lavengro-第40章

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good　friend　and　correspondent　speaks　of　you　in　the　highest　terms。　　

Sir；　I　honour　my　good　friend；　and　have　the　highest　respect　for　his　

opinion　in　all　matters　connected　with　literature　…　rather　eccentric　

though。　　Sir；　my　good　friend　has　done　my　periodical　more　good　and　

more　harm　than　all　the　rest　of　my　correspondents。　　Sir；　I　shall　

never　forget　the　sensation　caused　by　the　appearance　of　his　article　

about　a　certain　personage　whom　he　proved　…　and　I　think　

satisfactorily　…　to　have　been　a　legionary　soldier　…　rather　

startling；　was　it　not？　　The　S…　of　the　world　a　common　soldier；　in　a　

marching　regiment　…　original；　but　startling；　sir；　I　honour　my　good　

friend。'



'So　you　have　renounced　publishing；　sir；'　said　I；　'with　the　

exception　of　the　Magazine？'



'Why；　yes；　except　now　and　then；　under　the　rose；　the　old　coachman；　

you　know；　likes　to　hear　the　whip。　　Indeed；　at　the　present　moment；　I　

am　thinking　of　starting　a　Review　on　an　entirely　new　and　original　

principle；　and　it　just　struck　me　that　you　might　be　of　high　utility　

in　the　undertaking　…　what　do　you　think　of　the　matter？'



'I　should　be　happy；　sir；　to　render　you　any　assistance；　but　I　am　

afraid　the　employment　you　propose　requires　other　qualifications　

than　I　possess；　however；　I　can　make　the　essay。　　My　chief　intention　

in　coming　to　London　was　to　lay　before　the　world　what　I　had　

prepared；　and　I　had　hoped　by　your　assistance　…　'



'Ah！　　I　see；　ambition！　　Ambition　is　a　very　pretty　thing；　but；　sir；　

we　must　walk　before　we　run；　according　to　the　old　saying　…　what　is　

that　you　have　got　under　your　arm？'



'One　of　the　works　to　which　I　was　alluding；　the　one；　indeed；　which　I　

am　most　anxious　to　lay　before　the　world；　as　I　hope　to　derive　from　

it　both　profit　and　reputation。'



'Indeed！　what　do　you　call　it？'



'Ancient　songs　of　Denmark；　heroic　and　romantic；　translated　by　

myself；　with　notes　philological；　critical；　and　historical。'



'Then；　sir；　I　assure　you　that　your　time　and　labour　have　been　

entirely　flung　away；　nobody　would　read　your　ballads；　if　you　were　to　

give　them　to　the　world　to…morrow。'



'I　am　sure；　sir；　that　you　would　say　otherwise　if　you　would　permit　

me　to　read　one　to　you'；　and；　without　waiting　for　the　answer　of　the　

big　man；　nor　indeed　so　much　as　looking　at　him；　to　see　whether　he　

was　inclined　or　not　to　hear　me；　I　undid　my　manuscript；　and；　with　a　

voice　trembling　with　eagerness；　I　read　to　the　following　effect：　　…





Buckshank　bold　and　Elfinstone；

And　more　than　I　can　mention　here；

They　caused　to　be　built　so　stout　a　ship；

And　unto　Iceland　they　would　steer。



They　launched　the　ship　upon　the　main；

Which　bellowed　like　a　wrathful　bear；

Down　to　the　bottom　the　vessel　sank；

A　laidly　Trold　has　dragged　it　there。



Down　to　the　bottom　sank　young　Roland；

And　round　about　he　groped　awhile；

Until　he　found　the　path　which　led

Unto　the　bower　of　Ellenlyle。





'Stop！'　said　the　publisher；　'very　pretty　indeed；　and　very　original；　

beats　Scott　hollow；　and　Percy　too：　　but；　sir；　the　day　for　these　

things　is　gone　by；　nobody　at　present　cares　for　Percy；　nor　for　Scott　

either；　save　as　a　novelist；　sorry　to　discourage　merit；　sir；　but　

what　can　I　do！　　What　else　have　you　got？'



'The　songs　of　Ab　Gwilym；　the　Welsh　bard；　also　translated　by　myself；　

with　notes　critical；　philological；　and　historical。'



'Pass　on　…　what　else？'



'Nothing　else；'　said　I；　folding　up　my　manuscript　with　a　sigh；　

'unless　it　be　a　romance　in　the　German　style；　on　which；　I　confess；　I　

set　very　little　value。'



'Wild？'



'Yes；　sir；　very　wild。'



'Like　the　Miller　of　the　Black　Valley？'



'Yes；　sir；　very　much　like　the　Miller　of　the　Black　Valley。'



