salammbo-第52部分

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She　would　go　and　take　the　hanging　amphoras　by　the　neck；　she　would　cool

her　bosom　beneath　the　broad　fans；　or　perhaps　amuse　herself　by　burning

cinnamomum　in　hollow　pearls。　At　sunset　Taanach　would　draw　back　the

black　felt　lozenges　that　closed　the　openings　in　the　wall；　then　her

doves；　rubbed　with　musk　like　the　doves　of　Tanith；　suddenly　entered；

and　their　pink　feet　glided　over　the　glass　pavement；　amid　the　grains　of

barley　which　she　threw　to　them　in　handfuls　like　a　sower　in　a　field。

But　on　a　sudden　she　would　burst　into　sobs　and　lie　stretched　on　the

large　bed　of　ox…leather　straps　without　moving；　repeating　a　word　that

was　ever　the　same；　with　open　eyes；　pale　as　one　dead；　insensible；　cold；

and　yet　she　could　hear　the　cries　of　the　apes　in　the　tufts　of　the　palm

trees；　with　the　continuous　grinding　of　the　great　wheel　which　brought　a

flow　of　pure　water　through　the　stories　into　the　porphyry　centre…basin。



Sometimes　for　several　days　she　would　refuse　to　eat。　She　could　see　in　a

dream　troubled　stars　wandering　beneath　her　feet。　She　would　call

Schahabarim；　and　when　he　came　she　had　nothing　to　say　to　him。



She　could　not　live　without　the　relief　of　his　presence。　But　she

rebelled　inwardly　against　this　domination；　her　feeling　towards　the

priest　was　one　at　once　of　terror；　jealousy；　hatred；　and　a　species　of

love；　in　gratitude　for　the　singular　voluptuousness　which　she

experienced　by　his　side。



He　had　recognised　the　influence　of　Rabbet；　being　skilful　to　discern

the　gods　who　send　diseases；　and　to　cure　Salammbo　he　had　her　apartment

watered　with　lotions　of　vervain；　and　maidenhair；　she　ate　mandrakes

every　morning；　she　slept　with　her　head　on　a　cushion　filled　with

aromatics　blended　by　the　pontiffs；　he　had　even　employed　baaras；　a

fiery…coloured　root　which　drives　back　fatal　geniuses　into　the　North；

lastly；　turning　towards　the　polar　star；　he　murmured　thrice　the

mysterious　name　of　Tanith；　but　Salammbo　still　suffered　and　her　anguish

deepened。



No　one　in　Carthage　was　so　learned　as　he。　In　his　youth　he　had　studied

at　the　College　of　the　Mogbeds；　at　Borsippa；　near　Babylon；　had　then

visited　Samothrace；　Pessinus；　Ephesus；　Thessaly；　Judaea；　and　the

temples　of　the　Nabathae；　which　are　lost　in　the　sands；　and　had

travelled　on　foot　along　the　banks　of　the　Nile　from　the　cataracts　to

the　sea。　Shaking　torches　with　veil…covered　face；　he　had　cast　a　black

cock　upon　a　fire　of　sandarach　before　the　breast　of　the　Sphinx；　the

Father　of　Terror。　He　had　descended　into　the　caverns　of　Proserpine；　he

had　seen　the　five　hundred　pillars　of　the　labyrinth　of　Lemnos　revolve；

and　the　candelabrum　of　Tarentum；　which　bore　as　many　sconces　on　its

shaft　as　there　are　days　in　the　year；　shine　in　its　splendour；　at　times

he　received　Greeks　by　night　in　order　to　question　them。　The

constitution　of　the　world　disquieted　him　no　less　than　the　nature　of

the　gods；　he　had　observed　the　equinoxes　with　the　armils　placed　in　the

portico　of　Alexandria；　and　accompanied　the　bematists　of　Evergetes；　who

measure　the　sky　by　calculating　the　number　of　their　steps；　as　far　as

Cyrene；　so　that　there　was　now　growing　in　his　thoughts　a　religion　of

his　own；　with　no　distinct　formula；　and　on　that　very　account　full　of

infatuation　and　fervour。　He　no　longer　believed　that　the　earth　was

formed　like　a　fir…cone；　he　believed　it　to　be　round；　and　eternally

falling　through　immensity　with　such　prodigious　speed　that　its　fall　was

not　perceived。



From　the　position　of　the　sun　above　the　moon　he　inferred　the

