the fellowship of the ring-第3章

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rnor　to　Gondor；　and　about　all　the　coasts　of　the　Seafrom　Belfalas　to　Lune。　Yet　they　kept　a　few　words　of　their　own；　as　well　astheir　own　names　of　months　and　days；　and　a　great　store　of　personal　names　out　ofthe　past。　
About　this　time　legend　among　the　Hobbits　first　bees　history　with　areckoning　of　years。　For　it　was　in　the　one　thousand　six　hundred　and　first　yearof　the　Third　Age　that　the　Fallohide　brothers；　Marcho　and　Blanco；　set　out　fromBree；　and　having　obtained　permission　from　the　high　king　at　Fornost；　theycrossed　the　brown　river　Baranduin　with　a　great　following　of　Hobbits。　Theypassed　over　the　Bridge　of　Stonebows；　that　had　been　built　in　the　days　of　thepower　of　the　North　Kingdom；　and　they　took　ail　the　land　beyond　to　dwell　in；　
between　the　river　and　the　Far　Downs。　All　that　was　demanded　of　them　was　that　　
they　should　keep　the　Great　Bridge　in　repair；　and　all　other　bridges　and　roads；　
speed　the　king's　messengers；　and　acknowledge　his　lordship。　
Thus　began　the　_Shire…reckoning；_　for　the　year　of　the　crossing　of　theBrandywine　（as　the　Hobbits　turned　the　name）　became　Year　One　of　the　Shire；　andall　later　dates　were　reckoned　from　it。　At　once　the　western　Hobbits　fell　in　　
love　with　their　new　land；　and　they　remained　there；　and　soon　passed　once　moreout　of　the　history　of　Men　and　of　Elves。　While　there　was　still　a　king　they　werein　name　his　subjects；　but　they　were；　in　fact；　ruled　by　their　own　chieftainsand　meddled　not　at　all　with　events　in　the　world　outside。　To　the　last　battle　at　　
Fornost　with　the　Witch…lord　of　Angmar　they　sent　some　bowmen　to　the　aid　of　theking；　or　so　they　maintained；　though　no　tales　of　Men　record　it。　But　in　that　warthe　North　Kingdom　ended；　and　then　the　Hobbits　took　the　land　for　their　own；　and　　
　
they　chose　from　their　own　chiefs　a　Thain　to　hold　the　authority　of　the　kingthat　was　gone。　There　for　a　thousand　years　they　were　little　troubled　by　wars；　
and　they　prospered　and　multiplied　after　the　Dark　Plague　（S。R。　37）　until　thedisaster　of　the　Long　Winter　and　the　famine　that　followed　it。　Many　thousandsthen　perished；　but　the　Days　of　Dearth　（1158…60）　were　at　the　time　of　this　talelong　past　and　the　Hobbits　had　again　bee　accustomed　to　plenty。　The　land　wasrich　and　kindly；　and　though　it　had　long　been　deserted　when　they　entered　it；　ithad　before　been　well　tilled；　and　there　the　king　had　once　had　many　farms；　
cornlands；　vineyards；　and　woods。　
Forty　leagues　it　stretched　from　the　Far　Downs　to　the　Brandywine　Bridge；　
and　fifty　from　the　northern　moors　to　the　marshes　in　the　south。　The　Hobbitsnamed　it　the　Shire；　as　the　region　of　the　authority　of　their　Thain；　and　adistrict　of　well…ordered　business；　and　there　in　that　pleasant　er　of　theworld　they　plied　their　well…ordered　business　of　living；　and　they　heeded　lessand　less　the　world　outside　where　dark　things　moved；　until　they　came　to　thinkthat　peace　and　plenty　were　the　rule　in　Middle…earth　and　the　right　of　allsensible　folk。　They　forgot　or　ignored　what　little　they　had　ever　known　of　theGuardians；　and　of　the　labours　of　those　that　made　possible　the　long　peace　ofthe　Shire。　They　were；　in　fact；　sheltered；　but　they　had　ceased　to　remember　it。　
At　no　time　had　Hobbits　of　any　kind　been　warlike；　and　they　had　neverfought　among　themselves。　In　olden　days　they　had；　of　course；　been　often　obligedto　fight　to　maintain　themselves　in　a　hard　world；　but　in　Bilbo's　time　that　wasvery　ancient　history。　The　last　battle；　before　this　story　opens；　and　indeed　theonly　one　that　had　ever　been　fought　within　the　borders　of　the　Shire；　was　beyondliving　memory：　the　Battle　of　Greenfields；　S。R。　1147；　in　which　Bandobras　Tookrouted　an　invasion　of　Orcs。　Even　the　weathers　had　grown　milder；　and　the　wolvesthat　had　once　e　ravening　out　of　the　North　in　bitter　white　winters　were　nowonly　a　grandfather's　tale。　So；　though　there　was　still　some　store　of　weapons　inthe　Shire；　these　were　used　mostly　as　trophies；　hanging　above　hearths　or　onwalls；　or　gathered　into　the　museum　at　Michel　Delving。　The　Mathom…house　it　wascalled；　for　anything　that　Hobbits　had　no　immediate　use　for；　but　were　unwillingto　throw　away；　they　called　a　_mathom_。　Their　dwellings　were　apt　to　beerather　crowded　with　mathoms；　and　many　of　the　presents　that　passed　from　hand　tohand　were　of　that　son。　　
