egypt-第9节

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power。



The　mosque　in　which　they　pursue　their　studies　is　now　almost　empty。　In

its　restful　twilight　there　is　silence；　and　the　unexpected　music　of

little　birds；　it　is　the　brooding　season　and　the　ceilings　of　carved

wood　are　full　of　nests；　which　nobody　disturbs。



A　world；　this　mosque；　in　which　thousands　of　people　could　easily　find

room。　Some　hundred　and　fifty　marble　columns；　brought　from　ancient

temples；　support　the　arches　of　the　seven　parallel　aisles。　There　is　no

light　save　that　which　comes　through　the　arcade　opening　into　the

courtyard；　and　it　is　so　dark　in　the　aisles　at　the　far　end　that　we

wonder　again　how　the　faithful　can　see　to　read　when　the　sun　of　Egypt

happens　to　be　veiled。



Some　score　of　students；　who　seem　almost　lost　in　the　vast　solitude；

still　remain　during　the　hour　of　rest；　and　are　busy　sweeping　the　floor

with　long　palms　made　into　a　kind　of　broom。　These　are　the　poor

students；　whose　only　meal　is　of　dry　bread；　and　who　at　night　stretch

themselves　to　sleep　on　the　same　mat　on　which　they　have　sat　studying

during　the　day。



The　residence　at　the　university　is　free　to　all　the　scholars；　the　cost

of　their　education　and　maintenance　being　provided　by　pious　donations。

But；　inasmuch　as　the　bequests　are　restricted　according　to　nationality；

there　is　necessarily　inequality　in　the　treatment　doled　out　to　the

different　students：　thus　the　young　men　of　a　given　country　may　be

almost　rich；　possessing　a　room　and　a　good　bed；　while　those　of　a

neighbouring　country　must　sleep　on　the　ground　and　have　barely　enough

to　keep　body　and　soul　together。　But　none　of　them　complain；　and　they

know　how　to　help　one　another。＇*＇



＇*＇　The　duration　of　the　studies　at　El…Azhar　varies　from　three　to　six

　　　　years。



Near　to　us；　one　of　these　needy　students　is　eating；　without　any　false

shame；　his　midday　meal　of　dry　bread；　and　he　welcomes　with　a　smile　the

sparrows　and　the　other　little　winged　thieves　who　come　to　dispute　with

him　the　crumbs　of　his　repast。　And　farther　down；　in　the　dimly　lighted

vaults　at　the　end；　is　one　who　disdains　to　eat；　or　who；　maybe；　has　no

bread；　who；　when　his　sweeping　is　done；　reseats　himself　on　his　mat；

and；　opening　his　Koran；　commences　to　read　aloud　with　the　customary

intonation。　His　voice；　rich　and　facile；　and　moderated　with　discretion；

has　a　charm　that　is　irresistible　in　the　sonorous　old　mosque；　where　at

this　hour　the　only　other　sound　is　the　scarcely　perceptible　twittering

of　the　little　broods　above；　among　the　dull　gold　beams　of　the　ceiling。

Those　who　have　been　familiar　with　the　sanctuaries　of　Islam　know；　as

well　as　I；　that　there　is　no　book　so　exquisitely　rhythmical　as　that　of

the　Prophet。　Even　if　the　sense　of　the　verses　escape　you；　the　chanted

reading；　which　forms　part　of　certain　of　the　offices；　acts　upon　you　by

the　simple　magic　of　its　sounds；　in　the　same　way　as　the　oratorios　which

draw　tears　in　the　churches　of　Christ。　Rising　and　falling　like　some　sad

lullaby；　the　declamation　of　this　young　priest；　with　his　face　of

visionary；　and　garb　of　decent　poverty；　swells　involuntarily；　till

gradually　it　seems　to　fill　the　seven　deserted　aisles　of　El…Azhar。



We　stop　in　spite　of　ourselves；　and　listen；　in　the　midst　of　the　silence

of　midday。　And　in　this　so　venerable　place；　where　dilapidation　and　the

usury　of　centuries　are　revealed　on　every　sideeven　on　the　marble

columns　worn　by　the　constant　friction　of　handsthis　voice　of　gold

that　rises　alone　seems　as　if　it　were　intoning　the　last　lament　over　the

death…pang　of　Old　Islam　and　the　end　of　time；　the　elegy；　as　it　were；　of

the　universal　death　of　faith　in　the　heart　of　man。



*****



　〃Science　is　one　religion；　prayer　is　another。　Study　is　better　than

　　worship。　Go；　seek　knowledge　everywhere；　if　needs　be；　even　into

　　China。〃



　　　　　　　　Verses　from　the　Hadith。



Amongst　us　Europeans　it　is　commonly　accepted　as　a　proven　fact　that

Islam　is　merely　a　religion　of　obscurantism；　bringing　in　its　train　the

stagnation　of　nations；　and　hampering　them　in　that　march　to　the　unknown

which　we　call　〃progress。〃　But　such　an　attitude　shows　not　only　an

absolute　ignorance　of　the　teaching　of　the　Prophet；　but　a　blind

forgetfulness　of　the　evidence　of　history。　The　Islam　of　the　earlier

centuries　evolved　and　progressed　with　the　nations；　and　the　stimulus　it

gave　to　men　in　the　reign　of　the　ancient　caliphs　is　beyond　all

question。　To　impute　to　it　the　present　decadence　of　the　Moslem　world　is

altogether　too　puerile。　The　truth　is　that　nations　have　their　day；　and

