egypt-第3章

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

Mehemet　Ali！



The　mosque　first　meets　the　eye；　preceding　the　palace。　And　as　we

approach；　it　is　Stamboul　indeedfor　me　dear　old　Stamboulwhich　is

called　to　mind；　there　is　nothing；　whether　in　the　lines　of　its

architecture　or　in　the　details　of　its　ornamentation；　to　suggest　the

art　of　the　Arabsa　purer　art　it　may　be　than　this　and　of　which　many

excellent　examples　may　be　seen　in　Cairo。　No；　it　is　a　corner　of　Turkey

into　which　we　are　suddenly　come。



Beyond　a　courtyard　paved　with　marble；　silent　and　enclosed；　which

serves　as　a　vast　parvis；　the　sanctuary　recalls　those　of　Mehemet　Fatih

or　the　Chah　Zade：　the　same　sanctified　gloom；　into　which　the　stained

glass　of　the　narrow　windows　casts　a　splendour　as　of　precious　stones；

the　same　extreme　distance　between　the　enormous　pillars；　leaving　more

clear　space　than　in　our　churches；　and　giving　to　the　domes　the

appearance　of　being　held　up　by　enchantment。



The　walls　are　of　a　strange　white　marble　streaked　with　yellow。　The

ground　is　completely　covered　with　carpets　of　a　sombre　red。　In　the

vaults；　very　elaborately　wrought；　nothing　but　blacks　and　gold：　a

background　of　black　bestrewn　with　golden　roses；　and　bordered　with

arabesques　like　gold　lace。　And　from　above　hang　thousands　of　gold

chains　supporting　the　vigil　lamps　for　the　evening　prayers。　Here　and

there　are　people　on　their　knees；　little　groups　in　robe　and　turban；

scattered　fortuitously　upon　the　red　of　the　carpets；　and　almost　lost　in

the　midst　of　the　sumptuous　solitude。



In　an　obscure　corner　lies　Mehemet　Ali；　the　prince　adventurous　and

chivalrous　as　some　legendary　hero；　and　withal　one　of　the　greatest

sovereigns　of　modern　history。　There　he　lies　behind　a　grating　of　gold；

of　complicated　design；　in　that　Turkish　style；　already　decadent；　but

still　so　beautiful；　which　was　that　of　his　epoch。



Through　the　golden　bars　may　be　seen　in　the　shadow　the　catafalque　of

state；　in　three　tiers；　covered　with　blue　brocades；　exquisitely　faded；

and　profusely　embroidered　with　dull　gold。　Two　long　green　palms　freshly

cut　from　some　date…tree　in　the　neighbourhood　are　crossed　before　the

door　of　this　sort　of　funeral　enclosure。　And　it　seems　that　around　us　is

an　inviolable　religious　peace。　。　。　。



But　all　at　once　there　comes　a　noisy　chattering　in　a　Teutonic　tongue

and　shouts　and　laughs！　。　。　。　How　is　it　possible；　so　near　to　the　great

dead？　。　。　。　And　there　enters　a　group　of　tourists；　dressed　more　or　less

in　the　approved　〃smart〃　style。　A　guide；　with　a　droll　countenance；

recites　to　them　the　beauties　of　the　place；　bellowing　at　the　top　of　his

voice　like　a　showman　at　a　fair。　And　one　of　the　travellers；　stumbling

in　the　sandals　which　are　too　large　for　her　small　feet；　laughs　a

prolonged；　silly　little　laugh　like　the　clucking　of　a　turkey。　。　。　。



Is　there　then　no　keeper；　no　guardian　of　this　holy　mosque？　And　amongst

the　faithful　prostrate　here　in　prayer；　none　who　will　rise　and　make

indignant　protest？　Who　after　this　will　speak　to　us　of　the　fanaticism

of　the　Egyptians？　。　。　。　Too　meek；　rather；　they　seem　to　me　everywhere。

Take　any　church　you　please　in　Europe　where　men　go　down　on　their　knees

in　prayer；　and　I　should　like　to　see　what　kind　of　a　welcome　would　be

accorded　to　a　party　of　Moslem　tourists　whoto　suppose　the　impossible

behaved　so　badly　as　these　savages　here。



Behind　the　mosque　is　an　esplanade；　and　beyond　that　the　palace。　The

palace；　as　such；　can　scarcely　be　said　to　exist　any　longer；　for　it　has

been　turned　into　a　barrack　for　the　army　of　occupation。　English

soldiers；　indeed；　meet　us　at　every　turn；　smoking　their　pipes　in　the

idleness　of　the　evening。　One　of　them　who　does　not　smoke　is　trying　to

carve　his　name　with　a　knife　on　one　of　the　layers　of　marble　at　the　base

of　the　sanctuary。



At　the　end　of　this　esplanade　there　is　a　kind　of　balcony　from　which　one

may　see　the　whole　of　the　town；　and　an　unlimited　extent　of　verdant

plains　and　yellow　desert。　It　is　a　favourite　view　of　the　tourists　of

