四季随笔-the private papers of henry ryecroft(英文版)-第6部分

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five　miles　an　hour）；　I　see　the　little　grey　old　man　with　whom　I　transacted　my　business……what　was　his　name？……the　bookseller　who　had　been；　I　believe；　a　Catholic　priest；　and　still　had　a　certain　priestly　dignity　about　him。　He　took　the　volume；　opened　it；　mused　for　a　moment；　then；　with　a　glance　at　me；　said；　as　if　thinking　aloud：　〃Yes；　I　wish　I　had　time　to　read　it。〃
Sometimes　I　added　the　labour　of　a　porter　to　my　fasting　endured　for　the　sake　of　books。　At　the　little　shop　near　Portland　Road　Station　I　came　upon　a　first　edition　of　Gibbon；　the　price　an　absurdity……I　think　it　was　a　shilling　a　volume。　To　possess　those　clean…paged　quartos　I　would　have　sold　my　coat。　As　it　happened；　I　had　not　money　enough　with　me；　but　sufficient　at　home。　I　was　living　at　Islington。　Having　spoken　with　the　bookseller；　I　walked　home；　took　the　cash；　walked　back　again；　and……carried　the　tomes　from　the　west　end　of　Euston　Road　to　a　street　in　Islington　far　beyond　the　Angel。　I　did　it　in　two　journeys……this　being　the　only　time　in　my　life　when　I　thought　of　Gibbon　in　avoirdupois。　Twice……three　times；　reckoning　the　walk　for　the　money……did　I　descend　Euston　Road　and　climb　Pentonville　on　that　occasion。　Of　the　season　and　the　weather　I　have　no　recollection；　my　joy　in　the　purchase　I　had　made　drove　out　every　other　thought。　Except；　indeed；　of　the　weight。　I　had　infinite　energy；　but　not　much　muscular　strength；　and　the　end　of　the　last　journey　saw　me　upon　a　chair；　perspiring；　flaccid；　aching……exultant！
The　well…to…do　person　would　hear　this　story　with　astonishment。　Why　did　I　not　get　the　bookseller　to　send　me　the　volumes？　Or；　if　I　could　not　wait；　was　there　no　omnibus　along　that　London　highway？　How　could　I　make　the　well…to…do　person　understand　that　I　did　not　feel　able　to　afford；　that　day；　one　penny　more　than　I　had　spent　on　the　book？　No；　no；　such　labour…saving　expenditure　did　not　e　within　my　scope；　whatever　I　enjoyed　I　earned　it；　literally；　by　the　sweat　of　my　brow。　In　those　days　I　hardly　knew　what　it　was　to　travel　by　omnibus。　I　have　walked　London　streets　for　twelve　and　fifteen　hours　together　without　ever　a　thought　of　saving　my　legs；　or　my　time；　by　paying　for　waftage。　Being　poor　as　poor　can　be；　there　were　certain　things　I　had　to　renounce；　and　this　was　one　of　them。
Years　after；　I　sold　my　first　edition　of　Gibbon　for　even　less　than　it　cost　me；　it　went　with　a　great　many　other　fine　books　in　folio　and　quarto；　which　I　could　not　drag　about　with　me　in　my　constant　removals；　the　man　who　bought　them　spoke　of　them　as　〃tomb…stones。〃　Why　has　Gibbon　no　market　value？　Often　has　my　heart　ached　with　regret　for　those　quartos。　The　joy　of　reading　the　Decline　and　Fall　in　that　fine　type！　The　page　was　appropriate　to　the　dignity　of　the　subject；　the　mere　sight　of　it　tuned　one's　mind。　I　suppose　I　could　easily　get　another　copy　now；　but　it　would　not　be　to　me　what　that　other　was；　with　its　memory　of　dust　and　toil。
XIII
