under the greenwood tree-第1章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！






Under　the　Greenwood　Tree

or

The　Mellstock　Quire

A　Rural　Painting　of　the　Dutch　School




by　Thomas　Hardy













PREFACE







This　story　of　the　Mellstock　Quire　and　its　old　established　west…

gallery　musicians；　with　some　supplementary　descriptions　of　similar

officials　in　Two　on　a　Tower；　A　Few　Crusted　Characters；　and　other

places；　is　intended　to　be　a　fairly　true　picture；　at　first　hand；　of

the　personages；　ways；　and　customs　which　were　common　among　such

orchestral　bodies　in　the　villages　of　fifty　or　sixty　years　ago。



One　is　inclined　to　regret　the　displacement　of　these　ecclesiastical

bandsmen　by　an　isolated　organist　（often　at　first　a　barrel…organist）

or　harmonium　player；　and　despite　certain　advantages　in　point　of

control　and　accomplishment　which　were；　no　doubt；　secured　by

installing　the　single　artist；　the　change　has　tended　to　stultify　the

professed　aims　of　the　clergy；　its　direct　result　being　to　curtail　and

extinguish　the　interest　of　parishioners　in　church　doings。　　Under　the

old　plan；　from　half　a　dozen　to　ten　full…grown　players；　in　addition

to　the　numerous　more　or　less　grown…up　singers；　were　officially

occupied　with　the　Sunday　routine；　and　concerned　in　trying　their　best

to　make　it　an　artistic　outcome　of　the　combined　musical　taste　of　the

congregation。　　With　a　musical　executive　limited；　as　it　mostly　is

limited　now；　to　the　parson's　wife　or　daughter　and　the　school…

children；　or　to　the　school…teacher　and　the　children；　an　important

union　of　interests　has　disappeared。



The　zest　of　these　bygone　instrumentalists　must　have　been　keen　and

staying　to　take　them；　as　it　did；　on　foot　every　Sunday　after　a

toilsome　week；　through　all　weathers；　to　the　church；　which　often　lay

at　a　distance　from　their　homes。　　They　usually　received　so　little　in

payment　for　their　performances　that　their　efforts　were　really　a

labour　of　love。　　In　the　parish　I　had　in　my　mind　when　writing　the

present　tale；　the　gratuities　received　yearly　by　the　musicians　at

Christmas　were　somewhat　as　follows：　　From　the　manor…house　ten

shillings　and　a　supper；　from　the　vicar　ten　shillings；　from　the

farmers　five　shillings　each；　from　each　cottage…household　one

shilling；　amounting　altogether　to　not　more　than　ten　shillings　a　head

annuallyjust　enough；　as　an　old　executant　told　me；　to　pay　for　their

fiddle…strings；　repairs；　rosin；　and　music…paper　（which　they　mostly

ruled　themselves）。　　Their　music　in　those　days　was　all　in　their　own

manuscript；　copied　in　the　evenings　after　work；　and　their　music…books

were　home…bound。



It　was　customary　to　inscribe　a　few　jigs；　reels；　horn…pipes；　and

ballads　in　the　same　book；　by　beginning　it　at　the　other　end；　the

insertions　being　continued　from　front　and　back　till　sacred　and

secular　met　together　in　the　middle；　often　with　bizarre　effect；　the

words　of　some　of　the　songs　exhibiting　that　ancient　and　broad　humour

which　our　grandfathers；　and　possibly　grandmothers；　took　delight　in；

and　is　in　these　days　unquotable。



The　aforesaid　fiddle…strings；　rosin；　and　music…paper　were　supplied

by　a　pedlar；　who　travelled　exclusively　in　such　wares　from　parish　to

parish；　coming　to　each　village　about　every　six　months。　　Tales　are

told　of　the　consternation　once　caused　among　the　church　fiddlers

when；　on　the　occasion　of　their　producing　a　new　Christmas　anthem；　he

did　not　come　to　time；　owing　to　being　snowed　up　on　the　downs；　and　the

straits　they　were　in　through　having　to　make　shift　with　whipcord　and

twine　for　strings。　　He　was　generally　a　musician　himself；　and

sometimes　a　composer　in　a　small　way；　bringing　his　own　new　tunes；　and

