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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But now again the damnation cry is withdrawn; there is a subdued 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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