tools, and here and there a skull
bleaching among the sand, perhaps of some workman slaughtered at his
labour in one of the thousand wars of old. The abbot, his spiritual
father--indeed, the only father whom he knew, for his earliest
recollections were of the Laura and the old man's cell-had strictly
forbidden him to enter, even to approach any of those relics of ancient
idolatry: but a broad terrace-road led down to the platform from the
table-land above; the plentiful supply of fuel was too tempting to be
passed by.... He would go down, gather a few sticks, and then return, to
tell the abbot of the treasure which he had found, and consult him as to
the propriety of revisiting it.

So down he went, hardly daring to raise his eyes to the alluring
iniquities of the painted imagery which, gaudy in crimson and blue,
still blazed out upon the desolate solitude, uninjured by that rainless
air. But he was young, and youth is curious; and the devil, at least in
the fifth century, busy with young brains. Now Philammon believed most
utterly in the devil, and night and day devoutly prayed to be delivered
from him; so he crossed himself, and ejaculated, honestly enough,
'Lord, turn away mine eyes, lest they behold vanity!'.... and looked
nevertheless....

And who could have helped looking at those four colossal kings, who sat
there grim and motionless, their huge hands laid upon their knees in
everlasting self-assured repose, seeming to bear up the mountain on
their stately heads? A sense of awe, weakness, all but fear, came over
him. He dare not stoop to take up the wood at his feet, their great
stern eyes watched him so steadily.

Round their knees and round their thrones were mystic characters
engraved, symbol after symbol, line below line--the ancient wisdom of
the Egyptians, wherein Moses the man of God was learned of old--why
should not he know it too? What awful secrets might not be hidden there
about the great world, past, present, and future, of which he knew only
so small a speck? Those kings who sat there, they had known it all;
their sharp lips seem parting, ready to speak to him.... Oh that they
would speak for once!.... and yet that grim sneering smile, that seemed
to look down on him from the heights of their power and wisdom, with
calm contempt.... him, the poor youth, picking up the leaving and rags
of their past majesty .... He dared look at them no more.

So he looked past them into the temple halls; into a