lavengro-第1章

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Lavengro；　The　Scholar；　The　Gypsy；　The　Priest




by　George　Borrow







PREFACE







IN　the　following　pages　I　have　endeavoured　to　describe　a　dream；　

partly　of　study；　partly　of　adventure；　in　which　will　be　found　

copious　notices　of　books；　and　many　descriptions　of　life　and　

manners；　some　in　a　very　unusual　form。



The　scenes　of　action　lie　in　the　British　Islands；　…　pray　be　not　

displeased；　gentle　reader；　if　perchance　thou　hast　imagined　that　I　

was　about　to　conduct　thee　to　distant　lands；　and　didst　promise　

thyself　much　instruction　and　entertainment　from　what　I　might　tell　

thee　of　them。　　I　do　assure　thee　that　thou　hast　no　reason　to　be　

displeased；　inasmuch　as　there　are　no　countries　in　the　world　less　

known　by　the　British　than　these　selfsame　British　Islands；　or　where　

more　strange　things　are　every　day　occurring；　whether　in　road　or　

street；　house　or　dingle。



The　time　embraces　nearly　the　first　quarter　of　the　present　century：　　

this　information　again　may；　perhaps；　be　anything　but　agreeable　to　

thee；　it　is　a　long　time　to　revert　to；　but　fret　not　thyself；　many　

matters　which　at　present　much　occupy　the　public　mind　originated　in　

some　degree　towards　the　latter　end　of　that　period；　and　some　of　them　

will　be　treated　of。



The　principal　actors　in　this　dream；　or　drama；　are；　as　you　will　have　

gathered　from　the　title…page；　a　Scholar；　a　Gypsy；　and　a　Priest。　　

Should　you　imagine　that　these　three　form　one；　permit　me　to　assure　

you　that　you　are　very　much　mistaken。　　Should　there　be　something　of　

the　Gypsy　manifest　in　the　Scholar；　there　is　certainly　nothing　of　

the　Priest。　　With　respect　to　the　Gypsy　…　decidedly　the　most　

entertaining　character　of　the　three　…　there　is　certainly　nothing　of　

the　Scholar　or　the　Priest　in　him；　and　as　for　the　Priest；　though　

there　may　be　something　in　him　both　of　scholarship　and　gypsyism；　

neither　the　Scholar　nor　the　Gypsy　would　feel　at　all　flattered　by　

being　confounded　with　him。



Many　characters　which　may　be　called　subordinate　will　be　found；　and　

it　is　probable　that　some　of　these　characters　will　afford　much　more　

interest　to　the　reader　than　those　styled　the　principal。　　The　

favourites　with　the　writer　are　a　brave　old　soldier　and　his　

helpmate；　an　ancient　gentlewoman　who　sold　apples；　and　a　strange　

kind　of　wandering　man　and　his　wife。



Amongst　the　many　things　attempted　in　this　book　is　the　encouragement　

of　charity；　and　free　and　genial　manners；　and　the　exposure　of　

humbug；　of　which　there　are　various　kinds；　but　of　which　the　most　

perfidious；　the　most　debasing；　and　the　most　cruel；　is　the　humbug　of　

the　Priest。



Yet　let　no　one　think　that　irreligion　is　advocated　in　this　book。　　

With　respect　to　religious　tenets　I　wish　to　observe　that　I　am　a　

member　of　the　Church　of　England；　into　whose　communion　I　was　

baptized；　and　to　which　my　forefathers　belonged。　　Its　being　the　

religion　in　which　I　was　baptized；　and　of　my　forefathers；　would　be　a　

strong　inducement　to　me　to　cling　to　it；　for　I　do　not　happen　to　be　

one　of　those　choice　spirits　'who　turn　from　their　banner　when　the　

battle　bears　strongly　against　it；　and　go　over　to　the　enemy；'　and　

who　receive　at　first　a　hug　and　a　'viva；'　and　in　the　sequel　contempt　

and　spittle　in　the　face；　but　my　chief　reason　for　belonging　to　it　

is；　because；　of　all　churches　calling　themselves　Christian　ones；　I　

believe　there　is　none　so　good；　so　well　founded　upon　Scripture；　or　

whose　ministers　are；　upon　the　whole；　so　exemplary　in　their　lives　

and　conversation；　so　well　read　in　the　book　from　which　they　preach；　

or　so　versed　in　general　learning；　so　useful　in　their　immediate　

