egypt-第7部分

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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　the

battlements；　where　the　minarets　point　into　the　eternal　bluemust　cast

its　spell　upon　the　imagination　of　the　young　priests　who　are　being

trained　here。



*****



　〃He　who　instructs　the　ignorant　is　like　a　living　man　amongst　the

　　dead。〃



　〃If　a　day　passes　without　my　having　learnt　something　which　brings　me

　　nearer　to　God；　let　not　the　dawn　of　that　day　be　blessed。〃



　　　　　　　　Verses　from　the　Hadith。



He　who　has　brought　me　to　this　place　to…day　is　my　friend；　Mustapha

Kamel　Pacha；　the　tribune　of　Egypt；　and　I　owe　to　his　presence　the　fact

that　I　am　not　treated　like　a　casual　visitor。　Our　names　are　taken　at

once　to　the　great　master　of　El…Azhar；　a　high　personage　in　Islam；　whose

pupil　Mustapha　formerly　was；　and　who　no　doubt　will　receive　us　in

person。



It　is　in　a　hall　very　Arab　in　its　character；　furnished　only　with

divans；　that　the　great　master　welcomes　us；　with　the　simplicity　of　an

ascetic　and　the　elegant　manners　of　a　prelate。　His　look；　and　indeed　his

whole　face；　tell　how　onerous　is　the　sacred　office　which　he　exercises：

to　preside；　namely；　at　the　instruction　of　these　thousands　of　young

priests；　who　afterwards　are　to　carry　faith　and　peace　and　immobility　to

more　than　three　hundred　millions　of　men。



And　in　a　few　moments　Mustapha　and　he　are　busy　discussingas　if　it

were　a　matter　of　actual　interesta　controversial　question　concerning

the　events　which　followed　the　death　of　the　Prophet；　and　the　part

played　by　Ali。　。　。　。　In　that　moment　how　my　good　friend　Mustapha；　whom

I　had　seen　so　French　in　France；　appeared　all　at　once　a　Moslem　to　the

bottom　of　his　soul！　The　same　thing　is　true　indeed　of　the　greater

number　of　these　Orientals；　who；　if　we　meet　them　in　our　own　country；

seem　to　be　quite　parisianised；　their　modernity　is　only　on　the　surface：

in　their　inmost　souls　Islam　remains　intact。　And　it　is　not　difficult　to

understand；　perhaps；　how　the　spectacle　of　our　troubles；　our　despairs；

our　miseries；　in　these　new　ways　in　which　our　lot　is　cast；　should　make

them　reflect　and　turn　again　to　the　tranquil　dream　of　their

ancestors。　。　。　。



While　waiting　for　the　conclusion　of　the　morning　studies；　we　are

conducted　through　some　of　the　dependencies　of　El…Azhar。　Halls　of　every

epoch；　added　one　to　another；　go　to　form　a　little　labyrinth；　many

contain　/Mihrabs/；　which；　as　we　know　already；　are　a　kind　of　portico；

festooned　and　denticulated　till　they　look　as　if　covered　with　rime。　And

library　after　library；　with　ceilings　of　cedarwood；　carved　in　times

when　men　had　more　leisure　and　more　patience。　Thousands　of　precious

manuscripts；　dating　back　some　hundreds　of　years；　but　which　here　in　El…

Azhar　are　no　whit　out　of　date。　Open；　in　glass　cases；　are　numerous

inestimable　Korans；　which　in　olden　times　had　been　written　fair　and

illuminated　on　parchment　by　pious　khedives。　And；　in　a　place　of　honour；

a　large　astronomical　glass；　through　which　men　watch　the　rising　of　the

moon　of　Ramadan。　。　。　。　All　this　savours　of　the　past。　And　what　is　being

taught　to…day　to　the　ten　thousand　students　of　El…Azhar　scarcely

differs　from　what　was　taught　to　their　predecessors　in　the　glorious

reign　of　the　Fatimitesand　which　was　then　transcendent　and　even　new：

the　Koran　and　all　its　commentaries；　the　subtleties　of　syntax　and　of

pronunciation；　jurisprudence；　calligraphy；　which　still　is　dear　to　the

heart　of　Orientals；　versification；　and；　last　of　all；　mathematics；　of

which　the　Arabs　were　the　inventors。



Yes；　all　this　savours　of　the　past；　of　the　dust　of　remote　ages。　And

though；　assuredly；　the　priests　trained　in　this　thousand…year…old

university　may　grow　to　men　of　rarest　soul；　they　will　remain；　these

calm　and　noble　dreamers；　merely　laggards；　safe　in　their　shelter　from

the　whirlwind　which　carries　us　along。



*****



　〃It　is　a　sacrilege　to　prohibit　knowledge。　To　seek　knowledge　is　to

　　perform　an　act　of　adoration　towards　God；　to　instruct　is　to　do　an

　　a