the days of my life-第59章

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iculous　details　of　symbolical　worship　which　it　was　to　their　advantage　to　imagine　and　maintain。　If　I　understand　him　right；　he　holds　that　religion　pure　and　undefiled　wells　up　spontaneously　in　the　heart　of　man；　and　that　afterwards　it　is　smothered；　and　even　killed；　with　the　dross　of　ritual　and　controversy　where　professional　theologians　pitch　their　camps。
There　has　been　much　talk　of　late　of　a　painted　board　on　which　a　face　is　carved；　which　once　rested　on　the　mummy　of　a　priestess　of　Amen　who　lived　about　1500　B。C。　It　has　been　supposed　to　bring　misfortune　to　those　who　had　anything　to　do　with　it；　or　who　even　looked　upon　it。
One　day　in　the　autumn　of　1889　a　gentleman　was　shown　into　Dr。　Budge’s　room　in　the　British　Museum　and；　producing　a　photograph　of　the　painted　board；　asked　him　to　tell　what　the　object　represented　was。　Budge　saw　at　once　that　it　was　an　object　of　which　the　Museum　had　few　examples；　and　that　it　was　in　a　good　state　of　preservation；　and　also　an　antica　of　considerable　value。　The　visitor　said；　“Do　you　want　it？”　Budge　said；　“Yes；　but　we　have　no　money。”　Visitor：　“I　don’t　want　money。　I’ll　give　it　to　you。”　Budge：　“Very　handsome　of　you。　Please　give　me　your　name　and　address；　and　I　will　report　your　generous　gift　to　the　Trustees。”　The　visitor　did　so；　but　lingered；　and　after　a　time　said；　“Could　you　send　for　it　today？”　There　was　difficulty；　it　then　being　three　o’clock；　in　getting　a　van　and　men；　but　they　were　got　and　sent　for　the　board。　The　visitor　asked　if　he　might　remain　till　the　board　came；　and　Budge　gave　him　books　to　look　at。　In　due　course　the　board　arrived　and　the　men　brought　it　upstairs；　and　the　visitor　got　up　and　thanked　Budge　profusely。　Said　Budge；　“The　thanks　are　due　to　you　from　us。”　Whereupon　the　visitor　took　Budge　by　the　hand　and　said　words　to　this　effect：　“Thank　God　you　have　taken　the　damned　thing！　There　is　an　evil　spirit　in　it　which　appears　in　its　eyes。　It　was　brought　home　by　a　friend　of　mine　who　was　travelling　with　Douglas　Murray；　and　he　lost　all　his　money　when　a　bank　in　China　broke；　and　his　daughter　died。　I　took　the　board　into　my　house。　The　eyes　frightened　my　daughter　into　a　sickness。　I　moved　it　to　another　room；　and　it　threw　down　a　china　cabi　and　smashed　a　lot　of　Sevres　china　in　it。　The　cook　saw　it　and　fainted；　and　the　other　servants　saw　flashes　of　fire　e　from　the　eyes；　and　ran　away　from　the　house。　A　friend　suggested　the　giving　it　to　the　Museum；　and；　thank　God！　you　have　accepted　it。　I　want　no　thanks。　I　shall　be　ever　in　your　debt。”　With　these　words　he　left　the　room　and　Budge　saw　him　no　more。　The　board　was　put　into　the　mummy　room；　and　Douglas　Murray　and　W。　T。　Stead　came　and　examined　it　and　said　it　possessed　psychic　powers　—　that　a　soul　in　torment　was　chained　up　in　the　board；　and　so　on。　All　this　got　into　the　papers；　and　much　nonsense　besides。　Budge　said　that　the　board　had　given　them　no　trouble；　and　published　it　in　one　of　his　books。
