lavengro-第65章

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having　paid　my　money　for　the　privilege　of　being　hurried　along　it　in　

the　flying　vehicle。　　We　frequently　changed　horses；　and　at　last　my　

friend　the　coachman　was　replaced　by　another；　the　very　image　of　

himself　…　hawk　nose；　red　face；　with　narrow…rimmed　hat　and　

fashionable　benjamin。　　After　he　had　driven　about　fifty　yards；　the　

new　coachman　fell　to　whipping　one　of　the　horses。　　'D…　this　near…

hand　wheeler；'　said　he；　'the　brute　has　got　a　corn。'　　'Whipping　him　

won't　cure　him　of　his　corn；'　said　I。　　'Who　told　you　to　speak？'　said　

the　driver；　with　an　oath；　'mind　your　own　business；　'tisn't　from　the　

like　of　you　I　am　to　learn　to　drive　'orses。'　　Presently　I　fell　into　

a　broken　kind　of　slumber。　　In　an　hour　or　two　I　was　aroused　by　a　

rough　voice　…　'Got　to　…；　young　man；　get　down　if　you　please。'　　I　

opened　my　eyes　…　there　was　a　dim　and　indistinct　light；　like　that　

which　precedes　dawn；　the　coach　was　standing　still　in　something　like　

a　street；　just　below　me　stood　the　guard。　　'Do　you　mean　to　get　

down；'　said　he；　'or　will　you　keep　us　here　till　morning？　other　fares　

want　to　get　up。'　　Scarcely　knowing　what　I　did；　I　took　my　bundle　and　

stick　and　descended；　whilst　two　people　mounted。　　'All　right；　John；'　

said　the　guard　to　the　coachman；　springing　up　behind；　whereupon　off　

whisked　the　coach；　one　or　two　individuals　who　were　standing　by　

disappeared；　and　I　was　left　alone。







CHAPTER　LX







The　still　hour　…　A　thrill　…　The　wondrous　circle　…　The　shepherd　…　

Heaps　and　barrows　…　What　do　you　mean？　…　Milk　of　the　plains　…　

Hengist　spared　it　…　No　presents。



AFTER　standing　still　a　minute　or　two；　considering　what　I　should　do；　

I　moved　down　what　appeared　to　be　the　street　of　a　small　straggling　

town；　presently　I　passed　by　a　church；　which　rose　indistinctly　on　my　

right　hand；　anon　there　was　the　rustling　of　foliage　and　the　rushing　

of　waters。　　I　reached　a　bridge；　beneath　which　a　small　stream　was　

running　in　the　direction　of　the　south。　　I　stopped　and　leaned　over　

the　parapet；　for　I　have　always　loved　to　look　upon　streams；　

especially　at　the　still　hours。　　'What　stream　is　this；　I　wonder？'　

said　I；　as　I　looked　down　from　the　parapet　into　the　water；　which　

whirled　and　gurgled　below。



Leaving　the　bridge；　I　ascended　a　gentle　acclivity；　and　presently　

reached　what　appeared　to　be　a　tract　of　moory　undulating　ground。　　It　

was　now　tolerably　light；　but　there　was　a　mist　or　haze　abroad　which　

prevented　my　seeing　objects　with　much　precision。　　I　felt　chill　in　

the　damp　air　of　the　early　morn；　and　walked　rapidly　forward。　　In　

about　half　an　hour　I　arrived　where　the　road　divided　into　two；　at　an　

angle　or　tongue　of　dark　green　sward。　　'To　the　right　or　the　left？'　

