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第11章

the black tulip-第11章

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Sandwich;〃 and the death by fire or drowning of four hundred 

sailors; when he realized that the result of all this 

destruction  after twenty ships had been blown to pieces; 

three thousand men killed and five thousand injured  was 

that nothing was decided; that both sides claimed the 

victory; that the fighting would soon begin again; and that 

just one more name; that of Southwold Bay; had been added to 

the list of battles; when he had estimated how much time is 

lost simply in shutting his eyes and ears by a man who likes 

to use his reflective powers even while his fellow creatures 

are cannonading one another;  Cornelius bade farewell to 

De Ruyter; to the Ruart de Pulten; and to glory; kissed the 

knees of the Grand Pensionary; for whom he entertained the 

deepest veneration; and retired to his house at Dort; rich 

in his well…earned repose; his twenty…eight years; an iron 

constitution and keen perceptions; and his capital of more 

than four hundred thousands of florins and income of ten 

thousand; convinced that a man is always endowed by Heaven 

with too much for his own happiness; and just enough to make 

him miserable。 



Consequently; and to indulge his own idea of happiness; 

Cornelius began to be interested in the study of plants and 

insects; collected and classified the Flora of all the Dutch 

islands; arranged the whole entomology of the province; on 

which he wrote a treatise; with plates drawn by his own 

hands; and at last; being at a loss what to do with his 

time; and especially with his money; which went on 

accumulating at a most alarming rate; he took it into his 

head to select for himself; from all the follies of his 

country and of his age; one of the most elegant and 

expensive;  he became a tulip…fancier。 



It was the time when the Dutch and the Portuguese; rivalling 

each other in this branch of horticulture; had begun to 

worship that flower; and to make more of a cult of it than 

ever naturalists dared to make of the human race for fear of 

arousing the jealousy of God。 



Soon people from Dort to Mons began to talk of Mynheer van 

Baerle's tulips; and his beds; pits; drying…rooms; and 

drawers of bulbs were visited; as the galleries and 

libraries of Alexandria were by illustrious Roman 

travellers。 



Van Baerle began by expending his yearly revenue in laying 

the groundwork of his collection; after which he broke in 

upon his new guilders to bring it to perfection。 His 

exertions; indeed; were crowned with a most magnificent 

result: he produced three new tulips; which he called the 

〃Jane;〃 after his mother; the 〃Van Baerle;〃 after his 

father; and the 〃Cornelius;〃 after his godfather; the other 

names have escaped us; but the fanciers will be sure to find 

them in the catalogues of the times。 



In the beginning of the year 1672; Cornelius de Witt came to 

Dort for three months; to live at his old family mansion; 

for not only was he born in that city; but his family had 

been resident there for centuries。 



Cornelius; at that period; as William of Orange said; began 

to enjoy the most perfect unpopularity。 To his fellow 

citizens; the good burghers of Dort; however; he did not 

appear in the light of a criminal who deserved to be hung。 

It is true; they did not particularly like his somewhat 

austere republicanism; but they were proud of his valour; 

and when he made his entrance into their town; the cup of 

honour was offered to him; readily enough; in the name of 

the city。 



After having thanked his fellow citizens; Cornelius 

proceeded to his old paternal house; and gave directions for 

some repairs; which he wished to have executed before the 

arrival of his wife and children; and thence he wended his 

way to the house of his godson; who perhaps was the only 

person in Dort as yet unacquainted with the presence of 

Cornelius in the town。 



In the same degree as Cornelius de Witt had excited the 

hatred of the people by sowing those evil seeds which are 

called political passions; Van Baerle had gained the 

affections of his fellow citizens by completely shunning the 

pursuit of politics; absorbed as he was in the peaceful 

pursuit of cultivating tulips。 



Van Baerle was truly beloved by his servants and labourers; 

nor had he any conception that there was in this world a man 

who wished ill to another。 



And yet it must be said; to the disgrace of mankind; that 

Cornelius van Baerle; without being aware of the fact; had a 

much more ferocious; fierce; and implacable enemy than the 

Grand Pensionary and his brother had among the Orange party; 

who were most hostile to the devoted brothers; who had never 

been sundered by the least misunderstanding during their 

lives; and by their mutual devotion in the face of death 

made sure the existence of their brotherly affection beyond 

the grave。 



At the time when Cornelius van Baerle began to devote 

himself to tulip…growing; expending on this hobby his yearly 

revenue and the guilders of his father; there was at Dort; 

living next door to him; a citizen of the name of Isaac 

Boxtel who from the age when he was able to think for 

himself had indulged the same fancy; and who was in 

ecstasies at the mere mention of the word 〃tulban;〃 which 

(as we are assured by the 〃Floriste Francaise;〃 the most 

highly considered authority in matters relating to this 

flower) is the first word in the Cingalese tongue which was 

ever used to designate that masterpiece of floriculture 

which is now called the tulip。 



Boxtel had not the good fortune of being rich; like Van 

Baerle。 He had therefore; with great care and patience; and 

by dint of strenuous exertions; laid out near his house at 

Dort a garden fit for the culture of his cherished flower; 

he had mixed the soil according to the most approved 

prescriptions; and given to his hotbeds just as much heat 

and fresh air as the strictest rules of horticulture exact。 



Isaac knew the temperature of his frames to the twentieth 

part of a degree。 He knew the strength of the current of 

air; and tempered it so as to adapt it to the wave of the 

stems of his flowers。 His productions also began to meet 

with the favour of the public。 They were beautiful; nay; 

distinguished。 Several fanciers had come to see Boxtel's 

tulips。 At last he had even started amongst all the 

Linnaeuses and Tourneforts a tulip which bore his name; and 

which; after having travelled all through France; had found 

its way into Spain; and penetrated as far as Portugal; and 

the King; Don Alfonso VI。  who; being expelled from 

Lisbon; had retired to the island of Terceira; where he 

amused himself; not; like the great Conde; with watering his 

carnations; but with growing tulips  had; on seeing the 

Boxtel tulip; exclaimed; 〃Not so bad; by any means!〃 



All at once; Cornelius van Baerle; who; after all his 

learned pursuits; had been seized with the tulipomania; made 

some changes in his house at Dort; which; as we have stated; 

was next door to that of Boxtel。 He raised a certain 

building in his court…yard by a story; which shutting out 

the sun; took half a degree of warmth from Boxtel's garden; 

and; on the other hand; added half a degree of cold in 

winter; not to mention that it cut the wind; and disturbed 

all the horticultural calculations and arrangements of his 

neighbour。 



After all; this mishap appeared to Boxtel of no great 

consequence。 Van Baerle was but a painter; a sort of fool 

who tried to reproduce and disfigure on canvas the wonders 

of nature。 The painter; he thought; had raised his studio by 

a story to get better light; and thus far he had only been 

in the right。 Mynheer van Baerle was a painter; as Mynheer 

Boxtel was a tulip…grower; he wanted somewhat more sun for 

his paintings; and he took half a degree from his 

neighbour's tulips。 



The law was for V

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