egypt-第16章

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more　sombre　granite　out　of　which　the　Pharaohs　carved　their　obelisks

and　the　great　figures　of　their　gods。



We　go　on　and　on；　ascending　the　thread　of　this　eternal　current；　and　the

regularity　of　the　wind；　the　persistent　clearness　of　the　sky；　the

monotony　of　the　great　river；　which　winds　but　never　ends；　all　conspire

to　make　us　forget　the　hours　and　days　that　pass。　However　deceived　and

disappointed　we　may　be　at　seeing　the　profanation　of　the　river　banks；

here；　nevertheless；　isolated　on　the　water；　we　do　not　lose　the　peace　of

being　a　wanderer；　a　stranger　amongst　an　equipage　of　silent　Arabs；　who

every　evening　prostrate　themselves　in　confiding　prayer。



And；　moreover；　we　are　moving　towards　the　south；　towards　the　sun；　and

every　day　has　a　more　entrancing　clearness；　a　more　caressing　warmth；

and　the　bronze　of　the　faces　that　we　see　on　our　way　takes　on　a　deeper

tint。



And　then　too　one　mixes　intimately　with　the　life　of　the　river　bank；

which　is　still　so　absorbing　and；　at　certain　hours；　when　the　horizon　is

unsullied　by　the　smoke　of　pit…coal；　recalls　you　to　the　days　of　artless

toil　and　healthy　beauty。　In　the　boats　that　meet　us；　half…naked　men；

revelling　in　their　movement；　in　the　sun　and　air；　sing；　as　they　ply

their　oars；　those　songs　of　the　Nile　that　are　as　old　as　Thebes　or

Memphis。　When　the　wind　rises　there　is　a　riotous　unfurling　of　sails；

which；　stretched　on　their　long　yards；　give　to　the　dahabiyas　the　air　of

birds　in　full　flight。　Bending　right　over　in　the　wind；　they　skim　along

with　a　lively　motion；　carrying　their　cargoes　of　men　and　beasts　and

primitive　things。　Women　are　there　draped　still　in　the　ancient　fashion；

and　sheep　and　goats；　and　sometimes　piles　of　fruit　and　gourds；　and

sacks　of　grain。　Many　are　laden　to　the　water's　edge　with　these

earthenware　jars；　unchanged　for　3000　years；　which　the　fellaheens　know

how　to　place　on　their　heads　with　so　much　graceand　one　sees　these

heaps　of　fragile　pottery　gliding　along　the　water　as　if　carried　by　the

gigantic　wings　of　a　gull。　And　in　the　far…off；　almost　fabulous；　days

the　life　of　the　mariners　of　the　Nile　had　the　same　aspect；　as　is　shown

by　the　bas…reliefs　on　the　oldest　tombs；　it　required　the　same　play　of

muscles　and　of　sails；　was　accompanied　no　doubt　by　the　same　songs；　and

was　subject　to　the　withering　caress　of　this　same　desert　wind。　And

then；　as　now；　the　same　unchanging　rose　coloured　the　continuous　curtain

of　the　mountains。



But　all　at　once　there　is　a　noise　of　machinery；　and　whistlings；　and　in

the　air；　which　was　just　now　so　pure；　rise　noxious　columns　of　black

smoke。　The　modern　steamers　are　coming；　and　throw　into　disorder　the

flotillas　of　the　past；　colliers　that　leave　great　eddies　in　their　wake；

or　perhaps　a　wearisome　lot　of　those　three…decked　tourist　boats；　which

make　a　great　noise　as　they　plough　the　water；　and　are　laden　for　the

most　part　with　ugly　women；　snobs　and　imbeciles。



Poor；　poor　Nile！　which　reflected　formerly　on　its　warm　mirror　the

utmost　of　earthly　splendour；　which　bore　in　its　time　so　many　barques　of

gods　and　goddesses　in　procession　behind　the　golden　barge　of　Amen；　and

knew　in　the　dawn　of　the　ages　only　an　impeccable　purity；　alike　of　the

human　form　and　of　architectural　design！　What　a　downfall　is　here！　To　be

awakened　from　that　disdainful　sleep　of　twenty　centuries　and　made　to

carry　the　floating　barracks　of　Thomas　Cook　&　Son；　to　feed　sugar

factories；　and　to　exhaust　itself　in　nourishing　with　its　mud　the　raw

material　for　English　cotton…stuffs。







CHAPTER　XII



IN　THE　TEMPLE　OF　THE　GODDESS　OF　LOVE　AND　JOY



It　is　the　month　of　March；　but　as　gay　and　splendid　as　in　our　June。

