lavengro-第76章

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of　the　world；　I　am　not　much　indebted　to　the　Armenian　for　the　

solution　of　any　doubts；　whereas　to　the　language　of　Mr。　Petulengro　…　

'



'I　have　heard　you　mention　that　name　before；'　said　the　Armenian；　

'who　is　Mr。　Petulengro？'



And　then　I　told　the　Armenian　who　Mr。　Petulengro　was。　　The　Armenian　

spoke　contemptuously　of　Mr。　Petulengro　and　his　race。　　'Don't　speak　

contemptuously　of　Mr。　Petulengro；'　said　I；　'nor　of　anything　

belonging　to　him。　　He　is　a　dark　mysterious　personage；　all　connected　

with　him　is　a　mystery；　especially　his　language；　but　I　believe　that　

his　language　is　doomed　to　solve　a　great　philological　problem　…　Mr。　

Petulengo　…　'



'You　appear　agitated；'　said　the　Armenian；　'take　another　glass　of　

wine；　you　possess　a　great　deal　of　philological　knowledge；　but　it　

appears　to　me　that　the　language　of　this　Petulengro　is　your　foible：　　

but　let　us　change　the　subject；　I　feel　much　interested　in　you；　and　

would　fain　be　of　service　to　you。　　Can　you　cast　accounts？'



I　shook　my　head。



'Keep　books？'



'I　have　an　idea　that　I　could　write　books；'　said　I；　'but；　as　to　

keeping　them　…　'　and　here　again　I　shook　my　head。



The　Armenian　was　silent　some　time；　all　at　once；　glancing　at　one　of　

the　wire　cases；　with　which；　as　I　have　already　said；　the　walls　of　

the　room　were　hung；　he　asked　me　if　I　was　well　acquainted　with　the　

learning　of　the　Haiks。　　'The　books　in　these　cases；'　said　he；　

'contain　the　masterpieces　of　Haik　learning。'



'No；'　said　I；　'all　I　know　of　the　learning　of　the　Haiks　is　their　

translation　of　the　Bible。'



'You　have　never　read　Z…？'



'No；'　said　I；　'I　have　never　read　Z…。'



'I　have　a　plan；'　said　the　Armenian；　'I　think　I　can　employ　you　

agreeably　and　profitably；　I　should　like　to　see　Z…　in　an　English　

dress；　you　shall　translate　Z…　　If　you　can　read　the　Scriptures　in　

Armenian；　you　can　translate　Z…。　　He　is　our　Esop；　the　most　acute　and　

clever　of　all　our　moral　writers　…　his　philosophy　…　'



'I　will　have　nothing　to　do　with　him；'　said　I。



'Wherefore？'　said　the　Armenian。



'There　is　an　old　proverb；'　said　I；　'〃that　a　burnt　child　avoids　the　

fire。〃　　I　have　burnt　my　hands　sufficiently　with　attempting　to　

translate　philosophy；　to　make　me　cautious　of　venturing　upon　it　

again'；　and　then　I　told　the　Armenian　how　I　had　been　persuaded　by　

the　publisher　to　translate　his　philosophy　into　German；　and　what　

sorry　thanks　I　had　received；　'And　who　knows；'　said　I；　'but　the　

attempt　to　translate　Armenian　philosophy　into　English　might　he　

attended　with　yet　more　disagreeable　consequences？'



The　Armenian　smiled。　　'You　would　find　me　very　different　from　the　

publisher。'



'In　many　points　I　have　no　doubt　I　should；'　I　replied；　'but　at　the　

present　moment　I　feel　like　a　bird　which　has　escaped　from　a　cage；　

and；　though　hungry；　feels　no　disposition　to　return。　　Of　what　nation　

is　the　dark　man　below　stairs；　whom　I　saw　writing　at　the　desk？'



'He　is　a　Moldave；'　said　the　Armenian；　'the　dog　（and　here　his　eyes　

sparkled）　deserves　to　be　crucified；　he　is　continually　making　

mistakes。'



