egypt-第22部分

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hurrying　along　that　avenue　where　once　defiled　so　many　processions　of

gods　and　goddesses。　And　yet　this；　perhaps；　is　the　only　occasion　on

which　one　of　these　bands　of　tourists　does　not　seem　to　me　altogether

ridiculous。　Amongst　these　groups　of　unknown　people；　there　is　none　who

is　not　collected　and　thoughtful；　or　who　does　not　at　least　pretend　to

be　so；　and　there　is　some　saving　quality　of　grace；　even　some　grandeur

of　humility；　in　the　sentiment　which　has　brought　them　to　this　town　of

Amen；　and　in　the　homage　of　their　silence。



We　are　so　high　on　this　portal　that　we　might　fancy　ourselves　upon　a

tower；　and　the　defaced　stones　of　which　it　is　built　are　immeasurably

large。　Instinctively　each　one　sits　with　his　face　to　the　glowing　sun；

and　consequently　to　the　outspread　distances　of　the　fields　and　the

desert。



Before　us；　under　our　feet；　an　avenue　stretches　away；　prolonging

towards　the　fields　the　pomp　of　the　dead　cityan　avenue　bordered　by

monstrous　rams；　larger　than　buffaloes；　all　crouched　on　their　pedestals

in　two　parallel　rows　in　the　traditional　hieratic　pose。　The　avenue

terminates　beyond　at　a　kind　of　wharf　or　landing…stage　which　formerly

gave　on　to　the　Nile。　It　was　there　that　the　God　Amen；　carried　and

followed　by　long　trains　of　priests；　came　every　year　to　take　his　golden

barge　for　a　solemn　procession。　But　it　leads　to…day　only　to　the

cornfields；　for；　in　the　course　of　successive　centuries；　the　river　has

receded　little　by　little　and　now　winds　its　course　a　thousand　yards

away　in　the　direction　of　Libya。



We　can　see；　beyond；　the　old　sacred　Nile　between　the　clusters　of　palm…

trees　on　its　banks；　meandering　there　like　a　rosy　pathway；　which

remains；　nevertheless；　in　this　hour　of　universal　incandescence；

astonishingly　pale；　and　gleams　occasionally　with　a　bluish　light。　And

on　the　farther　bank；　from　one　end　to　the　other　of　the　western　horizon；

stretches　the　chain　of　the　Libyan　mountains　behind　which　the　sun　is

about　to　plunge；　a　chain　of　red　sandstone；　parched　since　the　beginning

of　the　worldwithout　a　rival　in　the　preservation　to　perpetuity　of

dead　bodieswhich　the　Thebans　perforated　to　its　extreme　depths　to

fill　it　with　sarcophagi。



We　watch　the　sun　descend。　But　we　turn　also　to　see；　behind　us；　the

ruins　in　this　the　traditional　moment　of　their　apotheosis。　Thebes；　the

immense　town…mummy；　seems　all　at　once　to　be　ablazeas　if　its　old

stones　were　able　still　to　burn；　all　its　blocks；　fallen　or　upright；

appear　to　have　been　suddenly　made　ruddy　by　the　glow　of　fire。



On　this　side；　too；　the　view　embraces　great　peaceful　distances。　Past

the　last　pylons；　and　beyond　the　crumbling　ramparts　the　country；　down

there　behind　the　town；　presents　the　same　appearance　as　that　we　were

facing　a　moment　before。　The　same　cornfields；　the　same　woods　of　date…

trees；　that　make　a　girdle　of　green　palms　around　the　ruins。　And；　right

in　the　background；　a　chain　of　mountains　is　lit　up　and　glows　with　a

vivid　coral　colour。　It　is　the　chain　of　the　Arabian　desert；　lying

parallel　to　that　of　Libya；　along　the　whole　length　of　the　Nile　Valley

which　is　thus　guarded　on　right　and　left　by　stones　and　sand　stretched

out　in　profound　solitudes。



In　all　the　surrounding　country　which　we　command　from　this　spot　there

is　no　indication　of　the　present　day；　only　here　and　there；　amongst　the

