lavengro-第6章

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

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

enemy　of　the　Anglo…Saxon　race。　　'Love　your　country　and　beat　the　

French；　and　then　never　mind　what　happens；'　was　the　cry　of　entire　

England。　　Oh；　those　were　days　of　power；　gallant　days；　bustling　

days；　worth　the　bravest　days　of　chivalry　at　least；　tall　battalions　

of　native　warriors　were　marching　through　the　land；　there　was　the　

glitter　of　the　bayonet　and　the　gleam　of　the　sabre；　the　shrill　

squeak　of　the　fife　and　loud　rattling　of　the　drum　were　heard　in　the　

streets　of　country　towns；　and　the　loyal　shouts　of　the　inhabitants　

greeted　the　soldiery　on　their　arrival；　or　cheered　them　at　their　

departure。　　And　now　let　us　leave　the　upland；　and　descend　to　the　

sea…bord；　there　is　a　sight　for　you　upon　the　billows！　　A　dozen　men…

of…war　are　gliding　majestically　out　of　port；　their　long　buntings　

streaming　from　the　top…gallant　masts；　calling　on　the　skulking　

Frenchman　to　come　forth　from　his　bights　and　bays；　and　what　looms　

upon　us　yonder　from　the　fog…bank　in　the　east？　a　gallant　frigate　

towing　behind　her　the　long　low　hull　of　a　crippled　privateer；　which　

but　three　short　days　ago　had　left　Dieppe　to　skim　the　sea；　and　whose　

crew　of　ferocious　hearts　are　now　cursing　their　imprudence　in　an　

English　hold。　　Stirring　times　those；　which　I　love　to　recall；　for　

they　were　days　of　gallantry　and　enthusiasm；　and　were　moreover　the　

days　of　my　boyhood。







CHAPTER　III







Pretty　D…　…　The　venerable　church　…　The　stricken　heart　…　Dormant　

energies　…　The　small　packet　…　Nerves　…　The　books　…　A　picture　…　

Mountain…like　billows　…　The　footprint　…　Spirit　of　De　Foe　…　

Reasoning　powers　…　Terrors　of　God　…　Heads　of　the　dragons　…　High…

Church　clerk　…　A　journey　…　The　drowned　country。



AND　when　I　was　between　six　and　seven　years　of　age　we　were　once　more　

at　D…；　the　place　of　my　birth；　whither　my　father　had　been　despatched　

on　the　recruiting　service。　　I　have　already　said　that　it　was　a　

beautiful　little　town　…　at　least　it　was　at　the　time　of　which　I　am　

speaking　…　what　it　is　at　present　I　know　not；　for　thirty　years　and　

more　have　elapsed　since　I　last　trod　its　streets。　　It　will　scarcely　

have　improved；　for　how　could　it　be　better　than　it　then　was？　　I　love　

to　think　on　thee；　pretty　quiet　D…；　thou　pattern　of　an　English　

country　town；　with　thy　clean　but　narrow　streets　branching　out　from　

thy　modest　market…place；　with　thine　old…fashioned　houses；　with　here　

and　there　a　roof　of　venerable　thatch；　with　thy　one　half…

aristocratic　mansion；　where　resided　thy　Lady　Bountiful　…　she；　the　

generous　and　kind；　who　loved　to　visit　the　sick；　leaning　on　her　

gold…headed　cane；　whilst　the　sleek　old　footman　walked　at　a　

respectful　distance　behind。　　Pretty　quiet　D…；　with　thy　venerable　

church；　in　which　moulder　the　mortal　remains　of　England's　sweetest　

and　most　pious　bard。



Yes；　pretty　D…；　I　could　always　love　thee；　were　it　but　for　the　sake　

of　him　who　sleeps　beneath　the　marble　slab　in　yonder　quiet　chancel。　　

It　was　within　thee　that　the　long…oppressed　bosom　heaved　its　last　

sigh；　and　the　crushed　and　gentle　spirit　escaped　from　a　world　in　

which　it　had　known　nought　but　sorrow。　　Sorrow！　do　I　say？　　How　faint　

a　word　to　express　the　misery　of　that　bruised　reed；　misery　so　dark　

that　a　blind　worm　like　myself　is　occasionally　tempted　to　exclaim；　

Better　had　the　world　never　been　created　than　that　one　so　kind；　so　

harmless；　and　so　mild；　should　have　undergone　such　intolerable　woe！　　

But　it　is　over　now；　for；　as　there　is　an　end　of　joy；　so　has　

affliction　its　termination。　　Doubtless　the　All…wise　did　not　afflict　

him　without　a　cause：　　who　knows　but　within　that　unhappy　frame　

lurked　vicious　seeds　which　the　sunbeams　of　joy　and　prosperity　might　

have　called　into　life　and　vigour？　　Perhaps　the　withering　blasts　of　

misery　nipped　that　which　otherwise　might　have　terminated　in　fruit　

noxious　and　lamentable。　　But　peace　to　the　unhappy　one；　he　is　gone　