Around　us　are　fields　of　corn；　of　lucerne；　and　the　flowering　bean。　And

the　air　is　full　of　restless　birds；　singing　deliriously　for　very　joy　in

the　voluptuous　business　of　their　nests　and　coveys。　Our　way　lies　over　a

fertile　soil；　saturated　with　vital　substancessome　paradise　for

beasts　no　doubt；　for　they　swarm　on　every　side：　flocks　of　goats　with　a

thousand　bleating　kids；　she…asses　with　their　frisking　young；　cows　and

cow…buffaloes　feeding　their　calves；　all　turned　loose　among　the　crops；

to　browse　at　their　leisure；　as　if　there　were　here　a　superabundance　of

the　riches　of　the　soil。



What　country　is　this　that　shows　no　sign　of　human　habitation；　that

knows　no　village；　nor　any　distant　spire？　The　crops　are　like　ours　at

homewheat；　lucerne；　and　the　flowering　bean　that　perfumes　the　air

with　its　white　blossoms。　But　there　is　an　excess　of　light　in　the　sky

and；　in　the　distance；　an　extraordinary　clearness。　And　then　these

fertile　plains；　that　might　be　those　of　some　〃Promised　Land；〃　seem　to

be　bounded　far　away；　on　left　and　right；　by　two　parallel　stone　walls；

two　chains　of　rose…coloured　mountains；　whose　aspect　is　obviously

desertlike。　Besides；　amongst　the　numerous　animals　that　are　familiar；

there　are　camels；　feeding　their　strange　nurslings　that　look　like　four…

legged　ostriches。　And　finally　some　peasants　appear　beyond　in　the

cornfields；　they　are　veiled　in　long　black　draperies。　It　is　the　East

then；　an　African　land；　or　some　oasis　of　Arabia？



The　sun　at　this　moment　is　hidden　from　us　by　a　band　of　clouds；　that

stretches；　right　above　our　head；　from　one　end　of　the　sky　to　the　other；

like　a　long　skein　of　white　wool。　It　is　alone　in　the　blue　void；　and

seems　to　make　more　peaceful；　and　even　a　little　mysterious；　the

wonderful　light　of　the　fields　we　traversethese　fields　intoxicated

with　life　and　vibrant　with　the　music　of　birds；　while；　by　contrast；　the

distant　landscape；　unshaded　by　clouds；　is　resplendent　with　a　more

incisive　clearness　and　the　desert　beyond　seems　deluged　with　rays。



The　pathway　that　we　have　been　following；　ill　defined　as　it　is　in　the

grassy　fields；　leads　us　at　length　under　a　large　ruinous　porticoa

relic　of　goodness　knows　what　olden　dayswhich　still　rises　here；　quite

isolated；　altogether　strange　and　unexpected；　in　the　midst　of　the　green

expanse　of　pasture　and　tillage。　We　had　seen　it　from　a　great　distance；

so　pure　and　clear　is　the　air；　and　in　approaching　it　we　perceive　that

it　is　colossal；　and　in　relief　on　its　lintel　is　designed　a　globe　with

two　long　wings　outspread　symmetrically。



It　behoves　us　now　to　make　obeisance　with　almost　religious　reverence；

for　this　winged　disc　is　a　symbol　which　gives　at　length　an　indication

of　the　place　immediate　and　absolute。　It　is　Egypt；　the　countryEgypt；

our　ancient　mother。　And　there　before　us　must　once　have　stood　a　temple

reverenced　of　the　people；　or　some　great　vanished　town；　its　fragments

of　columns　and　sculptured　capitals　are　strewn　about　in　the　fields　of

lucerne。　How　inexplicable　it　seems　that　this　land　of　ancient

splendours；　which　never　ceased　indeed　to　be　nutritive　and　prodigiously

fertile；　should　have　returned；　for　some　hundreds　of　years　now；　to　the

humble　pastoral　life　of　the　peasants。



Through　the　green　crops　and　the　assembled　herds　our　pathway　seems　to

lead　to　a　kind　of　hill　rising　alone　in　the　midst　of　the　plainsa　hill

which　is　neither　of　the　same　colour　nor　the　same　nature　as　the

mountains　of　the　surrounding　deserts。　Behind　us　the　portico　recedes

little　by　little　in　the　distance；　its　tall　imposing　silhouette；　as

mournful　and　solitary；　throws　an　infinite　sadness　on　this　sea　of

meadows；　which　spread　their　peace　where　once　was　a　centre　of