palm…trees；　the　villages　of　the　field　labourers；　whose　houses　of　dried

earth　can　scarcely　have　changed　since　the　days　of　the　Pharaohs。　Our

contemporary　desecrators　have　up　till　now　respected　the　infinite

desuetude　of　the　place；　and；　for　the　tourists　who　begin　to　haunt　it；

no　one　yet　has　dared　to　build　a　hotel。



Slowly　the　sun　descends；　and　behind　us　the　granites　of　the　town…mummy

seem　to　burn　more　and　more。　It　is　true　that　a　slight　shadow　of　a

warmer　tint；　an　amaranth　violet；　begins　to　encroach　upon　the　lower

parts；　spreading　along　the　avenues　and　over　the　open　spaces。　But

everything　that　rises　into　the　skythe　friezes　of　the　temples；　the

capitals　of　the　columns；　the　sharp　points　of　the　obelisksare　still

red　as　glowing　embers。　These　all　become　imbued　with　light　and　continue

to　glow　and　shed　a　rosy　illumination　until　the　end　of　the　twilight。



It　is　a　glorious　hour；　even　for　the　old　dust　of　Egypt；　which　fills　the

air　eternally；　without　detracting　at　all　from　its　wonderful　clearness。

It　savours　of　spices；　of　the　Bedouin；　of　the　bitumen　of　the

sarcophagus。　And　here　now　it　is　playing　the　role　of　those　powders　of

different　shades　of　gold　which　the　Japanese　use　for　the　backgrounds　of

their　lacquered　landscapes。　It　reveals　itself　everywhere；　close　to　and

on　the　horizon；　modifying　at　its　pleasure　the　colour　of　things；　and

giving　them　a　kind　of　metallic　lustre。　The　phantasy　of　its　changes　is

unimaginable。　Even　in　the　distances　of　the　countryside；　it　is　busy

indicating　by　little　trailing　clouds　of　gold　the　smallest　pathways

traversed　by　the　herds。



And　now　the　disc　of　the　God　of　Thebes　has　disappeared　behind　the

Libyan　mountains；　after　changing　its　light　from　red　to　yellow　and　from


yellow　to　green。



And　thereupon　the　tourists；　judging　that　the　display　is　over　for　the

night；　commence　to　descend　and　make　ready　for　departure。　Some　in

carriages；　others　on　donkeys；　they　go　to　recruit　themselves　with　the

electricity　and　elegance　of　Luxor；　the　neighbouring　town　（wines　and

spirits　are　paid　for　as　extras；　and　we　dress　for　dinner）。　And　the　dust

condescends　to　mark　their　exodus　also　by　a　last　cloud　of　gold　beneath

the　palm…trees　of　the　road。



An　immediate　solemnity　succeeds　to　their　departure。　Above　the　mud

houses　of　the　fellah　villages　rise　slender　columns　of　smoke；　which　are

of　a　periwinkle…blue　in　the　midst　of　the　still　yellow　atmosphere。　They

tell　of　the　humble　life　of　these　little　homesteads；　subsisting　here；

where　in　the　backward　of　the　ages　were　so　many　palaces　and　splendours。



And　the　first　bayings　of　the　watchdogs　announce　already　the　vague

uneasiness　of　the　evenings　around　the　ruins。　There　is　no　one　now

within　the　mummy…town；　which　seems　all　at　once　to　have　grown　larger　in

the　silence。　Very　quickly　the　violet　shadow　covers　it；　all　save　the

extreme　points　of　its　obelisks；　which　keep　still　a　little　of　their

rose…colour。　The　feeling　comes　over　you　that　a　sovereign　mystery　has

taken　possession　of　the　town；　as　if　some　vague　phantom　things　had　just

passed　into　it。







CHAPTER　XV



THEBES　BY　NIGHT



The　feeling；　almost；　that　you　have　grown　suddenly　smaller　by　entering

there；　that　you　are　dwarfed　to　less　than　human　sizeto　such　an　extent

do　the　proportions　of　these　ruins　seem　to　crush　youand　the　illusion；

