egypt-第13部分

快捷操作: 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! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


and　a　noise　of　almost　wicked　movement；　which　sirs　us　to　alarm　and　even

horror：　bleatings　of　new…born　babies；　cries　of　distress　of　tiny　mites

whose　voices　are　drowned；　as　if　on　purpose；　by　a　clinking　of　cymbals。



What　can　it　be？　Why　have　they　descended　into　this　dark　hole；　these

little　ones；　who　howl　in　the　midst　of　the　smoke；　held　by　these

phantoms　in　mourning？　Had　we　entered　it　unawares　we　might　have　thought

it　a　den　of　wicked　sorcery；　an　underground　cavern　for　the　black　mass。



But　no。　It　is　the　crypt　of　the　basilica　of　St。　Sergius　during　the

Coptic　mass　of　Easter　morning。　And　when；　after　the　first　surprise；　we

examine　these　phantoms；　we　find　that；　for　the　most　part；　they　are

young　mothers；　with　the　refined　and　gentle　faces　of　Madonnas；　who　hold

the　plaintive　little　ones　beneath　their　black　veils　and　seek　to

comfort　them。　And　the　sorcerer；　who　plays　the　cymbals；　is　a　kind　old

priest；　or　sacristan；　who　smiles　paternally。　If　he　makes　all　this

noise；　in　a　rhythm　which　in　itself　is　full　of　joy；　it　is　to　mark　the

gladness　of　Easter　morn；　to　celebrate　the　resurrection　of　Christand

a　little；　too；　no　doubt；　to　distract　the　little　ones；　some　of　whom　are

woefully　put　out。　But　their　mammas　do　not　prolong　the　proofa　mere

momentary　visit　to　this　venerable　place；　which　is　to　bring　them

happiness；　and　they　carry　their　babes　away：　and　others　are　led　in　by

the　dark；　narrow　staircase；　so　low　that　one　cannot　stand　upright　in

it。　And　thus　the　crypt　is　not　emptied。　And　meanwhile　mass　is　being

said　in　the　church　overhead。



But　what　a　number　of　people；　of　black　veils；　are　in　this　hovel；　where

the　air　can　scarcely　be　breathed；　and　where　the　barbarous　music；

mingled　with　wailings　and　cries；　deafens　you！　And　what　an　air　of

antiquity　marks　all　things　here！　The　defaced　walls；　the　low　roof　that

one　can　easily　touch；　the　granite　pillars　which　sustain　the　shapeless

arches　are　all　blackened　by　the　smoke　of　the　wax　candles；　and　scarred

and　worn　by　the　friction　of　human　hands。



At　the　end　of　the　crypt　there　is　a　very　sacred　recess　round　which　a

crowd　presses：　a　coarse　niche；　a　little　larger　than　those　cut　in　the

wall　to　receive　the　tapers；　a　niche　which　covers　the　ancient　stone　on

which；　according　to　tradition；　the　Virgin　Mary　rested；　with　the　child

Jesus；　in　the　course　of　the　flight　into　Egypt。　This　holy　stone　is

sadly　worn　to…day　and　polished　smooth　by　the　touch　of　many　pious

hands；　and　the　Byzantine　cross　which　once　was　carved　on　it　is　almost

effaced。



But　even　if　the　Virgin　had　never　rested　there；　the　humble　crypt　of　St。

Sergius　would　remain　no　less　one　of　the　oldest　Christian　sanctuaries

in　the　world。　And　the　Copts　who　still　assemble　there　with　veneration

have　preceded　by　many　years　the　greater　part　of　our　Western　nations　in

the　religion　of　the　Bible。



Although　the　history　of　Egypt　envelops　itself　in　a　sort　of　night　at

the　moment　of　the　appearance　of　Christianity；　we　know　that　the　growth

of　the　new　faith　there　was　as　rapid　and　impetuous　as　the　germination

of　plants　under　the　overflow　of　the　Nile。　The　old　Pharaonic　cults；

amalgamated　at　that　time　with　those　of　Greece；　were　so　obscured　under

a　mass　of　rites　and　formulae；　that　they　had　ceased　to　have　any

meaning。　And　nevertheless　here；　as　in　imperial　Rome；　there　brooded　the

ferment　of　a　passionate　mysticism。　Moreover；　this　Egyptian　people；

more　than　any　other；　was　haunted　by　the　terror　of　death；　as　is　proved

by　the　folly　of　its　embalmments。　With　what　avidity　therefore　must　it

have　received　the　Word　of　fraternal　love　and　immediate　resurrection？



In　any　case　Christianity　was　so　firmly　implanted　in　this　Egypt　that

centuries　of　persecution　did　not　succeed　in　destroying　it。　As　one　goes

up　the　Nile；　many　little　human　settlements　are　to　be　seen；　little

groups　of　houses　of　dried　mud；　where　the　whitened　dome　of　the　modest

house　of　prayer　is　surmounted　by　a　cross　and　not　a　crescent。　They　are

the　villages　of　those　Copts；　those　Egyptians；　who　have　preserved　the

Christian　faith　from　father　to　son　since　the　nebulous　times　of　the

first　martyrs。



*****



The　simple　Church　of　St。　Sergius　is　a　relic　hidden　away　and　almost

buried　in　the　midst　of　a　labyrinth　of　ruins。　Without　a　guide　it　is

almost　impossible　to　find　your　way　thither。　The　quarter　in　which　it　is

situated　is　enclosed　within　the　walls　of　what　was　once　a　Roman

fortress；　and　this　fortress　in　its　turn　is　surrounded　by　the　tranquil

