lavengro-第15章

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wife；　who　is　from　Londonderry；　may　have　the　advantage　of　pleasant　

company；　genteel　company；　ay；　and　Protestant　company；　captain。　　It　

did　my　heart　good　when　I　saw　your　honour　ride　in　at　the　head　of　all　

those　fine　fellows；　real　Protestants；　I'll　engage；　not　a　Papist　

among　them；　they　are　too　good…looking　and　honest…looking　for　that。　　

So　I　no　sooner　saw　your　honour　at　the　head　of　your　army；　with　that　

handsome　young　gentleman　holding　by　your　stirrup；　than　I　said　to　my　

wife；　Mistress　Hyne；　who　is　from　Londonderry；　〃God　bless　me；〃　said　

I；　〃what　a　truly　Protestant　countenance；　what　a　noble　bearing；　and　

what　a　sweet　young　gentleman。　　By　the　silver　hairs　of　his　honour〃　…　

and　sure　enough　I　never　saw　hairs　more　regally　silver　than　those　of　

your　honour　…　〃by　his　honour's　gray　silver　hairs；　and　by　my　own　

soul；　which　is　not　worthy　to　be　mentioned　in　the　same　day　with　one　

of　them　…　it　would　be　no　more　than　decent　and　civil　to　run　out　and　

welcome　such　a　father　and　son　coming　in　at　the　head　of　such　a　

Protestant　military。〃　　And　then　my　wife；　who　is　from　Londonderry；　

Mistress　Hyne；　looking　me　in　the　face　like　a　fairy　as　she　is；　〃You　

may　say　that；〃　says　she。　　〃It　would　be　but　decent　and　civil；　

honey。〃　　And　your　honour　knows　how　I　ran　out　of　my　own　door　and　

welcomed　your　honour　riding　in　company　with　your　son；　who　was　

walking；　how　I　welcomed　ye　both　at　the　head　of　your　royal　regiment；　

and　how　I　shook　your　honour　by　the　hand；　saying；　I　am　glad　to　see　

your　honour；　and　your　honour's　son；　and　your　honour's　royal　

military　Protestant　regiment。　　And　now　I　have　you　in　the　house；　and　

right　proud　I　am　to　have　ye　one　and　all；　one；　two；　three；　four；　

true　Protestants　every　one；　no　Papists　here；　and　I　have　made　bold　

to　bring　up　a　bottle　of　claret　which　is　now　waiting　behind　the　

door；　and；　when　your　honour　and　your　family　have　dined；　I　will　make　

bold　too　to　bring　up　Mistress　Hyne；　from　Londonderry；　to　introduce　

to　your　honour's　lady；　and　then　we'll　drink　to　the　health　of　King　

George；　God　bless　him；　to　the　〃glorious　and　immortal〃　…　to　Boyne　

water　…　to　your　honour's　speedy　promotion　to　be　Lord　Lieutenant；　

and　to　the　speedy　downfall　of　the　Pope　and　Saint　Anthony　of　Padua。'



