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lavengro-第2部分
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almost without fear。
And it did raise its head; and; though it spoke with some little
fear at first; soon discarded every relic of it; went about the
land uttering its damnation cry; gathering around it … and for
doing so many thanks to it … the favourers of priestcraft who
lurked within the walls of the Church of England; frightening with
the loudness of its voice the weak; the timid; and the ailing;
perpetrating; whenever it had an opportunity; that species of crime
to which it has ever been most partial … DEATHBED ROBBERY; for as
it is cruel; so is it dastardly。 Yes; it went on enlisting;
plundering; and uttering its terrible threats till … till it
became; as it always does when left to itself; a fool; a very fool。
Its plunderings might have been overlooked; and so might its
insolence; had it been common insolence; but it … ; and then the
roar of indignation which arose from outraged England against the
viper; the frozen viper; which it had permitted to warm itself upon
its bosom。
But thanks; Popery; you have done all that the friends of
enlightenment and religious liberty could wish; but if ever there
were a set of foolish ones to be found under heaven; surely it is
the priestly rabble who came over from Rome to direct the grand
movement … so long in its getting up。
But now again the damnation cry is withdrawn; there is a subdued
meekness in your demeanour; you are now once more harmless as a
lamb。 Well; we shall see how the trick … 'the old trick' … will
serve you。
CHAPTER I
Birth … My father … Tamerlane … Ben Brain … French Protestants …
East Anglia … Sorrow and troubles … True peace … A beautiful child
… Foreign grave … Mirrors … Alpine country … Emblems … Slow of
speech … The Jew … Strange gestures。
ON an evening of July; in the year 18…; at East D…; a beautiful
little town in a certain district of East Anglia; I first saw the
light。
My father was a Cornish man; the youngest; as I have heard him say;
of seven brothers。 He sprang from a family of gentlemen; or; as
some people would call them; gentillatres; for they were not very
wealthy; they had a coat of arms; however; and lived on their own
property at a place called Tredinnock; which being interpreted
means THE HOUSE ON THE HILL; which house and the neighbouring acres
had been from time immemorial in their possession。 I mention these
particulars that the reader may see at once that I am not
altogether of low and plebeian origin; the present age is highly
aristocratic; and I am convinced that the public will read my pages
with more zest from being told that I am a gentillatre by birth
with Cornish blood in my veins; of a family who lived on their own
property at a place bearing a Celtic name; signifying the house on
the hill; or more strictly the house on the HILLOCK。
My father was what is generally termed a posthumous child … in
other words; the gentillatre who begot him never had the
satisfaction of invoking the blessing of the Father of All upon his
head; having departed this life some months before the birth of his
youngest son。 The boy; therefore; never knew a father's care; he
was; however; well tended by his mother; whose favourite he was; so
much so; indeed; that his brethren; the youngest of whom was
considerably older than himself; were rather jealous of him。 I
never heard; however; that they treated him with any marked
unkindness; and it will be as well to observe here that I am by no
means well acquainted with his early history; of which; indeed; as
I am not writing his life; it is not necessary to say much。
Shortly after his mother's death; which occurred when he was
eighteen; he adopted the profession of arms; which he followed
during the remainder of his life; and in which; had circumstances
permitted; he would probably have shone amongst the best。 By
nature he was cool and collected; slow to anger; though perfectly
fearless; patient of control; of great strength; and; to crown all;
a proper man with his hands。
With far inferior qualifications many a man has become a field…
marshal or general; similar ones made Tamerlane; who was not a
gentillatre; but the son of a blacksmith; emperor of one…third of
the world; but the race is not always for the swift; nor the battle
for the strong; indeed I ought rather to say very seldom; certain
it is; that my father; with all his high military qualifications;
never became emperor; field…marshal; or even general: indeed; he
had never an opportunity of distinguishing himself save in one
battle; and that took place neither in Flanders; Egypt; nor on the
banks of the Indus or Oxus; but in Hyde Park。
Smile not; gentle reader; many a battle has been fought in Hyde
Park; in which as much skill; science; and bravery have been
displayed as ever achieved a victory in Flanders or by the Indus。
In such a combat as that to which I allude; I opine that even
Wellington or Napoleon would have been heartily glad to cry for
quarter ere the lapse of five minutes; and even the Blacksmith
Tartar would; perhaps; have shrunk from the opponent with whom;
after having had a dispute with him; my father engaged in single
combat for one hour; at the end of which time the champions shook
hands and retired; each having experienced quite enough of the
other's prowess。 The name of my father's antagonist was Brain。
What! still a smile? did you never hear that name before? I cannot
help it! Honour to Brain; who four months after the event which I
have now narrated was champion of England; having conquered the
heroic Johnson。 Honour to Brain; who; at the end of other four
months; worn out by the dreadful blows which he had received in his
manly combats; expired in the arms of my father; who read the Bible
to him in his latter moments … Big Ben Brain。
You no longer smile; even YOU have heard of Big Ben。
I have already hinted that my father never rose to any very exalted
rank in his profession; notwithstanding his prowess and other
qualifications。 After serving for many years in the line; he at
last entered as captain in the militia regiment of the Earl of …;
at that period just raised; and to which he was sent by the Duke of
York to instruct the young levies in military manoeuvres and
discipline; and in this mission I believe he perfectly succeeded;
competent judges having assured me that the regiment in question
soon came by his means to be considered as one of the most
brilliant in the service; and inferior to no regiment of the line
in appearance or discipline。
As the headquarters of this corps were at D… the duties of my
father not unfrequently carried him to that place; and it was on
one of these occasions that he became acquainted with a young
person of the neighbourhood; for whom he formed an attachment;
which was returned; and this young
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