The pharaoh, lying on the bed with closed eyes, heard that gory counsel, and the whispers of the frightened courtiers. And when one of the physicians asked Herhor timidly if it were possible to take measures to seek proper children, Ramses XII recovered. He fixed his wise eyes on those present,
"The crocodile will not devour its own little ones," said he, "a jackal or a hyena will give its life for its whelps, and am I to drink the blood of Egyptian infants, who are my children? Indeed, I never could have believed that anyone would dare to prescribe means so unworthy."
The priest of the evil god fell to the pavement, and explained that in
Egypt no one had ever drunk the blood of infants but that the infernal
powers returned health by it. Such means at least were used in
Phoenicia and Assyria.
"Shame on thee!" replied the pharaoh, "for mentioning in the palace of Egyptian sovereigns disgusting subjects. Knowest Thou not that Phoenicians and Assyrians are barbarous? But among us the most unenlightened earth-tiller would not believe that blood, shed without cause, could be of service to any one."
Thus spoke he who was equal to immortals. The courtiers covered their faces, spotted now with shame, and the high priest of Set went silently out of the chamber.
Then Herhor, to save the quenching life of the sovereign, had recourse to the last means, and told the pharaoh that in one of the Theban temples, Beroes, the Chaldean, lived in secret. He was the wisest priest of Babylon a miracle worker without equal.
"For thee, holiness," said Herhor, "that sage is a stranger, and he has not the right to impart such important advice to the lord of Egypt. But, O Pharaoh, permit him to look at thee. I am sure that he will find a medicine to cure thy illness, and in no case will he offend thee by impious expressions."
The pharaoh yielded this time also to persuasions from his faithful servitors. And in two days Beroes, summoned in some mysterious way, was sailing down toward Memphis.
The wise Chaldean, even without examining the pharaoh minutely, gave this counsel,
"We must find a person in Egypt whose prayers reach the throne of the Highest. And if this person prays sincerely for the pharaoh, the sovereign will receive his health and live for long years in strength again."