Such　was　the　speech　of　the　Irish　Protestant　addressed　to　my　father　

in　the　long　lofty　dining…room　with　three　windows；　looking　upon　the　

high　street　of　the　good　town　of　Clonmel；　as　he　sat　at　meat　with　his　

family；　after　saying　grace　like　a　true…hearted　respectable　soldier　

as　he　was。



'A　bigot　and　an　Orangeman！'　　Oh　yes！　　It　is　easier　to　apply　

epithets　of　opprobrium　to　people　than　to　make　yourself　acquainted　

with　their　history　and　position。　　He　was　a　specimen；　and　a　fair　

specimen；　of　a　most　remarkable　body　of　men；　who　during　two　

centuries　have　fought　a　good　fight　in　Ireland　in　the　cause　of　

civilisation　and　religious　truth；　they　were　sent　as　colonists；　few　

in　number；　into　a　barbarous　and　unhappy　country；　where　ever　since；　

though　surrounded　with　difficulties　of　every　kind；　they　have　

maintained　their　ground；　theirs　has　been　no　easy　life；　nor　have　

their　lines　fallen　upon　very　pleasant　places；　amidst　darkness　they　

have　held　up　a　lamp；　and　it　would　be　well　for　Ireland　were　all　her　

children　like　these　her　adopted　ones。　　'But　they　are　fierce　and　

sanguinary；'　it　is　said。　　Ay；　ay！　they　have　not　unfrequently　

opposed　the　keen　sword　to　the　savage　pike。　　'But　they　are　bigoted　

and　narrow…minded。'　　Ay；　ay！　they　do　not　like　idolatry；　and　will　

not　bow　the　knee　before　a　stone！　　'But　their　language　is　frequently　

indecorous。'　　Go　to；　my　dainty　one；　did　ye　ever　listen　to　the　voice　

of　Papist　cursing？



The　Irish　Protestants　have　faults；　numerous　ones；　but　the　greater　

number　of　these　may　be　traced　to　the　peculiar　circumstances　of　

their　position：　　but　they　have　virtues；　numerous　ones；　and　their　

virtues　are　their　own；　their　industry；　their　energy；　and　their　

undaunted　resolution　are　their　own。　　They　have　been　vilified　and　

traduced　…　but　what　would　Ireland　be　without　them？　　I　repeat；　that　

it　would　be　well　for　her　were　all　her　sons　no　worse　than　these　

much…calumniated　children　of　her　adoption。







CHAPTER　X







Protestant　young　gentlemen　…　The　Greek　letters　…　Open　chimney　…　

Murtagh　…　Paris　and　Salamanca　…　Nothing　to　do　…　To　whit；　to　whoo！　…　

The　pack　of　cards　…　Before　Christmas。



WE　continued　at　this　place　for　some　months；　during　which　time　the　

soldiers　performed　their　duties；　whatever　they　were；　and　I；　having　

no　duties　to　perform；　was　sent　to　school。　　I　had　been　to　English　

schools；　and　to　the　celebrated　one　of　Edinburgh；　but　my　education；　

at　the　present　day；　would　not　be　what　it　is　…　perfect；　had　I　never　

had　the　honour　of　being　ALUMNUS　in　an　Irish　seminary。



'Captain；'　said　our　kind　host；　'you　would；　no　doubt；　wish　that　the　

young　gentleman　should　enjoy　every　advantage　which　the　town　may　

afford　towards　helping　him　on　in　the　path　of　genteel　learning。　　

It's　a　great　pity　that　he　should　waste　his　time　in　idleness　…　doing　

nothing　else　than　what　he　says　he　has　been　doing　for　the　last　

fortnight　…　fishing　in　the　river　for　trouts　which　he　never　catches；　

and　wandering　up　the　glen　in　the　mountain；　in　search　of　the　hips　

that　grow　there。　　Now；　we　have　a　school　here；　where　he　can　learn　

the　most　elegant　Latin；　and　get　an　insight　into　the　Greek　letters；　

which　is　desirable；　and　where；　moreover；　he　will　have　an　

opportunity　of　making　acquaintance　with　all　the　Protestant　young　

gentlemen　of　the　place；　the　handsome　well…dressed　young　persons　

whom　your　honour　sees　in　the　church　on　the　Sundays；　when　your　

honour　goes　there　in　the　morning；　with　the　rest　of　the　Protestant　

military；　for　it　is　no　Papist　school；　though　there　may　be　a　Papist　

or　two　there　…　a　few　poor　farmers'　sons　from　the　country；　with　whom　

there　is　no　necessity　for　your　honour's　child　to　form　any　

acquaintance　at　all；　at　all！'



