kenilworth-第31章

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rather　superior　aspect；　and　the　old　dame；　who　was　sweeping　her
threshold；　appeared　something　less　rude　than　her　neighbours。　　To
her　Tressilian　addressed　the　oft…repeated　question；　whether　there
was　a　smith　in　this　neighbourhood；　or　any　place　where　he　could
refresh　his　horse？　　The　dame　looked　him　in　the　face　with　a
peculiar　expression　as　she　replied；　〃Smith！　　ay；　truly　is　there　a
smithwhat　wouldst　ha'　wi'　un；　mon？〃

〃To　shoe　my　horse；　good　dame；〃　answered　Tressiliany：　　you　may　see
that　he　has　thrown　a　fore…foot　shoe。〃

〃Master　Holiday！〃　　exclaimed　the　dame；　without　returning　any
direct　answer〃Master　Herasmus　Holiday；　come　and　speak　to　mon；
and　please　you。〃

〃FAVETE　LINGUIS；〃　answered　a　voice　from　within；〃　I　cannot　now
come　forth；　Gammer　Sludge；　being　in　the　very　sweetest　bit　of　my
morning　studies。〃

〃Nay；　but；　good　now；　Master　Holiday；　come　ye　out；　do　ye。　　Here's
a　mon　would　to　Wayland　Smith；　and　I　care　not　to　show　him　way　to
devil；　his　horse　hath　cast　shoe。〃

〃QUID　MIHI　CUM　CABALLO？〃　　replied　the　man　of　learning　from
within；　〃I　think　there　is　but　one　wise　man　in　the　hundred；　and
they　cannot　shoe　a　horse　without　him！〃

And　forth　came　the　honest　pedagogue；　for　such　his　dress　bespoke
him。　　A　long；　lean；　shambling；　stooping　figure　was　surmounted　by
a　head　thatched　with　lank；　black　hair　somewhat　inclining　to　grey。
His　features　had　the　cast　of　habitual　authority；　which　I　suppose
Dionysius　carried　with　him　from　the　throne　to　the　schoolmaster's
pulpit；　and　bequeathed　as　a　legacy　to　all　of　the　same　profession；
A　black　buckram　cassock　was　gathered　at　his　middle　with　a　belt；
at　which　hung；　instead　of　knife　or　weapon；　a　goodly　leathern　pen…
and…ink　case。　　His　ferula　was　stuck　on　the　other　side；　like
Harlequin's　wooden　sword；　and　he　carried　in　his　hand　the　tattered
volume　which　he　had　been　busily　perusing。

On　seeing　a　person　of　Tressilian's　appearance；　which　he　was
better　able　to　estimate　than　the　country　folks　had　been；　the
schoolmaster　unbonneted；　and　accosted　him　with；　〃SALVE；　DOMINE。
INTELLIGISNE　LINGUAM　LATINAM？〃

Tressilian　mustered　his　learning　to　reply；　〃LINGUAE　LATINAE　HAUD
PENITUS　IGNARUS；　VENIA　TUA；　DOMINE　ERUDITISSIME；　VERNACULAM
LIBENTIUS　LOQUOR。〃

The　Latin　reply　had　upon　the　schoolmaster　the　effect　which　the
mason's　sign　is　said　to　produce　on　the　brethren　of　the　trowel。
He　was　at　once　interested　in　the　learned　traveller；　listened　with
gravity　to　his　story　of　a　tired　horse　and　a　lost　shoe；　and　then
replied　with　solemnity；　〃It　may　appear　a　simple　thing；　most
worshipful；　to　reply　to　you　that　there　dwells；　within　a　brief
mile　of　these　TUGURIA；　the　best　FABER　FERARIUS；　the　most
accomplished　blacksmith；　that　ever　nailed　iron　upon　horse。　　Now；
were　I　to　say　so；　I　warrant　me　you　would　think　yourself　COMPOS
VOTI；　or；　as　the　vulgar　have　it；　a　made　man。〃

〃I　should　at　least；〃　said　Tressilian；　〃have　a　direct　answer　to　a
plain　question；　which　seems　difficult　to　be　obtained　in　this
country。〃

〃It　is　a　mere　sending　of　a　sinful　soul　to　the　evil　un；〃　said　the
old　woman；　〃the　sending　a　living　creature　to　Wayland　Smith。〃

〃Peace；　Gammer　Sludge！〃　　said　the　pedagogue；　〃PAUCA　VERBA；　Gammer
Sludge；　look　to　the　furmity；　Gammer　Sludge；　CURETUR　JENTACULUM；
Gammer　Sludge；　this　gentleman　is　none　of　thy　gossips。〃　　Then
turning　to　Tressilian；　he　resumed　his　lofty　tone；　〃And　so；　most
worshipful；　you　would　really　think　yourself　FELIX　BIS　TERQUE
should　I　point　out　to　you　the　dwelling　of　this　same　smith？〃

〃Sir；〃　replied　Tressilian；　〃I　should　in　that　case　have　all　that　I
want　at　presenta　horse　fit　to　carry　me　forward；out　of　hearing
of　your　learning。〃　　The　last　words　he　muttered　to　himself。

〃O　CAECA　MENS　MORTALIUM！〃　　said　the　learned　man　〃well　was　it　sung
by　Junius　Juvenalis；　'NUMINIBUS　VOTA　EXAUDITA　MALIGNIS！'〃

〃Learned　Magister；〃　said　Tressilian；　〃your　erudition　so　greatly
exceeds　my　poor　intellectual　capacity　that　you　must　excuse　my
seeking　elsewhere　for　information　which　I　can　better　understand。〃

