little travels and roadside sketches-第11章

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〃Murray's　Handbook。〃　　He　has　gathered　together；　indeed；　a　store　of

information；　and　must；　to　make　his　single　volume；　have　gutted　many

hundreds　of　guide…books。　　How　the　Continental　ciceroni　must　hate

him；　whoever　he　is！　　Every　English　party　I　saw　had　this　infallible

red　book　in　their　hands；　and　gained　a　vast　deal　of　historical　and

general　information　from　it。　　Thus　I　heard；　in　confidence；　many

remarkable　anecdotes　of　Charles　V。；　the　Duke　of　Alva；　Count　Egmont；

all　of　which　I　had　before　perceived；　with　much　satisfaction；　not

only　in　the　〃Handbook；〃　but　even　in　other　works。



The　Laureate　is　among　the　English　poets　evidently　the　great

favorite　of　our　guide：　the　choice　does　honor　to　his　head　and　heart。

A　man　must　have　a　very　strong　bent　for　poetry；　indeed；　who　carries

Southey's　works　in　his　portmanteau；　and　quotes　them　in　proper　time

and　occasion。　　Of　course　at　Waterloo　a　spirit　like　our　guide's

cannot　fail　to　be　deeply　moved；　and　to　turn　to　his　favorite　poet

for　sympathy。　　Hark　how　the　laureated　bard　sings　about　the

tombstones　at　Waterloo：





　　　　〃That　temple　to　our　hearts　was　hallow'd　now；

　　　　　　　For　many　a　wounded　Briton　there　was　laid；

　　　　　With　such　for　help　as　time　might　then　allow；

　　　　　　　From　the　fresh　carnage　of　the　field　conveyed。

　　　　　And　they　whom　human　succor　could　not　save；

　　　　　　　Here；　in　its　precincts；　found　a　hasty　grave。

　　　　　And　here；　on　marble　tablets；　set　on　high；

　　　　　　　In　English　lines　by　foreign　workmen　traced；

　　　　　The　names　familiar　to　an　English　eye；

　　　　　　　Their　brethren　here　the　fit　memorial　placed；

　　　　　Whose　unadorned　inscriptions　briefly　tell

　　　　　　　THEIR　GALLANT　COMRADES'　rank；　and　where　they　fell。

　　　　　The　stateliest　monument　of　human　pride；

　　　　　　　Enriched　with　all　magnificence　of　art；

　　　　　To　honor　chieftains　who　in　victory　died；

　　　　　　　Would　wake　no　stronger　feeling　in　the　heart

　　　　　Than　these　plain　tablets　by　the　soldier's　hand

　　　　　　　Raised　to　his　comrades　in　a　foreign　land。〃





There　are　lines　for　you！　wonderful　for　justice；　rich　in　thought　and

novel　ideas。　　The　passage　concerning　their　gallant　comrades'　rank

should　be　specially　remarked。　　There　indeed　they　lie；　sure　enough：

the　Honorable　Colonel　This　of　the　Guards；　Captain　That　of　the

Hussars；　Major　So…and…So　of　the　Dragoons；　brave　men　and　good；　who

did　their　duty　by　their　country　on　that　day；　and　died　in　the

performance　of　it。



Amen。　　But　I　confess　fairly；　that　in　looking　at　these　tablets；　I

felt　very　much　disappointed　at　not　seeing　the　names　of　the　MEN　as

well　as　the　officers。　　Are　they　to　be　counted　for　nought？　　A　few

more　inches　of　marble　to　each　monument　would　have　given　space　for

all　the　names　of　the　men；　and　the　men　of　that　day　were　the　winners

of　the　battle。　　We　have　a　right　to　be　as　grateful　individually　to

any　given　private　as　to　any　given　officer；　their　duties　were　very

much　the　same。　　Why　should　the　country　reserve　its　gratitude　for

the　genteel　occupiers　of　the　army…list；　and　forget　the　gallant

fellows　whose　humble　names　were　written　in　the　regimental　books？

In　reading　of　the　Wellington　wars；　and　the　conduct　of　the　men

engaged　in　them；　I　don't　know　whether　to　respect　them　or　to　wonder

at　them　most。　　They　have　death；　wounds；　and　poverty　in　contemplation；

in　possession；　poverty；　hard　labor；　hard　fare；　and　small　thanks。

If　they　do　wrong；　they　are　handed　over　to　the　inevitable　provost…

marshal；　if　they　are　heroes；　heroes　they　may　be；　but　they　remain

privates　still；　handling　the　old　brown…bess；　starving　on　the　old

twopence　a　day。　　They　grow　gray　in　battle　and　victory；　and　after

thirty　years　of　bloody　service；　a　young　gentleman　of　fifteen；　fresh

from　a　preparatory　school；　who　can　scarcely　read；　and　came　but

