lavengro-第44章

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talent；　I　shall　make　no　charge　for　them；　though　I　should　be　

justified　in　so　doing；　as　you　are　aware　that；　by　our　agreement；　you　

are　to　provide　any　books　and　materials　which　may　be　necessary。　　

Have　you　been　in　quest　of　any？'



'No；'　said　I；　'not　yet。'



'Then；　sir；　I　would　advise　you　to　lose　no　time　in　doing　so；　you　

must　visit　all　the　bookstalls；　sir；　especially　those　in　the　by…

streets　and　blind　alleys。　　It　is　in　such　places　that　you　will　find　

the　description　of　literature　you　are　in　want　of。　　You　must　be　up　

and　doing；　sir；　it　will　not　do　for　an　author；　especially　a　young　

author；　to　be　idle　in　this　town。　　To…night　you　will　receive　my　book　

of　philosophy；　and　likewise　books　for　the　Review。　　And；　by　the　bye；　

sir；　it　will　be　as　well　for　you　to　review　my　book　of　philosophy　for　

the　Review；　the　other　reviews　not　having　noticed　it。　　Sir；　before　

translating　it；　I　wish　you　to　review　my　book　of　philosophy　for　the　

Review。'



'I　shall　be　happy　to　do　my　best；　sir。'



'Very　good；　sir；　I　should　be　unreasonable　to　expect　anything　beyond　

a　person's　best。　　And　now；　sir；　if　you　please；　I　will　conduct　you　

to　the　future　editor　of　the　Review。　　As　you　are　to　co…operate；　sir；　

I　deem　it　right　to　make　you　acquainted。'



The　intended　editor　was　a　little　old　man；　who　sat　in　a　kind　of　

wooden　pavilion　in　a　small　garden　behind　a　house　in　one　of　the　

purlieus　of　the　city；　composing　tunes　upon　a　piano。　　The　walls　of　

the　pavilion　were　covered　with　fiddles　of　various　sizes　and　

appearances；　and　a　considerable　portion　of　the　floor　occupied　by　a　

pile　of　books　all　of　one　size。　　The　publisher　introduced　him　to　me　

as　a　gentleman　scarcely　less　eminent　in　literature　than　in　music；　

and　me　to　him　as　an　aspirant　critic　…　a　young　gentleman　scarcely　

less　eminent　in　philosophy　than　in　philology。　　The　conversation　

consisted　entirely　of　compliments　till　just　before　we　separated；　

when　the　future　editor　inquired　of　me　whether　I　had　ever　read　

Quintilian；　and；　on　my　replying　in　the　negative；　expressed　his　

surprise　that　any　gentleman　should　aspire　to　become　a　critic　who　

had　never　read　Quintilian；　with　the　comfortable　information；　

however；　that　he　could　supply　me　with　a　Quintilian　at　half…price；　

that　is；　a　translation　made　by　himself　some　years　previously；　of　

which　he　had；　pointing　to　the　heap　on　the　floor；　still　a　few　copies　

remaining　unsold。　　For　some　reason　or　other；　perhaps　a　poor　one；　I　

did　not　purchase　the　editor's　translation　of　Quintilian。



'Sir；'　said　the　publisher；　as　we　were　returning　from　our　visit　to　

the　editor；　'you　did　right　in　not　purchasing　a　drug。　　I　am　not　

prepared；　sir；　to　say　that　Quintilian　is　a　drug；　never　having　seen　

him；　but　I　am　prepared　to　say　that　man's　translation　is　a　drug；　

judging　from　the　heap　of　rubbish　on　the　floor；　besides；　sir；　you　

will　want　any　loose　money　you　may　have　to　purchase　the　description　

of　literature　which　is　required　for　your　compilation。'



The　publisher　presently　paused　before　the　entrance　of　a　very　

forlorn…looking　street。　　'Sir；'　said　he；　after　looking　down　it　with　

attention；　'I　should　not　wonder　if　in　that　street　you　find　works　

connected　with　the　description　of　literature　which　is　required　for　

your　compilation。　　It　is　in　streets　of　this　description；　sir；　and　

blind　alleys；　where　such　works　are　to　be　found。　　You　had　better　

search　that　street；　sir；　whilst　I　continue　my　way。'



