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A Strange Manuscript Found in a Copper Cylinder, Chapter 19. The Wonders of the "Amir"

Chapter 19. The Wonders of the "Amir"

We were drawn on cars up to the first terraced street, and here we found the vast multitude which we had seen from a distance. Crossing this street, we ascended and came to another precisely like it; then, still going on, we came to a third. Here there was an immense space, not overgrown with trees like the streets, but perfectly open. In the midst arose a lofty pyramid, and as I looked at it I could not refrain from shuddering; for it looked like the public altar, upon which in due time I should be compelled to make my appearance, and be offered up as a victim to the terrific superstitions of the Kosekin.

Crossing this great square, we came to a vast portal, which opened into a cavern with twinkling lights. The city itself extended above this, for we could see the terraced streets rising above our heads; but here our progress ended at the great cavern in the chief square, opposite the pyramid.

On entering the cavern we traversed an antechamber, and then passing on we reached a vast dome, of dimensions so great that I could perceive no end in that gloom. The twinkling lights served only to disclose the darkness and to indicate the immensity of the cavern. In the midst there arose two enormous columns, which were lost in the gloom above.

It was only by passing through this that we learned its great extent. We at length came to the other end, and here we saw numerous passages leading away. The Kohen led us through one of these, and after passing through several other domes of smaller dimensions we at length reached an apartment where we stopped. This place was furnished with couches and hangings, and lighted with flaming lamps. The light was distressing to those who had accompanied us, and many of them left, while the few who remained had to cover their eyes. Here we found that all preparations had been made. The apartments were all illuminated, though our love of light never ceased to be a matter of amazement to the Kosekin, and a bounteous repast was spread for us. But the Kohen and the others found the light intolerable, and soon left us to ourselves.

After the repast some women appeared to take Almah to her chamber, and, with the usual kindness of the Kosekin, they assured her that she would not be expected to obey the law of separation, but that she was to remain here, where she would be always within reach of me.

After her departure there came to visit me the lowest man in all the land of the Kosekin, though, according to our view, he would be esteemed the highest. This was the Kohen Gadol. His history had already been told me. I had learned that through lack of Kosekin virtue he had gradually sunk to this position, and now was compelled to hold in his hands more wealth, power, and display than any other man in the nation.

He was a man of singular appearance. The light was not so troublesome to him as to the others--he merely kept his eyes shaded; but he regarded me with a keen look of inquiry that was suggestive of shrewdness and cunning. I confess it was with a feeling of relief that I made this discovery; for I longed to find someone among this singular people who was selfish, who feared death, who loved life, who loved riches, and had something in common with me. This I thought I perceived in the shrewd, cunning face of the Kohen Gadol, and I was glad; for I saw that while he could not possibly be more dangerous to me than those self-sacrificing, self-denying cannibals whom I had thus far known, he might prove of some assistance, and might help me to devise means of escape. If I could only find someone who was a coward, and selfish and avaricious--if this Kohen Gadol could but be he--how much brighter my life would be! And so there happened to me an incredible thing, that my highest wish was now to find in the Kohen Gadol cowardice, avarice, and selfishness.

The Kohen was accompanied by a young female, richly attired, who, I afterward learned, was his daughter. Her name was Layelah, and she filled the office of Malca, which signifies queen; and though honorable with us above all, is among the Kosekin the lowest in the land. Layelah was so beautiful that I looked at her in amazement. She was very tall for one of the Kosekin, which made her stature equal to that of an ordinary girl with us; her hair was rich, dark and luxuriant, gathered about her head in great masses and bound by a golden band. Her features were delicate and perfect in their outline; her expression was noble and commanding. Her eyes were utterly unlike those of the other Kosekin; the upper lids had a slight droop, but that was all, and that was the nearest approach to the national blink. Her first entrance into the room seemed to dazzle her, and she shaded her eyes for a few moments, but after that she looked at me fixedly, and seemed to suffer no more inconvenience than I did. The perfect liberty of women among the Kosekin made this visit from her quite as natural as that of her father; and though she said but little on this occasion, she was an attentive listener and close observer.

Their visit was long, for they were evidently full of curiosity. They had heard much about me and wished to see more. It was the first time that I had found among the Kosekin the slightest desire to know where I had come from. Hitherto all had been content with the knowledge that I was a foreigner. Now, however, I found in the Kohen Gadol and Layelah a curiosity that was most eager and intense. They questioned me about my country, about the great world beyond the mountains, about the way in which I had come here, about the manners and customs of my countrymen. They were eager to know about those great nations of which I spoke, who loved light and life; about men who loved themselves better than others; of that world where men feared death and loved life, and sought after riches and lived in the light.

