"The shades of the pharaohs would be more astonished if they heard that in this same Egypt in which the power of the pharaoh is hampered, some Chaldean trickster is influencing the fate of the nation."
"I do not believe my own ears," replied Mentezufis. "What dost Thou say of some Chaldean?"
The viceroy laughed sneeringly.
"I speak of Beroes. If thou, holy man, hast not heard of him, ask the revered Mefres, and if he has forgotten turn then to Herhor and Pentuer."
"That is a great secret of our temples
"A foreign adventurer came like a thief to Egypt, and put on the members of the supreme council a treaty so shameful that we should be justified in signing it only after we had lost battles, lost all our regiments and both capitals. And to think that this was done by one man, most assuredly a spy of King Assar! And our sages let themselves be so charmed by his eloquence, that, when the pharaoh would not let them give up Phoenicia, they disbanded regiments in every case, and caused war on our western boundary. Have we ever heard of a deed like this?" continued Ramses, no longer master of himself. "When it was just the time to raise the army to three hundred thousand and hurry on to Nineveh, those pious maniacs discharged twenty thousand men and fired their own dwelling-house."
Mefres, still and pale, listened to these jeers. At last he said,
"I know not, worthy lord, from what source Thou hast taken thy information. May it be as pure as the hearts of the highest counselors! But let us suppose that Thou art right, that some Chaldean priest had power to bring the council to sign a burdensome treaty with Assyria. If it happened thus, whence knowest Thou that that priest was not an envoy of the gods, who through his lips forewarned us of dangers hanging over Egypt?"
"How do the Chaldeans enjoy your confidence to such a degree?" asked the viceroy.
"The Chaldean priests are elder brothers of the Egyptians," interrupted
Mentezufis.