a24-第4章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


with　her　beak　at　the　straw　covering；　as　though　she　would　tear　it　up。

The　lark　rose　up　again；　singing　gaily；　and　I　withdrew　behind　the　red
morning　clouds。〃

ELEVENTH　EVENING
〃I　will　give　you　a　picture　of　Pompeii；〃　said　the　Moon。　〃I　was　in
the　suburb　in　the　Street　of　Tombs；　as　they　call　it；　where　the　fair
monuments　stand；　in　the　spot　where；　ages　ago；　the　merry　youths；
their　temples　bound　with　rosy　wreaths；　danced　with　the　fair　sisters　of
Lais。　Now；　the　stillness　of　death　reigned　around。　German
mercenaries；　in　the　Neapolitan　service；　kept　guard；　played　cards；
and　diced；　and　a　troop　of　strangers　from　beyond　the　mountains　came
into　the　town；　accompanied　by　a　sentry。　They　wanted　to　see　the　city
that　had　risen　from　the　grave　illumined　by　my　beams；　and　I　showed　them　the　wheel…ruts　in　the　streets　paved　with　broad　lava　slabs；　I　showed　them　the　names　on　the　doors；　and　the　signs　that　hung　there　yet：　they　saw　in　the　little　courtyard　the　basins　of　the　fountains；　ornamented　with　shells；　but　no　jet　of　water　gushed　upwards；　no　songs　sounded　forth　from　the　richly…painted　chambers；　where　the　bronze　dog　kept　the　door。

〃It　was　the　City　of　the　Dead；　only　Vesuvius　thundered　forth　his
everlasting　hymn；　each　separate　verse　of　which　is　called　by　men　an
eruption。　We　went　to　the　temple　of　Venus；　built　of　snow…white
marble；　with　its　high　altar　in　front　of　the　broad　steps；　and　the
weeping　willows　sprouting　freshly　forth　among　the　pillars。　The　air　was
transparent　and　blue；　and　black　Vesuvius　formed　the　background；　with　fire　ever　shooting　forth　from　it；　like　the　stem　of　the　pine　tree。
Above　it　stretched　the　smoky　cloud　in　the　silence　of　the　night；　like
the　crown　of　the　pine；　but　in　a　blood…red　illumination。　Among　the
company　was　a　lady　singer；　a　real　and　great　singer。　I　have　witnessed
the　homage　paid　to　her　in　the　greatest　cities　of　Europe。　When　they
came　to　the　tragic　theatre；　they　all　sat　down　on　the　amphitheatre
steps；　and　thus　a　small　part　of　the　house　was　occupied　by　an　audience；　as　it　had　been　many　centuries　ago。　The　stage　still　stood　unchanged；　with　its　walled　side…scenes；　and　the　two　arches　in　the　background；　through　which　the　beholders　saw　the　same　scene　that　had　been　exhibited　in　the　old　times…　a　scene　painted　by　nature　herself；　namely；　the　mountains　between　Sorento　and　Amalfi。　The　singer　gaily　mounted　the　ancient　stage；　and　sang。　The　place　inspired　her；　and　she　reminded　me　of　a　wild　Arab　horse；　that　rushes　headlong　on　with　snorting　nostrils　and　flying　mane…　her　song　was　so　light　and　yet　so　firm。　Anon　I　thought　of　the　mourning　mother　beneath　the　cross　at　Golgotha；　so　deep　was　the　expression　of　pain。　And；　just　as　it　had　done　thousands　of　years　ago；　the　sound　of　applause　and　delight　now　filled　the　theatre。　'Happy；　gifted　creature！'　all　the　hearers　exclaimed。　Five　minutes　more；　and　the　stage　was　empty；　the　company　had　vanished；　and　not　a　sound　more　was　heard…　all　were　gone。　But　the　ruins　stood　unchanged；　as　they　will　stand　when　centuries　shall　have　gone　by；　and　when　none　shall　know　of　the　momentary　applause　and　of　the　triumph　of　the　fair　songstress；　when　all　will　be　forgotten　and　gone；　and　even　for　me　this　hour　will　be　but　a　dream　of　the　past。〃

TWELFTH　EVENING
〃I　looked　through　the　windows　of　an　editor's　house；〃　said　the
Moon。　〃It　was　somewhere　in　Germany。　I　saw　handsome　furniture；　many　books；　and　a　chaos　of　newspapers。　Several　young　men　were　present：　the　editor　himself　stood　at　his　desk；　and　two　little　books；　both　by　young　authors；　were　to　be　noticed。　'This　one　has　been　sent　to　me；'　said　he。　'I　have　not　read　it　yet；　what　think　you　of　the　contents？'　'Oh；'　said　the　person　addressed…　he　was　a　poet　himself…　'it　is　good　enough；　a　little　broad；　certainly；　but；　you　see；　the　author　is　still　young。　The　verses　might　be　better；　to　be　sure；　the　thoughts　are　sound；　though　there　is　certainly　a　good　deal　of　common…place　among　them。　But　what　will　you　have？　You　can't　be　always　getting　something　new。

That　he'll　turn　out　anything　great　I　don't　believe；　but　you　may　safely
praise　him。　He　is　well　read；　a　remarkable　Oriental　scholar；　and　has
a　good　judgment。　It　was　he　who　wrote　that　nice　review　of　my
'Reflections　on　Domestic　Life。'　We　must　be　lenient　towards　the　young　man。〃

