lavengro-第157章

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fellow…servant；　the　other　maid；　she　wanted　no　inducing；　being　

disposed　body　and　soul　to　go　over　to　it。　　Whereupon　I　swore　with　an　

oath　that　nothing　should　induce　me　to　take　up　with　the　foreign　

religion；　and　the　poor　maid；　my　fellow…servant；　bursting　into　

tears；　said　that　for　her　part　she　would　die　sooner　than　have　

anything　to　do　with　it；　thereupon　we　shook　hands　and　agreed　to　

stand　by　and　countenance　one　another：　　and　moreover；　provided　our　

governors　were　fools　enough　to　go　over　to　the　religion　of　these　

here　foreigners；　we　would　not　wait　to　be　asked　to　do　the　like；　but　

leave　them　at　once；　and　make　the　best　of　our　way　home；　even　if　we　

were　forced　to　beg　on　the　road。



'At　last　the　day　of　the　grand　festival　came；　and　we　were　all　to　go　

to　the　big　church　to　hear　the　mass。　　Now　it　happened　that　for　some　

time　past　I　had　been　much　afflicted　with　melancholy；　especially　

when　I　got　up　of　a　morning；　produced　by　the　strange　manner　in　which　

I　saw　things　going　on　in　our　family；　and　to　dispel　it　in　some　

degree；　I　had　been　in　the　habit　of　taking　a　dram　before　breakfast。　　

On　the　morning　in　question；　feeling　particularly　low　spirited　when　

I　thought　of　the　foolish　step　our　governor　would　probably　take　

before　evening；　I　took　two　drams　before　breakfast；　and　after　

breakfast；　feeling　my　melancholy　still　continuing；　I　took　another；　

which　produced　a　slight　effect　upon　my　head；　though　I　am　convinced　

nobody　observed　it。



'Away　we　drove　to　the　big　church；　it　was　a　dark　misty　day；　I　

remember；　and　very　cold；　so　that　if　anybody　had　noticed　my　being　

slightly　in　liquor；　I　could　have　excused　myself　by　saying　that　I　

had　merely　taken　a　glass　to　fortify　my　constitution　against　the　

weather；　and　of　one　thing　I　am　certain；　which　is；　that　such　an　

excuse　would　have　stood　me　in　stead　with　our　governor；　who　looked；　

I　thought；　as　if　he　had　taken　one　too；　but　I　may　be　mistaken；　and　

why　should　I　notice　him；　seeing　that　he　took　no　notice　of　me？　so　

away　we　drove　to　the　big　church；　to　which　all　the　population　of　the　

place　appeared　to　be　moving。



'On　arriving　there　we　dismounted；　and　the　two　priests；　who　were　

with　us；　led　the　family　in；　whilst　I　followed　at　a　little　distance；　

but　quickly　lost　them　amidst　the　throng　of　people。　　I　made　my　way；　

however；　though　in　what　direction　I　knew　not；　except　it　was　one　in　

which　everybody　seemed　striving；　and　by　dint　of　elbowing　and　

pushing　I　at　last　got　to　a　place　which　looked　like　the　aisle　of　a　

cathedral；　where　the　people　stood　in　two　rows；　a　space　between　

being　kept　open　by　certain　strangely…dressed　men　who　moved　up　and　

down　with　rods　in　their　hands；　all　were　looking　to　the　upper　end　of　

this　place　or　aisle；　and　at　the　upper　end；　separated　from　the　

people　by　palings　like　those　of　an　altar；　sat　in　magnificent…

looking　stalls；　on　the　right　and　the　left；　various　wonderful…

looking　individuals　in　scarlet　dresses。　　At　the　farther　end　was　

what　appeared　to　be　an　altar；　on　the　left　hand　was　a　pulpit；　and　on　

the　right　a　stall　higher　than　any　of　the　rest；　where　was　a　figure　

whom　I　could　scarcely　see。



'I　can't　pretend　to　describe　what　I　saw　exactly；　for　my　head；　which　

was　at　first　rather　flurried；　had　become　more　so　from　the　efforts　

which　I　had　made　to　get　through　the　crowd；　also　from　certain　

singing；　which　proceeded　from　I　know　not　where；　and；　above　all；　

from　the　bursts　of　an　organ；　which　were　occasionally　so　loud　that　I　

thought　the　roof；　which　was　painted　with　wondrous　colours；　would　

come　toppling　down　on　those　below。　　So　there　stood　I　…　a　poor　

English　servant　…　in　that　outlandish　place；　in　the　midst　of　that　

foreign　crowd；　looking　at　that　outlandish　sight；　hearing　those　

outlandish　sounds；　and　occasionally　glancing　at　our　party；　which；　

by　this　time；　I　distinguished　at　the　opposite　side　to　where　I　

stood；　but　much　nearer　the　place　where　the　red　figures　sat。　　Yes；　

there　stood　our　poor　governor　and　the　sweet　young　ladies；　and　I　

