on the ruin of britain-第4节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



19。　No　sooner　were　they　gone；　than　the　Picts　and　Scots；　like
worms　which　in　the　heat　of　the　mid…day　come　forth　from　their
holes；　hastily　land　again　from　their　canoes；　in　which　they　had
been　carried　beyond　the　Cichican*　valley；　differing　one　from
another　in　manners；　but　inspired　with　the　same　avidity　for　blood；
and　all　more　eager　to　shroud　their　villainous　faces　in　bushy　hair
than　to　cover　with　decent　clothing　those　parts　of　their　body　which
required　it。　　Moreover；　having　heard　of　the　departure　of　our　friends；
and　their　resolution　never　to　return；　they　seized　with　greater
boldness　than　before　on　all　the　country　towards　the　extreme　north
as　far　as　the　wall。　　To　oppose　them　there　was　placed　on　the　heights
a　garrison　equally　slow　to　fight　and　ill　adapted　to　run　away；　a
useless　and　panic…struck　company；　who　slumbered　away　days　and
nights　on　their　unprofitable　watch。　　Meanwhile　the　hooked　weapons
of　their　enemies　were　not　idle；　and　our　wretched　countrymen　were
dragged　from　the　wall　and　dashed　against　the　ground。　　Such　premature
death；　however；　painful　as　it　was；　saved　them　from　seeing　the
miserable　sufferings　of　their　brothers　and　children。　　But　why
should　I　say　more？　　They　left　their　cities；　abandoned　the　protection
of　the　wall；　and　dispersed　themselves　in　flight　more　desperately
than　before。　　The　enemy；　on　the　other　hand；　pursued　them　with
more　unrelenting　cruelty　than　before；　and　butchered　our　countrymen
like　sheep；　so　that　their　habitations　were　like　those　of　savage
beasts；　for　they　turned　their　arms　upon　each　other；　and　for　the
sake　of　a　little　sustenance；　imbrued　their　hands　in　the　blood　of
their　fellow　countrymen。　　Thus　foreign　calamities　were　augmented
by　domestic　feuds；　so　that　the　whole　country　was　entirely　destitute
of　provisions；　save　such　as　could　be　procured　in　the　chase。

*　The　meaning　of　this　expression　is　not　known。　　O'Connor　thinks
it　is　the　Irish　Sea。


20。　Again；　therefore；　the　wretched　remnant；　sending　to　Aetius；
a　powerful　Roman　citizen；　address　him　as　follow：〃To　Aetius；*
now　consul　for　the　third　time：　the　groans　of　the　Britons。〃　　And
again　a　little　further；　thus：〃The　barbarians　drive　us　to　the
sea；　the　sea　throws　us　back　on　the　barbarians：　thus　two　modes　of
death　await　us；　we　are　either　slain　or　drowned。〃　　The　Romans；
however；　could　not　assist　them；　and　in　the　meantime　the　discomfited
people；　wandering　in　the　woods；　began　to　feel　the　effects　of　a
severe　famine；　which　compelled　many　of　them　without　delay　to　yield
themselves　up　to　their　cruel　persecutors；　to　obtain　subsistence：
others　of　them；　however；　lying　hid　in　mountains；　caves　and　woods；
continually　sallied　out　from　thence　to　renew　the　war。　　And　then
it　was；　for　the　first　time；　that　they　overthrew　their　enemies；　who
had　for　so　many　years　been　living　in　their　country；　for　their
trust　was　not　in　man；　but　in　God；　according　to　the　maxim　of　Philo；
〃We　must　have　divine　assistance；　when　that　of　man　fails。〃　　The
boldness　of　the　enemy　was　for　a　while　checked；　but　not　the
wickedness　of　our　countrymen；　the　enemy　left　our　people；　but　the
people　did　not　leave　their　sins。

