cleopatra-第2节

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was　going　on　below。　At　last　the　rope　ceased　shaking　and　a　faint　shout

came　rumbling　up　the　well；　announcing　Ali's　safe　arrival。　Then；　far

below；　a　tiny　star　of　light　appeared。　He　had　lit　the　candle；　thereby

disturbing　hundreds　of　bats　that　flitted　up　in　an　endless　stream　and

as　silently　as　spirits。　The　rope　was　hauled　up　again；　and　now　it　was

my　turn；　but；　as　I　declined　to　trust　my　neck　to　the　hand…over…hand

method　of　descent；　the　end　of　the　cord　was　made　fast　round　my　middle

and　I　was　lowered　bodily　into　those　sacred　depths。　Nor　was　it　a

pleasant　journey；　for；　if　the　masters　of　the　situation　above　had　made

any　mistake；　I　should　have　been　dashed　to　pieces。　Also；　the　bats

continually　flew　into　my　face　and　clung　to　my　hair；　and　I　have　a　great

dislike　of　bats。　At　last；　after　some　minutes　of　jerking　and　dangling；

I　found　myself　standing　in　a　narrow　passage　by　the　side　of　the　worthy

Ali；　covered　with　bats　and　perspiration；　and　with　the　skin　rubbed　off

my　knees　and　knuckles。　Then　another　man　came　down；　hand　over　hand　like

a　sailor；　and　as　the　rest　were　told　to　stop　above　we　were　ready　to　go

on。　Ali　went　first　with　his　candleof　course　we　each　had　a　candle

leading　the　way　down　a　long　passage　about　five　feet　high。　At　length

the　passage　widened　out；　and　we　were　in　the　tomb…chamber：　I　think　the

hottest　and　most　silent　place　that　I　ever　entered。　It　was　simply

stifling。　This　chamber　is　a　square　room　cut　in　the　rock　and　totally

devoid　of　paintings　or　sculpture。　I　held　up　the　candles　and　looked

round。　About　the　place　were　strewn　the　coffin　lids　and　the　mummied

remains　of　the　two　bodies　that　the　Arabs　had　previously　violated。　The

paintings　on　the　former　were；　I　noticed；　of　great　beauty；　though；

having　no　knowledge　of　hieroglyphics；　I　could　not　decipher　them。　Beads

and　spicy　wrappings　lay　around　the　remains；　which；　I　saw；　were　those

of　a　man　and　a　woman。＇＋＇　The　head　had　been　broken　off　the　body　of　the

man。　I　took　it　up　and　looked　at　it。　It　had　been　closely　shavedafter

death；　I　should　say；　from　the　general　indicationsand　the　features

were　disfigured　with　gold　leaf。　But　notwithstanding　this；　and　the

shrinkage　of　the　flesh；　I　think　the　face　was　one　of　the　most　imposing

and　beautiful　that　I　ever　saw。　It　was　that　of　a　very　old　man；　and　his

dead　countenance　still　wore　so　calm　and　solemn；　indeed；　so　awful　a

look；　that　I　grew　quite　superstitious　（though　as　you　know；　I　am　pretty

well　accustomed　to　dead　people）；　and　put　the　head　down　in　a　hurry。

There　were　still　some　wrappings　left　upon　the　face　of　the　second　body；

and　I　did　not　remove　them；　but　she　must　have　been　a　fine　large　woman

in　her　day。



＇*＇　This；　I　take　it；　is　a　portrait　of　Amenemhat　himself。Editor。



＇＋＇　Doubtless　Amenemhat　and　his　wife。Editor。



〃'There　the　other　mummy；'　said　Ali；　pointing　to　a　large　and　solid　case

that　seemed　to　have　been　carelessly　thrown　down　in　a　corner；　for　it

was　lying　on　its　side。



〃I　went　up　to　it　and　carefully　examined　it。　It　was　well　made；　but　of

perfectly　plain　cedar…woodnot　an　inscription；　not　a　solitary　God　on

it。



〃'Never　see　one　like　him　before；'　said　Ali。　'Bury　great　hurry；　he　no

〃mafish；〃　no　〃fineesh。〃　Throw　him　down　here　on　side。'



〃I　looked　at　the　plain　case　till　at　last　my　interest　was　thoroughly

aroused。　I　was　so　shocked　by　the　sight　of　the　scattered　dust　of　the

departed　that　I　had　made　up　my　mind　not　to　touch　the　remaining　coffin

but　now　my　curiosity　overcame　me；　and　we　set　to　work。



〃Ali　had　brought　a　mallet　and　a　cold　chisel　with　him；　and；　having　set

the　coffin　straight；　he　began　upon　it　with　all　the　zeal　of　an

experienced　tomb…breaker。　And　then　he　pointed　out　another　thing。　Most

mummy…cases　are　fastened　by　four　little　tongues　of　wood；　two　on　either

side；　which　are　fixed　in　the　upper　half；　and；　passing　into　mortices

cut　to　receive　them　in　the　thickness　of　the　lower　half；　are　there　held

fast　by　pegs　of　hard　wood。　But　this　mummy　case　had　eight　such　tongues。

Evidently　it　had　been　thought　well　to　secure　it　firmly。　At　last；　with

great　difficulty；　we　raised　the　massive　lid；　which　was　nearly　three

inches　thick；　and　there；　covered　over　with　a　deep　layer　of　loose

spices　（a　very　unusual　thing）；　was　the　body。



〃Ali　looked　at　it　with　open　eyesand　no　wonder。　For　this　mummy　was

not　as　other　mummies　are。　Mummies　in　general　lie　upon　their　backs；　as

stiff　and　calm　as　though　they　were　cut　from　wood；　but　this　mummy　lay

upon　its　side；　and；　the　wrappings　notwithstanding；　its　knees　were

slightly　bent。　More　than　that；　indeed；　the　gold　mask；　which；　after　the

fashion　of　the　Ptolemaic　period；　had　been　set　upon　the　face；　had

worked　down；　and　was　literally　pounded　up　beneath　the　hooded　head。



〃It　was　impossible；　seeing　these　things；　to　avoid　the　conclusion　that

the　mummy　before　us　had　moved　with　violence　/since　it　was　put　in　the

coffin/。



〃'Him　very　funny　mummy。　Him　not　〃mafish〃　when　him　go　in　there；'　said

Ali。



〃'Nonsense！'　I　said。　'Who　ever　heard　of　a　live　mummy？'