the　agencies；　and　we　meet　again　our　friends　of　the　mosque；　who　have

preceded　us　hitherthe　gentlemen　with　the　loud　voices；　the　bellowing

guide　and　the　cackling　lady。　Some　soldiers　are　standing　there　too；

smoking　their　pipes　contemplatively。　But　spite　of　all　these　people；　in

spite；　too；　of　the　wintry　sky；　the　scene　which　presents　itself　on

arrival　there　is　ravishing。



A　very　fairylandbut　a　fairyland　quite　different　from　that　of

Stamboul。　For　whereas　the　latter　is　ranged　like　a　great　amphitheatre

above　the　Bosphorus　and　the　Sea　of　Marmora；　here　the　vast　town　is

spread　out　simply；　in　a　plain　surrounded　by　the　solitude　of　the　desert

and　dominated　by　chaotic　rocks。　Thousands　of　minarets　rise　up　on　every

side　like　ears　of　corn　in　a　field；　far　away　in　the　distance　one　can

see　their　innumerable　slender　pointsbut　instead　of　being　simply；　as

at　Stamboul；　so　many　white　spires；　they　are　here　complicated　by

arabesques；　by　galleries；　clock…towers　and　little　columns；　and　seem　to

have　borrowed　the　reddish　colour　of　the　desert。



The　flat　rocks　tell　of　a　region　which　formerly　was　without　rain。　The

innumerable　palm…trees　of　the　gardens；　above　this　ocean　of　mosques　and

houses；　sway　their　plumes　in　the　wind；　bewildered　as　it　were　by　these

clouds　laden　with　cold　showers。　In　the　south　and　in　the　west；　at　the

extreme　limits　of　the　view；　as　if　upon　the　misty　horizon　of　the

plains；　appear　two　gigantic　triangles。　They　are　Gizeh　and　Memphisthe

eternal　pyramids。



At　the　north　of　the　town　there　is　a　corner　of　the　desert　quite

singular　in　its　characterof　the　colour　of　bistre　and　of　mummywhere

a　whole　colony　of　high　cupolas；　scattered　at　random；　still　stand

upright　in　the　midst　of　sand　and　desolate　rocks。　It　is　the　proud

cemetery　of　the　Mameluke　Sultans；　whose　day　was　done　in　the　Middle

Ages。



But　if　one　looks　closely；　what　disorder；　what　a　mass　of　ruins　there

are　in　this　townstill　a　little　fairylikebeaten　this　evening　by　the

squalls　of　winter。　The　domes；　the　holy　tombs；　the　minarets　and

terraces；　all　are　crumbling：　the　hand　of　death　is　upon　them　all。　But

down　there；　in　the　far　distance；　near　to　that　silver　streak　which

meanders　through　the　plains；　and　which　is　the　old　Nile；　the　advent　of

new　times　is　proclaimed　by　the　chimneys　of　factories；　impudently　high；

that　disfigure　everything；　and　spout　forth　into　the　twilight　thick

clouds　of　black　smoke。



The　night　is　falling　as　we　descend　from　the　esplanade　to　return　to　our

lodgings。



We　have　first　to　traverse　the　old　town　of　Cairo；　a　maze　of　streets

still　full　of　charm；　wherein　the　thousand　little　lamps　of　the　Arab

shops　already　shed　their　quiet　light。　Passing　through　streets　which

twist　at　their　caprice；　beneath　overhanging　balconies　covered　with

wooden　trellis　of　exquisite　workmanship；　we　have　to　slacken　speed　in

the　midst　of　a　dense　crowd　of　men　and　beasts。　Close　to　us　pass　women；

veiled　in　black；　gently　mysterious　as　in　the　olden　times；　and　men　of

unmoved　gravity；　in　long　robes　and　white　draperies；　and　little　donkeys

pompously　bedecked　in　collars　of　blue　beads；　and　rows　of　leisurely

camels；　with　their　loads　of　lucerne；　which　exhale　the　pleasant

fragrance　of　the　fields。　And　when　in　the　gathering　gloom；　which　hides

the　signs　of　decay；　there　appear　suddenly；　above　the　little　houses；　so

lavishly　ornamented　with　mushrabiyas　and　arabesques；　the　tall　aerial

minarets；　rising　to　a　prodigious　height　into　the　twilight　sky；　it　is

still　the　adorable　East。



But　nevertheless；　what　ruins；　what　filth；　what　rubbish！　How　present　is

the　sense　of　impending　dissolution！　And　what　is　this：　large　pools　of

water　in　the　middle　of　the　road！　Granted　that　there　is　more　rain　here

than　formerly；　since　the　valley　of　the　Nile　has　been　artificially

irrigated；　it　still　seems　almost　impossible　that　there　should　be　all

this　black　water；　into　which　our　carriage　sinks　to　the　very　axles；　for

it　is　a　clear　week　since　any　serious　quantity　of　rain　fell。　It　would

seem　that　the　new　masters