lavengro-第111章

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is　chilly。'



Thereupon　I　arose；　and　put　fresh　charcoal　on　the　pan；　then　taking　

it　outside　the　tent；　with　a　kind　of　fan　which　I　had　fashioned；　I　

fanned　the　coals　into　a　red　glow；　and　continued　doing　so　until　the　

greater　part　of　the　noxious　gas；　which　the　coals　are　in　the　habit　

of　exhaling；　was　exhausted。　　I　then　brought　it　into　the　tent　and　

reseated　myself；　scattering　over　the　coals　a　small　portion　of　

sugar。　　'No　bad　smell；'　said　the　postilion；　'but　upon　the　whole　I　

think　I　like　the　smell　of　tobacco　better；　and　with　your　permission　

I　will　once　more　light　my　pipe。'



Thereupon　he　relighted　his　pipe；　and；　after　taking　two　or　three　

whiffs；　began　in　the　following　manner。







CHAPTER　XCVIII







An　exordium　…　Fine　ships　…　High　Barbary　captains　…　Free…born　

Englishmen　…　Monstrous　figure　…　Swashbuckler　…　The　grand　coaches　…　

The　footmen　…　A　travelling　expedition　…　Black　Jack　…　Nelson's　

cannon　…　Pharaoh's　butler　…　A　diligence　…　Two　passengers　…　Sharking　

priest　…　Virgilio　…　Lessons　in　Italian　…　Two　opinions　…　Holy　Mary　…　

Priestly　confederates　…　Methodist　chapel　…　Veturini　…　Some　of　our　

party　…　Like　a　sepulchre　…　All　for　themselves。



'I　AM　a　poor　postilion；　as　you　see；　yet；　as　I　have　seen　a　thing　or　

two　and　heard　a　thing　or　two　of　what　is　going　on　in　the　world；　

perhaps　what　I　have　to　tell　you　connected　with　myself　may　not　prove　

altogether　uninteresting。　　Now；　my　friends；　this　manner　of　opening　

a　story　is　what　the　man　who　taught　rhetoric　would　call　a　hex　…　hex　

…　'



