第72部分(第5/7 頁)

ry　that　I　have　recently　written　under　the　title　of　“Smith　and　the　Pharaohs。”

Now　I　must　dwell　no　more　on　Egypt　with　all　its　history　and　problems；　which；　whenever　I　can　find　time；　it　is　my　greatest　recreation　to　study。　Truly　its　old　inhabitants　were　a　mysterious　and　fascinating　folk　and；　across　the　gulf　of　ages　—　largely；　it　must　be　admitted；　through　these　very　excavations　—　they　have　e　very　near　to　us　again。　I　confess　I　know　more　of　her　kings；　her　queens；　and　her　social　conditions　than　I　do　of　those　of　early　England。

From　Egypt　we　went　to　Naples　and　from　Naples　to　the　south　of　Spain；　which　I　now　visited　for　the　first　time　in　preparation　for　a　tale　which　I　wrote　afterwards　and　named　“Fair　Margaret。”

At　Granada　we　saw　that　wondrous　building；　the　Alhambra；　and　in　the　cathedral　the　tomb　of　Ferdinand　and　Isabella　the　Catholic。　I　descended　into　a　vault　and　was　shown　the　coffins　of　these　great　people；　also　those　of　Philip　le　Bel　and　his　wife　Joanna。　Readers　of　Prescott　will　remember　that　the　man　Joanna　insisted　upon　opening　the　coffin　of　her　husband　after　he　had　been　some　while　dead。　I　procured　a　candle　and　examined　it；　and　there　I　could　see　the　line　where　the　lead　had　been　cut　through　and　soldered　together　again。

Of　all　the　buildings　that　I　saw　upon　this　journey　I　think　the　mosque　at　Cordova；　with　its　marvellous　shrine　and　its　forest　of　pillars　of　many…coloured　marbles；　struck　me　as　the　most　impressive。　The　great　cathedral　at　Seville；　however；　with　its　vast　cold　spaces　runs　it　hard　in　majesty。

On　my　return　to　England　I　wrote　“The　Way　of　the　Spirit；”　an　Anglo…Egyptian　book　which　is　dedicated　to　Kipling；　and　one　that　interested　him　very　much。　Indeed　he　and　I　hunted　out　the　title　together　in　the　Bible；　as　that　of　“Renunciation；”　by　which　it　was