egypt-第25章

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demons　that　an　Egyptian　soul　was　likely　to　meet　in　its　passage　through

the　country　of　shadows；　and　underneath　the　passwords　which　were　to　be

given　to　each　of　them　are　recapitulated　so　as　not　to　be　forgotten。



For　the　soul　used　to　depart　simultaneously　under　the　two　forms　of　a

flame＇*＇　and　a　falcon＇＋＇　respectively。　And　this　country　of　shadows；

called　also　the　west；　to　which　it　had　to　render　itself；　was　that　where

the　moon　sinks　and　where　each　evening　the　sun　goes　down；　a　country　to

which　the　living　were　never　able　to　attain；　because　it　fled　before

them；　however　fast　they　might　travel　across　the　sands　or　over　the

waters。　On　its　arrival　there；　the　scared　soul　had　to　parley

successively　with　the　fearsome　demons　who　lay　in　wait　for　it　along　its

route。　If　at　last　it　was　judged　worthy　to　approach　Osiris；　the　great

Dead　Sun；　it　was　subsumed　in　him　and　reappeared；　shining　over　the

world　the　next　morning　and　on　all　succeeding　mornings　until　the

consummation　of　timea　vague　survival　in　the　solar　splendour；　a

continuation　without　personality；　of　which　one　is　scarcely　able　to　say

whether　or　not　it　was　more　desirable　than　eternal　non…existence。



＇*＇　The　Khou；　which　never　returned　to　our　world。



＇＋＇　The　Bai；　which　might；　at　its　will；　revisit　the　tomb。



And；　moreover；　it　was　necessary　to　preserve　the　body　at　whatever　cost；

for　a　certain　/double/　of　the　dead　man　continued　to　dwell　in　the　dry

flesh；　and　retained　a　kind　of　half　life；　barely　conscious。　Lying　at

the　bottom　of　the　sarcophagus　it　was　able　to　see；　by　virtue　of　those

two　eyes；　which　were　painted　on　the　lid；　always　in　the　same　axis　as

the　empty　eyes　of　the　mummy。　Sometimes；　too；　this　/double/；　escaping

from　the　mummy　and　its　box；　used　to　wander　like　a　phantom　about　the

hypogeum。　And；　in　order　that　at　such　times　it　might　be　able　to　obtain

nourishment；　a　mass　of　mummified　viands　wrapped　in　bandages　were

amongst　the　thousand　and　one　things　buried　at　its　side。　Even　natron

and　oils　were　left；　so　that　it　might　re…embalm　itself；　if　the　worms

came　to　life　in　its　members。




Oh！　the　persistence　of　this　/double/；　sealed　there　in　the　tomb；　a　prey

to　anxiety；　lest　corruption　should　take　hold　of　it；　which　had　to　serve

its　long　duration　in　suffocating　darkness；　in　absolute　silence；

without　anything　to　mark　the　days　and　nights；　or　the　seasons　or　the

centuries；　or　the　tens　of　centuries　without　end！　It　was　with　such　a

terrible　conception　of　death　as　this　that　each　one　in　those　days　was

absorbed　in　the　preparation　of　his　eternal　chamber。



And　for　Amenophis　II。　this　more　or　less　is　what　happened　to　his

/double/。　Unaccustomed　to　any　kind　of　noise；　after　three　or　four

hundred　years　passed　in　the　company　of　certain　familiars；　lulled　in

the　same　heavy　slumber　as　himself；　he　heard　the　sound　of　muffled　blows

in　the　distance；　by　the　side　of　the　hidden　well。　The　secret　entrance

was　discovered：　men　were　breaking　through　its　walls！　Living　beings

were　about　to　appear；　pillagers　of　tombs；　no　doubt；　come　to　unswathe

them　all！　But　no！　Only　some　priests　of　Osiris；　advancing　with　fear　in

a　funeral　procession。　They　brought　nine　great　coffins　containing　the

mummies　of　nine　kings；　his　sons；　grandsons　and　other　unknown

successors；　down　to　that　King　Setnakht；　who　governed　Egypt　two　and　a

half　centuries　after　him。　It　was　simply　to　hide　them　better　that　they

brought　them　hither；　and　placed　them　all　together　in　a　chamber　that

was　immediately　walled　up。　Then　they　departed。　The　stones　of　the　door

were　sealed　afresh；　and　everything　fell　again　into　the　old　mournful

and　burning　darkness。



