egypt-第18章

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bank；　I　continue　to　watch　the　distant　apparition。　It　emerges　gradually

from　the　light　morning　mists　which；　perhaps；　made　it　seem　even　larger

than　it　is。　The　clear　light　of　the　ascending　sun　shows　it　now　in

detail；　and　reveals　it　as　all　battered；　broken　and　ruinous　in　the

midst　of　a　silent　plain；　on　the　yellow　carpet　of　the　desert。　And　how

this　sun；　rising　in　its　clear　splendour；　seems　to　crush　it　with　its

youth　and　stupendous　duration。　This　same　sun　had　attained　to　its

present　round　form；　had　acquired　the　clear　precision　of　its　disc；　and

begun　its　daily　promenade　over　the　country　of　the　sands；　countless

centuries　of　centuries；　before　it　saw；　as　it　might　be　yesterday；　this

town　of　Thebes　arise；　an　attempt　at　magnificence　which　seemed　to

promise　for　the　human　pygmies　a　sufficiently　interesting　future；　but

which；　in　the　event；　we　have　not　been　able　even　to　equal。　And　it

proved；　too；　a　thing　quite　puny　and　derisory；　since　here　it　is　laid

low；　after　having　subsisted　barely　four　negligible　thousands　of　years。



*****



An　hour　later　we　arrive　at　Luxor；　and　what　a　surprise　awaits　us　there！



The　thing　which　dominates　the　whole　town；　and　may　be　seen　five　or　six

miles　away；　is　the　Winter　Palace；　a　hasty　modern　production　which　has

grown　on　the　border　of　the　Nile　during　the　past　year：　a　colossal

hotel；　obviously　sham；　made　of　plaster　and　mud；　on　a　framework　of

iron。　Twice　or　three　times　as　high　as　the　admirable　Pharaonic　Temple；

its　impudent　facade　rises　there；　painted　a　dirty　yellow。　One　such

thing；　it　will　readily　be　understood；　is　sufficient　to　disfigure

pitiably　the　whole　of　the　surroundings。　The　old　Arab　town；　with　its

little　white　houses；　its　minarets　and　its　palm…trees；　might　as　well

not　exist。　The　famous　temple　and　the　forest　of　heavy　Osiridean　columns

admire　themselves　in　vain　in　the　waters　of　the　river。　It　is　the　end　of

Luxor。



And　what　a　crowd　of　people　is　here！　While；　on　the　contrary；　the

opposite　bank　seems　so　absolutely　desertlike；　with　its　stretches　of

golden　sand　and；　on　the　horizon；　its　mountains　of　the　colour　of

glowing　embers；　which；　as　we　know；　are　full　of　mummies。



Poor　Luxor！　Along　the　banks　is　a　row　of　tourist　boats；　a　sort　of　two

or　three　storeyed　barracks；　which　nowadays　infest　the　Nile　from　Cairo

to　the　Cataracts。　Their　whistlings　and　the　vibration　of　their　dynamos

make　an　intolerable　noise。　How　shall　I　find　a　quiet　place　for　my

dahabiya；　where　the　functionaries　of　Messrs。　Cook　will　not　come　to

disturb　me？



We　can　now　see　nothing　of　the　palaces　of　Thebes；　whither　I　am　to

repair　in　the　evening。　We　are　farther　from　them　than　we　were　last

night。　The　apparition　during　our　morning's　journey　had　slowly　receded

in　the　plains　flooded　by　sunlight。　And　then　the　Winter　Palace　and　the

new　boats　shut　out　the　view。



But　this　modern　quay　of　Luxor；　where　I　disembark　at　ten　o'clock　in　the

morning　in　clear　and　radiant　sunshine；　is　not　without　its　amusing

side。



In　a　line　with　the　Winter　Palace　a　number　of　stalls　follow　one

another。　All　those　things　with　which　our　tourists　are　wont　to　array

themselves　are　on　sale　there：　fans；　fly　flaps；　helmets　and　blue

spectacles。　And；　in　thousands；　photographs　of　the　ruins。　And　there　too

are　the　toys；　the　souvenirs　of　the　Soudan：　old　negro　knives；　panther…

skins　and　gazelle　horns。　Numbers　of　Indians　even　are　come　to　this

improvised　fair；　bringing　their　stuffs　from　Rajputana　and　Cashmere。

And；　above　all；　there　are　dealers　in　mummies；　offering　for　sale

mysteriously　shaped　coffins；　mummy…cloths；　dead　hands；　gods；　scarabaei

and　the　thousand　and　one　things　that　this　old　soil　has　yielded　for

