salammbo-第67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！



which　was　considered　as　carrying　the　others　along　with　it。　But　no　one

had　appeared　up　to　the　present；　and　the　seven　passages　leading　from

the　barriers　to　the　colossus　were　completely　empty。　Then　the　priests；

to　encourage　the　people；　drew　bodkins　from　their　girdles　and　gashed

their　faces。　The　Devotees；　who　were　stretched　on　the　ground　outside；

were　brought　within　the　enclosure。　A　bundle　of　horrible　irons　was

thrown　to　them；　and　each　chose　his　own　torture。　They　drove　in　spits

between　their　breasts；　they　split　their　cheeks；　they　put　crowns　of

thorns　upon　their　heads；　then　they　twined　their　arms　together；　and

surrounded　the　children　in　another　large　circle　which　widened　and

contracted　in　turns。　They　reached　to　the　balustrade；　they　threw

themselves　back　again；　and　then　began　once　more；　attracting　the　crowd

to　them　by　the　dizziness　of　their　motion　with　its　accompanying　blood

and　shrieks。



By　degrees　people　came　into　the　end　of　the　passages；　they　flung　into

the　flames　pearls；　gold　vases；　cups；　torches；　all　their　wealth；　the

offerings　became　constantly　more　numerous　and　more　splendid。　At　last　a

man　who　tottered；　a　man　pale　and　hideous　with　terror；　thrust　forward　a

child；　then　a　little　black　mass　was　seen　between　the　hands　of　the

colossus；　and　sank　into　the　dark　opening。　The　priests　bent　over　the

edge　of　the　great　flagstone；and　a　new　song　burst　forth　celebrating

the　joys　of　death　and　of　new　birth　into　eternity。



The　children　ascended　slowly；　and　as　the　smoke　formed　lofty　eddies　as

it　escaped；　they　seemed　at　a　distance　to　disappear　in　a　cloud。　Not　one

stirred。　Their　wrists　and　ankles　were　tied；　and　the　dark　drapery

prevented　them　from　seeing　anything　and　from　being　recognised。



Hamilcar；　in　a　red　cloak；　like　the　priests　of　Moloch；　was　beside　the

Baal；　standing　upright　in　front　of　the　great　toe　of　its　right　foot。

When　the　fourteenth　child　was　brought　every　one　could　see　him　make　a

great　gesture　of　horror。　But　he　soon　resumed　his　former　attitude；

folded　his　arms；　and　looked　upon　the　ground。　The　high　pontiff　stood　on

the　other　side　of　the　statue　as　motionless　as　he。　His　head；　laden　with

an　Assyrian　mitre；　was　bent；　and　he　was　watching　the　gold　plate　on　his

breast；　it　was　covered　with　fatidical　stones；　and　the　flame　mirrored

in　it　formed　irisated　lights。　He　grew　pale　and　dismayed。　Hamilcar　bent

his　brow；　and　they　were　both　so　near　the　funeral…pile　that　the　hems　of

their　cloaks　brushed　it　as　they　rose　from　time　to　time。



The　brazen　arms　were　working　more　quickly。　They　paused　no　longer。

Every　time　that　a　child　was　placed　in　them　the　priests　of　Moloch

spread　out　their　hands　upon　him　to　burden　him　with　the　crimes　of　the

people；　vociferating：　〃They　are　not　men　but　oxen！〃　and　the　multitude

round　about　repeated：　〃Oxen！　oxen！〃　The　devout　exclaimed：　〃Lord！　eat！〃

and　the　priests　of　Proserpine；　complying　through　terror　with　the　needs

of　Carthage；　muttered　the　Eleusinian　formula：　〃Pour　out　rain！　bring

forth！〃



The　victims；　when　scarcely　at　the　edge　of　the　opening；　disappeared

like　a　drop　of　water　on　a　red…hot　plate；　and　white　smoke　rose　amid　the

great　scarlet　colour。



Nevertheless；　the　appetite　of　the　god　was　not　appeased。　He　ever　wished

for　more。　In　order　to　furnish　him　with　a　larger　supply；　the　victims

were　piled　up　on　his　hands　with　a　big　chain　above　them　which　kept　them

in　their　place。　Some　devout　persons　had　at　the　beginning　wished　to

count　them；　to　see　whether　their　number　corresponded　with　the　days　of

the　solar　year；　but　others　were　brought；　and　it　was　impossible　to

distinguish　them　in　the　giddy　motion　of　the　horrible　arms。　This　lasted

for　a　long；　indefinite　time　until　the　evening。　Then　the　partitions

inside　assumed　a　darker　glow；　and　burning　flesh　could　be　seen。　Some

even　believed　that　they　could　descry　hair；　limbs；　and　whole　bodies。



Night　fell；　clouds　accumulated　above　the　Baal。　The　funeral…pile；　which

was　flameless　now；　formed　a　pyramid　of　coals　up　to　his　knees；