The sleeping-time came and passed, and my visitors were still full of eager questionings. It was Layelah who at last thought of the lateness of the hour. At a word from her the Kohen Gadol rose, with many apologies, and prepared to go. But before he left he said:

"When I was a child I was shipwrecked, and was taken up a ship which conveyed me to a nation beyond the sea. There I grew up to manhood. I learned their language and manners and customs, and when I returned home I found myself an alien here: I do not love darkness or death, I do not hate riches, and the result is that I am what I am. If I were like the rest of my countrymen, my lot would make me miserable; but as it is I prefer it to any other, and consider myself not the lowest but the greatest in the land. My daughter is like me, and instead of being ashamed of her station she is proud of it, and would not give it up even to become a pauper. I will see you again. I have much to say." With these words the Kohen Gadol retired, followed by Layelah, leaving me more hopeful than I had been for a long time.

For many joms following I received visits from the Kohen Gadol and from Layelah. Almah was with me until sleeping-time, and then these other visitors would come. In this, at least, they resembled the other Kosekin, that they never dreamed of interfering with Almah when she might wish to be with me. Their visits were always long, and we had much to say; but what I lost of sleep I always made up on the following jom. The Kohen Gadol, with his keen, shrewd face, interested me greatly; but Layelah, with her proud face and air of command, was a positive wonder.

I soon learned that the Kohen Gadol was what we term "a man of advanced views," or perhaps a "Reformer," or a "Philosophic Radical," it matters not which; suffice it to say that his ideas and feelings differed from those of his nation, and if carried out would be equal to a revolution in politics and morals. The Kohen Gadol advocated selfishness as the true law of life, without which no state can prosper. There were a few of similar views, but they were all regarded with great contempt by the multitude, and had to suffer the utmost rigor of the law; for they were all endowed with vast wealth, compelled to live in the utmost splendor and luxury, to have enormous retinues, and to wield the chief power in politics and in religion. Even this, however, had not changed the sentiments of the condemned, and I learned that they were laboring incessantly, notwithstanding their severe punishment, to disseminate their peculiar doctrines. These were formulated as follows:

1. A man should not love others better than himself. 2. Life is not an evil to be got rid of. 3. Other things are to be preferred to death. 4. Poverty is not the best state for man. 5. Unrequited love is not the greatest happiness. 6. Lovers may sometimes marry. 7. To serve is not more honorable than to command. 8. Defeat is not more glorious than victory. 9. To save a life should not be regarded as a criminal offence. 10. The paupers should be forced to take a certain amount of wealth, to relieve the necessities of the rich.

These articles were considered both by the Kohen Gadol and by Layelah to be remarkable for their audacity, and were altogether too advanced for mention by any except the chosen few. With the multitude he had to deal differently, and had to work his way by concealing his opinions. He had made a great conspiracy, in which he was still engaged, and had gained immense numbers of adherents by allowing them to give him their whole wealth. Through his assistance many Athons and Kohens and Meleks had become artisans laborers, and even paupers; but all were bound by him to the strictest secrecy. If anyone should divulge the secret, it would be ruin to him and to many others; for they would at once be punished by the bestowal of the extremest wealth, by degradation to the rank of rulers and commanders, and by the severest rigors of luxury, power, splendor, and magnificence known among the Kosekin. Overwhelmed thus with the cares of government, crushed under the weight of authority and autocratic rule, surrounded by countless slaves all ready to die for them, their lives would be embittered and their punishment would be more than they could bear. But the philosophic Kohen Gadol dared all these punishments, and pursued his way calmly and pertinaciously.

Nothing surprised the Kohen Gadol so much as the manner in which I received his confidences. He half expected to startle me by his boldness, but was himself confounded by my words. I told him that in my country self was the chief consideration, self-preservation the law of nature; death the King of Terrors; wealth the object of universal search, poverty the worst of evils; unrequited love nothing less than anguish and despair; to command others the highest glory; victory, honor; defeat, intolerable shame; and other things of the same sort, all of which sounded in his ears, as he said, with such tremendous force that they were like peals of thunder. He shook his head despondently; he could not believe that such views as mine could ever be attained to among the Kosekin. But Layelah was bolder, and with all a woman's impetuosity grasped at my fullest meaning and held it firm. "He is right," said Layelah--"the heaven-born Atam-or. He shall be our teacher. The rich shall be esteemed, the poor shall be down-trodden; to rule over others shall be glorious, to serve shall be base; victory shall be an honor, defeat a shame; selfishness, self-seeking, luxury, and indulgence shall be virtues; poverty, want, and squalor shall be things of abhorrence and contempt." The face of Layelah glowed with enthusiasm as she said these words, and I saw in her a daring, intrepid, and high-hearted woman, full of a woman's headlong impetuosity and disregard of consequences. In me she saw one who seemed to her like a prophet and teacher of a new order of things, and her whole soul responded to the principles which I announced. It required immense strength of mind and firmness of soul to separate herself from the prevalent sentiment of her nation; and though nature had done much for her in giving her a larger portion of original selfishness than was common to her people, still she was a child of the Kosekin, and her daring was all the more remarkable. And so she went further than her father, and adopted my extreme views when he shrank back, and dared more unflinchingly the extremest rigors of the national law, and all that the Kosekin could inflict in the way of wealth, luxury, supreme command, palatial abodes, vast retinues of slaves, and the immense degradation of the queenly office.