The　Armenian　again　renewed　his　proposition　about　Z…；　which　I　again　

refused；　as　I　felt　but　little　inclination　to　place　myself　beneath　

the　jurisdiction　of　a　person　who　was　in　the　habit　of　cuffing　those　

whom　he　employed；　when　they　made　mistakes。　　I　presently　took　my　

departure；　not；　however；　before　I　had　received　from　the　Armenian　a　

pressing　invitation　to　call　upon　him　whenever　I　should　feel　

disposed。







CHAPTER　XLVIII







What　to　do　…　Strong　enough　…　Fame　and　profit　…　Alliterative　euphony　

…　Excellent　fellow　…　Listen　to　me　…　A　plan　…　Bagnigge　Wells。



ANXIOUS　thoughts　frequently　disturbed　me　at　this　time　with　respect　

to　what　I　was　to　do；　and　how　support　myself　in　the　Great　City。　　My　

future　prospects　were　gloomy　enough；　and　I　looked　forward　and　

feared；　sometimes　I　felt　half　disposed　to　accept　the　offer　of　the　

Armenian；　and　to　commence　forthwith；　under　his　superintendence；　the　

translation　of　the　Haik　Esop；　but　the　remembrance　of　the　cuffs　

which　I　had　seen　him　bestow　upon　the　Moldavian；　when　glancing　over　

his　shoulder　into　the　ledger　or　whatever　it　was　on　which　he　was　

employed；　immediately　drove　the　inclination　from　my　mind。　　I　could　

not　support　the　idea　of　the　possibility　of　his　staring　over　my　

shoulder　upon　my　translation　of　the　Haik　Esop；　and；　dissatisfied　

with　my　attempts；　treating　me　as　he　had　treated　the　Moldavian　

clerk；　placing　myself　in　a　position　which　exposed　me　to　such　

treatment　would　indeed　be　plunging　into　the　fire　after　escaping　

from　the　frying…pan。　　The　publisher；　insolent　and　overbearing　as　he　

was；　whatever　he　might　have　wished　or　thought；　had　never　lifted　his　

hand　against　me；　or　told　me　that　I　merited　crucifixion。



What　was　I　to　do？　turn　porter？　　I　was　strong；　but　there　was　

something　besides　strength　required　to　ply　the　trade　of　a　porter　…　

a　mind　of　a　particularly　phlegmatic　temperament；　which　I　did　not　

possess。　　What　should　I　do？　enlist　as　a　soldier？　I　was　tall　enough；　

but　something　besides　height　is　required　to　make　a　man　play　with　

credit　the　part　of　soldier；　I　mean　a　private　one　…　a　spirit；　if　

spirit　it　can　be　called；　which　will　not　only　enable　a　man　to　submit　

with　patience　to　insolence　and　abuse；　and　even　to　cuffs　and　kicks；　

but　occasionally　to　the　lash。　　I　felt　that　I　was　not　qualified　to　

be　a　soldier；　at　least　a　private　one；　far　better　be　a　drudge　to　the　

most　ferocious　of　publishers；　editing　Newgate　lives；　and　writing　in　

eighteenpenny　reviews　…　better　to　translate　the　Haik　Esop；　under　

the　superintendence　of　ten　Armenians；　than　be　a　private　soldier　in　

the　English　service；　I　did　not　decide　rashly　…　I　knew　something　of　

soldiering。　　What　should　I　do？　　I　thought　that　I　would　make　a　last　

and　desperate　attempt　to　dispose　of　the　ballads　and　of　Ab　Gwilym。



I　had　still　an　idea　that；　provided　I　could　persuade　any　spirited　

publisher　to　give　these　translations　to　the　world；　I　should　acquire　

both　considerable　fame　and　profit；　not；　perhaps；　a　world…embracing　

fame　such　as　Byron's；　but　a　fame　not　to　be　sneered　at；　which　would　

last　me　a　considerable　time；　and　would　keep　my　heart　from　breaking；　

…　profit；　not　equal　to　that　which　Scott　had　made　by　his　wondrous　

novels；　but　which　would　prevent　me　from　starving；　and　enable　me　to　

achieve　some　other　literary　enterprise。　　I　read　and　re…read　my　

ballads；　and　the　more　I　read　them　the　more　I　was　convinced　that　the　

public；　in　the　event　of　their　being　published；　would　freely　

purchase；　and　hail　them　with　the　merited　applause。　　Were　not　the　

deeds　and　adventures　wonderful　and　heart…stirring　…　from　which　it　

is　true　I　could　claim　no　merit；　being　but　the　translator；　but　had　I　

not　rendered　them　into　English；　with　all　their　original　fire？　　Yes；　

I　was　confident　I　had；　and　I　had　no　doubt　that　the　public　would　say　

so。　　And　then；　with　respect　to　Ab　Gwilym；　had　I　not　done　as　much　

justice　to　him　as　to　the　Danish　ballads；　not　only　rendering　

faithfully　his　thoughts；　imagery；　and　phraseology；　but　even　

preserving　in　my　translation　the　alliterative　euphony　which　

constitutes　one　of　the　most　remarkable　features　of　Welsh　prosody？　　

Yes；　I　had　accomplished　all　this；　and　I　doubted　not　that　the　public　

would　receive　my　translations　from　Ab　Gwilym　with　quite　as　much　

eagerness　as　my　version　of　the　Danish　ballads。　　But　I　found　the　

publishers　as　intractable　as　ever；　and　to　this　day　the　public　has　

never　had　an　opportunity　of　doing　justice　to　the　glowing　fire　of　my　

ballad　versification；　and　the　alliterative　euphony　of　my　imitations　

of　Ab　Gwilym。



I　had　not　seen　Francis　Ardry　since　the　day　I　had　seen　him　taking　

lessons　in　elocution。　　One　afternoon　as　I　was　seated　at　my　table；　

my　head　resting　on　my　hands；　he　entered　my　apartment；　sitting　down；　

he　inquired　of　me　why　I　had　not　been　to　see　him。



'I　might　ask　the　same　question　of　you；'　I　replied。　　'Wherefore　have　

you　not　been　to　see　me？'　　Wher