A　certain　mummy　had　many　weird　stories　attached　to　it。　It　was　bought　by　“Midge”　Ingram　of　the　Illustrated　London　News　and　brought　to　London。　Budge　was　sent　to　report　upon　it　by　his　chief；　Dr。　Birch；　and　he　said　it　belonged　to　the　Ptolemaic　Period　and　came　from　Akhmim　in　Upper　Egypt。　Ingram　bought　it　in　Luxor；　and　was　said　to　have　carried　it　off　without　paying　what　the　native　wanted　for　it。　The　native　ran　after　the　boat　along　the　bank　for　miles；　and　cursed　Ingram　with　all　his　might　in　the　name　of　Allah。　Among　the　inscriptions　on　the　coffin　were　extracts　from　a　funerary　work；　and　the　copy　of　it　in　the　British　Museum　had　a　curse　attached。　The　curse　declared　that　the　man　who　stole　the　work；　or　burnt　it；　or　buried　it；　or　drowned　it；　should　be　blotted　out；　his　body　and　seed　destroyed　for　ever；　etc。　During　a　shooting　tour　in　Somaliland　Ingram　shot　at　a　huge　she…elephant　with　buck…shot　and　enraged　the　beast。　He　fired　again；　and　the　elephant　pursued　him　among　the　palms；　and　finally　caught　him　with　her　trunk　and　lifted　him　into　the　air　and　dashed　him　limb　from　limb。　Then　she　found　the　trunk　and　trod　it　with　her　feet　to　a　pulp。　Sir　Henry　Meux；　who　was　of　the　party；　collected　the　remains；　put　them　in　a　box　and　buried　them；　but　a　few　days　later　the　box　was　washed　out　of　its　bed；　and　the　party　decided　to　carry　it　to　the　sea…coast。　Before　Ingram　left　England　he　gave　the　mummy　—　which　he　had　agreed　to　sell　to　the　British　Museum　—　to　Lady　Meux　of　Theobalds　Park；　who　placed　it　in　her　Egyptian　collection。　There　it　lay　for　several　years；　and　Lady　Meux　used　to　go　the　museum　every　day　and　pray　by　the　side　of　the　case　containing　it。　Budge　published　a　full　description　of　the　mummy　and　coffin；　and　a　splendid　collotype　reproduction　of　the　coffin；　in　the　“Catalogue”　of　the　Meux　Collection　which　he　made　for　Lady　Meux。　The　collection　was　bequeathed　to　the　British　Museum　by　Lady　Meux；　but　her　conditions　were　such　that　the　proposed　gift　could　not　be　accepted。　The　collection　was　then　sold　by　auction　and　dispersed。
I　asked　Budge　if　he　believed　in　the　efficacy　of　curses。　He　hesitated　to　answer。　At　length　he　said　that　in　the　East　men　believed　that　curses　took　effect；　and　that　he　had　always　avoided　driving　a　native　to　curse　him。　A　curse　launched　into　the　air　was　bound　to　have　an　effect　if　coupled　with　the　name　of　God；　either　on　the　person　cursed　or　on　the　curser。　Budge　mentioned　the　case　of　Palmer；　who　cursed　an　Arab　of　Sinai；　and　the　natives　turned　the　curse　on　him　by　throwing　him　and　his　panions　down　a　precipice；　and　they　were　dashed　to　pieces。　Budge　added；　“I　have　cursed　the　fathers　and　female　ancestors　of　many　a　man；　but　I　have　always　feared　to　curse　a　man　himself。”
Two　other　stories　of　Budge’s　are　worth　preserving。
When　he　was　at　Cambridge　Dr。　Peile　of　Christ’s　offered　him　an　exhibition　if　he　would　be　examined　in　Assyrian；　and　as　Budge’s　funds　were　exiguous　he　was　very　anxious　to　get　the　exhibition。　An　examiner；　Professor　Sayce　of　Oxford；　was　found　to　set　the　papers　—　four　in　all　—　and　the　days　for　the　examination　were　fixed。　The　night　before　the　day　of　the　examination　Budge　dreamed　a　dream　in　which　he　saw　himself　seated　in　a　room　that　he　had　never　seen　before　—　a　room　rather　like　a　shed　with　a　skylight　in　it。　The　tutor　came　in　with　a　long　envelope　in　his　hand；　and　took　from　it　a　batch　of　green　papers；　and　gave　one　of　these　to　Budge　for　him　to　work　at　that　morning。　The　tutor　locked　him　in　and　left　him。　When　he　looked　at　the　paper　he　saw　it　contained　questions　and　extracts　from　bilingual　Assyrian　and　Akkadian　texts　for　translation。　The　questions　he　could　answer；　but　he　could　not　translate　the　texts；　though　he　knew　them　by　sight；　and　his　emotions　were　so　great　that　he　woke　up　in　a　fright。　At　length　he　fell　asleep；　but　the　dream　repeated　itself　twice；　and　he　woke　up　in　a　greater　fright　than　before。　He　then　got　up　—　it　was　about　2　A。M。　—　went　downstairs　to　his　room；　lighted　a　fire；　and；　finding　the　texts　in　the　second　volume　of　Rawlinson’s　great　work；　found　the　four　texts　and　worked　at　them　till　breakfast…time；　when　he　was　able　to　make　passable　renderings　of　them。　He　went　to　College　at　nine；　and　was　informed　that　there　was　no　room　in　the　Hall；　it　being　filled　by　a　class
