lavengro-第25章

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shoulders　drawn　up；　seemingly　about　to　precipitate　herself　upon　me；　

she　repeated；　again　and　again；　…



'My　name　is　Herne；　and　I　comes　of　the　hairy　ones！　…　'



'I　call　God　Duvel；　brother。'



'It　sounds　very　like　Devil。'



'It　doth；　brother；　it　doth。'



'And　what　do　you　call　divine；　I　mean　godly？'



'Oh！　　I　call　that　duvelskoe。'



'I　am　thinking　of　something；　Jasper。'



'What　are　you　thinking　of；　brother？'



'Would　it　not　be　a　rum　thing　if　divine　and　devilish　were　originally　

one　and　the　same　word？'



'It　would；　brother；　it　would　…　'



。　。　。



From　this　time　I　had　frequent　interviews　with　Jasper；　sometimes　in　

his　tent；　sometimes　on　the　heath；　about　which　we　would　roam　for　

hours；　discoursing　on　various　matters。　　Sometimes；　mounted　on　one　

of　his　horses；　of　which　he　had　several；　I　would　accompany　him　to　

various　fairs　and　markets　in　the　neighbourhood；　to　which　he　went　on　

his　own　affairs；　or　those　of　his　tribe。　　I　soon　found　that　I　had　

become　acquainted　with　a　most　singular　people；　whose　habits　and　

pursuits　awakened　within　me　the　highest　interest。　　Of　all　connected　

with　them；　however；　their　language　was　doubtless　that　which　

exercised　the　greatest　influence　over　my　imagination。　　I　had　at　

first　some　suspicion　that　it　would　prove　a　mere　made…up　gibberish；　

but　I　was　soon　undeceived。　　Broken；　corrupted；　and　half　in　ruins　as　

it　was；　it　was　not　long　before　I　found　that　it　was　an　original　

speech；　far　more　so；　indeed；　than　one　or　two　others　of　high　name　

and　celebrity；　which；　up　to　that　time；　I　had　been　in　the　habit　of　

regarding　with　respect　and　veneration。　　Indeed　many　obscure　points　

connected　with　the　vocabulary　of　these　languages；　and　to　which　

neither　classic　nor　modern　lore　afforded　any　clue；　I　thought　I　

could　now　clear　up　by　means　of　this　strange　broken　tongue；　spoken　

by　people　who　dwelt　amongst　thickets　and　furze　bushes；　in　tents　as　

tawny　as　their　faces；　and　whom　the　generality　of　mankind　

designated；　and　with　much　semblance　of　justice；　as　thieves　and　

vagabonds。　　But　where　did　this　speech　come　from；　and　who　were　they　

who　spoke　it？　　These　were　questions　which　I　could　not　solve；　and　

which　Jasper　himself；　when　pressed；　confessed　his　inability　to　

answer。　　'But；　whoever　we　be；　brother；'　said　he；　'we　are　an　old　

people；　and　not　what　folks　in　general　imagine；　broken　gorgios；　and；　

if　we　are　not　Egyptians；　we　are　at　any　rate　Rommany　Chals！'



'Rommany　Chals！　　I　should　not　wonder　after　all；'　said　I；　'that　

these　people　had　something　to　do　with　the　founding　of　Rome。　　Rome；　

it　is　said；　was　built　by　vagabonds；　who　knows　but　that　some　tribe　

of　the　kind　settled　down　thereabouts；　and　called　the　town　which　

they　built　after　their　name；　but　whence　did　they　come　originally？　

ah！　there　is　the　difficulty。'



But　abandoning　these　questions；　which　at　that　time　were　far　too　

profound　for　me；　I　went　on　studying　the　language；　and　at　the　same　

time　the　characters　and　manners　of　these　strange　people。　　My　rapid　

progress　in　the　former　astonished；　while　it　delighted；　Jasper。　　

'We'll　no　longer　call　you　Sap…engro；　brother；'　said　he；　but　rather　

Lav…engro；　which　in　the　language　of　the　gorgios　meaneth　Word…

master。'　　'Nay；　brother；'　said　Tawno　Chikno；　with　whom　I　had　become　

very　intimate；　'you　had　better　call　him　Cooro…mengro；　I　have　put　on　

THE　GLOVES　with　him；　and　find　him　a　pure　fist…master；　I　like　him　

for　that；　for　I　am　a　Cooro…mengro　myself；　and　was　born　at　

Brummagem。'



'I　likes　him　for　his　modesty；'　said　Mrs。　Chikno；　'I　never　hears　any　

ill　words　come　from　his　mouth；　but；　on　the　contrary；　much　sweet　

language。　　His　talk　is　golden；　and　he　has　taught　my　eldest　to　say　

his　prayers　in　Rommany；　which　my　rover　had　never　the　grace　to　do。'　　

