egypt-第14节

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kind　of　corridor；　astonishingly　poor　and　old；　twists　itself

suspiciously；　and　then　issues　into　a　narrow　court；　more　than　a

thousand　years　old；　where　offertory　boxes；　fixed　on　Oriental　brackets；

invite　our　alms。　The　odour　of　the　incense　becomes　more　pronounced；　and

at　last　a　door；　hidden　in　shadow　at　the　end　of　this　retreat；　gives

access　to　the　venerable　church　itself。



The　church！　It　is　a　mixture　of　Byzantine　basilica；　mosque　and　desert

hut。　Entering　there；　it　is　as　if　we　were　introduced　suddenly　to　the

na？ve　infancy　of　Christianity；　as　if　we　surprised　it；　as　it　were；　in

its　cradlewhich　was　indeed　Oriental。　The　triple　nave　is　full　of

little　children　（here　also；　that　is　what　strikes　us　first）；　of　little

mites　who　cry　or　else　laugh　and　play；　and　there　are　mothers　suckling

their　new…born　babesand　all　the　time　the　invisible　mass　is　being

celebrated　beyond；　behind　the　iconostasis。　On　the　ground；　on　mats；

whole　families　are　seated　in　circle；　as　if　they　were　in　their　homes。　A

thick　deposit　of　white　chalk　on　the　defaced；　shrunken　walls　bears

witness　to　great　age。　And　over　all　this　is　a　strange　old　ceiling　of

cedarwood；　traversed　by　large　barbaric　beams。



In　the　nave；　supported　by　columns　of　marble；　brought　in　days　gone　by

from　Pagan　temples；　there　are；　as　in　all　these　old　Coptic　churches；

high　transverse　wooden　partitions；　elaborately　wrought　in　the　Arab

fashion；　which　divide　it　into　three　sections：　the　first；　into　which

one　comes　on　entering　the　church；　is　allotted　to　the　women；　the　second

is　for　the　baptistery；　and　the　third；　at　the　end　adjoining　the

iconostasis；　is　reserved　for　the　men。



These　women　who　are　gathered　this　morning　in　their　apportioned　space

so　much　at　home　there　with　their　suckling　little　oneswear；　almost

all　of　them；　the　long　black　silk　veils　of　former　days。　In　their

harmonious　and　endlessly　restless　groups；　the　gowns　/a　la　franque/　and

the　poor　hats　of　carnival　are　still　the　exception。　The　congregation；

as　a　whole；　preserves　almost　intact　its　na？ve；　old…time　flavour。



And　there　is　movement　too；　beyond；　in　the　compartment　of　the　men；

which　is　bounded　at　the　farther　end　by　the　iconostasisa　thousand…

year…old　wall　decorated　with　inlaid　cedarwood　and　ivory　of　precious

antique　workmanship；　and　adorned　with　strange　old　icons；　blackened　by

time。　It　is　behind　this　wallpierced　by　several　doorwaysthat　mass

is　now　being　said。　From　this　last　sanctuary　shut　off　thus　from　the

people　comes　the　vague　sound　of　singing；　from　time　to　time　a　priest

raises　a　faded　silk　curtain　and　from　the　threshold　makes　the　sign　of

blessing。　His　vestments　are　of　gold；　and　he　wears　a　golden　crown；　but

the　humble　faithful　speak　to　him　freely；　and　even　touch　his　gorgeous

garments；　that　might　be　those　of　one　of　the　Wise　Kings。　He　smiles；　and

letting　fall　the　curtain；　which　covers　the　entrance　to　the　tabernacle；

disappears　again　into　this　innocent　mystery。



Even　the　least　things　here　tell　of　decay。　The　flagstones；　trodden　by

the　feet　of　numberless　dead　generations；　are　become　uneven　through　the

settling　of　the　soil。　Everything　is　askew；　bent；　dusty　and　worn…out。

The　daylight　comes　from　above；　through　narrow　barred　windows。　There　is

a　lack　of　air；　so　that　one　almost　stifles。　But　though　the　sun　does　not

enter；　a　certain　indefinable　reflection　from　the　whitened　walls

reminds　us　that　outside　there　is　a　flaming；　resplendent　Eastern

spring。



In　this；　the　old　grandfather；　as　it　were；　of　churches；　filled　now　with

a　cloud　of　odorous　smoke；　what　one　hears；　more　even　than　the　chanting

of　the　mass；　is　the　ceaseless　movement；　the　pious　agitation　of　the

faithful；　and　more　even　than　that；　the　startling　noise　that　rises　from

the　holy　crypt　belowthe　sharp　clashing　of　cymbals　and　those

multitudinous　little　wailings；　that　sound　like　the　mewings　of　kittens。



But　let　me　not　harbour　thoughts　of　irony！　Surely　not。　If；　in　our

Western　lands；　certain　ceremonies　seem　to　me　anti…Christianas；　for

example；　one　of　those　spectacular　high　masses　in　the　over…pompous

Cathedral　of　Cologne；　where　halberdiers　overawe　the　crowdhere；　on

the　contrary；　the　simplicity　of　this　primitive　cult　is　touching　and

respectable　in　the　extreme。　These　Copts　who　install　themselves　in

their　church；　as　round　their　firesides；　who　make　their　home　there　and

encumber　the　place　with　their　fretful　little　ones；　have；　in　their　own

way；　well　understood　the　word　of　Him　who　said：　〃Suffer　the　little