centuries　like　an　inexhaustible　mine。



Along　the　stalls；　keeping　in　the　shade　of　the　houses　and　the　scattered

palms；　pass　representatives　of　the　plutocracy　of　the　world。　Dressed　by

the　same　costumiers；　bedecked　in　the　same　plumes；　and　with　faces

reddened　by　the　same　sun；　the　millionaire　daughters　of　Chicago

merchants　elbow　their　sisters　of　the　old　nobility。　Pressing　amongst

them　impudent　young　Bedouins　pester　the　fair　travellers　to　mount　their

saddled　donkeys。　And　as　if　they　were　charged　to　add　to　this　babel　a

note　of　beauty；　the　battalions　of　Mr。　Cook；　of　both　sexes；　and　always

in　a　hurry；　pass　by　with　long　strides。



Beyond　the　shops；　following　the　line　of　the　quay；　there　are　other

hotels。　Less　aggressive；　all　of　them；　than　the　Winter　Palace；　they

have　had　the　discretion　not　to　raise　themselves　too　high；　and　to　cover

their　fronts　with　white　chalk　in　the　Arab　fashion；　even　to　conceal

themselves　in　clusters　of　palm…trees。



And　finally　there　is　the　colossal　temple　of　Luxor；　looking　as　out　of

place　now　as　the　poor　obelisk　which　Egypt　gave　us　as　a　present；　and

which　stands　to…day　in　the　Place　de　la　Concorde。



Bordering　the　Nile；　it　is　a　colossal　grove　of　stone；　about　three

hundred　yards　in　length。　In　epochs　of　a　magnificence　that　is　now

scarcely　conceivable　this　forest　of　columns　grew　high　and　thick；

rising　impetuously　at　the　bidding　of　Amenophis　and　the　great　Ramses。

And　how　beautiful　it　must　have　been　even　yesterday；　dominating　in　its

superb　disarray　this　surrounding　country；　vowed　for　centuries　to

neglect　and　silence！



But　to…day；　with　all　these　things　that　men　have　built　around　it；　you

might　say　that　it　no　longer　exists。



We　reach　an　iron…barred　gate　and；　to　enter；　have　to　show　our　permit　to

the　guards。　Once　inside　the　immense　sanctuary；　perhaps　we　shall　find

solitude　again。　But；　alas；　under　the　profaned　columns　a　crowd　of

people　passes；　with　/Baedekers/　in　their　hands；　the　same　people　that

one　sees　here　everywhere；　the　same　world　as　frequents　Nice　and　the

Riviera。　And；　to　crown　the　mockery；　the　noise　of　the　dynamos　pursues

us　even　here；　for　the　boats　of　Messrs。　Cook　are　moored　to　the　bank

close　by。



Hundreds　of　columns；　columns　which　are　anterior　by　many　centuries　to

those　of　Greece；　and　represent；　in　their　na？ve　enormity；　the　first

conceptions　of　the　human　brain。　Some　are　fluted　and　give　the

impression　of　sheaves　of　monstrous　weeds；　others；　quite　plain　and

simple；　imitate　the　stem　of　the　papyrus；　and　bear　by　way　of　capital

its　strange　flower。　The　tourists；　like　the　flies；　enter　at　certain

times　of　the　day；　which　it　suffices　to　know。　Soon　the　little　bells　of

the　hotels　will　call　them　away　and　the　hour　of　midday　will　find　me

here　alone。　But　what　in　heaven's　name　will　deliver　me　from　the　noise

of　the　dynamos？　But　look！　beyond　there；　at　the　bottom　of　the

sanctuaries；　in　the　part　which　should　be　the　holy　of　holies；　that

great　fresco；　now　half　effaced；　but　still　clearly　visible　on　the　wall

how　unexpected　and　arresting　it　is！　An　image　of　Christ！　Christ

crowned　with　the　Byzantine　aureole。　It　has　been　painted　on　a　coarse

plaster；　which　seems　to　have　been　added　by　an　unskilful　hand；　and　is

wearing　off　and　exposing　the　hieroglyphs　beneath。　。　。　。　This　temple；

in　fact；　almost　indestructible　by　reason　of　its　massiveness；　has

passed　through　the　hands　of　diverse　masters。　Its　antiquity　was　already

legendary　in　the　time　of　Alexander　the　Great；　on　whose　behalf　a　chapel

was　added　to　it；　and　later　on；　in　the　first　ages　of　Christianity；　a

corner　of　the　ruins　was　turned　into　a　cathedral。　The　tourists　begin　to

depart；　for　the　lunch　bell　calls　them　to　the　neighbouring　/tables

