the history-第51章

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e　he　returned　to　earth；　and　brought　with　him　a　golden　napkin；　a　gift　which　he　had　received　from　the　goddess。　From　this　descent　of　Rhampsinitus　into　Hades；　and　return　to　earth　again；　the　Egyptians；　I　was　told；　instituted　a　festival；　which　they　certainly　celebrated　in　my　day。　On　what　occasion　it　was　that　they　instituted　it；　whether　upon　this　or　upon　any　other；　I　cannot　determine。　The　following　are　the　ceremonies：…　On　a　certain　day　in　the　year　the　priests　weave　a　mande；　and　binding　the　eyes　of　one　of　their　number　with　a　fillet；　they　put　the　mantle　upon　him；　and　take　him　with　them　into　the　roadway　conducting　to　the　temple　of　Ceres；　when　they　depart　and　leave　him　to　himself。　Then　the　priest；　thus　blindfolded；　is　led　（they　say）　by　two　wolves　to　the　temple　of　Ceres；　distant　twenty　furlongs　from　the　city；　where　he　stays　awhile；　after　which　he　is　brought　back　from　the　temple　by　the　wolves；　and　left　upon　the　spot　where　they　first　joined　him。　　　　　Such　as　think　the　tales　told　by　the　Egyptians　credible　are　free　to　accept　them　for　history。　For　my　own　part；　I　propose　to　myself　throughout　my　whole　work　faithfully　to　record　the　traditions　of　the　several　nations。　The　Egyptians　maintain　that　Ceres　and　Bacchus　preside　in　the　realms　below。　They　were　also　the　first　to　broach　the　opinion　that　the　soul　of　man　is　immortal　and　that；　when　the　body　dies；　it　enters　into　the　form　of　an　animal　which　is　born　at　the　moment；　thence　passing　on　from　one　animal　into　another；　until　it　has　circled　through　the　forms　of　all　the　creatures　which　tenant　the　earth；　the　water；　and　the　air；　after　which　it　enters　again　into　a　human　frame；　and　is　born　anew。　The　whole　period　of　the　transmigration　is　（they　say）　three　thousand　years。　There　are　Greek　writers；　some　of　an　earlier；　some　of　a　later　date；　who　have　borrowed　this　doctrine　from　the　Egyptians；　and　put　it　forward　as　their　own。　I　could　mention　their　names；　but　I　abstain　from　doing　so。　　　　　Till　the　death　of　Rhampsinitus；　the　priests　said；　Egypt　was　excellently　governed；　and　flourished　greatly；　but　after　him　Cheops　succeeded　to　the　throne；　and　plunged　into　all　manner　of　wickedness。　He　closed　the　temples；　and　forbade　the　Egyptians　to　offer　sacrifice；　compelling　them　instead　to　labour；　one　and　all；　in　his　service。　Some　were　required　to　drag　blocks　of　stone　down　to　the　Nile　from　the　quarries　in　the　Arabian　range　of　hills；　others　received　the　blocks　after　they　had　been　conveyed　in　boats　across　the　river；　and　drew　them　to　the　range　of　hills　called　the　Libyan。　A　hundred　thousand　men　laboured　constantly；　and　were　relieved　every　three　months　by　a　fresh　lot。　It　took　ten　years'　oppression　of　the　people　to　make　the　causeway　for　the　conveyance　of　the　stones；　a　work　not　much　inferior；　in　my　judgment；　to　the　pyramid　itself。　This　causeway　is　five　furlongs　in　length；　ten　fathoms　wide；　and　in　height；　at　the　highest　part；　eight　fathoms。　It　is　built　of　polished　stone；　and　is　covered　with　carvings　of　animals。　To　make　it　took　ten　years；　as　I　said…　or　rather　to　make　the　causeway；　the　works　on　the　mound　where　the　pyramid　stands；　and　the　underground　chambers；　which　Cheops　intended　as　vaults　for　his　own　use：　these　last　were　built　on　a　sort　of　island；　surrounded　by　water　introduced　from　the　Nile　by　a　canal。　The　pyramid　itself　was　twenty　years　in　building。　It　is　a　square；　eight　hundred　feet　each　way；　and　the　height　the　same；　built　entirely　of　polished　stone；　fitted　together　with　the　utmost　care。　The　stones　of　which　it　is　composed　are　none　of　them　less　than　thirty　feet　in　length。　　　　　The　pyramid　was　built　in　steps；　battlement…wise；　as　it　is　called；　or；　according　to　others；　altar…wise。　