an inland voyage-第17章

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a　　consideration；　Saint　Joseph　is　the　proper　intermediary。　　I　took　a　　sort　of　pleasure　in　observing　the　vogue　he　had　in　France；　for　the　　good　man　plays　a　very　small　part　in　my　religion　at　home。　　Yet　I　　could　not　help　fearing　that；　where　the　Saint　is　so　much　commanded　　for　exactitude；　he　will　be　expected　to　be　very　grateful　for　his　　tablet。

This　is　foolishness　to　us　Protestants；　and　not　of　great　importance　　anyway。　　Whether　people's　gratitude　for　the　good　gifts　that　come　to　　them　be　wisely　conceived　or　dutifully　expressed；　is　a　secondary　　matter；　after　all；　so　long　as　they　feel　gratitude。　　The　true　　ignorance　is　when　a　man　does　not　know　that　he　has　received　a　good　　gift；　or　begins　to　imagine　that　he　has　got　it　for　himself。　　The　　self…made　man　is　the　funniest　windbag　after　all！　　There　is　a　marked　　difference　between　decreeing　light　in　chaos；　and　lighting　the　gas　　in　a　metropolitan　back…parlour　with　a　box　of　patent　matches；　and　do　　what　we　will；　there　is　always　something　made　to　our　hand；　if　it　　were　only　our　fingers。

But　there　was　something　worse　than　foolishness　placarded　in　Creil　　Church。　　The　Association　of　the　Living　Rosary　（of　which　I　had　never　　previously　heard）　is　responsible　for　that。　　This　Association　was　　founded；　according　to　the　printed　advertisement；　by　a　brief　of　Pope　　Gregory　Sixteenth；　on　the　17th　of　January　1832：　　according　to　a　　coloured　bas…relief；　it　seems　to　have　been　founded；　sometime　other；　　by　the　Virgin　giving　one　rosary　to　Saint　Dominic；　and　the　Infant　　Saviour　giving　another　to　Saint　Catharine　of　Siena。　　Pope　Gregory　　is　not　so　imposing；　but　he　is　nearer　hand。　　I　could　not　distinctly　　make　out　whether　the　Association　was　entirely　devotional；　or　had　an　　eye　to　good　works；　at　least　it　is　highly　organised：　　the　names　of　　fourteen　matrons　and　misses　were　filled　in　for　each　week　of　the　　month　as　associates；　with　one　other；　generally　a　married　woman；　at　　the　top　for　ZELATRICE：　　the　leader　of　the　band。　　Indulgences；　　plenary　and　partial；　follow　on　the　performance　of　the　duties　of　the　　Association。　　'The　partial　indulgences　are　attached　to　the　　recitation　of　the　rosary。'　　On　'the　recitation　of　the　required　　DIZAINE；'　a　partial　indulgence　promptly　follows。　　When　people　serve　　the　kingdom　of　heaven　with　a　pass…book　in　their　hands；　I　should　　always　be　afraid　lest　they　should　carry　the　same　commercial　spirit　　into　their　dealings　with　their　fellow…men；　which　would　make　a　sad　　and　sordid　business　of　this　life。

There　is　one　more　article；　however；　of　happier　import。　　'All　these　　indulgences；'　it　appeared；　'are　applicable　to　souls　in　purgatory。'　　　For　God's　sake；　ye　ladies　of　Creil；　apply　them　all　to　the　souls　in　　purgatory　without　delay！　　Burns　would　take　no　hire　for　his　last　　songs；　preferring　to　serve　his　country　out　of　unmixed　love。　　　Suppose　you　were　to　imitate　the　exciseman；　mesdames；　and　even　if　　the　souls　in　purgatory　were　not　greatly　bettered；　some　souls　in　　Creil　upon　the　Oise　would　find　themselves　none　the　worse　either　　here　or　hereafter。

I　cannot　help　wondering；　as　I　transcribe　these　notes；　whether　a　　Protestant　born　and　bred　is　in　a　fit　state　to　understand　these　　signs；　and　do　them　what　justice　they　deserve；　and　I　cannot　help　　answering　that　he　is　not。　　They　cannot　look　so　merely　ugly　and　mean　　to　the　faithful　as　they　do　to　me。　　I　see　that　as　clearly　as　a　　proposition　in　Euclid。　　For　these　believers　are　neither　weak　nor　　wicked。　　They　can　put　up　their　tablet　commanding　Saint　Joseph　for　　his　despatch；　as　if　he　were　still　a　village　carpenter；　they　can　　'recite　the　required　DIZAINE；'　and　metaphorically　pocket　the　　indulgence；　as　if　they　had　done　a　job　for　Heaven；　and　then　they　can　　go　out　and　look　down　unabashed　upon　this　wonderful　river　flowing　　by；　and　up　without　confusion　at　the　pin…point　stars；　which　are　　themselves　great　worlds　full　of　flowing　rivers　greater　than　the　　Oise。　　I　see　it　as　plainly；　I　say；　as　a　proposition　in　Euclid；　that　　my　Protestant　mind　has　missed　the　point；　and　that　there　goes　with　　these　deformities　some　higher　and　more　religious　spirit　than　I　　dream。

