egypt-第6章

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

better　to　decipher；　in　the　play　of　shadow；　his　expression；　that　still

remains　authoritative。　。　。　。　To　think　that　once　the　destinies　of　the

world　were　ruled；　without　appeal；　by　the　nod　of　this　head；　which　looks

now　somewhat　narrow；　under　the　dry　skin　and　the　horrible　whitish　hair。

What　force　of　will；　of　passion　and　colossal　pride　must　once　have　dwelt

therein！　Not　to　mention　the　anxiety；　which　to　us　now　is　scarcely

conceivable；　but　which　in　his　time　overmastered　all　othersthe

anxiety；　that　is　to　say；　of　assuring　the　magnificence　and

inviolability　of　sepulture！　。　。　。　And　this　horrible　scarecrow；

toothless　and　senile；　lying　here　in　its　filthy　rags；　with　the　hand

raised　in　an　impotent　menace；　was　once　the　brilliant　Sesostris；　the

master　of　kings；　and　by　virtue　of　his　strength　and　beauty　the　demigod

also；　whose　muscular　limbs　and　deep　athletic　chest　many　colossal

statues　at　Memphis；　at　Thebes；　at　Luxor；　reproduce　and　try　to　make

eternal。　。　。　。



＇*＇　This　movement　is　explained　by　the　action　of　the　sun；　which；

　　　　falling　on　the　unclothed　arm；　is　supposed　to　have　expanded　the

　　　　bone　of　the　elbow。



In　the　next　coffin　lies　his　father；　Seti　I。；　who　reigned　for　a　much

shorter　period；　and　died　much　younger　than　he。　This　youthfulness　is

apparent　still　in　the　features　of　the　mummy；　which　are　impressed

besides　with　a　persistent　beauty。　Indeed　this　good　King　Seti　looks　the

picture　of　calm　and　serene　reverie。　There　is　nothing　shocking　in　his

dead　face；　with　its　long　closed　eyes；　its　delicate　lips；　its　noble

chin　and　unblemished　profile。　It　is　soothing　and　pleasant　even　to　see

him　sleeping　there　with　his　hands　crossed　upon　his　breast。　And　it

seems　strange；　that　he；　who　looks　so　young；　should　have　for　son　the

old　man；　almost　a　centenarian；　who　lies　beside　him。



In　our　passage　we　have　gazed　on　many　other　royal　mummies；　some

tranquil　and　some　grimacing。　But；　to　finish；　there　is　one　of　them　（the

third　coffin　there；　in　the　row　in　front　of　us）；　a　certain　Queen

Nsitanebashru；　whom　I　approach　with　fear；　albeit　it　is　mainly　on　her

account　that　I　have　ventured　to　make　this　fantastical　round。　Even　in

the　daytime　she　attains　to　the　maximum　of　horror　that　a　spectral

figure　can　evoke。　What　will　she　be　like　to…night　in　the　uncertain

light　of　our　little　lantern？



There　she　is　indeed；　the　dishevelled　vampire　in　her　place　right

enough；　stretched　at　full　length；　but　looking　always　as　if　she　were

about　to　leap　up；　and　straightway　I　meet　the　sidelong　glance　of　her

enamelled　pupils；　shining　out　of　half…closed　eyelids；　with　lashes　that

are　still　almost　perfect。　Oh！　the　terrifying　person！　Not　that　she　is

ugly；　on　the　contrary　we　can　see　that　she　was　rather　pretty　and　was

mummied　young。　What　distinguishes　her　from　the　others　is　her　air　of

thwarted　anger；　of　fury；　as　it　were；　at　being　dead。　The　embalmers　have

coloured　her　very　religiously；　but　the　pink；　under　the　action　of　the

salts　of　the　skin；　has　become　decomposed　here　and　there　and　given

place　to　a　number　of　green　spots。　Her　naked　shoulders；　the　height　of

the　arms　above　the　rags　which　were　once　her　splendid　shroud；　have

still　a　certain　sleek　roundness；　but　they；　too；　are　stained　with

greenish　and　black　splotches；　such　as　may　be　seen　on　the　skins　of

snakes。　Assuredly　no　corpse；　either　here　or　elsewhere；　has　ever

preserved　such　an　expression　of　intense　life；　of　ironical；　implacable

ferocity。　Her　mouth　is　twisted　in　a　little　smile　of　defiance；　her

nostrils　pinched　like　those　of　a　ghoul　on　the　scent　of　blood；　and　her

eyes　seem　to　say　to　each　one　who　approaches：　〃Yes；　I　am　laid　in　my