said　I；　and　forthwith　took；　without　knowing　why；　the　left…hand　

road；　along　which　I　proceeded　about　a　hundred　yards；　when；　in　the　

midst　of　the　tongue　of　sward　formed　by　the　two　roads；　collaterally　

with　myself；　I　perceived　what　I　at　first　conceived　to　be　a　small　

grove　of　blighted　trunks　of　oaks；　barked　and　gray。　　I　stood　still　

for　a　moment；　and　then；　turning　off　the　road；　advanced　slowly　

towards　it　over　the　sward；　as　I　drew　nearer；　I　perceived　that　the　

objects　which　had　attracted　my　curiosity；　and　which　formed　a　kind　

of　circle；　were　not　trees；　but　immense　upright　stones。　　A　thrill　

pervaded　my　system；　just　before　me　were　two；　the　mightiest　of　the　

whole；　tall　as　the　stems　of　proud　oaks；　supporting　on　their　tops　a　

huge　transverse　stone；　and　forming　a　wonderful　doorway。　　I　knew　now　

where　I　was；　and；　laying　down　my　stick　and　bundle；　and　taking　off　

my　hat；　I　advanced　slowly；　and　cast　myself　…　it　was　folly；　perhaps；　

but　I　could　not　help　what　I　did　…　cast　myself；　with　my　face　on　the　

dewy　earth；　in　the　middle　of　the　portal　of　giants；　beneath　the　

transverse　stone。



The　spirit　of　Stonehenge　was　strong　upon　me！



And　after　I　had　remained　with　my　face　on　the　ground　for　some　time；　

I　arose；　placed　my　hat　on　my　head；　and；　taking　up　my　stick　and　

bundle；　wandered　round　the　wondrous　circle；　examining　each　

individual　stone；　from　the　greatest　to　the　least；　and　then；　

entering　by　the　great　door；　seated　myself　upon　an　immense　broad　

stone；　one　side　of　which　was　supported　by　several　small　ones；　and　

the　other　slanted　upon　the　earth；　and　there；　in　deep　meditation；　I　

sat　for　an　hour　or　two；　till　the　sun　shone　in　my　face　above　the　

tall　stones　of　the　eastern　side。



And　as　I　still　sat　there；　I　heard　the　noise　of　bells；　and　presently　

a　large　number　of　sheep　came　browsing　past　the　circle　of　stones；　

two　or　three　entered；　and　grazed　upon　what　they　could　find；　and　

soon　a　man　also　entered　the　circle　at　the　northern　side。



'Early　here；　sir；'　said　the　man；　who　was　tall；　and　dressed　in　a　

dark　green　slop；　and　had　all　the　appearance　of　a　shepherd；　'a　

traveller；　I　suppose？'



'Yes；'　said　I；　'I　am　a　traveller；　are　these　sheep　yours？'



'They　are；　sir；　that　is；　they　are　my　master's。　　A　strange　place　

this；　sir；'　said　he；　looking　at　the　stones；　'ever　here　before？'



'Never　in　body；　frequently　in　mind。'



'Heard　of　the　stones；　I　suppose；　no　wonder　…　all　the　people　of　the　

plain　talk　of　them。'



'What　do　the　people　of　the　plain　say　of　them？'



'Why；　they　say　…　How　did　they　ever　come　here？'



'Do　they　not　suppose　them　to　have　been　brought？'



'Who　should　have　brought　them？'



'I　have　read　that　they　were　brought　by　many　thousand　men。'



'Where　from？'



'Ireland。'



'How　did　they　bring　them？'



'I　don't　know。'



'And　what　did　they　bring　them　for？'



'To　form　a　temple；　perhaps。'



'What　is　that？'



'A　place　to　worship　God　in。'



'A　strange　place　to　worship　God　in。'



'Why？'



'It　has　no　roof。'



'Yes；　it　has。'



'Where？'　said　the　man；　looking　up。



'What　do　you　see　above　you？'



'The　sky。'



'Well？'



'Well！'



'Have　you　anything　to　say？'



'How　did　these　stones　come　here？'



'Are　there　other　stones　like　these　on　the　plains？'　said　I。



'None；　and　yet　there　are　plenty　of　strange　things　on　these　downs。'



'What　are　they？'



'Strange　heaps；　and　barrows；　and　great　walls　of　earth　built　on　the　

tops　of　hills。'



'Do　the　people　of　the　plain　wonder　how　they　came　there？'



'They　do　not。'



'Why？'



'They　were　raised　by　hands。'



'And　these　stones？'



'How　did　they　ever　come　here？'



'I　wonder　whether　they　are　here？'　said　I。



'These　stones？'



'Yes。'



'So　sure　as　the　world；'　said　the　man；　'and；　as　the　world；　they　will　

stand　as　long。'



'I　wonder　whether　there　is　a　world。'



'What　do　you　mean？'



'An　earth；　and　sea；　moon　and　stars；　sheep　and　men。'



'Do　you　doubt　it？'



'Sometimes。'



'I　never　heard　it　doubted　before。'



'It　is　impossible　there　should　be　a　world。'



'It　ain't　possible　there　shouldn't　be　a　world。'



'Just　so。'　　At　this　moment　a　fine　ewe；　attended　by　a　lamb；　rushed　

into　the　circle　and　fondled　the　knees　of　the　shepherd。　　'I　suppose　

you　would　not　care　to　have　some　milk；'　said　the　man。



'Why　do　you　suppose　so？'



'Because；　so　be　there　be　no　sheep；　no　milk；　you　know；　and　what　

there　ben't　is　not　worth　having。'



