The Cat of Bubastes: A Tale of Ancient EgyptHenty, G. A. (George Alfred)
History
The Cat of Bubastes: A Tale of Ancient Egypt
Henty, G. A. (George Alfred)
Adventure and adventurers -- Fiction; Egypt -- History -- To 332 B.C. -- Fiction
Another change was made, but more slowly. Soon after his ascension
Amuba assembled many of the leading men and chief priests in the
country, and explained to them the convictions held by himself and
Chebron and their wives, that there was but one God who ruled over
the world, and that this knowledge was the highest wisdom of the
Egyptians. He explained to the priests that he did not wish to
overthrow the temples or disturb the worship of the former gods, but
that he desired that the people should not remain in ignorance, but
should be taught that the gods as they worshiped them were but symbols
or images of the one great God. He said he had no thought of enforcing
his convictions upon others, but that all would be free to worship as
they pleased, and that at all times he and Chebron would be ready to
confer with those who wished to inquire into these matters.
In this matter alone Amuba met with much opposition in carrying out
his plans, and had he been less popular than he was with the people
his efforts might have cost him his throne and his life: but the Rebu
were devoted to him, and as the priests came gradually to see that the
change would not diminish their power, their opposition died away,
especially as many of the younger men were soon convinced by the
arguments of the king and his minister, and preached the new religion
with enthusiasm among the people. But it was not until many years
after that Amuba had the satisfaction of knowing that the one God was
worshiped among his people. He was well aware that the success of the
work was to no small extent due to the earnestness with which Mysa and
Ruth had labored among the wives and daughters of the nobles.
“How strangely things turn out,” Chebron said one day ten years after
their arrival in the land, when the little party who had traveled so
long together were gathered in a room in the palace. “At one time it
seemed that that unlucky shot of mine would not only bring ruin on all
connected with me but be a source of unhappiness to me to the end of
my life. Now I see that, except for the death of my father, it was the
most fortunate event of my life. But for that, I should all my life
have gone on believing in the gods of Egypt; but for that, although
you, Amuba and Jethro, might some day have made your escape, Mysa and
I would assuredly never have left Egypt, never have known anything of
the life of happiness and usefulness that we now enjoy. All this I
consider I owe to the fortunate shot that killed the Cat of Bubastes.”
THE END.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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