egypt-第21节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



aviary。　It　is　the　kingdom　of　the　sparrows；　who　have　built　their　nests

in　thousands　in　this　temple　of　the　complaisant　goddess。　They　twitter

now　all　together　and　with　all　their　might　out　of　very　joy　of　living。

It　is　an　esplanade；　this　roofa　solitude　paved　with　gigantic

flagstones。　From　it　we　see；　beyond　the　heaps　of　ruins；　those　happy

plains；　which　are　spread　out　with　such　a　perfect　serenity　on　the　very

ground　where　once　stood　the　town　of　Denderah；　beloved　of　Hathor　and

one　of　the　most　famous　of　Upper　Egypt。　Exquisitely　green　are　these

plains　with　the　new　growth　of　wheat　and　lucerne　and　bean；　and　the

herds　that　are　grouped　here　and　there　on　the　fresh　verdure　of　the

level　pastures；　swaying　now　and　undulating　in　the　wind；　look　like　so

many　dark　patches。　And　the　two　chains　of　mountains　of　rose…coloured

stone；　that　run　parallelon　the　east　that　of　the　desert　of　Arabia；　on

the　west　that　of　the　Libyan　desertenclose；　in　the　distance；　this

valley　of　the　Nile；　this　land　of　plenty；　which；　alike　in　antiquity　as

in　our　days；　has　excited　the　greed　of　predatory　races。　The　temple　has

also　some　underground　dependencies　or　crypts　into　which　you　descend　by

staircases　as　of　dungeons；　sometimes　even　you　have　to　crawl　through

holes　to　reach　them。　Long　superposed　galleries　which　might　serve　as

hiding…places　for　treasure；　long　corridors　recalling　those　which；　in

bad　dreams；　threaten　to　close　in　and　bury　you。　And　the　innumerable

figures；　of　course；　are　here　too；　gesticulating　on　the　walls；　and

endless　representations　of　the　lovely　goddess；　whose　swelling　bosom；

which　has　preserved　almost　intact　the　flesh　colour　applied　in　the

times　of　the　Ptolemies；　we　have　perforce　to　graze　as　we　pass。



*****



In　one　of　the　vestibules　that　we　have　to　traverse　on　our　way　out　of

the　sanctuary；　amongst　the　numerous　bas…reliefs　representing　various

sovereigns　paying　homage　to　the　beautiful　Hathor；　is　one　of　a　young

man；　crowned　with　a　royal　tiara　shaped　like　the　head　of　a　uraeus。　He

is　shown　seated　in　the　traditional　Pharaonic　pose　and　is　none　other

than　the　Emperor　Nero！



The　hieroglyphs　of　the　cartouche　are　there　to　affirm　his　identity；

albeit　the　sculptor；　not　knowing　his　actual　physiognomy；　has　given　him

the　traditional　features；　regular　as　those　of　the　god　Horus。　During

the　centuries　of　the　Roman　domination　the　Western　emperors　used　to

send　from　home　instructions　that　their　likeness　should　be　placed　on

the　walls　of　the　temples；　and　that　offerings　should　be　made　in　their

name　to　the　Egyptian　divinitiesand　this　notwithstanding　that　in

their　eyes　Egypt　must　have　seemed　so　far　away；　a　colony　almost　at　the

end　of　the　earth。　（And　it　was　such　a　goddess　as　this；　of　secondary

rank　in　the　times　of　the　Pharaohs；　that　was　singled　out　as　the

favourite　of　the　Romans　of　the　decadence。）



The　Emperor　Nero！　As　a　matter　of　fact　at　the　very　time　these　bas…

reliefsalmost　the　lastand　these　expiring　hieroglyphics　were　being

inscribed；　the　confused　primitive　theogonies　had　almost　reached　their

end　and　the　days　of　the　Goddess　of　Joy　were　numbered。　There　had　been

conceived　in　Judaea　symbols　more　lofty　and　more　pure；　which　were　to

rule　a　great　part　of　the　world　for　two　thousand　yearsafterwards；

alas；　to　decline　in　their　turn；　and　men　were　about　to　throw　themselves

passionately　into　renunciation；　asceticism　and　fraternal　pity。



How　strange　it　is　to　say！　Even　while　the　sculptor　was　carving　this

archaic　bas…relief；　and　was　using；　for　the　engraving　of　its　name；

characters　that　dated　back　to　the　night　of　the　ages；　there　were

already　Christians　assembled　in　the　catacombs　at　Rome　and　dying　in

ecstasy　in　the　arena！







CHAPTER　XIII



MODERN　LUXOR



The　waters　of　the　Nile　being　already　low　my　dahabiyadelayed　by

strandingshad　not　been　able　to　reach　Luxor；　and　we　had　moored

ourselves；　as　the　darkness　began　to　fall；　at　a　casual　spot　on　the

bank。



〃We　are　quite　near；〃　the　pilot　had　told　me　before　departing　to　make

his　evening　prayer；　〃in　an　hour；　to…morrow；　we　shall　be　there。〃



And　the　gentle　night　descended　upon　us　in　this　spot　which　did　not　seem

to　differ　at　all　from　so　any　others　where；　for　a　month　past　now；　we

had　moored　our　boat　at　hazard　to　await　the　daybreak。　On　the　banks　were

dark　confused　masses　of　foliage；　above　which　here　and　there　a　high

date…palm　outlined　its　black　plumes。　The　air　was　filled　with　the

multitudinous　chirpings　of　the　crickets　of　Upper　Egypt；　which　make

