lavengro-第55章

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looking　me　full　in　the　face；　repeated　his　former　inquiry。　　'In　the　

name　of　all　that　is　wonderful；　how　came　you　to　know　aught　of　my　

language？'



'There　is　nothing　wonderful　in　that；'　said　I；　'we　are　at　the　

commencement　of　a　philological　age；　every　one　studies　languages；　

that　is；　every　one　who　is　fit　for　nothing　else；　philology　being　the　

last　resource　of　dulness　and　ennui；　I　have　got　a　little　in　advance　

of　the　throng；　by　mastering　the　Armenian　alphabet；　but　I　foresee　

the　time　when　every　unmarriageable　miss；　and　desperate　blockhead；　

will　likewise　have　acquired　the　letters　of　Mesroub；　and　will　know　

the　term　for　bread；　in　Armenian；　and　perhaps　that　for　wine。'



'Kini；'　said　my　companion；　and　that　and　the　other　word　put　me　in　

mind　of　the　duties　of　hospitality。　　'Will　you　eat　bread　and　drink　

wine　with　me？'



'Willingly；'　said　I。　　Whereupon　my　companion；　unlocking　a　closet；　

produced；　on　a　silver　salver；　a　loaf　of　bread；　with　a　silver…

handled　knife；　and　wine　in　a　silver　flask；　with　cups　of　the　same　

metal。　　'　I　hope　you　like　my　fare；'　said　he；　after　we　had　both　

eaten　and　drunk。



'I　like　your　bread；'　said　I；　'for　it　is　stale；　I　like　not　your　

wine；　it　is　sweet；　and　I　hate　sweet　wine。'



'It　is　wine　of　Cyprus；'　said　my　entertainer；　and；　when　I　found　that　

it　was　wine　of　Cyprus；　I　tasted　it　again；　and　the　second　taste　

pleased　me　much　better　than　the　first；　notwithstanding　that　I　still　

thought　it　somewhat　sweet。　　'So；'　said　I；　after　a　pause；　looking　at　

my　companion；　'you　are　an　Armenian。'



'Yes；'　said　he；　'an　Armenian　born　in　London；　but　not　less　an　

Armenian　on　that　account。　　My　father　was　a　native　of　Ispahan；　one　

of　the　celebrated　Armenian　colony　which　was　established　there　

shortly　after　the　time　of　the　dreadful　hunger；　which　drove　the　

children　of　Haik　in　swarms　from　their　original　country；　and　

scattered　them　over　most　parts　of　the　eastern　and　western　world。　　

In　Ispahan　he　passed　the　greater　portion　of　his　life；　following　

mercantile　pursuits　with　considerable　success。　　Certain　enemies；　

however；　having　accused　him　to　the　despot　of　the　place；　of　using　

seditious　language；　he　was　compelled　to　flee；　leaving　most　of　his　

property　behind。　　Travelling　in　the　direction　of　the　west；　he　came　

at　last　to　London；　where　he　established　himself；　and　where　he　

eventually　died；　leaving　behind　a　large　property　and　myself；　his　

only　child；　the　fruit　of　a　marriage　with　an　Armenian　Englishwoman；　

who　did　not　survive　my　birth　more　than　three　months。'



The　Armenian　then　proceeded　to　tell　me　that　he　had　carried　on　the　

business　of　his　father；　which　seemed　to　embrace　most　matters；　from　

buying　silks　of　Lascars；　to　speculating　in　the　funds；　and　that　he　

had　considerably　increased　the　property　which　his　father　had　left　

him。　　He　candidly　confessed　that　he　was　wonderfully　fond　of　gold；　

and　said　there　was　nothing　like　it　for　giving　a　person　

respectability　and　consideration　in　the　world：　　to　which　assertion　

I　made　no　answer；　being　not　exactly　prepared　to　contradict　it。



And；　when　he　had　related　to　me　his　history；　he　expressed　a　desire　

to　know　something　more　of　myself；　whereupon　I　gave　him　the　outline　

of　my　history；　concluding　with　saying；　'I　am　now　a　poor　author；　or　

rather　philologist；　upon　the　streets　of　London；　possessed　of　many　

tongues；　which　I　find　of　no　use　in　the　world。'



