Let us revert1, and place before our thoughts
The face which rural solitude2 might wear
To the unenlightened swains of pagan Greece."
Wordsworth
There was no lingering in Amman next morning. From sheer habit of historic reference we speculated as to whether it were Ptolemy Philadelphus who, having rebuilt the ancient city of Rabbath Amman, and bequeathed to it the name of Philadelphia, still used among the Arabs, may have endowed it, moreover, so far as our locanda was concerned, with one of the most offensive of the ten plagues of his native land, after which we did our best to forget our recent experiences. We may remark in passing, however, that traces, painful traces, lingered till later in the day, when they were finally removed by a dip in the strong current of the Jabbok, for it had been in very mournful Gregorian cadence3 that some of us had chanted "Moab is my washpot" while a little water was poured on to our hands out of a bottle by way of morning ablution. {117} However, it was a privilege worth paying for to be able to sing the Psalms4 in Moab under any conditions; and whatever else may have failed the party, it was never the spirit of cheerful resignation.
We have not yet sung the praise of the early start! One must come to the East to learn to the full the beauty of the morning and of the night, as well as, inter5 alia, of life without fogs and coal fires and bad cooking; of life where houses are spacious6 and servants serve, and a napoleon goes further than a sovereign, and the post comes but once a week or so, and newspapers are not.
There is here none of the discomfort7 of the early start at home—no shivering over ice-cold water, no closed shutters8, no bolted front door, no makeshift breakfast brought by the wrong servant in incomplete toilet. No matter how early you rise the world is up before you; you can have as much at five o'clock as at nine. Your horse is a little stable stiff; but he is as pleased with the early start as you, and he snuffs the dewy air with ?sthetic enjoyment9. In the hollows of the mountains a mist wreath is lying; here and there a few clouds even may hang low to the west—but you know they are {118} only dew, and that even now in October we are perfectly10 certain of a fine day, with at least another thirty to follow. You are invigorated, encouraged in mind and body for the whole day, even when, as in our case, you know that the day will last for ten or twelve hours.
Almost immediately on leaving the village we began to climb—for, although Amman is 2747 feet above sea-level, the town itself is in a hollow—and soon found ourselves on an excellent Roman road. The particular pleasure which the Professor had promised us for this day's journey was that we should do homage12 at the tomb of Abdel Azziz en-Nimr Shech Adwan, more often spoken of as Nimr, a great poet, of the Bedu tribe of the Adwan, who addressed a great number of poems to Watka, his twenty-fourth wife. We had heard one of his poems recited by our Bedawy escort, and we were willing to take the Professor's word for the rest; for the poet's works have been collected by but one editor, who has not yet published them, and the two or three writers who mention the spot at all do so mainly in connection with a certain Shech Goblan, who, before Jerash and Amman were given over to the Circassians, was much feared throughout the district.
{119} About two hours after leaving Amman we reached the Wady el-Hammam, and, a little later, Yaj?z, a large Bedu cemetery13 on the side of a hill, strewn with columns, capitals, and hewn stones, obviously the remains14 of a Roman town. Some great stone troughs, which may have been sarcophagi, attracted the attention of our horses on account of the water they contained, and we gladly dismounted, and left them to such refreshment15 as was provided by the very muddy spring, while we climbed the hill a short distance to the tomb of our laureate, who may certainly be regarded as having an experimental knowledge of what characteristics were most acceptable in a wife, and whose eulogy16 of Watka should at least have the merit of discrimination.
The whole hillside was covered with graves, and some curious combinations presented themselves. There the tomb of some landowner was marked by a plough, the inconceivably primitive17 instrument with which the fellah scratches the surface of the fertile soil; there a fragment of the blue cotton, which is the inevitable18 dress of the Bedu, twisted round a stick, shows where some woman has been laid to rest; farther again, a stone, roughly sculptured with the instruments of coffee-making, celebrates the hospitality of some {120} unnamed shech; and, in strange contrast with the savagery19 of to-day, we step over a sculptured capital or carven pillar, memorial of the art and culture of nigh two thousand years ago; while, reminder21 that "extremes meet," our thoughts are carried back yet another thousand years at sight of the welys—tombs of Moslem22 saints—standing23 apart on mounds24, shadowed with ancient oaks, where the pious25 come to worship to-day, to the Israelites who did so of old time, "upon every high hill and under every green tree."
Around the spring were groups of women, with the tattooed26 faces, hanging veils, and curious long, narrow dresses of the East Jordan Bedu, barely wide enough to stride in, but lying at least a yard upon the ground, front and back, so that when they walk the skirt has to be kilted, often to the entire violation27 of such ideas of modesty28 as may have originally dictated29 its design. They had taken much interest in the Lady, and, as usual, had speculated as to which of her companions might be her proprietor—always the first point to ascertain—the remaining matters of curiosity in regard to a woman being: What did she cost? and How many boys has she?—after which they frankly30 discuss her "points," and express surprise at the smallness of her waist.
