lavengro-第5章

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constitution。　　Up　to　this　period　I　had　been　rather　a　delicate　

child；　whereas；　almost　immediately　after　the　occurrence　to　which　I　

allude；　I　became　both　hale　and　vigorous；　to　the　great　astonishment　

of　my　parents；　who　naturally　enough　expected　that　it　would　produce　

quite　a　contrary　effect。



It　happened　that　my　brother　and　myself　were　disporting　ourselves　in　

certain　fields　near　the　good　town　of　Canterbury。　　A　female　servant　

had　attended　us；　in　order　to　take　care　that　we　came　to　no　mischief：　　

she；　however；　it　seems；　had　matters　of　her　own　to　attend　to；　and；　

allowing　us　to　go　where　we　listed；　remained　in　one　corner　of　a　

field；　in　earnest　conversation　with　a　red…coated　dragoon。　　Now　it　

chanced　to　be　blackberry　time；　and　the　two　children　wandered　under　

the　hedges；　peering　anxiously　among　them　in　quest　of　that　trash　so　

grateful　to　urchins　of　their　degree。　　We　did　not　find　much　of　it；　

however；　and　were　soon　separated　in　the　pursuit。　　All　at　once　I　

stood　still；　and　could　scarcely　believe　my　eyes。　　I　had　come　to　a　

spot　where；　almost　covering　the　hedge；　hung　clusters　of　what　seemed　

fruit　…　deliciously…tempting　fruit　…　something　resembling　grapes　of　

various　colours；　green；　red；　and　purple。　　Dear　me；　thought　I；　how　

fortunate！　yet　have　I　a　right　to　gather　it？　is　it　mine？　for　the　

observance　of　the　law　of　MEUM　and　TUUM　had　early　been　impressed　

upon　my　mind；　and　I　entertained；　even　at　that　tender　age；　the　

utmost　horror　for　theft；　so　I　stood　staring　at　the　variegated　

clusters；　in　doubt　as　to　what　I　should　do。　　I　know　not　how　I　argued　

the　matter　in　my　mind；　the　temptation；　however；　was　at　last　too　

strong　for　me；　so　I　stretched　forth　my　hand　and　ate。　　I　remember；　

perfectly　well；　that　the　taste　of　this　strange　fruit　was　by　no　

means　so　pleasant　as　the　appearance；　but　the　idea　of　eating　fruit　

was　sufficient　for　a　child；　and；　after　all；　the　flavour　was　much　

superior　to　that　of　sour　apples；　so　I　ate　voraciously。　　How　long　I　

continued　eating　I　scarcely　know。　　One　thing　is　certain；　that　I　

never　left　the　field　as　I　entered　it；　being　carried　home　in　the　

arms　of　the　dragoon　in　strong　convulsions；　in　which　I　continued　for　

several　hours。　　About　midnight　I　awoke；　as　if　from　a　troubled　

sleep；　and　beheld　my　parents　bending　over　my　couch；　whilst　the　

regimental　surgeon；　with　a　candle　in　his　hand；　stood　nigh；　the　

light　feebly　reflected　on　the　whitewashed　walls　of　the　barrack…

room。



Another　circumstance　connected　with　my　infancy；　and　I　have　done。　　I　

need　offer　no　apology　for　relating　it；　as　it　subsequently　exercised　

considerable　influence　over　my　pursuits。　　We　were；　if　I　remember　

right；　in　the　vicinity　of　a　place　called　Hythe；　in　Kent。　　One　sweet　

evening；　in　the　latter　part　of　summer；　our　mother　took　her　two　

little　boys　by　the　hand；　for　a　wander　about　the　fields。　　In　the　

course　of　our　stroll　we　came　to　the　village　church；　an　old；　gray…

headed　sexton　stood　in　the　porch；　who；　perceiving　that　we　were　

strangers；　invited　us　to　enter。　　We　were　presently　in　the　interior；　

wandering　about　the　aisles；　looking　on　the　walls；　and　inspecting　

the　monuments　of　the　notable　dead。　　I　can　scarcely　state　what　we　

saw；　how　should　I？　　I　was　a　child　not　yet　four　years　old；　and　yet　I　

think　I　remember　the　evening　sun　streaming　in　through　a　stained　

window　upon　the　dingy　mahogany　pulpit；　and　flinging　a　rich　lustre　

upon　the　faded　tints　of　an　ancient　banner。　　And　now　once　more　we　

were　outside　the　building；　where；　against　the　wall；　stood　a　low…

eaved　pent…house；　into　which　we　looked。　　It　was　half　filled　with　

substances　of　some　kind；　which　at　first　looked　like　large　gray　

stones。　　The　greater　part　were　lying　in　layers；　some；　however；　were　

seen　in　confused　and　mouldering　heaps；　and　two　or　three；　which　had　

perhaps　rolled　down　from　the　rest；　lay　separately　on　the　floor。　　

'Skulls；　madam；'　said　the　sexton；　'skulls　of　the　old　Danes！　　Long　

ago　they　came　pirating　into　these　parts；　and　then　there　chanced　a　

