egypt-第15节

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

to　the　girdle；　disclose　the　amber…coloured　flesh；　the　median　swell　of

bosoms　of　pale　bronze；　which；　during　their　ephemeral　youth　at　least；

are　of　a　perfect　contour。　The　faces；　it　is　true；　when　they　are　not

hidden　from　you　by　a　fold　of　the　veil；　are　generally　disappointing。

The　rude　labours；　the　early　maternity　and　lactations；　soon　age　and

wither　them。　But　if　by　chance　you　see　a　young　woman　she　is　usually　an

apparition　of　beauty；　at　once　vigorous　and　slender。



As　for　the　fellah　babies；　who　abound　in　great　numbers　and　follow；　half

naked　their　mammas　or　their　big　sisters；　they　would　for　the　most　part

be　adorable　little　creatures；　were　it　not　for　the　dirtiness　which　in

this　country　is　a　thing　almost　prescribed　by　tradition。　Round　their

eyelids　and　their　moist　lips　are　glued　little　clusters　of　Egyptian

flies；　which　are　considered　here　to　be　beneficial　to　the　children；　and

the　latter　have　no　thought　of　driving　them　away；　so　resigned　are　they

become；　by　force　of　heredity；　to　whatever　annoyance　they　thereby

suffer。　Another　example　indeed　of　the　passivity　which　their　fathers

show　when　brought　face　to　face　with　the　invading　foreigners！



Passivity　and　meek　endurance　seem　to　be　the　characteristics　of　this

inoffensive　people；　so　graceful　in　their　rags；　so　mysterious　in　their

age…old　immobility；　and　so　ready　to　accept　with　an　equal　indifference

whatever　yoke　may　come。　Poor；　beautiful　people；　with　muscles　that

never　grow　tired！　Whose　men　in　olden　times　moved　the　great　stones　of

the　temples；　and　knew　no　burden　that　was　too　heavy；　whose　women；　with

their　slender；　pale…tawny　arms　and　delicate　small　hands；　surpass　by

far　in　strength　the　burliest　of　our　peasants！　Poor　beautiful　race　of

bronze！　No　doubt　it　was　too　precocious　and　put　forth　too　soon　its

astonishing　flowerin　times　when　the　other　peoples　of　the　earth　were

till　vegetating　in　obscurity；　no　doubt　its　present　resignation　comes

from　lassitude；　after　so　many　centuries　of　effort　and　expansive　power。

Once　it　monopolised　the　glory　of　the　world；　and　here　it　is　nowfor

some　two　thousand　yearsfallen　into　a　kind　of　tired　sleep；　which　has

left　it　an　easy　prey　alike　to　the　conquerors　of　yesterday　and　to　the

exploiters　of　to…day。



Another　trait　which；　side　by　side　with　their　patience；　prevails

amongst　these　true…blooded　Egyptians　of　the　countryside　is　their

attachment　to　the　soil；　to　the　soil　which　nourishes　them；　and　in　which

later　on　they　will　sleep。　To　possess　land；　to　forestall　at　any　price

the　smallest　portion　of　it；　to　reclaim　patches　of　it　from　the　shifting

desert；　that　is　the　sole　aim；　or　almost　so；　which　the　fellahs　pursue

in　this　world：　to　possess　a　field；　however　small　it　may　bea　field；

moreover；　which　they　till　with　the　oldest　plough　invented　by　man；　the

exact　design　of　which　may　be　seen　carved　on　the　walls　of　the　tombs　at

Memphis。



And　this　same　people；　which　was　the　first　of　any　to　conceive

magnificence；　whose　gods　and　kings　were　formerly　surrounded　with　an

over…powering　splendour；　contrives；　to　live　to…day；　pell…mell　with　its

sheep　and　goats；　in　humble；　low…roofed　cabins　made　out　of　sunbaked

mud！　The　Egyptian　villages　are　all　of　the　neutral　colour　of　the　soil；

a　little　white　chalk　brightens；　perhaps；　the　minaret　or　cupola　of　the

mosque；　but　except　for　that　little　refuge；　whither　folk　come　to　pray

each　eveningfor　no　one　here　would　retire　for　the　night　without

having　first　prostrated　himself　before　the　majesty　of　Allah

everything　is　of　a　mournful　grey。　Even　the　costumes　of　the　people　are

dull…coloured　and　wretched…looking。　It　is　an　East　grown　poor　and　old；

although　the　sky　remains　as　wonderful　as　ever。



But　all　this　past　grandeur　has　left　its　imprint　on　the　fellahs。　They

have　a　refinement　of　appearance　and　manner；　all　unknown　amongst　the

majority　of　the　good　people　of　our　villages。　And　those　amongst　them

who　by　good　fortune　become　prosperous　have　forthwith　a　kind　of

distinction；　and　seem　to　know；　as　if　by　birth；　how　to　dispense　the

gracious　hospitality　of　an　aristocrat。　The　hospitality　of　even　the

humblest　preserves　something　of　courtesy　and　ease；　which　tells　of

breed。　I　remember　those　clear　evenings　when；　after　the　peaceful

navigation　of　the　day；　I　used　to　stop　and　draw　up　my　dahabiya　to　the

bank　of　the　river。　（I　speak　now　of　out…of…the…way　placesfree　as　yet

from　the　canker　of　the　tourist　elementsuch　as　I　habitually　chose。）