Nonetheless；　ease　and　peace　had　left　this　people　still　curiously　tough。　
They　were；　if　it　came　to　it；　difficult　to　daunt　or　to　kill；　and　they　were；　
perhaps；　so　unwearyingly　fond　of　good　things　not　least　because　they　could；　
when　put　to　it；　do　without　them；　and　could　survive　rough　handling　by　grief；　
foe；　or　weather　in　a　way　that　astonished　those　who　did　not　know　them　well　andlooked　no　further　than　their　bellies　and　their　well…fed　faces。　Though　slow　toquarrel；　and　for　sport　killing　nothing　that　lived；　they　were　doughty　at　bay；　
and　at　need　could　still　handle　arms。　They　shot　well　with　the　bow；　for　theywere　keen…eyed　and　sure　at　the　mark。　Not　only　with　bows　and　arrows。　If　anyHobbit　stooped　for　a　stone；　it　was　well　to　get　quickly　under　cover；　as　alltrespassing　beasts　knew　very　well。　
All　Hobbits　had　originally　lived　in　holes　in　the　ground；　or　so　theybelieved；　and　in　such　dwellings　they　still　felt　most　at　home；　but　in　thecourse　of　time　they　had　been　obliged　to　adopt　other　forms　of　abode。　Actuallyin　the　Shire　in　Bilbo's　days　it　was；　as　a　rule；　only　the　richest　and　thepoorest　Hobbits　that　maintained　the　old　custom。　The　poorest　went　on　living　inburrows　of　the　most　primitive　kind；　mere　holes　indeed；　with　only　one　window　ornone；　while　the　well…to…do　still　constructed　more　luxurious　versions　of　thesimple　diggings　of　old。　But　suitable　sites　for　these　large　and　ramifyingtunnels　（or　_smials_　as　they　called　them）　were　not　everywhere　to　be　found；　andin　the　flats　and　the　low…lying　districts　the　Hobbits；　as　they　multiplied；　
began　to　build　above　ground。　Indeed；　even　in　the　hilly　regions　and　the　oldervillages；　such　as　Hobbiton　or　Tuckborough；　or　in　the　chief　township　of　theShire；　Michel　Delving　on　the　White　Downs；　there　were　now　many　houses　of　wood；　
brick；　or　stone。　These　were　specially　favoured　by　millers；　smiths；　ropers；　andcartwrights；　and　others　of　that　sort；　for　even　when　they　had　holes　to　live　in。　　
　
Hobbits　had　long　been　accustomed　to　build　sheds　and　workshops。　
The　habit　of　building　farmhouses　and　barns　was　said　to　have　begun　amongthe　inhabitants　of　the　Marish　down　by　the　Brandywine。　The　Hobbits　of　thatquarter；　the　Eastfarthing；　were　rather　large　and　heavy…legged；　and　they　woredwarf…boots　in　muddy　weather。　But　they　were　well　known　to　be　Stoors　in　a　largepart　of　their　blood；　as　indeed　was　shown　by　the　down　that　many　grew　on　theirchins。　No　Harfoot　or　Fallohide　had　any　trace　of　a　beard。　Indeed；　the　folk　ofthe　Marish；　and　of　Buckland；　east　of　the　River；　which　they　afterwardsoccupied；　came　for　the　most　part　later　into　the　Shire　up　from　south…away；　andthey　still　had　many　peculiar　names　and　strange　words　not　found　elsewhere　inthe　Shire。　　
It　is　probable　that　the　craft　of　building；　as　many　other　crafts　beside；　
was　derived　from　the　Dúnedain。　But　the　Hobbits　may　have　learned　it　direct　fromthe　Elves；　the　teachers　of　Men　in　their　youth。　For　the　Elves　of　the　HighKindred　had　not　yet　forsaken　Middle…earth；　and　they　dwelt　still　at　that　timeat　the　Grey　Havens　away　to　the　west；　and　in　other　places　within　reach　of　theShire。　Three　Elf…towers　of　immemorial　age　were　still　to　be　seen　on　the　TowerHills　beyond　the　western　marches。　They　shone　far　off　in　the　moonlight。　Thetallest　was　furthest　away；　standing　alone　upon　a　green　mound。　The　Hobbits　ofthe　Westfarthing　said　that　one　could　see　the　Sea　from　the　lop　of　that　tower；　
