egypt-第8章

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them　on　all　sides　their　dreaming　is　no　longer　possible。　They　must

awake；　alas。



They　must　awake；　and　already　the　awakening　is　at　hand。　Here；　in　Egypt；

where　the　need　is　felt　to　change　so　many　things；　it　is　proposed；　too；

to　reform　the　old　university　of　El…Azhar；　one　of　the　chief　centres　of

Islam。　One　thinks　of　it　with　a　kind　of　fear；　knowing　what　danger　there

is　in　laying　hands　upon　institutions　which　have　lasted　for　a　thousand

years。　Reform；　however；　has；　in　principle；　been　decided　upon。　New

knowledge；　brought　from　the　West；　is　penetrating　into　the　tabernacle

of　the　Fatimites。　Has　not　the　Prophet　said：　〃Go；　seek　knowledge　far

and　wide；　if　needs　be　even　into　China〃？　What　will　come　of　it？　Who　can

tell？　But　this；　at　least；　is　certain：　that　in　the　dazzling　hours　of

noon；　or　in　the　golden　hours　of　evening；　when　the　crowd　of　these

modernised　students　spreads　itself　over　the　vast　courtyard；　overlooked

by　its　countless　minarets；　there　will　no　longer　be　seen　in　their　eyes

the　mystic　light　of　to…day；　and　it　will　no　longer　be　the　old

unshakable　faith；　nor　the　lofty　and　serene　indifference；　nor　the

profound　peace；　that　these　messengers　will　carry　to　the　ends　of　the

Mussulman　earth。　。　。　。







CHAPTER　VI



IN　THE　TOMBS　OF　THE　APIS



The　dwelling…places　of　the　Apis；　in　the　grim　darkness　beneath　the

Memphite　desert；　are；　as　all　the　world　knows；　monster　coffins　of　black

granite　ranged　in　catacombs；　hot　and　stifling　as　eternal　stoves。



To　reach　them　from　the　banks　of　the　Nile　we　have　first　to　traverse　the

low　region　which　the　inundations　of　the　ancient　river；　regularly

repeated　since　the　beginning　of　time；　have　rendered　propitious　to　the

growth　of　plants　and　to　the　development　of　men；　an　hour　or　two's

journey；　this　evening　through　forests　of　date…trees　whose　beautiful

palms　temper　the　light　of　the　March　sun；　which　is　now　half　veiled　in

clouds　and　already　declining。　In　the　distance　herds　are　grazing　in　the

cool　shade。　And　we　meet　fellahs　leading　back　from　the　field　towards

the　village　on　the　river…bank　their　little　donkeys；　laden　with　sheaves

of　corn。　The　air　is　mild　and　wholesome　under　the　high　tufts　of　these

endless　green　plumes；　which　move　in　the　warm　wind　almost　without

noise。　We　seem　to　be　in　some　happy　land；　where　the　pastoral　life

should　be　easy；　and　even　a　little　paradisiacal。



But　beyond；　in　front　of　us；　quite　a　different　world　is　gradually

revealed。　Its　aspect　assumes　the　importance　of　a　menace　from　the

unknown；　it　awes　us　like　an　apparition　of　chaos；　of　universal　death。

。　。　。　It　is　the　desert；　the　conquering　desert；　in　the　midst　of　which

inhabited　Egypt；　the　green　valleys　of　the　Nile；　trace　merely　a　narrow

ribbon。　And　here；　more　than　elsewhere；　the　sight　of　this　sovereign

desert　rising　up　before　us　is　startling　and　thrilling；　so　high　up　it

seems；　and　we　so　low　in　the　Edenlike　valley　shaded　by　the　palms。　With

its　yellow　hues；　its　livid　marblings；　and　its　sands　which　make　it　look

somehow　as　if　it　lacked　consistency；　it　rises　on　the　whole　horizon

like　a　kind　of　soft　wall　or　a　great　fearsome　cloudor　rather；　like　a

long　cataclysmic　wave；　which　does　not　move　indeed；　but　which；　if　it

did；　would　overwhelm　and　swallow　everything。　It　is　the　/Memphite

desert/a　place；　that　is　to　say；　such　as　does　not　exist　elsewhere　on

earth；　a　fabulous　necropolis；　in　which　men　of　earlier　times；　heaped　up

for　some　three　thousand　years　the　embalmed　bodies　of　their　dead；

exaggerating；　as　time　went　on；　the　foolish　grandeur　of　their　tombs。

Now；　above　the　sand　which　looks　like　the　front　of　some　great　tidal

