the life of charlotte bronte-1-第4章

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The　people　of　Haworth　were　not　less　strong　and　full　of　character　than　their　neighbours　on　either　side　of　the　hills。　　The　village　lies　embedded　in　the　moors；　between　the　two　counties；　on　the　old　road　between　Keighley　and　Colne。　　About　the　middle　of　the　last　century；　it　became　famous　in　the　religious　world　as　the　scene　of　the　ministrations　of　the　Rev。　William　Grimshaw；　curate　of　Haworth　for　twenty　years。　　Before　this　time；　it　is　probable　that　the　curates　were　of　the　same　order　as　one　Mr。　Nicholls；　a　Yorkshire　clergyman；　in　the　days　immediately　succeeding　the　Reformation；　who　was　〃much　addicted　to　drinking　and　company…keeping；〃　and　used　to　say　to　his　companions；　〃You　must　not　heed　me　but　when　I　am　got　three　feet　above　the　earth；〃　that　was；　into　the　pulpit。

Mr。　Grimshaw's　life　was　written　by　Newton；　Cowper's　friend；　and　from　it　may　be　gathered　some　curious　particulars　of　the　manner　in　which　a　rough　population　were　swayed　and　governed　by　a　man　of　deep　convictions；　and　strong　earnestness　of　purpose。　　It　seems　that　he　had　not　been　in　any　way　remarkable　for　religious　zeal；　though　he　had　led　a　moral　life；　and　been　conscientious　in　fulfilling　his　parochial　duties；　until　a　certain　Sunday　in　September；　1744；　when　the　servant；　rising　at　five；　found　her　master　already　engaged　in　prayer；　she　stated　that；　after　remaining　in　his　chamber　for　some　time；　he　went　to　engage　in　religious　exercises　in　the　house　of　a　parishioner；　then　home　again　to　pray；　thence；　still　fasting；　to　the　church；　where；　as　he　was　reading　the　second　lesson；　he　fell　down；　and；　on　his　partial　recovery；　had　to　be　led　from　the　church。　As　he　went　out；　he　spoke　to　the　congregation；　and　told　them　not　to　disperse；　as　he　had　something　to　say　to　them；　and　would　return　presently。　　He　was　taken　to　the　clerk's　house；　and　again　became　insensible。　　His　servant　rubbed　him；　to　restore　the　circulation；　and　when　he　was　brought　to　himself　〃he　seemed　in　a　great　rapture；〃　and　the　first　words　he　uttered　were；　〃I　have　had　a　glorious　vision　from　the　third　heaven。〃　　He　did　not　say　what　he　had　seen；　but　returned　into　the　church；　and　began　the　service　again；　at　two　in　the　afternoon；　and　went　on　until　seven。

From　this　time　he　devoted　himself；　with　the　fervour　of　a　Wesley；　and　something　of　the　fanaticism　of　a　Whitfield；　to　calling　out　a　religious　life　among　his　parishioners。　　They　had　been　in　the　habit　of　playing　at　foot…ball　on　Sunday；　using　stones　for　this　purpose；　and　giving　and　receiving　challenges　from　other　parishes。　　There　were　horse…races　held　on　the　moors　just　above　the　village；　which　were　periodical　sources　of　drunkenness　and　profligacy。　　Scarcely　a　wedding　took　place　without　the　rough　amusement　of　foot…races；　where　the　half…naked　runners　were　a　scandal　to　all　decent　strangers。　　The　old　custom　of　〃arvills；〃　or　funeral　feasts；　led　to　frequent　pitched　battles　between　the　drunken　mourners。　　Such　customs　were　the　outward　signs　of　the　kind　of　people　with　whom　Mr。　Grimshaw　had　to　deal。　　But；　by　various　means；　some　of　the　most　practical　kind；　he　wrought　a　great　change　in　his　parish。　　In　his　preaching　he　was　occasionally　assisted　by　Wesley　and　Whitfield；　and　at　such　times　the　little　church　proved　much　too　small　to　hold　the　throng　that　poured　in　from　distant　villages；　or　lonely　moorland　hamlets；　and　frequently　they　were　obliged　to　meet　in　the　open　air；　indeed；　there　was　not　room　enough　in　the　church　even　for　the　communicants。　　Mr。　Whitfield　was　once　preaching　in　Haworth；　and　made　use　of　some　such　expression；　as　that　he　hoped　there　was　no　need　to　say　much　to　this　congregation；　as　they　had　sat　under　so　pious　and　godly　a　minister　for　so　many　years；　〃whereupon　Mr。　Grimshaw　stood　up　in　his　place；　and　said　with　a　loud　voice；　'Oh；　sir！　for　God's　sake　do　not　speak　so。　　I　pray　you　do　not　flatter　them。　　I　fear　the　greater　part　of　them　are　going　to　hell　with　their　eyes　open。'〃　　But　if　they　were　so　bound；　it　was　not　for　want　of　exertion　on　Mr。　Grimshaw's　part　to　prevent　them。　　He　used　to　preach　twenty　or　thirty　times　a　week　in　private　houses。　　If　he　perceived　any　one　inattentive　to　his　prayers；　he　would　stop　and　rebuke　the　offender；　and　not　go　on　till　he　saw　every　one　on　their　knees。　　He　was　very　earnest　in　enforcing　the　strict　observance　of　Sunday；　and　would　not　even　allow　his　parishioners　to　walk　in　the　fields　between　services。　　He　sometimes　gave　out　a　very　long　Psalm　（tradition　says　the　119th）；　and　while　it　was　being　sung；　he　left　the　reading…desk；　and　taking　a　horsewhip　went　into　the　public…　houses；　and　flogged　the　loiterers　into　church。　　They　were　swift　who　could　escape　the　lash　of　the　parson　by　sneaking　out　the　back　way。　　He　had　strong　health　and　an　active　body；　and　rode　far　and　wide　over　the　hills；　〃awakening〃　those　who　had　previously　had　no　sense　of　religion。　　To　save　time；　and　be　no　charge　to　the　families　at　whose　houses　he　held　his　prayer…meetings；　he　carried　his　provisions　with　him；　all　the　food　he　took　in　the　day　on　such　occasions　consisting　simply　of　a　piece　of　bread　and　butter；　or　dry　bread　and　a　raw　onion。

