lavengro-第30章

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brought　to　a　conclusion；　and　they　chanced　to　be　alone　with　me；　who　

was　seated　as　usual　behind　the　deal　desk　in　the　outer　room；　the　old　

man　with　some　confusion　began　to　tell　me　how　grateful　himself　and　

dame　felt　for　the　many　attentions　I　had　shown　them；　and　how　

desirous　they　were　to　make　me　some　remuneration。　　'Of　course；'　said　

the　old　man；　'we　must　be　cautious　what　we　offer　to　so　fine　a　young　

gentleman　as　yourself；　we　have；　however；　something　we　think　will　

just　suit　the　occasion；　a　strange　kind　of　thing　which　people　say　is　

a　book；　though　no　one　that　my　dame　or　myself　have　shown　it　to　can　

make　anything　out　of　it；　so　as　we　are　told　that　you　are　a　fine　

young　gentleman；　who　can　read　all　the　tongues　of　the　earth　and　

stars；　as　the　Bible　says；　we　thought；　I　and　my　dame；　that　it　would　

be　just　the　thing　you　would　like　and　my　dame　has　it　now　at　the　

bottom　of　her　basket。'



'A　book！'　said　I；　'how　did　you　come　by　it？'



'We　live　near　the　sea；'　said　the　old　man；　'so　near　that　sometimes　

our　thatch　is　wet　with　the　spray；　and　it　may　now　be　a　year　ago　that　

there　was　a　fearful　storm；　and　a　ship　was　driven　ashore　during　the　

night；　and　ere　the　morn　was　a　complete　wreck。　　When　we　got　up　at　

daylight；　there　were　the　poor　shivering　crew　at　our　door；　they　were　

foreigners；　red…haired　men；　whose　speech　we　did　not　understand；　but　

we　took　them　in；　and　warmed　them；　and　they　remained　with　us　three　

days；　and　when　they　went　away　they　left　behind　them　this　thing；　

here　it　is；　part　of　the　contents　of　a　box　which　was　washed　ashore。'



'And　did　you　learn　who　they　were？'



'Why；　yes；　they　made　us　understand　that　they　were　Danes。'



Danes！　thought　I；　Danes！　and　instantaneously；　huge　and　grisly；　

appeared　to　rise　up　before　my　vision　the　skull　of　the　old　pirate　

Dane；　even　as　I　had　seen　it　of　yore　in　the　pent…house　of　the　

ancient　church　to　which；　with　my　mother　and　my　brother；　I　had　

wandered　on　the　memorable　summer　eve。



And　now　the　old　man　handed　me　the　book；　a　strange　and　uncouth…

looking　volume　enough。　　It　was　not　very　large；　but　instead　of　the　

usual　covering　was　bound　in　wood；　and　was　compressed　with　strong　

iron　clasps。　　It　was　a　printed　book；　but　the　pages　were　not　of　

paper；　but　vellum；　and　the　characters　were　black；　and　resembled　

those　generally　termed　Gothic。



'It　is　certainly　a　curious　book；'　said　I；　'and　I　should　like　to　

have　it；　but　I　can't　think　of　taking　it　as　a　gift；　I　must　give　you　

an　equivalent；　I　never　take　presents　from　anybody。'



The　old　man　whispered　with　his　dame　and　chuckled；　and　then　turned　

his　face　to　me；　and　said；　with　another　chuckle；　'Well；　we　have　

agreed　about　the　price；　but；　maybe；　you　will　not　consent。'



'I　don't　know；'　said　I；　'what　do　you　demand？'



'Why；　that　you　shake　me　by　the　hand；　and　hold　out　your　cheek　to　my　

old　dame；　she　has　taken　an　affection　to　you。'



'I　shall　be　very　glad　to　shake　you　by　the　hand；'　said　I；　'but　as　

for　the　other　condition；　it　requires　consideration。'



'No　consideration　at　all；'　said　the　old　man；　with　something　like　a　

sigh；　'she　thinks　you　like　her　son；　our　only　child；　that　was　lost　

twenty　years　ago　in　the　waves　of　the　North　Sea。'



'Oh；　that　alters　the　case　altogether；'　said　I；　'and　of　course　I　can　

have　no　objection。'



