egypt-第22章

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trails　which　reveal　the　gods　and　goddesses　engraved　in　the　stone。　They

were　watching　in　myriads　around　me；　as　I　knew　well；coifed；　all　of

them；　in　discs　or　great　horns。　They　stare　at　one　another　with　their

arms　raised；　spreading　out　their　long　fingers　in　an　eager　attempt　at

conversation。　They　are　numberless；　these　eternally　gesticulating　gods。

Wherever　you　look　their　forms　are　multiplied　with　a　stupefying

repetition。　They　seem　to　have　some　mysterious　secret　to　convey　to　one

another；　but　have　perforce　to　remain　silent；　and　for　all　the

expressiveness　of　their　attitudes　their　hands　do　not　move。　And

hieroglyphs；　too；　repeated　to　infinity；　envelop　you　on　all　sides　like

a　multiple　woof　of　mystery。



*****



Minute　by　minute　now；　everything　amongst　these　rigid　dead　things　grows

more　precise。　Cold；　hard　rays　penetrate　through　the　immense　ruin；

separating　with　a　sharp　incisiveness　the　light　from　the　shadows。　The

feeling　that　these　stones；　wearied　as　they　were　with　their　long

duration；　might　still　be　thoughtful；　still　mindful　of　their　past；

grows　lessless　than　it　was　a　few　moments　before；　far　less　than

during　the　preceding　blue　phantasmagoria。　Under　this　clear；　pale

light；　as　in　the　daytime；　under　the　fire　of　the　sun；　Thebes　has　lost

for　the　moment　whatever　remained　to　it　of　soul；　it　has　receded　farther

into　the　backward　of　time；　and　appears　now　nothing　more　than　a　vast

gigantic　fossil　that　excites　only　our　wonder　and　our　fear。



*****



But　the　tourists　will　soon　be　here；　attracted　by　the　moon。　A　league

away；　in　the　hotels　of　Luxor；　I　can　fancy　how　they　have　hurried　away

from　the　tables；　for　fear　of　missing　the　celebrated　spectacle。　For　me；

therefore；　it　is　time　to　beat　a　retreat；　and；　by　the　great　avenue

again；　I　direct　my　steps　towards　the　pylons　of　the　Ptolemies；　where

the　night　guards　are　waiting。



They　are　busy　already；　these　Bedouins；　in　opening　the　gates　for　some

tourists；　who　have　shown　their　permits；　and　who　carry　Kodaks；

magnesium　to　light　up　the　templesquite　an　outfit　in　short。



Farther　on；　when　I　have　taken　the　road　to　Luxor；　it　is　not　long　before

I　meet；　under　the　palm…trees　and　on　the　sands；　the　crowd；　the　main

body　of　the　arrivalssome　in　carriages；　some　on　horseback；　some　on

donkeys。　There　is　a　noise　of　voices　speaking　all　sorts　of　non…Egyptian

languages。　One　is　tempted　to　ask：　〃What　is　happening？　A　ball；　a

holiday；　a　grand　marriage？〃　No。　The　moon　is　full　to…night　at　Thebes；

upon　the　ruins。　That　is　all。







CHAPTER　XVI



THEBES　IN　SUNLIGHT



It　is　two　o'clock　in　the　afternoon。　A　white　angry　fire　pours　from　the

sky；　which　is　pale　from　excess　of　light。　A　sun　inimical　to　the　men　of

our　climate　scorches　the　enormous　fossil　which；　crumbling　in　places；

is　all　that　remains　of　Thebes　and　which　lies　there　like　the　carcass　of

a　gigantic　beast　that　has　been　dead　for　thousands　of　years；　but　is　too

massive　ever　to　be　annihilated。



In　the　hypostyle　there　is　a　little　blue　shade　behind　the　monstrous

pillars；　but　even　that　shade　is　dusty　and　hot。　The　columns　too　are

hot；　and　so　are　all　the　blocksand　yet　it　is　winter　and　the　nights

are　cold；　even　to　the　point　of　frost。　Heat　and　dust；　a　reddish　dust；

which　hangs　like　an　eternal　cloud　over　these　ruins　of　Upper　Egypt；

exhaling　an　odour　of　spices　and　mummy。



The　great　heat　seems　to　augment　the　retrospective　sensation　of　fatigue

which　seizes　you　as　you　regard　these　stonestoo　heavy　for　human

strengthwhich　are　massed　here　in　mountains。　One　almost　seems　to

participate　in　the　efforts；　the　exhaustions　and　the　sweating　toils　of

that　people；　with　their　muscles　of　brand　new　steel；　who　in　the

