the works of edgar allan poe-5-第26章

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Scarabaeus　tribe；　in　a　condition　of　vitality？〃

〃There　can　be　no　question　of　it；〃　replied　the　Count；　〃all　the　Scarabaei
embalmed　accidentally　while　alive；　are　alive　now。　Even　some　of　those
purposely　so　embalmed；　may　have　been　overlooked　by　their　executors；　and
still　remain　in　the　tomb。〃

〃Will　you　be　kind　enough　to　explain；〃　I　said；　〃what　you　mean　by　'purposely
so　embalmed'？〃

〃With　great　pleasure！〃　answered　the　Mummy；　after　surveying　me　leisurely
through　his　eye…glass　　for　it　was　the　first　time　I　had　ventured　to
address　him　a　direct　question。

〃With　great　pleasure；〃　he　said。　〃The　usual　duration　of　man's　life；　in　my
time；　was　about　eight　hundred　years。　Few　men　died；　unless　by　most
extraordinary　accident；　before　the　age　of　six　hundred；　few　lived　longer
than　a　decade　of　centuries；　but　eight　were　considered　the　natural　term。
After　the　discovery　of　the　embalming　principle；　as　I　have　already
described　it　to　you；　it　occurred　to　our　philosophers　that　a　laudable
curiosity　might　be　gratified；　and；　at　the　same　time；　the　interests　of
science　much　advanced；　by　living　this　natural　term　in　installments。　In　the
case　of　history；　indeed；　experience　demonstrated　that　something　of　this
kind　was　indispensable。　An　historian；　for　example；　having　attained　the　age
of　five　hundred；　would　write　a　book　with　great　labor　and　then　get　himself
carefully　embalmed；　leaving　instructions　to　his　executors　pro　tem。；　that
they　should　cause　him　to　be　revivified　after　the　lapse　of　a　certain　period
　say　five　or　six　hundred　years。　Resuming　existence　at　the　expiration　of
this　time；　he　would　invariably　find　his　great　work　converted　into　a
species　of　hap…hazard　note…book　　that　is　to　say；　into　a　kind　of　literary
arena　for　the　conflicting　guesses；　riddles；　and　personal　squabbles　of
whole　herds　of　exasperated　commentators。　These　guesses；　etc。；　which　passed
under　the　name　of　annotations；　or　emendations；　were　found　so　completely　to
have　enveloped；　distorted；　and　overwhelmed　the　text；　that　the　author　had
to　go　about　with　a　lantern　to　discover　his　own　book。　When　discovered；　it
was　never　worth　the　trouble　of　the　search。　After　re…writing　it　throughout；
it　was　regarded　as　the　bounden　duty　of　the　historian　to　set　himself　to
work　immediately　in　correcting；　from　his　own　private　knowledge　and
experience；　the　traditions　of　the　day　concerning　the　epoch　at　which　he　had
originally　lived。　Now　this　process　of　re…scription　and　personal
rectification；　pursued　by　various　individual　sages　from　time　to　time；　had
the　effect　of　preventing　our　history　from　degenerating　into　absolute
fable。〃

〃I　beg　your　pardon；〃　said　Doctor　Ponnonner　at　this　point；　laying　his　hand
gently　upon　the　arm　of　the　Egyptian　　〃I　beg　your　pardon；　sir；　but　may　I
presume　to　interrupt　you　for　one　moment？〃

〃By　all　means；　sir；〃　replied　the　Count；　drawing　up。

〃I　merely　wished　to　ask　you　a　question；〃　said　the　Doctor。　〃You　mentioned
the　historian's　personal　correction　of　traditions　respecting　his　own
epoch。　Pray；　sir；　upon　an　average　what　proportion　of　these　Kabbala　were
usually　found　to　be　right？〃

〃The　Kabbala；　as　you　properly　term　them；　sir；　were　generally　discovered　to
be　precisely　on　a　par　with　the　facts　recorded　in　the　un…re…written
histories　themselves；　　that　is　to　say；　not　one　individual　iota　of　either
was　ever　known；　under　any　circumstances；　to　be　not　totally　and　radically
wrong。〃

〃But　since　it　is　quite　clear；〃　resumed　the　Doctor；　〃that　at　least　five
thousand　years　have　elapsed　since　your　entombment；　I　take　it　for　granted
that　your　histories　at　that　period；　if　not　your　traditions　were
sufficiently　explicit　on　that　one　topic　of　universal　interest；　the
Creation；　which　took　place；　as　I　presume　you　are　aware；　only　about　ten
centuries　before。〃

〃Sir！〃　said　the　Count　Allamistakeo。

The　Doctor　repeated　his　remarks；　but　it　was　only　after　much　additional
explanation　that　the　foreigner　could　be　made　to　comprehend　them。　The
latter　at　length　said；　hesitatingly：

