the works of edgar allan poe-5-第29部分

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in　his　dotage　when　he　died。〃

Here　ensued　a　brisk　series　of　questions　and　computations；　by　means　of
which　it　became　evident　that　the　antiquity　of　the　Mummy　had　been　grossly
misjudged。　It　had　been　five　thousand　and　fifty　years　and　some　months　since
he　had　been　consigned　to　the　catacombs　at　Eleithias。

〃But　my　remark；〃　resumed　Mr。　Buckingham；　〃had　no　reference　to　your　age　at
the　period　of　interment　（I　am　willing　to　grant；　in　fact；　that　you　are
still　a　young　man）；　and　my　illusion　was　to　the　immensity　of　time　during
which；　by　your　own　showing；　you　must　have　been　done　up　in　asphaltum。〃

〃In　what？〃　said　the　Count。

〃In　asphaltum；〃　persisted　Mr。　B。

〃Ah；　yes；　I　have　some　faint　notion　of　what　you　mean；　it　might　be　made　to
answer；　no　doubt　　but　in　my　time　we　employed　scarcely　any　thing　else
than　the　Bichloride　of　Mercury。〃

〃But　what　we　are　especially　at　a　loss　to　understand；〃　said　Doctor
Ponnonner；　〃is　how　it　happens　that；　having　been　dead　and　buried　in　Egypt
five　thousand　years　ago；　you　are　here　to…day　all　alive　and　looking　so
delightfully　well。〃

〃Had　I　been；　as　you　say；　dead；〃　replied　the　Count；　〃it　is　more　than
probable　that　dead；　I　should　still　be；　for　I　perceive　you　are　yet　in　the
infancy　of　Calvanism；　and　cannot　accomplish　with　it　what　was　a　common
thing　among　us　in　the　old　days。　But　the　fact　is；　I　fell　into　catalepsy；
and　it　was　considered　by　my　best　friends　that　I　was　either　dead　or　should
be；　they　accordingly　embalmed　me　at　once　　I　presume　you　are　aware　of　the
chief　principle　of　the　embalming　process？〃

〃Why　not　altogether。〃

〃Why；　I　perceive　　a　deplorable　condition　of　ignorance！　Well　I　cannot
enter　into　details　just　now：　but　it　is　necessary　to　explain　that　to　embalm
（properly　speaking）；　in　Egypt；　was　to　arrest　indefinitely　all　the　animal
functions　subjected　to　the　process。　I　use　the　word　'animal'　in　its　widest
sense；　as　including　the　physical　not　more　than　the　moral　and　vital　being。
I　repeat　that　the　leading　principle　of　embalmment　consisted；　with　us；　in
the　immediately　arresting；　and　holding　in　perpetual　abeyance；　all　the
animal　functions　subjected　to　the　process。　To　be　brief；　in　whatever
condition　the　individual　was；　at　the　period　of　embalmment；　in　that
condition　he　remained。　Now；　as　it　is　my　good　fortune　to　be　of　the　blood　of
the　Scarabaeus；　I　was　embalmed　alive；　as　you　see　me　at　present。〃

〃The　blood　of　the　Scarabaeus！〃　exclaimed　Doctor　Ponnonner。

〃Yes。　The　Scarabaeus　was　the　insignium　or　the　'arms；'　of　a　very
distinguished　and　very　rare　patrician　family。　To　be　'of　the　blood　of　the
Scarabaeus；'　is　merely　to　be　one　of　that　family　of　which　the　Scarabaeus　is
the　insignium。　I　speak　figuratively。〃

〃But　what　has　this　to　do　with　you　being　alive？〃

〃Why；　it　is　the　general　custom　in　Egypt　to　deprive　a　corpse；　before
embalmment；　of　its　bowels　and　brains；　the　race　of　the　Scarabaei　alone　did
not　coincide　with　the　custom。　Had　I　not　been　a　Scarabeus；　therefore；　I
should　have　been　without　bowels　and　brains；　and　without　either　it　is
inconvenient　to　live。〃

〃I　perceive　that；〃　said　Mr。　Buckingham；　〃and　I　presume　that　all　the　entire
mummies　that　come　to　hand　are　of　the　race　of　Scarabaei。〃

〃Beyond　doubt。〃

〃I　thought；〃　said　Mr。　Gliddon；　very　meekly；　〃that　the　Scarabaeus　was　one
of　the　Egyptian　gods。〃

