egypt-第30节

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imprisoned　under　the　sovereign　mass　of　stone；　in　the　centre　of　all

this　compact　and　silent　thickness。



*****



The　little　electric　globes；　placed　apart　like　a　garland；　suffice　now

for　our　eyes　which　have　forgotten　the　sun。　And　we　can　distinguish

around　us　myriad　figures　inviting　us　to　solemnity　and　silence。　They

are　inscribed　everywhere　on　the　smooth；　spotless　walls　of　the　colour

of　old　ivory。　They　follow　one　another　in　regular　order；　repeating

themselves　obstinately　in　parallel　rows；　as　if　the　better　to　impose

upon　our　spirit；　with　gestures　and　symbols　that　are　eternally　the

same。　The　gods　and　demons；　the　representatives　of　Anubis；　with　his

black　jackal's　head　and　his　long　erect　ears；　seem　to　make　signs　to　us

with　their　long　arms　and　long　fingers：　〃No　noise！　Look；　there　are

mummies　here！〃　The　wonderful　preservation　of　all　this；　the　vivid

colours；　the　clearness　of　the　outlines；　begin　to　cause　a　kind　of

stupor　and　bewilderment。　Verily　you　would　think　that　the　painter　of

these　figures　of　the　shades　had　only　just　quitted　the　hypogeum。　All

this　past　seems　to　draw　you　to　itself　like　an　abyss　to　which　you　have

approached　too　closely。　It　surrounds　you；　and　little　by　little　masters

you。　It　is　so　much　at　home　here　that　it　has　/remained　the　present/。

Over　and　above　the　mere　descent　into　the　secret　bowels　of　the　rock

there　has　been　a　kind　of　seizure　with　vertigo；　which　we　had　not

anticipated　and　which　has　whirled　us　far　away　into　the　depths　of　the

ages。



These　interminable；　oppressive　passages；　by　which　we　have　crawled　to

the　innermost　depths　of　the　mountain；　lead　at　length　to　something

vast；　the　walls　divide；　the　vault　expands　and　we　are　in　the　great

funeral　hall；　of　which　the　blue　ceiling；　all　bestrewn　with　stars　like

the　sky；　is　supported　by　six　pillars　hewn　in　the　rock　itself。　On

either　side　open　other　chambers　into　which　the　electricity　permits　us

to　see　quite　clearly；　and　opposite；　at　the　end　of　the　hall；　a　large

crypt　is　revealed；　which　one　divines　instinctively　must　be　the

resting…place　of　the　Pharaoh。　What　a　prodigious　labour　must　have　been

entailed　by　this　perforation　of　the　living　rock！　And　this　hypogeum　is

not　unique。　All　along　the　〃Valley　of　the　Kings〃　little　insignificant

doorswhich　to　the　initiated　reveal　the　〃Sign　of　the　Shadow；〃

inscribed　on　their　lintelslead　to　other　subterranean　places；　just　as

sumptuous　and　perfidiously　profound；　with　their　snares；　their　hidden

wells；　their　oubliettes　and　the　bewildering　multiplicity　of　their

mural　figures。　And　all　these　tombs　this　morning　were　full　of　people；

and；　if　we　had　not　had　the　good　fortune　to　arrive　after　the　usual

hour；　we　should　have　met　here；　even　in　this　dwelling　of　Amenophis；　a

battalion　equipped　by　Messrs。　Cook。



In　this　hall；　with　its　blue　ceiling；　the　frescoes　multiply　their

riddles：　scenes　from　the　book　of　Hades；　all　the　funeral　ritual

translated　into　pictures。　On　the　pillars　and　walls　crowd　the　different

demons　that　an　Egyptian　soul　was　likely　to　meet　in　its　passage　through

the　country　of　shadows；　and　underneath　the　passwords　which　were　to　be

given　to　each　of　them　are　recapitulated　so　as　not　to　be　forgotten。



For　the　soul　used　to　depart　simultaneously　under　the　two　forms　of　a

flame＇*＇　and　a　falcon＇＋＇　respectively。　And　this　country　of　shadows；

called　also　the　west；　to　which　it　had　to　render　itself；　was　that　where

the　moon　sinks　and　where　each　evening　the　sun　goes　down；　a　country　to

which　the　living　were　never　able　to　attain；　because　it　fled　before

them；　however　fast　they　might　travel　across　the　sands　or　over　the

waters。　On　its　arrival　there；　the　scared　soul　had　to　parley

successively　with　the　fearsome　demons　who　lay　in　wait　for　it　along　its

route。　If　at　last　it　was　judged　worthy　to　approach　Osiris；　the　great

Dead　Sun；　it　was　subsumed　in　him　and　reappeared；　shining　over　the

world　the　next　morning　and　on　all　succeeding　mornings　until　the

consummation　of　timea　vague　survival　in　the　solar　splendour；　a

continuation　without　personality；　of　which　one　is　scarcely　able　to　say

whether　or　not　it　was　more　desirable　than　eternal　non…existence。



＇*＇　The　Khou；　which　never　returned　to　our　world。



＇＋＇　The　Bai；　which　might；　at　its　will；　revisit　the　tomb。



And；　moreover；　it　was　necessary　to　preserve　the　body　at　whatever　cost；

for　a　certain　/double/　of　the　dead　man　continued　to　dwell　in　the　dry

flesh；　and　retained　a　kind　of　half　life；　barely　conscious。　Lying　at