〃There　again　now；〃　replied　the　pedagogue；　〃how　fondly　you　fly
from　him　that　would　instruct　you！　　Truly　said　Quintilian〃

〃I　pray；　sir；　let　Quintilian　be　for　the　present；　and　answer；　in　a
word　and　in　English；　if　your　learning　can　condescend　so　far；
whether　there　is　any　place　here　where　I　can　have　opportunity　to
refresh　my　horse　until　I　can　have　him　shod？〃

〃Thus　much　courtesy；　sir；〃　said　the　schoolmaster；　〃I　can　readily
render　you；　that　although　there　is　in　this　poor　hamlet　（NOSTRA
PAUPERA　REGNA）　no　regular　HOSPITIUM；　as　my　namesake　Erasmus
calleth　it；　yet；　forasmuch　as　you　are　somewhat　embued；　or　at
least　tinged；　as　it　were；　with　good　letters；　I　will　use　my
interest　with　the　good　woman　of　the　house　to　accommodate　you　with
a　platter　of　furmityan　wholesome　food　for　which　I　have　found　no
Latin　phraseyour　horse　shall　have　a　share　of　the　cow…house；
with　a　bottle　of　sweet　hay；　in　which　the　good　woman　Sludge　so
much　abounds；　that　it　may　be　said　of　her　cow；　FAENUM　HABET　IN
CORNU；　and　if　it　please　you　to　bestow　on　me　the　pleasure　of　your
company；　the　banquet　shall　cost　you　NE　SEMISSEM　QUIDEM；　so　much
is　Gammer　Sludge　bound　to　me　for　the　pains　I　have　bestowed　on　the
top　and　bottom　of　her　hopeful　heir　Dickie；　whom　I　have　painfully
made　to　travel　through　the　accidence。〃

〃Now；　God　yield　ye　for　it；　Master　Herasmus；〃　said　the　good
Gammer；　〃and　grant　that　little　Dickie　may　be　the　better　for　his
accident！　　And　for　the　rest；　if　the　gentleman　list　to　stay；
breakfast　shall　be　on　the　board　in　the　wringing　of　a　dishclout；
and　for　horse…meat；　and　man's　meat；　I　bear　no　such　base　mind　as
to　ask　a　penny。〃

Considering　the　state　of　his　horse；　Tressilian；　upon　the　whole；
saw　no　better　course　than　to　accept　the　invitation　thus　learnedly
made　and　hospitably　confirmed；　and　take　chance　that　when　the　good
pedagogue　had　exhausted　every　topic　of　conversation；　he　might
possibly　condescend　to　tell　him　where　he　could　find　the　smith
they　spoke　of。　　He　entered　the　hut　accordingly；　and　sat　down　with
the　learned　Magister　Erasmus　Holiday；　partook　of　his　furmity；　and
listened　to　his　learned　account　of　himself　for　a　good　half　hour；
ere　he　could　get　him　to　talk　upon　any　other　topic；　The　reader
will　readily　excuse　our　accompanying　this　man　of　learning　into
all　the　details　with　which　he　favoured　Tressilian；　of　which　the
following　sketch　may　suffice。

He　was　born　at　Hogsnorton；　where；　according　to　popular　saying；
the　pigs　play　upon　the　organ；　a　proverb　which　he　interpreted
allegorically；　as　having　reference　to　the　herd　of　Epicurus；　of
which　litter　Horace　confessed　himself　a　porker。　　His　name　of
Erasmus　he　derived　partly　from　his　father　having　been　the　son　of
a　renowned　washerwoman；　who　had　held　that　great　scholar　in　clean
linen　all　the　while　he　was　at　Oxford；　a　task　of　some　difficulty；
as　he　was　only　possessed　of　two　shirts；　〃the　one；〃　as　she
expressed　herself；　〃to　wash　the　other；〃　The　vestiges　of　one　of
these　CAMICIAE；　as　Master　Holiday　boasted；　were　still　in　his
possession；　having　fortunately　been　detained　by　his　grandmother
to　cover　the　balance　of　her　bill。　　But　he　thought　there　was　a
still　higher　and　overruling　cause　for　his　having　had　the　name　of
Erasmus　conferred　on　himnamely；　the　secret　presentiment　of　his
mother's　mind　that；　in　the　babe　to　be　christened；　was　a　hidden
genius；　which　should　one　day　lead　him　to　rival　the　fame　of　the
great　scholar　of　Amsterdam。　　The　schoolmaster's　surname　led　him
as　far　into　dissertation　as　his　Christian　appellative。　　He　was
inclined　to　think　that　he　bore　the　name　of　Holiday　QUASI　LUCUS　A
NON　LUCENDO；　because　he　gave　such　few　holidays　to　his　school。
〃Hence；〃　said　he；　〃the　schoolmaster　is　termed；　classically；　LUDI
MAGISTER；　because　he　deprives　boys　of　their　play。〃　　And　yet；　on
the　other　hand；　he　thought　it　might　bear　a　very　different
interpretation；　and　refer　to　his　own　exquisite　art　in　arranging
pageants；　morris…dances；　May…day　festivities；　and　such…like
holiday　delights；　for　which　he　assured　Tressilian　he　had
positively　the　purest　and　the　most　inventive　brain　in　England；
insomuch；　that　his　cunning　in　framing　such　pleasures　had　made　him
known　to　many　honourable　persons；　both　in　country　and　court；　and
especially　to　the　noble