egypt-第26章

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over。



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

reascend　rapidly　towards　the　sunshine　of　the　living；　we　go　to　breathe

the　air　again；　the　air　to　which　we　have　still　a　rightfor　some　few

days　longer。







CHAPTER　XVIII



AT　THEBES　IN　THE　TEMPLE　OF　THE　OGRESS



This　evening；　in　the　vast　chaos　of　ruinsat　the　hour　in　which　the

light　of　the　sun　begins　to　turn　to　roseI　make　my　way　along　one　of

the　magnificent　roads　of　the　town…mummy；　that；　in　fact；　which　goes　off

at　a　right　angle　to　the　line　of　the　temples　of　Amen；　and；　losing

itself　more　or　less　in　the　sands；　leads　at　length　to　a　sacred　lake　on

the　border　of　which　certain　cat…headed　goddesses　are　seated　in　state

watching　the　dead　water　and　the　expanse　of　the　desert。　This　particular

road　was　begun　three　thousand　four　hundred　years　ago　by　a　beautiful

queen　called　Makeri；＇*＇　and　in　the　following　centuries　a　number　of

kings　continued　its　construction。　It　was　ornamented　with　pylons　of　a

superb　massivenesspylons　are　monumental　walls；　in　the　form　of　a

trapezium　with　a　wide　base；　covered　entirely　with　hieroglyphs；　which

the　Egyptians　used　to　place　at　either　side　of　their　porticoes　and　long

avenuesas　well　as　by　colossal　statues　and　interminable　rows　of　rams；

larger　than　buffaloes；　crouched　on　pedestals。



＇*＇　To…day　the　mummy　with　the　baby　in　the　museum　at　Cairo。



At　the　first　pylons　I　have　to　make　a　detour。　They　are　so　ruinous　that

their　blocks；　fallen　down　on　all　sides；　have　closed　the　passage。　Here

used　to　watch；　on　right　and　left；　two　upright　giants　of　red　granite

from　Syene。　Long　ago　in　times　no　longer　precisely　known；　they　were

broken　off；　both　of　them；　at　the　height　of　the　loins。　But　their

muscular　legs　have　kept　their　proud；　marching　attitude；　and　each　in

one　of　the　armless　hands；　which　reach　to　the　end　of　the　cloth　that

girds　their　loins；　clenches　passionately　the　emblem　of　eternal　life。

And　this　Syenite　granite　is　so　hard　that　time　has　not　altered　it　in

the　least；　in　the　midst　of　the　confusion　of　stones　the　thighs　of　these

mutilated　giants　gleam　as　if　they　had　been　polished　yesterday。



Farther　on　we　come　upon　the　second　pylons；　foundered　also；　before


which　stands　a　row　of　Pharaohs。



On　every　side　the　overthrown　blocks　display　their　utter　confusion　of

gigantic　things　in　the　midst　of　the　sand　which　continues　patiently　to

bury　them。　And　here　now　are　the　third　pylons；　flanked　by　their　two

marching　giants；　who　have　neither　head　nor　shoulders。　And　the　road；

marked　majestically　still　by　the　debris；　continues　to　lead　towards　the

desert。



And　then　the　fourth　and　last　pylons；　which　seem　at　first　sight　to　mark

the　extremity　of　the　ruins；　the　beginning　of　the　desert　nothingness。

Time…worn　and　uncrowned；　but　stiff　and　upright　still；　they　seem　to　be

set　there　so　solidly　that　nothing　could　ever　overthrow　them。　The　two

colossal　statues　which　guard　them　on　the　right　and　left　are　seated　on

thrones。　One；　that　on　the　eastern　side；　has　almost　disappeared。　But

the　other　stands　out　entire　and　white；　with　the　whiteness　of　marble；

against　the　brown…coloured　background　of　the　enormous　stretch　of　wall

covered　with　hieroglyphs。　His　face　alone　has　been　mutilated；　and　he

preserves　still　his　imperious　chin；　his　ears；　his　Sphinx's　headgear；

one　might　almost　say　his　meditative　expression；　before　this　deployment

of　the　vast　solitude　which　seems　to　begin　at　his　very　feet。



Here　however　was　only　the　boundary　of　the　quarters　of　the　God　Amen。

The　boundary　of　Thebes　was　much　farther　on；　and　the　avenue　which　will

lead　me　directly　to　the　home　of　the　cat…headed　goddesses　extends

