allan quatermain-第33部分

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extend　back　for　about　a　thousand　years；　give　no　hint　of　it。　　

One　very　ancient　chronicler　does　indeed；　in　alluding　to　some　

old　tradition　that　existed　in　his　day；　talk　of　it　as　having　probably　

originally　'come　down　with　the　people　from　the　coast'；　but　that　

may　mean　little　or　nothing。　　In　short；　the　origin　of　the　Zu…Vendi　

is　lost　in　the　mists　of　time。　　Whence　they　came　or　of　what　race　

they　are　no　man　knows。　　Their　architecture　and　some　of　their　

sculptures　suggest　an　Egyptian　or　possibly　an　Assyrian　origin；　

but　it　is　well　known　that　their　present　remarkable　style　of　building　

has　only　sprung　up　within　the　last　eight　hundred　years；　and　they　

certainly　retain　no　traces　of　Egyptian　theology　or　customs。　　

Again；　their　appearance　and　some　of　their　habits　are　rather　Jewish；　

but　here　again　it　seems　hardly　conceivable　that　they　should　have　

utterly　lost　all　traces　of　the　Jewish　religion。　　Still；　for　aught　

I　know；　they　may　be　one　of　the　lost　ten　tribes　whom　people　are　

so　fond　of　discovering　all　over　the　world；　or　they　may　not。　　

I　do　not　know；　and　so　can　only　describe　them　as　I　find　them；　

and　leave　wiser　heads　than　mine　to　make　what　they　can　out　of　

it；　if　indeed　this　account　should　ever　be　read　at　all；　which　

is　exceedingly　doubtful。



And　now　after　I　have　said　all　this；　I　am；　after　all；　going　to　

hazard　a　theory　of　my　own；　though　it　is　only　a　very　little　one；　

as　the　young　lady　said　in　mitigation　of　her　baby。　　This　theory　

is　founded　on　a　legend　which　I　have　heard　among　the　Arabs　on　

the　east　coast；　which　is　to　the　effect　that　'more　than　two　thousand　

years　ago'　there　were　troubles　in　the　country　which　was　known　

as　Babylonia；　and　that　thereon　a　vast　horde　of　Persians　came　

down　to　Bushire；　where　they　took　ship　and　were　driven　by　the　

north…east　monsoon　to　the　east　coast　of　Africa；　where；　according　

to　the　legend；　'the　sun　and　fire　worshippers'　fell　into　conflict　

with　the　belt　of　Arab　settlers　who　even　then　were　settled　on　

the　east　coast；　and　finally　broke　their　way　through　them；　and；　

vanishing　into　the　interior；　were　no　more　seen。　　Now；　I　ask；　

is　it　not　at　least　possible　that　the　Zu…Vendi　people　are　the　

descendants　of　these　'sun　and　fire　worshippers'　who　broke　through　

the　Arabs　and　vanished？　　As　a　matter　of　fact；　there　is　a　good　

deal　in　their　characters　and　customs　that　tallies　with　the　somewhat　

vague　ideas　that　I　have　of　Persians。　　Of　course　we　have　no　books　

of　reference　here；　but　Sir　Henry　says　that　if　his　memory　does　

not　fail　him；　there　was　a　tremendous　revolt　in　Babylon　about　

500　BC；　whereon　a　vast　multitude　were　expelled　from　the　city。　　

Anyhow；　it　is　a　well…established　fact　that　there　have　been　many　

separate　emigrations　of　Persians　from　the　Persian　Gulf　to　the　

east　coast　of　Africa　up　to　as　lately　as　seven　hundred　years　ago。　　

There　are　Persian　tombs　at　Kilwa；　on　the　east　coast；　still　in　

good　repair；　which　bear　dates　showing　them　to　be　just　seven　hundred　

years　old。　｛Endnote　12｝



In　addition　to　being　an　agricultural　people；　the　Zu…Vendi　are；　

oddly　enough；　excessively　warlike；　and　as　they　cannot　from　the　

exigencies　of　their　position　make　war　upon　other　nations；　they　

fight　among　each　other　like　the　famed　Kilkenny　cats；　with　the　

