egypt-第23章

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

where　everything　that　is　revealed　is　by　way　of　being　a　surprise　and

a　lucky　find；　where　the　least　carved　stone　had　a　past　of　glory；　formed

part　of　the　first　architectural　splendours；　was　/a　stone　of　Thebes/。

Scarcely　a　moment　passes　but；　at　the　bottom　of　the　trenches；　as　the

digging　proceeds；　some　new　thing　gleams。　Perhaps　it　is　the　polished

flank　of　a　colossus；　fashioned　out　of　granite　from　Syene；　or　a　little

copper　Osiris；　the　debris　of　a　vase；　a　golden　trinket　beyond　price；　or

even　a　simple　blue　pearl　that　has　fallen　from　the　necklace　of　some

waiting…maid　of　a　queen。



This　activity　of　the　excavators；　which　alone　reanimates　certain

quarters　during　the　day；　ends　at　sunset。　Every　evening　the　lean

fellahs　receive　the　daily　wage　of　their　labour；　and　take　themselves

off　to　sleep　in　the　silent　neighbourhood　in　their　huts　of　mud；　and　the

iron　gates　are　shut　behind　them。　At　night；　except　for　the　guards　at

the　entrance；　no　one　inhabits　the　ruins。



*****



Crumbling　and　dust。　。　。　。　Far　around；　on　every　side　of　these　palaces

and　temples　of　the　central　arterywhich　are　the　best　preserved　and

remain　proudly　uprightstretch　great　mournful　spaces；　on　which　the

sun　from　morning　till　evening　pours　an　implacable　light。　There；

amongst　the　lank　desert　plants；　lie　blocks　scattered　at　hazardthe

remains　of　sanctuaries；　of　which　neither　the　plan　nor　the　form　will

ever　be　discovered。　But　on　these　stones；　fragments　of　the　history　of

the　world　are　still　to　be　read　in　clear…cut　hieroglyphs。



To　the　west　of　the　hypostyle　hall　there　is　a　region　strewn　with　discs；

all　equal　and　all　alike。　It　might　be　a　draught…board　for　Titans　with

draughts　that　would　measure　ten　yards　in　circumference。　They　are　the

scattered　fragments；　slices；　as　it　were；　of　a　colonnade　of　the　Ramses。

Farther　on　the　ground　seems　to　have　passed　through　fire。　You　walk　over

blackish　scoriae　encrusted　with　brazen　bolts　and　particles　of　melted

glass。　It　is　the　quarter　burnt　by　the　soldiers　of　Cambyses。　They　were

great　destroyers　of　the　queen　city；　were　these　same　Persian　soldiers。

To　break　up　the　obelisks　and　the　colossal　statues　they　conceived　the

plan　of　scorching　them　by　lighting　bonfires　around　them；　and　then；

when　they　saw　them　burning　hot；　they　deluged　them　with　cold　water。　And

the　granites　cracked　from　top　to　base。



It　is　well　known；　of　course；　that　Thebes　used　to　extend　for　a

considerable　distance　both　on　this；　the　right；　bank　of　the　Nile；　where

the　Pharaohs　resided；　and　opposite；　on　the　Libyan　bank；　given　over　to

the　preparers　of　mummies　and　to　the　mortuary　temples。　But　to…day；

except　for　the　great　palaces　of　the　centre；　it　is　little　more　than　a

litter　of　ruins；　and　the　long　avenues；　lined　with　endless　rows　of

sphinxes　or　rams；　are　lost；　goodness　knows　where；　buried　beneath　the

sand。



At　wide　intervals；　however；　in　the　midst　of　these　cemeteries　of

things；　a　temple　here　and　there　remains　upright；　preserving　still　its

sanctified　gloom　beneath　its　cavernous　carapace。　One；　where　certain

celebrated　oracles　used　to　be　delivered；　is　even　more　prisonlike　and

sepulchral　than　the　others　in　its　eternal　shadow。　High　up　in　a　wall

the　black　hole　of　a　kind　of　grotto　opens；　to　which　a　secret　corridor

coming　from　the　depths　used　to　lead。　It　was　there　that　the　face　of　the

priest　charged　with　the　announcement　of　the　sibylline　words　appeared

and　the　ceiling　of　his　niche　is　all　covered　still　with　the　smoke　from

the　flame　of　his　lamp；　which　was　extinguished　more　than　two　thousand

years　ago！



*****



What　a　number　of　ruins；　scarcely　emerging　from　the　sand　of　the　desert；

