egypt-第23章

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the　superposed　rows　of　innumerable　figures　that　gesticulate　on　the

walls。　And　then；　after　other　majestic　corridors；　we　reach　the　heart　of

this　heap　of　terrible　stones；　the　holy　of　holies；　enveloped　in　deep

gloom。　The　hieroglyphic　inscriptions　name　this　place　the　〃Hall　of

Mystery〃　and　formerly　the　high　priest　/alone；　and　he　only　once　in　each

year/；　had　the　right　to　enter　it　for　the　performance　of　some　now

unknown　rites。



The　〃Hall　of　Mystery〃　is　empty　to…day；　despoiled　long　since　of　the

emblems　of　gold　and　precious　stones　that　once　filled　it。　The　meagre

little　flames　of　the　candles　we　have　lit　scarcely　pierce　the　darkness

which　thickens　over　our　heads　towards　the　granite　ceilings；　at　the

most　they　only　allow　us　to　distinguish　on　the　walls　of　the　vast

rectangular　cavern　the　serried　ranks　of　figures　who　exchange　among

themselves　their　disconcerting　mute　conversations。



Towards　the　end　of　the　ancient　and　at　the　beginning　of　the　Christian

era；　Egypt；　as　we　know；　still　exercised　such　a　fascination　over　the

world；　by　its　ancestral　prestige；　by　the　memory　of　its　dominating

past；　and　the　sovereign　permanence　of　its　ruins；　that　it　imposed　its

gods　upon　its　conquerors；　its　handwriting；　its　architecture；　nay；　even

its　religious　rites　and　its　mummies。　The　Ptolemies　built　temples　here；

which　reproduce　those　of　Thebes　and　Abydos。　Even　the　Romans；　although

they　had　already　discovered　the　/vault/；　followed　here　the　primitive

models；　and　continued　those　granite　ceilings；　made　of　monstrous　slabs；

placed　flat；　like　our　beams。　And　so　this　temple　of　Hathor；　built

though　it　was　in　the　time　of　Cleopatra　and　Augustus；　on　a　site

venerable　in　the　oldest　antiquity；　recalls　at　first　sight　some

conception　of　the　Ramses。



If；　however；　you　examine　it　more　closely；　there　appears；　particularly

in　the　thousands　of　figures　in　bas…relief；　a　considerable　divergence。

The　poses　are　the　same　indeed；　and　so　too　are　the　traditional

gestures。　But　the　exquisite　grace　of　line　is　gone；　as　well　as　the

hieratic　calm　of　the　expressions　and　the　smiles。　In　the　Egyptian　art

of　the　best　periods　the　slender　figures　are　as　pure　as　the　flowers

they　hold　in　their　hands；　their　muscles　may　be　indicated　in　a　precise

and　skilful　manner；　but　they　remain；　for　all　that；　immaterial。　The　god

Amen　himself；　the　procreator；　drawn　often　with　an　absolute　crudity；

would　seem　chaste　compared　with　the　hosts　of　this　temple。　For　here；　on

the　contrary；　the　figures　might　be　those　of　living　people；　palpitating

and　voluptuous；　who　had　posed　themselves　for　sport　in　these

consecrated　attitudes。　The　throat　of　the　beautiful　goddess；　her　hips；

her　unveiled　nakedness；　are　portrayed　with　a　searching　and　lingering

realism；　the　flesh　seems　almost　to　quiver。　She　and　her　spouse；　the

beautiful　Horus；　son　of　Iris；　contemplate　each　other；　naked；　one

before　the　other；　and　their　laughing　eyes　are　intoxicated　with　love。



Around　the　holy　of　holies　is　a　number　of　halls；　in　deep　shadow　and

massive　as　so　many　fortresses。　They　were　used　formerly　for　mysterious

and　complicated　rites；　and　in　them；　as　everywhere　else；　there　is　no

corner　of　the　wall　but　is　overloaded　with　figures　and　hieroglyphs。

Bats　are　asleep　in　the　blue　ceilings；　where　the　winged　discs；　painted

in　fresco；　look　like　flights　of　birds；　and　the　hornets　of　the

neighbouring　fields　have　built　their　nests　there　in　hundreds；　so　that

they　hang　like　stalactites。



Several　staircases　lead　to　the　vast　terraces　formed　by　the　great　roofs

of　the　templestaircases　narrow；　stifling　and　dimly　lighted　by

loopholes　that　reveal　the　heart…breaking　thickness　of　the　walls。　And

here　again　are　the　inevitable　rows　of　figures；　carved　on　all　the

walls；　in　the　same　familiar　attitudes；　they　mount　with　us　as　we

ascend；　making　all　the　time　the　self…same　signs　one　to　another。



As　we　emerge　on　to　the　roofs；　bathed　now　in　Egyptian　sunlight　and

swept　by　a　cold　and　bitter　wind；　we　are　greeted　by　a　noise　as　of　an

