lavengro-第23部分

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wife；　who　is　from　Londonderry；　may　have　the　advantage　of　pleasant　

company；　genteel　company；　ay；　and　Protestant　company；　captain。　　It　

did　my　heart　good　when　I　saw　your　honour　ride　in　at　the　head　of　all　

those　fine　fellows；　real　Protestants；　I'll　engage；　not　a　Papist　

among　them；　they　are　too　good…looking　and　honest…looking　for　that。　　

So　I　no　sooner　saw　your　honour　at　the　head　of　your　army；　with　that　

handsome　young　gentleman　holding　by　your　stirrup；　than　I　said　to　my　

wife；　Mistress　Hyne；　who　is　from　Londonderry；　〃God　bless　me；〃　said　

I；　〃what　a　truly　Protestant　countenance；　what　a　noble　bearing；　and　

what　a　sweet　young　gentleman。　　By　the　silver　hairs　of　his　honour〃　…　

and　sure　enough　I　never　saw　hairs　more　regally　silver　than　those　of　

your　honour　…　〃by　his　honour's　gray　silver　hairs；　and　by　my　own　

soul；　which　is　not　worthy　to　be　mentioned　in　the　same　day　with　one　

of　them　…　it　would　be　no　more　than　decent　and　civil　to　run　out　and　

welcome　such　a　father　and　son　coming　in　at　the　head　of　such　a　

Protestant　military。〃　　And　then　my　wife；　who　is　from　Londonderry；　

Mistress　Hyne；　looking　me　in　the　face　like　a　fairy　as　she　is；　〃You　

may　say　that；〃　says　she。　　〃It　would　be　but　decent　and　civil；　

honey。〃　　And　your　honour　knows　how　I　ran　out　of　my　own　door　and　

welcomed　your　honour　riding　in　company　with　your　son；　who　was　

walking；　how　I　welcomed　ye　both　at　the　head　of　your　royal　regiment；　

and　how　I　shook　your　honour　by　the　hand；　saying；　I　am　glad　to　see　

your　honour；　and　your　honour's　son；　and　your　honour's　royal　

military　Protestant　regiment。　　And　now　I　have　you　in　the　house；　and　

right　proud　I　am　to　have　ye　one　and　all；　one；　two；　three；　four；　

true　Protestants　every　one；　no　Papists　here；　and　I　have　made　bold　

to　bring　up　a　bottle　of　claret　which　is　now　waiting　behind　the　

door；　and；　when　your　honour　and　your　family　have　dined；　I　will　make　

bold　too　to　bring　up　Mistress　Hyne；　from　Londonderry；　to　introduce　

to　your　honour's　lady；　and　then　we'll　drink　to　the　health　of　King　

George；　God　bless　him；　to　the　〃glorious　and　immortal〃　…　to　Boyne　

water　…　to　your　honour's　speedy　promotion　to　be　Lord　Lieutenant；　

and　to　the　speedy　downfall　of　the　Pope　and　Saint　Anthony　of　Padua。'



