I
have but the sombre knowledge born of time, which is shattered
before the final ecstacy. Now my footsteps have brought me to
you, O great magician.
_Gebuel_ (_kindly_).
You are welcome.
_Nectoris._
I have been guided by some star that smiled on my nativity, which
was darkened until this day in obedience to a wisdom higher than
its own.
_Gebuel._
Why did you seek for me?
_Nectoris._
Your spirit springs from the triple crown. You alone can fill my
soul, hungering for satisfaction in that wisdom which is beyond,
hidden behind the veil. (_Gebuel sighs, feeling conscious of his
own difficulties. He is genuine in his interest in Nectoris._)
Will you not let me follow you one step beyond the threshold of
the golden sanctuary?
_Gebuel._
O child of the serpent wisdom, do you not know that no mortal may
look upon the face of Heru and live? Only after the purifications
of long silences, long fasts, and constant uplifting of the
heart, may one born of the human race purge himself of the
perishable substance of the life we know, and exchange it for the
imperishable essence of the shining ones. Only after such rites
have been performed may you hope to pass through the closed doors
of the sanctuary.
_Nectoris_ (_with passion_).
Let me but look upon the door.
_Gebuel._
The door is there—your first duty is to keep vigil. But beware of
the brightness hidden in the heart of the shrine. To look upon it
is to be blind; to be enfolded by its heat is to pass through
fires too potent for any human soul.
_Nectoris._
I will keep vigil.
_Gebuel._
You are rash! being young, and do not know that there is a wisdom
before which the sun pales and the stars are put out.
_Nectoris._
Let me begin the vigil that it may be the sooner ended!
_Gebuel._
To watch from this day until your span of earthly life is ended
would not be long enough. Be warned, let the shut door remain
closed.
_Nectoris._
Father of Wisdom, put me to the test. I will endure all
hardships.
_Gebuel._
No hardship is before those who worship Heru. I ask nothing but
obedience to my warning. Keep vigil before the door of the
sanctuary; the bolts are easy, the secret of secrets is within,
but remember the light of flame brings desolation. You are
warned.
_Nectoris_ (_as if in a dream_).
“The light shines forth and leaves you desolate.”
_Gebuel_ (_suddenly becoming suspicious_).
The words that were spoken to me out of the stones! Desolate—one
to be made desolate! Where have you heard those words?
_Nectoris._
They passed through the air as you were speaking.
_Gebuel._
The warning is given for the second time! To you the unseen
spirits are not dumb. How have you this power?
_Nectoris._
Great Master, I am but a little child in the presence of your
wisdom. I come not to show that I have knowledge, but to gain it
by your aid. I have heard the voices of the unseen ones since I
was a child, and taken no thought of it.
(_Gebuel claps his hands. The priests enter._)
_Gebuel._
Set guards about the door, and see that none go in or out this
day.
(_The priests salute and go out._)
_Gebuel_ (_sardonically_).
The secret of all knowledge is within the shrine. The vigil must
be long. You will be alone for many hours, and none will enter in
to disturb you. Have courage!
_Nectoris._
Your look upon me is heavy and cold as stone. O Master, do you
deny me the wisdom of the Golden Hawk, for which I ask in all
humility?
_Gebuel._
Again I say the secret is within the shrine. Keep vigil!
_Nectoris._
I am afraid! Your face has become like a mask of stone. The human
face is hidden behind it. I am afraid!
_Gebuel._
The secret is within the shrine. Keep vigil till I come again.
(_He goes._)
_Nectoris_ (_shrieks_).
This terror kills me! (_She throws off her veil._) Spirit of
Zozer my father, I call on you for help! My flesh fails—I cannot
move, Father in thy magic shrine, save me! Father in thy magic
shrine, reign over me! Father in thy magic shrine, pour thy will
into me, for I am powerless alone! Spirit of Zozer my father,
help thy child!
(_She sinks on the floor. The Ka glides in and covers
herself with the veil._)
_The Ka._
Look upon me. I am with you. You have begun well, and are worthy
of your inheritance. Do not fail now. Have you forgotten your
father’s words?
_Nectoris._
Sister of my soul! they are in my heart for ever.
_The Ka._
Speak them.
_Nectoris._
He said, a Golden Hawk has been fashioned by the magicians of
Mount Bakhua, and will be hidden by them in a sanctuary. Its
capture would bring joy and great knowledge to Egypt. If you, a
woman wise with the serpent wisdom, should gain that sanctuary
and bring back the amulet, I will give the throne of Egypt to you
and to your daughters for ever; that honour may be paid to the
woman of splendid courage. And no man shall reign over Egypt, in
his own right, from that day.