'Exordium；'　said　I。



'Just　so；'　said　the　postilion；　'I　treated　you　to　a　per　…　per　…　

peroration　some　time　ago；　so　that　I　have　contrived　to　put　the　cart　

before　the　horse；　as　the　Irish　orators　frequently　do　in　the　

honourable　House；　in　whose　speeches；　especially　those　who　have　

taken　lessons　in　rhetoric；　the　per　…　per　…　what's　the　word？　…　

frequently　goes　before　the　exordium。



'I　was　born　in　the　neighbouring　county；　my　father　was　land…steward　

to　a　squire　of　about　a　thousand　a　year。　　My　father　had　two　sons；　of　

whom　I　am　the　youngest　by　some　years。　　My　elder　brother　was　of　a　

spirited　roving　disposition；　and　for　fear　that　he　should　turn　out　

what　is　generally　termed　ungain；　my　father　determined　to　send　him　

to　sea：　　so　once　upon　a　time；　when　my　brother　was　about　fifteen；　he　

took　him　to　the　great　seaport　of　the　county；　where　he　apprenticed　

him　to　a　captain　of　one　of　the　ships　which　trade　to　the　high　

Barbary　coast。　　Fine　ships　they　were；　I　have　heard　say；　more　than　

thirty　in　number；　and　all　belonging　to　a　wonderful　great　gentleman；　

who　had　once　been　a　parish　boy；　but　had　contrived　to　make　an　

immense　fortune　by　trading　to　that　coast　for　gold…dust；　ivory；　and　

other　strange　articles；　and　for　doing　so；　I　mean　for　making　a　

fortune；　had　been　made　a　knight　baronet。　　So　my　brother　went　to　the　

high　Barbary　shore；　on　board　the　fine　vessel；　and　in　about　a　year　

returned　and　came　to　visit　us；　he　repeated　the　voyage　several　

times；　always　coming　to　see　his　parents　on　his　return。　　Strange　

stories　he　used　to　tell　us　of　what　he　had　been　witness　to　on　the　

high　Barbary　coast；　both　off　shore　and　on。　　He　said　that　the　fine　

vessel　in　which　he　sailed　was　nothing　better　than　a　painted　hell；　

that　the　captain　was　a　veritable　fiend；　whose　grand　delight　was　in　

tormenting　his　men；　especially　when　they　were　sick；　as　they　

frequently　were；　there　being　always　fever　on　the　high　Barbary　

coast；　and　that　though　the　captain　was　occasionally　sick　himself；　

his　being　so　made　no　difference；　or　rather　it　did　make　a　

difference；　though　for　the　worse；　he　being　when　sick　always　more　

inveterate　and　malignant　than　at　other　times。　　He　said　that　once；　

when　he　himself　was　sick；　his　captain　had　pitched　his　face　all　

over；　which　exploit　was　much　applauded　by　the　other　high　Barbary　

captains　…　all　of　whom；　from　what　my　brother　said；　appeared　to　be　

of　much　the　same　disposition　as　my　brother's　captain；　taking　

wonderful　delight　in　tormenting　the　crews；　and　doing　all　manner　of　

terrible　things。　　My　brother　frequently　said　that　nothing　whatever　

prevented　him　from　running　away　from　his　ship；　and　never　returning；　

but　the　hope　he　entertained　of　one　day　being　captain　himself；　and　

able　to　torment　people　in　his　turn；　which　he　solemnly　vowed　he　

would　do；　as　a　kind　of　compensation　for　what　he　himself　had　

undergone。　　And　if　things　were　going　on　in　a　strange　way　off　the　

high　Barbary　shore　amongst　those　who　came　there　to　trade；　they　were　

going　on　in　a　way　yet　stranger　with　the　people　who　lived　upon　it。



'Oh　the　strange　ways　of　the　black　men　who　lived　on　that　shore；　of　

which　my　brother　used　to　tell　us　at　home　…　selling　their　sons；　

daughters；　and　servants　for　slaves；　and　the　prisoners　taken　in　

battle；　to　the　Spanish　captains；　to　be　carried　to　Havannah；　and　

when　there；　sold　at　a　profit；　the　idea　of　which；　my　brother　said；　

went　to　the　hearts　of　our　own　captains；　who　used　to　say　what　a　hard　

thing　it　was　that　free…born　Englishmen　could　not　have　a　hand　in　the　

traffic；　seeing　that　it　was　forbidden　by　the　laws　of　their　country；　

talking　fondly　of　the　good　old　times　when　their　forefathers　used　to　

carry　slaves　to　Jamaica　and　Barbadoes；　realising　immense　profit；　

besides　the　pleasure　of　hearing　their　shrieks　on　the　voyage；　and　

then　the　superstitions　of　the　blacks；　which　my　brother　used　to　talk　

of；　their　sharks'　teeth；　their　wisps　of　fowls'　feathers；　their　

half…baked　pots　full　of　burnt　bones；　of　which　they　used　to　make　

what　they　called　fetish；　and　bow　down　to；　and　ask　favours　of；　and　

then；　perhaps；　abuse　and　strike；　provided　the　senseless　rubbish　did　

not　give　them　what　they　asked　for；　and　then；　above　all；　Mumbo　

Jumbo；　the　grand　fetish　master；　who　lived　somewhere　in　the　woods；　

and　who　used　to　come　out　every　now　and　then　with　his　fetish　

companions；　a　monstrous　figure；　all　wound　round　with　leaves　and　

branches；　so　as　to　be　quite　indistinguishable；　and；　seating　himself　

on　the　high　seat　in　the　villages；　receive　homage　from　the　people；　

and　also　gifts　and　offerings；　the　most　valuable　of　which　were　

pretty　damsels；　and　then　betake　himself　back　again；　with　his　

followers；　into　the　woods。　　Oh　the　tales　that　my　brother　used　to　

