egypt-第15部分

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other　viands　out　of　greasy　paper；　which　now　litters　the　floor。　And　the

women！　Heavens！　what　scarecrows　they　are！　And　this　kind　of　thing；　so

the　black…robed　Bedouin　guards　inform　us；　is　repeated　every　day　so

long　as　the　season　lasts。　A　luncheon　in　the　temple　of　Osiris　is　part

of　the　programme　of　pleasure　trips。　Each　day　at　noon　a　new　band

arrives；　on　heedless　and　unfortunate　donkeys。　The　tables　and　the

crockery　remain；　of　course；　in　the　old　temple！



Let　us　escape　quickly；　if　possible　before　the　sight　shall　have　become

graven　on　our　memory。



But　alas！　even　when　we　are　outside；　alone　again　on　the　expanse　of

dazzling　sands；　we　can　no　longer　take　things　seriously。　Abydos　and　the

desert　have　ceased　to　exist。　The　faces　of　those　women　remain　to　haunt

us；　their　faces　and　their　hats；　and　those　looks　which　they　vouchsafed

us　from　over　their　solar　spectacles。　。　。　。　The　ugliness　associated

with　the　name　of　Cook　was　once　explained　to　me　in　this　wise；　and　the

explanation　at　first　sight　seemed　satisfactory：　〃The　United　Kingdom；

justifiably　jealous　of　the　beauty　of　its　daughters；　submits　them　to　a

jury　when　they　reach　the　age　of　puberty；　and　those　who　are　classed　as

too　ugly　to　reproduce　their　kind　are　accorded　an　unlimited　account　at

Thomas　Cook　&　Sons；　and　thus　vowed　to　a　course　of　perpetual　travel；

which　leaves　them　no　time　to　think　of　certain　trifles　incidental　to

life。〃　The　explanation；　as　I　say；　seduced　me　for　the　time　being。　But　a

more　attentive　examination　of　the　bands　who　infest　the　valley　of　the

Nile　enables　me　to　aver　that　all　these　good　English　ladies　are　of　an

age　notoriously　canonical；　and　the　catastrophe　of　procreation

therefore；　supposing　that　such　an　accident　could　ever　have　happened　to

them；　must　date　back　to　a　time　long　anterior　to　their　enrolment。　And　I

remain　perplexed！



Without　conviction　now；　we　make　our　way　towards　another　temple；

guaranteed　solitary。　Indeed　the　sun　blazes　there　a　lonely　sovereign　in

the　midst　of　a　profound　silence；　and　Egypt　and　the　past　take　us　again

into　their　folds。



Once　more　to　Osiris；　the　god　of　heavenly　awakening　in　the　necropolis

of　Abydos；　this　sanctuary　was　built　by　Ramses　II。　But　the　sands　have

covered　it　with　their　winding　sheet　in　vain；　and　have　been　able　to

preserve　for　us　only　the　lower　and　more　deeply　buried　parts。　Men　in

their　blind　greed　have　destroyed　the　upper　portions；＇*＇　and　its　ruins；

protected　and　cleared　as　they　are　to…day；　rise　only　some　ten　or　twelve

feet　from　the　ground。　In　the　bas…reliefs　the　majority　of　the　figures

have　only　legs　and　a　portion　of　the　body；　their　heads　and　shoulders

have　disappeared　with　the　upper　parts　of　the　walls。　But　they　seem　to

have　preserved　their　vitality：　the　gesticulations；　the　exaggerated

pantomime　of　the　attitudes　of　these　headless　things；　are　more　strange；

more　striking；　perhaps；　than　if　their　faces　still　remained。　And　they

have　preserved　too；　in　an　extraordinary　degree；　the　brightness　of

their　antique　paintings；　the　fresh　tints　of　their　costumes；　of　their

robes　of　turquoise　blue；　or　lapis；　or　emerald…green；　or　golden…yellow。

It　is　an　artless　kind　of　fresco…work；　which　nevertheless　amazes　us　by

remaining　perfect　after　thirty…five　centuries。　All　that　these　people