happy　result　that　the　population　never　outgrows　the　power　of　

the　country　to　support　it。　　This　habit　of　theirs　is　largely　fostered　

by　the　political　condition　of　the　country。　　The　monarchy　is　nominally　

an　absolute　one；　save　in　so　far　as　it　is　tempered　by　the　power　

of　the　priests　and　the　informal　council　of　the　great　lords；　but；　

as　in　many　other　institutions；　the　king's　writ　does　not　run　unquestioned　

throughout　the　length　and　breadth　of　the　land。　　In　short；　the　

whole　system　is　a　purely　feudal　one　（though　absolute　serfdom　

or　slavery　is　unknown）；　all　the　great　lords　holding　nominally　

from　the　throne；　but　a　number　of　them　being　practically　independent；　

having　the　power　of　life　and　death；　waging　war　against　and　making　

peace　with　their　neighbours　as　the　whim　or　their　interests　lead　

them；　and　even　on　occasion　rising　in　open　rebellion　against　their　

royal　master　or　mistress；　and；　safely　shut　up　in　their　castles　

and　fenced　cities；　as　far　from　the　seat　of　government；　successfully　

defying　them　for　years。



Zu…Vendis　has　had　its　king…makers　as　well　as　England；　a　fact　

that　will　be　well　appreciated　when　I　state　that　eight　different　

dynasties　have　sat　upon　the　throne　in　the　last　one　thousand　years；　

every　one　of　which　took　its　rise　from　some　noble　family　that　

succeeded　in　grasping　the　purple　after　a　sanguinary　struggle。　　

At　the　date　of　our　arrival　in　the　country　things　were　a　little　

better　than　they　had　been　for　some　centuries；　the　last　king；　

the　father　of　Nyleptha　and　Sorais；　having　been　an　exceptionally　

able　and　vigorous　ruler；　and；　as　a　consequence；　he　kept　down　

the　power　of　the　priests　and　nobles。　　On　his　death；　two　years　

before　we　reached　Zu…Vendis；　the　twin　sisters；　his　children；　

were；　following　an　ancient　precedent；　called　to　the　throne；　since　

an　attempt　to　exclude　either　would　instantly　have　provoked　a　

sanguinary　civil　war；　but　it　was　generally　felt　in　the　country　

that　this　measure　was　a　most　unsatisfactory　one；　and　could　hardly　

be　expected　to　be　permanent。　　Indeed；　as　it　was；　the　various　

intrigues　that　were　set　on　foot　by　ambitious　nobles　to　obtain　

the　hand　of　one　or　other　of　the　queens　in　marriage　had　disquieted　

the　country；　and　the　general　opinion　was　that　there　would　be　

bloodshed　before　long。



I　will　now　pass　on　to　the　question　of　the　Zu…Vendi　religion；　

which　is　nothing　more　or　less　than　sun…worship　of　a　pronounced　

and　highly　developed　character。　　Around　this　sun…worship　is　grouped　

the　entire　social　system　of　the　Zu…Vendi。　　It　sends　its　roots　

through　every　institution　and　custom　of　the　land。　　From　the　cradle　

to　the　grave　the　Zu…Vendi　follows　the　sun　in　every　sense　of　the　

saying。　　As　an　infant　he　is　solemnly　held　up　in　its　light　and　

dedicated　to　'the　symbol　of　good；　the　expression　of　power；　and　

the　hope　of　Eternity'；　the　ceremony　answering　to　our　baptism。　　

Whilst　still　a　tiny　child；　his　parents　point　out　the　glorious　

orb　as　the　presence　of　a　visible　and　beneficent　god；　and　he　worships　

it　at　its　up…rising　and　down…setting。　　Then　when　still　quite　

small；　he　goes；　holding　fast　to　the　pendent　end　of　his　mother's　

'kaf'　（toga）；　up　to　the　temple　of　the　Sun　of　the　nearest　city；　

and　there；　when　at　midday　the　bright　beams　strike　down　upon　the　

golden　central　altar　and　beat　back　the　fire　that　burns　thereon；　

he　hears　the　white…robed　priests　raise　their　solemn　chant　of　

