And saw: and, lo, all naked in the day
In a waste place of bricks and shards he lay,
And clutched a burning kiln. And near him passed
The way and much folk jeering on the way,
Soldiers and priests, beggars and men of pride.
And Setne rolled him in the dust and cried:
'My children!' And a great lord rose in wrath:
'Thy children stand this hour at Pharaoh's side,
Thou naked man! Thou Priest whom none shall bless!
And ask for thee. What? Is it drunkenness?'
And Setne said: 'They live.' And said: 'O King,
Throw me, I pray, some robe in this distress,
Wrought by dead Nefrekepta in his ire.
I go to yield him up his worst desire,
A fork upon my neck, between my hands
A rod, and on my head a bowl of fire.'
One of the bondmen threw him, at that call,
A poor man's robe; and on to Pharaoh's Hall
He journeyed with them, and stretched out his arms
And clasped his sons, and told to Pharaoh all.
'Yea, take the Book, take quickly,' Pharaoh said,
'The rod, the fork, the fire upon thine head,
And seek dead Nefrekepta in his tomb,
And kneel and pray the pardon of the dead.'
And Setne heard; and quick ere set of sun
He stood before the Tomb, and one by one
Passed the great doors, and opened the last door,
And, lo, a light through all the chamber shone,
A great light, like the going forth of Ra.
And while he stood the Woman cried: 'Aha,
Setne, thou com'st! And if thou com'st alive
'Tis Ptah hath saved thee and the grace of Ptah.'
But Nefrekepta laughed. And Setne came
Kneeling: 'O King, with rod and fork and flame
I come,' he said; 'and yield thee up thy Book.
What is thy judgement? Is it further shame?'
But Nefrekepta laughed: 'I would not now
Make thee my slave, nor smite, nor burn thy brow.
This was enough.—Yet one thing lacketh me
Still, and thereto I bind thee by a vow.