I spoke to her in a warning voice about her rashness.

"Oh," said she, "I have counted the cost, and am ready to accept all that they can inflict. I embrace the good cause, and will not give it up--no, not even if they could increase my wealth a thousand-fold, and sentence me to live a hundred seasons. I can bear their utmost inflictions of wealth, power, magnificence; I could even bear being condemned to live forever in the light. Oh, my friend, it is the conviction of right and the support of conscience that strengthens one to bear the greatest evils that man can inflict." From these words it was evident to me that Layelah was a true child of the Kosekin; for though she was of advanced sentiments she still used the language of her people, and spoke of the punishments of the law as though they were punishments in reality. Now, to me and to Almah these so-called punishments seemed rewards.

It was impossible for me to avoid feeling a very strong regard for this enthusiastic and beautiful girl; all the more, indeed, because she evinced such an undisguised admiration for me. She evidently considered me some superior being, from some superior race; and although my broken and faulty way of speaking the language was something of a trial, still she seemed to consider every word I uttered as a maxim of the highest wisdom. The tritest of truths, the commonest of platitudes, the most familiar of proverbs or old saws current among us were eagerly seized by Layelah, and accepted as truths almost divine--as new doctrines for the guidance of the human race. These she would discuss with me; she would put them into better and more striking language, and ask for my opinion. Then she would write them down.

For the Kosekin knew the art of writing. They had an alphabet of their own, which was at once simple and very scientific. There were no vowels, but only consonant sounds, the vowels being supplied in reading, just as if one should write the words fthr or dghtr, and read them father and daughter. Their letters were as follows: P, K, T, B, G, D, F, Ch, Th, M, L, N, S, H, R. There were also three others, which have no equivalents in English.

It soon became evident to me that Layelah had a complete ascendancy over her father; that she was not only the Malca of the amir, but the presiding spirit and the chief administrative genius of the whole nation of the Kosekin. She seemed to be a new Semiramis--one who might revolutionize an empire and introduce a new order of things. Such, indeed, was her high ambition, and she plainly avowed it to me; but what was more, she frankly informed me that she regarded me as a Heaven-sent teacher--as one who in this darkness could tell her of the nations of light--who could instruct her in the wisdom of other and greater races, and help her to accomplish her grand designs.

As for Almah, she seemed quite beneath the notice of the aspiring Layelah. She never noticed her, she never spoke of her, and she always made her visits to me after Almah had gone.

Chapter 19. The Wonders of the "Amir"

We were drawn on cars up to the first terraced street, and here we found the vast multitude which we had seen from a distance. Nous étions entraînés en voitures jusqu'à la première rue en terrasses, et nous y trouvâmes la multitude immense que nous avions vue de loin. We werden op auto's naar de eerste terrasvormige straat getrokken en hier vonden we de enorme menigte die we van een afstand hadden gezien. Crossing this street, we ascended and came to another precisely like it; then, still going on, we came to a third. En traversant cette rue, nous sommes montés et sommes arrivés à une autre exactement comme celle-ci ; puis, continuant encore, nous en arrivâmes à un troisième. Here there was an immense space, not overgrown with trees like the streets, but perfectly open. Ici, il y avait un espace immense, non pas envahi d'arbres comme les rues, mais parfaitement ouvert. In the midst arose a lofty pyramid, and as I looked at it I could not refrain from shuddering; for it looked like the public altar, upon which in due time I should be compelled to make my appearance, and be offered up as a victim to the terrific superstitions of the Kosekin. Au milieu s'élevait une haute pyramide, et en la regardant je ne pus m'empêcher de frémir ; car il ressemblait à l'autel public, sur lequel je serais obligé de faire mon apparition en temps voulu, et d'être offert en victime aux terribles superstitions du Kosekin. Посреди возвышалась высокая пирамида, и когда я смотрел на нее, я не мог удержаться от содрогания; это было похоже на общественный алтарь, на котором в должное время я должен буду явиться и быть принесенным в жертву ужасным суевериям Косекина.

Crossing this great square, we came to a vast portal, which opened into a cavern with twinkling lights. En traversant cette grande place, nous arrivâmes à un vaste portail qui s'ouvrait sur une caverne aux lumières scintillantes. The city itself extended above this, for we could see the terraced streets rising above our heads; but here our progress ended at the great cavern in the chief square, opposite the pyramid. La ville elle-même s'étendait au-dessus, car nous pouvions voir les rues en terrasses s'élever au-dessus de nos têtes ; mais ici notre progression s'arrêtait à la grande caverne de la place principale, en face de la pyramide.

