Page:The land of enchantment (1907, Cassell).djvu/81

 “What a wretch he was!” said Harry. “And what happened to the poor bull?”

“He died from the wound, and was buried secretly by the priests. We must not, however, judge Cambyses as we would other men, for there is little doubt he was mad. Soon after he slew Apis he had his brother Smerdis put to death because he had a vision in which Smerdis sat on the royal throne, with his head touching the heavens. This dreadful act he followed up by slaying his sister.”

“What an awful brute!”

“It is said that her death was caused by the following incident. Cambyses had set a lion cub to fight a young dog. The dog was getting the worst of it when a brother pup came to his aid, and between the two they vanquished the cub. Cambyses was greatly delighted at this, but his sister burst into tears.

“‘Why dost thou weep?’ asked the king roughly.

“‘Alas! when I saw the young dog come to his brother’s help I thought of Smerdis, whom there was none to aid.’

“This angered Cambyses so much, say the Greeks, that he put her to death.

“On the other hand, the Egyptians say that she offended Cambyses by taking a lettuce one day at table and stripping off the leaves.

“‘My lord,’ she said, ‘when, thinkest thou, was the lettuce prettier—with its leaves, or as it is now?’

“Cambyses answered: ‘With its leaves.’

“‘Alas!’ she said, ‘thou hast done to the house of Cyrus evén as I have done to the lettuce.’

“But it was not only his own family that he treated thus. One day he summoned his most trusty messenger, Prexaspes, and said:

“‘What manner of man do the Persians think me, Prexaspes?’”

“Jolly awkward for Prexaspes,” put in Harry. “What did he say?”

“Prexaspes answered, ‘O King, they praise thee in all things but one. They say thou art too fond of wine.’

“This angered Cambyses, and he cried, ‘Ah! they say I drink too much, and am mad; I swear it is not true, and I will prove it to you, Prexaspes. There stands thy son, my cup-bearer, in the vestibule. Behold, if I shoot and hit him in the heart, the Persians will see that I am not mad, for no madman could take so sure an aim. If I miss him, then I grant them they are right.’