the days of my life-第47章

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read。　On　the　other　hand；　I　have　the　greatest　sympathy　with　savages；　Zulus　for　instance；　with　whom　I　always　got　on　extremely　well。　Perhaps　my　mystical　friend　has　left　a　savage　incarnation　out　of　his　list。
For　these　reasons　I　know　well　that　I　could　never　be　a　success　as　a　modern　novelist。　I　can　see　the　whole　thing；　it　goes　on　under　my　eyes；　and　as　a　magistrate　and　in　other　ways　I　am　continually　in　touch　with　it。　I　could　write　of　it　also　if　I　could　bring　myself　to　the　task。　I　would　undertake　to　produce　a　naturalistic　novel　that　would　sell　—　why　should　I　not　do　so　with　my　experience？　But　the　subject　bores　me　too　much。　The　naturalism　I　would　not　mind；　but　if　it　is　to　be　truthful　it　is　impossible　and；　to　say　the　least；　unedifying。　The　petty　social　conditions　are　what　bore　me。　I　know　this　is　not　right；　but　it　is　a　failing　in　myself；　since　under　all　conditions　human　nature　is　the　same　and　the　true　artist　should　be　able　to　present　it　with　equal　power。　But　we　are　as　we　are　made。　Even　the　great　Shakespeare；　I　observe；　sought　distant　scenes　and　far…off　events　for　his　tragedies；　seeking；　I　presume；　to　escape　the　trammels　of　his　time。
To　return　from　this　dissertation。　I　went　to　Egypt　seeking　knowledge　and　a　holiday。　The　knoe　of　it；　for　when　the　mind　is　open　and　desirous；　it　absorbs　things　as　a　dry　sponge　does　water。　I　had　an　introduction　to　Brugsch　Bey；　who　was　then；　I　think；　the　head　of　the　Boulak　Museum。　He　took　me　round　that　heavenly　place。　He　showed　me　the　mummies　of　Seti；　Rameses；　and　the　rest；　and　oh！　with　what　veneration　did　I　look　upon　them。　He　told　me；　trembling　with　emotion；　of　the　discovery；　then　recent；　of　the　great　Deir…el…Behari　cache　of　Pharaohs　and　their　treasures。　He　said　when　he　got　to　the　bottom　of　that　well　and　entered　the　long　passage　where　for　tens　of　centuries　had　slept　the　mighty　dead；　huddled　together　there　to　save　them　from　the　wicked　hands　of　robbers　or　enemies；　and　by　the　light　of　torches　had　read　a　few　of　the　names　upon　the　coffins；　that　he　nearly　fainted　with　joy；　as　well　he　might。　Also　he　described　to　me　how；　when　the　royal　bodies　were　borne　from　this　resting…place　and　shipped　for　conveyance　to　Cairo；　there　to　find　a　new　tomb　in　the　glass　cases　of　a　museum；　the　fellaheen　women　ran　along　the　banks　wailing　because　their　ancient　kings　were　being　taken　from　among　them。　They　cast　dust　upon　their　hair；　still　dressed　in　a　hundred　plaits；　as　was　that　of　those　far…off　mothers　of　theirs　who　had　wailed　when　these　Pharaohs　were　borne　with　solemn　pomp　to　the　homes　they　called　eternal。　Poor　kings！　who　dreamed　not　of　the　glass　cases　of　the　Cairo　Museum；　and　the　gibes　of　tourists　who　find　the　awful　majesty　of　their　whithered　brows　a　matter　for　jest　and　smiles。　Often　I　wonder　how　we　dare　to　meddle　with　these　hallowed　relics；　especially　now　in　my　age。　Then　I　did　not　think　so　much　of　it；　indeed　I　have　taken　a　hand　at　the　business　myself。
On　that　same　visit　I　saw　the　excavation　of　some　very　early　burials　in　the　shadow　of　the　pyramids　of　Ghizeh；　so　early　that　the　process　of　mummification　was　not　then　practised。　The　skeletons　lay　upon　their　sides　in　the　prenatal　position。　The　learned　gentleman　in　charge　of　the　excavation　read　to　me　the　inscription　in　the　little　ante…chamber　of　one　of　these　tombs。
If　I　remember　right；　it　ran　as　follows：　“Here　A。　B。　＇I　forget　the　name　of　the　deceased＇；　priest　of　the　Pyramid　of　Khufu；　sleeps　in　Osiris　awaiting　the　resurrection。　He　passed　all　his　long　life　in　righteousness　and　peace。”