I　wonder　if　other　people　would　make　the　same　allowances　for　me！　　　Like　the　ladies　of　Creil；　having　recited　my　rosary　of　toleration；　I　　look　for　my　indulgence　on　the　spot。



PRECY　AND　THE　MARIONNETTES



WE　made　Precy　about　sundown。　　The　plain　is　rich　with　tufts　of　　poplar。　　In　a　wide；　luminous　curve；　the　Oise　lay　under　the　　hillside。　　A　faint　mist　began　to　rise　and　confound　the　different　　distances　together。　　There　was　not　a　sound　audible　but　that　of　the　　sheep…bells　in　some　meadows　by　the　river；　and　the　creaking　of　a　　cart　down　the　long　road　that　descends　the　hill。　　The　villas　in　　their　gardens；　the　shops　along　the　street；　all　seemed　to　have　been　　deserted　the　day　before；　and　I　felt　inclined　to　walk　discreetly　as　　one　feels　in　a　silent　forest。　　All　of　a　sudden；　we　came　round　a　　corner；　and　there；　in　a　little　green　round　the　church；　was　a　bevy　　of　girls　in　Parisian　costumes　playing　croquet。　　Their　laughter；　and　　the　hollow　sound　of　ball　and　mallet；　made　a　cheery　stir　in　the　　neighbourhood；　and　the　look　of　these　slim　figures；　all　corseted　and　　ribboned；　produced　an　answerable　disturbance　in　our　hearts。　　We　　were　within　sniff　of　Paris；　it　seemed。　　And　here　were　females　of　　our　own　species　playing　croquet；　just　as　if　Precy　had　been　a　place　　in　real　life；　instead　of　a　stage　in　the　fairyland　of　travel。　　For；　　to　be　frank；　the　peasant　woman　is　scarcely　to　be　counted　as　a　woman　　at　all；　and　after　having　passed　by　such　a　succession　of　people　in　　petticoats　digging　and　hoeing　and　making　dinner；　this　company　of　　coquettes　under　arms　made　quite　a　surprising　feature　in　the　　landscape；　and　convinced　us　at　once　of　being　fallible　males。

The　inn　at　Precy　is　the　worst　inn　in　France。　　Not　even　in　Scotland　　have　I　found　worse　fare。　　It　was　kept　by　a　brother　and　sister；　　neither　of　whom　was　out　of　their　teens。　　The　sister；　so　to　speak；　　prepared　a　meal　for　us；　and　the　brother；　who　had　been　tippling；　　came　in　and　brought　with　him　a　tipsy　butcher；　to　entertain　us　as　we　　ate。　　We　found　pieces　of　loo…warm　pork　among　the　salad；　and　pieces　　of　unknown　yielding　substance　in　the　RAGOUT。　　The　butcher　　entertained　us　with　pictures　of　Parisian　life；　with　which　he　　professed　himself　well　acquainted；　the　brother　sitting　the　while　on　　the　edge　of　the　billiard…table；　toppling　precariously；　and　sucking　　the　stump　of　a　cigar。　　In　the　midst　of　these　diversions；　bang　went　　a　drum　past　the　house；　and　a　hoarse　voice　began　issuing　a　　proclamation。　　It　was　a　man　with　marionnettes　announcing　a　　performance　for　that　evening。

He　had　set　up　his　caravan　and　lighted　his　candles　on　another　part　　of　the　girls'　croquet…green；　under　one　of　those　open　sheds　which　　are　so　common　in　France　to　shelter　markets；　and　he　and　his　wife；　by　　the　time　we　strolled　up　there；　were　trying　to　keep　order　with　the　　audience。

