lavengro-第60章

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The　two　volumes　…　A　young　author　…　Intended　editor　…　Quintilian　…　

Loose　money。



'WHAT　can't　be　cured　must　be　endured；'　and　'it　is　hard　to　kick　

against　the　pricks。'



At　the　period　to　which　I　have　brought　my　history；　I　bethought　me　of　

the　proverbs　with　which　I　have　headed　this　chapter；　and　determined　

to　act　up　to　their　spirit。　　I　determined　not　to　fly　in　the　face　of　

the　publisher；　and　to　bear　…　what　I　could　not　cure　…　his　arrogance　

and　vanity。　　At　present；　at　the　conclusion　of　nearly　a　quarter　of　a　

century；　I　am　glad　that　I　came　to　that　determination；　which　I　did　

my　best　to　carry　into　effect。



Two　or　three　days　after　our　last　interview；　the　publisher　made　his　

appearance　in　my　apartment；　he　bore　two　tattered　volumes　under　his　

arm；　which　he　placed　on　the　table。　　'I　have　brought　you　two　volumes　

of　lives；　sir；'　said　he；　'which　I　yesterday　found　in　my　garret；　you　

will　find　them　of　service　for　your　compilation。　　As　I　always　wish　

to　behave　liberally　and　encourage　talent；　especially　youthful　

talent；　I　shall　make　no　charge　for　them；　though　I　should　be　

justified　in　so　doing；　as　you　are　aware　that；　by　our　agreement；　you　

are　to　provide　any　books　and　materials　which　may　be　necessary。　　

Have　you　been　in　quest　of　any？'



'No；'　said　I；　'not　yet。'



'Then；　sir；　I　would　advise　you　to　lose　no　time　in　doing　so；　you　

must　visit　all　the　bookstalls；　sir；　especially　those　in　the　by…

streets　and　blind　alleys。　　It　is　in　such　places　that　you　will　find　

the　description　of　literature　you　are　in　want　of。　　You　must　be　up　

and　doing；　sir；　it　will　not　do　for　an　author；　especially　a　young　

author；　to　be　idle　in　this　town。　　To…night　you　will　receive　my　book　

of　philosophy；　and　likewise　books　for　the　Review。　　And；　by　the　bye；　

sir；　it　will　be　as　well　for　you　to　review　my　book　of　philosophy　for　

the　Review；　the　other　reviews　not　having　noticed　it。　　Sir；　before　

translating　it；　I　wish　you　to　review　my　book　of　philosophy　for　the　

Review。'



'I　shall　be　happy　to　do　my　best；　sir。'



'Very　good；　sir；　I　should　be　unreasonable　to　expect　anything　beyond　

a　person's　best。　　And　now；　sir；　if　you　please；　I　will　conduct　you　

to　the　future　editor　of　the　Review。　　As　you　are　to　co…operate；　sir；　

I　deem　it　right　to　make　you　acquainted。'



The　intended　editor　was　a　little　old　man；　who　sat　in　a　kind　of　

wooden　pavilion　in　a　small　garden　behind　a　house　in　one　of　the　

purlieus　of　the　city；　composing　tunes　upon　a　piano。　　The　walls　of　

the　pavilion　were　covered　with　fiddles　of　various　sizes　and　

appearances；　and　a　considerable　portion　of　the　floor　occupied　by　a　

pile　of　books　all　of　one　size。　　The　publisher　introduced　him　to　me　

as　a　gentleman　scarcely　less　eminent　in　literature　than　in　music；　

and　me　to　him　as　an　aspirant　critic　…　a　young　gentleman　scarcely　

less　eminent　in　philosophy　than　in　philology。　　The　conversation　

consisted　entirely　of　compliments　till　just　before　we　separated；　

when　the　future　editor　inquired　of　me　whether　I　had　ever　read　

Quintilian；　and；　on　my　replying　in　the　negative；　expressed　his　

surprise　that　any　gentleman　should　aspire　to　become　a　critic　who　

had　never　read　Quintilian；　with　the　comfortable　information；　

however；　that　he　could　supply　me　with　a　Quintilian　at　half…price；　

that　is；　a　translation　made　by　himself　some　years　previously；　of　

which　he　had；　pointing　to　the　heap　on　the　floor；　still　a　few　copies　

remaining　unsold。　　For　some　reason　or　other；　perhaps　a　poor　one；　I　

did　not　purchase　the　editor's　translation　of　Quintilian。



'Sir；'　said　the　publisher；　as　we　were　returning　from　our　visit　to　

the　editor；　'you　did　right　in　not　purchasing　a　drug。　　I　am　not　

prepared；　sir；　to　say　that　Quintilian　is　a　drug；　never　having　seen　

him；　but　I　am　prepared　to　say　that　man's　translation　is　a　drug；　

judging　from　the　heap　of　rubbish　on　the　floor；　besides；　sir；　you　

will　want　any　loose　money　you　may　have　to　purchase　the　description　

of　literature　which　is　required　for　your　compilation。'