'He　is　the　pal　of　my　rom；'　said　Mrs。　Petulengro；　who　was　a　very　

handsome　woman；　'and　therefore　I　likes　him；　and　not　the　less　for　

his　being　a　rye；　folks　calls　me　high…minded；　and　perhaps　I　have　

reason　to　be　so；　before　I　married　Pharaoh　I　had　an　offer　from　a　

lord　…　I　likes　the　young　rye；　and；　if　he　chooses　to　follow　us；　he　

shall　have　my　sister。　　What　say　you；　mother？　should　not　the　young　

rye　have　my　sister　Ursula？'



'I　am　going　to　my　people；'　said　Mrs。　Herne；　placing　a　bundle　upon　a　

donkey；　which　was　her　own　peculiar　property；　'I　am　going　to　

Yorkshire；　for　I　can　stand　this　no　longer。　　You　say　you　like　him：　　

in　that　we　differs；　I　hates　the　gorgio；　and　would　like；　speaking　

Romanly；　to　mix　a　little　poison　with　his　waters。　　And　now　go　to　

Lundra；　my　children；　I　goes　to　Yorkshire。　　Take　my　blessing　with　

ye；　and　a　little　bit　of　a　gillie　to　cheer　your　hearts　with　when　ye　

are　weary。　　In　all　kinds　of　weather　have　we　lived　together；　but　now　

we　are　parted。　　I　goes　broken…hearted　…　I　can't　keep　you　company；　

ye　are　no　longer　Rommany。　　To　gain　a　bad　brother；　ye　have　lost　a　

good　mother。'