children　to　come　unto　Me；　and　do　not　forbid　them；　for　of　such　is　the

kingdom　of　God。〃







CHAPTER　IX



THE　RACE　OF　BRONZE



A　monotonous　chant　on　three　notes；　which　must　date　from　the　first

Pharaohs；　may　still　be　heard　in　our　days　on　the　banks　of　the　Nile；

from　the　Delta　as　far　as　Nubia。　At　different　places　along　the　river；

half…made　men；　with　torsos　of　bronze　and　voices　all　alike；　intone　it

in　the　morning　when　they　commence　their　endless　labours　and　continue

it　throughout　the　day；　until　the　evening　brings　repose。



Whoever　has　journeyed　in　a　dahabiya　up　the　old　river　will　remember

this　song　of　the　water…drawers；　with　its　accompaniment；　in　slow

cadence；　of　creakings　of　wet　wood。



It　is　the　song　of　the　〃shaduf；〃　and　the　〃shaduf〃　is　a　primitive

rigging；　which　has　remained　unchanged　since　times　beyond　all

reckoning。　It　is　composed　of　a　long　antenna；　like　the　yard　of　a

tartan；　which　is　supported　in　see…saw　fashion　on　an　upright　beam；　and

carries　at　its　extremity　a　wooden　bucket。　A　man；　with　movements　of

singular　beauty；　works　it　while　he　sings；　lowers　the　antenna；　draws

the　water　from　the　river；　and　raises　the　filled　bucket；　which　another

man　catches　in　its　ascent　and　empties　into　a　basin　made　out　of　the　mud

of　the　river　bank。　When　the　river　is　low　there　are　three　such　basins；

placed　one　above　the　other；　as　if　they　were　stages　by　which　the

precious　water　mounts　to　the　fields　of　corn　and　lucerne。　And　then

three　〃shadufs；〃　one　above　the　other；　creak　together；　lowering　and

raising　their　great　scarabaeus'　horns　to　the　rhythm　of　the　same　song。



All　along　the　banks　of　the　Nile　this　movement　of　the　antennae　of　the

shadufs　is　to　be　seen。　It　had　its　beginning　in　the　earliest　ages　and

is　still　the　characteristic　manifestation　of　human　life　along　the

river　banks。　It　ceases　only　in　the　summer；　when　the　river；　swollen　by

the　rains　of　equatorial　Africa；　overflows　this　land　of　Egypt；　which　it

itself　has　made　in　the　midst　of　the　Saharan　sands。　But　in　the　winter；

which　is　here　a　time　of　luminous　drought　and　changeless　blue　skies；　it

is　in　full　swing。　Then　every　day；　from　dawn　until　the　evening　prayer；

the　men　are　busy　at　their　water…drawing；　transformed　for　the　time　into

tireless　machines；　with　muscles　that　work　like　metal　bands。　The　action

never　changes；　any　more　than　the　song；　and　often　their　thoughts　must

wander　from　their　automatic　toil；　and　lose　themselves　in　some　dream；

akin　to　that　of　their　ancestors　who　were　yoked　to　the　same　rigging

four　or　five　thousands　years　ago。　Their　torsos；　deluged　at　each　rising

of　the　overflowing　bucket；　stream　constantly　with　cold　water；　and

sometimes　the　wind　is　icy；　even　while　the　sun　burns；　but　these

perpetual　workers　are；　as　we　have　said；　of　bronze；　and　their　hardened

bodies　take　no　harm。



These　men　are　the　fellahs；　the　peasants　of　the　valley　of　the　Nile

pure　Egyptians；　whose　type　has　not　changed　in　the　course　of　centuries。

In　the　oldest　of　the　bas…reliefs　of　Thebes　or　Memphis　you　may　see　many

such；　with　the　same　noble　profile　and　thickish　lips；　the　same

elongated　eyes　shadowed　by　heavy　eyelids；　the　same　slender　figure；

surmounted　by　broad　shoulders。



The　women　who　from　time　to　time　descend　to　the　river；　to　draw　water

also；　but　in　their　case　in　the　vases　of　potters'　clay　which　they

carrythis　fetching　and　carrying　of　the　life…giving　water　is　the　one

primordial　occupation　in　this　Egypt；　which　has　no　rain；　nor　any　living

spring；　and　subsists　only　by　its　riverthese　women　walk　and　posture

with　an　inimitable　grace；　draped　in　black　veils；　which　even　the

poorest　allow　to　trail　behind　them；　like　the　train　of　a　court　dress。

In　this　bright　land；　with　its　rose…coloured　distances；　it　is　strange

to　see　them；　all　so　sombrely　clothed；　spots　of　mourning；　as　it　were；

in　the　gay　fields　and　the　flaring　desert。　Machine…like　creatures；　all

untaught；　they　yet　possess　by　instinct；　as　did　once　the　daughters　of

Hellas；　a　sense　of　nobility　in　attitude　and　carriage。　None　of　the

women　of　Europe　could　wear　these　coarse　black　stuffs　with　such　a

majestic　harmony；　and　none　surely　could　so　raise　their　bare　arms　to

place　on　their　heads　the　heavy　jars　filled　with　Nile　water；　and　then；

departing；　carry　themselves　so　proudly；　so　upright　and　resilient　under

their　burden。



The　muslin　tunics　which　they　wear　are　invariably　black　like　the　veils；

set　off　perhaps　with　some　red　embroidery　or　silver　spangles。　They　are

unfastened　across　the　chest；　and；　by　a　narrow　opening　which　descends

to　the　girdle；　disclose　the　a