{121} Suddenly there was an instant's silence; all eyes were turned southward, where a procession had just come into sight winding31 up the valley. A weird32, melancholy33 song broke out, the women pressed forward, and we realised that a funeral was advancing. We had already observed a newly-made grave; but the procession passed it by, and halted beside the nearest wely, under a group of trees. The four men who carried the bier laid it gently down, and the women, with loud cries, gathered about it on the ground. The body was that of a woman, so closely wrapped in her dress and veil that we could only perceive that she was slender. All joined in the loud wailing34, led, apparently35, by a professional mourner, who sat beside the corpse36, beating her breast, and throwing dust upon her head. It was a pathetic evidence of the homogeneousness of humankind, despite differences of custom, that those who really wept, silently and apart, were, we understood, the mother and mother-in-law of the dead, while a young man who leant alone against a tree trunk was the newly-married husband of a three days' bride. She had died, they said, of a sudden illness, the description of which suggested measles37 or small-pox. We could not but think of the little home made desolate38, of {122} plans and hopes never to be realised, of the bereaved39 husband—for here, among the Bedu, marriage is a matter of choice and not of compulsion, as among the Arabs of the towns—of the poor girl herself, who, having reached what is the main object of existence among the Orientals, had been called away just as life was opening. Our point of view may have been a little too Occidental, or it may have been another case of "extremes meet," the mean being represented by the higher civilisation40 of Khalil, a true Jerusalemite, for his one remark was: "It was a pity the bridegroom had had no use out of his bargain when he had paid so much for her!"
The young man was presented to the Professor, who expressed our respectful sympathy, and we turned away after a last glance at the loud-wailing group of the indifferent, the silent sadness of those most concerned. Whatever the age or race, "Light sorrows speak, great grief is dumb."
When we left the wady we climbed a precipitous hill, and found ourselves overlooking a deep gorge41 to our left—the Wady er-Rumman—where abundant verdure showed the presence of water—a rare sight to our eyes, habituated to the aridity42 of Jerusalem, where running water {123} is so utterly43 unknown that if for a few hours once a year, after exceptionally heavy rain, it is reported that the Kedron flows, the whole population turns out to witness so extraordinary a phenomenon. As a matter of fact, moreover, the Kedron does not flow, unless far underground, and only a spring—the well of Job or Joab—overflows into the Kedron bed, but the fact is always thus described. Further, we crossed a small tributary44 stream, where we found a number of shepherds and herdsmen, with camels and sheep and goats. By this time our horses were hot with the climb, and we were forced to deny them the desired refreshment, and hastened on, already somewhat occupied with thoughts of the luncheon46 promised to us at the fords of Jabbok. When we came—some of us riding in advance with the officer—to a pleasant stream shaded by oleanders we thought he must be mistaken in riding resolutely48 forward, for we were not yet used to a district in which two streams might be passed in a single day, and were half inclined to wait for those behind. However, we pressed on, and, as no shouts followed us, were glad to have made so much way that it was possible to dismount and rest our horses for a few moments, for the {124} Jabbok, it appeared, was still distant—"over two hills," declared Khalil, when he at last overtook us. They were somewhat stiff hills both to climb and to descend49, and not Jacob himself, with his two wives and two women-servants and eleven sons, and all his other anxieties, could have been more glad than we, when, from our last ascent50, we saw beneath us a wide expanse of fresh green, showing that we had reached the fords of Jabbok. The river, rising from streams in the hills above Amman, and sweeping51 round by the north-west before taking a sudden turn towards the Jordan, accomplishes a journey of sixty miles, not counting its windings52, to reach the point which, at starting, was only eighteen miles away. In its descent of some three thousand feet its current gains great swiftness, and it rushes with considerable violence over its rocky bed, as the widely-scattered53 pebbles—white and water-worn—abundantly testify. Two roads follow its course; and though but a couple of distant villages were in sight, the cultivated land all along its banks showed the near presence of active humanity: a deserted54 mill among the bushes, and a few fellahin watering their cattle, were, however, our only reminder of human life. We were {125} free to picture any chapter in its history which might strike our imagination—Jacob, occupied with all his family cares and apprehensions55, suddenly called upon in the darkness to remember the world of the Unseen; Gideon pursuing the Midianites; the hosts of Chosroes marching from Damascus to the Nile; the Roman legionaries constructing the very road which we have followed to-day; Galilean pilgrims coming up to the Jerusalem feasts by way of Per?a; the propagandists of the Prophet hastening to the north; and lastly, and more enduring than all, the fellahin, with their elementary agriculture, seeking their daily bread like the swallows that are darting56 overhead or the rat that splashes into the stream, oblivious57 and indifferent to all other life, and, therefore, permanent and persistent58 in their own.
