egypt-第15章

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the　villages　of　those　Copts；　those　Egyptians；　who　have　preserved　the

Christian　faith　from　father　to　son　since　the　nebulous　times　of　the

first　martyrs。



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The　simple　Church　of　St。　Sergius　is　a　relic　hidden　away　and　almost

buried　in　the　midst　of　a　labyrinth　of　ruins。　Without　a　guide　it　is

almost　impossible　to　find　your　way　thither。　The　quarter　in　which　it　is

situated　is　enclosed　within　the　walls　of　what　was　once　a　Roman

fortress；　and　this　fortress　in　its　turn　is　surrounded　by　the　tranquil

ruins　of　〃Old　Cairo〃which　is　to　the　Cairo　of　the　Mamelukes　and　the

Khedives；　in　a　small　degree；　what　Versailles　is　to　Paris。



On　this　Easter　morning；　having　set　out　from　the　Cairo　of　to…day　to　be

present　at　this　mass；　we　have　first　to　traverse　a　suburb　in　course　of

transformation；　upon　whose　ancient　soil　will　shortly　appear　numbers　of

these　modern　horrors；　in　mud　and　metalfactories　or　large　hotels

which　multiply　in　this　poor　land　with　a　stupefying　rapidity。　Then

comes　a　mile　or　so　of　uncultivated　ground；　mixed　with　stretches　of

sand；　and　already　a　little　desertlike。　And　then　the　walls　of　Old

Cairo；　after　which　begins　the　peace　of　the　deserted　houses；　of　little

gardens　and　orchards　among　the　ruins。　The　wind　and　the　dust　beset　us

the　whole　way；　the　almost　eternal　wind　and　the　eternal　dust　of　this

land；　by　which；　since　the　beginning　of　the　ages；　so　many　human　eyes

have　been　burnt　beyond　recovery。　They　keep　us　now　in　blinding

whirlwinds；　which　swarm　with　flies。　The　〃season〃　indeed　is　already

over；　and　the　foreign　invaders　have　fled　until　next　autumn。　Egypt　is

now　more　Egyptian；　beneath　a　more　burning　sky。　The　sun　of　this　Easter

Sunday　is　as　hot　as　ours　of　July；　and　the　ground　seems　as　if　it　would

perish　of　drought。　But　it　is　always　thus　in　the　springtime　of　this

rainless　country；　the　trees；　which　have　kept　their　leaves　throughout

the　winter；　shed　them　in　April　as　ours　do　in　November。　There　is　no

shade　anywhere　and　everything　suffers。　Everything　grows　yellow　on　the

yellow　sands。　But　there　is　no　cause　for　uneasiness：　the　inundation　is

at　hand；　which　has　never　failed　since　the　commencement　of　our

geological　period。　In　another　few　weeks　the　prodigious　river　will

spread　along　its　banks；　just　as　in　the　times　of　the　God　Amen；　a

precocious　and　impetuous　life。　And　meanwhile　the　orange…trees；　the

jasmine　and　the　honeysuckle；　which　men　have　taken　care　to　water　with

water　from　the　Nile；　are　full　of　riotous　bloom。　As　we　pass　the　gardens

of　Old　Cairo；　which　alternate　with　the　tumbling　houses；　this　continual

cloud　of　white　dust　that　envelops　us　comes　suddenly　laden　with　their

sweet　fragrance；　so　that；　despite　the　drought　and　the　bareness　of　the

trees；　the　scents　of　a　sudden　and　feverish　springtime　are　already　in

the　air。



When　we　arrive　at　the　walls　of　what　used　to　be　the　Roman　citadel　we

have　to　descend　from　our　carriage；　and　passing　through　a　low　doorway

penetrate　on　foot　into　the　labyrinth　of　a　Coptic　quarter　which　is

dying　of　dust　and　old　age。　Deserted　houses　that　have　become　the

refuges　of　outcasts；　mushrabiyas；　worm…eaten　and　decayed；　little

mousetrap　alleys　that　lead　us　under　arches　of　the　Middle　Ages；　and

sometimes　close　over　our　heads　by　reason　of　the　fantastic　bending　of

the　ruins。　Even　by　such　a　route　as　this　are　we　conducted　to　a　famous

basilica！　Were　it　not　for　these　groups　of　Copts；　dressed　in　their

Sunday　garb；　who　make　their　way　like　us　through　the　ruins　to　the

Easter　mass；　we　should　think　that　we　had　lost　our　way。



And　how　pretty　they　look；　these　women　draped　like　phantoms　in　their

black　silks。　Their　long　veils　do　not　completely　hide　them；　as　do　those

of　the　Moslems。　They　are　simply　placed　over　their　hair　and　leave

uncovered　the　delicate　features；　the　golden　necklet　and　the　half…bared

arms　that　carry　on　their　wrists　thick　twisted　bracelets　of　virgin

gold。　Pure　Egyptians　as　they　are；　they　have　preserved　the　same