Such　was　the　speech　of　the　Irish　Protestant　addressed　to　my　father　

in　the　long　lofty　dining…room　with　three　windows；　looking　upon　the　

high　street　of　the　good　town　of　Clonmel；　as　he　sat　at　meat　with　his　

family；　after　saying　grace　like　a　true…hearted　respectable　soldier　

as　he　was。



'A　bigot　and　an　Orangeman！'　　Oh　yes！　　It　is　easier　to　apply　

epithets　of　opprobrium　to　people　than　to　make　yourself　acquainted　

with　their　history　and　position。　　He　was　a　specimen；　and　a　fair　

specimen；　of　a　most　remarkable　body　of　men；　who　during　two　

centuries　have　fought　a　good　fight　in　Ireland　in　the　cause　of　

civilisation　and　religious　truth；　they　were　sent　as　colonists；　few　

in　number；　into　a　barbarous　and　unhappy　country；　where　ever　since；　

though　surrounded　with　difficulties　of　every　kind；　they　have　

maintained　their　ground；　theirs　has　been　no　easy　life；　nor　have　

their　lines　fallen　upon　very　pleasant　places；　amidst　darkness　they　

have　held　up　a　lamp；　and　it　would　be　well　for　Ireland　were　all　her　

children　like　these　her　adopted　ones。　　'But　they　are　fierce　and　

sanguinary；'　it　is　said。　　Ay；　ay！　they　have　not　unfrequently　

opposed　the　keen　sword　to　the　savage　pike。　　'But　they　are　bigoted　

and　narrow…minded。'　　Ay；　ay！　they　do　not　like　idolatry；　and　will　

not　bow　the　knee　before　a　stone！　　'But　their　language　is　frequently　

indecorous。'　　Go　to；　my　dainty　one；　did　ye　ever　listen　to　the　voice　

of　Papist　cursing？



The　Irish　Protestants　have　faults；　numerous　ones；　but　the　greater　

number　of　these　may　be　traced　to　the　peculiar　circumstances　of　

their　position：　　but　they　have　virtues；　numerous　ones；　and　their　

virtues　are　their　own；　their　industry；　their　energy；　and　their　

undaunted　resolution　are　their　own。　　They　have　been　vilified　and　

traduced　…　but　what　would　Ireland　be　without　them？　　I　repeat；　that　

it　would　be　well　for　her　were　all　her　sons　no　worse　than　these　

much…calumniated　children　of　her　adoption。







CHAPTER　X







Protestant　young　gentlemen　…　The　Greek　letters　…　Open　chimney　…　

Murtagh　…　Paris　and　Salamanca　…　Nothing　to　do　…　To　whit；　to　whoo！　…　

The　pack　of　cards　…　Before　Christmas。



WE　continued　at　this　place　for　some　months；　during　which　time　the　

soldiers　performed　their　duties；　whatever　they　were；　and　I；　having　

no　duties　to　perform；　was　sent　to　school。　　I　had　been　to　English　

schools；　and　to　the　celebrated　one　of　Edinburgh；　but　my　education；　

at　the　present　day；　would　not　be　what　it　is　…　perfect；　had　I　never　

had　the　honour　of　being　ALUMNUS　in　an　Irish　seminary。



'Captain；'　said　our　kind　host；　'you　would；　no　doubt；　wish　that　the　

young　gentleman　should　enjoy　every　advantage　which　the　town　may　

afford　towards　helping　him　on　in　the　path　of　genteel　learning。　　

It's　a　great　pity　that　he　should　waste　his　time　in　idleness　…　doing　

nothing　else　than　what　he　says　he　has　been　doing　for　the　last　

fortnight　…　fishing　in　the　river　for　trouts　which　he　never　catches；　

and　wandering　up　the　glen　in　the　mountain；　in　search　of　the　hips　

that　grow　there。　　Now；　we　have　a　school　here；　where　he　can　learn　

the　most　elegant　Latin；　and　get　an　insight　into　the　Greek　letters；　

which　is　desirable；　and　where；　moreover；　he　will　have　an　

opportunity　of　making　acquaintance　with　all　the　Protestant　young　

gentlemen　of　the　place；　the　handsome　well…dressed　young　persons　

whom　your　honour　sees　in　the　church　on　the　Sundays；　when　your　

honour　goes　there　in　the　morning；　with　the　rest　of　the　Protestant　

military；　for　it　is　no　Papist　school；　though　there　may　be　a　Papist　

or　two　there　…　a　few　poor　farmers'　sons　from　the　country；　with　whom　

there　is　no　necessity　for　your　honour's　child　to　form　any　

acquaintance　at　all；　at　all！'



And　to　the　school　I　went；　where　I　read　the　Latin　tongue　and　the　

Greek　letters；　with　a　nice　old　clergyman；　who　sat　behind　a　black　

oaken　desk；　with　a　huge　Elzevir　Flaccus　before　him；　in　a　long　

gloomy　kind　of　hall；　with　a　broken　stone　floor；　the　roof　festooned　

with　cobwebs；　the　walls　considerably　dilapidated；　and　covered　over　

with　strange　figures　and　hieroglyphics；　evidently　produced　by　the　

application　of　burnt　stick；　and　there　I　made　acquaintance　with　the　

Protestant　young　gentlemen　of　the　place；　who；　with　whatever　ECLAT　

they　might　appear　at　church　on　a　Sunday；　did　assuredly　not　exhibit　

to　much　advantage　in　the　schoolroom　on　the　week　days；　either　with　

respect　to　clothes　or　looks。　　And　there　I　was　in　the　habit　of　

sitting　on　a　large　stone；　before　the　roaring　fire　in　the　huge　open　

chimney；　and　entertaining　certain　of　the　Protestant　young　gentlemen　

of　my　own　age；　seated　on　similar　stones；　with　extraordinary　

accounts　of　my　own　adventures；　and　those　of　the　corps；　with　an　

occasional　anecdote　extracted　from　the　story…books　of　Hickathrift