egypt-第31章

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children　in　the　form　of　a　chain。　The　periodical　deposits　of　the　Nile；

and　the　sand　carried　by　the　wind　of　the　desert；　had　raised　the　soil　by

about　six　yards　since　the　time　when　Thebes　ceased　to　live。　But　now　men

are　endeavouring　to　restore　the　ancient　level。　At　first　sight　the　task

seemed　impossible；　but　they　will　achieve　it　in　the　end；　even　with

their　simple　means；　these　fellah　toilers；　who　sing　as　they　labour　at

their　incessant　work　of　ants。　Soon　the　grand　hypostyle　will　be　freed

from　rubbish；　and　its　columns；　which　even　before　seemed　so　tremendous；

uncovered　now　to　the　base；　have　added　another　twenty　feet　to　their

height。　A　number　of　colossal　statues；　which　lay　asleep　beneath　this

shroud　of　earth　and　sand；　have　been　brought　back　to　the　light；　set

upright　again　and　have　resumed　their　watch　in　the　intimidating

thoroughfares　for　a　new　period　of　quasi…eternity。　Year　by　year　the

town…mummy　is　being　slowly　exhumed　by　dint　of　prodigious　effort；　and

is　repeopled　again　by　gods　and　kings　who　had　been　hidden　for　thousands

of　years！＇*＇　Year　in；　year　out；　the　digging　continuesdeeper　and

deeper。　It　is　scarcely　known　to　what　depth　the　debris　and　the　ruins

descend。　Thebes　had　endured　for　so　many　centuries；　the　earth　here　is

so　penetrated　with　human　past；　that　it　is　averred　that；　under　the

oldest　of　the　known　temples　there　are　still　others；　older　still　and

more　massive；　of　which　there　was　no　suspicion；　and　whose　age　must

exceed　eight　thousand　years。



＇*＇　As　is　generally　known；　the　maintenance　of　the　ancient　monuments　of

　　　　Egypt　and　their　restoration；　so　far　as　that　may　be　possible；　has

　　　　been　entrusted　to　the　French。　M。　Maspero　has　delegated　to　Thebes

　　　　an　artist　and　a　scholar；　M。　Legrain　by　name；　who　is　devoting　his

　　　　life　passionately　to　the　work。



In　spite　of　the　burning　sun；　and　of　the　clouds　of　dust　raised　by　the

blows　of　the　pickaxes；　one　might　linger　for　hours　amongst　the　dust…

stained；　meagre　fellahs；　watching　the　excavations　in　this　unique　soil

where　everything　that　is　revealed　is　by　way　of　being　a　surprise　and

a　lucky　find；　where　the　least　carved　stone　had　a　past　of　glory；　formed

part　of　the　first　architectural　splendours；　was　/a　stone　of　Thebes/。

Scarcely　a　moment　passes　but；　at　the　bottom　of　the　trenches；　as　the

digging　proceeds；　some　new　thing　gleams。　Perhaps　it　is　the　polished

flank　of　a　colossus；　fashioned　out　of　granite　from　Syene；　or　a　little

copper　Osiris；　the　debris　of　a　vase；　a　golden　trinket　beyond　price；　or

even　a　simple　blue　pearl　that　has　fallen　from　the　necklace　of　some

waiting…maid　of　a　queen。



This　activity　of　the　excavators；　which　alone　reanimates　certain

quarters　during　the　day；　ends　at　sunset。　Every　evening　the　lean

fellahs　receive　the　daily　wage　of　their　labour；　and　take　themselves

off　to　sleep　in　the　silent　neighbourhood　in　their　huts　of　mud；　and　the

iron　gates　are　shut　behind　them。　At　night；　except　for　the　guards　at

the　entrance；　no　one　inhabits　the　ruins。



*****



Crumbling　and　dust。　。　。　。　Far　around；　on　every　side　of　these　palaces

and　temples　of　the　central　arterywhich　are　the　best　preserved　and

remain　proudly　uprightstretch　great　mournful　spaces；　on　which　the

sun　from　morning　till　evening　pours　an　implacable　light。　There；

amongst　the　lank　desert　plants；　lie　blocks　scattered　at　hazardthe

remains　of　sanctuaries；　of　which　neither　the　plan　nor　the　form　will

ever　be　discovered。　But　on　these　stones；　fragments　of　the　history　of

the　world　are　still　to　be　read　in　clear…cut　hieroglyphs。



To　the　west　of　the　hypostyle　hall　there　is　a　region　strewn　with　discs；

all　equal　and　all　alike。　It　might　be　a　draught…board　for　Titans　with

draughts　that　would　measure　ten　yards　in　circumference。　They　are　the

scattered　fragments；　slices；　as　it　were；　of　a　colonnade　of　the　Ramses。

Farther　on　the　ground　seems　to　have　passed　through　fire。　You　walk　over

blackish　scoriae　encrusted　with　brazen　bolts　and　particles　of　melted

