The Pillar of Fire; or, Israel in Bondage

by J. H. Ingraham

I found Remeses descending the river in a hundred-oared galley, to which I was conveyed by a barge which he sent for me, on recognizing me. It was decorated with the insignia of all the divisions of his army. Behind it came two galleys containing the prisoners of rank, who were bound in chains upon the deck. The Ethiopian king was in the galley with Remeses, who courteously let him go free in the cabin, where he was served by his conqueror's own cup-bearer. Further in the rear came the fleet, their parti-colored green, orange, blue, and scarlet sails, and the bronzed and gilded heads of hawks, eagles, wolves, lions, and ibises upon the topmasts, presenting a grand and brilliant spectacle. Ever and anon, a loud, wild shout would swell along the water, from the victorious troops. One half of the fleet had been left in the Thebaïd country with Prince Mœris, who intended to invade the interior of Ethiopia and menace its capital.

You may imagine, dear mother, that Remeses had many questions to ask and answer, as well as I. I drew from him a modest narrative of his battles; but he spoke more freely of the brilliant courage of Prince Mœris than of his own acts. After we had sat in the moonlight, upon the poop of his galley, conversing for several hours, I asked permission to see his royal captive, who I fancied was some wild savage chief, with the hairy head and neck of a lion, and the glaring eyes of a wolf. When I expressed my opinion to Remeses, he smiled and said:

"I will send to him and ask if he will receive me and the Prince of Tyre; for he has heard me make mention of you."

"You Egyptians treat your captives with delicate courtesy," I said, "to send to know if they will receive you."

"I fear such is not our custom. Captives taken in war by our soldiers, are, I fear, but little better off than those of other conquering armies; yet I have done all that is possible to alleviate their condition, and have forbidden unnecessary cruelty, such as tying their arms in unnatural positions and dragging them in long lines at the rear of running chariots! If you see the army on shore, you will find that it is hard to teach the Egyptian soldier mercy towards a captive foe."

I regarded the prince with silent admiration. "How is it," I asked of myself, "that this man is in advance of all his predecessors and before his age in virtue?"

"His majesty will see the Prince of Tyre and also his conqueror," were the words which the messenger brought to Remeses.

Descending a flight of steps, we advanced along a second deck, and then passing the door leading to the state-cabins, we descended again, and came to the range of apartments occupied by the governor of the rowers and the chief pilot. The latter had vacated his room to the royal captive. Upon entering, reclining on a couch of leopard's skins spread in the moonlight, which shone broadly in upon the floor through the columns that supported the deck, I beheld a young man, not more than my own age. His features were remarkable. His nose was slightly aquiline, his forehead high and commanding, his brows arched and delicate as a woman's, beneath which were the blackest and largest eyes I ever beheld, and which seemed to emit a burning splendor. His finely formed mouth was almost voluptuous in its fulness and expression; yet I could perceive a slight nervous contraction of the underlip, as if he were struggling between shame and haughty indifference, when he beheld us. His chin was without beard. His black locks were braided and bound up by a fillet of gold, studded with jewels. His helmet, which was of beaten gold, lay by his side dented with many a stroke of sword and battle-axe; and I saw that a wound upon his left temple corresponded to one of these indentations. His hands were very small, and of a nut-brown color (as was his complexion), and covered with massive rings. A collar, rich with emeralds, encircled his neck, from which was suspended an amulet of agate, and a little silver box containing a royal charm. He was dressed in a gaudy but rich robe of needle-work, which was open in front, and displayed a corselet and breastplate of the finest steel, inlaid with gold. His small feet were bare, save a light sandal of gilded gazelle-leather. Altogether he was as elegant and fine-looking a barbaric prince as one would care to behold, dear mother, and not at all the monster in aspect I had pictured him: yet I am well convinced, that in that splendid form lie powers of endurance which make him respected, by the barbarians he commands; and that within those fierce eyes blazes a soul, as fiery as any barbaric prince requires; while the firm expression of his mouth, at times, betrayed a resolved and iron will, with which no one of his subjects would willingly come into antagonism.

He half-rose gracefully from his recumbent attitude, and said, with an indolent yet not undignified air, and in good Koptic, as it is spoken in the Thebaïd:

"Welcome, Prince of Tyre! I am sorry I cannot extend to you the hospitality you merit. You see my kingdom is somewhat limited! As for you, O Prince of Egypt, who have a right to command, I need not ask you to be seated or recline." Then turning to me again, "I have heard of Tyre. You are a nation of merchants who cover the great sea with caravans of galleys, and plant your sandals in all lands. But you have not yet had Ethiopia beneath them."