On entering the cavern we traversed an antechamber, and then passing on we reached a vast dome, of dimensions so great that I could perceive no end in that gloom. En entrant dans la caverne, nous traversâmes une antichambre, puis en passant nous atteignîmes un vaste dôme, de dimensions si grandes que je ne pouvais percevoir aucune fin à cette obscurité. The twinkling lights served only to disclose the darkness and to indicate the immensity of the cavern. In the midst there arose two enormous columns, which were lost in the gloom above. Au milieu s'élevaient deux énormes colonnes qui se perdaient dans l'obscurité au-dessus.

It was only by passing through this that we learned its great extent. Ce n'est qu'en passant par là que nous en avons appris toute l'étendue. Alleen door hier doorheen te gaan, leerden we de grote omvang ervan. We at length came to the other end, and here we saw numerous passages leading away. Nous arrivâmes enfin à l'autre extrémité, et là nous vîmes de nombreux passages qui s'éloignaient. The Kohen led us through one of these, and after passing through several other domes of smaller dimensions we at length reached an apartment where we stopped. This place was furnished with couches and hangings, and lighted with flaming lamps. Cet endroit était meublé de divans et de tentures, et éclairé de lampes flamboyantes. The light was distressing to those who had accompanied us, and many of them left, while the few who remained had to cover their eyes. La lumière était pénible pour ceux qui nous avaient accompagnés, et beaucoup d'entre eux sont partis, tandis que les quelques-uns qui sont restés ont dû se couvrir les yeux. Here we found that all preparations had been made. The apartments were all illuminated, though our love of light never ceased to be a matter of amazement to the Kosekin, and a bounteous repast was spread for us. Les appartements étaient tous illuminés, quoique notre amour de la lumière ne cessât d'étonner le Kosekin, et un copieux repas nous fut servi. But the Kohen and the others found the light intolerable, and soon left us to ourselves.

After the repast some women appeared to take Almah to her chamber, and, with the usual kindness of the Kosekin, they assured her that she would not be expected to obey the law of separation, but that she was to remain here, where she would be always within reach of me.

After her departure there came to visit me the lowest man in all the land of the Kosekin, though, according to our view, he would be esteemed the highest. Après son départ, vint me rendre visite l'homme le plus bas de tout le pays du Kosekin, bien que, selon nous, il fût estimé le plus élevé. После ее отъезда ко мне приехал самый низкий человек во всей стране Косекин, хотя, по нашему мнению, он был бы почтеннейшим. This was the Kohen Gadol. His history had already been told me. I had learned that through lack of Kosekin virtue he had gradually sunk to this position, and now was compelled to hold in his hands more wealth, power, and display than any other man in the nation. J'avais appris que par manque de vertu Kosekin, il avait progressivement sombré dans cette position et qu'il était maintenant obligé de tenir entre ses mains plus de richesse, de pouvoir et d'étalage que tout autre homme de la nation. Я узнал, что из-за отсутствия добродетели Косекина он постепенно опустился до этого положения и теперь был вынужден держать в своих руках больше богатства, власти и демонстрации, чем любой другой человек в стране.

He was a man of singular appearance. Он был человеком необычной внешности. The light was not so troublesome to him as to the others--he merely kept his eyes shaded; but he regarded me with a keen look of inquiry that was suggestive of shrewdness and cunning. La lumière n'était pas aussi gênante pour lui que pour les autres, il gardait simplement ses yeux ombragés ; mais il me regarda avec un regard perspicace qui évoquait l'astuce et la ruse. I confess it was with a feeling of relief that I made this discovery; for I longed to find someone among this singular people who was selfish, who feared death, who loved life, who loved riches, and had something in common with me. J'avoue que c'est avec un sentiment de soulagement que j'ai fait cette découverte ; car j'avais envie de trouver parmi ce peuple singulier quelqu'un qui soit égoïste, qui craigne la mort, qui aime la vie, qui aime les richesses et qui ait quelque chose en commun avec moi. This I thought I perceived in the shrewd, cunning face of the Kohen Gadol, and I was glad; for I saw that while he could not possibly be more dangerous to me than those self-sacrificing, self-denying cannibals whom I had thus far known, he might prove of some assistance, and might help me to devise means of escape. C'est ce que j'ai cru percevoir dans le visage rusé et rusé du Kohen Gadol, et j'en étais content ; car j'ai vu que s'il ne pouvait pas être plus dangereux pour moi que ces cannibales qui se sacrifiaient et renonçaient à eux-mêmes que j'avais connus jusqu'à présent, il pourrait s'avérer d'une certaine aide et pourrait m'aider à trouver des moyens de m'échapper. If I could only find someone who was a coward, and selfish and avaricious--if this Kohen Gadol could but be he--how much brighter my life would be! And so there happened to me an incredible thing, that my highest wish was now to find in the Kohen Gadol cowardice, avarice, and selfishness.

