lavengro-第166部分

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he！　he！　their　own　names。　　Whilst　the　lads　are　sent　to　those　hotbeds　

of　pride　and　folly　…　colleges；　whence　they　return　with　a　greater　

contempt　for　everything　〃low；〃　and　especially　for　their　own　

pedigree；　than　they　went　with。　　I　tell　you；　friend；　the　children　of　

Dissenters；　if　not　their　parents；　are　going　over　to　the　Church；　as　

you　call　it；　and　the　Church　is　going　over　to　Rome。'



'I　do　not　see　the　justice　of　that　latter　assertion　at　all；'　said　I；　

'some　of　the　Dissenters'　children　may　be　coming　over　to　the　Church　

of　England；　and　yet　the　Church　of　England　be　very　far　from　going　

over　to　Rome。'



'In　the　high　road　for　it；　I　assure　you；'　said　the　man　in　black；　

'part　of　it　is　going　to　abandon；　the　rest　to　lose　their　

prerogative；　and　when　a　Church　no　longer　retains　its　prerogative；　

it　speedily　loses　its　own　respect；　and　that　of　others。'



'Well；'　said　I；　'if　the　higher　classes　have　all　the　vices　and　

follies　which　you　represent；　on　which　point　I　can　say　nothing；　as　I　

have　never　mixed　with　them；　and　even　supposing　the　middle　classes　

are　the　foolish　beings　you　would　fain　make　them；　and　which　I　do　not　

believe　them　as　a　body　to　be；　you　would　still　find　some　resistance　

amongst　the　lower　classes：　　I　have　a　considerable　respect　for　their　

good　sense　and　independence　of　character；　but　pray　let　me　hear　your　

opinion　of　them。'



'As　for　the　lower　classes；'　said　the　man　in　black；　'I　believe　them　

to　be　the　most　brutal　wretches　in　the　world；　the　most　addicted　to　

foul　feeding；　foul　language；　and　foul　vices　of　every　kind；　wretches　

who　have　neither　love　for　country；　religion；　nor　anything　save　

their　own　vile　selves。　　You　surely　do　not　think　that　they　would　

oppose　a　change　of　religion！　why；　there　is　not　one　of　them　but　

would　hurrah　for　the　Pope；　or　Mahomet；　for　the　sake　of　a　hearty　

gorge　and　a　drunken　bout；　like　those　which　they　are　treated　with　at　

election　contests。'



'Has　your　church　any　followers　amongst　them？'　said　I。



'Wherever　there　happens　to　be　a　Romish　family　of　considerable　

possessions；'　said　the　man　in　black；　'our　church　is　sure　to　have　

followers　of　the　lower　class；　who　have　come　over　in　the　hope　of　

getting　something　in　the　shape　of　dole　or　donation。　　As；　however；　

the　Romish　is　not　yet　the　dominant　religion；　and　the　clergy　of　the　

English　establishment　have　some　patronage　to　bestow；　the　churches　

are　not　quite　deserted　by　the　lower　classes；　yet；　were　the　Romish　

to　become　the　established　religion；　they　would；　to　a　certainty；　all　

go　over　to　it；　you　can　scarcely　imagine　what　a　self…interested　set　

they　are　…　for　example；　the　landlord　of　that　public…house　in　which　

I　first　met　you；　having　lost　a　sum　of　money　upon　a　cock…fight；　and　

his　affairs　in　consequence　being　in　a　bad　condition；　is　on　the　eve　

of　coming　over　to　us；　in　the　hope　that　two　old　Popish　females　of　

property；　whom　I　confess；　will　advance　a　sum　of　money　to　set　him　up　

again　in　the　world。'



'And　what　could　have　put　such　an　idea　into　the　poor　fellow's　head？'　

said　I。



'Oh；　he　and　I　have　had　some　conversation　upon　the　state　of　his　

affairs；'　said　the　man　in　black；　'I　think　he　might　make　a　rather　

useful　convert　in　these　parts；　provided　things　take　a　certain　turn；　

as　they　doubtless　will。　　It　is　no　bad　thing　to　have　a　fighting　

fellow；　who　keeps　a　public…house；　belonging　to　one's　religion。　　He　

has　been　occasionally　employed　as　a　bully　at　elections　by　the　Tory　

party；　and　he　may　serve　us　in　the　same　capacity。　　The　fellow　comes　

of　a　good　stock；　I　heard　him　say　that　his　father　headed　the　High　

Church　mob　who　sacked　and　burnt　Priestley's　house　at　Birmingham；　

towards　the　end　of　the　last　century。'