The　horse…races　were　justly　objectionable　to　Mr。　Grimshaw；　they　attracted　numbers　of　profligate　people　to　Haworth；　and　brought　a　match　to　the　combustible　materials　of　the　place；　only　too　ready　to　blaze　out　into　wickedness。　　The　story　is；　that　he　tried　all　means　of　persuasion；　and　even　intimidation；　to　have　the　races　discontinued；　but　in　vain。　　At　length；　in　despair；　he　prayed　with　such　fervour　of　earnestness　that　the　rain　came　down　in　torrents；　and　deluged　the　ground；　so　that　there　was　no　footing　for　man　or　beast；　even　if　the　multitude　had　been　willing　to　stand　such　a　flood　let　down　from　above。　　And　so　Haworth　races　were　stopped；　and　have　never　been　resumed　to　this　day。　　Even　now　the　memory　of　this　good　man　is　held　in　reverence；　and　his　faithful　ministrations　and　real　virtues　are　one　of　the　boasts　of　the　parish。

But　after　his　time；　I　fear　there　was　a　falling　back　into　the　wild　rough　heathen　ways；　from　which　he　had　pulled　them　up；　as　it　were；　by　the　passionate　force　of　his　individual　character。　　He　had　built　a　chapel　for　the　Wesleyan　Methodists；　and　not　very　long　after　the　Baptists　established　themselves　in　a　place　of　worship。　　Indeed；　as　Dr。　Whitaker　says；　the　people　of　this　district　are　〃strong　religionists；〃　only；　fifty　years　ago；　their　religion　did　not　work　down　into　their　lives。　　Half　that　length　of　time　back；　the　code　of　morals　seemed　to　be　formed　upon　that　of　their　Norse　ancestors。　Revenge　was　handed　down　from　father　to　son　as　an　hereditary　duty；　and　a　great　capability　for　drinking　without　the　head　being　affected　was　considered　as　one　of　the　manly　virtues。　　The　games　of　foot…ball　on　Sundays；　with　the　challenges　to　the　neighbouring　parishes；　were　resumed；　bringing　in　an　influx　of　riotous　strangers　to　fill　the　public…houses；　and　make　the　more　sober…minded　inhabitants　long　for　good　Mr。　Grimshaw's　stout　arm；　and　ready　horsewhip。　　The　old　custom　of　〃arvills〃　was　as　prevalent　as　ever。　The　sexton；　standing　at　the　foot　of　the　open　grave；　announced　that　the　〃arvill〃　would　be　held　at　the　Black　Bull；　or　whatever　public…　house　might　be　fixed　upon　by　the　friends　of　the　dead；　and　thither　the　mourners　and　their　acquaintances　repaired。　　The　origin　of　the　custom　had　been　the　necessity　of　furnishing　some　refreshment　for　those　who　came　from　a　distance；　to　pay　the　last　mark　of　respect　to　a　friend。　　In　the　life　of　Oliver　Heywood　there　are　two　quotations；　which　show　what　sort　of　food　was　provided　for　〃arvills〃　in　quiet　Nonconformist　connections　in　the　seventeenth　century；　the　first　（from　Thoresby）　tells　of　〃cold　possets；　stewed　prunes；　cake；　and　cheese；〃　as　being　the　arvill　after　Oliver　Heywood's　funeral。　　The　second　gives；　as　rather　shabby；　according　to　the　notion　of　the　times　（1673）；　〃nothing　but　a　bit　of　cake；　draught　of　wine；　piece　of　rosemary；　and　pair　of　gloves。〃