For ourselves, however, the fords of Jabbok represented primarily the means of taking a bath, and secondarily, those of making tea. The sun was still hot; we had descended59 considerably60 since leaving Amman, and the bushes offered welcome shade. The Circassian soldier brought the Lady a handful of ripe blackberries—the first we had seen in Syria, where blackberries are abundant enough, but for lack of moisture never {126} seem to ripen61. The oleanders, with their rich crimson62; the rare feast of abundant verdure; the grey water rushing upon its white bed, with the effect of blue which gives to the Jabbok its modern name of Ez-Zerka—"the Blue"; the contented63 horses cooling their limbs in a deep pool, made a vision we were loth to disturb; but we were already late, and after an hour's repose64 were bidden to mount once more. When we had crossed the rushing ford47 and regained65 the plateau we realised that our shadows were already lengthening66.
We had now crossed an important political boundary, for the Jabbok is one of the three rivers at right angles with the Jordan—the Arnon, Jabbok, and Yarmuk—which divide Eastern Palestine into three provinces; physically67, as well as, for the most part, politically, though their disentanglement is difficult, distinct. Behind us was the Belka, the land of Ammon and Moab, practically the Per?a of ancient history, in the time of the Herods politically associated with Galilee, and always regarded by the Jew as being as much a Jewish province as Jud?a or Galilee. The climate of the Belka is temperate68, and in spite of insufficient69 water at its highest points the treeless plateau is ever {127} fresh and breezy, providing pasture for innumerable herds45. It is but seventy miles from the orange gardens of the Philistine70 plain, but eight hours' direct ride from the palms of Jericho, and yet the Arabs have a proverb: "They said to the Cold: 'Where shall we find thee?' And he answered: 'In the Belka.' 'And if not there?' 'In Baalbek is my home.'" Now Baalbek, as we saw it in August, lies under the shadow of snowcapped mountains.
Now we were coming into 'Ajl?n, the land of Gilead, "the region of Decapolis," a district of forests—falling, alas71! before the axe72 of the Circassian—of springs and streams, tributaries73 of the Jordan as well as of the Jabbok and the Yarmuk; the land whence "a company of Ishmaelites came with their camels, bearing spicery and balm and myrrh, going to carry it down to Egypt." There is still "balm in Gilead." We had scarcely crossed the river when our soldier, stooping from his saddle, snatched a handful of deliciously fragrant74 herbs, which he presented to the Lady, who had no opportunity of verifying their species, but was quite prepared to believe that she had enjoyed the sweetness of the balsamum Gileadense, though with suppressed misgivings75 that it might be {128} only the melissa officinalis. Indeed, the low growth of artemisia and other herbs throughout this region is so sweet that, in the wilder parts of the Belka frequented by gazelle, which feed upon it, the Arabs constantly pick up their droppings for the pleasure of the fragrance76.
Low ranges of hills to the east lay between us and that far-away fascination77 of the desert of which we had first, and most fully78, realised the spell at Mshatta, making us feel that we were, in some degree, coming once more into touch with humanity and the commonplace of life, and farther away from that dim region known to so few, and which throughout history has always been the great source of danger, the check upon the civilisation of East Jordan, ever open to the great hungry desert, whence in all ages wild tribes have come forth79 to seek sustenance80 from the fertile tablelands of Bashan, Gilead, and Moab.
Here not Nature and the desert but Art and Greece were the prominent facts in the minds of some among us. Amman, fresh in our memory, had been already an important stronghold two hundred years before Christ, and, later, a member of the Decapolis, although, alone of the ten cites, lying south of the Jabbok. {129} Here, as never before, were we able to realise something of the nature and meaning of that mysterious alliance of the Decapolis, of which the origin is unknown, but which we had seen represented in miniature in the present-day policy of playing off the Circassians against the Bedawy tribes of that same district, which, even two thousand years ago, was then, as now, the check upon all prosperity and progress. There seems little doubt that this confederacy—like the Arab dynasty of the Ghassanides at a later date under Trajan—was intended to balance these Semitic influences; and these cities were thoroughly81 Hellenic, not only in art and culture, but, unlike other parts of Eastern Palestine, in religion also, the cult20 of Astarte alone being borrowed from their surroundings. Most of them were placed, like Amman, on either side of a stream, with fertile land all round about, not on a hill, as was the Semitic custom, to judge from the positions of most of the villages one sees west of the Jordan. Their pastimes, too, were Greek—the theatres, the bath, the circus. All had the street of columns, the forum82, the temples such as we had seen at Amman; each was approached by just such a road as we were treading now.
{130} While we talked and mused83 the sun had set, the short evening glow was in the west, and we were soon cautiously walking our horses in the dim twilight84. Suddenly a stately arch reared itself against the fading sky; while beyond, far as the eye could reach, dusky columns arose against the background of the dark hillside. Before we could take in the scene the veil of night had fallen, for here in the East "with one stride comes the dark." We could see no longer; but we knew we were descending85 into a valley, for the sound of the rushing stream at the bottom seemed to get nearer, till at last we felt that our horses' feet were in the water. The village was asleep, but few lights shone from the windows of the frugal86 Circassian inhabitants, and we could only trust to our kindly87 animals, who were taking their lead from that of the officer, who rode in advance. We were ascending88 a very steep hill; soon we had reached level ground, and we awaited the coming of the responsible members of our party. Looking back we could see the great lordly columns standing out snow-white in the starlight, monuments of a race, an age, a system, a religion that had perished like last year's snow, leaving not a link with to-day, except that common {131} aspiration89 after happiness, present and future, which had inspired the existence of the Past, as it still inspires those who gaze upon its monuments. Never had the Past seemed to stoop towards us as now in this eastern starlight, and it seemed as if we might almost hope for answer when we asked:
"Gods of Hellas, gods of Hellas,
Can ye listen in your silence,
Can your mystic voices tell us
Where ye hide?"