carrying　and　piling　of　such　masses　had　to　bear　the　yoke　for　thirty

centuries。



Even　the　stones　themselves　tell　of　fatiguethe　fatigue　of　being

crushed　by　one　another's　weight　for　thousands　of　years；　the　suffering

that　comes　of　having　been　too　exactly　carved；　and　too　nicely　placed

one　above　the　other；　so　that　they　seem　to　be　riveted　together　by　the

force　of　their　mere　weight。　Oh！　the　poor　stones　of　the　base　that　bear

the　weight　of　these　awful　pilings！



And　the　ardent　colour　of　these　things　surprises　you。　It　has　persisted。

On　the　red　sandstone　of　the　hypostyle；　the　paintings　of　more　than

three　thousand　years　ago　are　still　to　be　seen；　especially　above　the

central　chamber；　almost　in　the　sky；　the　capitals；　in　the　form　of　great

flowers；　have　kept　the　lapis　blues；　the　greens　and　yellows　with　which

their　strange　petals　were　long　ago　bespeckled。



Decrepitude　and　crumbling　and　dust。　In　broad　daylight；　under　the

magnificent　splendour　of　the　life…giving　sun；　one　realises　clearly

that　all　here　is　dead；　and　dead　since　days　which　the　imagination　is

scarcely　able　to　conceive。　And　the　ruin　appears　utterly　irreparable。

Here　and　there　are　a　few　impotent　and　almost　infantine　attempts　at

reparation；　undertaken　in　the　ancient　epochs　of　history　by　the　Greeks

and　Romans。　Columns　have　been　put　together；　holes　have　been　filled

with　cement。　But　the　great　blocks　lie　in　confusion；　and　one　feels；

even　to　the　point　of　despair；　how　impossible　it　is　ever　to　restore　to

order　such　a　chaos　of　crushing；　overthrown　thingseven　with　the　help

of　legions　of　workers　and　machines；　and　with　centuries　before　you　in

which　to　complete　the　task。



And　then；　what　surprises　and　oppresses　you　is　the　want　of　clear　space；

the　little　room　that　remained　for　the　multitudes　in　these　halls　which

are　nevertheless　immense。　The　whole　space　between　the　walls　was

encumbered　with　pillars。　The　temples　were　half　filled　with　colossal

forests　of　stone。　The　men　who　built　Thebes　lived　in　the　beginning　of

time；　and　had　not　yet　discovered　the　thing　which　to　us　to…day　seems　so

simplenamely；　the　vault。　And　yet　they　were　marvellous　pioneers；

these　architects。　They　had　already　succeeded　in　evolving　out　of　the

dark；　as　it　were；　a　number　of　conceptions　which；　from　the　beginning　no

doubt；　slumbered　in　mysterious　germ　in　the　human　brainthe　idea　of

rectitude；　the　straight　line；　the　right　angle；　the　vertical　line；　of

which　Nature　furnishes　no　example；　even　symmetry；　which；　if　you

consider　it　well；　is　less　explicable　still。　They　employed　symmetry

with　a　consummate　mastery；　understanding　as　well　as　we　do　all　the

effect　that　is　to　be　obtained　by　the　repetition　of　like　objects　placed

/en　pendant/　on　either　side　of　a　portico　or　an　avenue。　But　they　did

not　invent　the　vault。　And　therefore；　since　there　was　a　limit　to　the

size　of　the　stones　which　they　were　able　to　place　flat　like　beams；　they

had　recourse　to　this　profusion　of　columns　to　support　their　stupendous

ceilings。　And　thus　it　is　that　there　seems　to　be　a　want　of　air；　that

one　seems　to　stifle　in　the　middle　of　their　temples；　dominated　and

obstructed　as　they　are　by　the　rigid　presence　of　so　many　stones。　And

yet　to…day　you　can　see　quite　clearly　in　these　temples；　for；　since　the

suspended　rocks　which　served　for　roof　have　fallen；　floods　of　light

descend　from　all　parts。　But　formerly；　when　a　kind　of　half　night

reigned　in　the　deep　halls；　beneath　the　immovable　carapaces　of

sandstone　or　granite；　how　oppressive　and　sepulchral　it　must　all　have

beenhow　final　and　pitiless；　like　a　gigantic　palace　of　Death！　On　one

day；　however；　in　each　year；　here　at　Thebes；　a　light　as　of　a

