4
As a god he knoivs her, begets Alexander, heshields her.
Leaving
her he digs
up herbs
that he
may so
dehide her.
And
having
dreamt
Olympia
calls him
to her, he
tells her
how to
enable the
god to come
to her first
seeming as
a snake.
She gives
him a
chamber in
the palace.
He lieth by
the queen
seemingly
as a god
and sealeth
her womb,
saying the
child shall
not be up-
braided for
his birth.
Thus
was she
cheated ;
and was
with child.
But she, in
fear, asks
him how
to escape
Philip's
wrath.
He comforts
her and
through
wizardry
makes
King
PhHip
dream a
god is
lying with
his wife
who, after,
seals her
womb.
to the city's camp in a desert spot, tore up herbs, and ground
them, and took their juice, and wrought spells and other like
things of the fiend, that in that same night Olympia might
behold the god Hamon lying beside her, and saying to her 4
thereafter, ' Woman, thou hast conceived him who shall beshield
thee.' And, on the morrow, Olympia awoke from her slumbers,
and called Anectanabus to her, and told him of the dream she
had beheld. Then Anectanabus said : ' If thou wilt give me 8
room in the palace, thou shalt see the god himself, face to face.
For that god shall come to thee in the shape of a great snake,
and soon after, taking on a manlike body, he shall seem to be in
my likeness.' And to this Olympia said : ' As thou hast spoken, 12
master, do. Take to thyself a bed in the palace, and canst thou
make good the truth thereof, I will deem thee to be the father
of the boy.' And, about the first watch of the night, Anectanabus
took on him, through spells and wizardry to be changed into 16
the shape of a great snake, and whistling on to the bedchamber
of Olympia, to fly through. And he entered her room, and rose
on to her bed, and with great love began to kiss her, and the
kisfcs betokened to her who he was. And when he rose up 20
from the bed, he smote her on the womb, and spake : ' This
begetting be thy avenging, and in no wise may it be upbraided
of men.'
On such a fashion was Olympia cheated, who had lain with 24
a man as though he had been a god. And in the morning,
Anectanabus went down from the palace, and the queen was
with child.
And when she began to be big, she called unto her Anec- 28
tanabus, saying : ' Master, tell me, what doom will Philip
wreak on me, when he shall come back?' And Anectanabus
said to her, ' Be not afraid : god Hamon will champion thee.'
And with these words he left the palace, and went outside the 32
town, to a barren spot. And, uprooting grasses, rubbed them,
and grated them, and took their sap. And he caught a sea-bird,
and began to sing over the herbs, and anoint the herbs with the
sap. This he did in fellowship with the fiends, that he might 36
betray King Philip through a dream. And this was brought
about. That same night the god Hamon appeared to Philip, in
a dream, lying with his wife Olympia, and, the night ended, he
EN