curious republic of gondour-第5章
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sad wail； that pierced every heart； and said： 〃Sivinty…foive dollars for
stoofhn' Dan； blister their sowls！ Did thim divils suppose I was goin'
to stairt a Museim； that I'd be dalin' in such expinsive curiassities！〃
The banker's clerk said there was not a dry eye in the house。
THE 〃TOURNAMENT〃 IN A。 D。 1870
Lately there appeared an item to this effect； and the same went the
customary universal round of the press：
A telegraph station has just been established upon the traditional
site of the Garden of Eden。
As a companion to that； nothing fits so aptly and so perfectly as this：
Brooklyn has revived the knightly tournament of the Middle Ages。
It is hard to tell which is the most startling； the idea of that highest
achievement of human genius and intelligence； the telegraph； prating away
about the practical concerns of the world's daily life in the heart and
home of ancient indolence； ignorance； and savagery； or the idea of that
happiest expression of the brag； vanity； and mock…heroics of our
ancestors； the 〃tournament；〃 coming out of its grave to flaunt its tinsel
trumpery and perform its 〃chivalrous〃 absurdities in the high noon of the
nineteenth century； and under the patronage of a great； broad…awake city
and an advanced civilisation。
A 〃tournament〃 in Lynchburg is a thing easily within the comprehension of
the average mind； but no commonly gifted person can conceive of such a
spectacle in Brooklyn without straining his powers。 Brooklyn is part and
parcel of the city of New York； and there is hardly romance enough in the
entire metropolis to re…supply a Virginia 〃knight〃 with 〃chivalry；〃 in
case he happened to run out of it。 Let the reader calmly and
dispassionately picture to himself 〃lists〃 in Brooklyn； heralds；
pursuivants； pages； garter king…at…armsin Brooklyn； the marshalling of
the fantastic hosts of 〃chivalry〃 in slashed doublets； velvet trunks；
ruffles； and plumesin Brooklyn； mounted on omnibus and livery…stable
patriarchs； promoted； and referred to in cold blood as 〃steeds；〃
〃destriers；〃 and 〃chargers；〃 and divested of their friendly； humble names
these meek old 〃Jims〃 and 〃Bobs〃 and 〃Charleys；〃 and renamed 〃Mohammed；〃
〃Bucephalus；〃 and 〃Saladin〃in Brooklyn； mounted thus； and armed with
swords and shields and wooden lances； and cased in paste board hauberks；
morions； greaves； and gauntlets； and addressed as 〃Sir〃 Smith； and 〃Sir〃
Jones； and bearing such titled grandeurs as 〃The Disinherited Knight；〃
the 〃Knight of Shenandoah；〃 the 〃Knight of the Blue Ridge；〃 the 〃Knight
of Maryland；〃 and the 〃Knight of the Secret Sorrow〃in Brooklyn； and at
the toot of the horn charging fiercely upon a helpless ring hung on a
post； and prodding at it in trepidly with their wooden sticks； and by and
by skewering it and cavorting back to the judges' stand covered with
glory this in Brooklyn； and each noble success like this duly and
promptly announced by an applauding toot from the herald's horn； and 〃the
band playing three bars of an old circus tune〃all in Brooklyn； in broad
daylight。 And let the reader remember； and also add to his picture； as
follows； to wit： when the show was all over； the party who had shed the
most blood and overturned and hacked to pieces the most knights； or at
least had prodded the most muffin…rings； was accorded the ancient
privilege of naming and crowning the Queen of Love and Beautywhich
naming had in reality been done for； him by the 〃cut…and…dried〃 process；
and long in advance； by a committee of ladies； but the crowning he did in
person； though suffering from loss of blood； and then was taken to the
county hospital on a shutter to have his wounds dressedthese curious
things all occurring in Brooklyn； and no longer ago than one or two
yesterdays。 It seems impossible； and yet it is true。
This was doubtless the first appearance of the 〃tournament〃 up here among
the rolling…mills and factories； and will probably be the last。 It will
be well to let it retire permanently to the rural districts of Virginia；
where； it is said； the fine mailed and plumed； noble…natured； maiden…
rescuing； wrong…redressing； adventure…seeking knight of romance is
accepted and believed in by the peasantry with pleasing simplicity； while
they reject with scorn the plain； unpolished verdict whereby history
exposes him as a braggart； a ruffian； a fantastic vagabond； and an
ignoramus。
All romance aside； what shape would our admiration of the heroes of Ashby
de la Zouch be likely to take； in this practical age； if those worthies
were to rise up and come here and perform again the chivalrous deeds of
that famous passage of arms？ Nothing but a New York jury and the
insanity plea could save them from hanging； from the amiable Bois…
Guilbert and the pleasant Front…de…Boeuf clear down to the nameless
ruffians that entered the riot with unpictured shields and did their
first murder and acquired their first claim to respect that day。 The
doings of the so…called 〃chivalry〃 of the Middle Ages were absurd enough；
even when they were brutally and bloodily in earnest； and when their
surroundings of castles and donjons； savage landscapes and half…savage
peoples； were in keeping； but those doings gravely reproduced with tinsel
decorations and mock pageantry； by bucolic gentlemen with broomstick
lances； and with muffin…rings to represent the foe； and all in the midst
of the refinement and dignity of a carefully…developed modern
civilisation； is absurdity gone crazy。
Now； for next exhibition； let us have a fine representation of one of
those chivalrous wholesale butcheries and burnings of Jewish women and
children； which the crusading heroes of romance used to indulge in in
their European homes； just before starting to the Holy Land； to seize and
take to their protection the Sepulchre and defend it from 〃pollution。〃
CURIOUS RELIC FOR SALE
〃For sale； for the benefit of the Fund for the Relief of the Widows
and Orphans of Deceased Firemen； a Curious Ancient Bedouin Pipe；
procured at the city of Endor in Palestine； and believed to have
once belonged to the justly…renowned Witch of Endor。 Parties
desiring to examine this singular relic with a view to purchasing；
can do so by calling upon Daniel S。。 119 and 121 William street； New
York〃
As per advertisement in the 〃Herald。〃 A curious old relic indeed； as I
had a good personal right to know。 In a single instant of time； a long
drawn panorama of sights and scenes in the Holy Land flashed through my
memorytown and grove； desert； camp； and caravan clattering after each
other and disappearing； leaping me with a little of the surprised and
dizzy feeling which I have experienced at sundry times when a long
express train has overtaken me at some quiet curve and gone whizzing； car
by car； around the corner and out of sight。 In that prolific instant I
saw again all the country from the Sea of Galilee and Nazareth clear to
Jerusalem； and thence over the hills of Judea and through the Vale of
Sharon to Joppa； down by the ocean。 Leaving out unimportant stretches of
country and details of incident； I saw and experienced the following…
described matters and things。 Immediately three years fell away from my
age； and a vanished time was restored to me September； 1867。 It was a
flaming Oriental daythis one that had come up out of the past and
brought along its actors； its stage…properties； and scenic effectsand
our party had just ridden through the squalid hive of human vermin which
still holds the ancient Biblical name of Endor； I was bringing up the
rear on my grave four…dollar steed； who was about beginning to compose
himself for his usual noon nap。 My！ only fifteen minutes before how the
black； mangy； nine…tenths naked； ten…tenths filthy； ignorant； bigoted；
besotted； hungry； lazy； malignant； screeching； crowding； struggling；
wailing； begging； cursing； hateful spawn of the original Witch had
swarmed out of the caves in the rocks and the holes and crevices in the
earth； and blocked our horses' way； besieged us； threw themselves in the
animals' path； clung to their manes； saddle…furniture； and tails； asking