ruins　of　〃Old　Cairo〃which　is　to　the　Cairo　of　the　Mamelukes　and　the

Khedives；　in　a　small　degree；　what　Versailles　is　to　Paris。



On　this　Easter　morning；　having　set　out　from　the　Cairo　of　to…day　to　be

present　at　this　mass；　we　have　first　to　traverse　a　suburb　in　course　of

transformation；　upon　whose　ancient　soil　will　shortly　appear　numbers　of

these　modern　horrors；　in　mud　and　metalfactories　or　large　hotels

which　multiply　in　this　poor　land　with　a　stupefying　rapidity。　Then

comes　a　mile　or　so　of　uncultivated　ground；　mixed　with　stretches　of

sand；　and　already　a　little　desertlike。　And　then　the　walls　of　Old

Cairo；　after　which　begins　the　peace　of　the　deserted　houses；　of　little

gardens　and　orchards　among　the　ruins。　The　wind　and　the　dust　beset　us

the　whole　way；　the　almost　eternal　wind　and　the　eternal　dust　of　this

land；　by　which；　since　the　beginning　of　the　ages；　so　many　human　eyes

have　been　burnt　beyond　recovery。　They　keep　us　now　in　blinding

whirlwinds；　which　swarm　with　flies。　The　〃season〃　indeed　is　already

over；　and　the　foreign　invaders　have　fled　until　next　autumn。　Egypt　is

now　more　Egyptian；　beneath　a　more　burning　sky。　The　sun　of　this　Easter

Sunday　is　as　hot　as　ours　of　July；　and　the　ground　seems　as　if　it　would

perish　of　drought。　But　it　is　always　thus　in　the　springtime　of　this

rainless　country；　the　trees；　which　have　kept　their　leaves　throughout

the　winter；　shed　them　in　April　as　ours　do　in　November。　There　is　no

shade　anywhere　and　everything　suffers。　Everything　grows　yellow　on　the

yellow　sands。　But　there　is　no　cause　for　uneasiness：　the　inundation　is

at　hand；　which　has　never　failed　since　the　commencement　of　our

geological　period。　In　another　few　weeks　the　prodigious　river　will

spread　along　its　banks；　just　as　in　the　times　of　the　God　Amen；　a

precocious　and　impetuous　life。　And　meanwhile　the　orange…trees；　the

jasmine　and　the　honeysuckle；　which　men　have　taken　care　to　water　with

water　from　the　Nile；　are　full　of　riotous　bloom。　As　we　pass　the　gardens

of　Old　Cairo；　which　alternate　with　the　tumbling　houses；　this　continual

cloud　of　white　dust　that　envelops　us　comes　suddenly　laden　with　their

sweet　fragrance；　so　that；　despite　the　drought　and　the　bareness　of　the

trees；　the　scents　of　a　sudden　and　feverish　springtime　are　already　in

the　air。



When　we　arrive　at　the　walls　of　what　used　to　be　the　Roman　citadel　we

have　to　descend　from　our　carriage；　and　passing　through　a　low　doorway

penetrate　on　foot　into　the　labyrinth　of　a　Coptic　quarter　which　is

dying　of　dust　and　old　age。　Deserted　houses　that　have　become　the

refuges　of　outcasts；　mushrabiyas；　worm…eaten　and　decayed；　little

mousetrap　alleys　that　lead　us　under　arches　of　the　Middle　Ages；　and

sometimes　close　over　our　heads　by　reason　of　the　fantastic　bending　of

the　ruins。　Even　by　such　a　route　as　this　are　we　conducted　to　a　famous

basilica！　Were　it　not　for　these　groups　of　Copts；　dressed　in　their

Sunday　garb；　who　make　their　way　like　us　through　the　ruins　to　the

Easter　mass；　we　should　think　that　we　had　lost　our　way。



And　how　pretty　they　look；　these　women　draped　like　phantoms　in　their

black　silks。　Their　long　veils　do　not　completely　hide　them；　as　do　those

of　the　Moslems。　They　are　simply　placed　over　their　hair　and　leave

uncovered　the　delicate　features；　the　golden　necklet　and　the　half…bared

arms　that　carry　on　their　wrists　thick　twisted　bracelets　of　virgin

gold。　Pure　Egyptians　as　they　are；　they　have　preserved　the　same

delicate　profile；　the　same　elongated　eyes；　as　mark　the　old　goddesses

carved　in　bas…relief　on　the　Pharaonic　walls。　But　some；　alas；　amongst

the　young　ones　have　discarded　their　traditional　costume；　and　are

arrayed　/a　la　franque/；　in　gowns　and　hats。　And　such　gowns；　such　hats；

such　flowers！　The　very　peasants　of　our　meanest　villages　would　disdain

them。　Oh！　why　cannot　someone　tell　these　poor　little　women；　who　have　it

in　their　power　to　be　so　adorable；　that　the　beautiful　folds　of　their

black　veils　give　to　them　an　exquisite　and　characteristic　distinction；

while　this　poor　tinsel；　which　recalls　the　mid…Lent　carnivals；　makes　of

them　objects　that　excite　our　pity！



In　one　of　the　walls　which　now　surround　us　there　is　a　low　and　shrinking

doorway。　Can　this　be　the　entrance　to　the　basilica？　The　idea　seems

absurd。　And　yet　some　of　the　pretty　creatures　in　the　black　veils　and

bracelets　of　gold；　who　were　in　front　of　us；　have　disappeared　through

it；　and　already　the　perfume　of　the　censers　is　wafted　towards　us。　A

kind　of　corridor；　astonishingly　poor　and　old；　twists　itself

suspiciously；　and　then　issues　into　a　narrow　court；　more　than　a

tho