farther　still　to　the　old　gates　of　the　town；　albeit　you　can　scarcely

distinguish　it　between　the　double　row　of　Krio…sphinxes　all　broken　and

well…nigh　buried。



The　day　falls；　and　the　dust　of　Egypt；　in　accordance　with　its

invariable　practice　every　evening；　begins　to　resemble　in　the　distance

a　powder　of　gold。　I　look　behind　me　from　time　to　time　at　the　giant　who

watches　me；　seated　at　the　foot　of　his　pylon　on　which　the　history　of　a

Pharaoh　is　carved　in　one　immense　picture。　Above　him　and　above　his

wall；　which　grows　each　minute　more　rose…coloured；　I　see；　gradually

mounting　in　proportion　as　I　move　away　from　it；　the　great　mass　of　the

palaces　of　the　centre；　the　hypostyle　hall；　the　halls　of　Thothmes　and

the　obelisks；　all　the　entangled　cluster　of　those　things　at　once　so

grand　and　so　dead；　which　have　never　been　equalled　on　earth。



And　as　I　continue　to　gaze　upon　the　ruins；　resplendent　now　in　the　rosy

apotheosis　of　the　evening；　they　come　to　look　like　the　crumbling

remains　of　a　gigantic　skeleton。　They　seem　to　be　begging　for　a　merciful

surcease；　as　if　they　were　tired　of　this　endless　gala　colouring　at　each

setting　of　the　sun；　which　mocks　them　with　its　eternity。



All　this　is　now　a　long　way　behind　me；　but　the　air　is　so　limpid；　the

outlines　remain　so　clear　that　the　illusion　is　rather　that　the　temples

and　the　pylons　grow　smaller；　lower　themselves　and　sink　into　the　earth。

The　white　giant　who　follows　me　always　with　his　sightless　stare　is　now

reduced　to　the　proportions　of　a　simple　human　dreamer。　His　attitude

moreover　has　not　the　rigid　hieratic　aspect　of　the　other　Theban

statues。　With　his　hands　upon　his　knees　he　looks　like　a　mere　ordinary

mortal　who　had　stopped　to　reflect。＇*＇　I　have　known　him　for　many　days

for　many　days　and　many　nights；　for；　what　with　his　whiteness　and　the

transparency　of　these　Egyptian　nights；　I　have　seen　him　often　outlined

in　the　distance　under　the　dim　light　of　the　starsa　great　phantom　in

his　contemplative　pose。　And　I　feel　myself　obsessed　now　by　the

continuance　of　his　attitude　at　this　entrance　of　the　ruinsI　who　shall

pass　without　a　morrow　from　Thebes　and　even　from　the　eartheven　as　we

all　pass。　Before　conscious　life　was　vouchsafed　to　me　he　was　there；　had

been　there　since　times　which　make　you　shudder　to　think　upon。　For　three

and　thirty　centuries；　or　thereabouts；　the　eyes　of　myriads　of　unknown

men　and　women；　who　have　gone　before　me；　saw　him　just　as　I　see　him　now；

tranquil　and　white；　in　this　same　place；　seated　before　this　same

threshold；　with　his　head　a　little　bent；　and　his　pervading　air　of

thought。



＇*＇　Statue　of　Amenophis　III。



I　make　my　way　without　hastening；　having　always　a　tendency　to　stop　and

look　behind　me；　to　watch　the　silent　heap　of　palaces　and　the　white

dreamer；　which　now　are　all　illumined　with　a　last　Bengal　fire　in　the

daily　setting　of　the　sun。



And　the　hour　is　already　twilight　when　I　reach　the　goddesses。



Their　domain　is　so　destroyed　that　the　sands　had　succeeded　in　covering

and　hiding　it　for　centuries。　But　it　has　lately　been　exhumed。



There　remain　of　it　now　only　some　fragments　of　columns；　aligned　in

multiple　rows　in　a　vast　extent　of　desert。　Broken　and　fallen　stones　and

debris。＇*＇　I　walk　on　without　stopping；　and　at　length　reach　the　sacred

lake　on　the　margin　of　which　the　great　cats　are　seated　in　eternal

council；　each　one　on　her　throne。　The　lake；　dug　by　order　of　the

Pharaohs；　is　in　the　form　of　an　arc；　like　a　kind　of　crescent。　Some

marsh　birds；　that　are　about　to　retire　for　the　night；　now　traverse　its

mournful；　sleeping　water。　Its　borders；　which　have　known　the　utmost　of

magnificence；　are　become　mere　heaps　of　ruins　on　which　nothing　grows。