but　no　Hobbit　had　ever　been　known　to　climb　it。　Indeed；　few　Hobbits　had　everseen　or　sailed　upon　the　Sea；　and　fewer　still　had　ever　returned　to　report　it。　
Most　Hobbits　regarded　even　rivers　and　small　boats　with　deep　misgivings；　andnot　many　of　them　could　swim。　And　as　the　days　of　the　Shire　lengthened　theyspoke　less　and　less　with　the　Elves；　and　grew　afraid　of　them；　and　distrustfulof　those　that　had　dealings　with　them；　and　the　Sea　became　a　word　of　fear　amongthem；　and　a　token　of　death；　and　they　turned　their　faces　away　from　the　hills　inthe　west。　　
The　craft　of　building　may　have　e　from　Elves　or　Men；　but　the　Hobbitsused　it　in　their　own　fashion。　They　did　not　go　in　for　towers。　Their　houses　wereusually　long；　low；　and　fortable。　The　oldest　kind　were；　indeed；　no　more　thanbuilt　imitations　of　_smials；_　thatched　with　dry　grass　or　straw；　or　roofed　withturves；　and　having　walls　somewhat　bulged。　That　stage；　however；　belonged　to　theearly　days　of　the　Shire；　and　hobbit…building　had　long　since　been　altered；　
improved　by　devices；　learned　from　Dwarves；　or　discovered　by　themselves。　Apreference　for　round　windows；　and　even　round　doors；　was　the　chief　remainingpeculiarity　of　hobbit…architecture。　
The　houses　and　the　holes　of　Shire…hobbits　were　often　large；　and　inhabitedby　large　families。　（Bilbo　and　Frodo　Baggins　were　as　bachelors　veryexceptional；　as　they　were　also　in　many　other　ways；　such　as　their　friendshipwith　the　Elves。）　Sometimes；　as　in　the　case　of　the　Tooks　of　Great　Smials；　orthe　Brandybucks　of　Brandy　Hall；　many　generations　of　relatives　lived　in（parative）　peace　together　in　one　ancestral　and　many…tunnelled　mansion。　AllHobbits　were；　in　any　case；　clannish　and　reckoned　up　their　relationships　withgreat　care。　They　drew　long　and　elaborate　family…trees　with　innumerablebranches。　In　dealing　with　Hobbits　it　is　important　to　remember　who　is　relatedto　whom；　and　in　what　degree。　It　would　be　impossible　in　this　book　to　set　out　afamily…tree　that　included　even　the　more　important　members　of　the　moreimportant　families　at　the　time　which　these　tales　tell　of。　The　genealogicaltrees　at　the　end　of　the　Red　Book　of　Westmarch　are　a　small　book　in　themselves；　
and　all　but　Hobbits　would　find　them　exceedingly　dull。　Hobbits　delighted　insuch　things；　if　they　were　accurate：　they　liked　to　have　books　filled　withthings　that　they　already　knew；　set　out　fair　and　square　with　no　contradictions。　　
There　is　another　astonishing　thing　about　Hobbits　of　old　that　must　bementioned；　an　astonishing　habit：　they　imbibed　or　inhaled；　through　pipes　of　　
　
clay　or　wood；　the　smoke　of　the　burning　leaves　of　a　herb；　which　they　called_pipe…weed_　or　_leaf；_　a　variety　probably　of　_Nicotiana。_　A　great　deal　ofmystery　surrounds　the　origin　of　this　peculiar　custom；　or　'art'　as　the　Hobbitspreferred　to　call　it。　All　that　could　be　discovered　about　it　in　antiquity　wasput　together　by　Meriadoc　Brandybuck　（later　Master　of　Buckland）；　and　since　heand　the　tobacco　of　the　Southfarthing　play　a　part　in　the　history　that　follows；　
his　remarks　in　the　introduction　to　his　_Herblore　of　the　Shire_　may　be　quoted。　
'This；'　he　says；　'is　the　one　art　that　we　can　certainly　claim　to　be　ourown　invention。　When　Hobbits　first　began　to　smoke　is　not　known；　all　the　legendsand　family　histories　take　it　for　granted；　for　ages　folk　in　the　Shire　smokedvarious　herbs；　some　fouler；　some　sweeter。　But　all　accounts　agree　that　ToboldHornblower　of　Longbottom　in　the　Southfarthing　first　grew　the　true　pipe…weed　inhis　gardens　in　the　days　of　Isengrim　the　Second；　about　the　year　1070　of　Shire…　
reckoning。　The　best　home…grown　still　es　from　that　district；　especially　thevarieties　now　known　as　Longbottom　Leaf；　Old　Toby；　and　Southern　Star。　
'How　Old　Toby　came　by　the　plant　is　not　recorded；　for　to　his　dying　day　hewould　not　tell。　He　knew　much　about　herbs；　but　he　was　no　traveller。　It　i