Slowly　the　centuries　rolled　onperhaps　ten；　perhaps　twentyin　a

silence　no　longer　even　disturbed　by　the　scratchings　of　the　worms；　long

since　dead。　And　a　day　came　when；　at　the　side　of　the　entrance；　the　same

blows　were　heard　again。　。　。　。　And　this　time　it　was　the　robbers。

Carrying　torches　in　their　hands；　they　rushed　headlong　in；　with　shouts

and　cries　and；　except　in　the　safe　hiding…place　of　the　nine　coffins；

everything　was　plundered；　the　bandages　torn　off；　the　golden　trinkets

snatched　from　the　necks　of　the　mummies。　Then；　when　they　had　sorted

their　booty；　they　walled　up　the　entrance　as　before；　and　went　their

way；　leaving　an　inextricable　confusion　of　shrouds；　of　human　bodies；　of

entrails　issuing　from　shattered　vases；　of　broken　gods　and　emblems。



Afterwards；　for　long　centuries；　there　was　silence　again；　and　finally；

in　our　days；　the　/double/；　then　in　its　last　weakness　and　almost　non…

existent；　perceived　the　same　noise　of　stones　being　unsealed　by　blows

of　pickaxes。　The　third　time；　the　living　men　who　entered　were　of　a　race

never　seen　before。　At　first　they　seemed　respectful　and　pious；　only

touching　things　gently。　But　they　came　to　plunder　everything；　even　the

nine　coffins　in　their　still　inviolate　hiding…place。　They　gathered　the

smallest　fragments　with　a　solicitude　almost　religious。　That　they　might

lose　nothing　they　even　sifted　the　rubbish　and　the　dust。　But；　as　for

Amenophis；　who　was　already　nothing　more　than　a　lamentable　mummy；

without　jewels　or　bandages；　they　left　him　at　the　bottom　of　his

sarcophagus　of　sandstone。　And　since　that　day；　doomed　to　receive　each

morning　numerous　people　of　a　strange　aspect；　he　dwells　alone　in　his

hypogeum；　where　there　is　now　neither　a　being　nor　a　thing　belonging　to

his　time。



But　yes；　there　is！　We　had　not　looked　all　round。　There　in　one　of　the

lateral　chambers　some　bodies　are　lying；　dead　bodiesthree　corpses

（unswathed　at　the　time　of　the　pillage）；　side　by　side　on　their　rags。

First；　a　woman；　the　queen　probably；　with　loosened　hair。　Her　profile

has　preserved　its　exquisite　lines。　How　beautiful　she　still　is！　And

then　a　young　boy　with　the　little　greyish　face　of　a　doll。　His　head　is

shaved；　except　for　that　long　curl　at　the　right　side；　which　denotes　a

prince　of　the　royal　blood。　And　the　third　a　man。　Ugh！　How　terrible　he

islooking　as　if　he　found　death　a　thing　irresistibly　comical。　He　even

writhes　with　laughter；　and　eats　a　corner　of　his　shroud　as　if　to

prevent　himself　from　bursting　into　a　too　unseemly　mirth。



And　then；　suddenly；　black　night！　And　we　stand　as　if　congealed　in　our

place。　The　electric　light　has　gone　outeverywhere　at　once。　Above；　on

the　earth；　midday　must　have　soundedfor　those　who　still　have

cognisance　of　the　sun　and　the　hours。



The　guard　who　has　brought　us　hither　shouts　in　his　Bedouin　falsetto；　in

order　to　get　the　light　switched　on　again；　but　the　infinite　thickness

of　the　walls；　instead　of　prolonging　the　vibrations；　seems　to　deaden

them；　and　besides；　who　could　hear　us；　in　the　depths　where　we　now　are？

Then；　groping　in　the　absolute　darkness；　he　makes　his　way　up　the

sloping　passage。　The　hurried　patter　of　his　sandals　and　the　flapping　of

his　burnous　grow　faint　in　the　distance；　and　the　cries　that　he

continues　to　utter　sound　so　smothered　to　us　soon　that　we　might

ourselves　be　buried。　And　meanwhile　we　do　not　move。　But　how　comes　it

that　it　is　so　hot　amongst　these　mummies？　It　seems　as　if　there　were

fires　burning　in　some　oven　close　by。　And　above　all　there　is　a　want　of

air。　Perhaps　the　corridors；　after　our　passage；　have　contracted；　as

happens　sometimes　in　the　anguish　of　dreams。　Perhaps　the　long　fissure

by　which　we　have　crawled　hither；　perhaps　it　has　closed　in　upon　us。



