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lavengro-第33部分
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words; 〃I have been young and now am grown old; yet never have I
seen the righteous man forsaken; or his seed begging their bread。〃'
I have heard talk of the pleasures of idleness; yet it is my own
firm belief that no one ever yet took pleasure in it。 Mere
idleness is the most disagreeable state of existence; and both mind
and body are continually making efforts to escape from it。 It has
been said that idleness is the parent of mischief; which is very
true; but mischief itself is merely an attempt to escape from the
dreary vacuum of idleness。 There are many tasks and occupations
which a man is unwilling to perform; but let no one think that he
is therefore in love with idleness; he turns to something which is
more agreeable to his inclination; and doubtless more suited to his
nature; but he is not in love with idleness。 A boy may play the
truant from school because he dislikes books and study; but; depend
upon it; he intends doing something the while … to go fishing; or
perhaps to take a walk; and who knows but that from such excursions
both his mind and body may derive more benefit than from books and
school? Many people go to sleep to escape from idleness; the
Spaniards do; and; according to the French account; John Bull; the
'squire; hangs himself in the month of November; but the French;
who are a very sensible people; attribute the action A UNE GRANDE
ENVIE DE SE DESENNUYER; he wishes to be doing something; say they;
and having nothing better to do; he has recourse to the cord。
It was for want of something better to do that; shortly after my
return home; I applied myself to the study of languages。 By the
acquisition of Irish; with the first elements of which I had become
acquainted under the tuition of Murtagh; I had contracted a certain
zest and inclination for the pursuit。 Yet it is probable that had
I been launched about this time into some agreeable career; that of
arms for example; for which; being the son of a soldier; I had; as
was natural; a sort of penchant; I might have thought nothing more
of the acquisition of tongues of any kind; but; having nothing to
do; I followed the only course suited to my genius which appeared
open to me。
So it came to pass that one day; whilst wandering listlessly about
the streets of the old town; I came to a small book…stall; and
stopping; commenced turning over the books; I took up at least a
dozen; and almost instantly flung them down。 What were they to me?
At last; coming to a thick volume; I opened it; and after
inspecting its contents for a few minutes; I paid for it what was
demanded; and forthwith carried it home。
It was a tessaraglot grammar; a strange old book; printed somewhere
in Holland; which pretended to be an easy guide to the acquirement
of the French; Italian; Low Dutch; and English tongues; by means of
which any one conversant in any one of these languages could make
himself master of the other three。 I turned my attention to the
French and Italian。 The old book was not of much value; I derived
some benefit from it; however; and; conning it intensely; at the
end of a few weeks obtained some insight into the structure of
these two languages。 At length I had learnt all that the book was
capable of informing me; yet was still far from the goal to which
it had promised to conduct me。 'I wish I had a master!' I
exclaimed; and the master was at hand。 In an old court of the old
town lived a certain elderly personage; perhaps sixty; or
thereabouts; he was rather tall; and something of a robust make;
with a countenance in which bluffness was singularly blended with
vivacity and grimace; and with a complexion which would have been
ruddy; but for a yellow hue which rather predominated。 His dress
consisted of a snuff…coloured coat and drab pantaloons; the former
evidently seldom subjected to the annoyance of a brush; and the
latter exhibiting here and there spots of something which; if not
grease; bore a strong resemblance to it; add to these articles an
immense frill; seldom of the purest white; but invariably of the
finest French cambric; and you have some idea of his dress。 He had
rather a remarkable stoop; but his step was rapid and vigorous; and
as he hurried along the streets; he would glance to the right and
left with a pair of big eyes like plums; and on recognising any one
would exalt a pair of grizzled eyebrows; and slightly kiss a tawny
and ungloved hand。 At certain hours of the day be might be seen
entering the doors of female boarding…schools; generally with a
book in his hand; and perhaps another just peering from the orifice
of a capacious back pocket; and at a certain season of the year he
might be seen; dressed in white; before the altar of a certain
small popish chapel; chanting from the breviary in very
intelligible Latin; or perhaps reading from the desk in utterly
unintelligible English。 Such was my preceptor in the French and
Italian tongues。 'Exul sacerdos; vone banished priest。 I came
into England twenty…five year ago; 〃my dear。〃'
CHAPTER XV
Monsieur Dante … Condemned musket … Sporting … Sweet rivulet … The
Earl's Home … The pool … The sonorous voice … What dost thou read?
… Man of peace … Zohar and Mishna … Money…changers。
So I studied French and Italian under the tuition of the banished
priest; to whose house I went regularly every evening to receive
instruction。 I made considerable progress in the acquisition of
the two languages。 I found the French by far the most difficult;
chiefly on account of the accent; which my master himself possessed
in no great purity; being a Norman by birth。 The Italian was my
favourite。
'Vous serez un jour un grand philologue; mon cher;' said the old
man; on our arriving at the conclusion of Dante's Hell。
'I hope I shall be something better;' said I; 'before I die; or I
shall have lived to little purpose。'
'That's true; my dear! philologist … one small poor dog。 What
would you wish to be?'
'Many things sooner than that; for example; I would rather be like
him who wrote this book。'
'Quoi; Monsieur Dante? He was a vagabond; my dear; forced to fly
from his country。 No; my dear; if you would be like one poet; be
like Monsieur Boileau; he is the poet。'
'I don't think so。'
'How; not think so? He wrote very respectable verses; lived and
died much respected by everybody。 T'other; one bad dog; forced to
fly from his country … died with not enough to pay his undertaker。'
'Were you not forced to flee from your country?'
'That very true; but there is much difference between me and this
Dante。 He fled from country because he had one bad tongue which he
shook at his betters。 I fly because benefice gone; and head going;
not on account of the badness of my tongue。'
'Well;' said I; 'you can return now; the Bourbons a
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