〃'But　he　is　a　complete　hack！'　objected　another　of　the　gentlemen。
'Nothing　worse　in　poetry　than　mediocrity；　and　he　certainly　does　not　go　beyond　this。'

〃'Poor　fellow；'　observed　a　third；　'and　his　aunt　is　so　happy
about　him。　It　was　she；　Mr。　Editor；　who　got　together　so　many
subscribers　for　your　last　translation。'

〃'Ah；　the　good　woman！　Well；　I　have　noticed　the　book　briefly。
Undoubted　talent…　a　welcome　offering…　a　flower　in　the　garden　of
poetry…　prettily　brought　out…　and　so　on。　But　this　other　book…　I
suppose　the　author　expects　me　to　purchase　it？　I　hear　it　is　praised。　He
has　genius；　certainly：　don't　you　think　so？'

〃'Yes；　all　the　world　declares　as　much；'　replied　the　poet；　'but
it　has　turned　out　rather　wildly。　The　punctuation　of　the　book；　in
particular；　is　very　eccentric。'

〃'It　will　be　good　for　him　if　we　pull　him　to　pieces；　and　anger
him　a　little；　otherwise　he　will　get　too　good　an　opinion　of　himself。'

〃'But　that　would　be　unfair；'　objected　the　fourth。　'Let　us　not　carp
at　little　faults；　but　rejoice　over　the　real　and　abundant　good　that
we　find　here：　he　surpasses　all　the　rest。'

〃'Not　so。　If　he　is　a　true　genius；　he　can　bear　the　sharp　voice　of
censure。　There　are　people　enough　to　praise　him。　Don't　let　us　quite
turn　his　head。'

〃'Decided　talent；'　wrote　the　editor；　'with　the　usual　carelessness。
that　he　can　write　incorrect　verses　may　be　seen　in　page　25；　where　there
are　two　false　quantities。　We　recommend　him　to　study　the　ancients；
etc。'

〃I　went　away；〃　continued　the　Moon；　〃and　looked　through　the　windows　in　the　aunt's　house。　There　sat　the　be…praised　poet；　the　tame　one；　all　the　guests　paid　homage　to　him；　and　he　was　happy。
〃I　sought　the　other　poet　out；　the　wild　one；　him　also　I　found　in
a　great　assembly　at　his　patron's；　where　the　tame　poet's　book　was　being　discussed。

〃'I　shall　read　yours　also；'　said　Maecenas；　'but　to　speak　honestly…
you　know　I　never　hide　my　opinion　from　you…　I　don't　expect　much　from　it；　for　you　are　much　too　wild；　too　fantastic。　But　it　must　be　allowed　that；　as　a　man；　you　are　highly　respectable。'

〃A　young　girl　sat　in　a　corner；　and　she　read　in　a　book　these　words：
〃'In　the　dust　lies　genius　and　glory；
But　ev'ry…day　talent　will　pay。
It's　only　the　old；　old　story；
But　the　piece　is　repeated　each　day。'〃

THIRTEENTH　EVENING
The　Moon　said；　〃Beside　the　woodland　path　there　are　two　small
farm…houses。　The　doors　are　low；　and　some　of　the　windows　are　placed　quite　high；　and　others　close　to　the　ground；　and　whitethorn　and
barberry　bushes　grow　around　them。　The　roof　of　each　house　is
overgrown　with　moss　and　with　yellow　flowers　and　houseleek。　Cabbage　and　potatoes　are　the　only　plants　cultivated　in　the　gardens；　but　out　of　the　hedge　there　grows　a　willow　tree；　and　under　this　willow　tree　sat　a　little　girl；　and　she　sat　with　her　eyes　fixed　upon　the　old　oak　tree　between　the　two　huts。

〃It　was　an　old　withered　stem。　It　had　been　sawn　off　at　the　top；　and
a　stork　had　built　his　nest　upon　it；　and　he　stood　in　this　nest　clapping
with　his　beak。　A　little　boy　came　and　stood　by　the　girl's　side：　they
were　brother　and　sister。

〃'What　are　you　looking　at？'　he　asked。

〃'I'm　watching　the　stork；'　she　replied：　'our　neighbors　told　me
that　he　would　bring　us　a　little　brother　or　sister　to…day；　let　us　watch
to　see　it　come！'

〃'The　stork　brings　no　such　things；'　the　boy　declared；　'you　may
be　sure　of　that。　Our　neighbor　told　me　the　same　thing；　but　she
laughed　when　she　said　it；　and　so　I　asked　her　if　she　could　say　'On　my
honor；'　and　she　could　not；　and　I　know　by　that　the　story　about　the
storks　is　not　true；　and　that　they　only　tell　it　to　us　children　for
fun。'

〃'But　where　do　babies　come　from；　then？'　asked　the　girl。

〃'Why；　an　angel　from　heaven　brings　them　under　his　cloak；　but　no
man　can　see　him；　and　that's　why　we　never　know　when　he　brings　them。'

〃At　that　moment　there　was　a　rustling　in　the　branches　of　the　willow
tree；　and　the　children　folded　their　hands　and　looked　at　one　another：
it　was　certainly　the　angel　coming　with　the　baby。　They　took　each
other's　hand；　and