wave　arrested　in　its　progress；　we　see　on　all　sides；　and　far　into　the

distance；　triangles　of　superhuman　proportions　which　were　once　the

tombs　of　mummies；　pyramids；　still　upright；　all　of　them；　on　their

sinister　pedestal　of　sand。　Some　are　comparatively　near；　others　almost

lost　in　the　background　of　the　solitudesand　perhaps　more　awesome　in

that　they　are　merely　outlined　in　grey；　high　up　among　the　clouds。



*****



The　little　carriages　that　have　brought　us　to　the　necropolis　of

Memphis；　through　the　interminable　forest　of　palm…trees；　had　their

wheels　fitted　with　large　pattens　for　their　journey　over　the　sand。



Now；　arrived　at　the　foot　of　the　fearsome　region；　we　commence　to　climb

a　hill　where　all　at　once　the　trot　of　our　horses　ceases　to　be　heard；

the　moving　felting　of　the　soil　establishes　a　sudden　silence　around　us；

as　indeed　is　always　the　case　when　we　reach　these　sands。　It　seems　as　if

it　were　a　silence　of　respect　which　the　desert　itself　imposes。



The　valley　of　life　sinks　and　fades　behind　us；　until　at　last　it

disappears；　hidden　by　a　line　of　sandhillsthe　first　wave；　as　one

might　say；　of　this　waterless　seaand　we　are　now　mounted　into　the

kingdom　of　the　dead；　swept　at　this　moment　by　a　withering　and　almost

icy　wind；　which　from　below　one　would　not　have　expected。



This　desert　of　Memphis　has　not　yet　been　profaned　by　hotels　or　motor

roads；　such　as　we　have　seen　in　the　〃little　desert〃　of　the　Sphinx

whose　three　pyramids　indeed　we　can　discern　at　the　extreme　limit　of　the

view；　prolonging　almost　to　infinity　for　our　eyes　this　domain　of

mummies。　There　is　nobody　to　be　seen；　nor　any　indication　of　the　present

day；　amongst　these　mournful　undulations　of　yellow　or　pale　grey　sand；

in　which　we　seem　lost　as　in　the　swell　of　an　ocean。　The　sky　is　cloudy

such　as　you　can　scarcely　imagine　the　sky　of　Egypt。　And　in　this　immense

nothingness　of　sand　and　stones；　which　stands　out　now　more　clearly

against　the　clouds　on　the　horizon；　there　is　nothing　anywhere　save　the

silhouettes　of　those　eternal　triangles；　the　pyramids；　gigantic　things

which　rise　here　and　there　at　hazard；　some　half　in　ruin；　others　almost

intact　and　preserving　still　their　sharp　point。　To…day　they　are　the

only　landmarks　of　this　necropolis；　which　is　nearly　six　miles　in

length；　and　was　formerly　covered　by　temples　of　a　magnificence　and　a

vastness　unimaginable　to　the　minds　of　our　day。　Except　for　one　which　is

quite　near　us　（the　fantastic　grandfather　of　the　others；　that　of　King

Zoser；　who　died　nearly　5000　years　ago）；　except　for　this　one；　which　is

made　of　six　colossal　superposed　terraces；　they　are　all　built　after

that　same　conception　of　the　/Triangle/；　which　is　at　once　the　most

mysteriously　simple　figure　of　geometry；　and　the　strongest　and　most

permanently　stable　form　of　architecture。　And　now　that　there　remains　no

trace　of　the　frescoed　portraits　which　used　to　adorn　them；　nor　of　their

multicoloured　coatings；　now　that　they　have　taken　on　the　same　dead

colour　as　the　desert；　they　look　like　the　huge　bones　of　giant　fossils；

that　have　long　outlasted　their　other　contemporaries　on　earth。　Beneath

the　ground；　however；　the　case　is　different；　there；　still　remain　the

bodies　of　men；　and　even　of　cats　and　birds；　who　with　their　own　eyes　saw

these　vast　structures　building；　and　who　sleep　intact；　swathed　in

bandages；　in　the　darkness　of　their　tunnels。　/We　know/；　for　we　have

penetrated　there　before；　what　things　are　hidden　in　the　womb　of　this

old　desert；　on　which　the　yellow　shroud　of　the　sand　grows　thicker　and

thicker　as　the　centuries　pass。　The　whole　deep　rock　had　been　perforated

patiently　to　make　hypogea　and　sepulchral　chambers；　great　and　small；

and　veritable　palaces　for　the　dead；　adorned　with　innumerable　painted

