egypt-第25部分

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uneasiness　of　the　evenings　around　the　ruins。　There　is　no　one　now

within　the　mummy…town；　which　seems　all　at　once　to　have　grown　larger　in

the　silence。　Very　quickly　the　violet　shadow　covers　it；　all　save　the

extreme　points　of　its　obelisks；　which　keep　still　a　little　of　their

rose…colour。　The　feeling　comes　over　you　that　a　sovereign　mystery　has

taken　possession　of　the　town；　as　if　some　vague　phantom　things　had　just

passed　into　it。







CHAPTER　XV



THEBES　BY　NIGHT



The　feeling；　almost；　that　you　have　grown　suddenly　smaller　by　entering

there；　that　you　are　dwarfed　to　less　than　human　sizeto　such　an　extent

do　the　proportions　of　these　ruins　seem　to　crush　youand　the　illusion；

also；　that　the　light；　instead　of　being　extinguished　with　the　evening；

has　only　changed　its　colour；　and　become　blue：　that　is　what　one

experiences　on　a　clear　Egyptian　night；　in　walking　between　the

colonnades　of　the　great　temple　at　Thebes。



The　place　is；　moreover；　so　singular　and　so　terrible　that　its　mere　name

would　at　once　cast　a　spell　upon　the　spirit；　even　if　one　were　ignorant

of　the　place　itself。　The　hypostyle　of　the　temple　of　the　God　Amenthat

could　be　no　other　thing　but　one。　For　this　hall　is　unique　in　the　world；

in　the　same　way　as　the　Grotto　of　Fingal　and　the　Himalayas　are　unique。



*****



To　wander　absolutely　alone　at　night　in　Thebes　requires　during　the

winter　a　certain　amount　of　stratagem　and　a　knowledge　of　the　routine　of

the　tourists。　It　is　necessary；　first　of　all；　to　choose　a　night　on

which　the　moon　rises　late　and　then；　having　entered　before　the　close　of

the　day；　to　escape　the　notice　of　the　Bedouin　guards　who　shut　the　gates

at　nightfall。　Thus　have　I　waited　with　the　patience　of　a　stone　Osiris；

till　the　grand　transformation　scene　of　the　setting　of　the　sun　was

played　out　once　more　upon　the　ruins。　Thebes；　which；　during　the　day；　is

almost　animate　by　reason　of　the　presence　of　the　visitors　and　the　gangs

of　fellahs　who；　singing　the　while；　are　busy　at　the　diggings　and　the

clearing　away　of　the　rubbish；　has　emptied　itself　little　by　little；

while　the　blue　shadows　were　mounting　from　the　base　of　the　monstrous

sanctuaries。　I　watched　the　people　moving　in　a　long　row；　like　a　trail

of　ants；　towards　the　western　gate　between　the　pylons　of　the　Ptolemies；

and　the　last　of　them　had　disappeared　before　the　rosy　light　died　away

on　the　topmost　points　of　the　obelisks。



It　seemed　as　if　the　silence　and　the　night　arrived　together　from　beyond

the　Arabian　desert；　advanced　together　across　the　plain；　spreading　out

like　a　rapid　oil…stain；　then　gained　the　town　from　east　to　west；　and

rose　rapidly　from　the　ground　to　the　very　summits　of　the　temples。　And

this　march　of　the　darkness　was　infinitely　solemn。



For　the　first　few　moments；　indeed；　you　might　imagine　that　it　was　going

to　be　an　ordinary　night　such　as　we　know　in　our　climate；　and　a　sense　of

uneasiness　takes　hold　of　you　in　the　midst　of　this　confusion　of

enormous　stones；　which　in　the　darkness　would　become　a　quite

inextricable　maze。　Oh！　the　horror　of　being　lost　in　those　ruins　of

Thebes　and　not　being　able　to　see！　But　in　the　event　the　air　preserved

its　transparency　to　such　a　degree；　and　the　stars　began　soon　to

scintillate　so　brightly　that　the　surrounding　things　could　be

distinguished　almost　as　well　as　in　the　daytime。



Indeed；　now　that　the　time　of　transition　between　the　day　and　night　has

passed；　the　eyes　grow　accustomed　to　the　strange；　blue；　persistent

clearness　so　that　you　seem　suddenly　to　have　acquired　the　pupils　of　a

cat；　and　the　ultimate　effect　is　merely　as　if　you　saw　through　a　smoked

glass　which　changed　all　the　various　shades　of　this　reddish…coloured

country　into　one　uniform　tint　of　blue。



Behold　me　then；　for　some　two　or　three　hours；　alone　among　the　temples

of　the　Pharaohs。　The　tourists；　whom　the　carriages　and　donkeys　are　at

this　moment　taking　back　to　the　hotels　of　Luxor；　will　not　return　till

very　late；　when　the　full　moon　will　have　risen　and　be　shedding　its

clear　light　upon　the　ruins。　My　post；　while　I　waited；　was　high　up　among

the　ruins　on　the　margin　of　the　sacred　Lake　of　Osiris；　the　still　and

enclosed　water　of　which　is　astonishing　in　that　it　has　remained　there

for　so　many　centuries。　It　still　conceals；　no　doubt；　numberless

treasures　confided　to　it　in　the　days　of　slaughters　and　pillages；　when

the　armies　of　the　Persian　and　Nubian　kings　forced　the　thick；

surrounding　walls。



In　a　few　minutes；　thousands　of　stars　appear　at　the　bottom　of　this

