egypt-第2章

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heavens；　pricked　with　their　myriad　stars；　more　awful　in　their

darkness。　How　impossible　it　is　for　us　to　conceive　the　mental　attitude

of　that　king　who；　during　some　half…century；　spent　the　lives　of

thousands　and　thousands　of　his　slaves　in　the　construction　of　this

tomb；　in　the　fond　and　foolish　hope　of　prolonging　to　infinity　the

existence　of　his　mummy。



The　pyramid　once　passed　there　was　still　a　short　way　to　go　before　we

confronted　the　Sphinx；　in　the　middle　of　what　our　contemporaries　have

left　him　of　his　desert。　We　had　to　descend　the　slope　of　that　sandhill

which　looked　like　a　cloud；　and　seemed　as　if　covered　with　felt；　in

order　to　preserve　in　such　a　place　a　more　complete　silence。　And　here

and　there　we　passed　a　gaping　black　holean　airhole；　as　it　seemed；　of

the　profound　and　inextricable　kingdom　of　mummies；　very　populous　still；

in　spite　of　the　zeal　of　the　exhumers。



As　we　descended　the　sandy　pathway　we　were　not　slow　to　perceive　the

Sphinx　itself；　half　hill；　half　couchant　beast；　turning　its　back　upon

us　in　the　attitude　of　a　gigantic　dog；　that　thought　to　bay　the　moon；

its　head　stood　out　in　dark　silhouette；　like　a　screen　before　the　light

it　seemed　to　be　regarding；　and　the　lappets　of　its　headgear　showed　like

downhanging　ears。　And　then　gradually；　as　we　walked　on；　we　saw　it　in

profile；　shorn　of　its　noseflat…nosed　like　a　death's　headbut　having

already　an　expression　even　when　seen　afar　off　and　from　the　side；

already　disdainful　with　thrust…out　chin　and　baffling；　mysterious

smile。　And　when　at　length　we　arrived　before　the　colossal　visage；　face

to　face　with　itwithout　however　encountering　its　gaze；　which　passed

high　above　our　headsthere　came　over　us　at　once　the　sentiment　of　all

the　secret　thought　which　these　men　of　old　contrived　to　incorporate　and

make　eternal　behind　this　mutilated　mask。



But　in　full　daylight　their　great　Sphinx　is　no　more。　It　has　ceased　as

it　were　to　exist。　It　is　so　scarred　by　time；　and　by　the　hands　of

iconoclasts；　so　dilapidated；　broken　and　diminished；　that　it　is　as

inexpressive　as　the　crumbling　mummies　found　in　the　sarcophagi；　which

no　longer　even　ape　humanity。　But　after　the　manner　of　all　phantoms　it

comes　to　life　again　at　night；　beneath　the　enchantments　of　the　moon。



For　the　men　of　its　time　whom　did　it　represent？　King　Amenemhat？　The　Sun

God？　Who　can　rightly　tell？　Of　all　hieroglyphic　images　it　remains　the

one　least　understood。　The　unfathomable　thinkers　of　Egypt　symbolised

everything　for　the　benefit　of　the　uninitiated　under　the　form　of　awe…

inspiring　figures　of　the　gods；　and　it　may　be；　perhaps；　that；　after

having　meditated　so　deeply　in　the　shadow　of　their　temples；　and　sought

so　long　the　everlasting　wherefore　of　life　and　death；　they　wished

simply　to　sum　up　in　the　smile　of　these　closed　lips　the　vanity　of　the

most　profound　of　our　human　speculations。　。　。　。　It　is　said　that　the

Sphinx　was　once　of　striking　beauty；　when　harmonious　contour　and

colouring　animated　the　face；　and　it　was　enthroned　at　its　full　height

on　a　kind　of　esplanade　paved　with　long　slabs　of　stone。　But　was　it　then

more　sovereign　than　it　is　to…night　in　its　last　decrepitude？　Almost

buried　beneath　the　sand　of　the　Libyan　desert；　which　now　quite　hides

its　base；　it　rises　at　this　hour　like　a　phantom　which　nothing　solid

sustains　in　the　air。



*****



It　has　gone　midnight。　In　little　groups　the　tourists　of　the　evening

have　disappeared；　to　regain　perhaps　the　neighbouring　hotel；　where　the

orchestra　doubtless　has　not　ceased　to　rage；　or　may　be；　remounting

their　cars；　to　join；　in　some　club　of　Cairo；　one　of　those　bridge

parties；　in　which　the　really　superior　intellects　of　our　time　delight；

somethe　stouthearted　onesdeparted　talking　loudly　and　with　cigar　in

mouth；　others；　however；　daunted　in　spite　of　themselves；　lowered　their

voices　as　people　instinctively　do　in　church。　And　the　Bedouin　guides；

who　a　moment　ago　seemed　to　flutter　about　the　giant　monument　like　so

many　black　mothsthey　too　have　gone；　made　restless　by　the　cold　air；

