lavengro-第113章

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religion　than　he　had　previously　entertained。　　In　a　word；　the　priest　

ruled　the　house；　and　everything　was　done　according　to　his　will　and　

pleasure；　by　degrees　he　persuaded　the　young　ladies　to　drop　their　

English　acquaintances；　whose　place　he　supplied　with　Italians；　

chiefly　females。　　My　poor　old　governor　would　not　have　had　a　person　

to　speak　to　…　for　he　never　could　learn　the　language　…　but　for　two　

or　three　Englishmen　who　used　to　come　occasionally　and　take　a　bottle　

with　him　in　a　summer…house；　whose　company　he　could　not　be　persuaded　

to　resign；　notwithstanding　the　entreaties　of　his　daughters；　

instigated　by　the　priest；　whose　grand　endeavour　seemed　to　be　to　

render　the　minds　of　all　three　foolish；　for　his　own　ends。　　And　if　he　

was　busy　above　stairs　with　the　governor；　there　was　another　busy　

below　with　us　poor　English　servants；　a　kind　of　subordinate　priest；　

a　low　Italian；　as　he　could　speak　no　language　but　his　own；　he　was　

continually　jabbering　to　us　in　that；　and　by　hearing　him　the　maids　

and　myself　contrived　to　pick　up　a　good　deal　of　the　language；　so　

that　we　understood　most　that　was　said；　and　could　speak　it　very　

fairly；　and　the　themes　of　his　jabber　were　the　beauty　and　virtues　of　

one　whom　he　called　Holy　Mary；　and　the　power　and　grandeur　of　one　

whom　he　called　the　Holy　Father；　and　he　told　us　that　we　should　

shortly　have　an　opportunity　of　seeing　the　Holy　Father；　who　could　do　

anything　he　liked　with　Holy　Mary：　　in　the　meantime　we　had　plenty　of　

opportunities　of　seeing　Holy　Mary；　for　in　every　church；　chapel；　and　

convent　to　which　we　were　taken；　there　was　an　image　of　Holy　Mary；　

who；　if　the　images　were　dressed　at　all　in　her　fashion；　must　have　

been　very　fond　of　short　petticoats　and　tinsel；　and　who；　if　those　

said　figures　at　all　resembled　her　in　face；　could　scarcely　have　been　

half　as　handsome　as　either　of　my　two　fellow…servants；　not　to　speak　

of　the　young　ladies。



'Now　it　happened　that　one　of　the　female　servants　was　much　taken　

with　what　she　saw　and　heard；　and　gave　herself　up　entirely　to　the　

will　of　the　subordinate；　who　had　quite　as　much　dominion　over　her　as　

his　superior　had　over　the　ladies；　the　other　maid；　however；　the　one　

who　had　a　kind　of　respect　for　me；　was　not　so　easily　besotted；　she　

used　to　laugh　at　what　she　saw；　and　at　what　the　fellow　told　her；　and　

from　her　I　learnt　that　amongst　other　things　intended　by　these　

priestly　confederates　was　robbery；　she　said　that　the　poor　old　

governor　had　already　been　persuaded　by　his　daughters　to　put　more　

than　a　thousand　pounds　into　the　superior　priest's　hands　for　

purposes　of　charity　and　religion；　as　was　said；　and　that　the　

subordinate　one　had　already　inveigled　her　fellow…servant　out　of　

every　penny　which　she　had　saved　from　her　wages；　and　had　endeavoured　

likewise　to　obtain　what　money　she　herself　had；　but　in　vain。　　With　

respect　to　myself；　the　fellow　shortly　after　made　an　attempt　towards　

obtaining　a　hundred　crowns；　of　which；　by　some　means；　he　knew　me　to　

be　in　possession；　telling　me　what　a　meritorious　thing　it　was　to　

give　one's　superfluities　for　the　purposes　of　religion。　　〃That　is　

true；〃　said　I；　〃and　if；　after　my　return　to　my　native　country；　I　

find　I　have　anything　which　I　don't　want　myself；　I　will　employ　it　in　

helping　to　build　a　Methodist　chapel。〃



'By　the　time　that　the　three　months　were　expired　for　which　we　had　

hired　the　palace　of　the　needy　Prince；　the　old　governor　began　to　

talk　of　returning　to　England；　at　least　of　leaving　Italy。　　I　believe　

he　had　become　frightened　at　the　calls　which　were　continually　being　

made　upon　him　for　money；　for　after　all；　you　know；　if　there　is　a　