After　laying　the　stones　for　the　base；　they　raised　the　remaining　stones　to　their　places　by　means　of　machines　formed　of　short　wooden　planks。　The　first　machine　raised　them　from　the　ground　to　the　top　of　the　first　step。　On　this　there　was　another　machine；　which　received　the　stone　upon　its　arrival；　and　conveyed　it　to　the　second　step；　whence　a　third　machine　advanced　it　still　higher。　Either　they　had　as　many　machines　as　there　were　steps　in　the　pyramid；　or　possibly　they　had　but　a　single　machine；　which；　being　easily　moved；　was　transferred　from　tier　to　tier　as　the　stone　rose…　both　accounts　are　given；　and　therefore　I　mention　both。　The　upper　portion　of　the　pyramid　was　finished　first；　then　the　middle；　and　finally　the　part　which　was　lowest　and　nearest　the　ground。　There　is　an　inscription　in　Egyptian　characters　on　the　pyramid　which　records　the　quantity　of　radishes；　onions；　and　garlic　consumed　by　the　labourers　who　constructed　it；　and　I　perfectly　well　remember　that　the　interpreter　who　read　the　writing　to　me　said　that　the　money　expended　in　this　way　was　1600　talents　of　silver。　If　this　then　is　a　true　record；　what　a　vast　sum　must　have　been　spent　on　the　iron　tools　used　in　the　work；　and　on　the　feeding　and　clothing　of　the　labourers；　considering　the　length　of　time　the　work　lasted；　which　has　already　been　stated；　and　the　additional　time…　no　small　space；　I　imagine…　which　must　have　been　occupied　by　the　quarrying　of　the　stones；　their　conveyance；　and　the　formation　of　the　underground　apartments。　　　　　The　wickedness　of　Cheops　reached　to　such　a　pitch　that；　when　he　had　spent　all　his　treasures　and　wanted　more；　he　sent　his　daughter　to　the　stews；　with　orders　to　procure　him　a　certain　sum…　how　much　I　cannot　say；　for　I　was　not　told；　she　procured　it；　however；　and　at　the　same　time；　bent　on　leaving　a　monument　which　should　perpetuate　her　own　memory；　she　required　each　man　to　make　her　a　present　of　a　stone　towards　the　works　which　she　contemplated。　With　these　stones　she　built　the　pyramid　which　stands　midmost　of　the　three　that　are　in　front　of　the　great　pyramid；　measuring　along　each　side　a　hundred　and　fifty　feet。　　　　　Cheops　reigned；　the　Egyptians　said；　fifty　years；　and　was　succeeded　at　his　demise　by　Chephren；　his　brother。　　　　　Chephren　imitated　the　conduct　of　his　predecessor；　and；　like　him；　built　a　pyramid；　which　did　not；　however；　equal　the　dimensions　of　his　brother's。　Of　this　I　am　certain；　for　I　measured　them　both　myself。　It　has　no　subterraneous　apartments；　nor　any　canal　from　the　Nile　to　supply　it　with　water；　as　the　other　pyramid　has。　In　that；　the　Nile　water；　introduced　through　an　artificial　duct；　surrounds　an　island；　where　the　body　of　Cheops　is　said　to　lie。　Chephren　built　his　pyramid　close　to　the　great　pyramid　of　Cheops；　and　of　the　same　dimensions；　except　that　he　lowered　the　height　forty　feet。　For　the　basement　he　employed　the　many…coloured　stone　of　Ethiopia。　These　two　pyramids　stand　both　on　the　same　hill；　an　elevation　not　far　short　of　a　hundred　feet　in　height。　The　reign　of　Chephren　lasted　fifty…six　years。　　　　　Thus　the　affliction　of　Egypt　endured　for　the　space　of　one　hundred　and　six　years；　during　the　whole　of　which　time　the　temples　were　shut　up　and　never　opened。　The　Egyptians　so　detest　the　memory　of　these　kings　that　they　do　not　much　like　even　to　mention　their　names。　Hence　they　commonly　call　the　pyramids　after　Philition；　a　shepherd　who　at　that　time　fed　his　flocks　about　the　place。　　　　　After　Chephren；　Mycerinus　（they　said）；　son　of　Cheops；　ascended　the　throne。　This　prince　disapproved　the　conduct　of　his　father；　re…opened　the　temples；　and　allowed　the　people；　who　were　ground　down　to　the　lowest　point　of　misery；　to　return　to　their　occupati