And　now　at　once　I　shook　off　my　listlessness；　to　enable　me　to　do　

which　nothing　could　have　happened　more　opportune　than　the　above　

event。　　The　Danes；　the　Danes！　　And　was　I　at　last　to　become　

acquainted；　and　in　so　singular　a　manner；　with　the　speech　of　a　

people　which　had　as　far　back　as　I　could　remember　exercised　the　

strongest　influence　over　my　imagination；　as　how　should　they　not！　…　

in　infancy　there　was　the　summer…eve　adventure；　to　which　I　often　

looked　back；　and　always　with　a　kind　of　strange　interest　with　

respect　to　those　to　whom　such　gigantic　and　wondrous　bones　could　

belong　as　I　had　seen　on　that　occasion；　and；　more　than　this；　I　had　

been　in　Ireland；　and　there；　under　peculiar　circumstances；　this　same　

interest　was　increased　tenfold。　　I　had　mingled　much　whilst　there　

with　the　genuine　Irish　…　a　wild　but　kind…hearted　race；　whose　

conversation　was　deeply　imbued　with　traditionary　lore；　connected　

with　the　early　history　of　their　own　romantic　land；　and　from　them　I　

heard　enough　of　the　Danes；　but　nothing　commonplace；　for　they　never　

mentioned　them　but　in　terms　which　tallied　well　with　my　own　

preconceived　ideas。　　For　at　an　early　period　the　Danes　had　invaded　

Ireland；　and　had　subdued　it；　and；　though　eventually　driven　out；　had　

left　behind　them　an　enduring　remembrance　in　the　minds　of　the　

people；　who　loved　to　speak　of　their　strength　and　their　stature；　in　

evidence　of　which　they　would　point　to　the　ancient　raths　or　mounds　

where　the　old　Danes　were　buried；　and　where　bones　of　extraordinary　

size　were　occasionally　exhumed。　　And　as　the　Danes　surpassed　other　

people　in　strength；　so；　according　to　my　narrators；　they　also　

excelled　all　others　in　wisdom；　or　rather　in　Draoitheac；　or　magic；　

for　they　were　powerful　sorcerers；　they　said；　compared　with　whom　the　

fairy　men　of　the　present　day　knew　nothing　at　all；　at　all；　and；　

amongst　other　wonderful　things；　they　knew　how　to　make　strong　beer　

from　the　heather　that　grows　upon　the　bogs。　　Little　wonder　if　the　

interest；　the　mysterious　interest；　which　I　had　early　felt　about　the　

Danes；　was　increased　tenfold　by　my　sojourn　in　Ireland。



And　now　I　had　in　my　possession　a　Danish　book；　which；　from　its　

appearance；　might　be　supposed　to　have　belonged　to　the　very　old　

Danes　indeed；　but　how　was　I　to　turn　it　to　any　account？　　I　had　the　

book；　it　is　true；　but　I　did　not　understand　the　language；　and　how　

was　I　to　overcome　that　difficulty？　hardly　by　poring　over　the　book；　

yet　I　did　pore　over　the　book；　daily　and　nightly；　till　my　eyes　were　

dim；　and　it　appeared　to　me　that　every　now　and　then　I　encountered　

words　which　I　understood　…　English　words；　though　strangely　

disguised；　and　I　said　to　myself；　Courage！　　English　and　Danish　are　

cognate　dialects；　a　time　will　come　when　I　shall　understand　this　

Danish；　and　then　I　pored　over　the　book　again；　but　with　all　my　

poring　I　could　not　understand　it；　and　then　I　became　angry；　and　I　

bit　my　lips　till　the　blood　came；　and　I　occasionally　tore　a　handful　

from　my　hair；　and　flung　it　upon　the　floor；　but　that　did　not　mend　

the　matter；　for　still　I　did　not　understand　the　book；　which；　

however；　I　began　to　see　was　written　in　rhyme　…　a　circumstance　

rather　difficult　to　discover　at　first；　the　arrangement　of　the　lines　

not　differing　from　that　which　is　employed　in　prose；　and　its　being　

written　in　rhyme　made　me　only　the　more　eager　to　understand　it。



But　I　toiled　in　vain；　for　I　had　neither　grammar　nor　dictionary　of　

the　language；　and　when　I　sought　for　them　could　procure　neither；　and　

I　was　much　dispirited；　till　suddenly　a　bright　thought　came　into　my　

head；　and　I　said；　although　I　cannot　obtain　a　dictionary　or　grammar；　

I　can　perhaps　obtain　a　Bible　in　this　language；　and　if　I　can　procure　

a　Bible；　I　can　learn　the　language；　for　the　Bible　in　every　tongue　

contains　the　same　thing；　and　I　have　only　to　compare　the　words　of　