There　must　be　several　men　of　spirit　and　experiences　akin　to　mine　who　remember　that　little　book…shop　opposite　Portland　Road　Station。　It　had　a　peculiar　character；　the　books　were　of　a　solid　kind……chiefly　theology　and　classics……and　for　the　most　part　those　old　editions　which　are　called　worthless；　which　have　no　bibliopolic　value；　and　have　been　supplanted　for　practical　use　by　modern　issues。　The　bookseller　was　very　much　a　gentleman；　and　this　singular　fact；　together　with　the　extremely　low　prices　at　which　his　volumes　were　marked；　sometimes　inclined　me　to　think　that　he　kept　the　shop　for　mere　love　of　letters。　Things　in　my　eyes　inestimable　I　have　purchased　there　for　a　few　pence；　and　I　don't　think　I　ever　gave　more　than　a　shilling　for　any　volume。　As　I　once　had　the　opportunity　of　perceiving；　a　young　man　fresh　from　class…rooms　could　only　look　with　wondering　contempt　on　the　antiquated　stuff　which　it　rejoiced　me　to　gather　from　that　kindly　stall；　or　from　the　richer　shelves　within。　My　Cicero's　Letters　for　instance：　podgy　volumes　in　parchment；　with　all　the　notes　of　Graevius；　Gronovius；　and　I　know　not　how　many　other　old　scholars。　Pooh！　Hopelessly　out　of　date。　But　I　could　never　feel　that。　I　have　a　deep　affection　for　Graevius　and　Gronovius　and　the　rest；　and　if　I　knew　as　much　as　they　did；　I　should　be　well　satisfied　to　rest　under　the　young　man's　disdain。　The　zeal　of　learning　is　never　out　of　date；　the　example……were　there　no　more……　burns　before　one　as　a　sacred　fire；　for　ever　unquenchable。　In　what　modern　editor　shall　I　find　such　love　and　enthusiasm　as　glows　in　the　annotations　of　old　scholars？
Even　the　best　editions　of　our　day　have　so　much　of　the　mere　schoolbook；　you　feel　so　often　that　the　man　does　not　regard　his　author　as　literature；　but　simply　as　text。　Pedant　for　pedant；　the　old　is　better　than　the　new。
XIV
To…day's　newspaper　contains　a　yard　or　so　of　reading　about　a　spring　horse…race。　The　sight　of　it　fills　me　with　loathing。　It　brings　to　my　mind　that　placard　I　saw　at　a　station　in　Surrey　a　year　or　two　ago；　advertising　certain　races　in　the　neighbourhood。　Here　is　the　poster；　as　I　copied　it　into　my　note…book：
〃Engaged　by　the　Executive　to　ensure　order　and　fort　to　the　public　attending　this　meeting：…
14　detectives　（racing）；　15　detectives　（Scotland　Yard）；　7　police　inspectors；　9　police　sergeants；　76　police；　and　a　supernumerary　contingent　of　specially　selected　men　from　the　Army　Reserve　and　the　Corps　of　missionaires。
The　above　force　will　be　employed　solely　for　the　purpose　of　maintaining　order　and　excluding　bad　characters；　etc。　They　will　have　the　assistance　also　of　a　strong　force　of　the　Surrey　Constabulary。〃
I　remember；　once；　when　I　let　fall　a　remark　on　the　subject　of　horse…　racing　among　friends　chatting　together；　I　was　voted　〃morose。〃　Is　it　really　morose　to　object　to　public　gatherings　which　their　own　promoters　declare　to　be　dangerous　for　all　decent　folk？　Every　one　knows　that　horse…racing　is　carried　on　mainly　for　the　delight　and　profit　of　fools；　ruffians；　and　thieves。　That　intelligent　men　allow　themselves　to　take　part　in　the　affair；　and　defend　their　conduct　by　declaring　that　their　presence　〃maintains　the　character　of　a　sport　essentially　noble；〃　merely　shows　that　intelligence　can　easily　enough　divest　itself　of　sense　and　decency。
XV
Midway　in　my　long　walk　yesterday；　I　lunched　at　a　wayside　inn。　On　the　table　lay　a　copy　of　a　popular　magazine。　Glancing　over　this　miscellany；　I　found　an　article；　by　a　woman；　on　〃Lion　Hunting；〃　and　in　this　article　I　came　upon　a　passage　which　seemed　worth　copying。
〃As　I　woke　my　husband；　the　lion……which　was　then　about　forty　yards　off……charged　straight　towards　us；　and　with　my　。303　I　hit　him　full　in　the　chest；　as　we　afterwards　discovered；　tearing　his　windpipe　to　pieces　and　breaking　his　spine。　He　charged　a　second　time；　and　the　next　shot　hit　him　through　the　shoulder；　tearing　his　heart　to　ribbons。〃
