seraphita-第2章

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At　the　foot　of　the　hills　of　Jarvis　lies　a　village　of　some　two　hundred

wooden　houses；　where　an　isolated　population　lives　like　a　swarm　of　bees

in　a　forest；　without　increasing　or　diminishing；　vegetating　happily；

while　wringing　their　means　of　living　from　the　breast　of　a　stern

Nature。　The　almost　unknown　existence　of　the　little　hamlet　is　readily

accounted　for。　Few　of　its　inhabitants　were　bold　enough　to　risk　their

lives　among　the　reefs　to　reach　the　deep…sea　fishing；the　staple

industry　of　Norwegians　on　the　least　dangerous　portions　of　their　coast。

The　fish　of　the　fiord　were　numerous　enough　to　suffice；　in　part　at

least；　for　the　sustenance　of　the　inhabitants；　the　valley　pastures

provided　milk　and　butter；　a　certain　amount　of　fruitful；　well…tilled

soil　yielded　rye　and　hemp　and　vegetables；　which　necessity　taught　the

people　to　protect　against　the　severity　of　the　cold　and　the　fleeting

but　terrible　heat　of　the　sun　with　the　shrewd　ability　which　Norwegians

display　in　the　two…fold　struggle。　The　difficulty　of　communication　with

the　outer　world；　either　by　land　where　the　roads　are　impassable；　or　by

sea　where　none　but　tiny　boats　can　thread　their　way　through　the

maritime　defiles　that　guard　the　entrance　to　the　bay；　hinder　these

people　from　growing　rich　by　the　sale　of　their　timber。　It　would　cost

enormous　sums　to　either　blast　a　channel　out　to　sea　or　construct　a　way

to　the　interior。　The　roads　from　Christiana　to　Trondhjem　all　turn

toward　the　Strom…fiord；　and　cross　the　Sieg　by　a　bridge　some　score　of

miles　above　its　fall　into　the　bay。　The　country　to　the　north；　between

Jarvis　and　Trondhjem；　is　covered　with　impenetrable　forests；　while　to

the　south　the　Falberg　is　nearly　as　much　separated　from　Christiana　by

inaccessible　precipices。　The　village　of　Jarvis　might　perhaps　have

communicated　with　the　interior　of　Norway　and　Sweden　by　the　river　Sieg；

but　to　do　this　and　to　be　thus　brought　into　contact　with　civilization；

the　Strom…fiord　needed　the　presence　of　a　man　of　genius。　Such　a　man　did

actually　appear　there；a　poet；　a　Swede　of　great　religious　fervor；　who

died　admiring；　even　reverencing　this　region　as　one　of　the　noblest

works　of　the　Creator。



Minds　endowed　by　study　with　an　inward　sight；　and　whose　quick

perceptions　bring　before　the　soul；　as　though　painted　on　a　canvas；　the

contrasting　scenery　of　this　universe；　will　now　apprehend　the　general

features　of　the　Strom…fiord。　They　alone；　perhaps；　can　thread　their　way

through　the　tortuous　channels　of　the　reef；　or　flee　with　the　battling

waves　to　the　everlasting　rebuff　of　the　Falberg　whose　white　peaks

mingle　with　the　vaporous　clouds　of　the　pearl…gray　sky；　or　watch　with

delight　the　curving　sheet　of　waters；　or　hear　the　rushing　of　the　Sieg

as　it　hangs　for　an　instant　in　long　fillets　and　then　falls　over　a

picturesque　abatis　of　noble　trees　toppled　confusedly　together；

sometimes　upright；　sometimes　half…sunken　beneath　the　rocks。　It　may　be

that　such　minds　alone　can　dwell　upon　the　smiling　scenes　nestling　among

the　lower　hills　of　Jarvis；　where　the　luscious　Northern　vegetables

spring　up　in　families；　in　myriads；　where　the　white　birches　bend；

graceful　as　maidens；　where　colonnades　of　beeches　rear　their　boles

mossy　with　the　growth　of　centuries；　where　shades　of　green　contrast；

and　white　clouds　float　amid　the　blackness　of　the　distant　pines；　and

tracts　of　many…tinted　crimson　and　purple　shrubs　are　shaded　endlessly；

in　short；　where　blend　all　colors；　all　perfumes　of　a　flora　whose

wonders　are　still　ignored。　Widen　the　boundaries　of　this　limited

ampitheatre；　spring　upward　to　the　clouds；　lose　yourself　among　the

rocks　where　the　seals　are　lying　and　even　then　your　thought　cannot

compass　the　wealth　of　beauty　nor　the　poetry　of　this　Norwegian　coast。

Can　your　thought　be　as　vast　as　the　ocean　that　bounds　it？　as　weird　as

the　fantastic　forms　drawn　by　these　forests；　these　clouds；　these

shadows；　these　changeful　lights？



Do　you　see　above　the　meadows　on　that　lowest　slope　which　undulates

