lavengro-第62部分

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account；　and　desires　me　to　assist　you　in　my　capacity　of　publisher　

in　bringing　forth　two　or　three　works　which　you　have　prepared。　　My　

good　friend　is　perhaps　not　aware　that　for　some　time　past　I　have　

given　up　publishing　…　was　obliged　to　do　so　…　had　many　severe　losses　

…　do　nothing　at　present　in　that　line；　save　sending　out　the　Magazine　

once　a　month；　and；　between　ourselves；　am　thinking　of　disposing　of　

that　…　wish　to　retire　…　high　time　at　my　age　…　so　you　see　…　'



'I　am　very　sorry；　sir；　to　hear　that　you　cannot　assist　me'　（and　I　

remember　that　I　felt　very　nervous）；　'I　had　hoped　…　'



'A　losing　trade；　I　assure　you；　sir；　literature　is　a　drug。　　Taggart；　

what　o'clock　is？'



'Well；　sir！'　said　I；　rising；　'as　you　cannot　assist　me；　I　will　now　

take　my　leave；　I　thank　you　sincerely　for　your　kind　reception；　and　

will　trouble　you　no　longer。'



'Oh；　don't　go。　　I　wish　to　have　some　further　conversation　with　you；　

and　perhaps　I　may　hit　upon　some　plan　to　benefit　you。　　I　honour　

merit；　and　always　make　a　point　to　encourage　it　when　I　can；　but　…　

Taggart；　go　to　the　bank；　and　tell　them　to　dishonour　the　bill　twelve　

months　after　date　for　thirty　pounds　which　becomes　due　to…morrow。　　I　

am　dissatisfied　with　that　fellow　who　wrote　the　fairy　tales；　and　

intend　to　give　him　all　the　trouble　in　my　power。　　Make　haste。'



Taggart　did　not　appear　to　be　in　any　particular　haste。　　First　of　

all；　he　took　a　pinch　of　snuff；　then；　rising　from　his　chair；　slowly　

and　deliberately　drew　his　wig；　for　he　wore　a　wig　of　a　brown　colour；　

rather　more　over　his　forehead　than　it　had　previously　been；　buttoned　

his　coat；　and；　taking　his　hat；　and　an　umbrella　which　stood　in　a　

corner；　made　me　a　low　bow；　and　quitted　the　room。



'Well；　sir；　where　were　we？　　Oh；　I　remember；　we　were　talking　about　

merit。　　Sir；　I　always　wish　to　encourage　merit；　especially　when　it　

comes　so　highly　recommended　as　in　the　present　instance。　　Sir；　my　

good　friend　and　correspondent　speaks　of　you　in　the　highest　terms。　　

Sir；　I　honour　my　good　friend；　and　have　the　highest　respect　for　his　

opinion　in　all　matters　connected　with　literature　…　rather　eccentric　

though。　　Sir；　my　good　friend　has　done　my　periodical　more　good　and　

more　harm　than　all　the　rest　of　my　correspondents。　　Sir；　I　shall　

never　forget　the　sensation　caused　by　the　appearance　of　his　article　

about　a　certain　personage　whom　he　proved　…　and　I　think　

satisfactorily　…　to　have　been　a　legionary　soldier　…　rather　

startling；　was　it　not？　　The　S…　of　the　world　a　common　soldier；　in　a　

marching　regiment　…　original；　but　startling；　sir；　I　honour　my　good　

friend。'



'So　you　have　renounced　publishing；　sir；'　said　I；　'with　the　

exception　of　the　Magazine？'



'Why；　yes；　except　now　and　then；　under　the　rose；　the　old　coachman；　

you　know；　likes　to　hear　the　whip。　　Indeed；　at　the　present　moment；　I　

am　thinking　of　starting　a　Review　on　an　entirely　new　and　original　

principle；　and　it　just　struck　me　that　you　might　be　of　high　utility　

in　the　undertaking　…　what　do　you　think　of　the　matter？'



'I　should　be　happy；　sir；　to　render　you　any　assistance；　but　I　am　

afraid　the　employment　you　propose　requires　other　qualifications　

than　I　possess；　however；　I　can　make　the　essay。　　My　chief　intention　

in　coming　to　London　was　to　lay　before　the　world　what　I　had　

prepared；　and　I　had　hoped　by　your　assistance　…　'



'Ah！　　I　see；　ambition！　　Ambition　is　a　very　pretty　thing；　but；　sir；　

we　must　walk　before　we　run；　according　to　the　old　saying　…　what　is　

that　you　have　got　under　your　arm？'