tempting　each　choir　to　adopt　them　for　a　consideration。　　Some　of

these　compositions　which　now　lie　before　me；　with　their　repetitions

of　lines；　half…lines；　and　half…words；　their　fugues　and　their

intermediate　symphonies；　are　good　singing　still；　though　they　would

hardly　be　admitted　into　such　hymn…books　as　are　popular　in　the

churches　of　fashionable　society　at　the　present　time。



August　1896。



Under　the　Greenwood　Tree　was　first　brought　out　in　the　summer　of　1872

in　two　volumes。　　The　name　of　the　story　was　originally　intended　to

be；　more　appropriately；　The　Mellstock　Quire；　and　this　has　been

appended　as　a　sub…title　since　the　early　editions；　it　having　been

thought　unadvisable　to　displace　for　it　the　title　by　which　the　book

first　became　known。



In　rereading　the　narrative　after　a　long　interval　there　occurs　the

inevitable　reflection　that　the　realities　out　of　which　it　was　spun

were　material　for　another　kind　of　study　of　this　little　group　of

church　musicians　than　is　found　in　the　chapters　here　penned　so

lightly；　even　so　farcically　and　flippantly　at　times。　　But

circumstances　would　have　rendered　any　aim　at　a　deeper；　more

essential；　more　transcendent　handling　unadvisable　at　the　date　of

writing；　and　the　exhibition　of　the　Mellstock　Quire　in　the　following

pages　must　remain　the　only　extant　one；　except　for　the　few　glimpses

of　that　perished　band　which　I　have　given　in　verse　elsewhere。



T。　H。



April　1912。









PART　THE　FIRSTWINTER









CHAPTER　I：　　MELLSTOCK…LANE







To　dwellers　in　a　wood　almost　every　species　of　tree　has　its　voice　as

well　as　its　feature。　　At　the　passing　of　the　breeze　the　fir…trees　sob

and　moan　no　less　distinctly　than　they　rock；　the　holly　whistles　as　it

battles　with　itself；　the　ash　hisses　amid　its　quiverings；　the　beech

rustles　while　its　flat　boughs　rise　and　fall。　　And　winter；　which

modifies　the　note　of　such　trees　as　shed　their　leaves；　does　not

destroy　its　individuality。



On　a　cold　and　starry　Christmas…eve　within　living　memory　a　man　was

passing　up　a　lane　towards　Mellstock　Cross　in　the　darkness　of　a

plantation　that　whispered　thus　distinctively　to　his　intelligence。

All　the　evidences　of　his　nature　were　those　afforded　by　the　spirit　of

his　footsteps；　which　succeeded　each　other　lightly　and　quickly；　and

by　the　liveliness　of　his　voice　as　he　sang　in　a　rural　cadence：





〃With　the　rose　and　the　lily

And　the　daffodowndilly；

The　lads　and　the　lasses　a…sheep…shearing　go。〃





The　lonely　lane　he　was　following　connected　one　of　the　hamlets　of

Mellstock　parish　with　Upper　Mellstock　and　Lewgate；　and　to　his　eyes；

casually　glancing　upward；　the　silver　and　black…stemmed　birches　with

their　characteristic　tufts；　the　pale　grey　boughs　of　beech；　the　dark…

creviced　elm；　all　appeared　now　as　black　and　flat　outlines　upon　the

sky；　wherein　the　white　stars　twinkled　so　vehemently　that　their

flickering　seemed　like　the　flapping　of　wings。　　Within　the　woody

pass；　at　a　level　anything　lower　than　the　horizon；　all　was　dark　as

the　grave。　　The　copse…wood　forming　the　sides　of　the　bower　interlaced

its　branches　so　densely；　even　at　this　season　of　the　year；　that　the

draught　from　the　north…east　flew　along　the　channel　with　scarcely　an

interruption　from　lateral　breezes。



After　passing　the　plantation　and　reaching　Mellstock　Cross　the　white

surface　of　the　lane　revealed　itself　between　the　dark　hedgerows　like

a　ribbon　jagged　at　the　edges；　the　irregularity　being　caused　by

temporary　accumulations　of　leaves　extending　from　the　ditch　on　either

side。



The　song　（many　times　interrupted　by　flitting　thoughts　which　took　the

place　of　several　bars；　and　resumed　at　a　point　it　would　have　reached