And　to　the　school　I　went；　where　I　read　the　Latin　tongue　and　the　

Greek　letters；　with　a　nice　old　clergyman；　who　sat　behind　a　black　

oaken　desk；　with　a　huge　Elzevir　Flaccus　before　him；　in　a　long　

gloomy　kind　of　hall；　with　a　broken　stone　floor；　the　roof　festooned　

with　cobwebs；　the　walls　considerably　dilapidated；　and　covered　over　

with　strange　figures　and　hieroglyphics；　evidently　produced　by　the　

application　of　burnt　stick；　and　there　I　made　acquaintance　with　the　

Protestant　young　gentlemen　of　the　place；　who；　with　whatever　ECLAT　

they　might　appear　at　church　on　a　Sunday；　did　assuredly　not　exhibit　

to　much　advantage　in　the　schoolroom　on　the　week　days；　either　with　

respect　to　clothes　or　looks。　　And　there　I　was　in　the　habit　of　

sitting　on　a　large　stone；　before　the　roaring　fire　in　the　huge　open　

chimney；　and　entertaining　certain　of　the　Protestant　young　gentlemen　

of　my　own　age；　seated　on　similar　stones；　with　extraordinary　

accounts　of　my　own　adventures；　and　those　of　the　corps；　with　an　

occasional　anecdote　extracted　from　the　story…books　of　Hickathrift　

and　Wight　Wallace；　pretending　to　be　conning　the　lesson　all　the　

while。



And　there　I　made　acquaintance；　notwithstanding　the　hint　of　the　

landlord；　with　the　Papist　'gossoons；'　as　they　were　called；　the　

farmers'　sons　from　the　country；　and　of　these　gossoons；　of　whom　

there　were　three；　two　might　be　reckoned　as　nothing　at　all；　in　the　

third；　however；　I　soon　discovered　that　there　was　something　

extraordinary。



He　was　about　sixteen　years　old；　and　above　six　feet　high；　dressed　in　

a　gray　suit；　the　coat；　from　its　size；　appeared　to　have　been　made　

for　him　some　ten　years　before。　　He　was　remarkably　narrow…chested　

and　round…shouldered；　owing；　perhaps　as　much　to　the　tightness　of　

his　garment　as　to　the　hand　of　nature。　　His　face　was　long；　and　his　

complexion　swarthy；　relieved；　however；　by　certain　freckles；　with　

which　the　skin　was　plentifully　studded。　　He　had　strange　wandering　

eyes；　gray；　and　somewhat　unequal　in　size；　they　seldom　rested　on　the　

book；　but　were　generally　wandering　about　the　room；　from　one　object　

to　another。　　Sometimes　he　would　fix　them　intently　on　the　wall；　and　

then　suddenly　starting；　as　if　from　a　reverie；　he　would　commence　

making　certain　mysterious　movements　with　his　thumbs　and　

forefingers；　as　if　he　were　shuffling　something　from　him。



One　morning；　as　he　sat　by　himself　on　a　bench；　engaged　in　this　

manner；　I　went　up　to　him；　and　said；　'Good…day；　Murtagh；　you　do　not　

seem　to　have　much　to　do？'



'Faith；　you　may　say　that；　Shorsha　dear！　…　it　is　seldom　much　to　do　

that　I　have。'



'And　what　are　you　doing　with　your　hands？'



'Faith；　then；　if　I　must　tell　you；　I　was　e'en　dealing　with　the　

cards。'



'Do　you　play　much　at　cards？'



'Sorra　a　game；　Shorsha；　have　I　played　with　the　cards　since　my　uncle　

Phelim；　the　thief；　stole　away　the　ould　pack；　when　he　went　to　settle　

in　the　county　Waterford！'



'But　you　have　other　things　to　do？'



'Sorra　anything　else　has　Murtagh　to　do　that　he　cares　about　and　that　

makes　me　dread　so　going　home　at　nights。'



'I　should　like　to　know　all　about　you；　where　do　you　live；　joy？'



'Faith；　then；　ye　shall　know　all　about　me；　and　where　I　live。　　It　is　

at　a　place　called　the　Wilderness　that　I　live；　and　they　call　it　so；　

because　it　is　a　fearful　wild　place；　without　any　house　near　it　but　

my　father's　own；　and　that's　where　I　live　when　at　home。'



'And　your　father　is　a　farmer；　I　suppose？'



'You　may　say　that；　and　it　is　a　farmer　I　should　have　been；　like　my　

brother　Denis；　had　not　my　uncle　Phelim；　the　thief；　tould　my　father　

to　send　me　to　school；　to　learn　Greek　letters；　that　I　might　be　made　

a　saggart　of；　and　sent　to　Paris　and　Salamanca。'



'And　you　would　rather　be　a　farmer　than　a　priest？'



'You　may　say　that！　…　for；　were　I　a　farmer；　like　the　rest；　I　should　

have　something　to　do；　like　the　rest　…　something　that　I　cared　for　…　

and　I　should　come　home　tired　at　night；　and　fall　asleep；　as　the　rest　

do；　before　the　fire；　but　when　I　comes　home　at　night　I　am　not　tired；　

for　I　have　been　doing　nothing　all　day　that　I　care　for；　and　then　I　

sits　down　and　stares　about　me；　and　at　the　fire；　till　I　become　

frighted；　and　then　I　shouts　to　my　brother　Denis；　or　to　the　

gossoons；　〃Get　up；　I　say；　and　let's　be　doing　something；　tell　us　the　

tale　of　Finn…ma…Coul；　and　how　he　lay　down　in　the　Shannon's　bed；　and　

let　the　river　flow　down　his　jaws！〃　　Arrah；　Shorsha！　　I　wish　you　

would　come　and　stay　with　us；　and　tell　us　some　o'　your　sweet　stories　

of　your　own　self　and　the　snake　ye　carried　about　wid　ye。　　Faith；　

Shorsha　dear！　that　snake　bates　anything　about　Finn…ma…Coul　or　Brian　

Boroo；　the　thieves　two；　bad　luck　to　them！'



'And　do　they　get　up　and　tell　you　stories？'



'Sometimes　they　does；　but　oftenmost　they　curses　me；　and　bids　me　be　

quiet！　　But　I　can't　be　quiet；　either　before　the　fire　or　abed；　so　I　

runs　out　of　the　house；　and　stares　at　the　rocks；　at　the　trees；　and　

sometimes　at　the　clouds；　as　they　run　a　race　across　the　b