neighbourhoods；　or　so　unwilling　to　persecute　people　of　other　

denominations　for　matters　of　doctrine。



In　the　communion　of　this　Church；　and　with　the　religious　consolation　

of　its　ministers；　I　wish　and　hope　to　live　and　die；　and　in　its　and　

their　defence　will　at　all　times　be　ready；　if　required；　to　speak；　

though　humbly；　and　to　fight；　though　feebly；　against　enemies；　

whether　carnal　or　spiritual。



And　is　there　no　priestcraft　in　the　Church　of　England？　　There　is　

certainly；　or　rather　there　was；　a　modicum　of　priestcraft　in　the　

Church　of　England；　but　I　have　generally　found　that　those　who　are　

most　vehement　against　the　Church　of　England　are　chiefly　

dissatisfied　with　her　because　there　is　only　a　modicum　of　that　

article　in　her　…　were　she　stuffed　to　the　very　cupola　with　it；　like　

a　certain　other　Church；　they　would　have　much　less　to　say　against　

the　Church　of　England。



By　the　other　Church；　I　mean　Rome。　　Its　system　was　once　prevalent　in　

England；　and；　during　the　period　that　it　prevailed　there；　was　more　

prolific　of　debasement　and　crime　than　all　other　causes　united。　　The　

people　and　the　government　at　last　becoming　enlightened　by　means　of　

the　Scripture　spurned　it　from　the　island　with　disgust　and　horror；　

the　land　instantly　after　its　disappearance　becoming　a　fair　field；　

in　which　arts；　sciences；　and　all　the　amiable　virtues　flourished；　

instead　of　being　a　pestilent　marsh　where　swine…like　ignorance　

wallowed；　and　artful　hypocrites；　like　so　many　Wills…o'…the…wisp；　

played　antic　gambols　about；　around；　and　above　debased　humanity。



But　Popery　still　wished　to　play　her　old　part；　to　regain　her　lost　

dominion；　to　reconvert　the　smiling　land　into　the　pestilential　

morass；　where　she　could　play　again　her　old　antics。　　From　the　period　

of　the　Reformation　in　England　up　to　the　present　time；　she　has　kept　

her　emissaries　here；　individuals　contemptible　in　intellect；　it　is　

true；　but　cat…like　and　gliding；　who；　at　her　bidding；　have　

endeavoured；　as　much　as　in　their　power　has　lain；　to　damp　and　stifle　

every　genial；　honest；　loyal；　and　independent　thought；　and　to　reduce　

minds　to　such　a　state　of　dotage　as　would　enable　their　old　Popish　

mother　to　do　what　she　pleased　with　them。



And　in　every　country；　however　enlightened；　there　are　always　minds　

inclined　to　grovelling　superstition　…　minds　fond　of　eating　dust　and　

swallowing　clay　…　minds　never　at　rest；　save　when　prostrate　before　

some　fellow　in　a　surplice；　and　these　Popish　emissaries　found　always　

some　weak　enough　to　bow　down　before　them；　astounded　by　their　

dreadful　denunciations　of　eternal　woe　and　damnation　to　any　who　

should　refuse　to　believe　their　Romania；　but　they　played　a　poor　game　

…　the　law　protected　the　servants　of　Scripture；　and　the　priest　with　

his　beads　seldom　ventured　to　approach　any　but　the　remnant　of　those　

of　the　eikonolatry　…　representatives　of　worm…eaten　houses；　their　

debased　dependants；　and　a　few　poor　crazy　creatures　amongst　the　

middle　classes　…　he　played　a　poor　game；　and　the　labour　was　about　to　

prove　almost　entirely　in　vain；　when　the　English　legislature；　in　

compassion　or　contempt；　or；　yet　more　probably；　influenced　by　that　

spirit　of　toleration　and　kindness　which　is　so　mixed　up　with　

Protestantism；　removed　almost　entirely　the　disabilities　under　which　

Popery　laboured；　and　enabled　it　to　raise　its　head　and　to　speak　out　

almost　without　fear。



And　it　did　raise　its　head；　and；　though　it　spoke　with　some　little　

fear　at　first；　soon　discarded　every　relic　of　it；　went　about　the　

land　uttering　its　damnation　cry；　gathering　around　it　…　and　for　

doing　so　many　thanks　to　it　…　the　favourers　of　priestcraft　who　

