penguin island-第12章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



Draco　the　Great　caused　the　relics　of　St。　Orberosia　to　be　transferred　to　Alca。

The　body　of　the　blessed　saint　had　been　buried　in　a　grotto　on　the　Coast　of　Shadows　at　the　end　of　a　scented　heath。　The　first　pilgrims　who　went　to　visit　it　were　the　boys　and　girls　from　the　neighbouring　villages。　They　used　to　go　there　in　the　evening；　by　preference　in　couples；　as　if　their　pious　desires　naturally　sought　satisfaction　in　darkness　and　solitude。　They　worshipped　the　saint　with　a　fervent　and　discreet　worship　whose　mystery　they　seemed　jealously　to　guard；　for　they　did　not　like　to　publish　too　openly　the　experiences　they　felt。　But　they　were　heard　to　murmur　one　to　another　words　of　love；　delight；　and　rapture　with　which　they　mingled　the　name　of　Orberosia。　Some　would　sigh　that　there　they　forgot　the　world；　others　would　say　that　they　came　out　of　the　grotto　in　peace　and　calm；　the　young　girls　among　them　used　to　recall　to　each　other　the　joy　with　which　they　had　been　filled　in　it。

Such　were　the　marvels　that　the　virgin　of　Alca　performed　in　the　morning　of　her　glorious　eternity；　they　had　the　sweetness　and　indefiniteness　of　the　dawn。　Soon　the　mystery　of　the　grotto　spread　like　a　perfume　throughout　the　land；　it　was　a　ground　of　joy　and　edification　for　pious　souls；　and　corrupt　men　endeavoured；　though　in　vain；　by　falsehood　and　calumny；　to　divert　the　faithful　from　the　springs　of　grace　that　flowed　from　the　saint's　tomb。　The　Church　took　measures　so　that　these　graces　should　not　remain　reserved　for　a　few　children；　but　should　be　diffused　throughout　all　Penguin　Christianity。　Monks　took　up　their　quarters　in　the　grotto；　they　built　a　monastery；　a　chapel；　and　a　hostelry　on　the　coast；　and　pilgrims　began　to　flock　thither。

As　if　strengthened　by　a　longer　sojourn　in　heaven；　the　blessed　Orberosia　now　performed　still　greater　miracles　for　those　who　came　to　lay　their　offerings　on　her　tomb。　She　gave　hopes　to　women　who　had　been　hitherto　barren；　she　sent　dreams　to　reassure　jealous　old　men　concerning　the　fidelity　of　the　young　wives　whom　they　had　suspected　without　cause；　and　she　protected　the　country　from　plagues；　murrains；　famines；　tempests；　and　dragons　of　Cappadocia。

But　during　the　troubles　that　desolated　the　kingdom　in　the　time　of　King　Collic　and　his　successors；　the　tomb　of　St。　Orberosia　was　plundered　of　its　wealth；　the　monastery　burned　down；　and　the　monks　dispersed。　The　road　that　had　been　so　long　trodden　by　devout　pilgrims　was　overgrown　with　furze　and　heather；　and　the　blue　thistles　of　the　sands。　For　a　hundred　years　the　miraculous　tomb　had　been　visited　by　none　save　vipers；　weasels；　and　bats；　when；　one　day　the　saint　appeared　to　a　peasant　of　the　neighbourhood；　Momordic　by　name。

〃I　am　the　virgin　Orberosia；〃　said　she　to　him；　〃I　have　chosen　thee　to　restore　my　sanctuary。　Warn　the　inhabitants　of　the　country　that　if　they　allow　my　memory　to　be　blotted　out；　and　leave　my　tomb　without　honour　and　wealth；　a　new　dragon　will　come　and　devastate　Penguinia。〃

Learned　churchmen　held　an　inquiry　concerning　this　apparition；　and　pronounced　it　genuine；　and　not　diabolical　but　truly　heavenly；　and　in　later　years　it　was　remarked　that　in　France；　in　like　circumstances；　St。　Foy　and　St。　Catherine　had　acted　in　the　same　way　and　made　use　of　similar　language。

The　monastery　was　restored　and　pilgrims　flocked　to　it　anew。　The　virgin　Orberosia　worked　greater　and　greater　miracles。　She　cured　divers　hurtful　maladies；　particularly　club…foot；　dropsy；　paralysis；　and　St。　Guy's　disease。　The　monks　who　kept　the　tomb　were　enjoying　an　enviable　opulence；　when　the　saint；　appearing　to　King　Draco　the　Great；　ordered　him　to　recognise　her　as　the　heavenly　patron　of　the　kingdom　and　to　transfer　her　precious　remains　to　the　cathedral　of　Alca。

