"This young man reviles the gods and miracles; he enters foreign temples, he excites the men to rebellion. These are no small matters," said Mefres, bitterly. This priest could not pardon Ramses for having jeered at his devotion so rudely.
The high priest Sem loved Ramses; so he answered with a kindly smile,
"What laborer is there in Egypt who would not like to have a slave, and abandon hard labor for sweet idleness? Or what man is there on earth who is without the dream of not paying taxes, since with that which he pays the treasury, his wife, he himself, and his children might buy showy clothes and use various dainties?"
"Idleness and excessive outlay spoil a man," said Mentezufis.
"What warrior," continued Sem, "would not desire war and covet a thousand drachmas, or even a greater sum? Further, I ask you, O fathers, what pharaoh, what nomarch, what noble pays old debts with alacrity, and does not look askance at the wealth of temples?"
"That is vile greed," whispered Mefres.
"And, finally," said Sem, "what heir to the throne has not dreamed of decreasing the importance of the priesthood? What pharaoh at the beginning of his reign has not tried to shake off the supreme council's influence?"
"Thy words are full of wisdom," said Mefres, "but to what may they lead us?"
"To this, not to accuse the heir before the supreme council, for there is no court that would condemn the prince for this, that earth-workers would be glad not to pay taxes, or that soldiers want war if they can have it. Nay, ye may receive a reprimand. For if ye had followed the prince day by day and restrained his minor excesses, we should not have at present that pyramid of complaints founded, moreover, on nothing. In such affairs the evil is not in this, that people are inclined to sin, for they have been so at all times. But the danger is here, that we have not guarded them. Our sacred river, the mother of Egypt, would very soon fill all canals with mud, if engineers ceased to watch it."
"And what wilt Thou say, worthiness, of the fictions which the prince permitted himself in speaking with us? Wilt Thou forgive his foul reviling of miracles?" inquired Mefres. "Moreover this stripling has insulted me grievously in my religious practices."