Surely somewhere in the Past there must be a voice; the intense Life which had created yonder city could not be wholly dead; all that was beautiful and true must somewhere, somehow, be living still! We were roused from our meditations90 by the cheery voice of the Professor calling out of the darkness to know whether any were missing among us. We were close by the house of the mudir, and could even see the guards and servants assembled in the lighted portico91. It was an anxious moment, for it depended upon the nature of his reception whether we had hospitable92 entertainment or were cast adrift upon the resources of the village, as had been the case last night in Amman. We rallied our forces, dismounted from our {132} horses, and presented ourselves and our credentials93.
We were very thankful when the door was at once unlocked, and we were admitted into the guest-room, a large apartment, with a high divan94 running its entire length provided with cushions, a few chairs, a round table in one corner, and on the deep window-ledges great piles of very official-looking papers. We were too tired to criticise95 our accommodation, which was, at all events, infinitely96 superior to that of the night before, and thankfully seated ourselves. Meantime the news of the Professor's arrival had evidently reached the mudir himself, for in a few minutes the scene was changed: three or four servants appeared, the floor was spread with two magnificent carpets, either of which would have been the pride of any London drawing-room, additional lights and some extra chairs were brought in, and nothing was needed but a duster, which, however, did not appear. The Lady surreptitiously cleaned the table, the carpets having stirred the ?stheticism which our Amman experiences had put to sleep, and we deposited our head-gear. The men removed their shoes, and placed themselves on the high divan; the Lady, unable to emulate97 so lofty an {133} example, seized some cushions, and established herself upon the floor, secure of violating no Oriental etiquette98, and, by the Professor's direction, covered her head with her keffeeye, which was, he said, more distinguished99 under the circumstances.
Next the mudir himself appeared—'Abd el-hamid Bey, son of Nūh Bey, already mentioned—a fine-looking man in European dress, who shook hands cordially with all the party, and assured us of our welcome, and coffee was at once served. To say that it was coffee with hêhl conveys nothing to the Occidental understanding, and mere100 words fail to express all that hêhl can add to a cup of coffee. It is nectar and ambrosia101 brewed102 in Olympus; it is a taste and a perfume, a stimulus103 and a sedative104. For centuries we have been drinking coffee—unimaginative Occidentals that we are!—and nobody has taught us the virtues105 of hêhl. It is only a bean, portable, one would suppose, conceivably an article of commerce, or which might be cultivated or otherwise introduced, although how, on second thoughts, it would combine with the beverage106 we profanely107 call "coffee" is another matter. Coffee worth the drinking must be roasted, crushed (in Heaven's name not ground!), and {134} made while you wait, not brought in paper bags from the grocer, and kept for weeks. It is brought to the door of the room in the brass108 pot in which it was made, and poured out tenderly as a butler pours out a perfumed wine, leaving space at the top of the cup, small as it is, for the aroma109.
After coffee we entered into conversation—that is to say, the Professor did—with the mudir, the Arabic-speaking Sportsman being occasionally called in when their Arabic vocabulary ran short; for to both it was a foreign language, the mudir, as has already been seen, being a Circassian. He remembered the names of the few savants and other travellers who had passed that way, and inquired after all, asked particulars as to our journey and as to the personality of each, exhibited some polite surprise at the presence of the Lady in these distant regions, and still more that she was not the property of any of her fellow-travellers. He showed great concern as to her comfort, sent for additional cushions, and several times personally addressed her. He is known as a man of exceptional intelligence and breadth of mind, and of a friendly and amiable110 disposition111, in striking contrast to the average Circassian, who is said to {135} be treacherous112 and morose113. He is quite an important person, having at his command from ten to fifteen mounted gens-d'armes, and when he goes eastward114 among the neighbouring tribe of the Beni Hasan for the collection of taxes is accompanied by as many regular soldiers, with their officer. He settles small differences and disputes, and, says Dr Schumacher, carries a few bullet-holes in his coat as token of his office of peacemaker. More serious cases are taken by both Bedu and fellahin before the Mutesarrif (Governor) of Hauran.
While conversation proceeded we could hear most welcome sounds without—chopping, frying, beating of eggs; and, after a second edition of coffee, two servants entered, carrying a large cotton drugget, which was spread over the carpet, and upon which was set the Sanīye, a large round tray, placed upon an X-shaped stand, which raised it several inches from the ground. We all seated ourselves on the floor, as well as our host and another guest, a very intelligent man, and a great talker, but less adapted than the mudir to polite society.