_The Ka._
So he swore to you. You know what is within this shrine; enter
and take the Golden One for your people.
_Nectoris._
The face of the Guardian was terrible when he left me, as though
he knew I were tempting the gods to my ruin. Can a mortal look on
that hidden brightness and live?
_The Ka._
You are not mortal. The pure essence of the gods, whereof your
spirit is made, is but veiled with a gossamer of substance. Have
not we, O my sister soul, passed together through the flames
which cleanse us from mortality? Have I not stripped you naked of
that mortal flesh, which gives terror to the whirl of time and to
the immensity of the abyss, when your mortal heart died in you,
and your spirit dared greatly in those spaces beyond knowledge?
_Nectoris._
I will cast out trembling from my heart in this hour, and take
the strong soul which no passion can shake; that I may enter into
the shrine and win the Golden One for my people and the throne of
Egypt for myself and my daughters.
_The Ka._
Egypt is great and skilled in august mysteries; and to reign over
her and to follow her wisdom is to become equal with the gods;
and when the last mysteries are won, even greater than they.
Kneel with me, that we may together call the powers forth from
their hidingplace, for the great Heru is not without us. We shall
find him in ourselves.
(_They kneel._)
O thou whose wings cover the earth! cover the body of thy
servant, that she may find the living flame within herself, and
enter without fear before thee! O Hawk of the North, whose secret
places are paved with fire which consumeth time and the substance
thereof! bless the feet of thy servant that she may pass
unscathed to thy throne. O Heru, whose eye pierces the earth and
the heavens, bless the eyes of thy servant that she may look upon
thee and live. O Heru, on whose brow lies the weight of wisdom,
bless the brow of thy servant, that she may bind upon it the
triple crown of glory; and that she may win the wisdom of the
Golden Hawk, and give it to her people.
(_Nectoris rises and enters the shrine. The Ka looks after
her._)
_The Ka._
The bolts are lifted and the doors turn in their sockets. She
kneels, and fear wraps her round as a grey garment. O sister, let
the light of Heru pierce you. She rises, and her fear is rent
upon her as lightning rends the flesh. She is clothed in the cold
fires of the Northern Star. She flings her arms to the air, and a
wild joy is in her heart. The spirit and the flesh wrestle for
victory, for she has yet some part in what is mortal. She cannot
breathe—she speaks at last!
_Nectoris_ (_within_).
Let my feet move now in triumph to the music of the worlds beyond
space, where thy mighty heart beats out the rhythm, making the
worlds to fall and rise in their order, and the stars to follow
in their courses! I am drunk with conquest, and I shake the
sistrum and dance with my naked feet unscathed upon thy golden
floor! And the measures I dance are to me as the movement of a
great army which has scaled the awful walls of thy majesty, and
taken the fortress of thy wisdom!
_The Ka._
She moves in the dance as one who sees a splendour which is
beyond the eye of man. Her limbs shine in the nimbus of the Hawk
of Glory. She is more golden than the talisman upon her breast.
She is here! (_Dances._) She is around me! (_Dances._) Her
substance is not mortal! (_Dances._) She is around me; the flames
sweep over me, and the shadows of time pass away! (_Dances._)
Nectoris, my sister soul, the victory is won! (_Dances, and
passes into the shrine._)
_Gebuel_ (_enters and looks round_).
Yet another vigil broken! Heru has chosen his victim. He has
called her into the shrine that he may slay her. One more mortal
light put out by the light of the gods!
(_Nectoris appears at the door of the shrine, radiant,
looking younger and full of exultation. The amulet is on her
breast._)
_Gebuel._
You are not slain before the face of Heru?
_Nectoris._
I am not slain!
_Gebuel._
How have you, being unveiled, looked upon his face?
_Nectoris._
I look unharmed upon the face of the god because his eyes are my
eyes, and his power is my power, his spirit is my spirit. I am an
Egyptian and mistress of the mysteries. I have become one with
Heru, for I have eaten of his substance and I have drunk of his
spirit, and I am henceforth ruler of the holy places. Whoso is
made one with the gods makes their holy places desolate, and
himself becomes their sanctuary; and his being is greater than
theirs, being made of their own substance. For he has devoured
their mystical rites and symbols, he has swallowed their shining
forms, he has eaten the power and wisdom of every god, and the
period of his life is eternity!
