egypt- 第6部分

guest…chamber　of　kings　and　queens；　for　an　audience　that　is　private

indeed。



And　there；　first　of　all；　is　the　woman　with　the　baby；　upon　whom；

without　stopping；　we　throw　the　light　of　our　lantern。　A　woman　who　died

in　giving　to　the　world　a　little　dead　prince。　Since　the　old　embalmers

no　one　has　seen　the　face　of　this　Queen　Makeri。　In　her　coffin　there　she

is　simply　a　tall　female　figure；　outlined　beneath　the　close…bound

swathings　of　brown…coloured　bandages。　At　her　feet　lies　the　fatal　baby；

grotesquely　shrivelled；　and　veiled　and　mysterious　as　the　mother

herself；　a　sort　of　doll；　it　seems；　put　there　to　keep　her　eternal

company　in　the　slow　passing　of　endless　years。



More　fearsome　to　approach　is　the　row　of　unswathed　mummies　that　follow。

Here；　in　each　coffin　over　which　we　bend；　there　is　a　face　which　stares

at　usor　else　closes　its　eyes　in　order　that　it　may　not　see　us；　and

meagre　shoulders　and　lean　arms；　and　hands　with　overgrown　nails　that

protrude　from　miserable　rags。　And　each　royal　mummy　that　our　lantern

lights　reserves　for　us　a　fresh　surprise　and　the　shudder　of　a　different

fearthey　resemble　one　another　so　little。　Some　of　them　seem　to　laugh；

showing　their　yellow　teeth；　others　have　an　expression　of　infinite

sadness　and　suffering。　Sometimes　the　faces　are　small；　refined　and

still　beautiful　despite　the　pinching　of　the　nostrils；　sometimes　they

are　excessively　enlarged　by　putrid　swelling；　with　the　tip　of　the　nose

eaten　away。　The　embalmers；　we　know；　were　not　sure　of　their　means；　and

the　mummies　were　not　always　a　success。　In　some　cases　putrefaction

ensued；　and　corruption　and　even　sudden　hatchings　of　larvae；　those

〃companions　without　ears　and　without　eyes；〃　which　died　indeed　in　time

but　only　after　they　had　perforated　all　the　flesh。



Hard　by　are　ranked　according　to　dynasty；　and　in　chronological　order；

the　proud　Pharaohs　in　a　piteous　row：　father；　son；　grandson；　great…

grandson。　And　common　paper　tickets　tell　their　tremendous　names；　Seti

I。；　Ramses　II。；　Seti　II。；　Ramses　III。；　Ramses　IV。　。　。　。　Soon　the

muster　will　be　complete；　with　such　energy　have　men　dug　in　the　heart　of

the　rocks　to　find　them　all；　and　these　glass　cases　will　no　doubt　be

their　final　resting…place。　In　olden　days；　however；　they　made　many

pilgrimages　after　their　death；　for　in　the　troubled　times　of　the

history　of　Egypt　it　was　one　of　the　harassing　preoccupations　of　the

reigning　sovereign　to　hide；　to　hide　at　all　costs；　the　mummies　of　his

ancestors；　which　filled　the　earth　increasingly；　and　which　the

violators　of　tombs　were　so　swift　to　track。　Then　they　were　carried

clandestinely　from　one　grave　to　another；　raised　each　from　his　own

pompous　sepulchre；　to　be　buried　at　last　together　in　some　humble　and

less　conspicuous　vault。　But　it　is　here；　in　this　museum　of　Egyptian

antiquities；　that　they　are　about　to　accomplish　their　return　to　dust；

which　has　been　deferred；　as　if　by　miracle；　for　so　many　centuries。　Now；

stripped　of　their　bandages；　their　days　are　numbered；　and　it　behoves　us

to　hasten　to　draw　these　physiognomies　of　three　or　four　thousand　years

ago；　which　are　about　to　perish。



In　that　coffinthe　last　but　one　of　the　row　on　the　leftit　is　the

great　Sesostris　himself　who　awaits　us。　We　know　of　old　that　face　of

ninety　years；　with　its　nose　hooked　like　the　beak　of　a　falcon；　and　the