to　his　rest；　the　death…like　face　is　no　longer　occasionally　seen　

timidly　and　mournfully　looking　for　a　moment　through　the　window…pane　

upon　thy　market…place；　quiet　and　pretty　D…；　the　hind　in　thy　

neighbourhood　no　longer　at　evening…fall　views；　and　starts　as　he　

views；　the　dark　lathy　figure　moving　beneath　the　hazels　and　alders　

of　shadowy　lanes；　or　by　the　side　of　murmuring　trout　streams；　and　no　

longer　at　early　dawn　does　the　sexton　of　the　old　church　reverently　

doff　his　hat；　as；　supported　by　some　kind　friend；　the　death…stricken　

creature　totters　along　the　church…path　to　that　mouldering　edifice　

with　the　low　roof；　inclosing　a　spring　of　sanatory　waters；　built　and　

devoted　to　some　saint；　if　the　legend　over　the　door　be　true；　by　the　

daughter　of　an　East　Anglian　king。



But　to　return　to　my　own　history。　　I　had　now　attained　the　age　of　

six：　　shall　I　state　what　intellectual　progress　I　had　been　making　up　

to　this　period？　　Alas！　upon　this　point　I　have　little　to　say　

calculated　to　afford　either　pleasure　or　edification；　I　had　

increased　rapidly　in　size　and　in　strength：　　the　growth　of　the　mind；　

however；　had　by　no　means　corresponded　with　that　of　the　body。　　It　is　

true；　I　had　acquired　my　letters；　and　was　by　this　time　able　to　read　

imperfectly；　but　this　was　all：　　and　even　this　poor　triumph　over　

absolute　ignorance　would　never　have　been　effected　but　for　the　

unremitting　attention　of　my　parents；　who；　sometimes　by　threats；　

sometimes　by　entreaties；　endeavoured　to　rouse　the　dormant　energies　

of　my　nature；　and　to　bend　my　wishes　to　the　acquisition　of　the　

rudiments　of　knowledge；　but　in　influencing　the　wish　lay　the　

difficulty。　　Let　but　the　will　of　a　human　being　be　turned　to　any　

particular　object；　and　it　is　ten　to　one　that　sooner　or　later　he　

achieves　it。　　At　this　time　I　may　safely　say　that　I　harboured　

neither　wishes　nor　hopes；　I　had　as　yet　seen　no　object　calculated　to　

call　them　forth；　and　yet　I　took　pleasure　in　many　things　which　

perhaps　unfortunately　were　all　within　my　sphere　of　enjoyment。　　I　

loved　to　look　upon　the　heavens；　and　to　bask　in　the　rays　of　the　sun；　

or　to　sit　beneath　hedgerows　and　listen　to　the　chirping　of　the　

birds；　indulging　the　while　in　musing　and　meditation　as　far　as　my　

very　limited　circle　of　ideas　would　permit；　but；　unlike　my　brother；　

who　was　at　this　time　at　school；　and　whose　rapid　progress　in　every　

branch　of　instruction　astonished　and　delighted　his　preceptors；　I　

took　no　pleasure　in　books；　whose　use；　indeed；　I　could　scarcely　

comprehend；　and　bade　fair　to　be　as　arrant　a　dunce　as　ever　brought　

the　blush　of　shame　into　the　cheeks　of　anxious　and　affectionate　

parents。



But　the　time　was　now　at　hand　when　the　ice　which　had　hitherto　bound　

the　mind　of　the　child　with　its　benumbing　power　was　to　be　thawed；　

and　a　world　of　sensations　and　ideas　awakened　to　which　it　had　

hitherto　been　an　entire　stranger。　　One　day　a　young　lady；　an　

intimate　acquaintance　of　our　family；　and　godmother　to　my　brother；　

drove　up　to　the　house　in　which　we　dwelt；　she　stayed　some　time　

conversing　with　my　mother；　and　on　rising　to　depart；　she　put　down　on　

the　table　a　small　packet；　exclaiming；　'I　have　brought　a　little　

present　for　each　of　the　boys：　　the　one　is　a　History　of　England；　

which　I　intend　for　my　godson　when　he　returns　from　school；　the　other　

is　。　。　。'　…　and　here　she　said　something　which　escaped　my　ear；　as　I　

sat　at　some　distance；　moping　in　a　corner；　…　'I　intend　it　for　the　

youngster　yonder；'　pointing　to　myself；　she　then　departed；　and；　my　

mother　going　out　shortly　after；　I　was　left　alone。



I　remember　for　some　time　sitting　motionless　in　my　corner；　with　my　

eyes　bent　upon　the　ground；　at　last　I　lifted　my　head　and　looked　upon　

the　packet　as　it　lay　on　the　table。　　All　at　once　a　strange　sensation　

came　over　me；　such　as　I　had　never　experienced　before　…　a　singular　

blending　of　curiosity；　awe；　and　pleasure；　the　remembrance　of　which；　

even　at　this　distance　of　time；　produces　a　remarkable　effect　upon　my　

nervous　system。　　What　s