lavengro-第32章

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of　German　poets。'



'It　may　be　so；'　said　the　youth。　　'But；　pray　excuse　me；　I　do　not　

think　very　highly　of　German　poetry。　　I　have　lately　been　reading　

Shakespeare；　and；　when　I　turn　from　him　to　the　Germans　…　even　the　

best　of　them　…　they　appear　mere　pigmies。　　You　will　pardon　the　

liberty　I　perhaps　take　in　saying　so。'



'I　like　that　every　one　should　have　an　opinion　of　his　own；'　said　the　

elderly　individual；　'and；　what　is　more；　declare　it。　　Nothing　

displeases　me　more　than　to　see　people　assenting　to　everything　that　

they　hear　said；　I　at　once　come　to　the　conclusion　that　they　are　

either　hypocrites；　or　there　is　nothing　in　them。　　But；　with　respect　

to　Shakespeare；　whom　I　have　not　read　for　thirty　years；　is　he　not　

rather　given　to　bombast；　〃crackling　bombast；〃　as　I　think　I　have　

said　in　one　of　my　essays？'



'I　daresay　he　is；'　said　the　youth；　'but　I　can't　help　thinking　him　

the　greatest　of　all　poets；　not　even　excepting　Homer。　　I　would　

sooner　have　written　that　series　of　plays；　founded　on　the　fortunes　

of　the　House　of　Lancaster；　than　the　ILIAD　itself。　　The　events　

described　are　as　lofty　as　those　sung　by　Homer　in　his　great　work；　

and　the　characters　brought　upon　the　stage　still　more　interesting。　　

I　think　Hotspur　as　much　of　a　hero　as　Hector；　and　young　Henry　more　

of　a　man　than　Achilles；　and　then　there　is　the　fat　knight；　the　

quintessence　of　fun；　wit；　and　rascality。　　Falstaff　is　a　creation　

beyond　the　genius　even　of　Homer。'



'You　almost　tempt　me　to　read　Shakespeare　again　…　but　the　Germans？'



'I　don't　admire　the　Germans；'　said　the　youth；　somewhat　excited。　　'I　

don't　admire　them　in　any　point　of　view。　　I　have　heard　my　father　say　

that；　though　good　sharpshooters；　they　can't　be　much　depended　upon　

as　soldiers；　and　that　old　Sergeant　Meredith　told　him　that　Minden　

would　never　have　been　won　but　for　the　two　English　regiments；　who　

charged　the　French　with　fixed　bayonets；　and　sent　them　to　the　right…

about　in　double…quick　time。　　With　respect　to　poetry；　setting　

Shakespeare　and　the　English　altogether　aside；　I　think　there　is　

another　Gothic　nation；　at　least；　entitled　to　dispute　with　them　the　

palm。　　Indeed；　to　my　mind；　there　is　more　genuine　poetry　contained　

in　the　old　Danish　book　which　I　came　so　strangely　by；　than　has　been　

produced　in　Germany　from　the　period　of　the　Niebelungen　lay　to　the　

present。'



'Ah；　the　Koempe　Viser？'　said　the　elderly　individual；　breathing　

forth　an　immense　volume　of　smoke；　which　he　had　been　collecting　

during　the　declamation　of　his　young　companion。　　'There　are　singular　

things　in　that　book；　I　must　confess；　and　I　thank　you　for　showing　it　

to　me；　or　rather　your　attempt　at　translation。　　I　was　struck　with　

that　ballad　of　Orm　Ungarswayne；　who　goes　by　night　to　the　grave…hill　

of　his　father　to　seek　for　counsel。　　And　then；　again；　that　strange　

melancholy　Swayne　Vonved；　who　roams　about　the　world　propounding　

people　riddles；　slaying　those　who　cannot　answer；　and　rewarding　

those　who　can　with　golden　bracelets。　　Were　it　not　for　the　violence；　

I　should　say　that　ballad　has　a　philosophic　tendency。　　I　thank　you　

for　making　me　acquainted　with　the　book；　and　I　thank　the　Jew　Mousha　

for　making　me　acquainted　with　you。'



'That　Mousha　was　a　strange　customer；'　said　the　youth；　collecting　

himself。



'He　WAS　a　strange　customer；'　said　the　elder　individual；　breathing　

forth　a　gentle　cloud。　　'I　love　to　exercise　hospitality　to　wandering　

strangers；　especially　foreigners；　and　when　he　came　to　this　place；　

pretending　to　teach　German　and　Hebrew；　I　asked　him　to　dinner。　　

After　the　first　dinner；　he　asked　me　to　lend　him　five　pounds；　I　DID　

lend　him　five　pounds。　　After　the　fifth　dinner；　he　asked　me　to　lend　

him　fifty　pounds；　I　did　NOT　lend　him　the　fifty　pounds。'



