egypt-第7章

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scabbard。



Although　our　little　lantern　maintains　its　light　we　seem　to　see　here

less　and　less：　the　darkness　around　us　in　these　vast　rooms　becomes

almost　overpoweringand　these　are　the　rooms；　too；　that；　leading　one

into　the　other；　facilitate　the　midnight　promenade　of　those　dread

〃forms〃　which；　every　evening；　are　released　and　roam　about。　。　。　。



On　a　table　in　the　middle　of　one　of　these　rooms　a　thing　to　make　you

shudder　gleams　in　a　glass　box；　a　fragile　thing　that　failed　of　life

some　two　thousand　years　ago。　It　is　the　mummy　of　a　human　embryo；　and

someone；　to　appease　the　malice　of　this　born…dead　thing；　had　covered

its　face　with　a　coating　of　goldfor；　according　to　the　belief　of　the

Egyptians；　these　little　abortions　became　the　evil　genii　of　their

families　if　proper　honour　was　not　paid　to　them。　At　the　end　of　its

negligible　body；　the　gilded　head；　with　its　great　foetus　eyes；　is

unforgettable　for　its　suffering　ugliness；　for　its　frustrated　and

ferocious　expression。



In　the　halls　into　which　we　next　penetrate　there　are　veritable　dead

bodies　ranged　on　either　side　of　us　as　we　pass；　their　coffins　are

displayed　in　tiers　one　above　the　other；　the　air　is　heavy　with　the

sickly　odour　of　mummies；　and　on　the　ground；　curled　always　like　some

huge　serpent；　the　leather　hoses　are　in　readiness；　for　here　indeed　is

the　danger　spot　for　fire。



And　the　master　of　this　strange　house　whispers　to　me：　〃This　is　the

place。　Look！　There　they　are。〃



In　truth　I　recognise　the　place；　having　often　come　here　in　the　daytime；

like　other　people。　In　spite　of　the　darkness；　which　commences　at　some

ten　paces　from　usso　small　is　the　circle　of　light　cast　by　our　lantern

I　can　distinguish　the　double　row　of　the　great　royal　coffins；　open

without　shame　in　their　glass　cases。　And　standing　against　the　walls；

upright；　like　so　many　sentinels；　are　the　coffin　lids；　fashioned　in　the

shape　of　the　human　figure。



We　are　there　at　last；　admitted　at　this　unseasonable　hour　into　the

guest…chamber　of　kings　and　queens；　for　an　audience　that　is　private

indeed。



And　there；　first　of　all；　is　the　woman　with　the　baby；　upon　whom；

without　stopping；　we　throw　the　light　of　our　lantern。　A　woman　who　died

in　giving　to　the　world　a　little　dead　prince。　Since　the　old　embalmers

no　one　has　seen　the　face　of　this　Queen　Makeri。　In　her　coffin　there　she

is　simply　a　tall　female　figure；　outlined　beneath　the　close…bound

swathings　of　brown…coloured　bandages。　At　her　feet　lies　the　fatal　baby；

grotesquely　shrivelled；　and　veiled　and　mysterious　as　the　mother

herself；　a　sort　of　doll；　it　seems；　put　there　to　keep　her　eternal

company　in　the　slow　passing　of　endless　years。



More　fearsome　to　approach　is　the　row　of　unswathed　mummies　that　follow。

Here；　in　each　coffin　over　which　we　bend；　there　is　a　face　which　stares

at　usor　else　closes　its　eyes　in　order　that　it　may　not　see　us；　and

meagre　shoulders　and　lean　arms；　and　hands　with　overgrown　nails　that

protrude　from　miserable　rags。　And　each　royal　mummy　that　our　lantern

lights　reserves　for　us　a　fresh　surprise　and　the　shudder　of　a　different

fearthey　resemble　one　another　so　little。　Some　of　them　seem　to　laugh；

showing　their　yellow　teeth；　others　have　an　expression　of　infinite

sadness　and　suffering。　Sometimes　the　faces　are　small；　refined　and

still　beautiful　despite　the　pinching　of　the　nostrils；　sometimes　they

are　excessively　enlarged　by　putrid　swelling；　with　the　tip　of　the　nose

eaten　away。　The　embalmers；　we　know；　were　not　sure　of　their　means；　and

the　mummies　were　not　always　a　success。　In　some　cases　putrefaction

ensued；　and　corruption　and　even　sudden　hatchings　of　larvae；　those

〃companions　without　ears　and　without　eyes；〃　which　died　indeed　in　time

but　only　after　they　had　perforated　all　the　flesh。



Hard　by　are　ranked　according　to　dynasty；　and　in　chronological　order；

the　proud　Pharaohs　in　a　piteous　row：　father；　son；　grandson；　great…

grandson。　And　common　paper　tickets　tell　their　tremendous　names；　Seti

I。；　Ramses　II。；　Seti　II。；　Ramses　III。；　Ramses　IV。　。　。　。　Soon　the