The Kohen was accompanied by a young female, richly attired, who, I afterward learned, was his daughter. Her name was Layelah, and she filled the office of Malca, which signifies queen; and though honorable with us above all, is among the Kosekin the lowest in the land. Layelah was so beautiful that I looked at her in amazement. She was very tall for one of the Kosekin, which made her stature equal to that of an ordinary girl with us; her hair was rich, dark and luxuriant, gathered about her head in great masses and bound by a golden band. Her features were delicate and perfect in their outline; her expression was noble and commanding. Ses traits étaient délicats et parfaits dans leur contour ; son expression était noble et autoritaire. Her eyes were utterly unlike those of the other Kosekin; the upper lids had a slight droop, but that was all, and that was the nearest approach to the national blink. Ses yeux étaient totalement différents de ceux de l'autre Kosekin ; les paupières supérieures avaient un léger affaissement, mais c'était tout, et c'était l'approche la plus proche du clignement national. Haar ogen leken totaal anders dan die van de andere Kosekin; de bovenste oogleden waren een beetje hangend, maar dat was alles, en dat was de dichtstbijzijnde benadering van het nationale knipperen. Ее глаза были совершенно не похожи на глаза других Косекин; верхние веки слегка опускались, но это было все, и это было самое близкое к общенациональному морганию. Her first entrance into the room seemed to dazzle her, and she shaded her eyes for a few moments, but after that she looked at me fixedly, and seemed to suffer no more inconvenience than I did. Sa première entrée dans la chambre parut l'éblouir, et elle s'abrita les yeux quelques instants, mais ensuite elle me regarda fixement, et ne parut pas souffrir plus d'inconvénients que moi. The perfect liberty of women among the Kosekin made this visit from her quite as natural as that of her father; and though she said but little on this occasion, she was an attentive listener and close observer. La parfaite liberté des femmes chez les Kosekin rendait cette visite d'elle tout aussi naturelle que celle de son père ; et bien qu'elle ait dit mais peu à cette occasion, elle était un auditeur attentif et un observateur attentif.

Their visit was long, for they were evidently full of curiosity. They had heard much about me and wished to see more. It was the first time that I had found among the Kosekin the slightest desire to know where I had come from. Hitherto all had been content with the knowledge that I was a foreigner. Jusque-là, tous s'étaient contentés de savoir que j'étais un étranger. Now, however, I found in the Kohen Gadol and Layelah a curiosity that was most eager and intense. Maintenant, cependant, j'ai trouvé dans le Kohen Gadol et Layelah une curiosité qui était des plus avides et des plus intenses. They questioned me about my country, about the great world beyond the mountains, about the way in which I had come here, about the manners and customs of my countrymen. They were eager to know about those great nations of which I spoke, who loved light and life; about men who loved themselves better than others; of that world where men feared death and loved life, and sought after riches and lived in the light.

The sleeping-time came and passed, and my visitors were still full of eager questionings. L'heure du sommeil allait et venait, et mes visiteurs étaient encore pleins d'interrogations avides. It was Layelah who at last thought of the lateness of the hour. At a word from her the Kohen Gadol rose, with many apologies, and prepared to go. But before he left he said:

"When I was a child I was shipwrecked, and was taken up a ship which conveyed me to a nation beyond the sea. "Quand j'étais enfant, j'ai fait naufrage et j'ai été pris sur un navire qui m'a transporté vers une nation au-delà de la mer. There I grew up to manhood. I learned their language and manners and customs, and when I returned home I found myself an alien here: I do not love darkness or death, I do not hate riches, and the result is that I am what I am. If I were like the rest of my countrymen, my lot would make me miserable; but as it is I prefer it to any other, and consider myself not the lowest but the greatest in the land. Si j'étais comme le reste de mes compatriotes, mon sort me rendrait malheureux ; mais tel qu'il est, je le préfère à tout autre, et me considère non pas comme le plus bas mais le plus grand du pays. My daughter is like me, and instead of being ashamed of her station she is proud of it, and would not give it up even to become a pauper. Mijn dochter is net als ik, en in plaats van zich te schamen voor haar positie, is ze er trots op en zou ze het niet opgeven, zelfs niet om een arme te worden. I will see you again. I have much to say." With these words the Kohen Gadol retired, followed by Layelah, leaving me more hopeful than I had been for a long time.

For many joms following I received visits from the Kohen Gadol and from Layelah. Almah was with me until sleeping-time, and then these other visitors would come. Almah était avec moi jusqu'à l'heure du coucher, puis ces autres visiteurs venaient. In this, at least, they resembled the other Kosekin, that they never dreamed of interfering with Almah when she might wish to be with me. Their visits were always long, and we had much to say; but what I lost of sleep I always made up on the following jom. Leurs visites étaient toujours longues, et nous avions beaucoup à dire ; mais ce que je perdais de sommeil, je le rattrapais toujours le jour suivant. The Kohen Gadol, with his keen, shrewd face, interested me greatly; but Layelah, with her proud face and air of command, was a positive wonder. Le Kohen Gadol, avec son visage fin et fin, m'intéressait beaucoup ; mais Layelah, avec son visage fier et son air de commandement, était une merveille positive. De Kohen Gadol interesseerde me met zijn scherpe, sluwe gezicht enorm; maar Layelah, met haar trotse gezicht en commandovoering, was een groot wonder.