'He　was　as　ignorant　of　German　as　of　Hebrew；'　said　the　youth；　'on　

which　account　he　was　soon　glad；　I　suppose；　to　transfer　his　pupil　to　

some　one　else。'



'He　told　me；'　said　the　elder　individual；　'that　he　intended　to　leave　

a　town　where　he　did　not　find　sufficient　encouragement；　and；　at　the　

same　time；　expressed　regret　at　being　obliged　to　abandon　a　certain　

extraordinary　pupil；　for　whom　he　had　a　particular　regard。　　Now　I；　

who　have　taught　many　people　German　from　the　love　which　I　bear　to　

it；　and　the　desire　which　I　feel　that　it　should　be　generally　

diffused；　instantly　said　that　I　should　be　happy　to　take　his　pupil　

off　his　hands；　and　afford　him　what　instruction　I　could　in　German；　

for；　as　to　Hebrew；　I　have　never　taken　much　interest　in　it。　　Such　

was　the　origin　of　our　acquaintance。　　You　have　been　an　apt　scholar。　　

Of　late；　however；　I　have　seen　little　of　you　…　what　is　the　reason？'



The　youth　made　no　answer。



'You　think；　probably；　that　you　have　learned　all　I　can　teach　you？　　

Well；　perhaps　you　are　right。'



'Not　so；　not　so；'　said　the　young　man　eagerly；　'before　I　knew　you　I　

knew　nothing；　and　am　still　very　ignorant；　but　of　late　my　father's　

health　has　been　very　much　broken；　and　he　requires　attention；　his　

spirits　also　have　become　low；　which；　to　tell　you　the　truth；　he　

attributes　to　my　misconduct。　　He　says　that　I　have　imbibed　all　kinds　

of　strange　notions　and　doctrines；　which　will；　in　all　probability；　

prove　my　ruin；　both　here　and　hereafter；　which　…　which　…　'



'Ah！　　I　understand；'　said　the　elder；　with　another　calm　whiff。　　'I　

have　always　had　a　kind　of　respect　for　your　father；　for　there　is　

something　remarkable　in　his　appearance；　something　heroic；　and　I　

would　fain　have　cultivated　his　acquaintance；　the　feeling；　however；　

has　not　been　reciprocated。　　I　met　him；　the　other　day；　up　the　road；　

with　his　cane　and　dog；　and　saluted　him；　he　did　not　return　my　

salutation。'



'He　has　certain　opinions　of　his　own；'　said　the　youth；　'which　are　

widely　different　from　those　which　he　has　heard　that　you　profess。'



'I　respect　a　man　for　entertaining　an　opinion　of　his　own；'　said　the　

elderly　individual。　　'I　hold　certain　opinions；　but　I　should　not　

respect　an　individual　the　more　for　adopting　them。　　All　I　wish　for　

is　tolerance；　which　I　myself　endeavour　to　practise。　　I　have　always　

loved　the　truth；　and　sought　it；　if　I　have　not　found　it；　the　greater　

my　misfortune。'



'Are　you　happy？'　said　the　young　man。



'Why；　no！　　And；　between　ourselves；　it　is　that　which　induces　me　to　

doubt　sometimes　the　truth　of　my　opinions。　　My　life；　upon　the　whole；　

I　consider　a　failure；　on　which　account；　I　would　not　counsel　you；　or　

any　one；　to　follow　my　example　too　closely。　　It　is　getting　late；　and　

you　had　better　be　going；　especially　as　your　father；　you　say；　is　

anxious　about　you。　　But；　as　we　may　never　meet　again；　I　think　there　

are　three　things　which　I　may　safely　venture　to　press　upon　you。　　The　

first　is；　that　the　decencies　and　gentlenesses　should　never　be　lost　

sight　of；　as　the　practice　of　the　decencies　and　gentlenesses　is　at　

all　times　compatible　with　independence　of　thought　and　action。　　The　

second　thing　which　I　would　wish　to　impress　upon　you　is；　that　there　

is　always　some　eye　upon　us；　and　that　it　is　impossible　to　keep　

anything　we　do　from　the　world；　as　it　will　assuredly　be　divulged　by　

somebody　as　soon　as　it　is　his　interest　to　do　so。　　The　third　thing　

which　I　would　wish　to　press　upon　you　…　'



'Yes；'　said　the　youth；　eagerly　bending　forward。



'Is　…　'　and　here　the　elderly　individual　laid　down　his　pipe　upon　the　

table　…　'that　it　will　be　as　well　to　go　on　improving　yourself　in　

German！'