Each guest had a large slice of excellent wholemeal bread, and each had a spoon and a towel. There were two dishes of meat, with {136} vegetables, two of rice, two of fried eggs, and two basins of pomegranate juice, exquisite115 in colour and delicious to the taste. Everything was very good, well cooked, and neatly116 served. It was etiquette to help yourself to any dish, and in any rotation117 you fancied, putting in your spoon, and conveying the food direct to your mouth—a custom which had its drawbacks, as the Lady found when she fixed118 her affections on pomegranate juice, and found it becoming gradually impregnated with onions, as her neighbour, the Bey, our fellow-guest, was alternating it with mouthfuls of stewed119 mutton. The hospitable mudir constantly pressed us to eat, inquiring, when the Lady's appetite failed, whether there were anything else she would prefer. Finally we all adjourned120 to the doorstep to have water poured upon our hands. Then followed more coffee, always with hêhl, cigarettes, and, after half-an-hour, the samovar. If the coffee had been worthy121 of the Bedu the tea was worthy of Russia. We drank it, of course, in tumblers, with crystallised sugar and floating slices of lemon, and we stirred it with spoons of heavy silver, beautifully chased and enamelled.
Then came more conversation, mainly political, and it was very interesting to hear the mudir's {137} emphatic122 repudiation123 of prejudice, national or religious, especially since the Circassians are accused of fanaticism124 and of hatred125 of Europeans. "It was all one to him," he averred—"Moslems, Jews, Nazarenes!" Two or three servants stood by the whole time, and one could not but contrast the perfection and apparent readiness of their service with that of the superior domestics at home. They perceived your needs before you could find them out yourself, and tea, or bread, or sugar, or a match, as the case might be, was ready to your use before you were aware that you needed it. Bread or sugar was brought in the fingers, it is true; but knives there were none, and spoons were scarce.
The Lady gave the signal for retirement126 by frankly falling asleep among her cushions. Retirement, as a matter of fact, there was none; but mattresses127, pillows, and lehafs (wadded coverlets) were brought in, and laid side by side upon the floor. The Lady's bed, lehaf, and cushions were covered with rich crimson satin. An ornamental129 sheet of white cotton, with a coloured design, was spread upon the mattress128; the silk cushions, as is the cleanly Eastern custom, had an embroidered130 breadth of cotton down the centre, and the lehaf had a sheet {138} of fine cotton tacked131 to it upon the under side. Thus luxuriously132 accommodated we all slept so comfortably that we were able to think of Amman next morning as a nightmare of the past. We must, however, acknowledge that during the early part of the night we were occasionally awakened134 by the conversation outside the door, probably of our escort and the servants; for in this country, where men rise at dawn, sleep odd half-hours anywhere, and at any time in the day, they may or may not go to bed at night if they should happen to find anything more amusing to do. However, when at last the Professor went outside to suggest silence and the extinction135 of lights, they most obligingly met his views at once.
Next morning we rose about six from our silken couches, and went outside the door in search of towels and a piece of soap, and poured water into each other's hands wherewith to make such ablution as was possible under very public conditions; for, though there was none of the ill-mannered staring and crowding around of the Madaba Christians136, the Circassians condescended137 to a little distant curiosity, and even a couple of women appeared upon an opposite housetop.
{139} We knew that a very long day was before us, and we had hoped to start early, but our host detained us with kindly importunity138. When he appeared upon the scene our bedroom had once more become a drawing-room, and we had taken our early cup of coffee. Then followed more coffee, and then the samovar, with bread and excellent goat's-milk cheese; and finally the mudir's son, a fresh, open-faced, young man, appeared, mounted on a beautiful mare133, to accompany us across the valley to the ruined city on the western side.
From the terrace outside the mudir's house we had already taken in the general effect—all the more striking and wonderful that the old town has not been defaced by a single modern building, and hence is far more easily reconstructed by the imagination than Madaba, or even Amman—a fact for which the history of the settlement, rather than any ?sthetic perception, accounts. When the followers139 of the Emir Nūh Bey arrived at Jerash he took possession of the east side of the valley for the use of his immediate11 family and attendants, reserving the opposite bank for relatives who were to follow. For various reasons—possibly the accounts of discord140 with the Bedu, possibly {140} even some diplomacy141 on the part of the family here—they have not, so far, arrived, and some two hundred immigrants who came in 1895 were passed on southward. There seems to be some difference of opinion as to the extent of the population, Baedeker giving it at three hundred; Schumacher, whose very interesting monograph142 is the only other available source of information, at between fifteen and sixteen hundred souls, including some score of fellahin, who serve as labourers and ploughmen, and a few Moslem shopkeepers, Here, as in Amman, we saw not a single woman in the streets.
The ruins are so extensive, and stand out so clear against the hillside, that, with the Professor's help in identifying the buildings, it was easy, from the east side of the valley, to reconstruct in imagination a town which imagination only can picture, so utterly different is it from the banalities and vulgarities of modern utilitarianism.