In　consequence；　the　odoriferous　relics　of　that　virgin　were　carried　with　great　pomp　to　the　metropolitan　church　and　placed　in　the　middle　of　the　choir　in　a　shrine　made　of　gold　and　enamel　and　ornamented　with　precious　stones。

The　chapter　kept　a　record　of　the　miracles　wrought　by　the　blessed　Orberosia。

Draco　the　Great；　who　had　never　ceased　to　defend　and　exalt　the　Christian　faith；　died　fulfilled　with　the　most　pious　sentiments　and　bequeathed　his　great　possessions　to　the　Church。



II。　QUEEN　CRUCHA

Terrible　disorders　followed　the　death　of　Draco　the　Great。　That　prince's　successors　have　often　been　accused　of　weakness；　and　it　is　true　that　none　of　them　followed；　even　from　afar；　the　example　of　their　valiant　ancestor。

His　son；　Chum；　who　was　lame；　failed　to　increase　the　territory　of　the　Penguins。　Bolo；　the　son　of　Chum；　was　assassinated　by　the　palace　guards　at　the　age　of　nine；　just　as　he　was　ascending　the　throne。　His　brother　Gun　succeeded　him。　He　was　only　seven　years　old　and　allowed　himself　to　be　governed　by　his　mother；　Queen　Crucha。

Crucha　was　beautiful；　learned；　and　intelligent；　but　she　was　unable　to　curb　her　own　passions。

These　are　the　terms　in　which　the　venerable　Talpa　expresses　himself　in　his　chronicle　regarding　that　illustrious　queen：

〃In　beauty　of　face　and　symmetry　of　figure　Queen　Crucha　yields　neither　to　Semiramis　of　Babylon　nor　to　Penthesilea；　queen　of　the　Amazons；　nor　to　Salome；　the　daughter　of　Herodias。　But　she　offers　in　her　person　certain　singularities　that　will　appear　beautiful　or　uncomely　according　to　the　contradictory　opinions　of　men　and　the　varying　judgments　of　the　world。　She　has　on　her　forehead　two　small　horns　which　she　conceals　in　the　abundant　folds　of　her　golden　hair；　one　of　her　eyes　is　blue　and　one　is　black；　her　neck　is　bent　towards　the　left　side；　and；　like　Alexander　of　Macedon；　she　has　six　fingers　on　her　right　hand；　and　a　stain　like　a　little　monkey's　head　upon　her　skin。

〃Her　gait　is　majestic　and　her　manner　affable。　She　is　magnificent　in　her　expenses；　but　she　is　not　always　able　to　rule　desire　by　reason。

〃One　day；　having　noticed　in　the　palace　stables；　a　young　groom　of　great　beauty；　she　immediately　fell　violently　in　love　with　him；　and　entrusted　to　him　the　command　of　her　armies。　What　one　must　praise　unreservedly　in　this　great　queen　is　the　abundance　of　gifts　that　she　makes　to　the　churches；　monasteries；　and　chapels　in　her　kingdom；　and　especially　to　the　holy　house　of　Beargarden；　where；　by　the　grace　of　the　Lord；　I　made　my　profession　in　my　fourteenth　year。　She　has　founded　masses　for　the　repose　of　her　soul　in　such　great　numbers　that　every　priest　in　the　Penguin　Church　is；　so　to　speak；　transformed　into　a　taper　lighted　in　the　sight　of　heaven　to　draw　down　the　divine　mercy　upon　the　august　Crucha。〃

From　these　lines　and　from　some　others　with　which　have　enriched　my　text　the　reader　can　judge　of　the　historical　and　literary　value　of　the　〃Gesta　Penguinorum。〃　Unhappily；　that　chronicle　suddenly　comes　suddenly　to　an　end　at　third　year　of　Draco　the　Simple；　the　successor　of　Gun　the　Weak。　Having　reached　that　point　of　my　history；　I　deplore　the　loss　of　an　agreeable　and　trustworthy　guide。

During　the　two　centuries　that　followed；　the　Penguins　remained　plunged　in　blood…stained　disorder。　All　the　arts　perished。　In　the　midst　of　the　general　ignorance；　the　monks　in　the　shadow　of　their　cloister　devoted　themselves　to　study；　and　copied　the　Holy　Scriptures　with　indefatigable　zeal。　As　parchment　was　scarce；they　scraped　the　writing　off　old　manuscripts　in　order　to　transcribe　upon　them　the　divine　word。　Thus　throughout　the　breadth　of　Penguinia　Bibles　blossomed　forth　like　roses　on　a　bush。