are　hereabout！　And　in　the　old　dried…up　soil；　how　many　strange

treasures　remain　hidden！　When　the　sun　lights　thus　the　forlorn

distances；　when　you　perceive　stretching　away　to　the　horizon　these

fields　of　death；　you　realise　better　what　kind　of　a　place　this　Thebes

once　was。　Rebuilt　as　it　were　in　the　imagination　it　appears　excessive；

superabundant　and　multiple；　like　those　flowers　of　the　antediluvian

world　which　the　fossils　reveal　to　us。　Compared　with　it　how　our　modern

towns　are　dwarfed；　and　our　hasty　little　palaces；　our　stuccoes　and　old

iron！



And　it　is　so　mystical；　this　town　of　Thebes；　with　its　dark　sanctuaries；

once　inhabited　by　gods　and　symbols。　All　the　sublime；　fresh…minded

striving　of　the　human　soul　after　the　Unknowable　is　as　it　were

petrified　in　these　ruins；　in　forms　diverse　and　immeasurably　grand。　And

subsisting　thus　down　to　our　day　it　puts　us　to　shame。　Compared　with

this　people；　who　thought　only　of　eternity；　we　are　a　lot　of　pitiful

dotards；　who　soon　will　be　past　caring　about　the　wherefore　of　life；　or

thought；　or　death。　Such　beginnings　presaged；　surely；　something　greater

than　our　humanity　of　the　present　day；　given　over　to　despair；　to

alcohol　and　to　explosives！



*****



Crumbling　and　dust！　This　same　sun　of　Thebes　is　in　its　place　each　day；

parching；　exhausting；　cracking　and　pulverising。



On　the　ground　where　once　stood　so　much　magnificence　there　are　fields

of　corn；　spread　out　like　green　carpets；　which　tell　of　the　return　of

the　humble　life　of　tillage。　Above　all；　there　is　the　sand；　encroaching

now　upon　the　very　threshold　of　the　Pharaohs；　there　is　the　yellow

desert；　there　is　the　world　of　reflections　and　of　silence；　which

approaches　like　a　slow　submerging　tide。　In　the　distance；　where　the

mirage　trembles　from　morning　till　evening；　the　burying　is　already

almost　achieved。　The　few　poor　stones　which　still　appear；　barely

emerging　from　the　advancing　dunes；　are　the　remains　of　what　men；　in

their　superb　revolts　against　death；　had　contrived　to　make　the　most

massively　indestructible。



And　this　sun；　this　eternal　sun；　which　parades　over　Thebes　the　irony　of

its　durationfor　us　so　impossible　to　calculate　or　to　conceive！

Nowhere　so　much　as　here　does　one　suffer　from　the　dismay　of　knowing

that　all　our　miserable　little　human　effervescence　is　only　a　sort　of

fermentation　round　an　atom　emanated　from　that　sinister　ball　of　fire；

and　that　that　fire　itself；　the　wonderful　sun；　is　no　more　than　an

ephemeral　meteor；　a　furtive　spark；　thrown　off　during　one　of　the

innumerable　cosmic　transformations；　in　the　course　of　times　without　end

and　without　beginning。







CHAPTER　XVII



AN　AUDIENCE　OF　AMENOPHIS　II。



King　Amenophis　II。　has　resumed　his　receptions；　which　he　found　himself

obliged　to　suspend　for　three　thousand；　three　hundred　and　some　odd

years；　by　reason　of　his　decease。　They　are　very　well　attended；　court

dress　is　not　insisted　upon；　and　the　Grand　Master　of　ceremonies　is　not

above　taking　a　tip。　He　holds　them　every　morning　in　the　winter　from

eight　o'clock；　in　the　bowels　of　a　mountain　in　the　desert　of　Libya；　and

if　he　rests　himself　during　the　remainder　of　the　day　it　is　only

because；　as　soon　as　midday　sounds；　they　turn　off　the　electric　light。



Happy　Amenophis！　Out　of　so　many　kings　who　tried　so　hard　to　hide　for

ever　their　mummies　in　the　depths　of　impenetrable　caverns　he　is　the

only　one　who　has　been　left　in　his　tomb。　And　he　〃makes　the　most　of　it〃

every　time　he　opens　his　funeral　salons。



*****



It　is　important　to　arrive　before　midday　at　the　dwelling　of　this

Pharaoh；　and　at　eight　o'clock　sharp；　therefore；　on　a　clear　February