Owing to the harder qualities of the stone the ruins are better preserved than those at Amman, have lost less of their original sharpness, and have the freshness so remarkable143 at Pompeii. And yet an Arabic writer of the thirteenth century, Yakut, describes it even then {141} "as a great city now a ruin." In the ninth century it was mentioned with admiration144 by the earlier writer, Yakubi, although its decline probably began with the expulsion of the Byzantines.
The most striking features of the scene before us are its highest point, the Temple of the Sun; its most southern point, the triumphal arch leading towards the Roman road to Amman; and the great colonnade145, of which over a hundred pillars are still standing, running from one end to the other of the city. There are two large theatres, two temples, a great oval forum, four bridges, and at each of the two points at which the main street, with its propyl?a, is intersected by side streets, there is a tetrapylon, a rotunda146, square on the exterior147 and once decorated with statues. The town was pear-shaped, and enclosed by walls 3552 metres long, having at least three, probably six or seven, gates.
This is a mere enumeration148; of such a feast of beauty for the lover of form it is almost hopeless to attempt description. As we descended, and took a few points in detail, we realised that, with the amount of time at our disposal, even to catalogue such a scene was {142} an impossibility. At the utmost we could but note a few of the more obvious features, and we longed for a few days to dispose of.
Crossing the main street with its great colonnade, many of its splendid pillars lying on the ground, overthrown149 by earthquakes, we pass the ruins of grand propyl?a and of a ruined palace, and, climbing an almost perpendicular150 ascent, reach the great Temple of the Sun, enclosed by a colonnade, with a portico approached by steps, consisting of three rows of immense Corinthian columns, 38 feet high and 6 feet thick, the acanthus leaves of the capitals being of rare perfection of workmanship. Smaller temples have stood around it, and, descending again, turning our horses' heads a little northward151, we find a theatre with sixteen tiers of seats, and a proscenium strikingly low, intended, it is said, for gladiatorial combats and exhibitions of wild beasts. This theatre, like the temple, is joined to the main street by a colonnade and tetrapylon, the rotunda of which was once decorated with statues. The forum next attracted us. It is of oval shape, 120 paces in length, and fifty-five of its columns are still standing, all having Ionic capitals. Another temple, smaller than the first, lies near the south {143} gate. Its massive walls, 7? feet thick, contain many niches152 and windows; the double Corinthian colonnade is scattered far and wide, though the bases are easily traced, and the little that remains testifies to the former grace of the building.
Close beside this is a large theatre facing towards the north, so that the spectators must have had a magnificent background of their familiar public buildings. Twenty-eight tiers of seats are visible, but probably others lie buried in the débris. It is estimated that the acoustic153 properties of the building must have been excellent, and that at least 5000 spectators could enjoy the spectacle. We observed an arrangement upon the pillars for the hanging of garlands. Beyond the south exit in the town wall is the Triumphal gateway154; according to some the two gateways155 were alike, forming a splendid vista156 as one approached the town, each being of triple construction—the central arch 29 feet in height, the total width 82 feet. There are considerable remains of an interesting building, thought by some to be a naumachia, or theatre for the representation of naval157 battles. That there exists a circus, of which many rows of seats still remain, cannot be doubted; but recent authorities are of opinion {144} that the adjoining basin, 230 yards in length by 100 yards in width, into which well-preserved channels lead the water from the brook158 below, must have served some other purpose.
We could not but regret that the lateness of our start cut short our opportunity for further enjoyment of the scene; but a day of ten or twelve hours was before us, and we soon found ourselves once more upon the Roman road, with our horses turned towards the south.
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revert
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solitude
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cadence
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| n.（说话声调的）抑扬顿挫 | |
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4
psalms
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| n.赞美诗( psalm的名词复数 )；圣诗；圣歌；(中的) | |
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5
inter
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| v.埋葬 | |
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6
spacious
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| adj.广阔的，宽敞的 | |
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7
discomfort
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| n.不舒服，不安，难过，困难，不方便 | |
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8
shutters
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| 百叶窗( shutter的名词复数 )； （照相机的）快门 | |
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9
enjoyment
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| n.乐趣；享有；享用 | |
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10
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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11
immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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12
homage
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| n.尊敬，敬意，崇敬 | |
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13
cemetery
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| n.坟墓，墓地，坟场 | |
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14
remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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15
refreshment
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| n.恢复，精神爽快，提神之事物；（复数）refreshments:点心，茶点 | |
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16
eulogy
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| n.颂词；颂扬 | |
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17
primitive
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| adj.原始的；简单的；n.原(始)人，原始事物 | |
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18
inevitable
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| adj.不可避免的，必然发生的 | |
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19
savagery
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| n.野性 | |
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20
cult
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| n.异教，邪教；时尚，狂热的崇拜 | |
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21
reminder
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| n.提醒物，纪念品；暗示，提示 | |
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22
Moslem
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| n.回教徒，穆罕默德信徒；adj.回教徒的，回教的 | |
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23
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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24
mounds
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| 土堆，土丘( mound的名词复数 )； 一大堆 | |
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25
pious
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| adj.虔诚的；道貌岸然的 | |
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26
tattooed
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| v.刺青，文身( tattoo的过去式和过去分词 )；连续有节奏地敲击；作连续有节奏的敲击 | |
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27
violation
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| n.违反(行为)，违背(行为)，侵犯 | |
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28
modesty
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| n.谦逊，虚心，端庄，稳重，羞怯，朴素 | |
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29
dictated
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| v.大声讲或读( dictate的过去式和过去分词 )；口授；支配；摆布 | |
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30
frankly
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| adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说 | |
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31
winding
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| n.绕，缠，绕组，线圈 | |
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32
weird
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| adj.古怪的，离奇的；怪诞的，神秘而可怕的 | |
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33
melancholy
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| n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的 | |
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34
