egypt-第14章

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their　antique　paintings；　the　fresh　tints　of　their　costumes；　of　their

robes　of　turquoise　blue；　or　lapis；　or　emerald…green；　or　golden…yellow。

It　is　an　artless　kind　of　fresco…work；　which　nevertheless　amazes　us　by

remaining　perfect　after　thirty…five　centuries。　All　that　these　people

did　seems　as　if　made　for　immortality。　It　is　true；　however；　that　such

brilliant　colours　are　not　found　in　any　of　the　other　Pharaonic

monuments；　and　that　here　they　are　heightened　by　the　white　background。

For；　notwithstanding　the　bluish；　black　and　red　granite　of　the

porticoes；　the　walls　are　all　of　a　fine　limestone；　of　exceeding

whiteness；　and；　in　the　holy　of　holies；　of　a　pure　alabaster。



＇*＇　Not　long　ago　a　manufacturer；　established　in　the　neighbourhood；

　　　　discovering　that　the　limestone　of　its　walls　was　friable；　used　this

　　　　temple　as　a　quarry；　and　for　some　years　bas…reliefs　beyond　price

　　　　served　as　aliment　to　the　mills　of　the　factory。



Above　the　truncated　walls；　with　their　bright　clear　colours；　the　desert

appears；　and　shows　quite　brown　by　contrast；　one　sees　the　great　yellow

swell　of　sand　and　stones　above　the　pictures　of　these　decapitated

people。　It　rises　like　a　colossal　wave　and　stretches　out　to　bathe　the

foot　of　the　Libyan　mountains　beyond。　Towards　the　north　and　west　of　the

solitudes；　shapeless　ruins　of　tawny…coloured　blocks　follow　one　another

in　the　sands　until　the　dazzling　distance　ends　in　a　clear…cut　line

against　the　sky。　Apart　from　this　temple　of　Ramses；　where　we　now　stand；

and　that　of　Seti　in　the　vicinity；　where　the　enterprise　of　Thomas　Cook

&　Son　flourishes；　there　is　nothing　around　us　but　ruins；　crumbled　and

pulverised　beyond　all　possible　redemption。　But　they　give　us　pause；

these　disappearing　ruins；　for　they　are　the　debris　of　that　ageless

temple；　where　sleeps　the　head　of　the　god；　the　debris　of　the　tombs　of

the　Middle　and　Ancient　Empires；　and　they　indicate　still　the　wide

extent　and　development　of　the　necropoles　of　Abydos；　so　old　that　it

almost　makes　one　giddy　to　think　of　their　beginning。



Here；　as　at　Thebes　and　Memphis；　the　tombs　of　the　Egyptians　are　met

with　only　amongst　the　sands　and　the　parched　rocks。　The　great　ancestral

people；　who　would　have　shuddered　at　our　black　trees；　and　the

corruption　of　the　damp　graves；　liked　to　place　its　embalmed　dead　in　the

midst　of　this　luminous；　changeless　splendour　of　death；　which　men　call

the　desert。



*****



And　what　is　this　now　that　is　happening　in　the　holy　neighbourhood　of

unhappy　Osiris？　A　troupe　of　donkeys；　belaboured　by　Bedouin　drivers；　is

being　driven　in　the　direction　of　the　adjacent　temple；　dedicated　to　the

god　by　Seti！　The　luncheon　no　doubt　is　over　and　the　band　about　to

depart；　sharp　to　the　appointed　hour　of　the　programme。　Let　us　watch

them　from　a　prudent　distance。



To　be　brief；　they　all　mount　into　their　saddles；　these　Cooks　and

Cookesses；　and　opening；　not　without　a　conscious　air　of　majesty；　their

white　cotton　parasols；　take　themselves　off　in　the　direction　of　the

Nile。　They　disappear　and　the　place　belongs　to　us。



When　we　venture　at　last　to　return　to　the　first　sanctuary；　where　they

had　lunched　their　fill　in　the　shade；　the　guardians　are　busy　clearing

away　the　leavings　and　the　dirty　paper。　And　they　pack　the　dubious

crockery；　which　will　be　required　for　to…morrow's　luncheon；　into　large

chests　on　which　may　be　read　in　large　letters　of　glory　the　names　of　the

veritable　sovereigns　of　modern　Egypt：　〃Thomas　Cook　&　Son　（Egypt

Ltd。）。〃



All　this　happily　ends　with　the　first　hypostyle。　Nothing　dishonours　the

halls　of　the　interior；　where　silence　has　again　descended；　the　vast