d'hote/；　and　while　I　wait　till　they　shall　be　gone；　I　occupy　myself　in

following　the　bas…reliefs　which　are　displayed　for　a　length　of　more

than　a　hundred　yards　along　the　base　of　the　walls。　It　is　one　long　row

of　people　moving　in　their　thousands　all　in　the　same　directionthe

ritual　procession　of　the　God　Amen。　With　the　care　which　characterised

the　Egyptians　to　draw　everything　from　life　so　as　to　render　it　eternal；

there　are　represented　here　the　smallest　details　of　a　day　of　festival

three　or　four　thousand　years　ago。　And　how　like　it　is　to　a　holiday　of

the　people　of　to…day！　Along　the　route　of　the　procession　are　ranged

jugglers　and　sellers　of　drinks　and　fruits；　and　negro　acrobats　who　walk

on　their　hands　and　twist　themselves　into　all　kinds　of　contortions。　But

the　procession　itself　was　evidently　of　a　magnificence　such　as　we　no

longer　know。　The　number　of　musicians　and　priests；　of　corporations；　of

emblems　and　banners；　is　quite　bewildering。　The　God　Amen　himself　came

by　water；　on　the　river；　in　his　golden　barge　with　its　raised　prow；

followed　by　the　barques　of　all　the　other　gods　and　goddesses　of　his

heaven。　The　reddish　stone；　carved　with　minute　care；　tells　me　all　this；

as　it　has　already　told　it　to　so　many　dead　generations；　so　that　I　seem

almost　to　see　it。



And　now　everybody　has　gone：　the　colonnades　are　empty　and　the　noise　of

the　dynamos　has　ceased。　Midday　approaches　with　its　torpor。　The　whole

temple　seems　to　be　ablaze　with　rays；　and　I　watch　the　clear…cut　shadows

cast　by　this　forest　of　stone　gradually　shortening　on　the　ground。　The

sun；　which　just　now　shone；　all　smiles　and　gaiety；　upon　the　quay　of　the

new　town　amid　the　uproar　of　the　stall…keepers；　the　donkey　drivers　and

the　cosmopolitan　passengers；　casts　here　a　sullen；　impassive　and

consuming　fire。　And　meanwhile　the　shadows　shortenand　just　as　they　do

every　day；　beneath　this　sky　which　is　never　overcast；　just　as　they　have

done　for　five　and　thirty　centuries；　these　columns；　these　friezes　and

this　temple　itself；　like　a　mysterious　and　solemn　sundial；　record

patiently　on　the　ground　the　slow　passing　of　the　hours。　Verily　for　us；

the　ephemerae　of　thought；　this　unbroken　continuity　of　the　sun　of　Egypt

has　more　of　melancholy　even　than　the　changing；　overcast　skies　of　our

climate。



And　now；　at　last；　the　temple　is　restored　to　solitude　and　all　noise　in

the　neighbourhood　has　ceased。



An　avenue　bordered　by　very　high　columns；　of　which　the　capitals　are　in

the　form　of　the　full…blown　flowers　of　the　papyrus；　leads　me　to　a　place

shut　in　and　almost　terrible；　where　is　massed　an　assembly　of　colossi。

Two；　who；　if　they　were　standing；　would　be　quite　ten　yards　in　height；

are　seated　on　thrones　on　either　side　of　the　entrance。　The　others；

ranged　on　the　three　sides　of　the　courtyard；　stand　upright　behind

colonnades；　but　look　as　if　they　were　about　to　issue　thence　and　to

stride　rapidly　towards　me。　Some　broken　and　battered；　have　lost　their

faces　and　preserve　only　their　intimidating　attitude。　Those　that　remain

intactwhite　faces　beneath　their　Sphinx's　headgearopen　their　eyes

wide　and　smile。



This　was　formerly　the　principal　entrance；　and　the　office　of　these

colossi　was　to　welcome　the　multitudes。　But　now　the　gates　of　honour

flanked　by　obelisks　of　red　granite；　are　obstructed　by　a　litter　of

enormous　ruins。　And　the　courtyard　has　become　a　place　voluntarily

closed；　where　nothing　of　the　outside　world　is　any　longer　to　be　seen。

In　moments　of　silence；　one　can　abstract　oneself　from　all　the

neighbouring　modern　things；　and　forget　the　hour；　the　day；　the　century

even；　in　the　midst　of　these　gigantic　figures；　whose　smile　disdains　the

flight　of　ages。　The　granite