A　monk　of　the　order　of　St。　Benedict；　Ermold　the　Penguin；　had　himself　alone　defaced　four　thousand　Greek　and　Latin　manuscripts　so　as　to　copy　out　the　Gospel　of　St。　John　four　thousand　times。　Thus　the　masterpieces　of　ancient　poetry　and　eloquence　were　destroyed　in　great　numbers。　Historians　are　unanimous　in　recognising　that　the　Penguin　convents　were　the　refuge　of　learning　during　the　Middle　Ages。

Unending　wars　between　the　Penguins　and　the　Porpoises　filled　the　close　of　this　period。　It　is　extremely　difficult　to　know　the　truth　concerning　these　wars；　not　because　accounts　are　wanting；　but　because　there　are　so　many　of　them。　The　Porpoise　Chronicles　contradict　the　Penguin　Chronicles　at　every　point。　And；　moreover；　the　Penguins　contradict　each　other　as　well　as　the　Porpoises。　I　have　discovered　two　chronicles　that　are　in　agreement；　but　one　has　copied　from　the　other。　A　single　fact　is　certain；　namely；　that　massacres；　rapes；　conflagrations；　and　plunder　succeeded　one　another　without　interruption。

Under　the　unhappy　prince　Bosco　IX。　the　kingdom　was　at　the　verge　of　ruin。　On　the　news　that　the　Porpoise　fleet；　composed　of　six　hundred　great　ships；　was　in　sight　of　Alca；　the　bishop　ordered　a　solemn　procession。　The　cathedral　chapter；　the　elected　magistrates；　the　members　of　Parliament；　and　the　clerics　of　the　University　entered　the　Cathedral　and；　taking　up　St。　Orberosia's　shrine；　led　it　in　procession　through　the　town；　followed　by　the　entire　people　singing　hymns。　The　holy　patron　of　Penguinia　was　not　invoked　in　vain。　Nevertheless；　the　Porpoises　besieged　the　town　both　by　land　and　sea；　took　it　by　assault；　and　for　three　days　and　three　nights　killed；　plundered；　violated；　and　burned；　with　all　the　indifference　that　habit　produces。

Our　astonishment　cannot　be　too　great　at　the　fact　that；　during　those　iron　ages；　the　faith　was　preserved　intact　among　the　Penguins。　The　splendour　of　the　truth　in　those　times　illumined　all　souls　that　had　not　been　corrupted　by　sophisms。　This　is　the　explanation　of　the　unity　of　belief。　A　constant　practice　of　the　Church　doubtless　contributed　also　to　maintain　this　happy　communion　of　the　faithfulevery　Penguin　who　thought　differently　from　the　others　was　immediately　burned　at　the　stake。



IV。　LETTERS：　JOHANNES　TALPA

During　the　minority　of　King　Gun；　Johannes　Talpa；　in　the　monastery　of　Beargarden；　where　at　the　age　of　fourteen　he　had　made　his　profession　and　from　which　he　never　departed　for　a　single　day　throughout　his　life；　composed　his　celebrated　Latin　chronicle　in　twelve　books　called　〃De　Gestis　Penguinorum。〃

The　monastery　of　Beargarden　lifts　its　high　walls　on　the　summit　of　an　inaccessible　peak。　One　sees　around　it　only　the　blue　tops　of　mountains；　divided　by　the　clouds。

When　he　began　to　write　his　〃Gesta　Penguinorum；〃　Johannes　Talpa　was　already　old。　The　good　monk　has　taken　care　to　tell　us　this　in　his　book：　〃My　head　has　long　since　lost；〃　he　says；　〃its　adornment　of　fair　hair；　and　my　scalp　resembles　those　convex　mirrors　of　metal　which　the　Penguin　ladies　consult　with　so　much　care　and　zeal。　My　stature；　naturally　small；　has　with　years　become　diminished　and　bent。　My　white　beard　gives　warmth　to　my　breast。〃

With　a　charming　simplicity；　Talpa　informs　us　of　certain　circumstances　in　his　life　and　some　features　in　his　character。　〃Descended；〃　he　tells　us；　〃from　a　noble　family；　and　destined　from　childhood　for　the　ecclesiastical　state；　I　was　taught　grammar　and　music。　I　learnt　to　read　under　the　guidance　of　a　master　who　was　called　Amicus；　and　who　would　have　been　better　named　Inimicus。　As　I　did　not　easily　attain　to　a　knowledge　of　my　letters；　he　beat　me　violently　with　rods　so　that　I　can　say　that　he　printed　the　alphabet　in　strokes　upon　my　back。〃

In　another　passage　Talpa　confesses　his　natural　inclination　towards　pleasure。　These　are　his　expressive　words：　〃In　my　youth　the　ardour　of　my　senses　was　such　that　in　the　shadow　of　the　woods　I　experienced　a　sensation　of　boiling　in　a　pot　rather　than　of　breathing　the　fresh　air。　I　fled　from　women；　but　in　vain；　for　every　object