aviary。　It　is　the　kingdom　of　the　sparrows；　who　have　built　their　nests

in　thousands　in　this　temple　of　the　complaisant　goddess。　They　twitter

now　all　together　and　with　all　their　might　out　of　very　joy　of　living。

It　is　an　esplanade；　this　roofa　solitude　paved　with　gigantic

flagstones。　From　it　we　see；　beyond　the　heaps　of　ruins；　those　happy

plains；　which　are　spread　out　with　such　a　perfect　serenity　on　the　very

ground　where　once　stood　the　town　of　Denderah；　beloved　of　Hathor　and

one　of　the　most　famous　of　Upper　Egypt。　Exquisitely　green　are　these

plains　with　the　new　growth　of　wheat　and　lucerne　and　bean；　and　the

herds　that　are　grouped　here　and　there　on　the　fresh　verdure　of　the

level　pastures；　swaying　now　and　undulating　in　the　wind；　look　like　so

many　dark　patches。　And　the　two　chains　of　mountains　of　rose…coloured

stone；　that　run　parallelon　the　east　that　of　the　desert　of　Arabia；　on

the　west　that　of　the　Libyan　desertenclose；　in　the　distance；　this

valley　of　the　Nile；　this　land　of　plenty；　which；　alike　in　antiquity　as

in　our　days；　has　excited　the　greed　of　predatory　races。　The　temple　has

also　some　underground　dependencies　or　crypts　into　which　you　descend　by

staircases　as　of　dungeons；　sometimes　even　you　have　to　crawl　through

holes　to　reach　them。　Long　superposed　galleries　which　might　serve　as

hiding…places　for　treasure；　long　corridors　recalling　those　which；　in

bad　dreams；　threaten　to　close　in　and　bury　you。　And　the　innumerable

figures；　of　course；　are　here　too；　gesticulating　on　the　walls；　and

endless　representations　of　the　lovely　goddess；　whose　swelling　bosom；

which　has　preserved　almost　intact　the　flesh　colour　applied　in　the

times　of　the　Ptolemies；　we　have　perforce　to　graze　as　we　pass。



*****



In　one　of　the　vestibules　that　we　have　to　traverse　on　our　way　out　of

the　sanctuary；　amongst　the　numerous　bas…reliefs　representing　various

sovereigns　paying　homage　to　the　beautiful　Hathor；　is　one　of　a　young

man；　crowned　with　a　royal　tiara　shaped　like　the　head　of　a　uraeus。　He

is　shown　seated　in　the　traditional　Pharaonic　pose　and　is　none　other

than　the　Emperor　Nero！



The　hieroglyphs　of　the　cartouche　are　there　to　affirm　his　identity；

albeit　the　sculptor；　not　knowing　his　actual　physiognomy；　has　given　him

the　traditional　features；　regular　as　those　of　the　god　Horus。　During

the　centuries　of　the　Roman　domination　the　Western　emperors　used　to

send　from　home　instructions　that　their　likeness　should　be　placed　on

the　walls　of　the　temples；　and　that　offerings　should　be　made　in　their

name　to　the　Egyptian　divinitiesand　this　notwithstanding　that　in

their　eyes　Egypt　must　have　seemed　so　far　away；　a　colony　almost　at　the

end　of　the　earth。　（And　it　was　such　a　goddess　as　this；　of　secondary

rank　in　the　times　of　the　Pharaohs；　that　was　singled　out　as　the

favourite　of　the　Romans　of　the　decadence。）



The　Emperor　Nero！　As　a　matter　of　fact　at　the　very　time　these　bas…

reliefsalmost　the　lastand　these　expiring　hieroglyphics　were　being

inscribed；　the　confused　primitive　theogonies　had　almost　reached　their

end　and　the　days　of　the　Goddess　of　Joy　were　numbered。　There　had　been

conceived　in　Judaea　symbols　more　lofty　and　more　pure；　which　were　to

rule　a　great　part　of　the　world　for　two　thousand　yearsafterwards；

alas；　to　decline　in　their　turn；　and　men　were　about　to　throw　themselves

passionately　into　renunciation；　asceticism　and　fraternal　pity。



How　strange　it　is　to　say！　Even　while　the　sculptor　was　carving　this

archaic　bas…relief；　and　was　using；　for　the　engraving　of　its　name；

characters　that　dated　back　to　the　night　of　the　ages；　there　were

already　Christians　assembled　in　the　catacombs　at　Rome　and　dying　in

ecstasy　in　the　arena！







CHAPTER　XIII



MODERN　LUXOR



The　waters　of　the　Nile　being　already　low　my　dahabiyadelayed　by

strandingshad　not　been　able　to　reach　Luxor；　and　we　had　moored

ourselves；　as　the　darkness　began　to　fall；　at　a　casual　spot　on　the

bank。



〃We　are　quite　near；〃　the　pilot　had　told　me　before　departing　to　make

his　evening　prayer；　〃in　an　hour；　to…morrow；　we　shall　be　t