That；　at　any　rate；　was　the　sense　of　it；　and　I　bethought　me　that　such　an　epitaph　would　have　been　equally　fitting　to；　let　us　say；　the　dean　of　a　cathedral　in　the　present　century。　Well；　perhaps　a　day　will　e　when　Westminster　Abbey　and　our　other　sacred　burying…places　will　be　ransacked　in　like　manner；　and　the　relics　of　our　kings　and　great　ones　exposed　in　the　museum　of　some　race　unknown　of　a　different　faith　to　ours。　I　may　add　that　in　Egypt　even　an　identity　of　faith　does　not　protect　the　dead；　since　the　Christian　bishops；　down　to　those　of　the　eighth　or　ninth　century；　have　been　disinterred；　for　I　have　seen　many　of　their　broidered　vestments　in　public　and　private　collections。　The　idea　seems　to　be　that　if　only　you　have　been　dead　long　enough　your　bones　are　fair　prey。　All　of　which　is　to　me　a　great　argument　in　favour　of　cremation。
Still　it　must　be　remembered　that　it　is　from　Egyptian　tombs　that　we　have　dug　the　history　of　Egypt；　which　now　is　better　and　more　certainly　known　than　that　of　the　Middle　Ages。　Were　it　not　for　the　burial　customs　of　the　old　inhabitants　of　Khem；　and　their　system　of　the　preservation　of　mortal　remains　that　these　might　await　the　resurrection　of　the　body　in　which　they　were　such　firm　believers；　we　should　be　almost　ignorant　of　the　lives　of　that　great　people。　Only　ought　not　the　thing　to　stop　somewhere？　For　my　part　I　should　like　to　see　the　bodies　of　the　Pharaohs；　after　they　had　been　reproduced　in　wax；　reverently　laid　in　the　chambers　and　passages　of　the　Great　Pyramids　and　there　sealed　up　for　ever；　in　such　a　fashion　that　no　future　thief　could　break　in　and　steal。
Dr。　Budge　told　me　of　a　certain　tomb　which　he　and　his　guide　were　the　first　to　enter　since　it　had　been　closed；　I　think　about　4000　years　before。　He　said　that　it　was　absolutely　perfect。　There　lay　the　coffin　of　the　lady；　there　stood　the　funeral　jars　of　offering；　there　on　the　breast　was　a　fan　of　which　the　ostrich　plumes　were　turned　to　feathers　of　dust。　There；　too；　in　the　sand　of　the　floor　were　the　footprints　of　those　who　had　borne　the　corpse　to　burial。　Those　footprints　always　impressed　me　very　much。
In　considering　such　matters　the　reader　should　remember　that　nothing　in　the　world　was　so　sacred　to　the　old　Egyptian　as　were　his　corpse　and　his　tomb。　In　the　tomb　slept　the　body；　but　according　to　his　immemorial　faith　it　did　not　sleep　alone；　for　with　it；　watching　it　eternally；　was　the　Ka　or　Double；　and　to　it　from　time　to　time　came　the　Spirit。　This　Ka　or　Double　had；　so　he　believed；　great　powers；　and　could　even　wreak　vengeance　on　the　disturber　of　the　grave　or　the　thief　of　the　corpse。
From　Cairo　I　proceeded　up　the　Nile；　inspecting　all　the　temples　and　the　tombs　of　the　kings　at　Thebes；　to　my　mind；　and　so　far　as　my　experience　goes；　the　most　wondrous　tombs　of　all　the　world。　So；　too；　thought　the　tourists　of　twenty　centuries　or　more　ago；　for　there　are　the　writings　on　the　walls　recording　their　admiration　and　salutations　to　the　ghosts　of　the　dead；　and　so；　too；　in　all　probability　will　think　the　tourists　of　two　thousand　years　hence；　for　the　world　can　never　reproduce　such　vast　and　mysterious　burying…places；　any　more　than　it　can　reproduce　the　pyramids。