magnificence。



The　wind　now　rises　in　sharp；　lashing　guststhe　wind　of　Egypt　that

never　seems　to　fall；　and　is　bitter　and　wintry　for　all　the　burning　of

the　sun。　The　growing　corn　bends　before　it；　showing　the　gloss　of　its

young　quivering　leaves；　and　the　herded　beasts　move　close　to　one

another　and　turn　their　backs　to　the　squall。



As　we　draw　nearer　to　this　singular　hill　it　is　revealed　as　a　mass　of

ruins。　And　the　ruins　are　all　of　a　kind；　of　a　brownish…red。　They　are

the　remains　of　the　colonial　towns　of　the　Romans；　which　subsisted　here

for　some　two　or　three　hundred　years　（an　almost　negligible　moment　of

time　in　the　long　history　of　Egypt）；　and　then　fell　to　pieces；　to　become

in　time　mere　shapeless　mounds　on　the　fertile　margins　of　the　Nile　and

sometimes　even　in　the　submerging　sands。



A　heap　of　little　reddish　bricks　that　once　were　fashioned　into　houses；

a　heap　of　broken　jars　or　amphoraemyriads　of　themthat　served　to

carry　the　water　from　the　old　nourishing　river；　and　the　remains　of

walls；　repaired　at　diverse　epochs；　where　stones　inscribed　with

hieroglyphs　lie　upside　down　against　fragments　of　Grecian　obelisks　or

Coptic　sculptures　or　Roman　capitals。　In　our　countries；　where　the　past

is　of　yesterday；　we　have　nothing　resembling　such　a　chaos　of　dead

things。



Nowadays　the　sanctuary　is　reached　through　a　large　cutting　in　this　hill

of　ruins；　incredible　heaps　of　bricks　and　broken　pottery　enclose　it　on

all　sides　like　a　jealous　rampart。　Until　recently　indeed　they　covered

it　almost　to　its　roof。　From　the　very　first　its　appearance　is

disconcerting：　it　is　so　grand；　so　austere　and　gloomy。　A　strange

dwelling；　to　be　sure；　for　the　Goddess　of　Love　and　Joy。　It　seems　more

fit　to　be　the　home　of　the　Prince　of　Darkness　and　of　Death。　A　severe

doorway；　built　of　gigantic　stones　and　surmounted　by　a　winged　disc；

opens　on　to　an　asylum　of　religious　mystery；　on　to　depths　where　massive

columns　disappear　in　the　darkness　of　deep　night。



Immediately　on　entering　there　is　a　coolness　and　a　resonance　as　of　a

sepulchre。　First；　the　pronaos；　where　we　still　see　clearly；　between

pillars　carved　with　hieroglyphs。　Were　it　not　for　the　large　human　faces

which　serve　for　the　capitals　of　the　columns；　and　are　the　image　of　the

lovely　Hathor；　the　goddess　of　the　place；　this　temple　of　the　decadent

epoch　would　scarcely　differ　from　those　built　in　this　country　two

thousand　years　before。　It　has　the　same　square　massiveness。



And　in　the　dark　blue　ceilings　there　are　the　same　frescoes；　filled　with

stars；　with　the　signs　of　the　Zodiac；　and　series　of　winged　discs；　in

bas…relief　on　the　walls；　the　same　multitudinous　crowd　of　people　who

gesticulate　and　make　signs　to　one　another　with　their　handseternally

the　same　mysterious　signs；　repeated　to　infinity；　everywherein　the

palaces；　the　hypogea；　the　syringes；　and　on　the　sarcophagi　and　papyri

of　the　mummies。



The　Memphite　and　Theban　temples；　which　preceded　this　by　so　many

centuries；　and　far　surpassed　it　in　grandeur；　have　all　lost；　in

consequence　of　the　falling　of　the　enormous　granites　of　their　roofs；

their　cherished　gloom；　and；　what　is　the　same　thing；　their　religious

mystery。　But　in　the　temple　of　the　lovely　Hathor；　on　the　contrary；

except　for　some　figures　mutilated　by　the　hammers　of　Christians　or

Moslems；　everything　has　remained　intact；　and　the　lofty　ceilings　still

throw　their　fearsome　shadows。



The　gloom　deepens　in　the　hypostyle　which　follows　the　pronaos。　Then

come；　one　after　another；　two　halls　of　increasing　holiness；　where　the

daylight　enters　regretfully　through　narrow　loopholes；　barely　lighting

the　superposed　rows　of　innumerable　figures　that　gesticulate　on　the

walls。　And　then；　after　other　majestic