'One　of　the　works　to　which　I　was　alluding；　the　one；　indeed；　which　I　

am　most　anxious　to　lay　before　the　world；　as　I　hope　to　derive　from　

it　both　profit　and　reputation。'



'Indeed！　what　do　you　call　it？'



'Ancient　songs　of　Denmark；　heroic　and　romantic；　translated　by　

myself；　with　notes　philological；　critical；　and　historical。'



'Then；　sir；　I　assure　you　that　your　time　and　labour　have　been　

entirely　flung　away；　nobody　would　read　your　ballads；　if　you　were　to　

give　them　to　the　world　to…morrow。'



'I　am　sure；　sir；　that　you　would　say　otherwise　if　you　would　permit　

me　to　read　one　to　you'；　and；　without　waiting　for　the　answer　of　the　

big　man；　nor　indeed　so　much　as　looking　at　him；　to　see　whether　he　

was　inclined　or　not　to　hear　me；　I　undid　my　manuscript；　and；　with　a　

voice　trembling　with　eagerness；　I　read　to　the　following　effect：　　…





Buckshank　bold　and　Elfinstone；

And　more　than　I　can　mention　here；

They　caused　to　be　built　so　stout　a　ship；

And　unto　Iceland　they　would　steer。



They　launched　the　ship　upon　the　main；

Which　bellowed　like　a　wrathful　bear；

Down　to　the　bottom　the　vessel　sank；

A　laidly　Trold　has　dragged　it　there。



Down　to　the　bottom　sank　young　Roland；

And　round　about　he　groped　awhile；

Until　he　found　the　path　which　led

Unto　the　bower　of　Ellenlyle。





'Stop！'　said　the　publisher；　'very　pretty　indeed；　and　very　original；　

beats　Scott　hollow；　and　Percy　too：　　but；　sir；　the　day　for　these　

things　is　gone　by；　nobody　at　present　cares　for　Percy；　nor　for　Scott　

either；　save　as　a　novelist；　sorry　to　discourage　merit；　sir；　but　

what　can　I　do！　　What　else　have　you　got？'



'The　songs　of　Ab　Gwilym；　the　Welsh　bard；　also　translated　by　myself；　

with　notes　critical；　philological；　and　historical。'



'Pass　on　…　what　else？'



'Nothing　else；'　said　I；　folding　up　my　manuscript　with　a　sigh；　

'unless　it　be　a　romance　in　the　German　style；　on　which；　I　confess；　I　

set　very　little　value。'



'Wild？'



'Yes；　sir；　very　wild。'



'Like　the　Miller　of　the　Black　Valley？'



'Yes；　sir；　very　much　like　the　Miller　of　the　Black　Valley。'



'Well；　that's　better；'　said　the　publisher；　'and　yet；　I　don't　know；　

I　question　whether　any　one　at　present　cares　for　the　miller　himself。　　

No；　sir；　the　time　for　those　things　is　also　gone　by；　German；　at　

present；　is　a　drug；　and；　between　ourselves；　nobody　has　contributed　

to　make　it　so　more　than　my　good　friend　and　correspondent；　…　but；　

sir；　I　see　you　are　a　young　gentleman　of　infinite　merit；　and　I　

always　wish　to　encourage　merit。　　Don't　you　think　you　could　write　a　

series　of　evangelical　tales？'



'Evangelical　tales；　sir？'



'Yes；　sir；　evangelical　novels。'



'Something　in　the　style　of　Herder？'



'Herder　is　a　drug；　sir；　nobody　cares　for　Herder　…　thanks　to　my　good　

friend。　　Sir；　I　have　in　yon　drawer　a　hundred　pages　about　Herder；　

which　I　dare　not　insert　in　my　periodical；　it　would　sink　it；　sir。　　

No；　sir；　something　in　the　style　of　the　DAIRYMAN'S　DAUGHTER。'



'I　never　heard　of　the　work　till　the　present　moment。'



'Then；　sir；　procure　it　by　all　means。　　Sir；　I　could　afford　as　much　

as　ten　pounds　for　a　well…written　tale　in　the　style　of　the　

DAIRYMAN'S　DAUGHTER；　that　is　the　kind　of　literature；　sir；　that　

sells　at　the　present　day！　　It　is　not　the　Miller　of　the　Black　Valley　

…　no；　sir；　nor　Herder　either；　that　will　suit　the　present　taste；　the　

evangelical　body　is　becoming　very　strong；　sir；　the　canting　

scoundrels　…　'



'But；　sir；　surely　you　would