around　the　higher　hills　of　Jarvis　two　or　three　hundred　houses　roofed

with　〃noever；〃　a　sort　of　thatch　made　of　birch…bark；frail　houses；

long　and　low；　looking　like　silk…worms　on　a　mulberry…leaf　tossed　hither

by　the　winds？　Above　these　humble；　peaceful　dwellings　stands　the

church；　built　with　a　simplicity　in　keeping　with　the　poverty　of　the

villagers。　A　graveyard　surrounds　the　chancel；　and　a　little　farther　on

you　see　the　parsonage。　Higher　up；　on　a　projection　of　the　mountain　is　a

dwelling…house；　the　only　one　of　stone；　for　which　reason　the

inhabitants　of　the　village　call　it　〃the　Swedish　Castle。〃　In　fact；　a

wealthy　Swede　settled　in　Jarvis　about　thirty　years　before　this　history

begins；　and　did　his　best　to　ameliorate　its　condition。　This　little

house；　certainly　not　a　castle；　built　with　the　intention　of　leading　the

inhabitants　to　build　others　like　it；　was　noticeable　for　its　solidity

and　for　the　wall　that　inclosed　it；　a　rare　thing　in　Norway　where；

notwithstanding　the　abundance　of　stone；　wood　alone　is　used　for　all

fences；　even　those　of　fields。　This　Swedish　house；　thus　protected

against　the　climate；　stood　on　rising　ground　in　the　centre　of　an

immense　courtyard。　The　windows　were　sheltered　by　those　projecting

pent…house　roofs　supported　by　squared　trunks　of　trees　which　give　so

patriarchal　an　air　to　Northern　dwellings。　From　beneath　them　the　eye

could　see　the　savage　nudity　of　the　Falberg；　or　compare　the　infinitude

of　the　open　sea　with　the　tiny　drop　of　water　in　the　foaming　fiord；　the

ear　could　hear　the　flowing　of　the　Sieg；　whose　white　sheet　far　away

looked　motionless　as　it　fell　into　its　granite　cup　edged　for　miles

around　with　glaciers；in　short；　from　this　vantage　ground　the　whole

landscape　whereon　our　simple　yet　superhuman　drama　was　about　to　be

enacted　could　be　seen　and　noted。



The　winter　of　1799…1800　was　one　of　the　most　severe　ever　known　to

Europeans。　The　Norwegian　sea　was　frozen　in　all　the　fiords；　where；　as　a

usual　thing；　the　violence　of　the　surf　kept　the　ice　from　forming。　A

wind；　whose　effects　were　like　those　of　the　Spanish　levanter；　swept　the

ice　of　the　Strom…fiord；　driving　the　snow　to　the　upper　end　of　the　gulf。

Seldom　indeed　could　the　people　of　Jarvis　see　the　mirror　of　frozen

waters　reflecting　the　colors　of　the　sky；　a　wondrous　site　in　the　bosom

of　these　mountains　when　all　other　aspects　of　nature　are　levelled

beneath　successive　sheets　of　snow；　and　crests　and　valleys　are　alike

mere　folds　of　the　vast　mantle　flung　by　winter　across　a　landscape　at

once　so　mournfully　dazzling　and　so　monotonous。　The　falling　volume　of

the　Sieg；　suddenly　frozen；　formed　an　immense　arcade　beneath　which　the

inhabitants　might　have　crossed　under　shelter　from　the　blast　had　any

dared　to　risk　themselves　inland。　But　the　dangers　of　every　step　away

from　their　own　surroundings　kept　even　the　boldest　hunters　in　their

homes；　afraid　lest　the　narrow　paths　along　the　precipices；　the　clefts

and　fissures　among　the　rocks；　might　be　unrecognizable　beneath　the

snow。



Thus　it　was　that　no　human　creature　gave　life　to　the　white　desert　where

Boreas　reigned；　his　voice　alone　resounding　at　distant　intervals。　The

sky；　nearly　always　gray；　gave　tones　of　polished　steel　to　the　ice　of

the　fiord。　Perchance　some　ancient　eider…duck　crossed　the　expanse；

trusting　to　the　warm　down　beneath　which　dream；　in　other　lands；　the

luxurious　rich；　little　knowing　of　the　dangers　through　which　their

luxury　has　come　to　them。　Like　the　Bedouin　of　the　desert　who　darts

alone　across　the　sands　of　Africa；　the　bird　is　neither　seen　nor　heard；

the　torpid　atmosphere；　deprived　of　its　electrical　conditions；　echoes

neither　the　whirr　of　its　wings　nor　its　joyous　notes。　Besides；　what

human　eye　was　strong　enough　to　bear　the　glitter　of　those　pinnacles

adorned　with　sparkling　crystals；　or　the　sharp　reflections　of　the　snow；

iridescent　on　the　summits　in　the　rays　of　a　pallid　sun　which

infrequently　appeared；　like　a　dying　man　seeking　to　make　known　that　he

still　lives。　Often；　when　the　flocks　of　gray　clouds；　driven　in

squadrons　athwart　the　mountains　and　among　th