morning；　I　set　out　from　Luxor；　where　for　many　days　my　dahabiya　had

slumbered　against　the　bank　of　the　Nile。　It　is　necessary　first　of　all

to　cross　the　river；　for　the　Theban　kings　of　the　Middle　Empire　all

established　their　eternal　habitations　on　the　opposite　bankfar　beyond

the　plains　of　the　river　shore；　right　away　in　those　mountains　which

bound　the　horizon　as　with　a　wall　of　adorable　rose…colour。　Other

canoes；　which　are　also　crossing；　glide　by　the　side　of　mine　on　the

tranquil　water。　The　passengers　seem　to　belong　to　that　variety　of

Anglo…Saxons　which　is　equipped　by　Thomas　Cook　&　Sons　（Egypt　Ltd。）；　and

like　me；　no　doubt；　they　are　bound　for　the　royal　presence。



We　land　on　the　sand　of　the　opposite　bank；　which　to…day　is　almost

deserted。　Formerly　there　stretched　here　a　regular　suburb　of　Thebes

that；　namely；　of　the　preparers　of　mummies；　with　thousands　of　ovens

wherein　to　heat　the　natron　and　the　oils；　which　preserved　the　bodies

from　corruption。　In　this　Thebes；　where　for　some　fifty　centuries；

everything　that　died；　whether　man　or　beast；　was　minutely　prepared　and

swathed　in　bandages；　it　will　readily　be　understood　what　importance

this　quarter　of　the　embalmers　came　to　assume。　And　it　was　to　the

neighbouring　mountains　that　the　products　of　so　many　careful　wrappings

were　borne　for　burial；　while　the　Nile　carried　away　the　blood　from　the

bodies　and　the　filth　of　their　entrails。　That　chain　of　living　rocks

that　rises　before　us；　coloured　each　morning　with　the　same　rose；　as　of

a　tender　flower；　is　literally　stuffed　with　dead　bodies。



We　have　to　cross　a　wide　plain　before　reaching　the　mountains；　and　on

our　way　cornfields　alternate　with　stretches　of　sand　already

desertlike。　Behind　us　extends　the　old　Nile　and　the　opposite　bank　which

we　have　lately　quittedthe　bank　of　Luxor；　whose　gigantic　Pharaonic

colonnades　are　as　it　were　lengthened　below　by　their　own　reflection　in

the　mirror　of　the　river。　And　in　this　radiant　morning；　in　this　pure

light；　it　would　be　admirable；　this　eternal　temple；　with　its　image

reversed　in　the　depth　of　the　blue　water；　were　it　not　that　at　its

sides；　and　to　twice　its　height；　rises　the　impudent　Winter　Palace；　that

monster　hotel　built　last　year　for　the　fastidious　tourists。　And　yet；

who　knows？　The　jackanapes　who　deposited　this　abomination　on　the　sacred

soil　of　Egypt　perhaps　imagines　that　he　equals　the　merit　of　the　artist

who　is　now　restoring　the　sanctuaries　of　Thebes；　or　even　the　glory　of

the　Pharaohs　who　built　them。



As　we　draw　nearer　to　the　chain　of　Libya；　where　this　king　awaits　us；　we

traverse　fields　still　green　with　growing　cornand　sparrows　and　larks

sing　around　us　in　the　impetuous　spring　of　this　land　of　Thebes。



And　now　beyond　two　menhirs；　as　it　were；　become　gradually　distinct。　Of

the　same　height　and　shape；　alike　indeed　in　every　respect；　they　rise

side　by　side　in　the　clear　distance　in　the　midst　of　these　green　plains；

which　recall　so　well　our　fields　of　France。　They　wear　the　headgear　of

the　Sphinx；　and　are　gigantic　human　forms　seated　on　thronesthe

colossal　statues　of　Memnon。　We　recognise　them　at　once；　for　the

picture…makers　of　succeeding　ages　have　popularised　their　aspect；　as　in

the　case　of　the　pyramids。　What　is　strange　is　that　they　should　stand

there　so　simply　in　the　midst　of　these　fields　of　growing　corn；　which

reach　to　their　very　feet；　and　be　surrounded　by　these　humble　birds　we

know　so　well；　who　sing　without　ceremony　on　their　shoulders。



They　do　not　seem　to　be　scandalised　even　at　seeing　now；　passing　quite

close　to　them；　the　trucks　of　a　playful　little　railway　belonging　to　a

local　industry；　that　are　laden　with　sugar…canes　and　gourds。



The　chain　of　Libya；　during