sensitive　part　of　a　man's　wearing　apparel；　it　is　his　breeches　

pocket；　but　the　young　ladies　could　not　think　of　leaving　dear　Italy　

and　the　dear　priest；　and　then　they　had　seen　nothing　of　the　country；　

they　had　only　seen　Naples；　before　leaving　dear　Italia　they　must　see　

more　of　the　country　and　the　cities；　above　all；　they　must　see　a　

place　which　they　called　the　Eternal　City；　or　some　similar　

nonsensical　name；　and　they　persisted　so　that　the　poor　governor　

permitted　them；　as　usual；　to　have　their　way；　and　it　was　decided　

what　route　they　should　take　…　that　is；　the　priest　was　kind　enough　

to　decide　for　them；　and　was　also　kind　enough　to　promise　to　go　with　

them　part　of　the　route；　as　far　as　a　place　where　there　was　a　

wonderful　figure　of　Holy　Mary；　which　the　priest　said　it　was　highly　

necessary　for　them　to　see　before　visiting　the　Eternal　City：　　so　we　

left　Naples　in　hired　carriages；　driven　by　fellows　they　call　

veturini；　cheating；　drunken　dogs；　I　remember　they　were。　　Besides　

our　own　family　there　was　the　priest　and　his　subordinate；　and　a　

couple　of　hired　lackeys。　　We　were　several　days　upon　the　journey；　

travelling　through　a　very　wild　country；　which　the　ladies　pretended　

to　be　delighted　with；　and　which　the　governor　cursed　on　account　of　

the　badness　of　the　roads；　and　when　we　came　to　any　particularly　wild　

spot　we　used　to　stop；　in　order　to　enjoy　the　scenery；　as　the　ladies　

said；　and　then　we　would　spread　a　horse…cloth　on　the　ground；　and　eat　

bread　and　cheese；　and　drink　wine　of　the　country。　　And　some　of　the　

holes　and　corners　in　which　we　bivouacked；　as　the　ladies　called　it；　

were　something　like　this　place　where　we　are　now；　so　that　when　I　

came　down　here　it　put　me　in　mind　of　them。　　At　last　we　arrived　at　

the　place　where　was　the　holy　image。



'We　went　to　the　house　or　chapel　in　which　the　holy　image　was　kept　…　

a　frightful；　ugly　black　figure　of　Holy　Mary；　dressed　in　her　usual　

way；　and　after　we　had　stared　at　the　figure；　and　some　of　our　party　

had　bowed　down　to　it；　we　were　shown　a　great　many　things　which　were　

called　holy　relics；　which　consisted　of　thumb…nails；　and　fore…nails；　

and　toe…nails；　and　hair；　and　teeth；　and　a　feather　or　two；　and　a　

mighty　thigh…bone；　but　whether　of　a　man　or　a　camel　I　can't　say；　all　

of　which　things；　I　was　told；　if　properly　touched　and　handled；　had　

mighty　power　to　cure　all　kinds　of　disorders。　　And　as　we　went　from　

the　holy　house　we　saw　a　man　in　a　state　of　great　excitement：　　he　was　

foaming　at　the　mouth；　and　cursing　the　holy　image　and　all　its　

household；　because；　after　he　had　worshipped　it　and　made　offerings　

to　it；　and　besought　it　to　assist　him　in　a　game　of　chance　which　he　

was　about　to　play；　it　had　left　him　in　the　lurch；　allowing　him　to　

lose　all　his　money。　　And　when　I　thought　of　all　the　rubbish　I　had　

seen；　and　the　purposes　which　it　was　applied　to；　in　conjunction　with　

the　rage　of　the　losing　gamester　at　the　deaf　and　dumb　image；　I　could　

not　help　comparing　the　whole　with　what　my　poor　brother　used　to　tell　

me　of　the　superstitious　practices　of　the　blacks　on　the　high　Barbary　

shore；　and　their　occasional　rage　and　fury　at　the　things　they　

worshipped；　and　I　said　to　myself；　If　all　this　here　doesn't　smell　of　

fetish；　may　I　smell　fetid。



'At　this　place　the　priest　left　us；　returning　to　Naples　with　his　

subordinate；　on　some　particular　business　I　suppose。　　It　was；　

however；　agreed　that　he　should　visit　us　at　the　Holy　City。　　We　did　

not　go　direct　to　the　Holy　City；　but　bent　our　course　to　two　or　three　

other　cities　which　the　family　were　desirous　of　seeing；　but　as　

nothing　occurred　to　us　in　these　places　of　any　particular　interest；　