yesterday　with　a　pinafore　in　to　papa's　dessertsuch　a　young

gentleman；　I　say；　arrives　in　a　spick…and…span　red　coat；　and　calmly

takes　the　command　over　our　veteran；　who　obeys　him　as　if　God　and

nature　had　ordained　that　so　throughout　time　it　should　be。



That　privates　should　obey；　and　that　they　should　be　smartly　punished

if　they　disobey；　this　one　can　understand　very　well。　　But　to　say

obey　for　ever　and　everto　say　that　Private　John　Styles　is；　by　some

physical　disproportion；　hopelessly　inferior　to　Cornet　Snooksto

say　that　Snooks　shall　have　honors；　epaulets；　and　a　marble　tablet

if　he　dies；　and　that　Styles　shall　fight　his　fight；　and　have　his

twopence　a　day；　and　when　shot　down　shall　be　shovelled　into　a　hole

with　other　Styleses；　and　so　forgotten；　and　to　think　that　we　had　in

the　course　of　the　last　war　some　400；000　of　these　Styleses；　and　some

10；000；　say；　of　the　Snooks　sortStyles　being　by　nature　exactly　as

honest；　clever；　and　brave　as　Snooksand　to　think　that　the　400；000

should　bear　this；　is　the　wonder！



Suppose　Snooks　makes　a　speech。　　〃Look　at　these　Frenchmen；　British

soldiers；〃　says　he；　〃and　remember　who　they　are。　　Two…and…twenty

years　since　they　hurled　their　King　from　his　throne　and　murdered

him〃　（groans）。　　〃They　flung　out　of　their　country　their　ancient　and

famous　nobilitythey　published　the　audacious　doctrine　of　equality

they　made　a　cadet　of　artillery；　a　beggarly　lawyer's　son；　into　an

Emperor；　and　took　ignoramuses　from　the　ranksdrummers　and

privates；　by　Jove！of　whom　they　made　kings；　generals；　and

marshals！　　Is　this　to　be　borne？〃　　（Cries　of　〃No！　no！〃）　　〃Upon　them；

my　boys！　down　with　these　godless　revolutionists；　and　rally　round

the　British　lion！〃



So　saying；　Ensign　Snooks　（whose　flag；　which　he　can't　carry；　is　held

by　a　huge　grizzly　color…sergeant；）　draws　a　little　sword；　and　pipes

out　a　feeble　huzza。　　The　men　of　his　company；　roaring　curses　at　the

Frenchmen；　prepare　to　receive　and　repel　a　thundering　charge　of

French　cuirassiers。　　The　men　fight；　and　Snooks　is　knighted　because

the　men　fought　so　well。



But　live　or　die；　win　or　lose；　what　do　THEY　get？　　English　glory　is

too　genteel　to　meddle　with　those　humble　fellows。　　She　does　not

condescend　to　ask　the　names　of　the　poor　devils　whom　she　kills　in

her　service。　　Why　was　not　every　private　man's　name　written　upon　the

stones　in　Waterloo　Church　as　well　as　every　officer's？　　Five　hundred

pounds　to　the　stone…cutters　would　have　served　to　carve　the　whole

catalogue；　and　paid　the　poor　compliment　of　recognition　to　men　who

died　in　doing　their　duty。　　If　the　officers　deserved　a　stone；　the

men　did。　　But　come；　let　us　away　and　drop　a　tear　over　the　Marquis　of

Anglesea's　leg！



As　for　Waterloo；　has　it　not　been　talked　of　enough　after　dinner？

Here　are　some　oats　that　were　plucked　before　Hougoumont；　where　grow

not　only　oats；　but　flourishing　crops　of　grape…shot；　bayonets；　and

legion…of…honor　crosses；　in　amazing　profusion。



Well；　though　I　made　a　vow　not　to　talk　about　Waterloo　either　here　or

after　dinner；　there　is　one　little　secret　admission　that　one　must

make　after　seeing　it。　　Let　an　Englishman　go　and　see　that　field；　and

he　NEVER　FORGETS　IT。　　The　sight　is　an　event　in　his　life；　and；

though　it　has　been　seen　by　millions　of　peaceable　GENTSgrocers

from　Bond　Street；　meek　attorneys　from　Chancery　Lane；　and　timid

tailors　from　PiccadillyI　will　wager　that　there　is　not　one　of　them

but　feels　a　glow　as　he　looks　at　the　place；　and　remembers　that　he；

too；　is　an　Englishman。



It　is　a　wrong；　egotistical；　savage；　unchristian　feeling；　and　that's

the　truth　of　it。　　A　man　of　peace　has　no　right　to　be　dazzled　by　that

red…coated　glory；　and　to　intoxicate　his　vanity　with　those

remembrances　of　carnage　and　triumph。　　The　same　sentence　which　tells

us　that　on　earth　there　ought　to　be　peace　and　good…will　amongst　men；

tells　us　to　whom　GLORY　belongs。











End