_Gebuel._
Let the presence of Heru seal your blasphemous lips!
_Nectoris._
Yes, you are in the presence of the Flame of Life. I, a woman of
Egypt, have been chosen to pierce this mystery, and have entered
into the shrine of the Golden One, and his fires have not burned,
neither has his eye wounded me. The wise sister of my spirit
enfolded me in safety, and gathered about me the shining garment
of Heru. Enter in, O magician, and look upon the place of flame.
Enter into the empty shrine which has yielded its treasure to me.
The Golden Hawk is on my breast as a sign. Heru has put his
finger upon me and marked me for his own, and I am Egypt. I go to
my own country that I may sit on the throne and give wisdom and
exultation of heart to my people.
_Gebuel._
Desolation has fallen upon me! I am myself the victim of Heru.
Verily it is true, “In his shining I have seen darkness, and the
light of mine eyes has been put out.” You are stronger than I;
the amulet of the god lies upon your heart and does not strike
you dead. You have won it; let your triumph be enough. Give me
back my Golden Hawk, which I have made of the imperishable
substance of the earth!
_Nectoris._
I carry the Golden Hawk to my father, wise and beautiful Zozer,
builder of the pyramid of six heights and four sides, that he may
place it in the secret sanctuary under the bolt of granite that
will answer to the touch of his finger, but takes the strength of
a hundred men to lift.
_Gebuel._
Daughter of Zozer, wise and beautiful, let the spirit of your
victory remain with you, and give me back my image of the god;
that I, who am less than you, may see and worship with mine eyes,
which may only look upon the god in his semblance.
_Nectoris._
You can follow Heru into Egypt, O magician, and so long the
secret lord of this place! Your day is darkened. Come with your
god into Egypt, and serve him in that new land which is thirsty
for him; you shall see the dawn again when his light rises in a
great country, and you shall teach his wisdom.
_Gebuel._
And if I follow you, will it be to forsake this shrine which I
have made of precious stones and metals, each stone with its own
secret?—in chrysoprase the secret of vision, in amethyst the
inner fire of the soul, in chrysolyte the secret of seership, in
lapis lazuli the hidden wisdom, and in cornelian the secret of
ritual.
_Nectoris._
Bring the dwellingplace of Heru with you, for it is sacred; and
you are the master of these things. And my people shall hold you
in high honour, and your works shall live after you, wrought in
amethyst and in cornelian, in chrysoprase and in chrysolyte, and
in lapis lazuli. Bring the shrine of Heru, for his spirit goes
before. And put chains on the necks of your priests, and bend
their wills to the will of the great one who rules in Egypt, that
there may be no more floods or famines in the land.
_Gebuel._
O wearer of the Golden Hawk! Daughter of Zozer of whom prophecy
has spoken! Daughter of Zozer, builder of the pyramid of which
the six heights are the steps of wisdom, I follow you, and my
priests shall follow you; we are the victims upon his altar. Is
not the dwelling of Heru my dwelling? and shall not the shrine of
Heru be the eternal resting-place of my spirit? I follow you, O
great among women, for you are the will of Heru made manifest.
_Chorus of Priests._
Immovable in heaven, we adore thee. Heru, Hawk of Gold, we adore
thee.
CURTAIN.
NOTE.—It is interesting to point out that the final ecstasy of Nectoris
is quoted thought for thought from the earliest Egyptian texts which
have yet been discovered. Just as the Modern World has come to think of
Heaven as a state rather than as a place, so we learn from these texts
that the wise men of the Ancient World had gone a step farther, and knew
the gods to be states and not persons.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[Illustration: Logo for F. F., printer, Croydon]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Transcriber’s Notes
This file uses _underscores_ to indicate italic text, except on the
title page, where quotation marks were used for improved readability.
The text uses the terms “Yeoiret” and “Yeioret” once each. These are
likely supposed to be the same, but since it was not clear which was
correct, they have been left as printed.
Itemized changes from the original text:
In _The Beloved of Hathor_:
• Changed “Mout” to “Maut” in line: Maut, the Vulture-Mother
• Adjusted final punctuation in stage direction: (_re-enters,
muttering_).
• Supplied missing opening parentheses in stage direction: (_The chant
continues._)
• Added period after stage direction: _Aahmes_ (_cries_).
• Added period after stage direction: (_As he goes voices outside._)
• Added period after stage direction: _Ranoutet_ (_prays_).