silence　of　the　noon　of　the　desert。



In　the　reign　of　the　Emperor　Tiberius；　men　already　marvelled　at　this

temple；　as　at　a　relic　of　the　most　distant　and　nebulous　past。　The

geographer　Strabo　wrote　in　those　days：　〃It　is　an　admirable　palace

built　in　the　fashion　of　the　Labyrinth　save　that　it　has　fewer

galleries。〃　There　are　galleries　enough　however；　and　one　can　readily

lose　oneself　in　its　mazy　turnings。　Seven　chapels；　consecrated　to

Osiris　and　to　different　gods　and　goddesses　of　his　suite；　seven　vaulted

chambers；　seven　doors　for　the　processions　of　kings　and　multitudes；

and；　at　the　sides；　numberless　halls；　corridors；　secondary　chapels；

dark　chambers　and　hidden　doorways。　That　very　primitive　column；

suggestive　of　reeds；　which　is　called　in　architecture　the　〃plant

column〃　and　resembles　a　monstrous　stem　of　papyrus；　rises　here　in　a

thick　forest；　to　support　the　stones　of　the　blue　ceilings；　which　are

strewn　with　stars；　in　the　likeness　of　the　sky　of　this　country。　In　many

cases　these　stones　are　missing　and　leave　large　openings　on　to　the　real

sky　above。　Their　massiveness；　which　one　might　have　thought　would

secure　them　an　endless　duration；　has　availed　them　nothing；　the　sun　of

so　many　centuries　has　cracked　them；　and　their　own　weight；　then；　has

brought　them　headlong　to　the　ground。　And　floods　of　light　now　enter

through　the　gaps；　into　the　very　chapels　where　the　men　of　old　had

thought　to　ensure　a　holy　gloom。



Despite　the　disaster　which　has　overtaken　the　ceilings；　this　is

nevertheless　one　of　the　most　perfect　of　the　sanctuaries　of　ancient

Egypt。　The　sands；　those　gentle　sextons；　have　here　succeeded

miraculously　in　their　work　of　preservation。　They　might　have　been

carved　yesterday；　these　innumerable　people；　who；　everywhereon　the

walls；　on　this　forest　of　columnsgesticulate　and；　with　their　arms　and

long　hands；　continue　with　animation　their　eternal　mute　conversation。

The　whole　temple；　with　the　openings　which　give　it　light；　is　more

beautiful　perhaps　than　in　the　time　of　the　Pharaohs。　In　place　of　the

old…time　darkness；　a　transparent　gloom　now　alternates　with　shafts　of

sunlight。　Here　and　there　the　subjects　of　the　bas…reliefs；　so　long

buried　in　the　darkness；　are　deluged　with　burning　rays　which　detail

their　attitudes；　their　muscles；　their　scarcely　altered　colours；　and

endow　them　again　with　life　and　youth。　There　is　no　part　of　the　wall；　in

this　immense　place；　but　is　covered　with　divinities；　with　hieroglyphs

and　emblems。　Osiris　in　high　coiffure；　the　beautiful　Isis　in　the　helmet

of　a　bird；　jackal…headed　Anubis；　falcon…headed　Horus；　and　ibis…headed

Thoth　are　repeated　a　thousand　times；　welcoming　with　strange　gestures

the　kings　and　priests　who　are　rendering　them　homage。



The　bodies；　almost　nude；　with　broad　shoulders　and　slim　waist；　have　a

slenderness；　a　grace；　infinitely　chaste；　and　the　features　of　the　faces

are　of　an　exquisite　purity。　The　artists　who　carved　these　charming

heads；　with　their　long　eyes；　full　of　the　ancient　dream；　were　already

skilled　in　their　art；　but　through　a　deficiency；　which　puzzles　us；　they

were　only　able　to　draw　them　in　profile。　All　the　legs；　all　the　feet　are

in　profile　too；　although　the　bodies；　on　the　other　hand；　face　us　fully。

Men　needed　yet　some　centuries　of　study　before　they　understood

perspectivewhich　to　us　now　seems　so　simpleand　the　foreshortening

of　figures；　and　were　able　to　render　the　impression　of　them　on　a　plane

surface。



Many　of　the　pictures　represent　King　Seti；　drawn　without　doubt　from

life；　for　they　show　us　almost　the　very　features　of　his　mummy；

exhibited　now　in　the　museum　at　Cairo。　At　his　side　he　holds

affectionately　his　son；　the　prince…royal；　Ramses　（later　on　Ramses　II。；