*　Or　Agitius；　according　to　another　reading。

21。　For　it　has　always　been　a　custom　with　our　nation；　as　it　is
at　present；　to　be　impotent　in　repelling　foreign　foes；　but　bold
and　invincible　in　raising　civil　war；　and　bearing　the　burdens　of
their　offences：　they　are　impotent；　I　say；　in　following　the　standard
of　peace　and　truth；　but　bold　in　wickedness　and　falsehood。　　The
audacious　invaders　therefore　return　to　their　winter　quarters；
determined　before　long　again　to　return　and　plunder。　　And　then；
too；　the　Picts　for　the　first　time　seated　themselves　at　the　extremity
of　the　island；　where　they　afterwards　continued；　occasionally
plundering　and　wasting　the　country。　　During　these　truces；　the
wounds　of　the　distressed　people　are　healed；　but　another　sore；
still　more　venomous；　broke　out。　　No　sooner　were　the　ravages　of
the　enemy　checked；　than　the　island　was　deluged　with　a　most
extraordinary　plenty　of　all　things；　greater　than　was　before　known；
and　with　it　grew　up　every　kind　of　luxury　and　licentiousness。　　It
grew　with　so　firm　a　root；　that　one　might　truly　say　of　it；　〃Such
fornication　is　heard　of　among　you；　as　never　was　known　the　like
among　the　Gentiles。〃　　But　besides　this　vice；　there　arose　also
every　other；　to　which　human　nature　is　liable　and　in　particular
that　hatred　of　truth；　together　with　her　supporters；　which　still
at　present　destroys　every　thing　good　in　the　island；　the　love　of
falsehood；　together　with　its　inventors；　the　reception　of　crime
in　the　place　of　virtue；　the　respect　shown　to　wickedness　rather
than　goodness；　the　love　of　darkness　instead　of　the　sun；　the
admission　of　Satan　as　an　angel　of　light。　　Kings　were　anointed；
not　according　to　god's　ordinance；　but　such　as　showed　themselves
more　cruel　than　the　rest；　and　soon　after；　they　were　put　to　death
by　those　who　had　elected　them；　without　any　inquiry　into　their
merits；　but　because　others　still　more　cruel　were　chosen　to　succeed
them。　　If　any　one　of　these　was　of　a　milder　nature　than　the　rest；
or　in　any　way　more　regardful　of　the　truth；　he　was　looked　upon
as　the　ruiner　of　the　country；　every　body　cast　a　dart　at　him；　and
they　valued　things　alike　whether　pleasing　or　displeasing　to　God；
unless　it　so　happened　that　what　displeased　him　was　pleasing　to
themselves。　　So　that　the　words　of　the　prophet；　addressed　to　the
people　of　old；　might　well　be　applied　to　our　own　countrymen：
〃Children　without　a　law；　have　ye　left　God　and　provoked　to　anger
the　holy　one　of　Israel？*　　Why　will　ye　still　inquire；　adding
iniquity？　　Every　head　is　languid　and　every　heart　is　sad；　from　the
sole　of　the　foot　to　the　crown；　there　is　no　health　in　him。〃　　And
thus　they　did　all　things　contrary　to　their　salvation；　as　if　no
remedy　could　be　applied　to　the　world　by　the　true　Physician　of　all
men。　　And　not　only　the　laity　did　so；　but　our　Lord's　own　flock　and
its　shepherds；　who　ought　to　have　been　an　example　to　the　people；
slumbered　away　their　time　in　drunkenness；　as　if　they　had　been
dipped　in　wine；　whilst　the　swellings　of　pride；　the　jar　of　strife；
the　griping　talons　of　envy；　and　the　confused　estimate　of　right
and　wrong；　got　such　entire　possession　of　the；　that　there　seemed
to　be　poured　out　（and　the　same　still　continueth）　contempt　upon
princes；　and　to　be　made　by　their　vanities　to　wander　astray　and
not　in　the　way。

*　Isa。　I。　4；5。　　In　most　of　these　quotations　there　is　great　verbal
variation　from　the　authorised　version：　the　author　probably　quoted
from　memory；　if　not　from　the　Latin　version。

22。　Meanwhile；　God　being　willing　to　purify　his　family　who　were
infected　by　so　deep　a　stain　of　woe；　and　at　the　hearing　only　of
their　calamities　to　amend　them；　a　vague　rumour　suddenly　as　if　on
wings　reaches　the　ears　of　all；　that　their　inveterate　foes　were
rapidly　approaching　to　destroy　the　whole　country；　and　to　take
possession　of　it；　as　of　old；　from　one　end　to　the　other。　　But　yet
they　derived　no　advantage　from　this　intelligence；　for；　like　frantic
beasts；　taking　the　bit　of　reason　between　their　teeth；　they
abandoned　the　safe　and　narrow　road；　and　rushed　forward　upon　the
broad　downward　path　of　vice；　which　leads　to　death。　　Whilst；
therefore；　as　Solomon　says；　the　stubborn　servant　is　not　cured
by　words；　the　fool　is　scourged　and　feels　it　not：　a　pestilential
disease　morally　affected　the　foolish　people；　which；　without　the
sword；　cut　off　so　large　a　number　of　persons；　that　the　living
were　not　able　to　bury　them。　　But　even　this　was　no　warning　to　them；
that　in　them　also　might　be　fulfilled　the　words　of　Isaiah　the
prophet；　〃And　God　hath　called　his　people　to　lamentation；　to　baldness；
and　to　the　girdle　of　sackcloth；　behold　they　begin　to　kill　calves；
and　to　slay　rams；　to　eat；　to　drink；　and　to　say；　'We　will　eat　and
drink；　for　to…morrow　we　shall　die。'〃　　For　the　time　was　approaching；
when　all　their　iniquities；　as　formerly　those　of　the　Amorrhaeans；
should　be　fulfilled。　　For　a　council　was　called　to　settle　what　was
best　and　most　expedient　to　be　done；　in　order　to　repel　such　frequent
and　fatal　irruptions　and　plunderings　of　the　above…named　nations。

23。　Then　all　the　councillors；　together　with　that　proud　tyrant
Gurthrigern　＇Vortigern＇；　the　British　king；　were　so　blinded；　that；
as　a　protection　to　their　country；　they　sealed　its　doom　by　inviting
in　among　them　like　wolves　into　the　sheep…fold）；　the　fierce　and
impious　Saxons；　a　race　hateful　both　to　God　and　men；　to　repel　the
invasions　of　the　northern　nations。　　Nothing　was　ever　so　pernicious
to　our　country；　nothing　was　ever　so　unlucky。　　What　palpable
darkness　must　have　enveloped　their　minds…darkness　desperate　and
cruel！　　Those　very　people　whom；　when　absent；　they　dreaded　more
than　death　itself；　were　invited　to　reside；　as　one　may　say；　under
the　selfsame　roof。　　Foolish　are　the　princes；　as　it　is　said；　of
Thafneos；　giving　counsel　to　unwise　Pharaoh。　　A　multitude　of　whelps
came　forth　from　the　lair　of　this　barbaric　lioness；　in　three　cyuls；
as　they　call　them；　that　is；　in　there　ships　of　war；　with　their
sails　wafted　by　the　wind　and　with　omens　and　prophecies　favourable；
for　it　was　foretold　by　a　certain　soothsayer　among　them；　that　they
should　occupy　the　country　to　which　they　were　sailing　three　hundred
years；　and　ha