But　the　arvills　at　Haworth　were　often　far　more　jovial　doings。　Among　the　poor；　the　mourners　were　only　expected　to　provide　a　kind　of　spiced　roll　for　each　person；　and　the　expense　of　the　liquors　rum；　or　ale；　or　a　mixture　of　both　called　〃dog's　nose〃was　generally　defrayed　by　each　guest　placing　some　money　on　a　plate；　set　in　the　middle　of　the　table。　　Richer　people　would　order　a　dinner　for　their　friends。　　At　the　funeral　of　Mr。　Charnock　（the　next　successor　but　one　to　Mr。　Grimshaw　in　the　incumbency）；　above　eighty　people　were　bid　to　the　arvill；　and　the　price　of　the　feast　was　4s。　6d。　per　head；　all　of　which　was　defrayed　by　the　friends　of　the　deceased。　　As　few　〃shirked　their　liquor；〃　there　were　very　frequently　〃up…and…down　fights〃　before　the　close　of　the　day；　sometimes　with　the　horrid　additions　of　〃pawsing〃　and　〃gouging；〃　and　biting。

Although　I　have　dwelt　on　the　exceptional　traits　in　the　characteristics　of　these　stalwart　West…Ridingers；　such　as　they　were　in　the　first　quarter　of　this　century；　if　not　a　few　years　later；　I　have　little　doubt　that　in　the　every…day　life　of　the　people　so　independent；　wilful；　and　full　of　grim　humour；　there　would　be　much　found　even　at　present　that　would　shock　those　accustomed　only　to　the　local　manners　of　the　south；　and；　in　return；　I　suspect　the　shrewd；　sagacious；　energetic　Yorkshireman　would　hold　such　〃foreigners〃　in　no　small　contempt。

I　have　said；　it　is　most　probable　that　where　Haworth　Church　now　stands；　there　was　once　an　ancient　〃field…kirk；〃　or　oratory。　　It　occupied　the　third　or　lowest　class　of　ecclesiastical　structures；　according　to　the　Saxon　law；　and　had　no　right　of　sepulture；　or　administration　of　sacraments。　　It　was　so　called　because　it　was　built　without　enclosure；　and　open　to　the　adjoining　fields　or　moors。　　The　founder；　according　to　the　laws　of　Edgar；　was　bound；　without　subtracting　from　his　tithes；　to　maintain　the　ministering　priest　out　of　the　remaining　nine　parts　of　his　income。　　After　the　Reformation；　the　right　of　choosing　their　clergyman；　at　any　of　those　chapels　of　ease　which　had　formerly　been　field…kirks；　was　vested　in　the　freeholders　and　trustees；　subject　to　the　approval　of　the　vicar　of　the　parish。　　But　owing　to　some　negligence；　this　right　has　been　lost　to　the　freeholders　and　trustees　at　Haworth；　ever　since　the　days　of　Archbishop　Sharp；　and　the　power　of　choosing　a　minister　has　lapsed　into　the　hands　of　the　Vicar　of　Bradford。　　So　runs　the　account；　according　to　one　authority。

Mr。　Bronte　says；〃This　living　has　for　its　patrons　the　Vicar　of　Bradford　and　certain　trustees。　　My　predecessor　took　the　living　with　the　consent　of　the　Vicar　of　Bradford；　but　in　opposition　to　the　trustees；　in　consequence　of　which　he　was　so　opposed　that；　after　only　three　weeks'　possession；　he　was　compelled　to　resign。〃　A　Yorkshire　gentleman；　who　has　kindly　sent　me　some　additional　information　on　this　subject　since　the　second　edition　of　my　work　was　published；　write；　thus：…


〃The　sole　right　of　presentation　to　the　incumbency　of　Haworth　is　vested　in　the　Vicar　of　Bradford。　　He　only　can　present。　　The　funds；　however；　from　which　the　clergyman's　stipend　mainly　proceeds；　are　vested　in　the　hands　of　trustees；　who　have　the　power　to　withhold　them；　if　a　nominee　is　sent　of　whom　they　disapprove。　　On　the　decease　of　Mr。　Charnock；　the　Vicar　first　tendered　the　preferment　to　Mr。　Bronte；　and　he　went　over　to　his　expected　cure。　　He　was　told　that　towards　himself　they　had　no　personal　objection；　but　as　a　nominee　of　the　Vicar　he　would　not　be　received。　　He　therefore　retired；　with　the　d