figures。　And　though　now；　for　some　two　thousand　years；　men　have　set

themselves　furiously　to　exhume　the　sarcophagi　and　the　treasures　that

are　buried　here；　the　subterranean　reserves　are　not　yet　exhausted。

There　still　remain；　no　doubt；　pleiads　of　undisturbed　sleepers；　who

will　never　be　discovered。



As　we　advance　the　wind　grows　stronger　and　colder　beneath　a　sky　that

becomes　increasingly　cloudy；　and　the　sand　is　flying　on　all　sides。　The

sand　is　the　undisputed　sovereign　of　the　necropolis；　if　it　does　not

surge　and　roll　like　some　enormous　tidal　wave；　as　it　appears　to　do　when

seen　from　the　green　valley　below；　it　nevertheless　covers　everything

with　an　obstinate　persistence　which　has　continued　since　the　beginning

of　time。　Already　at　Memphis　it　has　buried　innumerable　statues　and

colossi　and　temples　of　the　Sphinx。　It　comes　without　a　pause；　from

Libya；　from　the　great　Sahara；　which　contain　enough　to　powder　the

universe。　It　harmonises　well　with　the　tall　skeletons　of　the　pyramids；

which　form　immutable　rocks　on　its　always　shifting　extent；　and　if　one

thinks　of　it；　it　gives　a　more　thrilling　sense　of　anterior　eternities

even　than　all　these　Egyptian　ruins；　which；　in　comparison　with　it；　are

things　of　yesterday。　The　sandthe　sand　of　the　primitive　seaswhich

represents　a　labour　of　erosion　of　a　duration　impossible　to　conceive；

and　bears　witness　to　a　continuity　of　destruction　which；　one　might　say；

had　no　beginning。



Here；　in　the　midst　of　these　solitudes；　is　a　humble　habitation；　old　and

half　buried　in　sand；　at　which　we　have　to　stop。　It　was　once　the　house

of　the　Egyptologist　Mariette；　and　still　shelters　the　director　of　the

excavations；　from　whom　we　have　to　obtain　permission　to　descend　amongst

the　Apis。　The　whitewashed　room　in　which　he　receives　us　is　encumbered

with　the　age…old　debris　which　he　is　continually　bringing　to　light。　The

parting　rays　of　the　sun；　which　shines　low　down　from　between　two

clouds；　enter　through　a　window　opening　on　to　the　surrounding

desolation；　and　the　light　comes　mournfully；　yellowed　by　the　sand　and

the　evening。



The　master　of　the　house；　while　his　Bedouin　servants　are　gone　to　open

and　light　up　for　us　the　underground　habitations　of　the　Apis；　shows　us

his　latest　astonishing　find；　made　this　morning　in　a　hypogeum　of　one　of

the　most　ancient　dynasties。　It　is　there　on　a　table；　a　group　of　little

people　of　wood；　of　the　size　of　the　marionettes　of　our　theatres。　And

since　it　was　the　custom　to　put　in　a　tomb　only　those　figures　or　objects

which　were　most　pleasing　to　him　who　dwelt　in　it；　the　man…mummy　to　whom

this　toy　was　offered　in　times　anterior　to　all　precise　chronology　must

have　been　extremely　partial　to　dancing…girls。　In　the　middle　of　the

group　the　man　himself　is　represented；　sitting　in　an　armchair；　and　on

his　knee　he　holds　his　favourite　dancing…girl。　Other　girls　posture

before　him　in　a　dance　of　the　period；　and　on　the　ground　sit　musicians

touching　tambourines　and　strangely　fashioned　harps。　All　wear　their

hair　in　a　long　plait；　which　falls　below　their　shoulders　like　the

pigtail　of　the　Chinese。　It　was　the　distinguishing　mark　of　these　kinds

of　courtesans。　And　these　little　people　had　kept　their　pose　in　the

darkness　for　some　three　thousand　years　before　the　commencement　of　the

Christian　era。　。　。　。　In　order　to　show　it　to　us　better　the　group　is

brought　to　the　window；　and　the　mournful　light　which　enters　from　across

the　infinite　solitudes　of　the　desert　colours　them　yellow　and　shows　us

in　detail　their　little　doll…like　attitudes　and　their　comical　and

frightened　appearancefrightened　perhaps　to　find　themselves　so　old

and　issuing　from　so　deep　a　night。　They　had　not　seen　a　setting　of　the

sun；　such　as　th