'Well；　that's　better；'　said　the　publisher；　'and　yet；　I　don't　know；　

I　question　whether　any　one　at　present　cares　for　the　miller　himself。　　

No；　sir；　the　time　for　those　things　is　also　gone　by；　German；　at　

present；　is　a　drug；　and；　between　ourselves；　nobody　has　contributed　

to　make　it　so　more　than　my　good　friend　and　correspondent；　…　but；　

sir；　I　see　you　are　a　young　gentleman　of　infinite　merit；　and　I　

always　wish　to　encourage　merit。　　Don't　you　think　you　could　write　a　

series　of　evangelical　tales？'



'Evangelical　tales；　sir？'



'Yes；　sir；　evangelical　novels。'



'Something　in　the　style　of　Herder？'



'Herder　is　a　drug；　sir；　nobody　cares　for　Herder　…　thanks　to　my　good　

friend。　　Sir；　I　have　in　yon　drawer　a　hundred　pages　about　Herder；　

which　I　dare　not　insert　in　my　periodical；　it　would　sink　it；　sir。　　

No；　sir；　something　in　the　style　of　the　DAIRYMAN'S　DAUGHTER。'



'I　never　heard　of　the　work　till　the　present　moment。'



'Then；　sir；　procure　it　by　all　means。　　Sir；　I　could　afford　as　much　

as　ten　pounds　for　a　well…written　tale　in　the　style　of　the　

DAIRYMAN'S　DAUGHTER；　that　is　the　kind　of　literature；　sir；　that　

sells　at　the　present　day！　　It　is　not　the　Miller　of　the　Black　Valley　

…　no；　sir；　nor　Herder　either；　that　will　suit　the　present　taste；　the　

evangelical　body　is　becoming　very　strong；　sir；　the　canting　

scoundrels　…　'



'But；　sir；　surely　you　would　not　pander　to　a　scoundrelly　taste？'



'Then；　sir；　I　must　give　up　business　altogether。　　Sir；　I　have　a　

great　respect　for　the　goddess　Reason　…　an　infinite　respect；　sir；　

indeed；　in　my　time；　I　have　made　a　great　many　sacrifices　for　her；　

but；　sir；　I　cannot　altogether　ruin　myself　for　the　goddess　Reason。　　

Sir；　I　am　a　friend　to　Liberty；　as　is　well　known；　but　I　must　also　be　

a　friend　to　my　own　family。　　It　is　with　the　view　of　providing　for　a　

son　of　mine　that　I　am　about　to　start　the　Review　of　which　I　was　

speaking。　　He　has　taken　into　his　head　to　marry；　sir；　and　I　must　do　

something　for　him；　for　he　can　do　but　little　for　himself。　　Well；　

sir；　I　am　a　friend　to　Liberty；　as　I　said　before；　and　likewise　a　

friend　to　Reason；　but　I　tell　you　frankly　that　the　Review　which　I　

intend　to　get　up　under　the　rose；　and　present　him　with　when　it　is　

established；　will　be　conducted　on　Oxford　principles。'



'Orthodox　principles；　I　suppose　you　mean；　sir？'



'I　do；　sir；　I　am　no　linguist；　but　I　believe　the　words　are　

synonymous。'



Much　more　conversation　passed　between　us；　and　it　was　agreed　that　I　

should　become　a　contributor　to　the　Oxford　Review。　　I　stipulated；　

however；　that；　as　I　knew　little　of　politics；　and　cared　less；　no　

other　articles　should　be　required　from　me　than　such　as　were　

connected　with　belles…lettres　and　philology；　to　this　the　big　man　

readily　assented。　　'Nothing　will　be　required　from　you；'　said　he；　

'but　what　you　mention；　and　now　and　then；　perhaps；　a　paper　on　

metaphysics。　　You　understand　German；　and　perhaps　it　would　be　

desirable　that　you　should　review　Kant；　and　in　a　review　of　Kant；　

sir；　you　could　introduce　to　advantage　your　peculiar　notions　about　

EX　NIHILO。'　　He　then　reverted　to　the　subject　of　the　DAIRYMAN'S　

DAUGHTER；　which　I　promised　to　take　into　consideration。　　As　I　was　

going　away；　he　invited　me　to　dine　with　him　on　the　ensuing　Sunday。



'That's　a　strange　man！'　said　I　to　myself；　after　I　had　left　the　

house；　'he　is　evidently　very　clever；　but　I　cannot　say　that　I　like　

him　much；　with　his　Oxford　Reviews　and　Dairyman's　Daughters。　　But　

what　can　I　do？　　I　am　almost　without　a　friend　in　the　world。　　I　wish　

I　could　find　some　one　who　would　publish　my　ballads；　or　my　songs　of　

Ab　Gwilym。　　In　spite　of　what　the　big　man　says；　I　am　convinced　that；　

once　published；　they　would　bring　me　much　fame　and　profit。　　But　how　

is　this？　…　what　a　beautiful　sun！　…　the　porter　was　right　in　saying　

that　the　day　would　clear　up　…　I　will　now　go　to　my　dingy　lodging；　

lock　up　my　manuscripts；　and　then　take　a　stroll　about　the　big　city。'