conflagration　used　to　penetrate　from　one　end　to　the　other　of　the

sanctuaries　of　Amen；　for　the　middle　artery　is　open　towards　the　north…

west；　and　is　aligned　in　such　a　fashion　that；　once　a　year；　one　solitary

time；　on　the　evening　of　the　summer　solstice；　the　sun　as　it　sets　is

able　to　plunge　its　reddened　rays　straight　into　the　sanctuaries。　At　the

moment　when　it　enlarges　its　blood…coloured　disc　before　descending

behind　the　desolation　of　the　Libyan　mountains；　it　arrives　in　the　very

axis　of　this　avenue；　of　this　suite　of　aisles；　which　measures　more　than

800　yards　in　length。　Formerly；　then；　on　these　evenings　it　shone

horizontally　beneath　the　terrible　ceilingsbetween　these　rows　of

pillars　which　are　as　high　as　our　Colonne　Vendomeand　threw；　for　some

seconds；　its　colours　of　molten　copper　into　the　obscurity　of　the　holy

of　holies。　And　then　the　whole　temple　would　resound　with　the　clashing

of　music；　and　the　glory　of　the　god　of　Thebes　was　celebrated　in　the

depths　of　the　forbidden　halls。



*****



Like　a　cloud；　like　a　veil；　the　continual　red…coloured　dust　floats

everywhere　above　the　ruins；　and；　athwart　it；　here　and　there；　the　sun

traces　long；　white　beams；　But　at　one　point　of　the　avenue；　behind　the

obelisks；　it　seems　to　rise　in　clouds；　this　dust　of　Egypt；　as　if　it

were　smoke。　For　the　workers　of　bronze　are　assembled　there　to…day　and；

hour　by　hour；　without　ceasing；　they　dig　in　the　sacred　soil。

Ridiculously　small　and　almost　negligible　by　the　side　of　the　great

monoliths　they　dig　and　dig。　Patiently　they　clear　the　ruins；　and　the

earth　goes　away　in　little　parcels　in　rows　of　baskets　carried　by

children　in　the　form　of　a　chain。　The　periodical　deposits　of　the　Nile；

and　the　sand　carried　by　the　wind　of　the　desert；　had　raised　the　soil　by

about　six　yards　since　the　time　when　Thebes　ceased　to　live。　But　now　men

are　endeavouring　to　restore　the　ancient　level。　At　first　sight　the　task

seemed　impossible；　but　they　will　achieve　it　in　the　end；　even　with

their　simple　means；　these　fellah　toilers；　who　sing　as　they　labour　at

their　incessant　work　of　ants。　Soon　the　grand　hypostyle　will　be　freed

from　rubbish；　and　its　columns；　which　even　before　seemed　so　tremendous；

uncovered　now　to　the　base；　have　added　another　twenty　feet　to　their

height。　A　number　of　colossal　statues；　which　lay　asleep　beneath　this

shroud　of　earth　and　sand；　have　been　brought　back　to　the　light；　set

upright　again　and　have　resumed　their　watch　in　the　intimidating

thoroughfares　for　a　new　period　of　quasi…eternity。　Year　by　year　the

town…mummy　is　being　slowly　exhumed　by　dint　of　prodigious　effort；　and

is　repeopled　again　by　gods　and　kings　who　had　been　hidden　for　thousands

of　years！＇*＇　Year　in；　year　out；　the　digging　continuesdeeper　and

deeper。　It　is　scarcely　known　to　what　depth　the　debris　and　the　ruins

descend。　Thebes　had　endured　for　so　many　centuries；　the　earth　here　is

so　penetrated　with　human　past；　that　it　is　averred　that；　under　the

oldest　of　the　known　temples　there　are　still　others；　older　still　and

more　massive；　of　which　there　was　no　suspicion；　and　whose　age　must

exceed　eight　thousand　years。



＇*＇　As　is　generally　known；　the　maintenance　of　the　ancient　monuments　of

　　　　Egypt　and　their　restoration；　so　far　as　that　may　be　possible；　has

　　　　been　entrusted　to　the　French。　M。　Maspero　has　delegated　to　Thebes

　　　　an　artist　and　a　scholar；　M。　Legrain　by　name；　who　is　devoting　his

　　　　life　passionately　to　the　work。



In　spite　of　the　burning　sun；　and　of　the　clouds　of　dust　raised　by　the

blows　of　the　pickaxes；　one　might　linger　for　hours　amongst　the　dust…

stained；　meagre　fellahs；　watching　the　excavations　in　this　unique　soil

where　everything　that　is　revealed　is　by　way　of　being　a　surpris