had　its　continuity　been　unbroken）　now　received　a　more　palpable

check；　in　the　shape　of　〃Ho…i…i…i…i…i！〃　from　the　crossing　lane　to

Lower　Mellstock；　on　the　right　of　the　singer　who　had　just　emerged

from　the　trees。



〃Ho…i…i…i…i…i！〃　he　answered；　stopping　and　looking　round；　though　with

no　idea　of　seeing　anything　more　than　imagination　pictured。



〃Is　that　thee；　young　Dick　Dewy？〃　came　from　the　darkness。



〃Ay；　sure；　Michael　Mail。〃



〃Then　why　not　stop　for　fellow…cratersgoing　to　thy　own　father's

house　too；　as　we　be；　and　knowen　us　so　well？〃



Dick　Dewy　faced　about　and　continued　his　tune　in　an　under…whistle；

implying　that　the　business　of　his　mouth　could　not　be　checked　at　a

moment's　notice　by　the　placid　emotion　of　friendship。



Having　come　more　into　the　open　he　could　now　be　seen　rising　against

the　sky；　his　profile　appearing　on　the　light　background　like　the

portrait　of　a　gentleman　in　black　cardboard。　　It　assumed　the　form　of

a　low…crowned　hat；　an　ordinary…shaped　nose；　an　ordinary　chin；　an

ordinary　neck；　and　ordinary　shoulders。　　What　he　consisted　of　further

down　was　invisible　from　lack　of　sky　low　enough　to　picture　him　on。



Shuffling；　halting；　irregular　footsteps　of　various　kinds　were　now

heard　coming　up　the　hill；　and　presently　there　emerged　from　the　shade

severally　five　men　of　different　ages　and　gaits；　all　of　them　working

villagers　of　the　parish　of　Mellstock。　　They；　too；　had　lost　their

rotundity　with　the　daylight；　and　advanced　against　the　sky　in　flat

outlines；　which　suggested　some　processional　design　on　Greek　or

Etruscan　pottery。　　They　represented　the　chief　portion　of　Mellstock

parish　choir。



The　first　was　a　bowed　and　bent　man；　who　carried　a　fiddle　under　his

arm；　and　walked　as　if　engaged　in　studying　some　subject　connected

with　the　surface　of　the　road。　　He　was　Michael　Mail；　the　man　who　had

hallooed　to　Dick。



The　next　was　Mr。　Robert　Penny；　boot…　and　shoemaker；　a　little　man；

who；　though　rather　round…shouldered；　walked　as　if　that　fact　had　not

come　to　his　own　knowledge；　moving　on　with　his　back　very　hollow　and

his　face　fixed　on　the　north…east　quarter　of　the　heavens　before　him；

so　that　his　lower　waist…coat…buttons　came　first；　and　then　the

remainder　of　his　figure。　　His　features　were　invisible；　yet　when　he

occasionally　looked　round；　two　faint　moons　of　light　gleamed　for　an

instant　from　the　precincts　of　his　eyes；　denoting　that　he　wore

spectacles　of　a　circular　form。



The　third　was　Elias　Spinks；　who　walked　perpendicularly　and

dramatically。　　The　fourth　outline　was　Joseph　Bowman's；　who　had　now

no　distinctive　appearance　beyond　that　of　a　human　being。　　Finally

came　a　weak　lath…like　form；　trotting　and　stumbling　along　with　one

shoulder　forward　and　his　bead　inclined　to　the　left；　his　arms

dangling　nervelessly　in　the　wind　as　if　they　were　empty　sleeves。

This　was　Thomas　Leaf。



〃Where　be　the　boys？〃　said　Dick　to　this　somewhat　indifferently…

matched　assembly。



The　eldest　of　the　group；　Michael　Mail；　cleared　his　throat　from　a

great　depth。



〃We　told　them　to　keep　back　at　home　for　a　time；　thinken　they　wouldn't

be　wanted　yet　awhile；　and　we　could　choose　the　tuens；　and　so　on。〃



〃Father　and　grandfather　William　have　expected　ye　a　little　sooner。　　I

have　just　been　for　a　run　round　by　Ewelease　Stile　and　Hollow　Hill　to

warm　my　feet。〃



〃To　be　sure　father　did！　　To　be　sure　'a　did　expect　usto　taste　the

little　barrel　beyond　compare　that　he's　going　to　tap。〃



〃'Od　rabbit　it　all！　　Never　heard　a　word　of　it！〃　said　Mr。　Penny；

gleams　of　delight　appearing　upon　his　spectacle…glasses；　Dick

meanwhile　singing　parenthetically〃The　lads　and　the　lasses　a…sheep…

shearing　go。〃



〃Neighbours；　there's　time