salammbo-第33章

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reign；　some　remaining　where　they　had　climbed　upon　the　frontals　of　the

buildings；　screening　their　eyes　with　their　open　hand；　while　the　rest

lay　flat　on　their　faces　at　the　foot　of　the　ramparts　straining　their

ears。　When　their　terror　had　passed　off　their　anger　would　begin　again。

But　the　conviction　of　their　own　impotence　would　soon　sink　them　into

the　same　sadness　as　before。



It　increased　every　evening　when　all　ascended　the　terraces；　and　bowing

down　nine　times　uttered　a　loud　cry　in　salutation　of　the　sun；　as　it

sank　slowly　behind　the　lagoon；　and　then　suddenly　disappeared　among　the

mountains　in　the　direction　of　the　Barbarians。



They　were　waiting　for　the　thrice　holy　festival　when；　from　the　summit

of　a　funeral　pile；　an　eagle　flew　heavenwards　as　a　symbol　of　the

resurrection　of　the　year；　and　a　message　from　the　people　to　their　Baal；

they　regarded　it　as　a　sort　of　union；　a　method　of　connecting　themselves

with　the　might　of　the　Sun。　Moreover；　filled　as　they　now　were　with

hatred；　they　turned　frankly　towards　homicidal　Moloch；　and　all　forsook

Tanith。　In　fact；　Rabetna；　having　lost　her　veil；　was　as　if　she　had　been

despoiled　of　part　of　her　virtue。　She　denied　the　beneficence　of　her

waters；　she　had　abandoned　Carthage；　she　was　a　deserter；　an　enemy。　Some

threw　stones　at　her　to　insult　her。　But　many　pitied　her　while　they

inveighed　against　her；　she　was　still　beloved；　and　perhaps　more　deeply

than　she　had　been。



All　their　misfortunes　came；　therefore；　from　the　loss　of　the　zaimph。

Salammbo　had　indirectly　participated　in　it；　she　was　included　in　the

same　ill　will；　she　must　be　punished。　A　vague　idea　of　immolation　spread

among　the　people。　To　appease　the　Baalim　it　was　without　doubt　necessary

to　offer　them　something　of　incalculable　worth；　a　being　handsome；

young；　virgin；　of　old　family；　a　descendant　of　the　gods；　a　human　star。

Every　day　the　gardens　of　Megara　were　invaded　by　strange　men；　the

slaves；　trembling　on　their　own　account；　dared　not　resist　them。

Nevertheless；　they　did　not　pass　beyond　the　galley　staircase。　They

remained　below　with　their　eyes　raised　to　the　highest　terrace；　they

were　waiting　for　Salammbo；　and　they　would　cry　out　for　hours　against

her　like　dogs　baying　at　the　moon。







CHAPTER　X



THE　SERPENT



These　clamourings　of　the　populace　did　not　alarm　Hamilcar's　daughter。

She　was　disturbed　by　loftier　anxieties：　her　great　serpent；　the　black

python；　was　drooping；　and　in　the　eyes　of　the　Carthaginians；　the

serpent　was　at　once　a　national　and　a　private　fetish。　It　was　believed

to　be　the　offspring　of　the　dust　of　the　earth；　since　it　emerges　from

its　depths　and　has　no　need　of　feet　to　traverse　it；　its　mode　of

progression　called　to　mind　the　undulations　of　rivers；　its　temperature

the　ancient；　viscous；　and　fecund　darkness；　and　the　orbit　which　it

describes　when　biting　its　tail　the　harmony　of　the　planets；　and　the

intelligence　of　Eschmoun。



Salammbo's　serpent　had　several　times　already　refused　the　four　live

sparrows　which　were　offered　to　it　at　the　full　moon　and　at　every　new

moon。　Its　handsome　skin；　covered　like　the　firmament　with　golden　spots

upon　a　perfectly　black　ground；　was　now　yellow；　relaxed；　wrinkled；　and

too　large　for　its　body。　A　cottony　mouldiness　extended　round　its　head；

and　in　the　corners　of　its　eyelids　might　be　seen　little　red　specks

which　appeared　to　move。　Salammbo　would　approach　its　silver…wire　basket

from　time　to　time；　and　would　draw　aside　the　purple　curtains；　the　lotus

leaves；　and　the　bird's　down；　but　it　was　continually　rolled　up　upon

itself；　more　motionless　than　a　withered　bind…weed；　and　from　looking　at

it　she　at　last　came　to　feel　a　kind　of　spiral　within　her　heart；　another

serpent；　as　it　were；　mounting　up　to　her　throat　by　degrees　and

strangling　her。



She　was　in　despair　of　having　seen　the　zaimph；　and　yet　she　felt　a　sort

of　joy；　an　intimate　pride　at　having　done　so。　A　mystery　shrank　within

the　splendour　of　its　folds；　it　was　the　cloud　that　enveloped　the　gods；

and　the　secret　of　the　universal　existence；　and　Salammbo；　horror…

stricken　at　herself；　regretted　that　she　had　not　raised　it。



She　was　almost　always　crouching　at　the　back　of　her　apartment；　holding

her　bended　left　leg　in　her　hands；　her　mouth　half　open；　her　chin　sunk；

her　eye　fixed。　She　recollected　her　father's　face　with　terror；　she

wished　to　go　away　into　the　mountains　of　Phoenicia；　on　a　pilgrimage　to

the　temple　of　Aphaka；　where　Tanith　descended　in　the　form　of　a　star；

all　kinds　of　imaginings　attracted　her　and　terrified　her；　moreover；　a

solitude　which　every　day　became　greater　encompassed　her。　She　did　not

even　know　what　Hamilcar　was　about。



Wearied　at　last　with　her　thoughts　she　would　rise；　and　trailing　along

her　little　sandals　whose　soles　clacked　upon　her　heels　at　every　step；

she　would　walk　at　random　through　the　large　silent　room。　The　amethysts

and　topazes　of　the　ceiling　made　luminous　spots　quiver　here　and　there；

and　Salammbo　as　she　walked　would　turn　her　head　a　little　to　see　them。

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