egypt-第5章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



the　venerable　carcasses　of　kings　and　queens；　soaked　as　they　are　in

natron　and　oils；　crackling　like　so　many　boxes　of　matches。　It　is

chiefly　on　account　of　this　danger　indeed　that　the　seals　are　put　upon

the　doors　at　nightfall；　and　that　it　needs　a　special　favour　to　be

allowed　to　penetrate　into　this　place　at　night　with　a　lantern。



In　the　daytime　this　〃Museum　of　Egyptian　Antiquities〃　is　as　vulgar　a

thing　as　you　can　conceive；　filled　though　it　is　with　priceless

treasures。　It　is　the　most　pompous；　the　most　outrageous　of　those

buildings；　of　no　style　at　all；　by　which　each　year　the　New　Cairo　is

enriched；　open　to　all　who　care　to　gaze　at　close　quarters；　in　a　light

that　is　almost　brutal；　upon　these　august　dead；　who　fondly　thought　that

they　had　hidden　themselves　for　ever。



But　at　night！　。　。　。　Ah！　at　night　when　all　the　doors　are　closed；　it　is

the　palace　of　nightmare　and　of　fear。　At　night；　so　say　the　Arab

guardians；　who　would　not　enter　it　at　the　price　of　goldno；　not　even

after　offering　up　a　prayerat　night；　horrible　〃forms〃　escape；　not

only　from　the　embalmed　bodies　that　sleep　in　the　glass　cases　above；　but

also　from　the　great　statues；　from　the　papyri；　and　the　thousand　and　one

things　that；　at　the　bottom　of　the　tombs；　have　long　been　impregnated

with　human　essence。　And　these　〃forms〃　are　like　unto　dead　bodies；　and

sometimes　to　strange　beasts；　even　to　beasts　that　crawl。　And；　after

having　wandered　about　the　halls；　they　end　by　assembling　for　their

nocturnal　conferences　on　the　roofs。



We　next　ascend　a　staircase　of　monumental　proportions；　empty　in　the

whole　extent；　where　we　are　delivered　for　a　little　while　from　the

obsession　of　those　rigid　figures；　from　the　stares　and　smiles　of　the

good　people　in　white　stone　and　black　granite　who　throng　the　galleries

and　vestibules　on　the　ground　floor。　None　of　them；　to　be　sure；　will

follow　us；　but　all　the　same　they　guard　in　force　and　perplex　with　their

shadows　the　only　way　by　which　we　can　retreat；　if　the　formidable　hosts

above　have　in　store　for　us　too　sinister　a　welcome。



He　to　whose　courtesy　I　owe　the　relaxation　of　the　orders　of　the　night

is　the　illustrious　savant　to　whose　care　has　been　entrusted　the

direction　of　the　excavations　in　Egyptian　soil；　he　is　also　the

comptroller　of　this　vast　museum；　and　it　is　he　himself　who　has　kindly

consented　to　act　as　my　guide　to…night　through　its　mazy　labyrinth。



Across　the　silent　halls　above　we　now　proceed　straight　towards　those　of

whom　I　have　demanded　this　nocturnal　audience。



To…night　the　succession　of　these　rooms；　filled　with　glass　cases；　which

cover　more　than　four　hundred　yards　along　the　four　sides　of　the

building；　seems　to　be　without　end。　After　passing；　in　turn；　the　papyri；

the　enamels；　the　vases　that　contain　human　entrails；　we　reach　the

mummies　of　the　sacred　beasts：　cats；　ibises；　dogs；　hawks；　all　with

their　mummy　cloths　and　sarcophagi；　and　monkeys；　too；　that　remain

grotesque　even　in　death。　Then　commence　the　human　masks；　and；　upright

in　glass…fronted　cupboards；　the　mummy　cases　in　which　the　body；　swathed

in　its　mummy　cloths；　was　moulded；　and　which　reproduced；　more　or　less

enlarged；　the　figure　of　the　deceased。　Quite　a　lot　of　courtesans　of　the

Greco…Roman　epoch；　moulded　in　paste　in　this　wise　after　death　and

crowned　with　roses；　smile　at　us　provokingly　from　behind　their　windows。

Masks　of　the　colour　of　dead　flesh　alternate　with　others　of　gold　which

gleam　as　the　light　of　our　lantern　plays　upon　them　momentarily　in　our

rapid　passage。　Their　eyes　are　always　too　large；　the　eyelids　too　wide

open　and　the　dilated　pupils　seem　to　stare　at　us　with　alarm。　Amongst