tell　us　of　the　high　Barbary　shore！　　Poor　fellow！　what　became　of　him　

I　can't　say；　the　last　time　he　came　back　from　a　voyage；　he　told　us　

that　his　captain；　as　soon　as　he　had　brought　his　vessel　to　port　and　

settled　with　his　owner；　drowned　himself　off　the　quay；　in　a　fit　of　

the　horrors；　which　it　seems　high　Barbary　captains；　after　a　certain　

number　of　years；　are　much　subject　to。　　After　staying　about　a　month　

with　us；　he　went　to　sea　again；　with　another　captain；　and；　bad　as　

the　old　one　had　been；　it　appears　the　new　one　was　worse；　for；　unable　

to　bear　his　treatment；　my　brother　left　his　ship　off　the　high　

Barbary　shore；　and　ran　away　up　the　country。　　Some　of　his　comrades；　

whom　we　afterwards　saw；　said　that　there　were　various　reports　about　

him　on　the　shore；　one　that　he　had　taken　on　with　Mumbo　Jumbo；　and　

was　serving　him　in　his　house　in　the　woods；　in　the　capacity　of　

swashbuckler；　or　life…guardsman；　another；　that　he　was　gone　in　quest　

of　a　mighty　city　in　the　heart　of　the　negro　country；　another；　that　

in　swimming　a　stream　he　had　been　devoured　by　an　alligator。　　Now；　

these　two　last　reports　were　bad　enough；　the　idea　of　their　flesh　and　

blood　being　bit　asunder　by　a　ravenous　fish　was　sad　enough　to　my　

poor　parents；　and　not　very　comfortable　was　the　thought　of　his　

sweltering　over　the　hot　sands　in　quest　of　the　negro　city；　but　the　

idea　of　their　son；　their　eldest　child；　serving　Mumbo　Jumbo　as　

swashbuckler　was　worst　of　all；　and　caused　my　poor　parents　to　shed　

many　a　scalding　tear。



'I　stayed　at　home　with　my　parents　until　I　was　about　eighteen；　

assisting　my　father　in　various　ways。　　I　then　went　to　live　at　the　

Squire's；　partly　as　groom；　partly　as　footman。　　After　living　in　the　

country　some　time；　I　attended　the　family　in　a　trip　of　six　weeks　

which　they　made　to　London。　　Whilst　there；　happening　to　have　some　

words　with　an　old　ill…tempered　coachman；　who　had　been　for　a　great　

many　years　in　the　family；　my　master　advised　me　to　leave；　offering　

to　recommend　me　to　a　family　of　his　acquaintance　who　were　in　need　of　

a　footman。　　I　was　glad　to　accept　his　offer；　and　in　a　few　days　went　

to　my　new　place。　　My　new　master　was　one　of　the　great　gentry；　a　

baronet　in　Parliament；　and　possessed　of　an　estate　of　about　twenty　

thousand　a　year；　his　family　consisted　of　his　lady；　a　son；　a　fine　

young　man　just　coming　of　age；　and　two　very　sweet　amiable　daughters。　　

I　liked　this　place　much　better　than　my　first；　there　was　so　much　

more　pleasant　noise　and　bustle　…　so　much　more　grand　company；　and　so　

many　more　opportunities　of　improving　myself。　　Oh；　how　I　liked　to　

see　the　grand　coaches　drive　up　to　the　door；　with　the　grand　company；　

and　though；　amidst　that　company；　there　were　some　who　did　not　look　

very　grand；　there　were　others；　and　not　a　few；　who　did。　　Some　of　the　

ladies　quite　captivated　me；　there　was　the　Marchioness　of　…　in　

particular。　　This　young　lady　puts　me　much　in　mind　of　her；　it　is　

true；　the　Marchioness；　as　I　saw　her　then；　was　about　fifteen　years　

older　than　this　young　gentlewoman　is　now；　and　not　so　tall　by　some　

inches；　but　she　had　the　very　same　hair；　and　much　the　same　neck　and　

shoulders　…　no　offence；　I　hope？　　And　then　some　of　the　young　

gentlemen；　with　their　cool；　haughty；　care…for…nothing　looks；　struck　

me　as　being　very　fine　fellows。　　There　was　one　in　particular；　whom　I　

frequently　used　to　stare　at；　not　altogether　unlike　some　one　I　have　

seen　hereabouts　…　he　had　a　slight　cast　in　his　eye；　and　。　。　。　but　I　

won't　enter　into　every　particular。　　And　then　the　footmen！　　Oh；　how　

those　footmen　helped　to　improve　me　with　their　conversation。　　Many　

of　them　could　converse　much　more　glibly　than　their　masters；　and　

appeared　to　have　much　better　taste。　　At　any　rate；　they　seldom　

approved　of　what　their　masters　did。　　I　remember　being　once　with　one　

in　the　gallery　of　the　play…house；　when　something　of　Shakspeare's　

was　being　performed：　　some　one　in　the　first　tier　of　boxes　was　

applauding　very　loudly。　　〃That's　my　fool　of　a　governor；〃　said　he；　

〃he　is　weak　enough　to　like　Shakspeare　…　I　don't；　…　he's　so　

confoundedly　low；　but　he　won't　last　long　…　going　down。　　Shakspeare　

culminated〃　…　I　think　that　was　the　word　…　〃culminated　some　time　

ago。〃



'And　then　the　professor　of　elocution；　of　whom　my　governors　used　to　

take　lessons；　and　of　which　lessons　I　had　my　share；　by　listening　

behind　the　door；　but　for　that　professor　of　elocution　I　should　not　

be　able　to　round　my　periods　…　an　expression　of　his　…　in　the　manner　

I　do。



'After　I　had　been　three　years　at　this　place　my　mistress　died。　　Her　

death；　however；　made　no　great　alteration　in　my　way　of　living；　the　

family　spending　their　winters　in　London；　and　their　summers　at　their　

old　seat　in　S…　a