'Learning　without　money　is　anything　but　desirable；'　said　the　

Armenian；　'as　it　unfits　a　man　for　humble　occupations。　　It　is　true　

that　it　may　occasionally　beget　him　friends；　I　confess　to　you　that　

your　understanding　something　of　my　language　weighs　more　with　me　

than　the　service　you　rendered　me　in　rescuing　my　pocket…book　the　

other　day　from　the　claws　of　that　scoundrel　whom　I　yet　hope　to　see　

hanged；　if　not　crucified；　notwithstanding　there　were　in　that　

pocket…book　papers　and　documents　of　considerable　value。　　Yes；　that　

circumstance　makes　my　heart　warm　towards　you；　for　I　am　proud　of　my　

language　…　as　I　indeed　well　may　be　…　what　a　language；　noble　and　

energetic！　quite　original；　differing　from　all　others　both　in　words　

and　structure。'



'You　are　mistaken；'　said　I；　'many　languages　resemble　the　Armenian　

both　in　structure　and　words。'



'For　example？'　said　the　Armenian。



'For　example；'　said　I；　'the　English。'



'The　English！'　said　the　Armenian；　'show　me　one　word　in　which　the　

English　resembles　the　Armenian。'



'You　walk　on　London　Bridge；'　said　I。



'Yes；'　said　the　Armenian。



'I　saw　you　look　over　the　balustrade　the　other　morning。'



'True；'　said　the　Armenian。



'Well；　what　did　you　see　rushing　up　through　the　arches　with　noise　

and　foam？'



'What　was　it？'　said　the　Armenian。　　'What　was　it？　…　you　don't　mean　

the　TIDE？'



'Do　I　not？'　said　I。



'Well；　what　has　the　tide　to　do　with　the　matter？'



'Much；'　said　I；　'what　is　the　tide？'



'The　ebb　and　flow　of　the　sea；'　said　the　Armenian。



'The　sea　itself；　what　is　the　Haik　word　for　sea？'



The　Armenian　gave　a　strong　gasp；　then；　nodding　his　head　thrice；　

'You　are　right；'　said　he；　'the　English　word　tide　is　the　Armenian　

for　sea；　and　now　I　begin　to　perceive　that　there　are　many　English　

words　which　are　Armenian；　there　is　…　and　…；　and　there　again　in　

French；　there　is　…　and　…　derived　from　the　Armenian。　　How　strange；　

how　singular　…　I　thank　you。　　It　is　a　proud　thing　to　see　that　the　

language　of　my　race　has　had　so　much　influence　over　the　languages　of　

the　world。'



I　saw　that　all　that　related　to　his　race　was　the　weak　point　of　the　

Armenian。　　I　did　not　flatter　the　Armenian　with　respect　to　his　race　

or　language。　　'An　inconsiderable　people；'　said　I；　'shrewd　and　

industrious；　but　still　an　inconsiderable　people。　　A　language　bold　

and　expressive；　and　of　some　antiquity；　derived；　though　perhaps　not　

immediately；　from　some　much　older　tongue。　　I　do　not　think　that　the　

Armenian　has　had　any　influence　over　the　formation　of　the　languages　

of　the　world；　I　am　not　much　indebted　to　the　Armenian　for　the　

solution　of　any　doubts；　whereas　to　the　language　of　Mr。　Petulengro　…　

'



'I　have　heard　you　mention　that　name　before；'　said　the　Armenian；　

'who　is　Mr。　Petulengro？'



And　then　I　told　the　Armenian　who　Mr。　Petulengro　was。　　The　Armenian　

spoke　contemptuously　of　Mr。　Petulengro　and　his　race。　　'Don't　speak　

contemptuously　of　Mr。　Petulengro；'　said　I；　'nor　of　anything　

belonging　to　him。　　He　is　a　dark　mysterious　personage；　all　connected　

with　him　is　a　mystery；　especially　his　language；　but　I　believe　that　

his　language　is　doomed　to　solve　a　great　philological　problem　…　Mr。　

Petulengo　…　'



'You　appear　agitated；'　said　the　Armenian；　'take　another　glass　of　

wine；　you　possess　a　great　deal　of　philological　knowledge；　but　it　

appears　to　me　that　the　language　of　this　Petulengro　is　your　foible：　　

but　let　us　change　the　subject；　I　feel　much　interested　in　you；　and　

would　fain　be　of　service　to　you。　　Can　you　cast　accounts？'



I　shook　my　head。



'Keep　books？'



'I　have　an　idea　that　I　could　write　books；'　said　I；　'but；　as　to　

keeping　them　…　'　and　here　again　I　shook　my　head。



The　Armenian　was　silent　some　time；　all　at　once；　glancing　at　one　of　

the　wire　cases；　with　which；　as　I　have　already　said；　the　walls　of　

the　room　were　hung；　he　asked　me　if　I　was　well　acquainted　with　the　

learning　of　the　Haiks。　　'The　books　in　these　cases；'　said　he；　

'contain　the　masterpieces　of　Haik　learning。'