glass。　It　is　the　quarter　burnt　by　the　soldiers　of　Cambyses。　They　were

great　destroyers　of　the　queen　city；　were　these　same　Persian　soldiers。

To　break　up　the　obelisks　and　the　colossal　statues　they　conceived　the

plan　of　scorching　them　by　lighting　bonfires　around　them；　and　then；

when　they　saw　them　burning　hot；　they　deluged　them　with　cold　water。　And

the　granites　cracked　from　top　to　base。



It　is　well　known；　of　course；　that　Thebes　used　to　extend　for　a

considerable　distance　both　on　this；　the　right；　bank　of　the　Nile；　where

the　Pharaohs　resided；　and　opposite；　on　the　Libyan　bank；　given　over　to

the　preparers　of　mummies　and　to　the　mortuary　temples。　But　to…day；

except　for　the　great　palaces　of　the　centre；　it　is　little　more　than　a

litter　of　ruins；　and　the　long　avenues；　lined　with　endless　rows　of

sphinxes　or　rams；　are　lost；　goodness　knows　where；　buried　beneath　the

sand。



At　wide　intervals；　however；　in　the　midst　of　these　cemeteries　of

things；　a　temple　here　and　there　remains　upright；　preserving　still　its

sanctified　gloom　beneath　its　cavernous　carapace。　One；　where　certain

celebrated　oracles　used　to　be　delivered；　is　even　more　prisonlike　and

sepulchral　than　the　others　in　its　eternal　shadow。　High　up　in　a　wall

the　black　hole　of　a　kind　of　grotto　opens；　to　which　a　secret　corridor

coming　from　the　depths　used　to　lead。　It　was　there　that　the　face　of　the

priest　charged　with　the　announcement　of　the　sibylline　words　appeared

and　the　ceiling　of　his　niche　is　all　covered　still　with　the　smoke　from

the　flame　of　his　lamp；　which　was　extinguished　more　than　two　thousand

years　ago！



*****



What　a　number　of　ruins；　scarcely　emerging　from　the　sand　of　the　desert；

are　hereabout！　And　in　the　old　dried…up　soil；　how　many　strange

treasures　remain　hidden！　When　the　sun　lights　thus　the　forlorn

distances；　when　you　perceive　stretching　away　to　the　horizon　these

fields　of　death；　you　realise　better　what　kind　of　a　place　this　Thebes

once　was。　Rebuilt　as　it　were　in　the　imagination　it　appears　excessive；

superabundant　and　multiple；　like　those　flowers　of　the　antediluvian

world　which　the　fossils　reveal　to　us。　Compared　with　it　how　our　modern

towns　are　dwarfed；　and　our　hasty　little　palaces；　our　stuccoes　and　old

iron！



And　it　is　so　mystical；　this　town　of　Thebes；　with　its　dark　sanctuaries；

once　inhabited　by　gods　and　symbols。　All　the　sublime；　fresh…minded

striving　of　the　human　soul　after　the　Unknowable　is　as　it　were

petrified　in　these　ruins；　in　forms　diverse　and　immeasurably　grand。　And

subsisting　thus　down　to　our　day　it　puts　us　to　shame。　Compared　with

this　people；　who　thought　only　of　eternity；　we　are　a　lot　of　pitiful

dotards；　who　soon　will　be　past　caring　about　the　wherefore　of　life；　or

thought；　or　death。　Such　beginnings　presaged；　surely；　something　greater

than　our　humanity　of　the　present　day；　given　over　to　despair；　to

alcohol　and　to　explosives！



*****



Crumbling　and　dust！　This　same　sun　of　Thebes　is　in　its　place　each　day；

parching；　exhausting；　cracking　and　pulverising。



On　the　ground　where　once　stood　so　much　magnificence　there　are　fields

of　corn；　spread　out　like　green　carpets；　which　tell　of　the　return　of

the　humble　life　of　tillage。　Above　all；　there　is　the　sand；　encroaching

now　upon　the　very　threshold　of　the　Pharaohs；　there　is　the　yellow

desert；　there　is　the　world　of　reflections　and　of　silence；　which

approaches　like　a　slow　submerging　tide。　In　the　distance；　where　the

mirage　trembles　from　morning　till　evening；　the　burying　is　already

almost　achieved。　The　few　poor　stones　which　still　appear；　barely

emerging　from　the　advancing　dunes；　are　the　remains　of　what　men；　in

their　superb　revolts　against　death；　had　contrived　to　make　the　most

massively　indestructible。



And　this　sun；　this　eternal　sun；　which　parades　over　Thebes　the　irony　of

its　durationfor　us　so　impossible　to　calculate　or　to　conceive！

Nowhere　so　much　as　here　does　one　suffer　from　the　dismay　of　knowing

that　all　our　miserable　little　human　effervescence　is　only　a　sort　of

fermentation　round　an　atom　emanated　from　that　sinister　ball　of　fire；