thought　they　never　looked　so　handsome　before；　and　close　by　them　

were　the　sharking　priests；　and　not　far　from　them　was　that　idiotical　

parson　Platitude；　winking　and　grinning；　and　occasionally　lifting　up　

his　hands　as　if　in　ecstasy　at　what　he　saw　and　heard；　so　that　he　

drew　upon　himself　the　notice　of　the　congregation。



'And　now　an　individual　mounted　the　pulpit；　and　began　to　preach　in　a　


language　which　I　did　not　understand；　but　which　I　believe　to　be　

Latin；　addressing　himself　seemingly　to　the　figure　in　the　stall；　and　

when　he　had　ceased；　there　was　more　singing；　more　organ…playing；　and　

then　two　men　in　robes　brought　forth　two　things　which　they　held　up；　

and　then　the　people　bowed　their　heads；　and　our　poor　governor　bowed　

his　head；　and　the　sweet　young　ladies　bowed　their　heads；　and　the　

sharking　priests；　whilst　the　idiotical　parson　Platitude　tried　to　

fling　himself　down；　and　then　there　were　various　evolutions　

withinside　the　pale；　and　the　scarlet　figures　got　up　and　sat　down；　

and　this　kind　of　thing　continued　for　some　time。　　At　length　the　

figure　which　I　had　seen　in　the　principal　stall　came　forth　and　

advanced　towards　the　people；　an　awful　figure　he　was；　a　huge　old　man　

with　a　sugar…loaf　hat；　with　a　sulphur…coloured　dress；　and　holding　a　

crook　in　his　hand　like　that　of　a　shepherd；　and　as　he　advanced　the　

people　fell　on　their　knees；　our　poor　old　governor　amongst　them；　the　

sweet　young　ladies；　the　sharking　priests；　the　idiotical　parson　

Platitude；　all　fell　on　their　knees；　and　somebody　or　other　tried　to　

pull　me　on　my　knees；　but　by　this　time　I　had　become　outrageous；　all　

that　my　poor　brother　used　to　tell　me　of　the　superstitions　of　the　

high　Barbary　shore　rushed　into　my　mind；　and　I　thought　they　were　

acting　them　over　here；　above　all；　the　idea　that　the　sweet　young　

ladies；　to　say　nothing　of　my　poor　old　governor；　were；　after　the　

conclusion　of　all　this　mummery；　going　to　deliver　themselves　up　body　

and　soul　into　the　power　of　that　horrid…looking　old　man；　maddened　

me；　and；　rushing　forward　into　the　open　space；　I　confronted　the　

horrible…looking　old　figure　with　the　sugar…loaf　hat；　the　sulphur…

coloured　garments；　and　shepherd's　crook；　and　shaking　my　fist　at　his　

nose；　I　bellowed　out　in　English　…



'〃I　don't　care　for　you；　old　Mumbo　Jumbo；　though　you　have　fetish！〃



'I　can　scarcely　tell　you　what　occurred　for　some　time。　　I　have　a　dim　

recollection　that　hands　were　laid　upon　me；　and　that　I　struck　out　

violently　left　and　right。　　On　coming　to　myself；　I　was　seated　on　a　

stone　bench　in　a　large　room；　something　like　a　guard…room；　in　the　

custody　of　certain　fellows　dressed　like　Merry…andrews；　they　were　

bluff；　good…looking；　wholesome　fellows；　very　different　from　the　

sallow　Italians：　　they　were　looking　at　me　attentively；　and　

occasionally　talking　to　each　other　in　a　language　which　sounded　very　

like　the　cracking　of　walnuts　in　the　mouth；　very　different　from　

cooing　Italian。　　At　last　one　of　them　asked　me　in　Italian　what　had　

ailed　me；　to　which　I　replied；　in　an　incoherent　manner；　something　

about　Mumbo　Jumbo；　whereupon　the　fellow；　one　of　the　bluffest　of　the　

lot；　a　jovial　rosy…faced　rascal；　lifted　up　his　right　hand；　placing　

it　in　such　a　manner　that　the　lips　were　between　the　fore…finger　and　

thumb；　then　lifting　up　his　right　foot　and　drawing　back　his　head；　he　

sucked　in　his　breath　with　a　hissing　sound；　as　if　to　imitate　one　

drinking　a　hearty　draught；　and　then　slapped　me　on　the　shoulder；　

saying　something　which　sounded　like　goot　wine；　goot　companion；　

whereupon　they　all　laughed；　exclaiming；　ya；　ya；　goot　companion。　　

And　now　hurried　into　the　room　our　poor　old　governor；　with　the　red…

haired　priest。　　The　first　asked　what　could　have　induced　me　to　

behave　in　such　a　manner　in　such　a　place；　to　which　I　replied　that　I　

was　not　going　to　bow　down　to　Mumbo　Jumbo；　whatever　other　people　

might　do。　　Whereupon　my　master　said　he　believed　I　was　mad；　and　the　

priest　said　he　believed　I　was　drunk；　to　which　I　answered　that　I　was　

neither　so　mad　nor　drunk　but　I