In _The Shrine of the Golden Hawk_:
• Supplied missing opening parentheses in stage direction: (_The Priest
of Harvests brings corn...._
• “Priests” changed to “Priest” in line: Let the Priest of the Harvest
and the Famine do homage before Heru!
• “_Priest of the Harvests._” changed to “_The Priest of Harvests._” to
match other occurrences before line: So long as Heru in the form of
the Golden Hawk....
• “_Priest of the Waters._” changed to “_The Priest of Waters._” to
match other occurrences before line: The Golden Hawk is hidden within
the shrine....
• Adjusted final punctuation in stage direction: (_She salutes him in
the Egyptian manner._)
*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE BELOVED OF HATHOR AND THE SHRINE OF THE GOLDEN HAWK ***
Updated editions will replace the previous one—the old editions will
be renamed.
Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright
law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works,
so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United
States without permission and without paying copyright
royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part
of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project
Gutenberg™ electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG™
concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark,
and may not be used if you charge for an eBook, except by following
the terms of the trademark license, including paying royalties for use
of the Project Gutenberg trademark. If you do not charge anything for
copies of this eBook, complying with the trademark license is very
easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose such as creation
of derivative works, reports, performances and research. Project
Gutenberg eBooks may be modified and printed and given away—you may
do practically ANYTHING in the United States with eBooks not protected
by U.S. copyright law. Redistribution is subject to the trademark
license, especially commercial redistribution.
START: FULL LICENSE
THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE
PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK
To protect the Project Gutenberg™ mission of promoting the free
distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work
(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase “Project
Gutenberg”), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full
Project Gutenberg™ License available with this file or online at
www.gutenberg.org/license.
Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg™
electronic works
1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg™
electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to
and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property
(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all
the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or
destroy all copies of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works in your
possession. If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a
Project Gutenberg™ electronic work and you do not agree to be bound
by the terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person
or entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8.
1.B. “Project Gutenberg” is a registered trademark. It may only be
used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who
agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few
things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg™ electronic works
even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See
paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project
Gutenberg™ electronic works if you follow the terms of this
agreement and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg™
electronic works. See paragraph 1.E below.
1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation (“the
Foundation” or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection
of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works. Nearly all the individual
works in the collection are in the public domain in the United
States. If an individual work is unprotected by copyright law in the
United States and you are located in the United States, we do not
claim a right to prevent you from copying, distributing, performing,
displaying or creating derivative works based on the work as long as
all references to Project Gutenberg are removed. Of course, we hope
that you will support the Project Gutenberg™ mission of promoting
free access to electronic works by freely sharing Project Gutenberg™
works in compliance with the terms of this agreement for keeping the
Project Gutenberg™ name associated with the work. You can easily
comply with the terms of this agreement by keeping this work in the
same format with its attached full Project Gutenberg™ License when
you share it without charge with others.
1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern
what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are
in a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States,
check the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this
agreement before downloading, copying, displaying, performing,
distributing or creating derivative works based on this work or any
other Project Gutenberg™ work. The Foundation makes no
representations concerning the copyright status of any work in any
country other than the United States.
1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg:
1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other
immediate access to, the full Project Gutenberg™ License must appear
prominently whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg™ work (any work
on which the phrase “Project Gutenberg” appears, or with which the
phrase “Project Gutenberg” is associated) is accessed, displayed,
performed, viewed, copied or distributed:
This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most
other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions
whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms
of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online
at www.gutenberg.org. If you
are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws
of the country where you are located before using this eBook.
1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg™ electronic work is
derived from texts not protected by U.S. copyright law (does not
contain a notice indicating that it is posted with permission of the
copyright holder), the work can be copied and distributed to anyone in
the United States without paying any fees or charges. If you are
redistributing or providing access to a work with the phrase “Project
Gutenberg” associated with or appearing on the work, you must comply
either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 or
obtain permission for the use of the work and the Project Gutenberg™
trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.
1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg™ electronic work is posted
with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution
must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any
additional terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms
will be linked to the Project Gutenberg™ License for all works
posted with the permission of the copyright holder found at the
beginning of this work.
1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg™
License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this
work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg™.
1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this
electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without
prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with
active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project
Gutenberg™ License.
1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary,
compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including
any word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access
to or distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg™ work in a format
other than “Plain Vanilla ASCII” or other format used in the official
version posted on the official Project Gutenberg™ website
(www.gutenberg.org), you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense
to the user, provide a copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means
of obtaining a copy upon request, of the work in its original “Plain
Vanilla ASCII” or other form. Any alternate format must include the
full Project Gutenberg™ License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1.