praise　and　sees　the　people　fall　down　to　adore；　and　then；　amidst　

the　blowing　of　the　golden　trumpets；　watched　the　sacrifice　thrown　

into　the　fiery　furnace　beneath　the　altar。　　Here　he　comes　again　

to　be　declared　'a　man'　by　the　priests；　and　consecrated　to　war　

and　to　good　works；　here　before　the　solemn　altar　he　leads　his　

bride；　and　here　too；　if　differences　shall　unhappily　arise；　he　

divorces　her。



And　so　on；　down　life's　long　pathway　till　the　last　mile　is　travelled；　

and　he　comes　again　armed　indeed；　and　with　dignity；　but　no　longer　

a　man。　　Here　they　bear　him　dead　and　lay　his　bier　upon　the　falling　

brazen　doors　before　the　eastern　altar；　and　when　the　last　ray　

from　the　setting　sun　falls　upon　his　white　face　the　bolts　are　

drawn　and　he　vanishes　into　the　raging　furnace　beneath　and　is　ended。



The　priests　of　the　Sun　do　not　marry；　but　are　recruited　by　young　

men　specially　devoted　to　the　work　by　their　parents　and　supported　

by　the　State。　　The　nomination　to　the　higher　offices　of　the　priesthood　

lies　with　the　Crown；　but　once　appointed　the　nominees　cannot　be　

dispossessed；　and　it　is　scarcely　too　much　to　say　that　they　really　

rule　the　land。　　To　begin　with；　they　are　a　united　body　sworn　to　

obedience　and　secrecy；　so　that　an　order　issued　by　the　High　Priest　

at　Milosis　will　be　instantly　and　unhesitatingly　acted　upon　by　

the　resident　priest　of　a　little　country　town　three　or　four　hundred　

miles　off。　　They　are　the　judges　of　the　land；　criminal　and　civil；　

an　appeal　lying　only　to　the　lord　paramount　of　the　district；　and　

from　him　to　the　king；　and　they　have；　of　course；　practically　unlimited　

jurisdiction　over　religious　and　moral　offences；　together　with　

a　right　of　excommunication；　which；　as　in　the　faiths　of　more　highly　

civilized　lands；　is　a　very　effective　weapon。　　Indeed；　their　rights　

and　powers　are　almost　unlimited；　but　I　may　as　well　state　here　

that　the　priests　of　the　Sun　are　wise　in　their　generation；　and　

do　not　push　things　too　far。　　It　is　but　very　seldom　that　they　

go　to　extremes　against　anybody；　being　more　inclined　to　exercise　

the　prerogative　of　mercy　than　run　the　risk　of　exasperating　the　

powerful　and　vigorous…minded　people　on　whose　neck　they　have　set　

their　yoke；　lest　it　should　rise　and　break　it　off　altogether。



Another　source　of　the　power　of　the　priests　is　their　practical　

monopoly　of　learning；　and　their　very　considerable　astronomical　

knowledge；　which　enables　them　to　keep　a　hold　on　the　popular　mind　

by　predicting　eclipses　and　even　comets。　　In　Zu…Vendis　only　a　

few　of　the　upper　classes　can　read　and　write；　but　nearly　all　the　

priests　have　this　knowledge；　and　are　therefore　looked　upon　as　

learned　men。



The　law　of　the　country　is；　on　the　whole；　mild　and　just；　but　differs　

in　several　respects　from　our　civilized　law。　　For　instance；　the　

law　of　England　is　much　more　severe　upon　offences　against　property　

than　against　the　person；　as　becomes　a　people　whose　ruling　passion　

is　money。　　A　man　may　half　kick　his　wife　to　death　or　inflict　horrible　

sufferings　upon　his　children　at　a　much　cheaper　rate　of　punishment　

than　he　can　compound　for　the　theft　of　a　pair　of　old　boots。　　

In　Zu…Vendis　this　is　not　so；　for　there　they　rightly　or　wrongly　look　

upon　the　person　as　of　more　consequence　than　goods　and　chattels；　

and　not；　as　in　England；　as　a　sort　of　necessary　appenda