I　shall　take　the　liberty　of　passing　them　by　in　silence。　　At　length　

we　arrived　at　the　Eternal　City：　　an　immense　city　it　was；　looking　as　

if　it　had　stood　for　a　long　time；　and　would　stand　for　a　long　time　

still；　compared　with　it；　London　would　look　like　a　mere　assemblage　

of　bee…skeps；　however；　give　me　the　bee…skeps　with　their　merry　hum　

and　bustle；　and　life　and　honey；　rather　than　that　huge　town；　which　

looked　like　a　sepulchre；　where　there　was　no　life；　no　busy　hum；　no　

bees；　but　a　scanty　sallow　population；　intermixed　with　black　

priests；　white　priests；　gray　priests；　and　though　I　don't　say　there　

was　no　honey　in　the　place；　for　I　believe　there　was；　I　am　ready　to　

take　my　Bible　oath　that　it　was　not　made　there；　and　that　the　priests　

kept　it　all　for　themselves。







CHAPTER　XCIX







A　cloister　…　Half　English　…　New　acquaintance　…　Mixed　liquors　…　


Turning　Papist　…　Purposes　of　charity　…　Foreign　religion　…　

Melancholy　…　Elbowing　and　pushing　…　Outlandish　sight　…　The　figure　…　

I　don't　care　for　you　…　Merry…andrews　…　One　good　…　Religion　of　my　

country　…　Fellow　of　spirit　…　A　dispute　…　The　next　morning　…　Female　

doll　…　Proper　dignity　…　Fetish　country。



'THE　day　after　our　arrival；'　continued　the　postilion；　'I　was　sent；　

under　the　guidance　of　a　lackey　of　the　place；　with　a　letter；　which　

the　priest；　when　he　left；　had　given　us　for　a　friend　of　his　in　the　

Eternal　City。　　We　went　to　a　large　house；　and　on　ringing　were　

admitted　by　a　porter　into　a　cloister；　where　I　saw　some　ill…looking；　

shabby　young　fellows　walking　about；　who　spoke　English　to　one　

another。　　To　one　of　these　the　porter　delivered　the　letter；　and　the　

young　fellow；　going　away；　presently　returned　and　told　me　to　follow　

him；　he　led　me　into　a　large　room　where；　behind　a　table　on　which　

were　various　papers　and　a　thing　which　they　call；　in　that　country；　a　

crucifix；　sat　a　man　in　a　kind　of　priestly　dress。　　The　lad　having　

opened　the　door　for　me；　shut　it　behind　me；　and　went　away。　　The　man　

behind　the　table　was　so　engaged　in　reading　the　letter　which　I　had　

brought；　that　at　first　he　took　no　notice　of　me；　he　had　red　hair；　a　

kind　of　half…English　countenance；　and　was　seemingly　about　five…and…

thirty。　　After　a　little　time　he　laid　the　letter　down；　appeared　to　

consider　a　moment；　and　then　opened　his　mouth　with　a　strange　laugh；　

not　a　loud　laugh；　for　I　heard　nothing　but　a　kind　of　hissing　deep　

down　the　throat；　all　of　a　sudden；　however；　perceiving　me；　he　gave　a　

slight　start；　but；　instantly　recovering　himself；　he　inquired　in　

English　concerning　the　health　of　the　family；　and　where　we　lived：　　

on　my　delivering　him　a　card；　he　bade　me　inform　my　master　and　the　

ladies　that　in　the　course　of　the　day　he　would　do　himself　the　honour　

of　waiting　upon　them。　　He　then　arose　and　opened　the　door　for　me　to　

depart。　　The　man　was　perfectly　civil　and　courteous；　but　I　did　not　

like　that　strange　laugh　of　his　after　having　read　the　letter。　　He　

was　as　good　as　his　word；　and　that　same　day　paid　us　a　visit。　　It　was　

now　arranged　that　we　should　pass　the　winter　in　Rome　…　to　my　great　

annoyance；　for　I　wished　to　return　to　my　native　land；　being　heartily　

tired　of　everything　connected　with　Italy。　　I　was　not；　however；　

without　hope　that　our　young　master　would　shortly　arrive；　when　I　

trusted　that　matters；　as　far　as　the　family　were　concerned；　would　be　

put　on　a　better　footing。　　In　a　few　days　our　new　acquaintance；　who；　

it　seems；　was　a　mongrel　Englishman；　had　procured　a　house　for　our　

accommodation；　it　was　large　enough；　but　not　near　so　pleasant　as　

that　we　had　at　Naples；　which　was　light　and　airy；　with　a　large　

garden。　　This　was　a　dark　gloomy　structure　in　a　narrow　street；　with　

a　frowning　church　beside　it；　it　was