It　was　the　most　absurd　contention。　　The　show…people　had　set　out　a　　certain　number　of　benches；　and　all　who　sat　upon　them　were　to　pay　a　　couple　of　SOUS　for　the　accommodation。　　They　were　always　quite　full　　…　a　bumper　house　…　as　long　as　nothing　was　going　forward；　but　let　　the　show…woman　appear　with　an　eye　to　a　collection；　and　at　the　first　　rattle　of　her　tambourine　the　audience　slipped　off　the　seats；　and　　stood　round　on　the　outside　with　their　hands　in　their　pockets。　　It　　certainly　would　have　tried　an　angel's　temper。　　The　showman　roared　　from　the　proscenium；　he　had　been　all　over　France；　and　nowhere；　　nowhere；　'not　even　on　the　borders　of　Germany；'　had　he　met　with　such　　misconduct。　　Such　thieves　and　rogues　and　rascals；　as　he　called　　them！　　And　every　now　and　again；　the　wife　issued　on　another　round；　　and　added　her　shrill　quota　to　the　tirade。　　I　remarked　here；　as　　elsewhere；　how　far　more　copious　is　the　female　mind　in　the　material　　of　insult。　　The　audience　laughed　in　high　good…humour　over　the　man's　　declamations；　but　they　bridled　and　cried　aloud　under　the　woman's　　pungent　sallies。　　She　picked　out　the　sore　points。　　She　had　the　　honour　of　the　village　at　her　mercy。　　Voices　answered　her　angrily　　out　of　the　crowd；　and　received　a　smarting　retort　for　their　trouble。　　　A　couple　of　old　ladies　beside　me；　who　had　duly　paid　for　their　　seats；　waxed　very　red　and　indignant；　and　discoursed　to　each　other　　audibly　about　the　impudence　of　these　mountebanks；　but　as　soon　as　　the　show…woman　caught　a　whisper　of　this；　she　was　down　upon　them　　with　a　swoop：　　if　mesdames　could　persuade　their　neighbours　to　act　　with　common　honesty；　the　mountebanks；　she　assured　them；　would　be　　polite　enough：　　mesdames　had　probably　had　their　bowl　of　soup；　and　　perhaps　a　glass　of　wine　that　evening；　the　mountebanks　also　had　a　　taste　for　soup；　and　did　not　choose　to　have　their　little　earnings　　stolen　from　them　before　their　eyes。　　Once；　things　came　as　far　as　a　　brief　personal　encounter　between　the　show…man　and　some　lads；　in　　which　the　former　went　down　as　readily　as　one　of　his　own　　marionnettes　to　a　peal　of　jeering　laughter。

I　was　a　good　deal　astonished　at　this　scene；　because　I　am　pretty　　well　acquainted　with　the　ways　of　French　strollers；　more　or　less　　artistic；　and　have　always　found　them　singularly　pleasing。　　Any　　stroller　must　be　dear　to　the　right…thinking　heart；　if　it　were　only　　as　a　living　protest　against　offices　and　the　mercantile　spirit；　and　　as　something　to　remind　us　that　life　is　not　by　necessity　the　kind　of　　thing　we　generally　make　it。　　Even　a　German　band；　if　you　see　it　　leaving　town　in　the　early　morning　for　a　campaign　in　country　places；　　among　trees　and　meadows；　has　a　romantic　flavour　for　the　　imagination。　　There　is　nobody；　under　thirty；　so　dead　but　his　heart　　will　stir　a　little　at　sight　of　a　gypsies'　camp。　　'We　are　not　　cotton…spinners　all'；　or；　at　least；　not　all　through。　　There　is　some　　life　in　humanity　yet：　　and　youth　will　now　and　again　find　a　brave　　word　to　say　in　dispraise　of　riches；　and　throw　up　a　situation　to　go　　strolling　with　a　knapsack。

An　Englishman　has　always　special　facilities　for　intercourse　with　　French　gymnasts；　for　England　is　the　natural　home　of　gymnasts。　　This　　or　that　fellow；　in　his　tights　and　spangles；　is　sure　to　know　a　word　　or　two　of　English；　to　have　drunk　English　AFF…'N…AFF；　and　perhaps　　performed　in　an　English　music…hall。　　He　is　a　countryman　of　mine　by　　profession。　　He　leaps；　like　the　Belgian　boating　men；　to　the　notion　　that　I　must　be　an　athlete　myself。

But　the　gymnast　is　not　my　favourite；　he　has　little　or　no　tincture　　of　the　artist　in　his　composition；　his　soul　is　small　and　pedestrian；　　for　the　most　part；　since　his　profession　makes　no　call　upon　it；　and　　does　not　accustom　him　to　high　ideas。　　But　if　a　man　is　only　so　much　　of　an　actor　that　he　can　stumble　through　a　farce；　he　is　made　free　of　　a　new　order　of　thoughts。　　He　has　something　else　to　think　about　　beside　the　money…box。　　He　has　a　pride　of　his　own；　and；　what　is　of　　far　more　importance；　he　has　an　aim　before　him　that　he　can　never　　quite　attain。　　He　has　gone　upon　a　pilgrimage　that　will　last　him　his　　life　long；　because　there　is　no　end　to　it　short　of　perfection。　　He　　will　better　upon　himself　a　little　day　by　day；　or　even　if　he　has　　given　up　the　attempt；　he　will　always　remember　that　once　upon　a　time　　he　had　conceived　this　high　ideal；　that　once　upon　a　time　he　had　　fallen　in　love　with　a　star。　　''Tis　better　to　have　loved　and　lost。'　　　Although　the　moon　should