to　a　period　of　glorious　splendour　succeeds　a　time　of　lassitude　and

slumber。　It　is　a　law　of　nature。　And　then　one　day　some　danger　threatens

them；　stirs　them　from　their　torpor　and　they　awake。



This　immobility　of　the　countries　of　the　Crescent　was　once　dear　to　me。

If　the　end　is　to　pass　through　life　with　the　minimum　of　suffering；

disdaining　all　vain　striving；　and　to　die　entranced　by　radiant　hopes；

the　Orientals　are　the　only　wise　men。　But　now　that　greedy　nations　beset

them　on　all　sides　their　dreaming　is　no　longer　possible。　They　must

awake；　alas。



They　must　awake；　and　already　the　awakening　is　at　hand。　Here；　in　Egypt；

where　the　need　is　felt　to　change　so　many　things；　it　is　proposed；　too；

to　reform　the　old　university　of　El…Azhar；　one　of　the　chief　centres　of

Islam。　One　thinks　of　it　with　a　kind　of　fear；　knowing　what　danger　there

is　in　laying　hands　upon　institutions　which　have　lasted　for　a　thousand

years。　Reform；　however；　has；　in　principle；　been　decided　upon。　New

knowledge；　brought　from　the　West；　is　penetrating　into　the　tabernacle

of　the　Fatimites。　Has　not　the　Prophet　said：　〃Go；　seek　knowledge　far

and　wide；　if　needs　be　even　into　China〃？　What　will　come　of　it？　Who　can

tell？　But　this；　at　least；　is　certain：　that　in　the　dazzling　hours　of

noon；　or　in　the　golden　hours　of　evening；　when　the　crowd　of　these

modernised　students　spreads　itself　over　the　vast　courtyard；　overlooked

by　its　countless　minarets；　there　will　no　longer　be　seen　in　their　eyes

the　mystic　light　of　to…day；　and　it　will　no　longer　be　the　old

unshakable　faith；　nor　the　lofty　and　serene　indifference；　nor　the

profound　peace；　that　these　messengers　will　carry　to　the　ends　of　the

Mussulman　earth。　。　。　。







CHAPTER　VI



IN　THE　TOMBS　OF　THE　APIS



The　dwelling…places　of　the　Apis；　in　the　grim　darkness　beneath　the

Memphite　desert；　are；　as　all　the　world　knows；　monster　coffins　of　black

granite　ranged　in　catacombs；　hot　and　stifling　as　eternal　stoves。



To　reach　them　from　the　banks　of　the　Nile　we　have　first　to　traverse　the

low　region　which　the　inundations　of　the　ancient　river；　regularly

repeated　since　the　beginning　of　time；　have　rendered　propitious　to　the

growth　of　plants　and　to　the　development　of　men；　an　hour　or　two's

journey；　this　evening　through　forests　of　date…trees　whose　beautiful

palms　temper　the　light　of　the　March　sun；　which　is　now　half　veiled　in

clouds　and　already　declining。　In　the　distance　herds　are　grazing　in　the

cool　shade。　And　we　meet　fellahs　leading　back　from　the　field　towards

the　village　on　the　river…bank　their　little　donkeys；　laden　with　sheaves

of　corn。　The　air　is　mild　and　wholesome　under　the　high　tufts　of　these

endless　green　plumes；　which　move　in　the　warm　wind　almost　without

noise。　We　seem　to　be　in　some　happy　land；　where　the　pastoral　life

should　be　easy；　and　even　a　little　paradisiacal。



But　beyond；　in　front　of　us；　quite　a　different　world　is　gradually

revealed。　Its　aspect　assumes　the　importance　of　a　menace　from　the

unknown；　it　awes　us　like　an　apparition　of　chaos；　of　universal　death。

。　。　。　It　is　the　desert；　the　conquering　desert；　in　the　midst　of　which

inhabited　Egypt；　the　green　valleys　of　the　Nile；　trace　merely　a　narrow

ribbon。　And　here；　more　than　elsewhere；　the　sight　of　this　sovereign

desert　rising　up　before　us　is　startling　and　thrilling；　so　high　up　it

seems；　and　we　so　low　in　the　Edenlike　valley　shaded　by　the　palms。　With

its　yellow　hues；　its　livid　marblings；　and　its　sands　which　make　it　look

somehow　as　if　it　lacked　consistency；　it　rises　on　the　whole　horizon

like　a　kind　of　soft　wall　or　a　great　fearsome　cloudor　rather；　like　a

long　cataclysmic　wave；　which　does　not　move　indeed；　but　which；　if　it

did；　would　overwhelm　and　swallow　everything。　It　is　the　/Memphite

desert/a　place；　that　is　to　say；　such　as　does　not　exist　elsewhere　on

earth；　a　fabulous　necropolis；　in　which　men　of　earlier　times；　heaped　up

for　some　three　thousand　years　the　embalmed　bodies　of　their　dead；

exaggerating；　as　time　went　on；　the　foolish　grandeur　of　their　tombs。

Now；　above　the　sand　which　looks　like　the　front　of　some　great　tidal

wave　arrested　in　its　progress；　we　see　on　all　sides；　and　far　into　the

distance；　triangles　of　superhuman　proportions　which　were　once　the

tombs　of　mummies；　pyramids；　still　upright；　all　of　them；　on　their

sinister　pedestal　of　sand。　Some　are　comparatively　near；　others　almost

lost　in　the　background　of　the　solitudesand　perhaps　more　awesome　in

that　they　are　merely　outlined　in　grey；　high　up　among　the　clouds。



*****



The　little　carriages　that　h