About　eighteen　years　later　I　revisited　these　tombs　and　found　them　much　easier　of　access　and　illuminated　with　electric　light。　Somehow　in　these　new　conditions　they　did　not　produce　quite　the　same　effect　upon　me。　When　first　I　was　there　I　remember　struggling　down　one　of　them　—　I　think　it　was　that　of　the　great　Seti　—　lit　by　dim　torches；　and　I　remember　also　the　millions　of　bats　that　must　be　beaten　away。　I　can　see　them　now；　those　bats；　weaving　endless　figures　in　the　torchlight；　dancers　in　a　ghostly　dance。　Indeed；　afterwards　I　incarnated　them　all　in　the　great　bat　that　was　a　spirit　which　haunted　the　pyramid　where　Cleopatra　and　her　lover；　Harmachis；　sought　the　treasure　of　the　Pharaoh；　Men…kau…ra。　When　next　I　stood　in　that　place　I　do　not　recall　any　bats；　I　suppose　that　the　electric　light　had　scared　them　away。
However　on　that　second　visit；　with　Mr。　Carter；　at　that　time　a　superintendent　of　antiquities　for　this　part　of　Egypt；　my　panions　and　I　were　the　first　white　men；　except　the　discoverer；　a　Greek　gentleman；　to　enter　the　burying…place　of　Nofertari；　the　favourite　or；　at　least；　the　head　wife　of　Rameses　II。　There　on　the　walls　were　her　pictures　fresh　as　the　day　they　were　painted。　There　she　sat　playing　chess　with　her　royal　husband　or　muning　with　the　gods。　But　it　is　too　long　to　describe。　The　tomb　had　been　plundered　in　ancient　days；　probably　a　couple　of　thousand　years　ago。　Just　before　the　plunderers　entered　a　flood　of　water　had　rushed　down　it；　for　when　they　came　the　washed　paint　was　still　wet；　and　I　could　see　the　prints　of　their　fingers　as　they　supported　themselves　on　the　slope　of　the　incline。
One　of　my　tomb　explorations　in　1887　nearly　proved　my　last　adventure。　Opposite　Assouan　some　great　caverns　had　just　been　discovered。　Into　one　of　these　I　crept　through　a　little　hole；　for　the　sand　was　almost　up　to　the　top　of　the　doorway。　I　found　it　full　of　hundreds　of　dead；　or　at　least　there　seemed　to　be　hundreds；　most　of　which　had　evidently　been　buried　without　coffins；　for　they　were　but　skeletons；　although　mixed　up　with　them　was　the　mummy　of　a　lady　and　the　fragments　of　her　painted　mummy　case。　As　I　contemplated　these　gruesome　remains　in　the　dim　light　I　began　to　wonder　how　it　came　about　that　there　were　so　many　of　them。　Then　I　recollected　that　about　the　time　of　Christ　the　town；　which　is　now　Assouan；　had　been　almost　depopulated　by　a　fearful　plague；　and　it　occurred　to　me　that　doubtless　at　this　time　these　old　burying…places　had　been　reopened　and　filled　up　with　the　victims　of　the　scourge　—　also　that　the　germ　of　plague　is　said　to　be　very　long…lived！　Incautiously　I　shouted　to　my　panions　who　were　outside　that　I　was　ing　out；　and　set　to　work　to　crawl　along　the　hole　which　led　to　the　doorway。　But　the　echoes　of　my　voice　reverberating　in　that　place　had　caused　the　sand　to　begin　to　pour　down　between　the　cracks　of　the　masonry　from　above；　so　that　the　weight　of　it；　falling　upon　my　back；　pinned　me　fast。　In　a　flash　I　realised　that　in　another　few　seconds　I　too　should　be　buried。　Gathering　all　my　strength　I　made　a　desperate　effort　and　succeeded　in　reaching　the　mouth　of　the　hole　just　before　it　was　too　late；　for　my　friends　had　wandered　off　to　some　distance　and　y　plight。
One　of　these；　a　young　fellow　named　Brownrigg；　had　a　worse　because　a　more　prolonged　experience。　He；　I　and　a　lady　were　contemplating　the　second　Pyramid；　when　suddenly　he　announced　that　he　was　going　to　climb　up　it　as　far　as　the　granite　cap　which　still　remains　for　something　over　a　hundred　feet　at　the　top。
As　he　was　a　splendid　athlete；　with　a　very　good　head；　this　did　not　surprise　us。　Up　he　went　while　we　sat　and　watched　him；　till　he　came　to　the　cap；　which　at　that　time　only　eight　or　nine　white　people　had　ever　ascended；　of　course　with　the　help　of　guid