lurked　within　the　walls　of　the　Church　of　England；　frightening　with　

the　loudness　of　its　voice　the　weak；　the　timid；　and　the　ailing；　

perpetrating；　whenever　it　had　an　opportunity；　that　species　of　crime　

to　which　it　has　ever　been　most　partial　…　DEATHBED　ROBBERY；　for　as　

it　is　cruel；　so　is　it　dastardly。　　Yes；　it　went　on　enlisting；　

plundering；　and　uttering　its　terrible　threats　till　…　till　it　

became；　as　it　always　does　when　left　to　itself；　a　fool；　a　very　fool。　　

Its　plunderings　might　have　been　overlooked；　and　so　might　its　

insolence；　had　it　been　common　insolence；　but　it　…　；　and　then　the　

roar　of　indignation　which　arose　from　outraged　England　against　the　

viper；　the　frozen　viper；　which　it　had　permitted　to　warm　itself　upon　

its　bosom。



But　thanks；　Popery；　you　have　done　all　that　the　friends　of　

enlightenment　and　religious　liberty　could　wish；　but　if　ever　there　

were　a　set　of　foolish　ones　to　be　found　under　heaven；　surely　it　is　

the　priestly　rabble　who　came　over　from　Rome　to　direct　the　grand　

movement　…　so　long　in　its　getting　up。



But　now　again　the　damnation　cry　is　withdrawn；　there　is　a　subdued　

meekness　in　your　demeanour；　you　are　now　once　more　harmless　as　a　

lamb。　　Well；　we　shall　see　how　the　trick　…　'the　old　trick'　…　will　

serve　you。







CHAPTER　I







Birth　…　My　father　…　Tamerlane　…　Ben　Brain　…　French　Protestants　…　

East　Anglia　…　Sorrow　and　troubles　…　True　peace　…　A　beautiful　child　

…　Foreign　grave　…　Mirrors　…　Alpine　country　…　Emblems　…　Slow　of　

speech　…　The　Jew　…　Strange　gestures。



ON　an　evening　of　July；　in　the　year　18…；　at　East　D…；　a　beautiful　

little　town　in　a　certain　district　of　East　Anglia；　I　first　saw　the　

light。



My　father　was　a　Cornish　man；　the　youngest；　as　I　have　heard　him　say；　

of　seven　brothers。　　He　sprang　from　a　family　of　gentlemen；　or；　as　

some　people　would　call　them；　gentillatres；　for　they　were　not　very　

wealthy；　they　had　a　coat　of　arms；　however；　and　lived　on　their　own　

property　at　a　place　called　Tredinnock；　which　being　interpreted　

means　THE　HOUSE　ON　THE　HILL；　which　house　and　the　neighbouring　acres　

had　been　from　time　immemorial　in　their　possession。　　I　mention　these　

particulars　that　the　reader　may　see　at　once　that　I　am　not　

altogether　of　low　and　plebeian　origin；　the　present　age　is　highly　

aristocratic；　and　I　am　convinced　that　the　public　will　read　my　pages　

with　more　zest　from　being　told　that　I　am　a　gentillatre　by　birth　

with　Cornish　blood　in　my　veins；　of　a　family　who　lived　on　their　own　

property　at　a　place　bearing　a　Celtic　name；　signifying　the　house　on　

the　hill；　or　more　strictly　the　house　on　the　HILLOCK。



My　father　was　what　is　generally　termed　a　posthumous　child　…　in　

other　words；　the　gentillatre　who　begot　him　never　had　the　

satisfaction　of　invoking　the　blessing　of　the　Father　of　All　upon　his　

head；　having　departed　this　life　some　months　before　the　birth　of　his　

youngest　son。　　The　boy；　therefore；　never　knew　a　father's　care；　he　

was；　however；　well　tended　by　his　mother；　whose　favourite　he　was；　so　

much　so；　indeed；　that　his　brethren；　the　youngest　of　whom　was　

considerably　older　than　himself；　were　rather　jealous　of　him。　　I　

never　heard；　however；　that　they　treated　him　with　any　marked　

unkindness；　and　it　will　be　as　well　to　observe　here　that　I　am　by　no　

means　well　acquainted　with　his　early　history；　of　which；　indeed；　as　

I　am　not　writing　his　life；　it　is　not　necessary　to　say　much。　　

Shortly　after　his　mother's　death；　which　occurred　when　he　was　

eighteen；　he　adopted　the　profession　of　arms；　which　he　followed　

during　the　remainder　of　his　life；　and　in　which；　had　circumstances　

permitted；　he　would　probably　have　shone　amongst　the　best。　　By　

nature　he　was　cool　and　colle