wailing
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| v.哭叫，哀号( wail的现在分词 )；沱 | |
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35
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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36
corpse
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| n.尸体，死尸 | |
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37
measles
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| n.麻疹，风疹，包虫病，痧子 | |
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38
desolate
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| adj.荒凉的，荒芜的；孤独的，凄凉的；v.使荒芜，使孤寂 | |
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39
bereaved
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| adj.刚刚丧失亲人的v.使失去（希望、生命等）( bereave的过去式和过去分词)；（尤指死亡）使丧失（亲人、朋友等）；使孤寂；抢走（财物） | |
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40
civilisation
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| n.文明，文化，开化，教化 | |
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41
gorge
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| n.咽喉，胃，暴食，山峡；v.塞饱，狼吞虎咽地吃 | |
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42
aridity
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| n.干旱，乏味；干燥性；荒芜 | |
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43
utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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44
tributary
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| n.支流；纳贡国；adj.附庸的；辅助的；支流的 | |
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45
herds
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| 兽群( herd的名词复数 )； 牧群； 人群； 群众 | |
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46
luncheon
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| n.午宴，午餐，便宴 | |
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47
Ford
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| n.浅滩，水浅可涉处；v.涉水，涉过 | |
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48
resolutely
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| adj.坚决地，果断地 | |
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49
descend
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| vt./vi.传下来，下来，下降 | |
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50
ascent
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| n.(声望或地位)提高；上升，升高；登高 | |
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51
sweeping
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| adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的 | |
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52
windings
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| （道路、河流等）蜿蜒的，弯曲的( winding的名词复数 )； 缠绕( wind的现在分词 )； 卷绕； 转动（把手） | |
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53
scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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54
deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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55
apprehensions
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| 疑惧 | |
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56
darting
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| v.投掷，投射( dart的现在分词 )；向前冲，飞奔 | |
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57
oblivious
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| adj.易忘的，遗忘的，忘却的，健忘的 | |
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58
persistent
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| adj.坚持不懈的，执意的；持续的 | |
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59
descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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60
considerably
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|
| adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上 | |
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61
ripen
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| vt.使成熟；vi.成熟 | |
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62
crimson
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| n./adj.深(绯)红色(的)；vi.脸变绯红色 | |
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63
contented
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| adj.满意的，安心的，知足的 | |
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64
repose
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| v.(使)休息；n.安息 | |
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65
regained
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|
| 复得( regain的过去式和过去分词 )； 赢回； 重回； 复至某地 | |
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66
lengthening
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| （时间或空间）延长，伸长( lengthen的现在分词 )； 加长 | |
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67
physically
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|
| adj.物质上，体格上，身体上，按自然规律 | |
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68
temperate
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| adj.温和的，温带的，自我克制的，不过分的 | |
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69
insufficient
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| adj.(for，of)不足的，不够的 | |
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70
philistine
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|
| n.庸俗的人；adj.市侩的，庸俗的 | |
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71
alas
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| int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等) | |
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72
axe
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|
| n.斧子；v.用斧头砍，削减 | |
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73
tributaries
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| n. 支流 | |
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74
fragrant
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|
| adj.芬香的，馥郁的，愉快的 | |
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75
misgivings
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|
| n.疑虑，担忧，害怕；疑虑，担心，恐惧( misgiving的名词复数 )；疑惧 | |
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76
fragrance
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| n.芬芳，香味，香气 | |
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77
fascination
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| n.令人着迷的事物，魅力，迷恋 | |
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78
fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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79
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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80
sustenance
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| n.食物，粮食；生活资料；生计 | |
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81
thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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82
forum
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| n.论坛，讨论会 | |
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83
mused
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|
| v.沉思，冥想( muse的过去式和过去分词 )；沉思自语说（某事） | |
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84
twilight
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| n.暮光，黄昏；暮年，晚期，衰落时期 | |
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85
descending
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| n. 下行 adj. 下降的 | |
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86
frugal
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|
| adj.节俭的，节约的，少量的，微量的 | |
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87
kindly
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|
| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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88
ascending
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| adj.上升的，向上的 | |
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89
aspiration
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| n.志向，志趣抱负；渴望；(语)送气音；吸出 | |
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90
meditations
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| 默想( meditation的名词复数 )； 默念； 沉思； 冥想 | |
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91
portico
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| n.柱廊，门廊 | |
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92
hospitable
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| adj.好客的；宽容的；有利的，适宜的 | |
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93
credentials
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| n.证明，资格，证明书，证件 | |
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94
divan
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| n.长沙发；（波斯或其他东方诗人的）诗集 | |
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95
criticise
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| v.批评，评论；非难 | |
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96
infinitely
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| adv.无限地，无穷地 | |
