lavengro-第80节

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into　the　circle　and　fondled　the　knees　of　the　shepherd。　　'I　suppose　

you　would　not　care　to　have　some　milk；'　said　the　man。



'Why　do　you　suppose　so？'



'Because；　so　be　there　be　no　sheep；　no　milk；　you　know；　and　what　

there　ben't　is　not　worth　having。'



'You　could　not　have　argued　better；'　said　I；　'that　is；　supposing　you　

have　argued；　with　respect　to　the　milk　you　may　do　as　you　please。'



'Be　still；　Nanny；'　said　the　man；　and　producing　a　tin　vessel　from　

his　scrip；　he　milked　the　ewe　into　it。　　'Here　is　milk　of　the　plains；　

master；'　said　the　man；　as　he　handed　the　vessel　to　me。



'Where　are　those　barrows　and　great　walls　of　earth　you　were　speaking　

of？'　said　I；　after　I　had　drunk　some　of　the　milk；　'are　there　any　

near　where　we　are？'



'Not　within　many　miles；　the　nearest　is　yonder　away；'　said　the　

shepherd；　pointing　to　the　south…east。　　'It's　a　grand　place；　that；　

but　not　like　this；　quite　different；　and　from　it　you　have　a　sight　of　

the　finest　spire　in　the　world。'



'I　must　go　to　it；'　said　I；　and　I　drank　the　remainder　of　the　milk；　

'yonder；　you　say。'



'Yes；　yonder；　but　you　cannot　get　to　it　in　that　direction；　the　river　

lies　between。'



'What　river？'



'The　Avon。'



'Avon　is　British；'　said　I。



'Yes；'　said　the　man；　'we　are　all　British　here。'



'No；　we　are　not；'　said　I。



'What　are　we　then？'



'English。'



'Ain't　they　one？'



'No。'



'Who　were　the　British？'



'The　men　who　are　supposed　to　have　worshipped　God　in　this　place；　and　

who　raised　these　stones。'



'Where　are　they　now？'



'Our　forefathers　slaughtered　them；　spilled　their　blood　all　about；　

especially　in　this　neighbourhood；　destroyed　their　pleasant　places；　

and　left　not；　to　use　their　own　words；　one　stone　upon　another。'



'Yes；　they　did；'　said　the　shepherd；　looking　aloft　at　the　transverse　

stone。



'And　it　is　well　for　them　they　did；　whenever　that　stone；　which　

English　hands　never　raised；　is　by　English　hands　thrown　down；　woe；　

woe；　woe　to　the　English　race；　spare　it；　English！　Hengist　spared　it！　

…　Here　is　sixpence。'



'I　won't　have　it；'　said　the　man。



'Why　not？'



'You　talk　so　prettily　about　these　stones；　you　seem　to　know　all　

about　them。'



'I　never　receive　presents；　with　respect　to　the　stones；　I　say　with　

yourself；　How　did　they　ever　come　here？'