water；　reflecting　symmetrically　the　veritable　ones　which　now

scintillate　everywhere　in　the　heavens。　A　sudden　cold　spreads　over　the

town…mummy；　whose　stones；　still　warm　from　their　exposure　to　the　sun；

cool　very　rapidly　in　this　nocturnal　blue　which　envelops　them　as　in　a

shroud。　I　am　free　to　wander　where　I　please　without　risk　of　meeting

anyone；　and　I　begin　to　descend　by　the　steps　made　by　the　falling　of　the

granite　blocks；　which　have　formed　on　all　sides　staircases　as　if　for

giants。　On　the　overturned　surfaces；　my　hands　encounter　the　deep；

clear…cut　hollows　of　the　hieroglyphs；　and　sometimes　of　those

inevitable　people；　carved　in　profile；　who　raise　their　arms；　all　of

them；　and　make　signs　to　one　another。　On　arriving　at　the　bottom　I　am

received　by　a　row　of　statues　with　battered　faces；　seated　on　thrones；

and　without　hindrance　of　any　kind；　and　recognising　everything　in　the

blue　transparency　which　takes　the　place　of　day；　I　come　to　the　great

avenue　of　the　palaces　of　Amen。



We　have　nothing　on　earth　in　the　least　degree　comparable　to　this

avenue；　which　passive　multitudes　took　nearly　three　thousand　years　to

construct；　expending；　century　after　century；　their　innumerable

energies　in　carrying　these　stones；　which　our　machines　now　could　not

move。　And　the　objective　was　always　the　same：　to　prolong　indefinitely

the　perspectives　of　pylons；　colossi　and　obelisks；　continuing　always

this　same　artery　of　temples　and　palaces　in　the　direction　of　the　old

Nilewhile　the　latter；　on　the　contrary；　receded　slowly；　from　century

to　century；　towards　Libya。　It　is　here；　and　especially　at　night；　that

you　suffer　the　feeling　of　having　been　shrunken　to　the　size　of　a　pygmy。

All　round　you　rise　monoliths　mighty　as　rocks。　You　have　to　take　twenty

paces　to　pass　the　base　of　a　single　one　of　them。　They　are　placed　quite

close　together；　too　close；　it　seems；　in　view　of　their　enormity　and

mass。　There　is　not　enough　air　between　them；　and　the　closeness　of　their

juxtaposition　disconcerts　you　more；　perhaps；　even　than　their

massiveness。



The　avenue　which　I　have　followed　in　an　easterly　direction　abuts　on　as

disconcerting　a　chaos　of　granite　as　exists　in　Thebesthe　hall　of　the

feasts　of　Thothmes　III。　What　kind　of　feasts　were　they；　that　this　king

gave　here；　in　this　forest　of　thick…set　columns；　beneath　these

ceilings；　of　which　the　smallest　stone；　if　it　fell；　would　crush　twenty

men？　In　places　the　friezes；　the　colonnades；　which　seem　almost

diaphanous　in　the　air；　are　outlined　still　with　a　proud　magnificence　in

unbroken　alignment　against　the　star…strewn　sky。　Elsewhere　the

destruction　is　bewildering；　fragments　of　columns；　entablatures；　bas…

reliefs　lie　about　in　indescribable　confusion；　like　a　lot　of　scattered

wreckage　after　a　world…wide　tempest。　For　it　was　not　enough　that　the

hand　of　man　should　overturn　these　things。　Tremblings　of　the　earth；　at

different　times；　have　also　come　to　shake　this　Cyclops　palace　which

threatened　to　be　eternal。　And　all　thiswhich　represents　such　an

excess　of　force；　of　movement；　of　impulsion；　alike　for　its　erection　as

for　its　overthrowall　this　is　tranquil　this　evening；　oh！　so　tranquil；

although　toppling　as　if　for　an　imminent　downfalltranquil　forever；

one　might　say；　congealed　by　the　cold　and　by　the　night。



I　was　prepared　for　silence　in　such　a　place；　but　not　for　the　sounds

which　I　commence　to　hear。　First　of　all　an　osprey　sounds　the　prelude；

above　my　head　and　so　close　to　me　that　it　holds　me　trembling　throughout

its　long　cry。　Then　other　voices　answer　from　the　depths　of　the　ruins；

voices　very　diverse；　but　all　sinister。　Some　are　only　able　to　mew　on

two　long…drawn　notes：　some　yelp　like　jackals　round　a　cemetery；　and

others　again　imitate　the　sound　of　a　steel　spring　slowly　unwinding

itself。　And　this　concert　comes　always　from　above。　Owls；　ospreys；

screech…owls；　all　the　different　kinds　of　birds；　with　hooked　beaks　and

round　eyes；　and　silken　wings　that　enable　them　to　fly　noiselessly；　have

their　homes　amongst　the　granites　massively　upheld　in　the　air；　and　they

are　celebrating　now；　each　after　its　own　fashion；　the　nocturnal

festival。　Intermittent　calls　break　upon　the　air；　and　long…drawn

infinitely　mournful　wailings；　that　sometimes　swell　and　sometimes　seem

to　be　strangled　and　end　in　a　kind　of　sob。　And　then；　in　spite　of　the

sonority　of　the　vast　straight　walls；　in　spite　of　the　echoes　which

prolong　the　cries；　the　silence　obstinately　returns。　Silence。　The

silence　after　all　and　beyond　all　doubt　is　the　true　master　at　this　hour

of　this　kingdom　at　once　colossal；　motionle