I　searched　the　street　to　which　the　publisher　had　pointed；　and；　in　

the　course　of　the　three　succeeding　days；　many　others　of　a　similar　

kind。　　I　did　not　find　the　description　of　literature　alluded　to　by　

the　publisher　to　be　a　drug；　but；　on　the　contrary；　both　scarce　and　

dear。　　I　had　expended　much　more　than　my　loose　money　long　before　I　

could　procure　materials　even　for　the　first　volume　of　my　

compilation。







CHAPTER　XXXV







Francis　Ardry　…　Certain　sharpers　…　Brave　and　eloquent　…　Opposites　…　

Flinging　the　bones　…　Strange　places　…　Dog…fighting　…　Learning　and　

letters　…　Batch　of　dogs　…　Redoubled　application。



ONE　evening　I　was　visited　by　the　tall　young　gentleman；　Francis　

Ardry；　whose　acquaintance　I　had　formed　at　the　coffee…house。　　As　it　

is　necessary　that　the　reader　should　know　something　more　about　this　

young　man；　who　will　frequently　appear　in　the　course　of　these　pages；　

I　will　state　in　a　few　words　who　and　what　he　was。　　He　was　born　of　an　

ancient　Roman　Catholic　family　in　Ireland；　his　parents；　whose　only　

child　he　was；　had　long　been　dead。　　His　father；　who　had　survived　his　

mother　several　years；　had　been　a　spendthrift；　and　at　his　death　had　

left　the　family　property　considerably　embarrassed。　　Happily；　

however；　the　son　and　the　estate　fell　into　the　hands　of　careful　

guardians；　near　relations　of　the　family；　by　whom　the　property　was　

managed　to　the　best　advantage；　and　every　means　taken　to　educate　the　

young　man　in　a　manner　suitable　to　his　expectations。　　At　the　age　of　

sixteen　he　was　taken　from　a　celebrated　school　in　England　at　which　

he　had　been　placed；　and　sent　to　a　small　French　university；　in　order　

that　he　might　form　an　intimate　and　accurate　acquaintance　with　the　

grand　language　of　the　continent。　　There　he　continued　three　years；　

at　the　end　of　which　he　went　under　the　care　of　a　French　abbe　to　

Germany　and　Italy。　　It　was　in　this　latter　country　that　he　first　

began　to　cause　his　guardians　serious　uneasiness。　　He　was　in　the　

heyday　of　youth　when　he　visited　Italy；　and　he　entered　wildly　into　

the　various　delights　of　that　fascinating　region；　and；　what　was　

worse；　falling　into　the　hands　of　certain　sharpers；　not　Italian；　but　

English；　he　was　fleeced　of　considerable　sums　of　money。　　The　abbe；　

who；　it　seems；　was　an　excellent　individual　of　the　old　French　

school；　remonstrated　with　his　pupil　on　his　dissipation　and　

extravagance；　but；　finding　his　remonstrances　vain；　very　properly　

informed　the　guardians　of　the　manner　of　life　of　his　charge。　　They　

were　not　slow　in　commanding　Francis　Ardry　home；　and；　as　he　was　

entirely　in　their　power；　he　was　forced　to　comply。　　He　had　been　

about　three　months　in　London　when　I　met　him　in　the　coffee…room；　and　

the　two　elderly　gentlemen　in　his　company　were　his　guardians。　　At　

this　time　they　were　very　solicitous　that　he　should　choose　for　

himself　a　profession；　offering　to　his　choice　either　the　army　or　law　

…　he　was　calculated　to　shine　in　either　of　these　professions　…　for；　

like　many　others　of　his　countrymen；　he　was　brave　and　eloquent；　but　

he　did　not　wish　to　shackle　himself　with　a　profession。　　As；　however；　

his　minority　did　not　terminate　till　he　was　three…and…twenty；　of　

which　age　he　wanted　nearly　two　years；　during　which　he　would　be　

entirely　dependent　on　his　guardians；　he　deemed　it　expedient　to　

conceal；　to　a　certain　degree；　his　sentiments；　temporising　with　the　

old　gentlemen；　with　whom；　notwithstanding　his　many　irregularities；　

he　was　a　great　favourite；　and　at　whose　death　he　expected　to　come　

into　a　yet　greater　property　than　that　which　he　inherited　from　his　

parents。



Such　is　a　brief　account　of　Francis　Ardry　…　of　my　friend　Francis　

Ardry；　for　the　acquaintance；　commenced　in　the　singular　manner　with　

