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lavengro-第41部分

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easily judge how it fares at the present; from the circumstance of 

my taking pen in hand; and endeavouring to write down the passages 

of my life … a last resource with most people。  But at the period 

to which I allude I was just; as I may say; entering upon life; I 

had adopted a profession; and; to keep up my character; 

simultaneously with that profession … the study of a new language。  

I speedily became a proficient in the one; but ever remained a 

novice in the other:  a novice in the law; but a perfect master in 

the Welsh tongue。



Yes; very pleasant times were those; when within the womb of a 

lofty deal desk; behind which I sat for some eight hours every day; 

transcribing (when I imagined eyes were upon me) documents of every 

description in every possible hand; Blackstone kept company with Ab 

Gwilym … the polished English lawyer of the last century; who wrote 

long and prosy chapters on the rights of things … with a certain 

wild Welshman; who some four hundred years before that time indited 

immortal cowydds and odes to the wives of Cambrian chieftains … 

more particularly to one Morfydd; the wife of a certain hunchbacked 

dignitary called by the poet facetiously Bwa Bach … generally 

terminating with the modest request of a little private parlance 

beneath the greenwood bough; with no other witness than the eos; or 

nightingale; a request which; if the poet himself may be believed; 

rather a doubtful point; was seldom; very seldom; denied。  And by 

what strange chance had Ab Gwilym and Blackstone; two personages so 

exceedingly different; been thus brought together?  From what the 

reader already knows of me; he may be quite prepared to find me 

reading the former; but what could have induced me to take up 

Blackstone; or rather the law?



I have ever loved to be as explicit as possible; on which account; 

perhaps; I never attained to any proficiency in the law; the 

essence of which is said to be ambiguity; most questions may be 

answered in a few words; and this among the rest; though connected 

with the law。  My parents deemed it necessary that I should adopt 

some profession; they named the law; the law was as agreeable to me 

as any other profession within my reach; so I adopted the law; and 

the consequence was; that Blackstone; probably for the first time; 

found himself in company with Ab Gwilym。  By adopting the law I had 

not ceased to be Lavengro。



So I sat behind a desk many hours in the day; ostensibly engaged in 

transcribing documents of various kinds; the scene of my labours 

was a strange old house; occupying one side of a long and narrow 

court; into which; however; the greater number of the windows 

looked not; but into an extensive garden; filled with fruit trees; 

in the rear of a large; handsome house; belonging to a highly 

respectable gentleman; who; moyennant un douceur considerable; had 

consented to instruct my father's youngest son in the mysteries of 

glorious English law。  Ah! would that I could describe the good 

gentleman in the manner which he deserves; he has long since sunk 

to his place in a respectable vault; in the aisle of a very 

respectable church; whilst an exceedingly respectable marble slab 

against the neighbouring wall tells on a Sunday some eye wandering 

from its prayer…book that his dust lies below; to secure such 

respectabilities in death; he passed a most respectable life。  Let 

no one sneer; he accomplished much; his life was peaceful; so was 

his death。  Are these trifles?  I wish I could describe him; for I 

loved the man; and with reason; for he was ever kind to me; to whom 

kindness has not always been shown; and he was; moreover; a choice 

specimen of a class which no longer exists … a gentleman lawyer of 

the old school。  I would fain describe him; but figures with which 

he has nought to do press forward and keep him from my mind's eye; 

there they pass; Spaniard and Moor; Gypsy; Turk; and livid Jew。  

But who is that? what that thick pursy man in the loose; snuff…

coloured greatcoat; with the white stockings; drab breeches; and 

silver buckles on his shoes; that man with the bull neck; and 

singular head; immense in the lower part; especially about the 

jaws; but tapering upward like a pear; the man with the bushy 

brows; small gray eyes replete with catlike expression; whose 

grizzled hair is cut close; and whose ear…lobes are pierced with 

small golden rings?  Oh! that is not my dear old master; but a 

widely different personage。  Bon jour; Monsieur Vidocq! expressions 

de ma part a Monsieur Le Baron Taylor。  But here he comes at last; 

my veritable old master!



A more respectable…looking individual was never seen; he really 

looked what he was; a gentleman of the law … there was nothing of 

the pettifogger about him:  somewhat under the middle size; and 

somewhat rotund in person; he was always dressed in a full suit of 

black; never worn long enough to become threadbare。  His face was 

rubicund; and not without keenness; but the most remarkable thing 

about him was the crown of his head; which was bald; and shone like 

polished ivory; nothing more white; smooth; and lustrous。  Some 

people have said that he wore false calves; probably because his 

black silk stockings never exhibited a wrinkle; they might just as 

well have said that he waddled; because his shoes creaked; for 

these last; which were always without a speck; and polished as his 

crown; though of a different hue; did creak; as he walked rather 

slowly。  I cannot say that I ever saw him walk fast。



He had a handsome practice; and might have died a very rich man; 

much richer than he did; had he not been in the habit of giving 

rather expensive dinners to certain great people; who gave him 

nothing in return except their company; I could never discover his 

reasons for doing so; as he always appeared to me a remarkably 

quiet man; by nature averse to noise and bustle; but in all 

dispositions there are anomalies:  I have already said that he 

lived in a handsome house; and I may as well here add that he had a 

very handsome wife; who both dressed and talked exceedingly well。



So I sat behind the deal desk; engaged in copying documents of 

various kinds; and in the apartment in which I sat; and in the 

adjoining ones; there were others; some of whom likewise copied 

documents; while some were engaged in the yet more difficult task 

of drawing them up; and some of these; sons of nobody; were paid 

for the work they did; whilst others; like myself; sons of 

somebody; paid for being permitted to work; which; as our principal 

observed; was but reasonable; forasmuch as we not unfrequently 

utterly spoiled the greater part of the work intrusted to our 

hands。



There was one part of the day when I generally found myself quite 

alone; I mean at the hour when the rest went home to their 

principal meal; I; being the youngest; was left to take care of the 

pre
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