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97
emulate
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| v.努力赶上或超越，与…竞争；效仿 | |
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98
etiquette
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| n.礼仪，礼节；规矩 | |
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99
distinguished
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| adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的 | |
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100
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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101
ambrosia
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| n.神的食物；蜂食 | |
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102
brewed
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| 调制( brew的过去式和过去分词 )； 酝酿； 沏（茶）； 煮（咖啡） | |
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103
stimulus
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| n.刺激，刺激物，促进因素，引起兴奋的事物 | |
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104
sedative
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| adj.使安静的，使镇静的；n. 镇静剂，能使安静的东西 | |
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105
virtues
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| 美德( virtue的名词复数 )； 德行； 优点； 长处 | |
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106
beverage
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| n.(水，酒等之外的)饮料 | |
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107
profanely
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| adv.渎神地，凡俗地 | |
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108
brass
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| n.黄铜；黄铜器，铜管乐器 | |
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109
aroma
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| n.香气，芬芳，芳香 | |
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110
amiable
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| adj.和蔼可亲的，友善的，亲切的 | |
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111
disposition
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| n.性情，性格；意向，倾向；排列，部署 | |
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112
treacherous
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| adj.不可靠的，有暗藏的危险的；adj.背叛的，背信弃义的 | |
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113
morose
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| adj.脾气坏的，不高兴的 | |
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114
eastward
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| adv.向东；adj.向东的；n.东方，东部 | |
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115
exquisite
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| adj.精美的；敏锐的；剧烈的，感觉强烈的 | |
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116
neatly
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| adv.整洁地，干净地，灵巧地，熟练地 | |
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117
rotation
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| n.旋转；循环，轮流 | |
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118
fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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119
stewed
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| adj.焦虑不安的，烂醉的v.炖( stew的过去式和过去分词 )；煨；思考；担忧 | |
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120
adjourned
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| （使）休会， （使）休庭( adjourn的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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121
worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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122
emphatic
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| adj.强调的，着重的；无可置疑的，明显的 | |
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123
repudiation
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| n.拒绝；否认；断绝关系；抛弃 | |
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124
fanaticism
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| n.狂热，盲信 | |
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125
hatred
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| n.憎恶，憎恨，仇恨 | |
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126
retirement
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| n.退休，退职 | |
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127
mattresses
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| 褥垫，床垫( mattress的名词复数 ) | |
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128
mattress
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| n.床垫，床褥 | |
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129
ornamental
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| adj.装饰的；作装饰用的；n.装饰品；观赏植物 | |
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130
embroidered
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| adj．绣花的 | |
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131
tacked
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| 用平头钉钉( tack的过去式和过去分词 )； 附加，增补； 帆船抢风行驶，用粗线脚缝 | |
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132
luxuriously
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| adv.奢侈地，豪华地 | |
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mare
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| n.母马，母驴 | |
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awakened
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| v.（使）醒( awaken的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）觉醒；弄醒；（使）意识到 | |
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extinction
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| n.熄灭，消亡，消灭，灭绝，绝种 | |
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Christians
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| n.基督教徒( Christian的名词复数 ) | |
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137
condescended
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| 屈尊，俯就( condescend的过去式和过去分词 )； 故意表示和蔼可亲 | |
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importunity
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| n.硬要，强求 | |
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followers
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| 追随者( follower的名词复数 )； 用户； 契据的附面； 从动件 | |
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discord
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| n.不和，意见不合，争论，（音乐）不和谐 | |
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diplomacy
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| n.外交；外交手腕，交际手腕 | |
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142
monograph
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| n.专题文章，专题著作 | |
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143
remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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144
admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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145
colonnade
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| n.柱廊 | |
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146
rotunda
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| n.圆形建筑物；圆厅 | |
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exterior
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| adj.外部的，外在的；表面的 | |
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enumeration
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| n.计数，列举；细目；详表；点查 | |
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overthrown
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| adj. 打翻的，推倒的，倾覆的 动词overthrow的过去分词 | |
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perpendicular
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| adj.垂直的，直立的；n.垂直线，垂直的位置 | |
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northward
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| adv.向北；n.北方的地区 | |
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152
niches
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| 壁龛( niche的名词复数 )； 合适的位置[工作等]； （产品的）商机； 生态位（一个生物所占据的生境的最小单位） | |
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153
acoustic
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| adj.听觉的，声音的；(乐器)原声的 | |
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gateway
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| n.大门口，出入口，途径，方法 | |
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gateways
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| n.网关( gateway的名词复数 )；门径；方法；大门口 | |
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vista
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| n.远景，深景，展望，回想 | |
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naval
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| adj.海军的，军舰的，船的 | |
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brook
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| n.小河，溪；v.忍受，容让 | |
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