CHAPTER　XVIII







What　profession？　…　Not　fitted　for　a　Churchman　…　Erratic　course　…　

The　bitter　draught　…　Principle　of　woe　…　Thou　wouldst　be　joyous　…　

What　ails　you？　…　Poor　child　of　clay。



SO　the　gypsies　departed；　Mrs。　Herne　to　Yorkshire；　and　the　rest　to　

London：　　as　for　myself；　I　continued　in　the　house　of　my　parents；　

passing　my　time　in　much　the　same　manner　as　I　have　already　

described；　principally　in　philological　pursuits；　but　I　was　now　

sixteen；　and　it　was　highly　necessary　that　I　should　adopt　some　

profession；　unless　I　intended　to　fritter　away　my　existence；　and　to　

be　a　useless　burden　to　those　who　had　given　me　birth；　but　what　

profession　was　I　to　choose？　there　being　none　in　the　wide　world　

perhaps　for　which　I　was　suited；　nor　was　there　any　one　for　which　I　

felt　any　decided　inclination；　though　perhaps　there　existed　within　

me　a　lurking　penchant　for　the　profession　of　arms；　which　was　natural　

enough；　as；　from　my　earliest　infancy；　I　had　been　accustomed　to　

military　sights　and　sounds；　but　this　profession　was　then　closed；　as　

I　have　already　hinted；　and；　as　I　believe；　it　has　since　continued；　

to　those　who；　like　myself；　had　no　better　claims　to　urge　than　the　

services　of　a　father。



My　father；　who；　for　certain　reasons　of　his　own；　had　no　very　high　

opinion　of　the　advantages　resulting　from　this　career；　would　have　

gladly　seen　me　enter　the　Church。　　His　desire　was；　however；　

considerably　abated　by　one　or　two　passages　of　my　life；　which　

occurred　to　his　recollection。　　He　particularly　dwelt　on　the　

unheard…of　manner　in　which　I　had　picked　up　the　Irish　language；　and　

drew　from　thence　the　conclusion　that　I　was　not　fitted　by　nature　to　

cut　a　respectable　figure　at　an　English　university。　　'He　will　fly　

off　in　a　tangent；'　said　he；　'and；　when　called　upon　to　exhibit　his　

skill　in　Greek；　will　be　found　proficient　in　Irish；　I　have　observed　

the　poor　lad　attentively；　and　really　do　not　know　what　to　make　of　

him；　but　I　am　afraid　he　will　never　make　a　churchman！'　　And　I　have　

no　doubt　that　my　excellent　father　was　right；　both　in　his　premisses　

and　the　conclusion　at　which　he　arrived。　　I　had　undoubtedly；　at　one　

period　of　my　life；　forsaken　Greek　for　Irish；　and　the　instructions　

of　a　learned　Protestant　divine　for　those　of　a　Papist　gossoon；　the　

card…fancying　Murtagh；　and　of　late；　though　I　kept　it　a　strict　

secret；　I　had　abandoned　in　a　great　measure　the　study　of　the　

beautiful　Italian；　and　the　recitation　of　the　sonorous　terzets　of　

the　Divine　Comedy；　in　which　at　one　time　I　took　the　greatest　

delight；　in　order　to　become　acquainted　with　the　broken　speech；　and　

yet　more　broken　songs；　of　certain　houseless　wanderers　whom　I　had　

met　at　a　horse　fair。　　Such　an　erratic　course　was　certainly　by　no　

means　in　consonance　with　the　sober　and　unvarying　routine　of　college　

study。　　And　my　father；　who　was　a　man　of　excellent　common　sense；　

displayed　it　in　not　pressing　me　to　adopt　a　profession　which　

required　qualities　of　mind　which　he　saw　I　did　not　possess。



Other　professions　were　talked　of；　amongst　which　the　law；　but　now　an　

event　occurred　which　had　nearly　stopped　my　career；　and　merged　all　

minor　points　of　solicitude　in　anxiety　for　my　life。　　My　strength　and　

appetite　suddenly　deserted　me；　and　I　began　to　pine　and　droop。　　Some　

said　that　I　had　overgrown　myself；　and　that　these　were　the　symptoms　

of　a　rapid　decline；　I　grew　worse　and　worse；　and　was　soon　stretched　

upon　my　bed；　from　which　it　seemed　scarcely　probable　that　I　should　

ever　more　rise；　the　physicians　themselves　giving　but　slight　hopes　

of　my　recovery：　　as　for　myself；　I　made　up　my　mind　to　die；　and　felt　

quite　resigned。　　I　was　sadly　ignorant　at　that　time；　and；　when　I　

thought　of　death；　it　appeared　to　me　little　else　than　a　pleasant　

sleep；　and　I　wished　for　sleep；　of　which　I　got　but　little。　　It　was　

well　that　I　did　not　die　that　time；　for　I　repeat　that　I　was　sadly　

ignorant　of　many　important　things。　　I　did　not　die；　for　somebody　

coming　gave　me　a　strange；　bitter　draught；　a　decoction；　I　believe；　

of　a　bitter　root　which　grows　on　commons　and　desolate　places：　　and　

the　person　who　gave　it　me　was　an　ancient　female；　a　kind　of　

doctress；　who　had　been　my　nurse　in　my　infancy；　and　who；　hearing　of　

my　state；　had　come　to　see　me；　so　I　drank　the　draught；　and　became　a　

little　better；　and　I　continued　taking　draughts　made　from　the　bitter　

root　till　I　manifested　symptoms　of　convalescence。



But　how　much　more　quickly　does　strength　desert　the　human　frame　than　

return　to　it！　　I　had　become　convalescent；　it　is　true；　but　my　state　

of　feebleness　was　truly　pitiable。　　I　believe　it　is　in　that　state　

that　the　most　remarkable　feature　of　human　physiology　frequently　

exhibits　itself。　　Oh；　how　dare　I　mention　the　dark　feeling　of　

mysterious　dread　which　comes　over　the　mind；　and　which　the　lamp　of　

reason；　though　burning　bright　the　while；　is　unable　to　dispel！　　Art　

thou；　as　leeches　say；　the　concomitant　of　disease　…　the　result　of　

shattered　nerves？　　Nay；　rather　the　principle　of　woe　itself；　the　

fountain…head　of　all　sorrow　coexistent　with　man；　whose　influence　he　

feels　when　yet　unborn；　and　whose　workings　he　testifies　with　his　

earliest　cries；　when；　'drowned　in　tears；'　he　first　beholds　the　

light；　for；　as　the　sparks　fly　upward；　so　is　man　born　to　trouble；　

and　woe　doth　he　bring　with　him　into　the　world；　even　thyself；　dark　

one；　terrible　one；　causeless；　unbegotten；　without　a　father。　　Oh；　

how　unfrequently　dost　thou　break　down　the　barriers　which　divide　

thee　from　the　poor　soul　of　man；　and　overcast　its　sunshine　with　thy　

gloomy　shadow。　　In　the　brightest　days　of　prosperity　…　in　the　midst　

of　health　and　wealth　…　how　sentient　is　the　poor　human　creature　of　

thy　neighbourhood！　how　instinctively　aware　that　the　flood…gates　of　

horror　may　be　cast　open；　and　the　dark　stream　engulf　him　for　ever　

and　ever！　　Then　is　it　not　lawful　for　man　to　exclaim；　'Better　that　I　

had　never　been　born！'　　Fool；　for　thyself　thou　wast　not　born；　but　to　

fulfil　the　inscrutable　decrees　of　thy　Creator；　and　how　dost　thou　

know　that　this　dark　principle　is　not