muster　will　be　complete；　with　such　energy　have　men　dug　in　the　heart　of

the　rocks　to　find　them　all；　and　these　glass　cases　will　no　doubt　be

their　final　resting…place。　In　olden　days；　however；　they　made　many

pilgrimages　after　their　death；　for　in　the　troubled　times　of　the

history　of　Egypt　it　was　one　of　the　harassing　preoccupations　of　the

reigning　sovereign　to　hide；　to　hide　at　all　costs；　the　mummies　of　his

ancestors；　which　filled　the　earth　increasingly；　and　which　the

violators　of　tombs　were　so　swift　to　track。　Then　they　were　carried

clandestinely　from　one　grave　to　another；　raised　each　from　his　own

pompous　sepulchre；　to　be　buried　at　last　together　in　some　humble　and

less　conspicuous　vault。　But　it　is　here；　in　this　museum　of　Egyptian

antiquities；　that　they　are　about　to　accomplish　their　return　to　dust；

which　has　been　deferred；　as　if　by　miracle；　for　so　many　centuries。　Now；

stripped　of　their　bandages；　their　days　are　numbered；　and　it　behoves　us

to　hasten　to　draw　these　physiognomies　of　three　or　four　thousand　years

ago；　which　are　about　to　perish。



In　that　coffinthe　last　but　one　of　the　row　on　the　leftit　is　the

great　Sesostris　himself　who　awaits　us。　We　know　of　old　that　face　of

ninety　years；　with　its　nose　hooked　like　the　beak　of　a　falcon；　and　the

gaps　between　those　old　man's　teeth；　the　meagre；　birdlike　neck；　and　the

hand　raised　in　a　gesture　of　menace。　Twenty　years　have　elapsed　since　he

was　brought　back　to　the　light；　this　master　of　the　world。　He　was

wrapped　/thousands　of　times/　in　a　marvellous　winding…sheet；　woven　of

aloe　fibres；　finer　than　the　muslin　of　India；　which　must　have　taken

years　in　the　making　and　measured　more　than　400　yards　in　length。　The

unswathing；　done　in　the　presence　of　the　Khedive　Tewfik　and　the　great

personages　of　Egypt；　lasted　two　hours；　and　after　the　last　turn；　when

the　illustrious　figure　appeared；　the　emotion　amongst　the　assistants

was　such　that　they　stampeded　like　a　herd　of　cattle；　and　the　Pharaoh

was　overturned。　He　has；　moreover；　given　much　cause　for　conversation；

this　great　Sesostris；　since　his　installation　in　the　museum。　Suddenly

one　day　with　a　brusque　gesture；　in　the　presence　of　the　attendants；　who

fled　howling　with　fear；　he　raised　that　hand　which　is　still　in　the　air；

and　which　he　has　not　deigned　since　to　lower。＇*＇　And　subsequently　there

supervened；　beginning　in　the　old　yellowish…white　hair；　and　then

swarming　over　the　whole　body；　a　hatching　of　cadaveric　fauna；　which

necessitated　a　complete　bath　in　mercury。　He　also　has　his　paper　ticket；

pasted　on　the　end　of　his　box；　and　one　may　read　there；　written　in　a

careless　hand；　that　name　which　once　caused　the　whole　world　to　tremble

〃Ramses　II。　（Sesostris）〃！　It　need　not　be　said　that　he　has　greatly

fallen　away　and　blackened　even　in　the　fifteen　yeas　that　I　have　known

him。　He　is　a　phantom　that　is　about　to　disappear；　in　spite　of　all　the

care　lavished　upon　him；　a　poor　phantom　about　to　fall　to　pieces；　to

sink　into　nothingness。　We　move　our　lantern　about　his　hooked　nose；　the

better　to　decipher；　in　the　play　of　shadow；　his　expression；　that　still

remains　authoritative。　。　。　。　To　think　that　once　the　destinies　of　the

world　were　ruled；　without　appeal；　by　the　nod　of　this　head；　which　looks

now　somewhat　narrow；　under　the　dry　skin　and　the　horrible　whitish　hair。

What　force　of　will；　of　passion　and　colossal　pride　must　once　have　dwelt

therein！　Not　to　mention　the　anxiety；　which　to　us　now　is　scarcely

conceivable；　but　which　in　his　time　overmastered　all　othersthe

anxiety；　that　is　to　say；　of　assuring　the　magnificence　and

inviolability　of　sepulture！　。　。　。　And　this　horrible　scarecrow；

toothless　and　senile；　lying　here　in　its　filthy　rags；　with　the　hand

raised　in　an　impotent　menace；　was　once　the　brilliant　Sesostris；　the

master　of　kings；　and　by　virtue　of　his　strength　and　beauty　the　demigod

also；　whose　muscular　limbs　and　deep　athletic　chest　many　colossal

statues　at　Memphis；　at　Thebes；　at　Luxor；　reproduce　and　try　to　make

eternal。　。　。　。



＇*＇　This　movement　is　explained　by　th