Passing Between Them, Delicately As Agag, One Enters An Open Space
With Ruins, Upon The Right Of Which Is A Low, Small Temple, Grey In
Hue, And Covered With Inscriptions, Which Looks Almost Bowed Under Its
Tremendous Weight Of Years.
From this dignified, though tiny, veteran
there comes a perpetual sound of birds.
The birds in Egypt have no
reverence for age. Never have I seen them more restless, more gay, or
more impertinent, than in the immemorial ruins of the ancient land.
Beyond is an enormous portal, on the lofty ceiling of which still
linger traces of faded red and blue, which gives access to a great
hall with rows of mighty columns, those on the left hand round, those
on the right square, and almost terribly massive. There is in these no
grace, as in the giant lotus columns of Karnak. Prodigious, heavy,
barbaric, they are like a hymn in stone to Strength. There is
something brutal in their aspect, which again makes one think of war,
of assaults repelled, hordes beaten back like waves by a sea-wall. And
still another great hall, with more gigantic columns, lies in the sun
beyond, and a doorway through which seems to stare fiercely the edge
of a hard and fiery mountain. Although one is roofed by the sky, there
is something oppressive here; an imprisoned feeling comes over one. I
could never be fond of Medinet-Abu, as I am fond of Luxor, of parts of
Karnak, of the whole of delicious, poetical Philae.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 57 of 135
Words from 15431 to 15685
of 36756