completely　red　like　a　giant　covered　with　blood；　he　looked；　with　his

head　thrown　back；　as　though　he　were　staggering　beneath　the　weight　of

his　intoxication。



In　proportion　as　the　priests　made　haste；　the　frenzy　of　the　people

increased；　as　the　number　of　the　victims　was　diminishing；　some　cried

out　to　spare　them；　others　that　still　more　were　needful。　The　walls；

with　their　burden　of　people；　seemed　to　be　giving　way　beneath　the

howlings　of　terror　and　mystic　voluptuousness。　Then　the　faithful　came

into　the　passages；　dragging　their　children；　who　clung　to　them；　and

they　beat　them　in　order　to　make　them　let　go；　and　handed　them　over　to

the　men　in　red。　The　instrument…players　sometimes　stopped　through

exhaustion；　then　the　cries　of　the　mothers　might　be　heard；　and　the

frizzling　of　the　fat　as　it　fell　upon　the　coals。　The　henbane…drinkers

crawled　on　all　fours　around　the　colossus；　roaring　like　tigers；　the

Yidonim　vaticinated；　the　Devotees　sang　with　their　cloven　lips；　the

trellis…work　had　been　broken　through；　all　wished　for　a　share　in　the

sacrifice；and　fathers；　whose　children　had　died　previously；　cast

their　effigies；　their　playthings；　their　preserved　bones　into　the　fire。

Some　who　had　knives　rushed　upon　the　rest。　They　slaughtered　one

another。　The　hierodules　took　the　fallen　ashes　at　the　edge　of　the

flagstone　in　bronze　fans；　and　cast　them　into　the　air　that　the

sacrifice　might　be　scattered　over　the　town　and　even　to　the　region　of

the　stars。



The　loud　noise　and　great　light　had　attracted　the　Barbarians　to　the

foot　of　the　walls；　they　clung　to　the　wreck　of　the　helepolis　to　have　a

better　view；　and　gazed　open…mouthed　in　horror。







CHAPTER　XIV



THE　PASS　OF　THE　HATCHET



The　Carthaginians　had　not　re…entered　their　houses　when　the　clouds

accumulated　more　thickly；　those　who　raised　their　heads　towards　the

colossus　could　feel　big　drops　on　their　foreheads；　and　the　rain　fell。



It　fell　the　whole　night　plentifully；　in　floods；　the　thunder　growled；

it　was　the　voice　of　Moloch；　he　had　vanquished　Tanith；　and　she；　being

now　fecundated；　opened　up　her　vast　bosom　in　heaven's　heights。

Sometimes　she　could　be　seen　in　a　clear　and　luminous　spot　stretched

upon　cushions　of　cloud；　and　then　the　darkness　would　close　in　again　as

though　she　were　still　too　weary　and　wished　to　sleep　again；　the

Carthaginians；　all　believing　that　water　is　brought　forth　by　the　moon；

shouted　to　make　her　travail　easy。



The　rain　beat　upon　the　terraces　and　overflowed　them；　forming　lakes　in

the　courts；　cascades　on　the　staircases；　and　eddies　at　the　corners　of

the　streets。　It　poured　in　warm　heavy　masses　and　urgent　streams；　big

frothy　jets　leaped　from　the　corners　of　all　the　buildings；　and　it

seemed　as　though　whitish　cloths　hung　dimly　upon　the　walls；　and　the

washed　temple…roofs　shone　black　in　the　gleam　of　the　lightning。

Torrents　descended　from　the　Acropolis　by　a　thousand　paths；　houses

suddenly　gave　way；　and　small　beams；　plaster；　rubbish；　and　furniture

passed　along　in　streams　which　ran　impetuously　over　the　pavement。



Amphoras；　flagons；　and　canvases　had　been　placed　out　of　doors；　but　the

torches　were　extinguished；　brands　were　taken　from　the　funeral…pile　of

the　Baal；　and　the　Carthaginians　bent　back　their　necks　and　opened　their

mouths　to　drink。　Others　by　the　side　of　the　miry　pools；　plunged　their

arms　into　them　up　to　the　armpits；　and　filled　themselves　so　abundantly

with　water　that　they　vomited　it　forth　like　buffaloes。　The　freshness

gradually　spread；　they　breathed　in　the　damp　air　with　play　of　limb；　and

in　the　happiness　of　their　intoxication　boundless　hope　soon　arose。　All

their　miseries　were　forgotten。　Their　country　was　born　anew。



They　felt　the　need；　as　it　were；　of　directing　upon　others　the

extravagant　fury　which　they　had　been　unable　to　employ　against

themselves。　Such　a　sacrifice　could　not　be　in　vain；　although　they　felt

no　remorse　they　found　themselves　carried　away　by　the　frenzy　which

results　from　complicity　in　irreparable　crimes。



The　Barbarians　had　encountered　the　storm　in　their