CHAPTER　XXXI







The　walk　…　London's　Cheape　…　Street　of　the　Lombards　…　Strange　

bridge　…　Main　arch　…　The　roaring　gulf　…　The　boat　…　Cly…faking　…　A　

comfort　…　The　book　…　The　blessed　woman　…　No　trap。



SO　I　set　out　on　my　walk　to　see　the　wonders　of　the　big　city；　and；　as　

chance　would　have　it；　I　directed　my　course　to　the　east。　　The　day；　

as　I　have　already　said；　had　become　very　fine；　so　that　I　saw　the　

great　city　to　advantage；　and　the　wonders　thereof：　　and　much　I　

admired　all　I　saw；　and；　amongst　other　things；　the　huge　cathedral；　

standing　so　proudly　on　the　most　commanding　ground　in　the　big　city；　

and　I　looked　up　to　the　mighty　dome；　surmounted　by　a　golden　cross；　

and　I　said　within　myself；　'That　dome　must　needs　be　the　finest　in　

the　world'；　and　I　gazed　upon　it　till　my　eyes　reeled；　and　my　brain　

became　dizzy；　and　I　thought　that　the　dome　would　fall　and　crush　me；　

and　I　shrank　within　myself；　and　struck　yet　deeper　into　the　heart　of　

the　big　city。



'O　Cheapside！　Cheapside！'　said　I；　as　I　advanced　up　that　mighty　

thoroughfare；　'truly　thou　art　a　wonderful　place　for　hurry；　noise；　

and　riches！　　Men　talk　of　the　bazaars　of　the　East　…　I　have　never　

seen　them　…　but　I　daresay　that；　compared　with　thee；　they　are　poor　

places；　silent　places；　abounding　with　empty　boxes；　O　thou　pride　of　

London's　east！　…　mighty　mart　of　old　renown！　…　for　thou　art　not　a　

place　of　yesterday：…　long　before　the　Roses　red　and　white　battled　in　

fair　England；　thou　didst　exist　…　a　place　of　throng　and　bustle　…　

place　of　gold　and　silver；　perfumes　and　fine　linen。　　Centuries　ago　

thou　couldst　extort　the　praises　even　of　the　fiercest　foes　of　

England。　　Fierce　bards　of　Wales；　sworn　foes　of　England；　sang　thy　

praises　centuries　ago；　and　even　the　fiercest　of　them　all；　Red　

Julius　himself；　wild　Glendower's　bard；　had　a　word　of　praise　for　

London's　'Cheape；'　for　so　the　bards　of　Wales　styled　thee　in　their　

flowing　odes。　　Then；　if　those　who　were　not　English；　and　hated　

England；　and　all　connected　therewith；　had　yet　much　to　say　in　thy　

praise；　when　thou　wast　far　inferior　to　what　thou　art　now；　why　

should　true…born　Englishmen；　or　those　who　call　themselves　so；　turn　

up　their　noses　at　thee；　and　scoff　thee　at　the　present　day；　as　I　

believe　they　do？　　But；　let　others　do　as　they　will；　I；　at　least；　who　

am　not　only　an　Englishman；　but　an　East　Englishman；　will　not　turn　up　

my　nose　at　thee；　but　will　praise　and　extol　thee；　calling　thee　mart　

of　the　world　…　a　place　of　wonder　and　astonishment！　…　and；　were　it　

right　and　fitting　to　wish　that　anything　should　endure　for　ever；　I　

would　say　prosperity　to　Cheapside；　throughout　all　ages　…　may　it　be　

the　world's　resort　for　merchandise；　world　without　end。



And　when　I　had　passed　through　the　Cheape　I　entered　another　street；　

which　led　up　a　kind　of　ascent；　and　which　proved　to　be　the　street　of　

the　Lombards；　called　so　from　the　name　of　its　first　founders；　and　I　

walked　rapidly　up　the　street　of　the　Lombards；　neither　looking　to　

the　right　nor　left；　for　it　had　no　interest　for　me；　though　I　had　a　

kind　of　consciousness　that　mighty　things　were　being　transacted　

behind　its　walls：　　but　it　wanted　the　throng；　bustle；　and　outward　

magnificence　of　the　Cheape；　and　it　had　never　been　spoken　of　by　

'ruddy　bards'！　　And；　when　I　had　got　to　the　end　of　the　street　o