CHAPTER　XXIV







The　alehouse…keeper　…　Compassion　for　the　rich　…　Old　English　

gentleman　…　How　is　this？　…　Madeira　…　The　Greek　Parr　…　Twenty　

languages　…　Whiter's　health　…　About　the　fight　…　A　sporting　

gentleman　…　The　flattened　nose　…　Lend　us　that　pightle　…　The　surly　

nod。



'HOLLOA；　master！　can　you　tell　us　where　the　fight　is　likely　to　be？'



Such　were　the　words　shouted　out　to　me　by　a　short　thick　fellow；　in　

brown　top…boots；　and　bareheaded；　who　stood；　with　his　hands　in　his　

pockets；　at　the　door　of　a　country　alehouse　as　I　was　passing　by。



Now；　as　I　knew　nothing　about　the　fight；　and　as　the　appearance　of　

the　man　did　not　tempt　me　greatly　to　enter　into　conversation　with　

him；　I　merely　answered　in　the　negative；　and　continued　my　way。



It　was　a　fine　lovely　morning　in　May；　the　sun　shone　bright　above；　

and　the　birds　were　carolling　in　the　hedgerows。　　I　was　wont　to　be　

cheerful　at　such　seasons；　for；　from　my　earliest　recollection；　

sunshine　and　the　song　of　birds　have　been　dear　to　me；　yet；　about　

that　period；　I　was　not　cheerful；　my　mind　was　not　at　rest；　I　was　

debating　within　myself；　and　the　debate　was　dreary　and　

unsatisfactory　enough。　　I　sighed；　and　turning　my　eyes　upward；　I　

ejaculated；　'What　is　truth？'



But　suddenly；　by　a　violent　effort　breaking　away　from　my　

meditations；　I　hastened　forward；　one　mile；　two　miles；　three　miles　

were　speedily　left　behind；　and　now　I　came　to　a　grove　of　birch　and　

other　trees；　and　opening　a　gate　I　passed　up　a　kind　of　avenue；　and　

soon　arriving　before　a　large　brick　house；　of　rather　antique　

appearance；　knocked　at　the　door。



In　this　house　there　lived　a　gentleman　with　whom　I　had　business。　　He　

was　said　to　be　a　genuine　old　English　gentleman；　and　a　man　of　

considerable　property；　at　this　time；　however；　he　wanted　a　thousand　

pounds；　as　gentlemen　of　considerable　property　every　now　and　then　

do。　　I　had　brought　him　a　thousand　pounds　in　my　pocket；　for　it　is　

astonishing　how　many　eager　helpers　the　rich　find；　and　with　what　

compassion　people　look　upon　their　distresses。　　He　was　said　to　have　

good　wine　in　his　cellar。



'Is　your　master　at　home？'　said　I；　to　a　servant　who　appeared　at　the　

door。



'His　worship　is　at　home；　young　man；'　said　the　servant；　as　he　looked　

at　my　shoes；　which　bore　evidence　that　I　had　come　walking。　　'I　beg　

your　pardon；　sir；'　he　added；　as　he　looked　me　in　the　face。



'Ay；　ay；　servants；'　thought　I；　as　I　followed　the　man　into　the　

house；　'always　look　people　in　the　face　when　you　open　the　door；　and　

do　so　before　you　look　at　their　shoes；　or　you　may　mistake　the　heir　

of　a　Prime　Minister　for　a　shopkeeper's　son。'



I　found　his　worship　a　jolly；　red…faced　gentleman；　of　about　fifty…

five；　he　was　dressed　in　a　green　coat；　white　corduroy　breeches；　and　

drab　gaiters；　and　sat　on　an　old…fashioned　leather　sofa；　with　two　

small；　thoroughbred；　black　English　terriers；　one　on　each　side　of　

him。　　He　had　all　the　appearance　of　a　genuine　old　English　gentleman　

who　kept　good　wine　in　his　cellar。



'Sir；'　said　I；　'I　have　brought　you　a　thousand　pounds'；　and　I　said　

this　after　the　servant　had　retired；　and　the　two　terriers　had　ceased　

the　barking　which　is　natural　to　all　such　dogs　at　the　sight　of　a　

stranger。



And　when　the　magistrate　had　received　the　money；　and　signed　and　

returned　a　certain　paper　which　I　handed　to　him；　he　rubbed　his　

hands；　and　looking　very　benignantly　at　me；　exclaimed　…



'And　now；　young　gentleman；　that　our　business　is　over；　perhaps　you　

can　tell　me　where　the　fight　is　to　take　place？