'A　disgraceful　affair；'　said　I。



'What　do　you　mean　by　a　disgraceful　affair？'　said　the　man　in　black。　　

'I　assure　you　that　nothing　has　occurred　for　the　last　fifty　years　

which　has　given　the　High　Church　party　so　much　credit　in　the　eyes　of　

Rome　as　that；　…　we　did　not　imagine　that　the　fellows　had　so　much　

energy。　　Had　they　followed　up　that　affair　by　twenty　others　of　a　

similar　kind；　they　would　by　this　time　have　had　everything　in　their　

own　power；　but　they　did　not；　and；　as　a　necessary　consequence；　they　

are　reduced　to　almost　nothing。'



'I　suppose；'　said　I；　'that　your　Church　would　have　acted　very　

differently　in　its　place。'



'It　has　always　done　so；'　said　the　man　in　black；　coolly　sipping。　　

'Our　Church　has　always　armed　the　brute　population　against　the　

genius　and　intellect　of　a　country；　provided　that　same　intellect　and　

genius　were　not　willing　to　become　its　instruments　and　eulogists；　

and　provided　we　once　obtain　a　firm　hold　here　again；　we　would　not　

fail　to　do　so。　　We　would　occasionally　stuff　the　beastly　rabble　with　

horseflesh　and　bitter　ale；　and　then　halloo　them　on　against　all　

those　who　were　obnoxious　to　us。'



'Horseflesh　and　bitter　ale！'　I　replied。



'Yes；'　said　the　man　in　black；　'horseflesh　and　bitter　ale　…　the　

favourite　delicacies　of　their　Saxon　ancestors；　who　were　always　

ready　to　do　our　bidding　after　a　liberal　allowance　of　such　cheer。　　

There　is　a　tradition　in　our　Church；　that　before　the　Northumbrian　

rabble；　at　the　instigation　of　Austin；　attacked　and　massacred　the　

presbyterian　monks　of　Bangor；　they　had　been　allowed　a　good　gorge　of　

horseflesh　and　bitter　ale。　　He！　he！　he！'　continued　the　man　in　

black；　'what　a　fine　spectacle　to　see　such　a　mob；　headed　by　a　fellow　

like　our　friend　the　landlord；　sack　the　house　of　another　Priestley！'



'Then　you　don't　deny　that　we　have　had　a　Priestley；'　said　I；　'and　

admit　the　possibility　of　our　having　another？　　You　were　lately　

observing　that　all　English　literary　men　were　sycophants？'



'Lickspittles；'　said　the　man　in　black；　'yes；　I　admit　that　you　have　

had　a　Priestley；　but　he　was　a　Dissenter　of　the　old　class；　you　have　

had　him；　and　perhaps　may　have　another。'



'Perhaps　we　may；'　said　I。　　'But　with　respect　to　the　lower　classes；　

have　you　mixed　much　with　them？'



'I　have　mixed　with　all　classes；'　said　the　man　in　black；　'and　with　

the　lower　not　less　than　the　upper　and　middle；　they　are　much　as　I　

have　described　them；　and　of　the　three；　the　lower　are　the　worst。　　I　

never　knew　one　of　them　that　possessed　the　slightest　principle；　no；　

not　…。　　It　is　true；　there　was　one　fellow　whom　I　once　met；　who　…　；　

but　it　is　a　long　story；　and　the　affair　happened　abroad。　…　I　ought　

to　know　something　of　the　English　people；'　he　continued；　after　a　

moment's　pause；　'I　have　been　many　years　amongst　them；　labouring　in　

the　cause　of　the　Church。'



'Your　See　must　have　had　great　confidence　in　your　powers　when　it　

selected　you　to　labour　for　it　in　these　parts；'　said　I。



'They　chose　me；'　said　the　man　in　black；　'principally　because；　being　

of　British　extraction　and　education；　I　could　speak　the　English　

language　and　bear　a　glass　of　something　strong。　　It　is　the　opinion　

of　my　See　that　it　would　hardly　do　to　send　a　missionary　into　a　

country　like　this　who　is　not　well　versed　in　English　…　a　country