But　at　length　the　cries　of　alarm　are　heard　and　the　light　is　turned　on

again。　The　three　corpses　have　not　profited　by　the　unguarded　moments　to

attempt　any　aggressive　movement。　Their　positions；　their　expressions

have　not　changed：　the　queen　calm　and　beautiful　as　ever；　the　man　eating

still　the　corner　of　his　rags　to　stifle　the　mad　laughter　of　thirty…

three　centuries。



The　Bedouin　is　now　returned；　breathless　from　his　journey。　He　urges　us

to　come　to　see　the　king　before　the　electric　light　is　again

extinguished；　and　this　time　for　good　and　all。　Behold　us　now　at　the　end

of　the　hall；　on　the　edge　of　a　dark　crypt；　leaning　over　and　peering

within。　It　is　a　place　oval　in　form；　with　a　vault　of　a　funereal　black；

relieved　by　frescoes；　either　white　or　of　the　colour　of　ashes。　They

represent；　these　frescoes；　a　whole　new　register　of　gods　and　demons；

some　slim　and　sheathed　narrowly　like　mummies；　others　with　big　heads

and　big　bellies　like　hippopotami。　Placed　on　the　ground　and　watched

from　above　by　all　these　figures　is　an　enormous　sarcophagus　of　stone；

wide　open；　and　in　it　we　can　distinguish　vaguely　the　outline　of　a　human

body：　the　Pharaoh！



At　least　we　should　have　liked　to　see　him　better。　The　necessary　light

is　forthcoming　at　once：　the　Bedouin　Grand　Master　of　Ceremonies　touches

an　electric　button　and　a　powerful　lamp　illumines　the　face　of

Amenophis；　detailing　with　a　clearness　that　almost　frightens　you　the

closed　eyes；　the　grimacing　countenance；　and　the　whole　of　the　sad

mummy。　This　theatrical　effect　took　us　by　surprise；　we　were　not

prepared　for　it。



He　was　buried　in　magnificence；　but　the　pillagers　have　stripped　him　of

everything；　even　of　his　beautiful　breastplate　of　tortoiseshell；　which

came　to　him　from　a　far…off　Oriental　country；　and　for　many　centuries

now　he　has　slept　half　naked　on　his　rags。　But　his　poor　bouquet　is　there

stillof　mimosa；　recognisable　even　now；　and　who　will　ever　tell　what

pious　or　perhaps　amorous　hand　it　was　that　gathered　these　flowers　for

him　more　than　three　thousand　years　ago。



The　heat　is　suffocating。　The　whole　crushing　mass　of　this　mountain；　of

this　block　of　limestone；　into　which　we　have　crawled　through　relatively

imperceptible　holes；　like　white　ants　or　larvae；　seems　to　weigh　upon

our　chest。　And　these　figures　too；　inscribed　on　every　side；　and　this

mystery　of　the　hieroglyphs　and　the　symbols；　cause　a　growing

uneasiness。　You　are　too　near　them；　they　seem　too　much　the　masters　of

the　exits；　these　gods　with　their　heads　of　falcon；　ibis　and　jackal；

who；　on　the　walls；　converse　in　a　continual　exalted　pantomime。　And　then

the　feeling　comes　over　you；　that　you　are　guilty　of　sacrilege　standing

there；　before　this　open　coffin；　in　this　unwonted　insolent　light。　The

dolorous；　blackish　face；　half　eaten　away；　seems　to　ask　for　mercy：

〃Yes；　yes；　my　sepulchre　has　been　violated　and　I　am　returning　to　dust。

But　now　that　you　have　seen　me；　leave　me；　turn　out　that　light；　have

pity　on　my　nothingness。〃



In　sooth；　what　a　mockery！　To　have　taken　so　many　pains；　to　have　adopted

so　many　stratagems　to　hide　his　corpse；　to　have　exhausted　thousands　of

men　in　the　hewing　of　this　underground　labyrinth；　and　to　end　thus；　with

his　head　in　the　glare　of　an　electric　lamp；　to　amuse　whoever　passes。



And　out　of　pityI　think　it　was　the　poor　bouquet　of　mimosa　that

awakened　itI　say　to　the　Bedouin：　〃Yes；　put　out　the　light；　put　it

outthat　is　enough。〃



And　then　the　darkness　returns　above　the　royal　countenance；　which　is

suddenly　effaced　in　the　sarcophagus。　The　phantom　of　the　Pharaoh　is

vanished；　as　if　replunged　into　the　unfathomable　past。　The　audience　is

over。



And　we；　who　are　able　to　escape　from　the　horror　of　the　hypogeum；