'You　could　not　have　argued　better；'　said　I；　'that　is；　supposing　you　

have　argued；　with　respect　to　the　milk　you　may　do　as　you　please。'



'Be　still；　Nanny；'　said　the　man；　and　producing　a　tin　vessel　from　

his　scrip；　he　milked　the　ewe　into　it。　　'Here　is　milk　of　the　plains；　

master；'　said　the　man；　as　he　handed　the　vessel　to　me。



'Where　are　those　barrows　and　great　walls　of　earth　you　were　speaking　

of？'　said　I；　after　I　had　drunk　some　of　the　milk；　'are　there　any　

near　where　we　are？'



'Not　within　many　miles；　the　nearest　is　yonder　away；'　said　the　

shepherd；　pointing　to　the　south…east。　　'It's　a　grand　place；　that；　

but　not　like　this；　quite　different；　and　from　it　you　have　a　sight　of　

the　finest　spire　in　the　world。'



'I　must　go　to　it；'　said　I；　and　I　drank　the　remainder　of　the　milk；　

'yonder；　you　say。'



'Yes；　yonder；　but　you　cannot　get　to　it　in　that　direction；　the　river　

lies　between。'



'What　river？'



'The　Avon。'



'Avon　is　British；'　said　I。



'Yes；'　said　the　man；　'we　are　all　British　here。'



'No；　we　are　not；'　said　I。



'What　are　we　then？'



'English。'



'Ain't　they　one？'



'No。'



'Who　were　the　British？'



'The　men　who　are　supposed　to　have　worshipped　God　in　this　place；　and　

who　raised　these　stones。'



'Where　are　they　now？'



'Our　forefathers　slaughtered　them；　spilled　their　blood　all　about；　

especially　in　this　neighbourhood；　destroyed　their　pleasant　places；　

and　left　not；　to　use　their　own　words；　one　stone　upon　another。'



'Yes；　they　did；'　said　the　shepherd；　looking　aloft　at　the　transverse　

stone。



'And　it　is　well　for　them　they　did；　whenever　that　stone；　which　

English　hands　never　raised；　is　by　English　hands　thrown　down；　woe；　

woe；　woe　to　the　English　race；　spare　it；　English！　Hengist　spared　it！　

…　Here　is　sixpence。'



'I　won't　have　it；'　said　the　man。



'Why　not？'



'You　talk　so　prettily　about　these　stones；　you　seem　to　know　all　

about　them。'



'I　never　receive　presents；　with　respect　to　the　stones；　I　say　with　

yourself；　How　did　they　ever　come　here？'



'How　did　they　ever　come　here？'　said　the　shepherd。







CHAPTER　LXI







The　river　…　Arid　downs　…　A　prospect。



LEAVING　the　shepherd；　I　bent　my　way　in　the　direction　pointed　out　by　

him　as　that　in　which　the　most　remarkable　of　the　strange　remains　of　

which　he　had　spoken　lay。　　I　proceeded　rapidly；　making　my　way　over　

the　downs　covered　with　coarse　grass　and　fern；　with　respect　to　the　

river　of　which　he　had　spoken；　I　reflected　that；　either　by　wading　or　

swimming；　I　could　easily　transfer　myself　and　what　I　bore　to　the　

opposite　side。　　On　arriving　at　its　banks；　I　found　it　a　beautiful　

stream；　but　shallow；　with　here　and　there　a　deep　place　where　the　

water　ran　dark　and　still。



Always　fond　of　the　pure　lymph；　I　undressed；　and　plunged　into　one　of　

these　gulfs；　from　which　I　emerged；　my　whole　frame　in　a　glow；　and　

tingling　with　delicious　sensations。　　After　conveying　my　clothes　and　

scanty　baggage　to　the　farther　side；　I　dressed；　and　then　with　

hurried　steps　bent　my　course　in　the　direction　of　some　lofty　ground；　

I　at　length　found　myself　on　a　high…road；　leading　over　wide　and　arid　

downs；　following　the　road　for　some　miles　without　seeing　anything　

remarkable；　I　supposed　at　length　that　I　had　taken　the　wrong　path；　

and　wended　on　slowly　and　disconsolately　for　some　time；　till；　having　

nearly　surmounted　a　steep　hill；　I　knew　at　once；　from　certain　

appearances；　that　I　was　near　the　object　of　my　search。　　Turning　to　

the　right　near　the　brow　of　the　hill；　I　proceeded　along　a　path　which　

brought　me　to　a　causeway　leading　over　a　deep　ravine；　and　connecting　

the　hill　with　another　which　had　once　formed　part　of　it；　for　the　

ravine　was　evidently　the　work　of