predominance　of　Baal；　of　whom　the　planet　itself　is　but　the　reflection

and　figure；　moreover；　all　that　he　saw　in　terrestrial　things　compelled

him　to　recognise　the　male　exterminating　principle　as　supreme。　And　then

he　secretly　charged　Rabbet　with　the　misfortune　of　his　life。　Was　it　not

for　her　that　the　grand…pontiff　had　once　advanced　amid　the　tumult　of

cymbals；　and　with　a　patera　of　boiling　water　taken　from　him　his　future

virility？　And　he　followed　with　a　melancholy　gaze　the　men　who　were

disappearing　with　the　priestesses　in　the　depths　of　the　turpentine

trees。



His　days　were　spent　in　inspecting　the　censers；　the　gold　vases；　the

tongs；　the　rakes　for　the　ashes　of　the　altar；　and　all　the　robes　of　the

statues　down　to　the　bronze　bodkin　that　served　to　curl　the　hair　of　an

old　Tanith　in　the　third　aedicule　near　the　emerald　vine。　At　the　same

hours　he　would　raise　the　great　hangings　of　the　same　swinging　doors；

would　remain　with　his　arms　outspread　in　the　same　attitude；　or　prayed

prostrate　on　the　same　flag…stones；　while　around　him　a　people　of

priests　moved　barefooted　through　the　passages　filled　with　an　eternal

twilight。



But　Salammbo　was　in　the　barrenness　of　his　life　like　a　flower　in　the

cleft　of　a　sepulchre。　Nevertheless　he　was　hard　upon　her；　and　spared

her　neither　penances　nor　bitter　words。　His　condition　established；　as

it　were；　the　equality　of　a　common　sex　between　them；　and　he　was　less

angry　with　the　girl　for　his　inability　to　possess　her　than　for　finding

her　so　beautiful；　and　above　all　so　pure。　Often　he　saw　that　she　grew

weary　of　following　his　thought。　Then　he　would　turn　away　sadder　than

before；　he　would　feel　himself　more　forsaken；　more　empty；　more　alone。



Strange　words　escaped　him　sometimes；　which　passed　before　Salammbo　like

broad　lightnings　illuminating　the　abysses。　This　would　be　at　night　on

the　terrace　when；　both　alone；　they　gazed　upon　the　stars；　and　Carthage

spread　below　under　their　feet；　with　the　gulf　and　the　open　sea　dimly

lost　in　the　colour　of　the　darkness。



He　would　set　forth　to　her　the　theory　of　the　souls　that　descend　upon

the　earth；　following　the　same　route　as　the　sun　through　the　signs　of

the　zodiac。　With　outstretched　arm　he　showed　the　gate　of　human

generation　in　the　Ram；　and　that　of　the　return　to　the　gods　in

Capricorn；　and　Salammbo　strove　to　see　them；　for　she　took　these

conceptions　for　realities；　she　accepted　pure　symbols　and　even　manners

of　speech　as　being　true　in　themselves；　a　distinction　not　always　very

clear　even　to　the　priest。



〃The　souls　of　the　dead；〃　said　he；　〃resolve　themselves　into　the　moon；

as　their　bodies　do　into　the　earth。　Their　tears　compose　its　humidity；

'tis　a　dark　abode　full　of　mire；　and　wreck；　and　tempest。〃



She　asked　what　would　become　of　her　then。



〃At　first　you　will　languish　as　light　as　a　vapour　hovering　upon　the

waves；　and　after　more　lengthened　ordeals　and　agonies；　you　will　pass

into　the　forces　of　the　sun；　the　very　source　of　Intelligence！〃



He　did　not　speak；　however；　of　Rabbet。　Salammbo　imagined　that　it　was

through　some　shame　for　his　vanquished　goddess；　and　calling　her　by　a

common　name　which　designated　the　moon；　she　launched　into　blessings

upon　the　soft　and　fertile　planet。　At　last　he　exclaimed：



〃No！　no！　she　draws　all　her　fecundity　from　the　other！　Do　you　not　see

her　hovering　about　him　like　an　amorous　woman　running　after　a　man　in　a

field？〃　And　he　exalted　the　virtue　of　light　unceasingly。



Far　from　depressing　her　mystic　desires；　he　sought；　on　the　contrary；　to

excite　them；　and　he　even　seemed　to　take　jo