the　bottom　of　the　sarcophagus　it　was　able　to　see；　by　virtue　of　those

two　eyes；　which　were　painted　on　the　lid；　always　in　the　same　axis　as

the　empty　eyes　of　the　mummy。　Sometimes；　too；　this　/double/；　escaping

from　the　mummy　and　its　box；　used　to　wander　like　a　phantom　about　the

hypogeum。　And；　in　order　that　at　such　times　it　might　be　able　to　obtain

nourishment；　a　mass　of　mummified　viands　wrapped　in　bandages　were

amongst　the　thousand　and　one　things　buried　at　its　side。　Even　natron

and　oils　were　left；　so　that　it　might　re…embalm　itself；　if　the　worms

came　to　life　in　its　members。




Oh！　the　persistence　of　this　/double/；　sealed　there　in　the　tomb；　a　prey

to　anxiety；　lest　corruption　should　take　hold　of　it；　which　had　to　serve

its　long　duration　in　suffocating　darkness；　in　absolute　silence；

without　anything　to　mark　the　days　and　nights；　or　the　seasons　or　the

centuries；　or　the　tens　of　centuries　without　end！　It　was　with　such　a

terrible　conception　of　death　as　this　that　each　one　in　those　days　was

absorbed　in　the　preparation　of　his　eternal　chamber。



And　for　Amenophis　II。　this　more　or　less　is　what　happened　to　his

/double/。　Unaccustomed　to　any　kind　of　noise；　after　three　or　four

hundred　years　passed　in　the　company　of　certain　familiars；　lulled　in

the　same　heavy　slumber　as　himself；　he　heard　the　sound　of　muffled　blows

in　the　distance；　by　the　side　of　the　hidden　well。　The　secret　entrance

was　discovered：　men　were　breaking　through　its　walls！　Living　beings

were　about　to　appear；　pillagers　of　tombs；　no　doubt；　come　to　unswathe

them　all！　But　no！　Only　some　priests　of　Osiris；　advancing　with　fear　in

a　funeral　procession。　They　brought　nine　great　coffins　containing　the

mummies　of　nine　kings；　his　sons；　grandsons　and　other　unknown

successors；　down　to　that　King　Setnakht；　who　governed　Egypt　two　and　a

half　centuries　after　him。　It　was　simply　to　hide　them　better　that　they

brought　them　hither；　and　placed　them　all　together　in　a　chamber　that

was　immediately　walled　up。　Then　they　departed。　The　stones　of　the　door

were　sealed　afresh；　and　everything　fell　again　into　the　old　mournful

and　burning　darkness。



Slowly　the　centuries　rolled　onperhaps　ten；　perhaps　twentyin　a

silence　no　longer　even　disturbed　by　the　scratchings　of　the　worms；　long

since　dead。　And　a　day　came　when；　at　the　side　of　the　entrance；　the　same

blows　were　heard　again。　。　。　。　And　this　time　it　was　the　robbers。

Carrying　torches　in　their　hands；　they　rushed　headlong　in；　with　shouts

and　cries　and；　except　in　the　safe　hiding…place　of　the　nine　coffins；

everything　was　plundered；　the　bandages　torn　off；　the　golden　trinkets

snatched　from　the　necks　of　the　mummies。　Then；　when　they　had　sorted

their　booty；　they　walled　up　the　entrance　as　before；　and　went　their

way；　leaving　an　inextricable　confusion　of　shrouds；　of　human　bodies；　of

entrails　issuing　from　shattered　vases；　of　broken　gods　and　emblems。



Afterwards；　for　long　centuries；　there　was　silence　again；　and　finally；

in　our　days；　the　/double/；　then　in　its　last　weakness　and　almost　non…

existent；　perceived　the　same　noise　of　stones　being　unsealed　by　blows

of　pickaxes。　The　third　time；　the　living　men　who　entered　were　of　a　race

never　seen　before。　At　first　they　seemed　respectful　and　pious；　only

touching　things　gently。　But　they　came　to　plunder　everything；　even　the

nine　coffins　in　their　still　inviolate　hiding…place。　They　gathered　the

smallest　fragments　with　a　solicitude　almost　religious。　That　they　might

lose　nothing　they　even　sifted　the　rubbish　and　the　dust。　But；　as　for

Amenophis；　who　was　already　nothing　more　than　a　lamentable　mummy；

without　jewels　or　bandages；　they　left　him　at　the　bottom　of　his

sarcophagus　of　sandstone。　And　since　that　day；　doomed　to　receive　each

morning　numerous　people　of　a　strange　aspect；　he　dwells　alone　in　his

hypogeum；　where　there　is　now　neither　a　being　nor　a　thing　belonging　to

his　time。



But　yes；　there　is！　We　had　not　looked　all　round。　There　in　one　of　the

lateral　chambers　some　bodies　are　lying；　dead　bodiesthree　corpses

（unswathed　at　the　time　of　the　pillage）；　side　by　side　on　their　rags。

First；　a　woman；　the　queen　probably；　with　loosened　hair。　Her　profile

has　preserved　its　exquisite　lines。　How　beautiful　she　still　is！　And

then　a　young　boy　with　the　little　greyish　face　of　a　doll。　His　head　is

shaved；　except　for　that　long　curl　at　the　right　side；　which　denotes　a

prince　of　the　royal　blood。　And　the　third　a　man。　Ugh！　How　terrible　he

islooking　as　if　he　found　death　a　thing　irresistibly　comical。　He　even

writhes　with　laughter；　and　eats　a　corner　of　his　shroud　as　if　to

prevent