And　what　one　sees　beyond；　what　the　attentive　goddesses　themselves

regard；　is　the　empty　desolate　plain；　on　which　some　few　poor　fields　of

corn　mingle　in　this　twilight　hour　with　the　sad　infinitude　of　the

sands。　And　the　whole　is　bounded　on　the　horizon　by　the　chain；　still　a

little　rose…coloured；　of　the　limestones　of　Arabia。



＇*＇　The　temple　of　the　Goddess　Mut。



They　are　there；　the　cats；　or；　to　speak　more　exactly；　the　lionesses；

for　cats　would　not　have　those　short　ears；　or　those　cruel　chins；

thickened　by　tufts　of　beard。　All　of　black　granite；　images　of　Sekhet

（who　was　the　Goddess　of　War；　and　in　her　hours　the　Goddess　of　Lust）；

they　have　the　slender　body　of　a　woman；　which　makes　more　terrible　the

great　feline　head　surmounted　by　its　high　bonnet。　Eight　or　ten；　or

perhaps　more；　they　are　more　disquieting　in　that　they　are　so　numerous

and　so　alike。　They　are　not　gigantic；　as　one　might　have　expected；　but

of　ordinary　human　statureeasy　therefore　to　carry　away；　or　to

destroy；　and　that　again；　if　one　reflects；　augments　the　singular

impression　they　cause。　When　so　many　colossal　figures　lie　in　pieces　on

the　ground；　how　comes　it　that　they；　little　people　seated　so　tranquilly

on　their　chairs；　have　contrived　to　remain　intact；　during　the　passing

of　the　three　and　thirty　centuries　of　the　world's　history？



The　passage　of　the　march　birds；　which　for　a　moment　disturbed　the　clear

mirror　of　the　lake；　has　ceased。　Around　the　goddesses　nothing　moves　and

the　customary　infinite　silence　envelops　them　as　at　the　fall　of　every

night。　They　dwell　indeed　in　such　a　forlorn　corner　of　the　ruins！　Who；

to　be　sure；　even　in　broad　daylight；　would　think　of　visiting　them？



Down　there　in　the　west　a　trailing　cloud　of　dust　indicates　the

departure　of　the　tourists；　who　had　flocked　to　the　temple　of　Amen；　and

now　hasten　back　to　Luxor；　to　dine　at　the　various　/tables　d'hote/。　The

ground　here　is　so　felted　with　sand　that　in　the　distance　we　cannot　hear

the　rolling　of　their　carriages。　But　the　knowledge　that　they　are　gone

renders　more　intimate　the　interview　with　these　numerous　and　identical

goddesses；　who　little　by　little　have　been　draped　in　shadow。　Their

seats　turn　their　backs　to　the　palaces　of　Thebes；　which　now　begin　to　be

bathed　in　violet　waves　and　seem　to　sink　towards　the　horizon；　to　lose

each　minute　something　of　their　importance　before　the　sovereignty　of

the　night。



And　the　black　goddesses；　with　their　lioness'　heads　and　tall　headgear

seated　there　with　their　hands　upon　their　knees；　with　eyes　fixed　since

the　beginning　of　the　ages；　and　a　disturbing　smile　on　their　thick　lips；

like　those　of　a　wild　beastcontinue　to　regardbeyond　the　little　dead

lakethat　desert；　which　now　is　only　a　confused　immensity；　of　a　bluish

ashy…grey。　And　the　fancy　seizes　you　that　they　are　possessed　of　a　kind

of　life；　which　has　come　to　them　after　long　waiting；　by　virtue　of　that

/expression/　which　they　have　worn　on　their　faces　so　long；　oh！　so　long。



*****



Beyond；　at　the　other　extremity　of　the　ruins；　there　is　a　sister　of

these　goddesses；　taller　than　they；　a　great　Sekhet；　whom　in　these　parts

men　call　the　Ogress；　and　who　dwells　alone　and　upright；　ambushed　in　a

narrow　temple。　Amongst　the　fellahs　and　the　Bedouins　of　the

neighbourhood　she　enjoys　a　very　bad　reputation；　it　being　her　custom　of

nights　to　issue　from　her　temple；　and　devour　men；　and　none　of　them

would　willingly　venture　near　her　dwelling　at　this　late　hour。　But

instead　of　returning　to　Luxor；　like　the　good　people　whose　carriages

have　just　departed；　I　rather　choose　to　pay　her　a　visit。



Her　dwelling　is　some　distance　away；　and　I　shall　not　reach　it　till　the

dead　of　night。



First　of　all　I　have　to