which　erstwhile　they　had　not　known。　The　show　for　to…night　is　over；　and

everywhere　silence　reigns。



The　rosy　tint　fades　on　the　Sphinx　and　the　pyramids；　all　things　in　the

ghostly　scene　grow　visibly　paler；　for　the　moon　as　it　rises　becomes

more　silvery　in　the　increasing　chilliness　of　midnight。　The　winter

mist；　exhaled　from　the　artificially　watered　fields　below；　continues　to

rise；　takes　heart　and　envelops　the　great　mute　face　itself。　And　the

latter　persists　in　its　regard　of　the　dead　moon；　preserving　still　the

old　disconcerting　smile。　It　becomes　more　and　more　difficult　to　believe

that　here　before　us　is　a　real　colossus；　so　surely　does　it　seem　nothing

other　than　a　dilated　reflection　of　a　thing　which　exists　/elsewhere/；

in　some　other　world。　And　behind　in　the　distance　are　the　three

triangular　mountains。　Them；　too；　the　fog　envelops；　till　they　also

cease　to　exist；　and　become　pure　visions　of　the　Apocalypse。



Now　it　is　that　little　by　little　an　intolerable　sadness　is　expressed　in

those　large　eyes　with　their　empty　socketsfor；　at　this　moment；　the

ultimate　secret；　that　which　the　Sphinx　seems　to　have　known　for　so　many

centuries；　but　to　have　withheld　in　melancholy　irony；　is　this：　that　all

these　dead　men　and　women　who　sleep　in　the　vast　necropolis　below　have

been　fooled；　and　the　awakening　signal　has　not　sounded　for　a　single　one

of　them；　and　that　the　creation　of　mankindmankind　that　thinks　and

suffershas　had　no　rational　explanation；　and　that　our　poor

aspirations　are　vain；　but　so　vain　as　to　awaken　pity。







CHAPTER　II



THE　PASSING　OF　CAIRO



Ragged；　threatening　clouds；　like　those　that　bring　the　showers　of　our

early　spring；　hurry　across　a　pale　evening　sky；　whose　mere　aspect　makes

you　cold。　A　wintry　wind；　raw　and　bitter；　blows　without　ceasing；　and

brings　with　it　every　now　and　then　some　furtive　spots　of　rain。



A　carriage　takes　me　towards　what　was　once　the　residence　of　the　great

Mehemet　Ali：　by　a　steep　incline　it　ascends　into　the　midst　of　rocks　and

sandand　already；　and　almost　in　a　moment；　we　seem　to　be　in　the

desert；　though　we　have　scarcely　left　behind　the　last　houses　of　an　Arab

quarter；　where　long…robed　folk；　who　looked　half　frozen；　were　muffled

up　to　the　eyes　to…day。　。　。　。　Was　there　formerly　such　weather　as　this

in　this　country　noted　for　its　unchanging　mildness？



This　residence　of　the　great　sovereign　of　Egypt；　the　citadel　and　the

mosque　which　he　had　made　for　his　last　repose；　are　perched　like　eagles'

nests　on　a　spur　of　the　mountain　chain　of　Arabia；　the　Mokattam；　which

stretches　out　like　a　promontory　towards　the　basin　of　the　Nile；　and

brings　quite　close　to　Cairo；　so　as　almost　to　overhang　it；　a　little　of

the　desert　solitude。　And　so　the　eye　can　see　from　far　off　and　from　all

sides　the　mosque　of　Mehemet　Ali；　with　the　flattened　domes　of　its

cupolas；　its　pointed　minarets；　the　general　aspect　so　entirely　Turkish；

perched　high　up；　with　a　certain　unexpectedness；　above　the　Arab　town

which　it　dominates。　The　prince　who　sleeps　there　wished　that　it　should

resemble　the　mosques　of　his　fatherland；　and　it　looks　as　if　it　had　been

transported　bodily　from　Stamboul。



A　short　trot　brings　us　up　to　the　lower　gate　of　the　old　fortress；　and；

by　a　natural　effect；　as　we　ascend；　all　Cairo　which　is　near　there；

seems　to　rise　with　us：　not　yet　indeed　the　endless　multitude　of　its

houses；　but　at　first　only　the　thousands　of　its　minarets；　which　in　a

few　seconds　point　their　high　towers　into　the　mournful　sky；　and　suggest

at　once　that　an　immense　town　is　about　to　unfold　itself　under　our　eyes。



Continuing　to　ascendpast　the　double　rampart；　the　double　or　triple

gates；　which　all　these　old　fortresses　possess；　we　penetrate　at　length

into　a　large　fortified　courtyard；　the　crenellated　walls　of　which　shut

out　our　further　view。　Soldiers　are　on　guard　thereand　how　unexpected

are　such　soldiers　in　this　holy　place　of　Egypt！　The　red　uniforms　and

the　white　faces　of　the　north：　Englishmen；　billeted　in　the　palace　of

Mehemet　Ali！



The　mosque　first　meets　the　eye；