their　music　here　almost　throughout　the　year　in　the　odorous　warmth　of

the　grass。　And；　presently；　in　the　midst　of　the　silence；　rose　the　cries

of　the　night　birds；　like　the　mournful　mewings　of　cats。　And　that　was

allsave　for　the　infinite　calm　of　the　desert　that　is　always　present；

dominating　everything；　although　scarcely　noticed　and；　as　it　were；

latent。



*****



And　this　morning；　at　the　rising　of　the　sun；　is　pure　and　splendid　as

all　other　mornings。　A　tint　of　rosy　coral　comes　gradually　to　life　on

the　summit　of　the　Libyan　mountains；　standing　out　from　the　gridelin

shadows　which；　in　the　heavens；　were　the　rearguard　of　the　night。



But　my　eyes；　grown　accustomed　during　the　last　few　weeks　to　this

glorious　spectacle　of　the　dawn；　turn　themselves；　as　if　by　force　of

some　attraction；　towards　a　strange　and　quite　unusual　thing；　which；

less　than　a　mile　away　along　the　river；　on　the　Arabian　bank；　rises

upright　in　the　midst　of　the　mournful　plains。　At　first　it　looks　like　a

mass　of　towering　rocks；　which　in　this　hour　of　twilight　magic　have

taken　on　a　pale　violet　colour；　and　seem　almost　transparent。　And　the

sun；　scarcely　emerged　from　the　desert；　lights　them　in　a　curious

gradation；　and　orders　their　contours　with　a　fringe　of　fresh　rose…

colour。　And　they　are　not　rocks；　in　fact；　for　as　we　look　more　closely；

they　show　us　lines　symmetrical　and　straight。　Not　rocks；　but

architectural　masses；　tremendous　and　superhuman；　placed　there　in

attitudes　of　quasi…eternal　stability。　And　out　of　them　rise　the　points

of　two　obelisks；　sharp　as　the　blade　of　a　lance。　And　then；　at　once；　I

understandThebes！



Thebes！　Last　evening　it　was　hidden　in　the　shadow　and　I　did　not　know　it

was　so　near。　But　Thebes　assuredly　it　is；　for　nothing　else　in　the　world

could　produce　such　an　apparition。　And　I　salute　with　a　kind　of　shudder

of　respect　this　unique　and　sovereign　ruin；　which　had　haunted　me　for

many　years；　but　which　until　now　life　had　not　left　me　time　to　visit。



And　now　for　Luxor；　which　in　the　epoch　of　the　Pharaohs　was　a　suburb　of

the　royal　town；　and　is　still　its　port。　It　is　there；　it　seems；　where　we

must　stop　our　dahabiya　in　order　to　proceed　to　the　fabulous　palace

which　the　rising　sun　has　just　disclosed　to　us。



And　while　my　equipage　of　bronzeintoning　that　song；　as　old　as　Egypt

and　everlastingly　the　same；　which　seems　to　help　the　men　in　their

arduous　workis　busy　unfastening　the　chain　which　binds　us　to　the

bank；　I　continue　to　watch　the　distant　apparition。　It　emerges　gradually

from　the　light　morning　mists　which；　perhaps；　made　it　seem　even　larger

than　it　is。　The　clear　light　of　the　ascending　sun　shows　it　now　in

detail；　and　reveals　it　as　all　battered；　broken　and　ruinous　in　the

midst　of　a　silent　plain；　on　the　yellow　carpet　of　the　desert。　And　how

this　sun；　rising　in　its　clear　splendour；　seems　to　crush　it　with　its

youth　and　stupendous　duration。　This　same　sun　had　attained　to　its

present　round　form；　had　acquired　the　clear　precision　of　its　disc；　and

begun　its　daily　promenade　over　the　country　of　the　sands；　countless

centuries　of　centuries；　before　it　saw；　as　it　might　be　yesterday；　this

town　of　Thebes　arise；　an　attempt　at　magnificence　which　seemed　to

promise　for　the　human　pygmies　a　sufficiently　interesting　future；　but

which；　in　the　event；　we　have　not　been　able　even　to　equal。　And　it

proved；　too；　a　thing　quite　puny　and　derisory；　since　here　it　is　laid

low；　after　having　subsisted　barely　four　negligible　thousands　of　years。



*****



An　hour　later　we　arrive　at　Luxor；　and　what　a　surprise　awaits　us　there！



The　thing　which　dominates　the　whole　town；　and　may　be　seen　five　or　six

miles　away；　is　the　Winter　Palace；　a　hasty　modern　production　which　has

grown　on　the　border　of　the　Nile　during　the　past　year：　a　colossal

hotel；　obviously　sham；　made　of　plaster　and　mud；　on　a　framework　of

iron。　Twice　or　three　times　as　high　as　the　admirable　Pharaonic　Temple；

its　impudent　facade　rises　there；　painted　a　dirty　yellow。　One　such

thing；　it　will　readily　be　understood；　is　sufficient　to　disfigure

pitiably　the　whole　of　the　surroundings。　The　old　Arab　town；　with　its

little　white　houses；　its　minarets　and　its　palm…trees；　might　as　well

not　exist。　The　famous　temple　and　the　forest　of　heavy　Osiridean　columns

admire　themselves　in　vain　in　the　waters　of　the　river。　It　is　the　end　of

Luxor。



And　what　a　crowd　of　people　is　here！　While；　on　the　contrary；　the

opposite　bank　seems　so　absolutely　desertlike；　with　its　stretches　of

golden　sand　and；　on　the　horizon；　its　mountains　of　the　colour　of

glowing　embers；　which