I soon learned that the Kohen Gadol was what we term "a man of advanced views," or perhaps a "Reformer," or a "Philosophic Radical," it matters not which; suffice it to say that his ideas and feelings differed from those of his nation, and if carried out would be equal to a revolution in politics and morals. J'appris bientôt que le Kohen Gadol était ce que nous appelons « un homme aux vues avancées », ou peut-être un « réformateur », ou un « radical philosophique », peu importe lequel ; qu'il suffise de dire que ses idées et ses sentiments différaient de ceux de sa nation, et s'ils étaient exécutés, cela équivaudrait à une révolution dans la politique et la morale. The Kohen Gadol advocated selfishness as the true law of life, without which no state can prosper. Le Kohen Gadol a préconisé l'égoïsme comme la vraie loi de la vie, sans laquelle aucun État ne peut prospérer. There were a few of similar views, but they were all regarded with great contempt by the multitude, and had to suffer the utmost rigor of the law; for they were all endowed with vast wealth, compelled to live in the utmost splendor and luxury, to have enormous retinues, and to wield the chief power in politics and in religion. Il y avait quelques points de vue similaires, mais ils étaient tous considérés avec un grand mépris par la multitude, et devaient subir la plus grande rigueur de la loi ; car ils étaient tous dotés de vastes richesses, obligés de vivre dans la plus grande splendeur et le plus grand luxe, d'avoir d'énormes suites et d'exercer le pouvoir principal en politique et en religion. Even this, however, had not changed the sentiments of the condemned, and I learned that they were laboring incessantly, notwithstanding their severe punishment, to disseminate their peculiar doctrines. Même cela, cependant, n'avait pas changé les sentiments des condamnés, et j'appris qu'ils travaillaient sans cesse, malgré leur sévère punition, à répandre leurs doctrines particulières. Однако даже это не изменило настроений осужденных, и я узнал, что они, несмотря на суровое наказание, непрестанно трудились над распространением своих специфических доктрин. These were formulated as follows:

1\\\\\\\\. A man should not love others better than himself. 2\\\\\\\\. Life is not an evil to be got rid of. 3\\\\\\\\. Other things are to be preferred to death. 4\\\\\\\\. Poverty is not the best state for man. 5\\\\\\\\. Unrequited love is not the greatest happiness. L'amour non partagé n'est pas le plus grand bonheur. 6\\\\\\\\. Lovers may sometimes marry. 7\\\\\\\\. To serve is not more honorable than to command. 8\\\\\\\\. Defeat is not more glorious than victory. 9\\\\\\\\. To save a life should not be regarded as a criminal offence. 10\\\\\\\\. The paupers should be forced to take a certain amount of wealth, to relieve the necessities of the rich.

These articles were considered both by the Kohen Gadol and by Layelah to be remarkable for their audacity, and were altogether too advanced for mention by any except the chosen few. Ces articles étaient considérés à la fois par le Kohen Gadol et par Layelah comme étant remarquables par leur audace, et étaient tout à fait trop avancés pour être mentionnés par quiconque, sauf par quelques élus. With the multitude he had to deal differently, and had to work his way by concealing his opinions. Avec la multitude, il a dû traiter différemment, et a dû se frayer un chemin en cachant ses opinions. He had made a great conspiracy, in which he was still engaged, and had gained immense numbers of adherents by allowing them to give him their whole wealth. Il avait fait une grande conspiration, dans laquelle il était toujours engagé, et avait gagné un nombre immense d'adhérents en leur permettant de lui donner toute leur richesse. Through his assistance many Athons and Kohens and Meleks had become artisans laborers, and even paupers; but all were bound by him to the strictest secrecy. Grâce à son aide, beaucoup d'Athons, de Kohens et de Meleks étaient devenus des artisans ouvriers, et même des pauvres ; mais tous étaient tenus par lui au plus strict secret. Door zijn hulp waren vele Athons en Kohens en Meleks handwerkslieden, arbeiders en zelfs paupers geworden; maar allen waren door hem tot het uiterste geheim gehouden. If anyone should divulge the secret, it would be ruin to him and to many others; for they would at once be punished by the bestowal of the extremest wealth, by degradation to the rank of rulers and commanders, and by the severest rigors of luxury, power, splendor, and magnificence known among the Kosekin. Si quelqu'un divulguait le secret, ce serait sa ruine et celle de beaucoup d'autres ; car ils seraient à la fois punis par l'octroi de la richesse la plus extrême, par la dégradation au rang de dirigeants et de commandants, et par les rigueurs les plus sévères de luxe, de pouvoir, de splendeur et de magnificence connues parmi les Kosékin. Overwhelmed thus with the cares of government, crushed under the weight of authority and autocratic rule, surrounded by countless slaves all ready to die for them, their lives would be embittered and their punishment would be more than they could bear. Accablés ainsi par les soucis du gouvernement, écrasés sous le poids de l'autorité et du régime autocratique, entourés d'innombrables esclaves tous prêts à mourir pour eux, leurs vies seraient aigries et leur punition serait plus qu'ils ne pourraient supporter. But the philosophic Kohen Gadol dared all these punishments, and pursued his way calmly and pertinaciously. Mais le philosophe Kohen Gadol osa tous ces châtiments, et poursuivit son chemin avec calme et obstination.