'How　did　they　ever　come　here？'　said　the　shepherd。







CHAPTER　LXI







The　river　…　Arid　downs　…　A　prospect。



LEAVING　the　shepherd；　I　bent　my　way　in　the　direction　pointed　out　by　

him　as　that　in　which　the　most　remarkable　of　the　strange　remains　of　

which　he　had　spoken　lay。　　I　proceeded　rapidly；　making　my　way　over　

the　downs　covered　with　coarse　grass　and　fern；　with　respect　to　the　

river　of　which　he　had　spoken；　I　reflected　that；　either　by　wading　or　

swimming；　I　could　easily　transfer　myself　and　what　I　bore　to　the　

opposite　side。　　On　arriving　at　its　banks；　I　found　it　a　beautiful　

stream；　but　shallow；　with　here　and　there　a　deep　place　where　the　

water　ran　dark　and　still。



Always　fond　of　the　pure　lymph；　I　undressed；　and　plunged　into　one　of　

these　gulfs；　from　which　I　emerged；　my　whole　frame　in　a　glow；　and　

tingling　with　delicious　sensations。　　After　conveying　my　clothes　and　

scanty　baggage　to　the　farther　side；　I　dressed；　and　then　with　

hurried　steps　bent　my　course　in　the　direction　of　some　lofty　ground；　

I　at　length　found　myself　on　a　high…road；　leading　over　wide　and　arid　

downs；　following　the　road　for　some　miles　without　seeing　anything　

remarkable；　I　supposed　at　length　that　I　had　taken　the　wrong　path；　

and　wended　on　slowly　and　disconsolately　for　some　time；　till；　having　

nearly　surmounted　a　steep　hill；　I　knew　at　once；　from　certain　

appearances；　that　I　was　near　the　object　of　my　search。　　Turning　to　

the　right　near　the　brow　of　the　hill；　I　proceeded　along　a　path　which　

brought　me　to　a　causeway　leading　over　a　deep　ravine；　and　connecting　

the　hill　with　another　which　had　once　formed　part　of　it；　for　the　

ravine　was　evidently　the　work　of　art。　　I　passed　over　the　causeway；　

and　found　myself　in　a　kind　of　gateway　which　admitted　me　into　a　

square　space　of　many　acres；　surrounded　on　all　sides　by　mounds　or　

ramparts　of　earth。　　Though　I　had　never　been　in　such　a　place　before；　

I　knew　that　I　stood　within　the　precincts　of　what　had　been　a　Roman　

encampment；　and　one　probably　of　the　largest　size；　for　many　thousand　

warriors　might　have　found　room　to　perform　their　evolutions　in　that　

space；　in　which　corn　was　now　growing；　the　green　ears　waving　in　the　

morning　wind。



After　I　had　gazed　about　the　space　for　a　time；　standing　in　the　

gateway　formed　by　the　mounds；　I　clambered　up　the　mound　to　the　left　

hand；　and　on　the　top　of　that　mound　I　found　myself　at　a　great　

altitude；　beneath；　at　the　distance　of　a　mile；　was　a　fair　old　city；　

situated　amongst　verdant　meadows；　watered　with　streams；　and　from　

the　heart　of　that　old　city；　from　amidst　mighty　trees；　I　beheld　

towering　to　the　sky　the　finest　spire　in　the　world。



And　after　I　had　looked　from　the　Roman　rampart　for　a　long　time；　I　

hurried　away；　and；　retracing　my　steps　along　the　cause…way；　regained　

the　road；　and；　passing　over　the　brow　of　the　hill；　descended　to　the　

city　of　the　spire。







CHAPTER　LXII







The　hostelry　…　Life　uncertain　…　Open　countenance　…　The　grand　point　

…　Thank　you；　master　…　A　hard　mother　…　Poor　dear！　…　Considerable　

odds　…　The　better　country　…　English　fashion　…　Landlord…looking　

person。



AND　in　the　old　city　I　remained　two　days；　passing　my　time　as　I　best　

could　…　inspecting　the　curiosities　of　the　place；　eating　and　

drinking　when　I　felt　so　disposed；　which　I　frequently　did；　the　

digestive　organs　having　assumed　a　tone　to　which　for　many　months　

they　had　been　strangers　…　enjoying　at　night　balmy　sleep　in　a　large　

bed　in　a　dusky　room；　at　the　end　of　a　corridor；　in　a　certain　

hostelry　in　which　I　had　taken　up　my　quarters　…　receiving　from　the　

people　of　the　hostelry　such　civility　and　condescension　as　people　

who　travel　on　foot　with　bundle　and　stick；　but　who　nevertheless　are　

perceived　to　be　not　altogether　destitute　of　coin；　are　in　the　habit　

of　receiving。　　On　the　third　day；　on　a　fine　sunny　afternoon；　I　

departed　from　the　city　of　the　spire。



As　I　was　passing　through　one　of　the　suburbs；　I　saw；　all　on　a　

sudden；　a　respectable…looking　female　fall　down　in　a　fit；　several　

persons　hastened　to　her　assistance。　　'She　is　dead；'　said　one。　　'No；　

she　is　not；'　said　another。　　'I　am　afraid　she　is；'　said　a　third。　　

'Life　is　very　uncertain；'　said　a　fourth。　　'It　is　Mrs。　…；'　said　a　

fifth；　'let　us　carry　her　to　her　own　house。'　　Not　being　able　to　

render　any　assistance；　I　left　the　poor　female　in　the　hands　of　her　

townsfolk；　and　proceeded　on　my　way。　　I　had　chosen　a　road　in　the　

direction　of　the　north…west；　it　led　over　downs　where　corn　was　

growing；　but　where　neither　tree　nor　hedge　was　to　be　seen；　two　or　

three　hours'　walking　brought　me　to　a　beautiful　valley；　abounding　

with　trees　of　various　kinds；　with　a　delightful　village　at　its　

farthest　extremity；　passing　through　it；　I　ascended　a　lofty　

acclivity；　on　the　top　of　which　I　sat　down　on　a　bank；　and；　taking　

off　my　hat；　permitted　a　breeze；　which　swept　coolly　and　refreshingly　

over　the　downs；　to　dry　my　hair；　dripping　from　the　effects　of　

exercise　and　the　heat　of　the　day。



And　as　I　sat　there；　gazing　now　at　the　blue　heavens；　now　at　the　

downs　before　me；　a　man　came　along　the　road　in　the　direction　in　

which　I　had　hitherto　been　proceeding：　　just　opposite　to　me　he　

stopped；　and；　looking　at　me；　cried　…　'Am　I　right　for　London；　

master？'



He　was　dressed　like　a　sailor；　and　appeared　to　be　between　twenty…

five　and　thirty　years　of　age　…　he　had　an　open　manly　countenance；　

and　there　was　a　bold　and　fearless　expression　in　his　eye。



'Yes；'　said　I；　in　reply　to　his　question；　'this　is　one　of　the　ways　

to　London。　　Do　you　come　from　far？'



'From　…；'　said　the　man；　naming　a　well…known　seaport。



'Is　this　the　direct　road　to　London　from　that　place？'　I　demanded。



'No；'　said　the　man；　'but　I　had　to　visit　two　or　three　other　places　

on　certain　commissions　I　was　intrusted　with；　amongst　others　to　…；　

where　I　had　to　take　a　small　sum　of　money。　　I　am　rather　tired；　

master；　and；　if　you　please；　I　will　sit　down　beside　you。'



'You　have　as　much　right　to　sit　down　here　as　I　have；'　said　I；　'the　

road　is　free　for　every　one；　as　for　sitting　down　beside　me；　you　have　

the　look　of　an　honest　man；　and　I　have　no　objection　to　your　

company。'



'Why；　as　for　being　honest；　master；'　said　the　man；　laughing　and　

sitting　down　by　me；　'I　haven't　much　to　say　…　many　is　the　wild　thing　

I　have　done　when　I　was　younger；　however；　what　is　done；　is　done。　　To　

learn；　one　must　live；　master；　and　I　have　lived　long　enough　to　learn　

the　grand　point　of　wisdom。'



'What　is　that？'　said　I。



'That　honesty　is　the　best　policy；　master。'



'You　appear　to　be　a　sailor；'　said　I；　looking　at　his　dress。



'I　was　not　bred　a　sailor；'