Chapter　14　MEXICO
J。　Gladwyn　Jebb　—　His　character　—　Mr。　and　Mrs。　H。　R。　H。　visit　him　in　Mexico　—　Death　of　their　only　son　while　absent　—　New　York　on　way　to　Mexico　—　Reports　—　Their　loyalty　to　each　other　—　Mexico　City　—　Don　Anselmo　—　Golden　Head　of　Montezuma　—　Treasure　hunt　—　Zumpango　—　Journey　to　silver　mine　—　Chiapas　—　Vera　Cruz　—　Frontera　—　Millions　of　mosquitoes　—　A　mule　load　of　silver　—　Attempt　of　robbers　to　steal　it　—　Silver　mine　—　Tarantulas　—　Mishap　on　journey　back　—　Return　to　England。
During　the　year　1889　I　made　the　acquaintance　of　my　late　friend　J。　Gladwyn　Jebb；　one　of　the　most　delightful　persons　whom　I　have　ever　known。　Some　irony　of　fate　brought　it　about　that　Jebb　should　devote　his　life　to　the　pursuit　of　mining　and　mercial　ventures　—　a　career　for　which　he　was　utterly　unsuited。　The　result　may　be　imagined：　he　worked　very　hard　in　many　evil　climates；　broke　down　his　health；　dissipated　his　large　private　means　in　supporting　unremunerative　enterprises；　and　died　saddened　and　impoverished。
I　have　described　his　character　in　my　introduction　to　“The　Life　and　Adventures　of　J。　G。　Jebb；”　by　his　widow；　from　which　I　quote　a　short　passage。
In　the　city　of　Mexico；　where　business　men　are　—　business　men；　he　was　respected　universally；　and　by　the　Indians　he　was　adored。　“He　is　a　good　man；　Jebb；”　said　an　honourable　old　Jewish　trader　of　that　city　to　me　—　“a　man　among　a　thousand；　whom　I　would　trust　anywhere。　See；　I　will　prove　it　to　you；　amigo：　he　has　lived　in　this　town　doing　business　for　years；　yet；　with　all　his　opportunities；　he　leaves　it　poorer　than　he　came　here。　Did　you　ever　hear　the　like　of　that；　amigo？”
Would　that　there　existed　more　of　such　noble　failures　—　the　ignoble　are　sufficiently　abundant　—　for　then　the　world　might　be　cleaner　than　it　is。　It　matters　little　now：　his　day　is　done；　and　he　has　journeyed　to　that　wonderful　Hereafter　of　which　during　life　he　had　so　clear　a　vision；　and　that　was　so　often　the　subject　of　his　delightful　and　suggestive　talk。　But　his　record　remains；　the　record　of　a　brave　and　generous　man　who；　as　I　firmly　believe；　never　did；　never　even　contemplated；　a　mean　or　doubtful　act。　To　those　who　knew　him　and　have　lost　sight　of　him　there　remain　also　a　bright　and　chivalrous　example　and　the　memory　of　a　most　perfect　gentleman。
Unfortunately　for　myself；　a　connection　in　the　City　had　introduced　me　to　certain　Mexican　enterprises　in　which　he　was　concerned　that　in　due　course　absorbed　no　small　sum　out　of　my　hard　earnings。　Also　he　introduced　me　to　Jebb；　which　good　deed　I　set　against　the　matter　of　the　unlucky　investments。
Jebb　urged　me　to　e　to　Mexico　and　write　a　novel　about　Montezuma；　both　of　which　things　I　did　in　due　course；　also　as　a　bait　he　told　me　a　wonderful　and；　as　I　believe；　perfectly　true　tale　of　hidden　treasure　which　we　were　to　proceed　to　dig　up　together。　Of　this　treasure　I　will　write　hereafter。
Jebb　and　Mrs。　Jebb　returned　to　Mexico　during　the　year　1890；　where　my　wife　and　I　made　arrangements　to　visit　them　at　the　mencement　of　1891。
And　now　I　e　to　a　very　sad　and　terrible　event　that　pierced　me　with　a　sudden　thrust　which　has　left　my　heart　bleeding　to　this　day。　Yes；　still　it　bleeds；　nor　will　the　issue　of　its　blood