did　seems　as　if　made　for　immortality。　It　is　true；　however；　that　such

brilliant　colours　are　not　found　in　any　of　the　other　Pharaonic

monuments；　and　that　here　they　are　heightened　by　the　white　background。

For；　notwithstanding　the　bluish；　black　and　red　granite　of　the

porticoes；　the　walls　are　all　of　a　fine　limestone；　of　exceeding

whiteness；　and；　in　the　holy　of　holies；　of　a　pure　alabaster。



＇*＇　Not　long　ago　a　manufacturer；　established　in　the　neighbourhood；

　　　　discovering　that　the　limestone　of　its　walls　was　friable；　used　this

　　　　temple　as　a　quarry；　and　for　some　years　bas…reliefs　beyond　price

　　　　served　as　aliment　to　the　mills　of　the　factory。



Above　the　truncated　walls；　with　their　bright　clear　colours；　the　desert

appears；　and　shows　quite　brown　by　contrast；　one　sees　the　great　yellow

swell　of　sand　and　stones　above　the　pictures　of　these　decapitated

people。　It　rises　like　a　colossal　wave　and　stretches　out　to　bathe　the

foot　of　the　Libyan　mountains　beyond。　Towards　the　north　and　west　of　the

solitudes；　shapeless　ruins　of　tawny…coloured　blocks　follow　one　another

in　the　sands　until　the　dazzling　distance　ends　in　a　clear…cut　line

against　the　sky。　Apart　from　this　temple　of　Ramses；　where　we　now　stand；

and　that　of　Seti　in　the　vicinity；　where　the　enterprise　of　Thomas　Cook

&　Son　flourishes；　there　is　nothing　around　us　but　ruins；　crumbled　and

pulverised　beyond　all　possible　redemption。　But　they　give　us　pause；

these　disappearing　ruins；　for　they　are　the　debris　of　that　ageless

temple；　where　sleeps　the　head　of　the　god；　the　debris　of　the　tombs　of

the　Middle　and　Ancient　Empires；　and　they　indicate　still　the　wide

extent　and　development　of　the　necropoles　of　Abydos；　so　old　that　it

almost　makes　one　giddy　to　think　of　their　beginning。



Here；　as　at　Thebes　and　Memphis；　the　tombs　of　the　Egyptians　are　met

with　only　amongst　the　sands　and　the　parched　rocks。　The　great　ancestral

people；　who　would　have　shuddered　at　our　black　trees；　and　the

corruption　of　the　damp　graves；　liked　to　place　its　embalmed　dead　in　the

midst　of　this　luminous；　changeless　splendour　of　death；　which　men　call

the　desert。



*****



And　what　is　this　now　that　is　happening　in　the　holy　neighbourhood　of

unhappy　Osiris？　A　troupe　of　donkeys；　belaboured　by　Bedouin　drivers；　is

being　driven　in　the　direction　of　the　adjacent　temple；　dedicated　to　the

god　by　Seti！　The　luncheon　no　doubt　is　over　and　the　band　about　to

depart；　sharp　to　the　appointed　hour　of　the　programme。　Let　us　watch

them　from　a　prudent　distance。



To　be　brief；　they　all　mount　into　their　saddles；　these　Cooks　and

Cookesses；　and　opening；　not　without　a　conscious　air　of　majesty；　their

white　cotton　parasols；　take　themselves　off　in　the　direction　of　the

Nile。　They　disappear　and　the　place　belongs　to　us。



When　we　venture　at　last　to　return　to　the　first　sanctuary；　where　they

had　lunched　their　fill　in　the　shade；　the　guardians　are　busy　clearing

away　the　leavings　and　the　dirty　paper。　And　they　pack　the　dubious

crockery；　which　will　be　required　for　to…morrow's　luncheon；　into　large

chests　on　which　may　be　read　in　large　letters　of　glory　the　names　of　the

veritable　sovereigns　of　modern　Egypt：　〃Thomas　Cook　&　Son　（Egypt

Ltd。）。〃



All　this　happily　ends　with　the　first　hypostyle。　Nothing　dishonours　the

halls　of　the　interior；　where　silence　has　again　descended；　the　vast

silence　of　the　noon　of　the　desert。