these　mummy　cases　and　these　coffin　lids　fashioned　in　the　shape　of　the

human　figure；　there　are　some　that　seem　to　have　been　made　for　giants；

the　head　especially；　beneath　its　cumbrous　head…dress；　the　head　stuffed

as　it　were　between　the　hunchback　shoulders；　looks　enormous；　out　of　all

proportion　to　the　body　which；　towards　the　feet；　narrows　like　a

scabbard。



Although　our　little　lantern　maintains　its　light　we　seem　to　see　here

less　and　less：　the　darkness　around　us　in　these　vast　rooms　becomes

almost　overpoweringand　these　are　the　rooms；　too；　that；　leading　one

into　the　other；　facilitate　the　midnight　promenade　of　those　dread

〃forms〃　which；　every　evening；　are　released　and　roam　about。　。　。　。



On　a　table　in　the　middle　of　one　of　these　rooms　a　thing　to　make　you

shudder　gleams　in　a　glass　box；　a　fragile　thing　that　failed　of　life

some　two　thousand　years　ago。　It　is　the　mummy　of　a　human　embryo；　and

someone；　to　appease　the　malice　of　this　born…dead　thing；　had　covered

its　face　with　a　coating　of　goldfor；　according　to　the　belief　of　the

Egyptians；　these　little　abortions　became　the　evil　genii　of　their

families　if　proper　honour　was　not　paid　to　them。　At　the　end　of　its

negligible　body；　the　gilded　head；　with　its　great　foetus　eyes；　is

unforgettable　for　its　suffering　ugliness；　for　its　frustrated　and

ferocious　expression。



In　the　halls　into　which　we　next　penetrate　there　are　veritable　dead

bodies　ranged　on　either　side　of　us　as　we　pass；　their　coffins　are

displayed　in　tiers　one　above　the　other；　the　air　is　heavy　with　the

sickly　odour　of　mummies；　and　on　the　ground；　curled　always　like　some

huge　serpent；　the　leather　hoses　are　in　readiness；　for　here　indeed　is

the　danger　spot　for　fire。



And　the　master　of　this　strange　house　whispers　to　me：　〃This　is　the

place。　Look！　There　they　are。〃



In　truth　I　recognise　the　place；　having　often　come　here　in　the　daytime；

like　other　people。　In　spite　of　the　darkness；　which　commences　at　some

ten　paces　from　usso　small　is　the　circle　of　light　cast　by　our　lantern

I　can　distinguish　the　double　row　of　the　great　royal　coffins；　open

without　shame　in　their　glass　cases。　And　standing　against　the　walls；

upright；　like　so　many　sentinels；　are　the　coffin　lids；　fashioned　in　the

shape　of　the　human　figure。



We　are　there　at　last；　admitted　at　this　unseasonable　hour　into　the

guest…chamber　of　kings　and　queens；　for　an　audience　that　is　private

indeed。



And　there；　first　of　all；　is　the　woman　with　the　baby；　upon　whom；

without　stopping；　we　throw　the　light　of　our　lantern。　A　woman　who　died

in　giving　to　the　world　a　little　dead　prince。　Since　the　old　embalmers

no　one　has　seen　the　face　of　this　Queen　Makeri。　In　her　coffin　there　she

is　simply　a　tall　female　figure；　outlined　beneath　the　close…bound

swathings　of　brown…coloured　bandages。　At　her　feet　lies　the　fatal　baby；

grotesquely　shrivelled；　and　veiled　and　mysterious　as　the　mother

herself；　a　sort　of　doll；　it　seems；　put　there　to　keep　her　eternal

company　in　the　slow　passing　of　endless　years。



More　fearsome　to　approach　is　the　row　of　unswathed　mummies　that　follow。

Here；　in　each　coffin　over　which　we　bend；　there　is　a　face　which　stares

at　usor　else　closes　its　eyes　in　order　that　it　may　not　see　us；　and

meagre　shoulders　and　lean　arms；　and　hands　with　overgrown　nails　that

protrude　from　miserable　rags。　And　each　royal　mummy　that　our　lantern

lights　reserves　for　us　a　fresh　surprise　and　the　shudder　of　a　different

fearthey　resemble　one　another　so　little。　Some　of　them　seem　to　laugh；

showing　their　yellow　teeth；　others　have　an　expression　of　infinite

sadness　and　suffering。　Sometimes　the　faces　are　small；　refined　and

still　beautiful　despite　the　pinching　of　the　nostrils；　sometimes　they

