the works of edgar allan poe-5-第3章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


the　fourth　watch；　being　sunrise；　and　the　idolaters；　in　fulfilment　of　the
promise　of　Pompey；　should　be　awaiting　us　with　the　lambs　for　the
sacrifices。〃

Simeon；　Abel…Phittim；　and　Duzi…Ben…Levi　were　the　Gizbarim；　or
sub…collectors　of　the　offering；　in　the　holy　city　of　Jerusalem。

〃Verily；〃　replied　the　Pharisee；　〃let　us　hasten：　for　this　generosity　in　the
heathen　is　unwonted；　and　fickle…mindedness　has　ever　been　an　attribute　of
the　worshippers　of　Baal。〃

〃'That　they　are　fickle…minded　and　treacherous　is　as　true　as　the
Pentateuch；〃　said　Buzi…Ben…Levi；　〃but　that　is　only　toward　the　people　of
Adonai。　When　was　it　ever　known　that　the　Ammonites　proved　wanting　to　their
own　interests？　Methinks　it　is　no　great　stretch　of　generosity　to　allow　us
lambs　for　the　altar　of　the　Lord；　receiving　in　lieu　thereof　thirty　silver
shekels　per　head　！〃

〃Thou　forgettest；　however；　Ben…Levi；〃　replied　Abel…Phittim；　〃that　the
Roman　Pompey；　who　is　now　impiously　besieging　the　city　of　the　Most　High；
has　no　assurity　that　we　apply　not　the　lambs　thus　purchased　for　the　altar；
to　the　sustenance　of　the　body；　rather　than　of　the　spirit。〃

〃Now；　by　the　five　corners　of　my　beard！〃　shouted　the　Pharisee；　who　belonged
to　the　sect　called　The　Dashers　（that　little　knot　of　saints　whose　manner　of
_dashing　_and　lacerating　the　feet　against　the　pavement　was　long　a　thorn
and　a　reproach　to　less　zealous　devotees…a　stumbling…block　to　less　gifted
perambulators）〃by　the　five　corners　of　that　beard　which；　as　a　priest；　I
am　forbidden　to　shave　！…have　we　lived　to　see　the　day　when　a　blaspheming
and　idolatrous　upstart　of　Rome　shall　accuse　us　of　appropriating　to　the
appetites　of　the　flesh　the　most　holy　and　consecrated　elements？　Have　we
lived　to　see　the　day　when…〃'

〃Let　us　not　question　the　motives　of　the　Philistine；〃　interrupted
Abel…Phittim'　〃for　to…day　we　profit　for　the　first　time　by　his　avarice　or
by　his　generosity；　but　rather　let　us　hurry　to　the　ramparts；　lest　offerings
should　be　wanting　for　that　altar　whose　fire　the　rains　of　heaven　can　not
extinguish；　and　whose　pillars　of　smoke　no　tempest　can　turn　aside。〃

That　part　of　the　city　to　which　our　worthy　Gizbarim　now　hastened；　and　which
bore　the　name　of　its　architect；　King　David；　was　esteemed　the　most　strongly
fortified　district　of　Jerusalem；　being　situated　upon　the　steep　and　lofty
hill　of　Zion。　Here；　a　broad；　deep；　circumvallatory　trench；　hewn　from　the
solid　rock；　was　defended　by　a　wall　of　great　strength　erected　upon　its
inner　edge。　This　wall　was　adorned；　at　regular　interspaces；　by　square
towers　of　white　marble；　the　lowest　sixty；　and　the　highest　one　hundred　and
twenty　cubits…　in　height。　But；　in　the　vicinity　of　the　gate　of　Benjamin；
the　wall　arose　by　no　means　from　the　margin　of　the　fosse。　On　the　contrary；
between　the　level　of　the　ditch　and　the　basement　of　the　rampart　sprang　up　a
perpendicular　cliff　of　two　hundred　and　fifty　cubits；　forming　part　of　the
precipitous　Mount　Moriah。　So　that　when　Simeon　and　his　associates　arrived
on　the　summit　of　the　tower　called　Adoni…Bezek…the　loftiest　of　all　the
turrets　around　about　Jerusalem；　and　the　usual　place　of　conference　with　the
besieging　army…they　looked　down　upon　the　camp　of　the　enemy　from　an
eminence　excelling　by　many　feet　that　of　the　Pyramid　of　Cheops；　and；　by
several；　that　of　the　temple　of　Belus。

〃Verily；〃　sighed　the　Pharisee；　as　he　peered　dizzily　over　the　precipice；
〃the　uncircumcised　are　as　the　sands　by　the　seashore…as　the　locusts　in　the
wilderness！　The　valley　of　the　King　hath　become　the　valley　of　Adommin。〃

〃And　yet；〃　added　Ben…Levi；　〃thou　canst　not　point　me　out　a　Philistine…no；
not　one…from　Aleph　to　Tau…from　the　wilderness　to　the　battlements…who
seemeth　any　bigger　than　the　letter　Jod！〃

〃Lower　away　the　basket　with　the　shekels　of　silver！〃　here　shouted　a　Roman
soldier　in　a　hoarse；　rough　voice；　which　appeared　to　issue　from　the　regions
of　Pluto…〃lower　away　the　basket　with　the　accursed　coin　which　it　has
broken　the　jaw　of　a　noble　Roman　to　pronounce！　Is　it　thus　you　evince　your
gratitude　to　our　master　Pompeius；　who；　in　his　condescension；　has　thought
fit　to　listen　to　your　idolatrous　importunities？　The　god　Phoebus；　who　is　a
true　god；　has　been　charioted　for　an　hour…and　were　you　not　to　be　on　the
ramparts　by　sunrise？　Aedepol！　do　you　think　that　we；　the　conquerors　of　the
world；　have　nothing　better　to　do　than　stand　waiting　by　the　walls　of　every
kennel；　to　traffic　with　the　dogs　of　the　earth？　Lower　away！　I　sayand　see
that　your　trumpery　be　bright　in　color　and　just　in　weight！〃