mighty　shipwreck；　for　God　was　angry　with　them；　and　He　sunk　them；　

and　their　skulls；　as　they　came　ashore；　were　placed　here　as　a　

memorial。　　There　were　many　more　when　I　was　young；　but　now　they　are　

fast　disappearing。　　Some　of　them　must　have　belonged　to　strange　

fellows；　madam。　　Only　see　that　one；　why；　the　two　young　gentry　can　

scarcely　lift　it！'　　And；　indeed；　my　brother　and　myself　had　entered　

the　Golgotha；　and　commenced　handling　these　grim　relics　of　

mortality。　　One　enormous　skull；　lying　in　a　corner；　had　fixed　our　

attention；　and　we　had　drawn　it　forth。　　Spirit　of　eld；　what　a　skull　

was　yon！



I　still　seem　to　see　it；　the　huge　grim　thing；　many　of　the　others　

were　large；　strikingly　so；　and　appeared　fully　to　justify　the　old　

man's　conclusion　that　their　owners　must　have　been　strange　fellows；　

but；　compared　with　this　mighty　mass　of　bone；　they　looked　small　and　

diminutive　like　those　of　pigmies；　it　must　have　belonged　to　a　giant；　

one　of　those　red…haired　warriors　of　whose　strength　and　stature　such　

wondrous　tales　are　told　in　the　ancient　chronicles　of　the　north；　and　

whose　grave…hills；　when　ransacked；　occasionally　reveal　secrets　

which　fill　the　minds　of　puny　moderns　with　astonishment　and　awe。　　

Reader；　have　you　ever　pored　days　and　nights　over　the　pages　of　

Snorro？　…　probably　not；　for　he　wrote　in　a　language　which　few　of　the　

present　day　understand；　and　few　would　be　tempted　to　read　him　tamed　

down　by　Latin　dragomans。　　A　brave　old　book　is　that　of　Snorro；　

containing　the　histories　and　adventures　of　old　northern　kings　and　

champions；　who　seemed　to　have　been　quite　different　men；　if　we　may　

judge　from　the　feats　which　they　performed；　from　those　of　these　

days；　one　of　the　best　of　his　histories　is　that　which　describes　the　

life　of　Harald　Haardraade；　who；　after　manifold　adventures　by　land　

and　sea；　now　a　pirate；　now　a　mercenary　of　the　Greek　emperor；　became　

king　of　Norway；　and　eventually　perished　at　the　battle　of　Stamford　

Bridge；　whilst　engaged　in　a　gallant　onslaught　upon　England。　　Now；　I　

have　often　thought　that　the　old　Kemp；　whose　mouldering　skull　in　the　

Golgotha　of　Hythe　my　brother　and　myself　could　scarcely　lift；　must　

have　resembled　in　one　respect　at　least　this　Harald；　whom　Snorro　

describes　as　a　great　and　wise　ruler　and　a　determined　leader；　

dangerous　in　battle；　of　fair　presence　and　measuring　in　height　just　

FIVE　ELLS；　neither　more　nor　less。



I　never　forgot　the　Daneman's　skull；　like　the　apparition　of　the　

viper　in　the　sandy　lane；　it　dwelt　in　the　mind　of　the　boy；　affording　

copious　food　for　the　exercise　of　imagination。　　From　that　moment　

with　the　name　of　Dane　were　associated　strange　ideas　of　strength；　

daring；　and　superhuman　stature；　and　an　undefinable　curiosity　for　

all　that　is　connected　with　the　Danish　race　began　to　pervade　me；　and　

if；　long　after；　when　I　became　a　student　I　devoted　myself　with　

peculiar　zest　to　Danish　lore　and　the　acquirement　of　the　old　Norse　

tongue　and　its　dialects；　I　can　only　explain　the　matter　by　the　early　

impression　received　at　Hythe　from　the　tale　of　the　old　sexton；　

beneath　the　pent…house；　and　the　sight　of　the　Danish　skull。



And　thus　we　went　on　straying　from　place　to　place；　at　Hythe　to…day；　

and　perhaps　within　a　week　looking　out　from　our　hostel…window　upon　

the　streets　of　old　Winchester；　our　motions　ever　in　accordance　with　

the　'route'　of　the　regiment；　so　habituated　to　change　of　scene　that　

it　had　become　almost　necessary　to　our　existence。　　Pleasant　were　

these　days　of　my　early　boyhood；　and　a　melancholy　pleasure　steals　

over　me　as　I　recall　them。　　Those　were　stirring　times　of　which　I　am　

speaking；　and　there　was　much　passing　around　me　calculated　to　

captivate　the　imagination。　　The　dreadful　struggle　which　so　long　

convulsed　Europe；　and　in　which　England　bore　so　prominent　a　part；　

was　then　at　its　hottest；　we　were　at　war；　and　determination　and　

enthusiasm　shone　in　every　face；　man；　woman；　and　child　were　eager　to　

fight　the　Frank；　the　hereditary；　but；　thank　God；　never　dreaded　

enemy