lavengro-第55节

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them。'



Scarcely　knowing　what　to　say；　I　made　an　observation　at　random。　　

'You　show；　by　your　own　conduct；'　said　I；　'that　there　are　other　

things　worth　following　besides　dog…fighting。　　You　practise　rat…

catching　and　badger…baiting　as　well。'



The　dog…fancier　eyed　me　with　supreme　contempt。



'Your　friend　here；'　said　he；　'might　well　call　you　a　new　one。　　When　

I　talks　of　dog…fighting；　I　of　course　means　rat…catching；　and　

badger…baiting；　ay；　and　bull…baiting　too；　just　as　when　I　speaks　

religiously；　when　I　says　one　I　means　not　one　but　three。　　And　

talking　of　religion　puts　me　in　mind　that　I　have　something　else　to　

do　besides　chaffing　here；　having　a　batch　of　dogs　to　send　off　by　

this　night's　packet　to　the　Pope　of　Rome。'



But　at　last　I　had　seen　enough　of　what　London　had　to　show；　whether　

strange　or　commonplace；　so　at　least　I　thought；　and　I　ceased　to　

accompany　my　friend　in　his　rambles　about　town；　and　to　partake　of　

his　adventures。　　Our　friendship；　however；　still　continued　unabated；　

though　I　saw；　in　consequence；　less　of　him。　　I　reflected　that　time　

was　passing　on　…　that　the　little　money　I　had　brought　to　town　was　

fast　consuming；　and　that　I　had　nothing　to　depend　upon　but　my　own　

exertions　for　a　fresh　supply；　and　I　returned　with　redoubled　

application　to　my　pursuits。







CHAPTER　XXXVI







Occupations　…　Traduttore　traditore　…　Ode　to　the　Mist　…　Apple　and　

pear　…　Reviewing　…　Current　literature　…　Oxford…like　manner　…　A　

plain　story　…　Ill…regulated　mind　…　Unsnuffed　candle　…　Strange　

dreams。



I　COMPILED　the　Chronicles　of　Newgate；　I　reviewed　books　for　the　

Review　established　on　an　entirely　new　principle；　and　I　occasionally　

tried　my　best　to　translate　into　German　portions　of　the　publisher's　

philosophy。　　In　this　last　task　I　experienced　more　than　one　

difficulty。　　I　was　a　tolerable　German　scholar；　it　is　true；　and　I　

had　long　been　able　to　translate　from　German　into　English　with　

considerable　facility；　but　to　translate　from　a　foreign　language　

into　your　own　is　a　widely　different　thing　from　translating　from　

your　own　into　a　foreign　language；　and；　in　my　first　attempt　to　

render　the　publisher　into　German；　I　was　conscious　of　making　

miserable　failures；　from　pure　ignorance　of　German　grammar；　however；　

by　the　assistance　of　grammars　and　dictionaries；　and　by　extreme　

perseverance；　I　at　length　overcame　all　the　difficulties　connected　

with　the　German　language。　　But；　alas！　another　difficulty　remained；　

far　greater　than　any　connected　with　German　…　a　difficulty　connected　

with　the　language　of　the　publisher　…　the　language　which　the　great　

man　employed　in　his　writings　was　very　hard　to　understand；　I　say　in　

his　writings　…　for　his　colloquial　English　was　plain　enough。　　Though　

not　professing　to　be　a　scholar；　he　was　much　addicted；　when　writing；　

to　the　use　of　Greek　and　Latin　terms；　not　as　other　people　used　them；　

but　in　a　manner　of　his　own；　which　set　the　authority　of　dictionaries　

at　defiance；　the　consequence　was　that　I　was　sometimes　utterly　at　a　

loss　to　understand　the　meaning　of　the　publisher。　　Many　a　quarter　of　

an　hour　did　I　pass　at　this　period；　staring　at　periods　of　the　

publisher；　and　wondering　what　he　could　mean；　but　in　vain；　till　at　

last；　with　a　shake　of　the　head；　I　would　snatch　up　the　pen；　and　

render　the　publisher　literally　into　German。　　Sometimes　I　was　almost　

tempted　to　substitute　something　of　my　own　for　what　the　publisher　

had　written；　but　my　conscience　interposed；　the　awful　words；　

Traduttore　traditore；　commenced　ringing　in　my　ears；　and　I　asked　

myself　whether　I　should　be　acting　honourably　towards　the　publisher；　

who　had　committed　to　me　the　delicate　task　of　translating　him　into　

German；　should　I　be　acting　honourably　towards　him；　in　making　him　

speak　in　German　in　a　manner　different　from　that　in　which　he　

expressed　himself　in　English？　　No；　I　could　not　reconcile　such　

conduct　with　any　principle　of　honour；　by　substituting　something　of　

my　own　in　lieu　of　these　mysterious　passages　of　the　publisher；　I　

might　be　giving　a　fatal　blow　to　his　whole　system　of　philosophy。　　

Besides；　when　translating　into　English；　had　I　treated　foreign　

authors　in　this　manner？　　Had　I　treated　the　minstrels　of　the　Kaempe　

Viser　in　this　manner？　…　No。　　Had　I　treated　Ab　Gwilym　in　this　

manner？　　Even　when　translating　his　Ode　to　the　Mist；　in　which　he　is　

misty　enough；　had　I　attempted　to　make　Ab　Gwilym　less　misty？　　No；　on　

referring　to　my　translation；　I　found　that　Ab　Gwilym　in　my　hands　was　