coffin；　but　you　will　very　soon　see　I　can　get　out　of　it。〃　There　is

something　confusing　in　the　thought　that　the　menace　of　this　terrible

expression；　and　this　appearance　of　ill…restrained　ferocity　had　endured

for　some　hundreds　of　years　before　the　commencement　of　our　era；　and

endured　to　no　purpose　in　the　secret　darkness　of　a　closed　coffin　at　the

bottom　of　some　doorless　vault。



Now　that　we　are　about　to　retire；　what　will　happen　here；　with　the

complicity　of　silence；　in　the　darkest　hours　of　the　night？　Will　they

remain　inert　and　rigid；　all　these　embalmed　bodies；　once　left　to

themselves；　who　pretended　to　be　so　quiet　because　we　were　there？　What

exchanges　of　old　human　fluid　will　recommence；　as　who　can　doubt　they　do

each　night　between　one　coffin　and　another。　Formerly　these　kings　and

queens；　in　their　anxiety　as　to　the　future　of　their　mummy；　had　foreseen

violation；　pillage　and　scattering　amongst　the　sands　of　the　desert；　but

never　this：　that　they　would　be　reunited　one　day；　almost　all　unveiled；

so　near　to　one　another　under　panes　of　glass。　Those　who　governed　Egypt

in　the　lost　centuries　and　were　never　known　except　by　history；　by　the

papyri　inscribed　with　hieroglyphics；　brought　thus　together；　how　many

things　will　they　have　to　say　to　one　another；　how　many　ardent　questions

to　ask　about　their　loves；　about　their　crimes！　As　soon　as　we　shall　have

departed；　nay；　as　soon　as　our　lantern；　at　the　end　of　the　long

galleries；　shall　seem　no　more　than　a　foolish；　vanishing　spot　of　fire；

will　not　the　〃forms〃　of　whom　the　attendants　are　so　afraid；　will　they

not　start　their　nightly　rumblings　and　in　their　hollow　mummy　voices；

whisper；　with　difficulty；　words？　。　。　。



Heavens！　How　dark　it　is！　Yet　our　lantern　has　not　gone　out。　But　it

seems　to　grow　darker　and　darker。　And　at　night；　when　all　is　shut　up；

how　one　smells　the　odour　of　the　oils　in　which　the　shrouds　are

saturated；　and；　more　intolerable　still；　the　sickly　stealthy　stench；

almost；　of　all　these　dead　bodies！　。　。　。



As　I　traverse　the　obscurity　of　these　endless　halls；　a　vague　instinct

of　self…preservation　induces　me　to　turn　back　again；　and　look　behind。

And　it　seems　to　me　that　already　the　woman　with　the　baby　is　slowly

raising　herself；　with　a　thousand　precautions　and　stratagems；　her　head

still　completely　covered。　While　farther　down；　that　dishevelled

hair。　。　。　。　Oh！　I　can　see　her　well；　sitting　up　with　a　sudden　jerk；　the

ghoul　with　the　enamel　eyes；　the　lady　Nsitanebashru！







CHAPTER　V



A　CENTRE　OF　ISLAM



　　〃To　learn　is　the　duty　of　every　Moslem。〃

　　　　　　　　Verse　from　the　Hadith　or　Words　of　the　Prophet。



In　a　narrow　street；　hidden　in　the　midst　of　the　most　ancient　Arab

quarters　of　Cairo；　in　the　very　heat　of　a　close　labyrinth　mysteriously

shady；　an　exquisite　doorway　opens　into　a　wide　space　bathed　in

sunshine；　a　doorway　formed　of　two　elaborate　arches；　and　surmounted　by

a　high　frontal　on　which　intertwined　arabesques　form　wonderful

rosework；　and　holy　writings　are　enscrolled　with　the　most　ingenious

complications。



It　is　the　entrance　to　El…Azhar；　a　venerable　place　in　Islam；　whence

have　issued　for　nearly　a　thousand　years　the　generations　of　priests　and

doctors　charged　with　the　propagation　of　the　word　of　the　Prophet

amongst　the　nations；　from　the　Mohreb　to　the　Arabian　Sea；　passing

through　the　great　deserts。　About　the　end　of　our　tenth　century　the

glorious　Fatimee　Caliphs　built　this　immense　assemblage　of　arches　and

columns；　which　became　the　seat　of　the　most　renowned　Moslem　university

in　the　world。　And　since　then　successive　sovereigns　of　Egypt　have　vied

with　one　another　in　perfecting　and　enlarging　it；　adding　new　halls；　new