gaps　between　those　old　man's　teeth；　the　meagre；　birdlike　neck；　and　the

hand　raised　in　a　gesture　of　menace。　Twenty　years　have　elapsed　since　he

was　brought　back　to　the　light；　this　master　of　the　world。　He　was

wrapped　/thousands　of　times/　in　a　marvellous　winding…sheet；　woven　of

aloe　fibres；　finer　than　the　muslin　of　India；　which　must　have　taken

years　in　the　making　and　measured　more　than　400　yards　in　length。　The

unswathing；　done　in　the　presence　of　the　Khedive　Tewfik　and　the　great

personages　of　Egypt；　lasted　two　hours；　and　after　the　last　turn；　when

the　illustrious　figure　appeared；　the　emotion　amongst　the　assistants

was　such　that　they　stampeded　like　a　herd　of　cattle；　and　the　Pharaoh

was　overturned。　He　has；　moreover；　given　much　cause　for　conversation；

this　great　Sesostris；　since　his　installation　in　the　museum。　Suddenly

one　day　with　a　brusque　gesture；　in　the　presence　of　the　attendants；　who

fled　howling　with　fear；　he　raised　that　hand　which　is　still　in　the　air；

and　which　he　has　not　deigned　since　to　lower。＇*＇　And　subsequently　there

supervened；　beginning　in　the　old　yellowish…white　hair；　and　then

swarming　over　the　whole　body；　a　hatching　of　cadaveric　fauna；　which

necessitated　a　complete　bath　in　mercury。　He　also　has　his　paper　ticket；

pasted　on　the　end　of　his　box；　and　one　may　read　there；　written　in　a

careless　hand；　that　name　which　once　caused　the　whole　world　to　tremble

〃Ramses　II。　（Sesostris）〃！　It　need　not　be　said　that　he　has　greatly

fallen　away　and　blackened　even　in　the　fifteen　yeas　that　I　have　known

him。　He　is　a　phantom　that　is　about　to　disappear；　in　spite　of　all　the

care　lavished　upon　him；　a　poor　phantom　about　to　fall　to　pieces；　to

sink　into　nothingness。　We　move　our　lantern　about　his　hooked　nose；　the

better　to　decipher；　in　the　play　of　shadow；　his　expression；　that　still

remains　authoritative。　。　。　。　To　think　that　once　the　destinies　of　the

world　were　ruled；　without　appeal；　by　the　nod　of　this　head；　which　looks

now　somewhat　narrow；　under　the　dry　skin　and　the　horrible　whitish　hair。

What　force　of　will；　of　passion　and　colossal　pride　must　once　have　dwelt

therein！　Not　to　mention　the　anxiety；　which　to　us　now　is　scarcely

conceivable；　but　which　in　his　time　overmastered　all　othersthe

anxiety；　that　is　to　say；　of　assuring　the　magnificence　and

inviolability　of　sepulture！　。　。　。　And　this　horrible　scarecrow；

toothless　and　senile；　lying　here　in　its　filthy　rags；　with　the　hand

raised　in　an　impotent　menace；　was　once　the　brilliant　Sesostris；　the

master　of　kings；　and　by　virtue　of　his　strength　and　beauty　the　demigod

also；　whose　muscular　limbs　and　deep　athletic　chest　many　colossal

statues　at　Memphis；　at　Thebes；　at　Luxor；　reproduce　and　try　to　make

eternal。　。　。　。



＇*＇　This　movement　is　explained　by　the　action　of　the　sun；　which；

　　　　falling　on　the　unclothed　arm；　is　supposed　to　have　expanded　the

　　　　bone　of　the　elbow。



In　the　next　coffin　lies　his　father；　Seti　I。；　who　reigned　for　a　much

shorter　period；　and　died　much　younger　than　he。　This　youthfulness　is

apparent　still　in　the　features　of　the　mummy；　which　are　impressed

besides　with　a　persistent　beauty。　Indeed　this　good　King　Seti　looks　the

picture　of　calm　and　serene　reverie。　There　is　nothing　shocking　in　his

dead　face；　with　its　long　closed　eyes；　its　delicate　lips；　its　noble

chin　and　unblemished　profile。　It　is　soothing　and　pleasant　even　to　see