The　publisher　presently　paused　before　the　entrance　of　a　very　

forlorn…looking　street。　　'Sir；'　said　he；　after　looking　down　it　with　

attention；　'I　should　not　wonder　if　in　that　street　you　find　works　

connected　with　the　description　of　literature　which　is　required　for　

your　compilation。　　It　is　in　streets　of　this　description；　sir；　and　

blind　alleys；　where　such　works　are　to　be　found。　　You　had　better　

search　that　street；　sir；　whilst　I　continue　my　way。'



I　searched　the　street　to　which　the　publisher　had　pointed；　and；　in　

the　course　of　the　three　succeeding　days；　many　others　of　a　similar　

kind。　　I　did　not　find　the　description　of　literature　alluded　to　by　

the　publisher　to　be　a　drug；　but；　on　the　contrary；　both　scarce　and　

dear。　　I　had　expended　much　more　than　my　loose　money　long　before　I　

could　procure　materials　even　for　the　first　volume　of　my　

compilation。







CHAPTER　XXXV







Francis　Ardry　…　Certain　sharpers　…　Brave　and　eloquent　…　Opposites　…　

Flinging　the　bones　…　Strange　places　…　Dog…fighting　…　Learning　and　

letters　…　Batch　of　dogs　…　Redoubled　application。



ONE　evening　I　was　visited　by　the　tall　young　gentleman；　Francis　

Ardry；　whose　acquaintance　I　had　formed　at　the　coffee…house。　　As　it　

is　necessary　that　the　reader　should　know　something　more　about　this　

young　man；　who　will　frequently　appear　in　the　course　of　these　pages；　

I　will　state　in　a　few　words　who　and　what　he　was。　　He　was　born　of　an　

ancient　Roman　Catholic　family　in　Ireland；　his　parents；　whose　only　

child　he　was；　had　long　been　dead。　　His　father；　who　had　survived　his　

mother　several　years；　had　been　a　spendthrift；　and　at　his　death　had　

left　the　family　property　considerably　embarrassed。　　Happily；　

however；　the　son　and　the　estate　fell　into　the　hands　of　careful　

guardians；　near　relations　of　the　family；　by　whom　the　property　was　

managed　to　the　best　advantage；　and　every　means　taken　to　educate　the　

young　man　in　a　manner　suitable　to　his　expectations。　　At　the　age　of　

sixteen　he　was　taken　from　a　celebrated　school　in　England　at　which　

he　had　been　placed；　and　sent　to　a　small　French　university；　in　order　

that　he　might　form　an　intimate　and　accurate　acquaintance　with　the　

grand　language　of　the　continent。　　There　he　continued　three　years；　

at　the　end　of　which　he　went　under　the　care　of　a　French　abbe　to　

Germany　and　Italy。　　It　was　in　this　latter　country　that　he　first　

began　to　cause　his　guardians　serious　uneasiness。　　He　was　in　the　

heyday　of　youth　when　he　visited　Italy；　and　he　entered　wildly　into　

the　various　delights　of　that　fascinating　region；　and；　what　was　

worse；　falling　into　the　hands　of　certain　sharpers；　not　Italian；　but　

English；　he　was　fleeced　of　considerable　sums　of　money。　　The　abbe；　

who；　it　seems；　was　an　excellent　individual　of　the　old　French　

school；　remonstrated　with　his　pupil　on　his　dissipation　and　

extravagance；　but；　finding　his　remonstrances　vain；　very　properly　

informed　the　guardians　of　the　manner　of　life　of　his　charge。　　They　

were　not　slow　in　commanding　Francis　Ardry　home；　and；　as　he　was　

entirely　in　their　power；　he　was　forced　to　comply。　　He　had　been　

about　three　months　in　London　when　I　met　him　in　the　coffee…room；　and　

the　two　elderly　gentlemen　in　his　company　were　his　guardians。　　At　

this　time　they　were　very　solicitous　that　he　should　choose　for　

himself　a　profession；　offering　to　his　choice　either　the　army　or　law　

…　he　was　calculated　to　shine　in　either　of　these　professions　…　for；　

like　many　others　of　his　countrymen；　he　was　brave　and　eloquent；　but　

he　did　not　wish　to　shackle　himself　with　a　profession。　　As；　however；　

his　minority　did　not　terminate　till　he　was　three…and…twenty；　of　

which　age　he　wanted　nearly　two　years；　during　which　he　would　be　

entirely　dependent　on　his　guardians；　he　deemed　it　expedient　to　

conceal；　to　a　certain　degree；　his　sentiments；　temporising　with　the　

old　gentlemen；　with　whom；　notwithstanding　his　many　irregularities；　

he　was　a　great　favourite；　and　at　whose　death　he　expected　to　come　

into　a　ye