quite　as　misty　as　in　his　own。　　Then；　seeing　that　I　had　not　ventured　

to　take　liberties　with　people　who　had　never　put　themselves　into　my　

hands　for　the　purpose　of　being　rendered；　how　could　I　venture　to　

substitute　my　own　thoughts　and　ideas　for　the　publisher's；　who　had　

put　himself　into　my　hands　for　that　purpose？　　Forbid　it　every　proper　

feeling！　…　so　I　told　the　Germans；　in　the　publisher's　own　way；　the　

publisher's　tale　of　an　apple　and　a　pear。



I　at　first　felt　much　inclined　to　be　of　the　publisher's　opinion　with　

respect　to　the　theory　of　the　pear。　　After　all；　why　should　the　earth　

be　shaped　like　an　apple；　and　not　like　a　pear？　…　it　would　certainly　

gain　in　appearance　by　being　shaped　like　a　pear。　　A　pear　being　a　

handsomer　fruit　than　an　apple；　the　publisher　is　probably　right；　

thought　I；　and　I　will　say　that　he　is　right　on　this　point　in　the　

notice　which　I　am　about　to　write　of　his　publication　for　the　Review。　　

And　yet　I　don't　know　…　said　I；　after　a　long　fit　of　musing　…　I　don't　

know　but　what　there　is　more　to　be　said　for　the　Oxford　theory。　　The　

world　may　be　shaped　like　a　pear；　but　I　don't　know　that　it　is；　but　

one　thing　I　know；　which　is；　that　it　does　not　taste　like　a　pear；　I　

have　always　liked　pears；　but　I　don't　like　the　world。　　The　world　to　

me　tastes　much　more　like　an　apple；　and　I　have　never　liked　apples。　　

I　will　uphold　the　Oxford　theory　…　besides；　I　am　writing　in　an　

Oxford　Review；　and　am　in　duty　bound　to　uphold　the　Oxford　theory。　　

So　in　my　notice　I　asserted　that　the　world　was　round；　I　quoted　

Scripture；　and　endeavoured　to　prove　that　the　world　was　typified　by　

the　apple　in　Scripture；　both　as　to　shape　and　properties。　　'An　apple　

is　round；'　said　I；　'and　the　world　is　round　…　the　apple　is　a　sour；　

disagreeable　fruit；　and　who　has　tasted　much　of　the　world　without　

having　his　teeth　set　on　edge？'　　I；　however；　treated　the　publisher；　

upon　the　whole；　in　the　most　urbane　and　Oxford…like　manner；　

complimenting　him　upon　his　style；　acknowledging　the　general　

soundness　of　his　views；　and　only　differing　with　him　in　the　affair　

of　the　apple　and　pear。



I　did　not　like　reviewing　at　all　…　it　was　not　to　my　taste；　it　was　

not　in　my　way；　I　liked　it　far　less　than　translating　the　publisher's　

philosophy；　for　that　was　something　in　the　line　of　one　whom　a　

competent　judge　had　surnamed　Lavengro。　　I　never　could　understand　

why　reviews　were　instituted；　works　of　merit　do　not　require　to　be　

reviewed；　they　can　speak　for　themselves；　and　require　no　praising；　

works　of　no　merit　at　all　will　die　of　themselves；　they　require　no　

killing。　　The　Review　to　which　I　was　attached　was；　as　has　been　

already　intimated；　established　on　an　entirely　new　plan；　it　

professed　to　review　all　new　publications；　which　certainly　no　Review　

had　ever　professed　to　do　before；　other　Reviews　never　pretending　to　

review　more　than　one…tenth　of　the　current　literature　of　the　day。　　

When　I　say　it　professed　to　review　all　new　publications；　I　should　

add；　which　should　be　sent　to　it；　for；　of　course；　the　Review　would　

not　acknowledge　the　existence　of　publications；　the　authors　of　which　

did　not　acknowledge　the　existence　of　the　Review。　　I　don't　think；　

however；　that　the　Review　had　much　cause　to　complain　of　being　

neglected；　I　have　reason　to　believe　that　at　least　nine…tenths　of　

the　publications　of　the　day　were　sent　to　the　Review；　and　in　due　

time　reviewed。　　I　had　good　opportunity　of　judging　…　I　was　connected　

with　several　departments　of　the　Review；　though　more　particularly　

with　the　poetical　and　philosophic　ones。　　An　English　translation　of　

Kant's　philosophy　made　its　appearance　on　my　table　the　day　before　

its　publication。　　In　my　notice　of　this　work　I　said　that　the　English　

shortly　hoped　to　give　the　Germans　a　QUID　PRO　QUO。　　I　believe　at　

that　time　authors　were　much　in　the　habit　of　publishing　at　their　own　

expense。　　All　the　poetry　which　I　reviewed　appeared　to　be　published　

at　the　expense　of　the　authors。　　If　I　am　asked　how　I　comported　

myself；　under　all　circumstances；　as　a　reviewer　…　I　answer；　…　I　did　

not　forget　that　I　was　connected　with　a　Review　established　on　Oxford　

principles；　the　editor　of　which　had　translated　Quintilian。　　All　the　

publications　which　fell　under　my　notice　I　treated　in　a　gentlemanly　

and　Oxford…like　manner；　no　personalities　…　no　vituperation　…　no　

shabby　insinuations；　decorum；　decorum　was　the　order　of　the　day。　　

Occasionally　a　word　of　admonition；　but　gently　expressed；　as　an　

Oxford　undergraduate　might　have　expressed　it；　or　master　of　arts。