delicate　profile；　the　same　elongated　eyes；　as　mark　the　old　goddesses

carved　in　bas…relief　on　the　Pharaonic　walls。　But　some；　alas；　amongst

the　young　ones　have　discarded　their　traditional　costume；　and　are

arrayed　/a　la　franque/；　in　gowns　and　hats。　And　such　gowns；　such　hats；

such　flowers！　The　very　peasants　of　our　meanest　villages　would　disdain

them。　Oh！　why　cannot　someone　tell　these　poor　little　women；　who　have　it

in　their　power　to　be　so　adorable；　that　the　beautiful　folds　of　their

black　veils　give　to　them　an　exquisite　and　characteristic　distinction；

while　this　poor　tinsel；　which　recalls　the　mid…Lent　carnivals；　makes　of

them　objects　that　excite　our　pity！



In　one　of　the　walls　which　now　surround　us　there　is　a　low　and　shrinking

doorway。　Can　this　be　the　entrance　to　the　basilica？　The　idea　seems

absurd。　And　yet　some　of　the　pretty　creatures　in　the　black　veils　and

bracelets　of　gold；　who　were　in　front　of　us；　have　disappeared　through

it；　and　already　the　perfume　of　the　censers　is　wafted　towards　us。　A

kind　of　corridor；　astonishingly　poor　and　old；　twists　itself

suspiciously；　and　then　issues　into　a　narrow　court；　more　than　a

thousand　years　old；　where　offertory　boxes；　fixed　on　Oriental　brackets；

invite　our　alms。　The　odour　of　the　incense　becomes　more　pronounced；　and

at　last　a　door；　hidden　in　shadow　at　the　end　of　this　retreat；　gives

access　to　the　venerable　church　itself。



The　church！　It　is　a　mixture　of　Byzantine　basilica；　mosque　and　desert

hut。　Entering　there；　it　is　as　if　we　were　introduced　suddenly　to　the

na？ve　infancy　of　Christianity；　as　if　we　surprised　it；　as　it　were；　in

its　cradlewhich　was　indeed　Oriental。　The　triple　nave　is　full　of

little　children　（here　also；　that　is　what　strikes　us　first）；　of　little

mites　who　cry　or　else　laugh　and　play；　and　there　are　mothers　suckling

their　new…born　babesand　all　the　time　the　invisible　mass　is　being

celebrated　beyond；　behind　the　iconostasis。　On　the　ground；　on　mats；

whole　families　are　seated　in　circle；　as　if　they　were　in　their　homes。　A

thick　deposit　of　white　chalk　on　the　defaced；　shrunken　walls　bears

witness　to　great　age。　And　over　all　this　is　a　strange　old　ceiling　of

cedarwood；　traversed　by　large　barbaric　beams。



In　the　nave；　supported　by　columns　of　marble；　brought　in　days　gone　by

from　Pagan　temples；　there　are；　as　in　all　these　old　Coptic　churches；

high　transverse　wooden　partitions；　elaborately　wrought　in　the　Arab

fashion；　which　divide　it　into　three　sections：　the　first；　into　which

one　comes　on　entering　the　church；　is　allotted　to　the　women；　the　second

is　for　the　baptistery；　and　the　third；　at　the　end　adjoining　the

iconostasis；　is　reserved　for　the　men。



These　women　who　are　gathered　this　morning　in　their　apportioned　space

so　much　at　home　there　with　their　suckling　little　oneswear；　almost

all　of　them；　the　long　black　silk　veils　of　former　days。　In　their

harmonious　and　endlessly　restless　groups；　the　gowns　/a　la　franque/　and

the　poor　hats　of　carnival　are　still　the　exception。　The　congregation；

as　a　whole；　preserves　almost　intact　its　na？ve；　old…time　flavour。



And　there　is　movement　too；　beyond；　in　the　compartment　of　the　men；

which　is　bounded　at　the　farther　end　by　the　iconostasisa　thousand…

year…old　wall　decorated　with　inlaid　cedarwood　and　ivory　of　precious

antique　workmanship；　and　adorned　with　strange　old　icons；　blackened　by

time。　It　is　behind　this　wallpierced　by　several　doorwaysthat　mass

is　now　being　said。　From　this　last　sanctuary　shut　off　thus　from　the

people　comes　the　vague　sound　of　singing；　from　time　to　time　a　priest

raises　a　faded　silk　curtain　and　from　the　threshold　makes　the　sign　of

blessing。　His　vestments　are　of　gold；　and　he　wears　a　golden　crown；　but

the　humble　faithful　speak　to　him　freely；　and　even　touch　his　gorgeous

garments；　that　might　be　those　of　one　of　the　Wise　Kings。　He　smiles；　and

letting　fall　the　curtain；　which　covers　the　entrance　to　the　tabernacle；

disappears　again　into　this　innocent　mystery。



Even　the　least　things　here　tell　of　decay。　The　flagstones；　trodden　by

the　feet　of　numberless　dead　generations；　are　become　uneven　through　the

settl