〃The　ideas　you　have　suggested　are　to　me；　I　confess；　utterly　novel。　During
my　time　I　never　knew　any　one　to　entertain　so　singular　a　fancy　as　that　the
universe　（or　this　world　if　you　will　have　it　so）　ever　had　a　beginning　at
all。　I　remember　once；　and　once　only；　hearing　something　remotely　hinted；　by
a　man　of　many　speculations；　concerning　the　origin　_of　the　human　race；_　and
by　this　individual；　the　very　word　_Adam_　（or　Red　Earth）；　which　you　make
use　of；　was　employed。　He　employed　it；　however；　in　a　generical　sense；　with
reference　to　the　spontaneous　germination　from　rank　soil　（just　as　a
thousand　of　the　lower　genera　of　creatures　are　germinated）　　the
spontaneous　germination；　I　say；　of　five　vast　hordes　of　men；　simultaneously
upspringing　in　five　distinct　and　nearly　equal　divisions　of　the　globe。〃

Here；　in　general；　the　company　shrugged　their　shoulders；　and　one　or　two　of
us　touched　our　foreheads　with　a　very　significant　air。　Mr。　Silk　Buckingham；
first　glancing　slightly　at　the　occiput　and　then　at　the　sinciput　of
Allamistakeo；　spoke　as　follows：

〃The　long　duration　of　human　life　in　your　time；　together　with　the
occasional　practice　of　passing　it；　as　you　have　explained；　in　installments；
must　have　had；　indeed；　a　strong　tendency　to　the　general　development　and
conglomeration　of　knowledge。　I　presume；　therefore；　that　we　are　to
attribute　the　marked　inferiority　of　the　old　Egyptians　in　all　particulars
of　science；　when　compared　with　the　moderns；　and　more　especially　with　the
Yankees；　altogether　to　the　superior　solidity　of　the　Egyptian　skull。〃

〃I　confess　again；〃　replied　the　Count；　with　much　suavity；　〃that　I　am
somewhat　at　a　loss　to　comprehend　you；　pray；　to　what　particulars　of　science
do　you　allude？〃

Here　our　whole　party；　joining　voices；　detailed；　at　great　length；　the
assumptions　of　phrenology　and　the　marvels　of　animal　magnetism。

Having　heard　us　to　an　end；　the　Count　proceeded　to　relate　a　few　anecdotes；
which　rendered　it　evident　that　prototypes　of　Gall　and　Spurzheim　had
flourished　and　faded　in　Egypt　so　long　ago　as　to　have　been　nearly
forgotten；　and　that　the　manoeuvres　of　Mesmer　were　really　very　contemptible
tricks　when　put　in　collation　with　the　positive　miracles　of　the　Theban
savans；　who　created　lice　and　a　great　many　other　similar　things。

I　here　asked　the　Count　if　his　people　were　able　to　calculate　eclipses。　He
smiled　rather　contemptuously；　and　said　they　were。

This　put　me　a　little　out；　but　I　began　to　make　other　inquiries　in　regard　to
his　astronomical　knowledge；　when　a　member　of　the　company；　who　had　never　as
yet　opened　his　mouth；　whispered　in　my　ear；　that　for　information　on　this
head；　I　had　better　consult　Ptolemy　（whoever　Ptolemy　is）；　as　well　as　one
Plutarch　de　facie　lunae。

I　then　questioned　the　Mummy　about　burning…glasses　and　lenses；　and；　in
general；　about　the　manufacture　of　glass；　but　I　had　not　made　an　end　of　my
queries　before　the　silent　member　again　touched　me　quietly　on　the　elbow；
and　begged　me　for　God's　sake　to　take　a　peep　at　Diodorus　Siculus。　As　for
the　Count；　he　merely　asked　me；　in　the　way　of　reply；　if　we　moderns
possessed　any　such　microscopes　as　would　enable　us　to　cut　cameos　in　the
style　of　the　Egyptians。　While　I　was　thinking　how　I　should　answer　this
question；　little　Doctor　Ponnonner　committed　himself　in　a　very
extraordinary　way。

〃Look　at　our　architecture！〃　he　exclaimed；　greatly　to　the　indignation　of
both　the　travellers；　who　pinched　him　black　and　blue　to　no　purpose。

〃Look；〃　he　cried　with　enthusiasm；　〃at　the　Bowling…Green　Fountain　in　New
York！　or　if　this　be　too　vast　a　contemplation；　regard　for　a　moment　the
Capitol　at　Washington；　D。　C。！〃　　and　the　good　little　medical　man　went　on
to　detail　very　minutely；　the　proportions　of　the　fabric　to　which　he
referred。　He　explained　that　the　portico　alone　was　adorned　with　no　less
than　four　and　twenty　columns；　five　feet　in　diameter；　and　ten　feet　apart。

The　Count　said　that　he　regretted　not　being　able　to　remember；　just　at　that
moment；　the　precise　dimensions　of　any　one　of　the　principal　buildings　of
the　city　of　Aznac；　whose　foundations　were　laid　in　the　night　of　Time；　but
the　ruins　of　which　were　still　standing；　at　the　epoch　of　his　entombment；　in
a　vast　plain　of　sand　to　the　westward　of　Thebes。　He　recollected；　however；
（talking　of　the　p