〃We　lifted　the　body　out　of　the　coffin；　nearly　choking　ourselves　with

mummy　dust　in　the　process；　and　there　beneath　it　half　hidden　among　the

spices；　we　made　our　first　find。　It　was　a　roll　of　papyrus；　carelessly

fastened　and　wrapped　in　a　piece　of　mummy　cloth；　having　to　all

appearance　been　thrown　into　the　coffin　at　the　moment　of　closing。＇*＇



＇*＇　This　roll　contained　the　third　unfinished　book　of　the　history。　The

　　　　other　two　rolls　were　neatly　fastened　in　the　usual　fashion。　All

　　　　three　are　written　by　one　hand　in　the　Demotic　character。Editor。



〃Ali　eyed　the　papyrus　greedily；　but　I　seized　it　and　put　it　in　my

pocket；　for　it　was　agreed　that　I　was　to　have　all　that　might　be

discovered。　Then　we　began　to　unwrap　the　body。　It　was　covered　with　very

broad　strong　bandages；　thickly　wound　and　roughly　tied；　sometimes　by

means　of　simple　knots；　the　whole　working　the　appearance　of　having　been

executed　in　great　haste　and　with　difficulty。　Just　over　the　head　was　a

large　lump。　Presently；　the　bandages　covering　it　were　off；　and　there；

on　the　face；　lay　a　second　roll　of　papyrus。　I　put　down　my　hand　to　lift

it；　but　it　would　not　come　away。　It　appeared　to　be　fixed　to　the　stout

seamless　shroud　which　was　drawn　over　the　whole　body；　and　tied　beneath

the　feetas　a　farmer　ties　sacks。　This　shroud；　which　was　also　thickly

waxed；　was　in　one　piece；　being　made　to　fit　the　form　like　a　garment。　I

took　a　candle　and　examined　the　roll　and　then　I　saw　why　it　was　fast。

The　spices　had　congealed　and　glued　it　to　the　sack…like　shroud。　It　was

impossible　to　get　it　away　without　tearing　the　outer　sheets　of

papyrus。＇*＇



＇*＇　This　accounts　for　the　gaps　in　the　last　sheets　of　the　second　roll。

　　　　Editor。



〃At　last；　however；　I　wrenched　it　loose　and　put　it　with　the　other　in　my

pocket。



〃Then　we　went　on　with　our　dreadful　task　in　silence。　With　much　care　we

ripped　loose　the　sack…like　garment；　and　at　last　the　body　of　a　man　lay

before　us。　Between　his　knees　was　a　third　roll　of　papyrus。　I　secured

it；　then　held　down　the　light　and　looked　at　him。　One　glance　at　his　face

was　enough　to　tell　a　doctor　how　he　had　died。



〃This　body　was　not　much　dried　up。　Evidently　it　had　not　passed　the

allotted　seventy　days　in　natron；　and　therefore　the　expression　and

likeness　were　better　preserved　than　is　usual。　Without　entering　into

particulars；　I　will　only　say　that　I　hope　I　shall　never　see　such

another　look　as　that　which　was　frozen　on　this　dead　man's　face。　Even

the　Arabs　recoiled　from　it　in　horror　and　began　to　mutter　prayers。



〃For　the　rest；　the　usual　opening　on　the　left　side　through　which　the

embalmers　did　their　work　was　absent；　the　finely…cut　features　were

those　of　a　person　of　middle　age；　although　the　hair　was　already　grey；

and　the　frame　was　that　of　a　very　powerful　man；　the　shoulders　being　of

an　extraordinary　width。　I　had　not　time　to　examine　very　closely；

however；　for　within　a　few　seconds　from　its　uncovering；　the　unembalmed

body　began　to　crumble　now　that　it　was　exposed　to　the　action　of　the

air。　In　five　or　six　minutes　there　was　literally　nothing　left　of　it　but

a　wisp　of　hair；　the　skull；　and　a　few　of　the　larger　bones。　I　noticed

that　one　of　the　tibi？I　forget　if　it　was　the　right　or　the　lefthad

been　fractured　and　very　badly　set。　It　must　have　been　quite　an　inch

shorter　than　the　other。



〃Well；　there　was　nothing　more　to　find；　and　now　that　the　excitement　was

over；　what　between　the　heat；　the　exertion；　and　the　smell　of　mummy　dust

and　spices；　I　felt　more　dead　than　alive。



〃I　am　tired　of　writing；　and　this　ship　rolls。　This　letter；　of　course；

goes　overland；　and　I　am　coming　by　'long　sea；'　but　I　hope　to　be　in

London　within　ten　days　after　you　get　it。　Then　I　will　tell　you　of　my

pleasing　experiences　in　the　course　of　the　ascent　from　the　tomb…

chamber；　and　of　how　that　prince　of　rascals；　Ali　Baba；　and　his　thieves

tried　to　frighten　me　into　handing　over　the　papyri；　and　how　I　worsted

them。　Then；　too；　we　will　get　the　rolls　deciphered。　I　expect　that　they

only　contain　the　usual　thing；　copie