Nothing surprised the Kohen Gadol so much as the manner in which I received his confidences. He half expected to startle me by his boldness, but was himself confounded by my words. Il s'attendait à moitié à me faire sursauter par son audace, mais il était lui-même déconcerté par mes paroles. I told him that in my country self was the chief consideration, self-preservation the law of nature; death the King of Terrors; wealth the object of universal search, poverty the worst of evils; unrequited love nothing less than anguish and despair; to command others the highest glory; victory, honor; defeat, intolerable shame; and other things of the same sort, all of which sounded in his ears, as he said, with such tremendous force that they were like peals of thunder. Je lui ai dit que dans mon pays, le moi était la considération principale, l'auto-préservation la loi de la nature ; mort le roi des terreurs ; la richesse l'objet de la recherche universelle, la pauvreté le pire des maux ; l'amour non partagé rien de moins que l'angoisse et le désespoir ; commander aux autres la plus haute gloire; victoire, honneur; défaite, honte intolérable; et d'autres choses du même genre, qui résonnaient toutes à ses oreilles, comme il le disait, avec une force si terrible qu'elles étaient comme des coups de tonnerre. He shook his head despondently; he could not believe that such views as mine could ever be attained to among the Kosekin. Il secoua la tête avec découragement ; il ne pouvait croire qu'on pût jamais atteindre chez les Kosékin des vues comme les miennes. But Layelah was bolder, and with all a woman's impetuosity grasped at my fullest meaning and held it firm. Mais Layelah était plus audacieuse, et avec toute l'impétuosité d'une femme a saisi tout mon sens et l'a tenu fermement. "He is right," said Layelah--"the heaven-born Atam-or. " Il a raison, " dit Layelah, " l'Atam-or né du ciel. He shall be our teacher. The rich shall be esteemed, the poor shall be down-trodden; to rule over others shall be glorious, to serve shall be base; victory shall be an honor, defeat a shame; selfishness, self-seeking, luxury, and indulgence shall be virtues; poverty, want, and squalor shall be things of abhorrence and contempt." Les riches seront estimés, les pauvres seront écrasés; régner sur les autres sera glorieux, servir sera vil ; la victoire sera un honneur, la défaite une honte ; l'égoïsme, l'égoïsme, le luxe et l'indulgence seront des vertus ; la pauvreté, la misère et la misère seront des choses d'horreur et de mépris." The face of Layelah glowed with enthusiasm as she said these words, and I saw in her a daring, intrepid, and high-hearted woman, full of a woman's headlong impetuosity and disregard of consequences. Le visage de Layelah brillait d'enthousiasme lorsqu'elle prononça ces mots, et je vis en elle une femme audacieuse, intrépide et généreuse, pleine de l'impétuosité d'une femme et d'un mépris des conséquences. In me she saw one who seemed to her like a prophet and teacher of a new order of things, and her whole soul responded to the principles which I announced. It required immense strength of mind and firmness of soul to separate herself from the prevalent sentiment of her nation; and though nature had done much for her in giving her a larger portion of original selfishness than was common to her people, still she was a child of the Kosekin, and her daring was all the more remarkable. Il fallait une force d'esprit et une fermeté d'âme immenses pour se séparer du sentiment dominant de sa nation ; et bien que la nature eût beaucoup fait pour elle en lui donnant une plus grande part d'égoïsme originel qu'il n'était commun à son peuple, elle était néanmoins une enfant du Kosekin, et son audace n'en était que plus remarquable. And so she went further than her father, and adopted my extreme views when he shrank back, and dared more unflinchingly the extremest rigors of the national law, and all that the Kosekin could inflict in the way of wealth, luxury, supreme command, palatial abodes, vast retinues of slaves, and the immense degradation of the queenly office. Et ainsi elle est allée plus loin que son père, et a adopté mes vues extrêmes quand il a reculé, et a osé plus inflexiblement les rigueurs les plus extrêmes de la loi nationale, et tout ce que le Kosekin pouvait infliger en termes de richesse, de luxe, de commandement suprême, de somptueux demeures, vastes cortèges d'esclaves, et l'immense dégradation de la fonction royale.

I spoke to her in a warning voice about her rashness. Je lui ai parlé d'une voix d'avertissement au sujet de sa témérité. Ik sprak met haar waarschuwende stem over haar onbezonnenheid.