〃One　of　the　Egyptian　_what？〃_　exclaimed　the　Mummy；　starting　to　its　feet。

〃Gods！〃　repeated　the　traveller。

〃Mr。　Gliddon；　I　really　am　astonished　to　hear　you　talk　in　this　style；〃　said
the　Count；　resuming　his　chair。　〃No　nation　upon　the　face　of　the　earth　has
ever　acknowledged　more　than　one　god。　The　Scarabaeus；　the　Ibis；　etc。；　were
with　us　（as　similar　creatures　have　been　with　others）　the　symbols；　or
media；　through　which　we　offered　worship　to　the　Creator　too　august　to　be
more　directly　approached。〃

There　was　here　a　pause。　At　length　the　colloquy　was　renewed　by　Doctor
Ponnonner。

〃It　is　not　improbable；　then；　from　what　you　have　explained；〃　said　he；　〃that
among　the　catacombs　near　the　Nile　there　may　exist　other　mummies　of　the
Scarabaeus　tribe；　in　a　condition　of　vitality？〃

〃There　can　be　no　question　of　it；〃　replied　the　Count；　〃all　the　Scarabaei
embalmed　accidentally　while　alive；　are　alive　now。　Even　some　of　those
purposely　so　embalmed；　may　have　been　overlooked　by　their　executors；　and
still　remain　in　the　tomb。〃

〃Will　you　be　kind　enough　to　explain；〃　I　said；　〃what　you　mean　by　'purposely
so　embalmed'？〃

〃With　great　pleasure！〃　answered　the　Mummy；　after　surveying　me　leisurely
through　his　eye…glass　　for　it　was　the　first　time　I　had　ventured　to
address　him　a　direct　question。

〃With　great　pleasure；〃　he　said。　〃The　usual　duration　of　man's　life；　in　my
time；　was　about　eight　hundred　years。　Few　men　died；　unless　by　most
extraordinary　accident；　before　the　age　of　six　hundred；　few　lived　longer
than　a　decade　of　centuries；　but　eight　were　considered　the　natural　term。
After　the　discovery　of　the　embalming　principle；　as　I　have　already
described　it　to　you；　it　occurred　to　our　philosophers　that　a　laudable
curiosity　might　be　gratified；　and；　at　the　same　time；　the　interests　of
science　much　advanced；　by　living　this　natural　term　in　installments。　In　the
case　of　history；　indeed；　experience　demonstrated　that　something　of　this
kind　was　indispensable。　An　historian；　for　example；　having　attained　the　age
of　five　hundred；　would　write　a　book　with　great　labor　and　then　get　himself
carefully　embalmed；　leaving　instructions　to　his　executors　pro　tem。；　that
they　should　cause　him　to　be　revivified　after　the　lapse　of　a　certain　period
　say　five　or　six　hundred　years。　Resuming　existence　at　the　expiration　of
this　time；　he　would　invariably　find　his　great　work　converted　into　a
species　of　hap…hazard　note…book　　that　is　to　say；　into　a　kind　of　literary
arena　for　the　conflicting　guesses；　riddles；　and　personal　squabbles　of
whole　herds　of　exasperated　commentators。　These　guesses；　etc。；　which　passed
under　the　name　of　annotations；　or　emendations；　were　found　so　completely　to
have　enveloped；　distorted；　and　overwhelmed　the　text；　that　the　author　had
to　go　about　with　a　lantern　to　discover　his　own　book。　When　discovered；　it
was　never　worth　the　trouble　of　the　search。　After　re…writing　it　throughout；
it　was　regarded　as　the　bounden　duty　of　the　historian　to　set　himself　to
work　immediately　in　correcting；　from　his　own　private　knowledge　and
experience；　the　traditions　of　the　day　concerning　the　epoch　at　which　he　had
originally　lived。　Now　this　process　of　re…scription　and　personal
rectification；　pursued　by　various　individual　sages　from　time　to　time；　had
the　effect　of　preventing　our　history　from　degenerating　into　absolute
fable。〃

〃I　beg　your　pardon；〃　said　Doctor　Ponnonner　at　this　point；　laying　his　hand
gently　upon　the　arm　of　the　Egyptian　　〃I　beg　your　pardon；　sir；　but　may　I
presume　to　interrupt　you　for　one　moment？〃

〃By　all　means；　sir；〃　replied　the　Count；　drawing　up。

〃I　merely　wished　to　ask　you　a　question；〃　said　the　Doctor。　〃You　mentioned
the　historian's　personal　correction　of　traditions　respecting　his　own
epoch。　Pray；　sir；　upon　an　average　what　proportion　of　these　Kabbala　were
usually　found　to　be　right？〃

〃The　Kabbala；　as　you　properly　term　them；　sir；　were　generally　discovered　to
be　precisely　on　a　par　wi