1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying,
performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg™ works
unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.
1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing
access to or distributing Project Gutenberg™ electronic works
provided that:
• You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from
the use of Project Gutenberg™ works calculated using the method
you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is owed
to the owner of the Project Gutenberg™ trademark, but he has
agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the Project
Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments must be paid
within 60 days following each date on which you prepare (or are
legally required to prepare) your periodic tax returns. Royalty
payments should be clearly marked as such and sent to the Project
Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the address specified in
Section 4, “Information about donations to the Project Gutenberg
Literary Archive Foundation.”
• You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies
you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he
does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg™
License. You must require such a user to return or destroy all
copies of the works possessed in a physical medium and discontinue
all use of and all access to other copies of Project Gutenberg™
works.
• You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of
any money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the
electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days of
receipt of the work.
• You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free
distribution of Project Gutenberg™ works.
1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project
Gutenberg™ electronic work or group of works on different terms than
are set forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing
from the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the manager of
the Project Gutenberg™ trademark. Contact the Foundation as set
forth in Section 3 below.
1.F.
1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable
effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread
works not protected by U.S. copyright law in creating the Project
Gutenberg™ collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg™
electronic works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may
contain “Defects,” such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate
or corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other
intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or
other medium, a computer virus, or computer codes that damage or
cannot be read by your equipment.
1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the “Right
of Replacement or Refund” described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project
Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project
Gutenberg™ trademark, and any other party distributing a Project
Gutenberg™ electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all
liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal
fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT
LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE
PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE
TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE
LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR
INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH
DAMAGE.
1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a
defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can
receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a
written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you
received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium
with your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you
with the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in
lieu of a refund. If you received the work electronically, the person
or entity providing it to you may choose to give you a second
opportunity to receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If
the second copy is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing
without further opportunities to fix the problem.
1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth
in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you ‘AS-IS’, WITH NO
OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT
LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE.
1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied
warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of
damages. If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement
violates the law of the state applicable to this agreement, the
agreement shall be interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or
limitation permitted by the applicable state law. The invalidity or
unenforceability of any provision of this agreement shall not void the
remaining provisions.
1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the
trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone
providing copies of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works in
accordance with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the
production, promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg™
electronic works, harmless from all liability, costs and expenses,
including legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of
the following which you do or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this
or any Project Gutenberg™ work, (b) alteration, modification, or
additions or deletions to any Project Gutenberg™ work, and (c) any
Defect you cause.
Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg™
Project Gutenberg™ is synonymous with the free distribution of
electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of
computers including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It
exists because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations
from people in all walks of life.
Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the
assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg™’s
goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg™ collection will
remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project
Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure
and permanent future for Project Gutenberg™ and future
generations. To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary
Archive Foundation and how your efforts and donations can help, see
Sections 3 and 4 and the Foundation information page at www.gutenberg.org.
Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation
The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non-profit
501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the
state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal
Revenue Service. The Foundation’s EIN or federal tax identification
number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg Literary
Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent permitted by
U.S. federal laws and your state’s laws.
The Foundation’s business office is located at 809 North 1500 West,
Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887. Email contact links and up
to date contact information can be found at the Foundation’s website
and official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact
Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg
Literary Archive Foundation
Project Gutenberg™ depends upon and cannot survive without widespread
public support and donations to carry out its mission of
increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be
freely distributed in machine-readable form accessible by the widest
array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations
($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt
status with the IRS.
The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating
charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United
States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a
considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up
with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations
where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To SEND
DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any particular state
visit www.gutenberg.org/donate.
While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we
have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition
against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who
approach us with offers to donate.
International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make
any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from
outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff.
Please check the Project Gutenberg web pages for current donation
methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other
ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. To
donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate.
Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg™ electronic works
Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project
Gutenberg™ concept of a library of electronic works that could be
freely shared with anyone. For forty years, he produced and
distributed Project Gutenberg™ eBooks with only a loose network of
volunteer support.
Project Gutenberg™ eBooks are often created from several printed
editions, all of which are confirmed as not protected by copyright in
the U.S. unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not
necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper
edition.
Most people start at our website which has the main PG search
facility: www.gutenberg.org.
This website includes information about Project Gutenberg™,
including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary
Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to
subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks.