〃El　Elohim！〃　ejaculated　the　Pharisee；　as　the　discordant　tones　of　the
centurion　rattled　up　the　crags　of　the　precipice；　and　fainted　away　against
the　temple　…〃El　Elohim！who　is　the　god　Phoebus？whom　doth　the　blasphemer
invoke？　Thou；　Buzi…BenLevi！　who　art　read　in　the　laws　of　the　Gentiles；　and
hast　sojourned　among　them　who　dabble　with　the　Teraphim！is　it　Nergal　of
whom　the　idolater　speaketh？or　Ashimah？or　Nibhaz；or　Tartak？　or
Adramalech？or　Anamalech？or　Succoth…Benith？…or　Dagon？…or
Belial？…or　Baal…Perith？　…or　Baal…Peor？…or　Baal…Zebub？〃

〃Verily　it　is　neither…but　beware　how　thou　lettest　the　rope　slip　too
rapidly　through　thy　fingers；　for　should　the　wicker…work　chance　to　hang　on
the　projection　of　Yonder　crag；　there　will　be　a　woful　outpouring　of　the
holy　things　of　the　sanctuary。〃

By　the　assistance　of　some　rudely　constructed　machinery；　the　heavily　laden
basket　was　now　carefully　lowered　down　among　the　multitude；　and；　from　the
giddy　pinnacle；　the　Romans　were　seen　gathering　confusedly　round　it；　but
owing　to　the　vast　height　and　the　prevalence　of　a　fog；　no　distinct　view　of
their　operations　could　be　obtained。

Half　an　hour　had　already　elapsed。

〃We　shall　be　too　late！〃　sighed　the　Pharisee；　as　at　the　expiration　of　this
period　he　looked　over　into　the　abyss…〃we　shall　be　too　late！　we　shall　be
turned　out　of　office　by　the　Katholim。〃

　〃No　more；〃　responded　Abel…Phittim〃no　more　shall　we　feast　upon　the　fat
of　the　land…no　longer　shall　our　beards　be　odorous　with　frankincenseour
loins　girded　up　with　fine　linen　from　the　Temple。〃

〃Racal〃　swore　Ben…Levi；　〃Racal　do　they　mean　to　defraud　us　of　the　purchase
money？　or；　Holy　Moses　！　are　they　weighing　the　shekels　of　the　tabernacle　？〃

〃They　have　given　the　signal　at　last！〃　cried　the　Pharisee…〃they　have
given　the　signal　at　last！pull　away；　Abel…Phittim！…and　thou；　Buzi…Ben…Levi；
pull　away！…for　verily　the　Philistines　have　either　still　hold　upon　the
basket；　or　the　Lord　hath　softened　their　hearts　to　place　therein　a　beast　of
good　weight！〃　And　the　Gizbarim　pulled　away；　while　their　burden　swung
heavily　upward　through　the　still　increasing　mist。

〃Booshoh　he！〃…as；　at　the　conclusion　of　an　hour；　some　object　at　the
extremity　of　the　rope　became　indistinctly　visible…〃Booshoh　he！〃　was　the
exclamation　which　burst　from　the　lips　of　Ben…Levi。

　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　。　　　　　　。　　　　　　。　　　　　　。　　　　　　。　　　　　　。　　　　　　。　　　　　　。　　　　　　。

〃Booshoh　he！for　shame！…it　is　a　ram　from　the　thickets　of　Engedi；　and　as
rugged　as　the　valley　of　jehosaphat！〃

〃It　is　a　firstling　of　the　flock；〃　said　Abel…Phittim；　〃I　know　him　by　the
bleating　of　his　lips；　and　the　innocent　folding　of　his　limbs。　His　eyes　are
more　beautiful　than　the　jewels　of　the　Pectoral；　and　his　flesh　is　like　the
honey　of　Hebron。〃

〃It　is　a　fatted　calf　from　the　pastures　of　Bashan；〃　said　the　Pharisee；　〃the
heathen　have　dealt　wonderfully　with　us　let　us　raise　up　our　voices　in　a
psalm　let　us　give　thanks　on　the　shawm　and　on　the　psaltery…on　the　harp
and　on　the　huggab…on　the　cythern　and　on　the　sackbut！〃

It　was　not　until　the　basket　had　arrived　within　a　few　feet　of　the　Gizbarim
that　a　low　grunt　betrayed　to　their　perception　a　hog　of　no　common　size。

〃Now　El　Emanu！〃　slowly　and　with　upturned　eyes　ejaculated　the　trio；　as；
letting　go　their　hold；　the　emancipated　porker　tumbled　headlong　among　the
Philistines；　〃El　Emanu！…God　be　with　us…it　is　_the　unutterable　flesh！〃_

~~~~~~　End　of　Text　~~~~~~



THE　SPHINX

DURING　the　dread　reign　of　the　Cholera　in　New　York；　I　had　accepted　the
invitation　of　a　relative　to　spend　a　fortnight　with　him　in　the　retirement
of　his　_cottage　ornee_　on　the　banks　of　the　Hudson。　We　had　here　around　us
all　the　ordinary　means　of　summer　amusement；　and　what　with　rambling　in　the
woods；　sketching；　boating；