galleries；　new　minarets；　till　they　have　made　of　El…Azhar　almost　a　town

within　a　town。



*****



　〃He　who　seeks　instruction　is　more　loved　of　God　than　he　who　fights

　　in　a　holy　war。〃

　　　　　　　　A　verse　from　the　Hadith。



Eleven　o'clock　on　a　day　of　burning　sunshine　and　dazzling　light。　El…

Azhar　still　vibrates　with　the　murmur　of　many　voices；　although　the

lessons　of　the　morning　are　nearly　finished。



Once　past　the　threshold　of　the　double　ornamented　door　we　enter　the

courtyard；　at　this　moment　empty　as　the　desert　and　dazzling　with

sunshine。　Beyond；　quite　open；　the　mosque　spreads　out　its　endless

arcades；　which　are　continued　and　repeated　till　they　are　lost　in　the

gloom　of　the　far　interior；　and　in　this　dim　place；　with　its　perplexing

depths；　innumerable　people　in　turbans；　sitting　in　a　close　crowd；　are

singing；　or　rather　chanting；　in　a　low　voice；　and　marking　time　as　it

were　to　their　declamation　by　a　slight　rhythmic　swaying　from　the　hips。

They　are　the　ten　thousand　students　come　from　all　parts　of　the　world　to

absorb　the　changeless　doctrine　of　El…Azhar。



At　the　first　view　it　is　difficult　to　distinguish　them；　for　they　are

far　down　in　the　shadow；　and　out　here　we　are　almost　blinded　by　the　sun。

In　little　attentive　groups　of　from　ten　to　twenty；　seated　on　mats

around　a　grave　professor；　they　docilely　repeat　their　lessons；　which　in

the　course　of　centuries　have　grown　old　without　changing　like　Islam

itself。　And　we　wonder　how　those　in　the　circles　down　there；　in　the

aisles　at　the　bottom　where　the　daylight　scarcely　penetrates；　can　see

to　read　the　old　difficult　writings　in　the　pages　of　their　books。



In　any　case；　let　us　not　trouble　themas　so　many　tourists　nowadays　do

not　hesitate　to　do；　we　will　enter　a　little　later；　when　the　studies　of

the　morning　are　over。



This　court；　upon　which　the　sun　of　the　forenoon　now　pours　its　white

fire；　is　an　enclosure　severely　and　magnificently　Arab；　it　has　isolated

us　suddenly　from　time　and　things；　it　must　lend　to　the　Moslem　prayer

what　formerly　our　Gothic　churches　lent　to　the　Christian。　It　is　vast　as

a　tournament　list；　confined　on　one　side　by　the　mosque　itself；　and　on

the　others　by　a　high　wall　which　effectively　separates　it　from　the

outer　world。　The　walls　are　of　a　reddish　hue；　burnt　by　centuries　of　sun

into　the　colour　of　raw　sienna　or　of　bloodstone。　At　the　bottom　they　are

straight；　simple；　a　little　forbidding　in　their　austerity；　but　their

summits　are　elaborately　ornamented　and　crowned　with　battlements；　which

show　in　profile　against　the　sky　a　long　series　of　denticulated

stonework。　And　over　this　sort　of　reddish　fretwork　of　the　top；　which

seems　as　if　it　were　there　as　a　frame　to　the　deep　blue　vault　above　us；

we　see　rising　up　distractedly　all　the　minarets　of　the　neighbourhood；

and　these　minarets　are　red…coloured　too；　redder　even　than　the　jealous

walls；　and　are　decorated　with　arabesques；　pierced　by　the　daylight　and

complicated　with　aerial　galleries。　Some　of　them　are　a　little　distance

away；　others；　startlingly　close；　seem　to　scale　the　zenith；　and　all　are

ravishing　and　strange；　with　their　shining　crescents　and　outstretched

shafts　of　wood　that　call　to　the　great　birds　of　space。　Spite　of

ourselves　we　raise　our　heads；　fascinated　by　all　the　beauty　that　is　in

the　air；　but　there　is　only　this　square　of　marvellous　sky；　a　sort　of

limpid　sapphire；　set　in　the　battlements　of　El…Azhar　and　fringed　by

those　audacious　slender　towers。　We　are　in　the　religious　East　of　olden

days　and　we　feel　how　the　mystery　of　this　magnificent　courtwhose

architectural　ornament　consists　merely　in　geometrical　designs　repeated

to　infinity；　and　does　not　commence　till　quite　high　up　on　t