the　great　Sesostris　of　the　Greeks）。　They　have　given　the　latter　quite　a

frank　air；　and　he　wears　a　curl　on　the　side　of　his　head；　as　was　the

fashion　then　in　childhood。　He；　also；　has　his　mummy　in　a　glass　case　in

the　museum；　and　anyone　who　has　seen　that　toothless；　sinister　wreck；

who　had　already　attained　the　age　of　nearly　a　hundred　years　before

death　delivered　him　to　the　embalmers　of　Thebes；　will　find　it　difficult

to　believe　that　he　could　ever　have　been　young；　and　worn　his　hair

curled　so；　that　he　could　ever　have　played　and　been　a　child。



*****



We　thought　we　had　finished　with　the　Cooks　and　Cookesses　of　the

luncheon。　But　alas！　our　horses；　faster　than　their　donkeys；　overtake

them　in　the　return　journey　amongst　the　green　cornfields　of　Abydos；　and

in　a　stoppage　in　the　narrow　roadway；　caused　by　a　meeting　with　a　number

of　camels　laden　with　lucerne；　we　are　brought　to　a　halt　in　their　midst。

Almost　touching　me　is　a　dear　little　white　donkey；　who　looks　at　me

pensively　and　in　such　a　way　that　we　at　once　understand　each　other。　A

mutual　sympathy　unites　us。　A　Cookess　in　spectacles　surmounts　himthe

most　hideous　of　them　all；　bony　and　severe。　Over　her　travelling

costume；　already　sufficiently　repulsive；　she　wears　a　tennis　jersey；

which　accentuates　the　angularity　of　her　figure；　and　in　her　person　she

seems　the　very　incarnation　of　the　respectability　of　the　British　Isles。

It　would　be　more　equitable；　tooso　long　are　those　legs　of　hers；

which；　to　be　sure；　have　scant　interest　for　the　touristif　she　carried

the　donkey。



The　poor　little　white　thing　regards　me　with　melancholy。　His　ears

twitch　restlessly　and　his　beautiful　eyes；　so　fine；　so　observant　of

everything；　say　to　me　as　plain　as　words：



〃She　is　a　beauty；　isn't　she？〃



〃She　is；　indeed；　my　poor　little　donkey。　But　think　of　this：　fixed　on

thy　back　as　she　is；　thou　hast　this　advantage　over　methou　seest　her

not！〃



But　my　reflection；　though　judicious　enough；　does　not　console　him；　and

his　look　answers　me　that　he　would　be　much　prouder　if　he　carried；　like

so　many　of　his　comrades；　a　simple　pack　of　sugarcanes。







CHAPTER　XI



THE　DOWNFALL　OF　THE　NILE



Some　thousands　of　years　ago；　at　the　beginning　of　our　geological

period；　when　the　continents　had　taken；　in　the　last　great　upheaval；

almost　the　forms　by　which　we　now　know　them；　and　when　the　rivers　began

to　trace　their　hesitating　courses；　it　happened　that　the　rains　of　a

whole　watershed　of　Africa　were　precipitated　in　one　formidable　torrent

across　the　uninhabitable　region　which　stretches　from　the　Atlantic　to

the　Indian　Ocean；　and　is　called　the　region　of　the　deserts。　And　this

enormous　waterway；　lost　as　it　was　in　the　sands；　by…and…by　regulated

its　course：　it　became　the　Nile；　and　with　untiring　patience　set　itself

to　the　proper　task　of　river；　which　in　this　accursed　zone　might　well

have　seemed　an　impossible　one。　First　it　had　to　round　all　the　blocks　of

granite　scattered　in　its　way　in　the　high　plains　of　Nubia；　and　then；

and　more　especially；　to　deposit；　little　by　little；　successive　layers

of　mud；　to　form　a　living　artery；　to　create；　as　it　were；　a　long　green

ribbon　in　the　midst　of　this　infinite　domain　of　death。



How　long　ago　is　it　since　the　work　of　the　great　river　began？　There　is

something　fearful　in　the　thought。　During　the　5000　years　of　which　we

have　any　knowledge　the　incessant　deposit　of　mud　has　scarcely　widened

this　strip　of　inhabited　Egypt；　which　at　the　most　ancient　period　of

history　was　almost　as　it　is　to…day。　And　as　for　the　granite　blocks　on

the　plains　of　Nubia；　how　many　thousands　of　years　did　it　need　to　roll

them　and　to　polish　them　thus？　In　the　times　of　the　Pharaohs　they

already　had　their　present　roun