In　the　reign　of　the　Emperor　Tiberius；　men　already　marvelled　at　this

temple；　as　at　a　relic　of　the　most　distant　and　nebulous　past。　The

geographer　Strabo　wrote　in　those　days：　〃It　is　an　admirable　palace

built　in　the　fashion　of　the　Labyrinth　save　that　it　has　fewer

galleries。〃　There　are　galleries　enough　however；　and　one　can　readily

lose　oneself　in　its　mazy　turnings。　Seven　chapels；　consecrated　to

Osiris　and　to　different　gods　and　goddesses　of　his　suite；　seven　vaulted

chambers；　seven　doors　for　the　processions　of　kings　and　multitudes；

and；　at　the　sides；　numberless　halls；　corridors；　secondary　chapels；

dark　chambers　and　hidden　doorways。　That　very　primitive　column；

suggestive　of　reeds；　which　is　called　in　architecture　the　〃plant

column〃　and　resembles　a　monstrous　stem　of　papyrus；　rises　here　in　a

thick　forest；　to　support　the　stones　of　the　blue　ceilings；　which　are

strewn　with　stars；　in　the　likeness　of　the　sky　of　this　country。　In　many

cases　these　stones　are　missing　and　leave　large　openings　on　to　the　real

sky　above。　Their　massiveness；　which　one　might　have　thought　would

secure　them　an　endless　duration；　has　availed　them　nothing；　the　sun　of

so　many　centuries　has　cracked　them；　and　their　own　weight；　then；　has

brought　them　headlong　to　the　ground。　And　floods　of　light　now　enter

through　the　gaps；　into　the　very　chapels　where　the　men　of　old　had

thought　to　ensure　a　holy　gloom。



Despite　the　disaster　which　has　overtaken　the　ceilings；　this　is

nevertheless　one　of　the　most　perfect　of　the　sanctuaries　of　ancient

Egypt。　The　sands；　those　gentle　sextons；　have　here　succeeded

miraculously　in　their　work　of　preservation。　They　might　have　been

carved　yesterday；　these　innumerable　people；　who；　everywhereon　the

walls；　on　this　forest　of　columnsgesticulate　and；　with　their　arms　and

long　hands；　continue　with　animation　their　eternal　mute　conversation。

The　whole　temple；　with　the　openings　which　give　it　light；　is　more

beautiful　perhaps　than　in　the　time　of　the　Pharaohs。　In　place　of　the

old…time　darkness；　a　transparent　gloom　now　alternates　with　shafts　of

sunlight。　Here　and　there　the　subjects　of　the　bas…reliefs；　so　long

buried　in　the　darkness；　are　deluged　with　burning　rays　which　detail

their　attitudes；　their　muscles；　their　scarcely　altered　colours；　and

endow　them　again　with　life　and　youth。　There　is　no　part　of　the　wall；　in

this　immense　place；　but　is　covered　with　divinities；　with　hieroglyphs

and　emblems。　Osiris　in　high　coiffure；　the　beautiful　Isis　in　the　helmet

of　a　bird；　jackal…headed　Anubis；　falcon…headed　Horus；　and　ibis…headed

Thoth　are　repeated　a　thousand　times；　welcoming　with　strange　gestures

the　kings　and　priests　who　are　rendering　them　homage。



The　bodies；　almost　nude；　with　broad　shoulders　and　slim　waist；　have　a

slenderness；　a　grace；　infinitely　chaste；　and　the　features　of　the　faces

are　of　an　exquisite　purity。　The　artists　who　carved　these　charming

heads；　with　their　long　eyes；　full　of　the　ancient　dream；　were　already

skilled　in　their　art；　but　through　a　deficiency；　which　puzzles　us；　they

were　only　able　to　draw　them　in　profile。　All　the　legs；　all　the　feet　are

in　profile　too；　although　the　bodies；　on　the　other　hand；　face　us　fully。

Men　needed　yet　some　centuries　of　study　before　they　understood

perspectivewhich　to　us　now　seems　so　simpleand　the　foreshortening

of　figures；　and　were　able　to　render　the　impression　of　them　on　a　plane

surface。