also；　that　the　light；　instead　of　being　extinguished　with　the　evening；

has　only　changed　its　colour；　and　become　blue：　that　is　what　one

experiences　on　a　clear　Egyptian　night；　in　walking　between　the

colonnades　of　the　great　temple　at　Thebes。



The　place　is；　moreover；　so　singular　and　so　terrible　that　its　mere　name

would　at　once　cast　a　spell　upon　the　spirit；　even　if　one　were　ignorant

of　the　place　itself。　The　hypostyle　of　the　temple　of　the　God　Amenthat

could　be　no　other　thing　but　one。　For　this　hall　is　unique　in　the　world；

in　the　same　way　as　the　Grotto　of　Fingal　and　the　Himalayas　are　unique。



*****



To　wander　absolutely　alone　at　night　in　Thebes　requires　during　the

winter　a　certain　amount　of　stratagem　and　a　knowledge　of　the　routine　of

the　tourists。　It　is　necessary；　first　of　all；　to　choose　a　night　on

which　the　moon　rises　late　and　then；　having　entered　before　the　close　of

the　day；　to　escape　the　notice　of　the　Bedouin　guards　who　shut　the　gates

at　nightfall。　Thus　have　I　waited　with　the　patience　of　a　stone　Osiris；

till　the　grand　transformation　scene　of　the　setting　of　the　sun　was

played　out　once　more　upon　the　ruins。　Thebes；　which；　during　the　day；　is

almost　animate　by　reason　of　the　presence　of　the　visitors　and　the　gangs

of　fellahs　who；　singing　the　while；　are　busy　at　the　diggings　and　the

clearing　away　of　the　rubbish；　has　emptied　itself　little　by　little；

while　the　blue　shadows　were　mounting　from　the　base　of　the　monstrous

sanctuaries。　I　watched　the　people　moving　in　a　long　row；　like　a　trail

of　ants；　towards　the　western　gate　between　the　pylons　of　the　Ptolemies；

and　the　last　of　them　had　disappeared　before　the　rosy　light　died　away

on　the　topmost　points　of　the　obelisks。



It　seemed　as　if　the　silence　and　the　night　arrived　together　from　beyond

the　Arabian　desert；　advanced　together　across　the　plain；　spreading　out

like　a　rapid　oil…stain；　then　gained　the　town　from　east　to　west；　and

rose　rapidly　from　the　ground　to　the　very　summits　of　the　temples。　And

this　march　of　the　darkness　was　infinitely　solemn。



For　the　first　few　moments；　indeed；　you　might　imagine　that　it　was　going

to　be　an　ordinary　night　such　as　we　know　in　our　climate；　and　a　sense　of

uneasiness　takes　hold　of　you　in　the　midst　of　this　confusion　of

enormous　stones；　which　in　the　darkness　would　become　a　quite

inextricable　maze。　Oh！　the　horror　of　being　lost　in　those　ruins　of

Thebes　and　not　being　able　to　see！　But　in　the　event　the　air　preserved

its　transparency　to　such　a　degree；　and　the　stars　began　soon　to

scintillate　so　brightly　that　the　surrounding　things　could　be

distinguished　almost　as　well　as　in　the　daytime。



Indeed；　now　that　the　time　of　transition　between　the　day　and　night　has

passed；　the　eyes　grow　accustomed　to　the　strange；　blue；　persistent

clearness　so　that　you　seem　suddenly　to　have　acquired　the　pupils　of　a

cat；　and　the　ultimate　effect　is　merely　as　if　you　saw　through　a　smoked

glass　which　changed　all　the　various　shades　of　this　reddish…coloured

country　into　one　uniform　tint　of　blue。



Behold　me　then；　for　some　two　or　three　hours；　alone　among　the　temples

of　the　Pharaohs。　The　tourists；　whom　the　carriages　and　donkeys　are　at

this　moment　taking　back　to　the　hotels　of　Luxor；　will　not　return　till

very　late；　when　the　full　moon　will　have　risen　and　be　shedding　its

clear　light　upon　the　ruins。　My　post；　while　I　waited；　was　high　up　among

the　ruins