It　would　interest　me　to　look　upon　this　heroine　of　gun　and　pen。　She　is　presumably　quite　a　young　woman；　probably；　when　at　home；　a　graceful　figure　in　drawing…rooms。　I　should　like　to　hear　her　talk；　to　exchange　thoughts　with　her。　She　would　give　one　a　very　good　idea　of　the　matron　of　old　Rome　who　had　her　seat　in　the　amphitheatre。　Many　of　those　ladies；　in　private　life；　must　have　been　bright　and　gracious；　high…bred　and　full　of　agreeable　sentiment；　they　talked　of　art　and　of　letters；　they　could　drop　a　tear　over　Lesbia's　sparrow；　at　the　same　time；　they　were　connoisseurs　in　torn　windpipes；　shattered　spines　and　viscera　rent　open。　It　is　not　likely　that　many　of　them　would　have　cared　to　turn　their　own　hands　to　butchery；　and；　for　the　matter　of　that；　I　must　suppose　that　our　Lion　Huntress　of　the　popular　magazine　is　rather　an　exceptional　dame；　but　no　doubt　she　and　the　Roman　ladies　would　get　on　very　well　together；　finding　only　a　few　superficial　differences。　The　fact　that　her　gory　reminiscences　are　weled　by　an　editor　with　the　popular　taste　in　view　is　perhaps　more　significant　than　appears　either　to　editor　or　public。　Were　this　lady　to　write　a　novel　（the　chances　are　she　will）　it　would　have　the　true　note　of　modern　vigour。　Of　course　her　style　has　been　formed　by　her　favourite　reading；　more　than　probably；　her　ways　of　thinking　and　feeling　owe　much　to　the　same　source。　If　not　so　already；　this　will　soon；　I　daresay；　be　the　typical　Englishwoman。　Certainly；　there　is　〃no　nonsense　about　her。〃　Such　women　should　breed　a　remarkable　race。
I　left　the　inn　in　rather　a　turbid　humour。　Moving　homeward　by　a　new　way；　I　presently　found　myself　on　the　side　of　a　little　valley；　in　which　lay　a　farm　and　an　orchard。　The　apple　trees　were　in　full　bloom；　and；　as　I　stood　gazing；　the　sun；　which　had　all　that　day　been　niggard　of　its　beams；　burst　forth　gloriously。　For　what　I　then　saw；　I　have　no　words；　I　can　but　dream　of　the　still　loveliness　of　that　blossomed　valley。　Near　me；　a　bee　was　humming；　not　far　away；　a　cuckoo　called；　from　the　pasture　of　the　farm　below　came　a　bleating　of　lambs。
XVI
I　am　no　friend　of　the　people。　As　a　force；　by　which　the　tenor　of　the　time　is　conditioned；　they　inspire　me　with　distrust；　with　fear；　as　a　visible　multitude；　they　make　me　shrink　aloof；　and　often　move　me　to　abhorrence。　For　the　greater　part　of　my　life；　the　people　signified　to　me　the　London　crowd；　and　no　phrase　of　temperate　meaning　would　utter　my　thoughts　of　them　under　that　aspect。　The　people　as　country…　folk　are　little　known　to　me；　such　glimpses　as　I　have　had　of　them　do　not　invite　to　nearer　acquaintance。　Every　instinct　of　my　being　is　anti…democratic；　and　I　dread　to　think　of　what　our　England　may　bee　when　Demos　rules　irresistibly。
Right　or　wrong；　this　is　my　temper。　But　he　who　should　argue　from　it　that　I　am　intolerant　of　all　persons　belonging　to　a　lower　social　rank　than　my　own　would　go　far　astray。　Nothing　is　more　rooted　in　my　mind　than　the　vast　distinction　between　the　individual　and　the　class。　Take　a　man　by　himself；　and　there　is　generally　some　reason　to　be　found　in　him；　some　disposition　for　good；　mass　him　with　his　fellows　in　the　social　organism；　and　ten　to　one　he　bees　a　blatant　creature；　without　a　thought　of　his　own；　ready　for　any　evil　to　which　contagion　prompts　him。　It　is　because　nations　tend　to　stupidity　and　baseness　that　mankind　moves　so　slowly；　it　is　because　individuals　have　a　capacity　for　better　things　that　it　moves　at　all。
In　my　youth；　looking　at　this　man　and　that；　I　marvelled　that　humanity　had　made　so　little　progress。　Now；　looking　at　men　in　the　multitude；　I　marvel　that　they　have　advanced　so　far。
Foolishly　arrogant　as　I　was