the　Danish　Bible　with　those　of　the　English；　and；　if　I　persevere；　I　

shall　in　time　acquire　the　language　of　the　Danes；　and　I　was　pleased　

with　the　thought；　which　I　considered　to　be　a　bright　one；　and　I　no　

longer　bit　my　lips；　or　tore　my　hair；　but　I　took　my　hat；　and；　going　

forth；　I　flung　my　hat　into　the　air。



And　when　my　hat　came　down；　I　put　it　on　my　head　and　commenced　

running；　directing　my　course　to　the　house　of　the　Antinomian　

preacher；　who　sold　books；　and　whom　I　knew　to　have　Bibles　in　various　

tongues　amongst　the　number；　and　I　arrived　out　of　breath；　and　I　

found　the　Antinomian　in　his　little　library；　dusting　his　books；　and　

the　Antinomian　clergyman　was　a　tall　man　of　about　seventy；　who　wore　

a　hat　with　a　broad　brim　and　a　shallow　crown；　and　whose　manner　of　

speaking　was　exceedingly　nasal；　and　when　I　saw　him；　I　cried；　out　of　

breath；　'Have　you　a　Danish　Bible？'　and　he　replied；　'What　do　you　

want　it　for；　friend？'　and　I　answered；　'To　learn　Danish　by'；　'And　

maybe　to　learn　thy　duty；'　replied　the　Antinomian　preacher。　　'Truly；　

I　have　it　not；　but；　as　you　are　a　customer　of　mine；　I　will　endeavour　

to　procure　you　one；　and　I　will　write　to　that　laudable　society　which　

men　call　the　Bible　Society；　an　unworthy　member　of　which　I　am；　and　I　

hope　by　next　week　to　procure　what　you　desire。'



And　when　I　heard　these　words　of　the　old　man；　I　was　very　glad；　and　

my　heart　yearned　towards　him；　and　I　would　fain　enter　into　

conversation　with　him；　and　I　said；　'Why　are　you　an　Antinomian？　　For　

my　part　I　would　rather　be　a　dog　than　belong　to　such　a　religion。'　　

'Nay；　friend；'　said　the　Antinomian；　'thou　forejudgest　us；　know　that　

those　who　call　us　Antinomians　call　us　so　despitefully；　we　do　not　

acknowledge　the　designation。'　　'Then　you　do　not　set　all　law　at　

nought？'　said　I。　　'Far　be　it　from　us；'　said　the　old　man；　'we　only　

hope　that；　being　sanctified　by　the　Spirit　from　above；　we　have　no　

need　of　the　law　to　keep　us　in　order。　　Did　you　ever　hear　tell　of　

Lodowick　Muggleton？'　　'Not　I。'　　'That　is　strange；　know　then　that　he　

was　the　founder　of　our　poor　society；　and　after　him　we　are　

frequently；　though　opprobriously；　termed　Muggletonians；　for　we　are　

Christians。　　Here　is　his　book；　which；　perhaps；　you　can　do　no　better　

than　purchase；　you　are　fond　of　rare　books；　and　this　is　both　curious　

and　rare；　I　will　sell　it　cheap。　　Thank　you；　and　now　be　gone；　I　will　

do　all　I　can　to　procure　the　Bible。'



And　in　this　manner　I　procured　the　Danish　Bible；　and　I　commenced　my　

task；　first　of　all；　however；　I　locked　up　in　a　closet　the　volume　

which　had　excited　my　curiosity；　saying；　'Out　of　this　closet　thou　

comest　not　till　I　deem　myself　competent　to　read　thee；'　and　then　I　

sat　down　in　right　earnest；　comparing　every　line　in　the　one　version　

with　the　corresponding　one　in　the　other；　and　I　passed　entire　nights　

in　this　manner；　till　I　was　almost　blind；　and　the　task　was　tedious　

enough　at　first；　but　I　quailed　not；　and　soon　began　to　make　

progress：　　and　at　first　I　had　a　misgiving　that　the　old　book　might　

not　prove　a　Danish　book；　but　was　soon　reassured　by　reading　many　

words　in　the　Bible　which　I　remembered　to　have　seen　in　the　book；　and　

then　I　went　on　right　merrily；　and　I　found　that　the　language　which　I　

was　studying　was　by　no　means　a　difficult　one；　and　in　less　than　a　

month　I　deemed　myself　able　to　read　the　book。



Anon；　I　took　the　book　from　the　closet；　and　proceeded　to　make　myself　

master　of　its　contents；　I　had　some　difficulty；　for　the　language　of　

the　book；　though　in　the　main　the　same　as　the　language　of　the　Bible；　

differed　from　it　in　some　points；　being　apparently　a　more　ancient　

dialect；　by　degrees；　however；　I　overcame　this　difficulty；　and　I　

understood　the　contents　of　the　book；　and　well　did　they　correspond　

with　all　those　ideas　in　which　I　had　indulged　connected　with　the