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lavengro-第56部分
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Englishman of the brown eye; worthy to have carried a six…foot bow
at Flodden; where England's yeomen triumphed over Scotland's king;
his clans and chivalry。 Hail to thee; last of England's bruisers;
after all the many victories which thou hast achieved … true
English victories; unbought by yellow gold; need I recount them?
nay; nay! they are already well known to fame … sufficient to say
that Bristol's Bull and Ireland's Champion were vanquished by thee;
and one mightier still; gold itself; thou didst overcome; for gold
itself strove in vain to deaden the power of thy arm; and thus thou
didst proceed till men left off challenging thee; the
unvanquishable; the incorruptible。 'Tis a treat to see thee; Tom
of Bedford; in thy 'public' in Holborn way; whither thou hast
retired with thy well…earned bays。 'Tis Friday night; and nine by
Holborn clock。 There sits the yeoman at the end of his long room;
surrounded by his friends; glasses are filled; and a song is the
cry; and a song is sung well suited to the place; it finds an echo
in every heart … fists are clenched; arms are waved; and the
portraits of the mighty fighting men of yore; Broughton; and Slack;
and Ben; which adorn the walls; appear to smile grim approbation;
whilst many a manly voice joins in the bold chorus:
Here's a health to old honest John Bull;
When he's gone we shan't find such another;
And with hearts and with glasses brim full;
We will drink to old England; his mother。
But the fight! with respect to the fight; what shall I say? Little
can be said about it … it was soon over; some said that the brave
from town; who was reputed the best man of the two; and whose form
was a perfect model of athletic beauty; allowed himself; for lucre
vile; to be vanquished by the massive champion with the flattened
nose。 One thing is certain; that the former was suddenly seen to
sink to the earth before a blow of by no means extraordinary power。
Time; time! was called; but there he lay upon the ground apparently
senseless; and from thence he did not lift his head till several
seconds after the umpires had declared his adversary victor。
There were shouts; indeed there's never a lack of shouts to
celebrate a victory; however acquired; but there was also much
grinding of teeth; especially amongst the fighting men from town。
'Tom has sold us;' said they; 'sold us to the yokels; who would
have thought it?' Then there was fresh grinding of teeth; and
scowling brows were turned to the heaven; but what is this? is it
possible; does the heaven scowl too? why; only a quarter of an hour
ago 。 。 。 but what may not happen in a quarter of an hour? For
many weeks the weather had been of the most glorious description;
the eventful day; too; had dawned gloriously; and so it had
continued till some two hours after noon; the fight was then over;
and about that time I looked up … what a glorious sky of deep blue;
and what a big fierce sun swimming high above in the midst of that
blue; not a cloud … there had not been one for weeks … not a cloud
to be seen; only in the far west; just on the horizon; something
like the extremity of a black wing; that was only a quarter of an
hour ago; and now the whole northern side of the heaven is occupied
by a huge black cloud; and the sun is only occasionally seen amidst
masses of driving vapour; what a change! but another fight is at
hand; and the pugilists are clearing the outer ring; … how their
huge whips come crashing upon the heads of the yokels; blood flows;
more blood than in the fight; those blows are given with right
good…will; those are not sham blows; whether of whip or fist; it is
with fist that grim Shelton strikes down the big yokel; he is
always dangerous; grim Shelton; but now particularly so; for he has
lost ten pounds betted on the brave who sold himself to the yokels;
but the outer ring is cleared: and now the second fight commences;
it is between two champions of less renown than the others; but is
perhaps not the worse on that account。 A tall thin boy is fighting
in the ring with a man somewhat under the middle size; with a frame
of adamant; that's a gallant boy! he's a yokel; but he comes from
Brummagem; and he does credit to his extraction; but his adversary
has a frame of adamant: in what a strange light they fight; but
who can wonder; on looking at that frightful cloud usurping now
one…half of heaven; and at the sun struggling with sulphurous
vapour; the face of the boy; which is turned towards me; looks
horrible in that light; but he is a brave boy; he strikes his foe
on the forehead; and the report of the blow is like the sound of a
hammer against a rock; but there is a rush and a roar overhead; a
wild commotion; the tempest is beginning to break loose; there's
wind and dust; a crash; rain and hail; is it possible to fight
amidst such a commotion? yes! the fight goes on; again the boy
strikes the man full on the brow; but it is of no use striking that
man; his frame is of adamant。 'Boy; thy strength is beginning to
give way; and thou art becoming confused'; the man now goes to
work; amidst rain and hail。 'Boy; thou wilt not hold out ten
minutes longer against rain; hail; and the blows of such an
antagonist。'
And now the storm was at its height; the black thunder…cloud had
broken into many; which assumed the wildest shapes and the
strangest colours; some of them unspeakably glorious; the rain
poured in a deluge; and more than one waterspout was seen at no
great distance: an immense rabble is hurrying in one direction; a
multitude of men of all ranks; peers and yokels; prize…fighters and
Jews; and the last came to plunder; and are now plundering amidst
that wild confusion of hail and rain; men and horses; carts and
carriages。 But all hurry in one direction; through mud and mire;
there's a town only three miles distant; which is soon reached; and
soon filled; it will not contain one…third of that mighty rabble;
but there's another town farther on … the good old city is farther
on; only twelve miles; what's that! who will stay here? onward to
the old town。
Hurry…skurry; a mixed multitude of men and horses; carts and
carriages; all in the direction of the old town; and; in the midst
of all that mad throng; at a moment when the rain…gushes were
coming down with particular fury; and the artillery of the sky was
pealing as I had never heard it peal before; I felt some one seize
me by the arm … I turned round; and beheld Mr。 Petulengro。
'I can't hear you; Mr。 Petulengro;' said I; for the thunder drowned
the words which he appeared to be uttering。
'Dearginni;' I heard Mr。 Petulengro say; 'it thundreth。 I was
asking; brother; whether you believe in dukkeripens?'
'I do not; Mr。 Petulengro; but this is strange weather to be asking
me whether I believe in fortunes。'
'Grondinni;' sa
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