which　the　reader　is　acquainted；　speedily　ripened　into　a　friendship　

which　endured　through　many　long　years　of　separation；　and　which　

still　endures　certainly　on　my　part；　and　on　his　…　if　he　lives；　but　

it　is　many　years　since　I　have　heard　from　Francis　Ardry。



And　yet　many　people　would　have　thought　it　impossible　for　our　

friendship　to　have　lasted　a　week　…　for　in　many　respects　no　two　

people　could　be　more　dissimilar。　　He　was　an　Irishman　…　I；　an　

Englishman；　…　he；　fiery；　enthusiastic；　and　open…hearted；　I；　neither　

fiery；　enthusiastic；　nor　open…hearted；　…　he；　fond　of　pleasure　and　

dissipation；　I；　of　study　and　reflection。　　Yet　it　is　of　such　

dissimilar　elements　that　the　most　lasting　friendships　are　formed：　　

we　do　not　like　counterparts　of　ourselves。　　'Two　great　talkers　will　

not　travel　far　together；'　is　a　Spanish　saying；　I　will　add；　'Nor　two　

silent　people'；　we　naturally　love　our　opposites。



So　Francis　Ardry　came　to　see　me；　and　right　glad　I　was　to　see　him；　

for　I　had　just　flung　my　books　and　papers　aside；　and　was　wishing　for　

a　little　social　converse；　and　when　we　had　conversed　for　some　little　

time　together；　Francis　Ardry　proposed　that　we　should　go　to　the　play　

to　see　Kean；　so　we　went　to　the　play；　and　saw　…　not　Kean；　who　at　

that　time　was　ashamed　to　show　himself；　but　…　a　man　who　was　not　

ashamed　to　show　himself；　and　who　people　said　was　a　much　better　man　

than　Kean　…　as　I　have　no　doubt　he　was　…　though　whether　he　was　a　

better　actor　I　cannot　say；　for　I　never　saw　Kean。



Two　or　three　evenings　after　Francis　Ardry　came　to　see　me　again；　and　

again　we　went　out　together；　and　Francis　Ardry　took　me　to　…　shall　I　

say？　…　why　not？　…　a　gaming…house；　where　I　saw　people　playing；　and　

where　I　saw　Francis　Ardry　play　and　lose　five　guineas；　and　where　I　

lost　nothing；　because　I　did　not　play；　though　I　felt　somewhat　

inclined；　for　a　man　with　a　white　hat　and　a　sparkling　eye　held　up　a　

box　which　contained　something　which　rattled；　and　asked　me　to　fling　

the　bones。　　'There　is　nothing　like　flinging　the　bones！'　said　he；　

and　then　I　thought　I　should　like　to　know　what　kind　of　thing　

flinging　the　bones　was；　I；　however；　restrained　myself。　　'There　is　

nothing　like　flinging　the　bones！'　shouted　the　man；　as　my　friend　and　

myself　left　the　room。



Long　life　and　prosperity　to　Francis　Ardry！　but　for　him　I　should　not　

have　obtained　knowledge　which　I　did　of　the　strange　and　eccentric　

places　of　London。　　Some　of　the　places　to　which　he　took　me　were　very　

strange　places　indeed；　but；　however　strange　the　places　were；　I　

observed　that　the　inhabitants　thought　there　were　no　places　like　

their　several　places；　and　no　occupations　like　their　several　

occupations；　and　among　other　strange　places　to　which　Francis　Ardry　

conducted　me　was　a　place　not　far　from　the　abbey　church　of　

Westminster。



Before　we　entered　this　place　our　ears　were　greeted　by　a　confused　

hubbub　of　human　voices；　squealing　of　rats；　barking　of　dogs；　and　the　

cries　of　various　other　animals。　　Here　we　beheld　a　kind　of　cock…pit；　

around　which　a　great　many　people；　seeming　of　all　ranks；　but　chiefly　

of　the　lower；　were　gathered；　and　in　it　we　saw　a　dog　destroy　a　great　

many　rats　in　a　very　small　period；　and　when　the　dog　had　destroyed　

the　rats；　we　saw　a　fight　between　a　dog　and　a　bear；　then　a　fight　

between　two　dogs；　then　。　。　。　。



After　the　diversions　of　the　day　were　over；　my　friend　introduced　me　

to　the　genius　of　the　place；　a　small　man　of　about　five　feet　high；　

with　a　very　sharp　countenance；　and　dressed　in　a　brown　jockey　coat　

and　top　boots。　　'Joey；'　said　he；　'this　is　a　friend　of　mine。'　　Joey　

nodded　to　me　with　a　patronising　air。　　'Glad　to　see　you；　sir！　…　want　

a　dog？'



'No；'　said　I。



'You　have　got　one；　then　…　want　to　match　him？'



'We　have　a　dog　at　home；'　said　I；　'in　the　count