the life of charlotte bronte-1-第48章

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on。　　〃The　book　was　printed；　it　is　scarcely　known；　and　all　of　it　that　merits　to　be　known　are　the　poems　of　Ellis　Bell。

〃The　fixed　conviction　I　held；　and　hold；　of　the　worth　of　these　poems；　has　not；　indeed；　received　the　confirmation　of　much　favourable　criticism；　but　I　must　retain　it　notwithstanding。〃



Footnotes：

｛1｝　　A　reviewer　pointed　out　the　discrepancy　between　the　age　（twenty…seven　years）　assigned；　on　the　mural　tablet；　to　Anne　Bronte　at　the　time　of　her　death　in　1849；　and　the　alleged　fact　that　she　was　born　at　Thornton；　from　which　place　Mr。　Bronte　removed　on　February　25th；　1820。　　I　was　aware　of　the　discrepancy；　but　I　did　not　think　it　of　sufficient　consequence　to　be　rectified　by　an　examination　of　the　register　of　births。　　Mr。　Bronte's　own　words；　on　which　I　grounded　my　statement　as　to　the　time　of　Anne　Bronte's　birth；　are　as　follows：…

〃In　Thornton；　Charlotte；　Patrick　Branwell；　Emily　Jane；　and　Anne　were　born。〃　　And　such　of　the　inhabitants　of　Haworth　as　have　spoken　on　the　subject　say　that　all　the　children　of　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Bronte　were　born　before　they　removed　to　Haworth。　　There　is　probably　some　mistake　in　the　inscription　on　the　tablet。

｛2｝　　In　the　month　of　April　1858；　a　neat　mural　tablet　was　erected　within　the　Communion　railing　of　the　Church　at　Haworth；　to　the　memory　of　the　deceased　members　of　the　Bronte　family。　　The　tablet　is　of　white　Carrara　marble　on　a　ground　of　dove…coloured　marble；　with　a　cornice　surmounted　by　an　ornamental　pediment　of　chaste　design。　　Between　the　brackets　which　support　the　tablet；　is　inscribed　the　sacred　monogram　I。H。S。；　in　old　English　letters。

｛3｝　　With　regard　to　my　own　opinion　of　the　present　school；　I　can　only　give　it　as　formed　after　what　was　merely　a　cursory　and　superficial　inspection；　as　I　do　not　believe　that　I　was　in　the　house　above　half　an　hour；　but　it　was　and　is　this；that　the　house　at　Casterton　seemed　thoroughly　healthy　and　well　kept；　and　is　situated　in　a　lovely　spot；　that　the　pupils　looked　bright；　happy；　and　well；　and　that　the　lady　superintendent　was　a　most　prepossessing　looking　person；　who；　on　my　making　some　inquiry　as　to　the　accomplishments　taught　to　the　pupils；　said　that　the　scheme　of　education　was　materially　changed　since　the　school　had　been　opened。　I　would　have　inserted　this　testimony　in　the　first　edition；　had　I　believed　that　any　weight　could　be　attached　to　an　opinion　formed　on　such　slight　and　superficial　grounds。

｛4｝　　〃Jane　Eyre；〃　vol。　I。；　page　20。

｛5｝　　Scott　describes　the　sport；　〃Shooting　at　the　Popinjay；〃　〃as　an　ancient　game　formerly　practised　with　archery；　but　at　this　period　（1679）　with　firearms。　　This　was　the　figure　of　a　bird　decked　with　parti…coloured　feathers；　so　as　to　resemble　a　popinjay　or　parrot。　It　was　suspended　to　a　pole；　and　served　for　a　mark　at　which　the　competitors　discharged　their　fusees　and　carbines　in　rotation；　at　the　distance　of　seventy　paces。　　He　whose　ball　brought　down　the　mark　held　the　proud　title　of　Captain　of　the　Popinjay　for　the　remainder　of　the　day；　and　was　usually　escorted　in　triumph　to　the　most　respectable　change…house　in　the　neighbourhood；　where　the　evening　was　closed　with　conviviality；　conducted　under　his　auspices；　and　if　he　was　able　to　maintain　it；　at　his　expense。〃Old　Mortality。

｛6｝　　In　this　Gutenberg　eText　M。　Heger's　comments　are　given　in　｛｝　at　approximately　the　place　where　they　occurDP。







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