'No；'　said　I；　'all　I　know　of　the　learning　of　the　Haiks　is　their　

translation　of　the　Bible。'



'You　have　never　read　Z…？'



'No；'　said　I；　'I　have　never　read　Z…。'



'I　have　a　plan；'　said　the　Armenian；　'I　think　I　can　employ　you　

agreeably　and　profitably；　I　should　like　to　see　Z…　in　an　English　

dress；　you　shall　translate　Z…　　If　you　can　read　the　Scriptures　in　

Armenian；　you　can　translate　Z…。　　He　is　our　Esop；　the　most　acute　and　

clever　of　all　our　moral　writers　…　his　philosophy　…　'



'I　will　have　nothing　to　do　with　him；'　said　I。



'Wherefore？'　said　the　Armenian。



'There　is　an　old　proverb；'　said　I；　'〃that　a　burnt　child　avoids　the　

fire。〃　　I　have　burnt　my　hands　sufficiently　with　attempting　to　

translate　philosophy；　to　make　me　cautious　of　venturing　upon　it　

again'；　and　then　I　told　the　Armenian　how　I　had　been　persuaded　by　

the　publisher　to　translate　his　philosophy　into　German；　and　what　

sorry　thanks　I　had　received；　'And　who　knows；'　said　I；　'but　the　

attempt　to　translate　Armenian　philosophy　into　English　might　he　

attended　with　yet　more　disagreeable　consequences？'



The　Armenian　smiled。　　'You　would　find　me　very　different　from　the　

publisher。'



'In　many　points　I　have　no　doubt　I　should；'　I　replied；　'but　at　the　

present　moment　I　feel　like　a　bird　which　has　escaped　from　a　cage；　

and；　though　hungry；　feels　no　disposition　to　return。　　Of　what　nation　

is　the　dark　man　below　stairs；　whom　I　saw　writing　at　the　desk？'



'He　is　a　Moldave；'　said　the　Armenian；　'the　dog　（and　here　his　eyes　

sparkled）　deserves　to　be　crucified；　he　is　continually　making　

mistakes。'



The　Armenian　again　renewed　his　proposition　about　Z…；　which　I　again　

refused；　as　I　felt　but　little　inclination　to　place　myself　beneath　

the　jurisdiction　of　a　person　who　was　in　the　habit　of　cuffing　those　

whom　he　employed；　when　they　made　mistakes。　　I　presently　took　my　

departure；　not；　however；　before　I　had　received　from　the　Armenian　a　

pressing　invitation　to　call　upon　him　whenever　I　should　feel　

disposed。







CHAPTER　XLVIII







What　to　do　…　Strong　enough　…　Fame　and　profit　…　Alliterative　euphony　

…　Excellent　fellow　…　Listen　to　me　…　A　plan　…　Bagnigge　Wells。



ANXIOUS　thoughts　frequently　disturbed　me　at　this　time　with　respect　

to　what　I　was　to　do；　and　how　support　myself　in　the　Great　City。　　My　

future　prospects　were　gloomy　enough；　and　I　looked　forward　and　

feared；　sometimes　I　felt　half　disposed　to　accept　the　offer　of　the　

Armenian；　and　to　commence　forthwith；　under　his　superintendence；　the　

translation　of　the　Haik　Esop；　but　the　remembrance　of　the　cuffs　

which　I　had　seen　him　bestow　upon　the　Moldavian；　when　glancing　over　

his　shoulder　into　the　ledger　or　whatever　it　was　on　which　he　was　

employed；　immediately　drove　the　inclination　from　my　mind。　　I　could　

not　support　the　idea　of　the　possibility　of　his　staring　over　my　

shoulder　upon　my　translation　of　the　Haik　Esop；　and；　dissatisfied　

with　my　attempts；　treating　me　as　he　had　treated　the　Moldavian　

clerk；　placing　myself　in　a　position　which　exposed　me　to　such　

treatment　would　indeed　be　plunging　into　the　fire　after　escaping　

from　the　frying…pan。　　The　publisher；　insolent　and　overbearing　as　he　

was；　whatever　he　might　have　wished　or　thought；　had　never　lifted　his　

hand　against　me；　or　told　me　that　I　merited　crucifixion。



What　was　I　to　do？　turn　porter？　　I　was　strong；　but　there　was　

something　besides　strength　required　to　ply　the　trade　of　a　porter　…　

a　mind　of　a　particularly　phlegmatic　temperament；　which　I　did　not　

possess。　　Wha