are　excessively　enlarged　by　putrid　swelling；　with　the　tip　of　the　nose

eaten　away。　The　embalmers；　we　know；　were　not　sure　of　their　means；　and

the　mummies　were　not　always　a　success。　In　some　cases　putrefaction

ensued；　and　corruption　and　even　sudden　hatchings　of　larvae；　those

〃companions　without　ears　and　without　eyes；〃　which　died　indeed　in　time

but　only　after　they　had　perforated　all　the　flesh。



Hard　by　are　ranked　according　to　dynasty；　and　in　chronological　order；

the　proud　Pharaohs　in　a　piteous　row：　father；　son；　grandson；　great…

grandson。　And　common　paper　tickets　tell　their　tremendous　names；　Seti

I。；　Ramses　II。；　Seti　II。；　Ramses　III。；　Ramses　IV。　。　。　。　Soon　the

muster　will　be　complete；　with　such　energy　have　men　dug　in　the　heart　of

the　rocks　to　find　them　all；　and　these　glass　cases　will　no　doubt　be

their　final　resting…place。　In　olden　days；　however；　they　made　many

pilgrimages　after　their　death；　for　in　the　troubled　times　of　the

history　of　Egypt　it　was　one　of　the　harassing　preoccupations　of　the

reigning　sovereign　to　hide；　to　hide　at　all　costs；　the　mummies　of　his

ancestors；　which　filled　the　earth　increasingly；　and　which　the

violators　of　tombs　were　so　swift　to　track。　Then　they　were　carried

clandestinely　from　one　grave　to　another；　raised　each　from　his　own

pompous　sepulchre；　to　be　buried　at　last　together　in　some　humble　and

less　conspicuous　vault。　But　it　is　here；　in　this　museum　of　Egyptian

antiquities；　that　they　are　about　to　accomplish　their　return　to　dust；

which　has　been　deferred；　as　if　by　miracle；　for　so　many　centuries。　Now；

stripped　of　their　bandages；　their　days　are　numbered；　and　it　behoves　us

to　hasten　to　draw　these　physiognomies　of　three　or　four　thousand　years

ago；　which　are　about　to　perish。



In　that　coffinthe　last　but　one　of　the　row　on　the　leftit　is　the

great　Sesostris　himself　who　awaits　us。　We　know　of　old　that　face　of

ninety　years；　with　its　nose　hooked　like　the　beak　of　a　falcon；　and　the

gaps　between　those　old　man's　teeth；　the　meagre；　birdlike　neck；　and　the

hand　raised　in　a　gesture　of　menace。　Twenty　years　have　elapsed　since　he

was　brought　back　to　the　light；　this　master　of　the　world。　He　was

wrapped　/thousands　of　times/　in　a　marvellous　winding…sheet；　woven　of

aloe　fibres；　finer　than　the　muslin　of　India；　which　must　have　taken

years　in　the　making　and　measured　more　than　400　yards　in　length。　The

unswathing；　done　in　the　presence　of　the　Khedive　Tewfik　and　the　great

personages　of　Egypt；　lasted　two　hours；　and　after　the　last　turn；　when

the　illustrious　figure　appeared；　the　emotion　amongst　the　assistants

was　such　that　they　stampeded　like　a　herd　of　cattle；　and　the　Pharaoh

was　overturned。　He　has；　moreover；　given　much　cause　for　conversation；

this　great　Sesostris；　since　his　installation　in　the　museum。　Suddenly

one　day　with　a　brusque　gesture；　in　the　presence　of　the　attendants；　who

fled　howling　with　fear；　he　raised　that　hand　which　is　still　in　the　air；

and　which　he　has　not　deigned　since　to　lower。＇*＇　And　subsequently　there

supervened；　beginning　in　the　old　yellowish…white　hair；　and　then

swarming　over　the　whole　body；　a　hatching　of　cadaveric　fauna；　which

necessitated　a　complete　bath　in　mercury。　He　also　has　his　paper　ticket；

pasted　on　the　end　of　his　box；　and　one　may　read　there；　written　in　a

careless　hand；　that　name　which　once　caused　the　whole　world　to　tremble

〃Ramses　II。　（Sesostris）〃！　It　need　not　be　said　that　he　has　greatly

fallen　away　and　blackened　even　in　the　fifteen　yeas　that　I　have　known

him。　He　is　a　phantom　that　is　about　to　disappear；　in　spite　of　all　the

care　lavished　upon　him；　a　poor　phantom　about　to　fall　to　pieces；　to

sink　into　nothingness。　We　move　our　lantern　about　his　hooked　nose；　the

better　to　decipher