It　was　in　the　twilight　at　the　hour　when　the　stars　began　to　shine　out

from　the　golden…green　sky。　As　soon　as　I　put　foot　upon　the　shore；　and

my　arrival　was　signalled　by　the　barking　of　the　watchdogs；　the　chief　of

the　nearest　hamlet　always　came　to　meet　me。　A　dignified　man；　in　a　long

robe　of　striped　silk　or　modest　blue　cotton；　he　accosted　me　with

formulae　of　welcome　quite　in　the　grand　manner；　insisted　on　my

following　him　to　his　house　of　dried　mud；　and　there；　escorting　me；

after　the　exchange　of　further　compliments；　to　the　place　of　honour　on

the　poor　divan　of　his　lodging；　forced　me　to　accept　the　traditional　cup

of　Arab　coffee。



*****



To　wake　these　fellahs　from　their　strange　sleep；　to　open　their　eyes　at

last；　and　to　transform　them　by　a　modern　educationthat　is　the　task

which　nowadays　a　select　band　of　Egyptian　patriots　is　desirous　of

attempting。　Not　long　ago；　such　an　endeavour　would　have　seemed　to　me　a

crime；　for　these　stubborn　peasants　were　living　under　conditions　of　the

least　suffering；　rich　in　faith　and　poor　in　desire。　But　to…day　they　are

suffering　from　an　invasion　more　undermining；　more　dangerous　than　that

of　the　conquerors　who　killed　by　sword　and　fire。　The　Occidentals　are

there；　everywhere；　amongst　them；　profiting　by　their　meek　passivity　to

turn　them　into　slaves　for　their　business　and　their　pleasure。　The　work

of　degradation　of　these　simpletons　is　so　easy：　men　bring　them　new

desires；　new　greeds；　new　needs；and　rob　them　of　their　prayers。



Yet；　it　is　time　perhaps　to　wake　them　from　their　sleep　of　more　than

twenty　centuries；　to　put　them　on　their　guard；　and　to　see　what　yet　they

may　be　capable　of；　what　surprises　they　may　have　in　store　for　us　after

that　long　lethargy；　which　must　surely　have　been　restorative。　In　any

case　the　human　species；　in　course　of　deterioration　through　overstrain；

would　find　amongst　these　singers　of　the　shaduf　and　these　labourers

with　the　antiquated　plough；　brains　unclouded　by　alcohol；　and　a　whole

reserve　of　tranquil　beauty；　of　well…balanced　physique；　of　vigour

untainted　by　bestiality。







CHAPTER　X



A　CHARMING　LUNCHEON



We　are　making　our　way　through　the　fields　of　Abydos　in　the　dazzling

splendour　of　the　forenoon；　having　come；　like　so　many　pilgrims　of　old；

from　the　banks　of　the　Nile　to　visit　the　sanctuaries　of　Osiris；　which

lie　beyond　the　green　plains；　on　the　edge　of　the　desert。



It　is　a　journey　of　some　ten　miles　or　so；　under　a　clear　sky　and　a

burning　sun。　We　pass　through　fields　of　corn　and　lucerne；　whose

wonderful　green　is　piqued　with　little　flowers；　such　as　may　be　seen　in

our　climate。　Hundreds　of　little　birds　sing　to　us　distractedly　of　the

joy　of　life；　the　sun　shines　radiantly；　magnificently；　the　impetuous

corn　is　already　in　the　ear；　it　might　be　some　gay　pageant　of　our　days

of　May。　One　forgets　that　it　is　February；　that　we　are　still　in　the

winterthe　luminous　winter　of　Egypt。



Here　and　there　amongst　the　outspread　fields　are　villages　buried　under

the　thick　foliage　of　treesunder　acacias　which；　in　the　distance；

resemble　ours　at　home；　beyond　indeed　the　mountain　chain　of　Libya；　like

a　wall　confining　the　fertile　fields；　looks　strange　perhaps　in　its

rose…colour；　and　too　desolate；　but；　nevertheless　amidst　this　glad

music　of　the　fields；　these　songs　of　larks　and　twitterings　of　sparrows；

you　scarcely　realise　that　you　are　in　a　foreign　land。



Abydos！　What　magic　there　is　in　the　name！　〃Abydos　is　at　hand；　and　in

another　moment　we　shall　be　there。〃　The　mere　words　seem　somehow　to

transform　the　aspect　of　the　homely　green　fields；　and　make　this

pastoral　region　almost　imposing。　The　buzzing　of　the　flies　increases　in

the　overheated　air　and　the　song　of　the　birds　subsides　until　at　last　it

dies　away　in　the　approach　of　noon。



We　have　been　journeying　a　little　more　than　an　hour　amongst　the　verdure

of　the　growing　corn　that　lies　upon　the　fields　like　a　carpet；　when

suddenly；　beyond　the　little　houses　and　tress　of　a　village；　quite　a

different　world　is　disclosedthe　familiar　world　of　glare　and　death

which　presses　so　closely　upon　inhabited　Egypt：　the　desert！　The　desert

of　Libya；　and　now　as　ever　when　we　come　upon　it　suddenly　from　the　banks

of　the　old　river　it　rises　up　before　us；　beginning　at　once；　without

transition；　absolute　and　terrible；　as　soon　as　we　leave　the　thick

velvet　of　the　last　field；　the　cool　shade　of　the　last　acacia。　Its　sands

seem　to　slope　towards　us；　in　a　prodigious　incline；　from　the　strange

mountains　that　we　saw　from　the　happy　plain；　and　which　now　appear；

enthroned　beyond；　lik