him　sleeping　there　with　his　hands　crossed　upon　his　breast。　And　it

seems　strange；　that　he；　who　looks　so　young；　should　have　for　son　the

old　man；　almost　a　centenarian；　who　lies　beside　him。



In　our　passage　we　have　gazed　on　many　other　royal　mummies；　some

tranquil　and　some　grimacing。　But；　to　finish；　there　is　one　of　them　（the

third　coffin　there；　in　the　row　in　front　of　us）；　a　certain　Queen

Nsitanebashru；　whom　I　approach　with　fear；　albeit　it　is　mainly　on　her

account　that　I　have　ventured　to　make　this　fantastical　round。　Even　in

the　daytime　she　attains　to　the　maximum　of　horror　that　a　spectral

figure　can　evoke。　What　will　she　be　like　to…night　in　the　uncertain

light　of　our　little　lantern？



There　she　is　indeed；　the　dishevelled　vampire　in　her　place　right

enough；　stretched　at　full　length；　but　looking　always　as　if　she　were

about　to　leap　up；　and　straightway　I　meet　the　sidelong　glance　of　her

enamelled　pupils；　shining　out　of　half…closed　eyelids；　with　lashes　that

are　still　almost　perfect。　Oh！　the　terrifying　person！　Not　that　she　is

ugly；　on　the　contrary　we　can　see　that　she　was　rather　pretty　and　was

mummied　young。　What　distinguishes　her　from　the　others　is　her　air　of

thwarted　anger；　of　fury；　as　it　were；　at　being　dead。　The　embalmers　have

coloured　her　very　religiously；　but　the　pink；　under　the　action　of　the

salts　of　the　skin；　has　become　decomposed　here　and　there　and　given

place　to　a　number　of　green　spots。　Her　naked　shoulders；　the　height　of

the　arms　above　the　rags　which　were　once　her　splendid　shroud；　have

still　a　certain　sleek　roundness；　but　they；　too；　are　stained　with

greenish　and　black　splotches；　such　as　may　be　seen　on　the　skins　of

snakes。　Assuredly　no　corpse；　either　here　or　elsewhere；　has　ever

preserved　such　an　expression　of　intense　life；　of　ironical；　implacable

ferocity。　Her　mouth　is　twisted　in　a　little　smile　of　defiance；　her

nostrils　pinched　like　those　of　a　ghoul　on　the　scent　of　blood；　and　her

eyes　seem　to　say　to　each　one　who　approaches：　〃Yes；　I　am　laid　in　my

coffin；　but　you　will　very　soon　see　I　can　get　out　of　it。〃　There　is

something　confusing　in　the　thought　that　the　menace　of　this　terrible

expression；　and　this　appearance　of　ill…restrained　ferocity　had　endured

for　some　hundreds　of　years　before　the　commencement　of　our　era；　and

endured　to　no　purpose　in　the　secret　darkness　of　a　closed　coffin　at　the

bottom　of　some　doorless　vault。



Now　that　we　are　about　to　retire；　what　will　happen　here；　with　the

complicity　of　silence；　in　the　darkest　hours　of　the　night？　Will　they

remain　inert　and　rigid；　all　these　embalmed　bodies；　once　left　to

themselves；　who　pretended　to　be　so　quiet　because　we　were　there？　What

exchanges　of　old　human　fluid　will　recommence；　as　who　can　doubt　they　do

each　night　between　one　coffin　and　another。　Formerly　these　kings　and

queens；　in　their　anxiety　as　to　the　future　of　their　mummy；　had　foreseen

violation；　pillage　and　scattering　amongst　the　sands　of　the　desert；　but

never　this：　that　they　would　be　reunited　one　day；　almost　all　unveiled；

so　near　to　one　another　under　panes　of　glass。　Those　who　governed　Egypt

in　the　lost　centuries　and　were　never　known　except　by　history；　by　the

papyri　inscribed　with　hieroglyphics；　brought　thus　together；　how　many

things　will　they　have　to　say　to　one　another；　how　many　ardent　questions

to　ask　about　their　loves；　about　their　crimes！　As　soon　as　we　shall　h