"Oh," said she, "I have counted the cost, and am ready to accept all that they can inflict. « Oh », dit-elle, « j'ai compté le prix, et je suis prêt à accepter tout ce qu'ils peuvent infliger. I embrace the good cause, and will not give it up--no, not even if they could increase my wealth a thousand-fold, and sentence me to live a hundred seasons. J'embrasse la bonne cause et n'y renoncerai pas, non, pas même s'ils pouvaient multiplier par mille ma fortune et me condamner à vivre cent saisons. I can bear their utmost inflictions of wealth, power, magnificence; I could even bear being condemned to live forever in the light. Je peux supporter leurs plus grandes inflictions de richesse, de pouvoir, de magnificence ; Je pouvais même supporter d'être condamné à vivre éternellement dans la lumière. Oh, my friend, it is the conviction of right and the support of conscience that strengthens one to bear the greatest evils that man can inflict." Oh, mon ami, c'est la conviction du droit et le soutien de la conscience qui fortifient quelqu'un à supporter les plus grands maux que l'homme puisse infliger." From these words it was evident to me that Layelah was a true child of the Kosekin; for though she was of advanced sentiments she still used the language of her people, and spoke of the punishments of the law as though they were punishments in reality. Now, to me and to Almah these so-called punishments seemed rewards.

It was impossible for me to avoid feeling a very strong regard for this enthusiastic and beautiful girl; all the more, indeed, because she evinced such an undisguised admiration for me. Il m'était impossible d'éviter d'éprouver une très forte estime pour cette fille enthousiaste et belle ; d'autant plus qu'elle me témoignait une admiration si franche. She evidently considered me some superior being, from some superior race; and although my broken and faulty way of speaking the language was something of a trial, still she seemed to consider every word I uttered as a maxim of the highest wisdom. Elle me considérait évidemment comme un être supérieur, d'une race supérieure ; et bien que ma façon brisée et défectueuse de parler la langue était une sorte d'épreuve, elle semblait néanmoins considérer chaque mot que je prononçais comme une maxime de la plus haute sagesse. The tritest of truths, the commonest of platitudes, the most familiar of proverbs or old saws current among us were eagerly seized by Layelah, and accepted as truths almost divine--as new doctrines for the guidance of the human race. La banalité des vérités, le plus commun des platitudes, le plus familier des proverbes ou des vieilles scies courantes parmi nous ont été saisis avec empressement par Layelah, et acceptés comme des vérités presque divines, comme de nouvelles doctrines pour la direction de la race humaine. De meest banale waarheden, de meest gebruikelijke platitudes, de meest bekende spreekwoorden of oude zagen die tegenwoordig onder ons zijn, werden gretig door Layelah gegrepen en aanvaard als bijna goddelijke waarheden - als nieuwe doctrines voor de leiding van het menselijk ras. These she would discuss with me; she would put them into better and more striking language, and ask for my opinion. Celles-ci, elle en discuterait avec moi ; elle les mettrait dans un langage meilleur et plus frappant, et me demanderait mon avis. Then she would write them down.

For the Kosekin knew the art of writing. They had an alphabet of their own, which was at once simple and very scientific. There were no vowels, but only consonant sounds, the vowels being supplied in reading, just as if one should write the words fthr or dghtr, and read them father and daughter. Il n'y avait pas de voyelles, mais seulement des consonnes, les voyelles étant fournies en lecture, comme si l'on devait écrire les mots fthr ou dghtr, et les lire père et fille. Their letters were as follows: P, K, T, B, G, D, F, Ch, Th, M, L, N, S, H, R. There were also three others, which have no equivalents in English. Leurs lettres étaient les suivantes : P, K, T, B, G, D, F, Ch, Th, M, L, N, S, H, R. Il y avait aussi trois autres, qui n'ont pas d'équivalent en anglais.

It soon became evident to me that Layelah had a complete ascendancy over her father; that she was not only the Malca of the amir, but the presiding spirit and the chief administrative genius of the whole nation of the Kosekin. Il est vite devenu évident pour moi que Layelah avait un ascendant complet sur son père ; qu'elle n'était pas seulement la Malca de l'émir, mais l'esprit président et le principal génie administratif de toute la nation des Kosekin. She seemed to be a new Semiramis--one who might revolutionize an empire and introduce a new order of things. Ze leek een nieuwe Semiramis te zijn - iemand die een imperium zou revolutioneren en een nieuwe ordening van dingen zou introduceren. Such, indeed, was her high ambition, and she plainly avowed it to me; but what was more, she frankly informed me that she regarded me as a Heaven-sent teacher--as one who in this darkness could tell her of the nations of light--who could instruct her in the wisdom of other and greater races, and help her to accomplish her grand designs.

As for Almah, she seemed quite beneath the notice of the aspiring Layelah. Quant à Almah, elle semblait tout à fait inaperçue de l'aspirante Layelah. Что касается Альмы, то она казалась совершенно незаметной для честолюбивой Лайлы. She never noticed her, she never spoke of her, and she always made her visits to me after Almah had gone.