wild wales-第33节

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little　practice　in　it；　and　only　speak　it　very　imperfectly。〃

〃Nor　must　you　judge　of　Italian　from　what　you　have　heard　me　speak；〃　
said　the　man　of　Como；　〃I　am　not　good　at　Italian；　for　the　Milanese　
speak　amongst　themselves　a　kind　of　jargon；　composed　of　many　
languages；　and　can　only　express　themselves　with　difficulty　in　
Italian。　　I　have　been　doing　my　best　to　speak　Italian；　but　should　be　
glad　now　to　speak　English；　which　comes　to　me　much　more　glibly。〃

〃Are　there　any　books　in　your　dialect；　or　jergo；　as　I　believe　you　
call　it？〃　said　I。

〃I　believe　there　are　a　few；〃　said　the　Italian。

〃Do　you　know　the　word　slandra？〃　said　I。

〃Who　taught　you　that　word？〃　said　the　Italian。

〃Giovanni　Gestra；〃　said　I；　〃he　was　always　using　it。〃

〃Giovanni　Gestra　was　a　vulgar　illiterate　man；〃　said　the　Italian；　
〃had　he　not　been　so　he　would　not　have　used　it。　　It　is　a　vulgar　
word；　Rossi　would　not　have　used　it。〃

〃What　is　the　meaning　of　it？〃　said　the　landlady　eagerly。

〃To　roam　about　in　a　dissipated　manner；〃　said　I。

〃Something　more；〃　said　the　Italian。　　〃It　is　considered　a　vulgar　
word　even　in　jergo。〃

〃You　speak　English　remarkably　well；〃　said　I；　〃have　you　been　long　in　
Britain？〃

〃I　came　over　about　four　years　ago；〃　said　the　Italian。

〃On　your　own　account？〃　said　I。

〃Not　exactly；　signore；　my　brother；　who　was　in　business　in　
Liverpool；　wrote　to　me　to　come　over　and　assist　him。　　I　did　so；　but　
soon　left　him；　and　took　a　shop　for　myself　at　Denbigh；　where；　
however；　I　did　not　stay　long。　　At　present　I　travel　for　an　Italian　
house　in　London；　spending　the　summer　in　Wales；　and　the　winter　in　
England。〃

〃And　what　do　you　sell？〃　said　I。

〃Weather…glasses；　signore　…　pictures　and　little　trinkets；　such　as　
the　country　people　like。〃

〃Do　you　sell　many　weather…glasses　in　Wales？〃　said　I。

〃I　do　not；　signore。　　The　Welsh　care　not　for　weather…glasses；　my　
principal　customers　for　weather…glasses　are　the　farmers　of　
England。〃

〃I　am　told　that　you　can　speak　Welsh；〃　said　I；　〃is　that　true？〃

〃I　have　picked　up　a　little　of　it；　signore。〃

〃He　can　speak　it　very　well；〃　said　the　landlady；　〃and　glad　should　I　
be；　sir；　to　hear　you　and　him　speak　Welsh　together。〃

〃So　should　I；〃　said　the　daughter　who　was　seated　nigh　us；　〃nothing　
would　give　me　greater　pleasure　than　to　hear　two　who　are　not　
Welshmen　speaking　Welsh　together。〃

〃I　would　rather　speak　English；〃　said　the　Italian；　〃I　speak　a　little　
Welsh；　when　my　business　leads　me　amongst　people　who　speak　no　other　
language；　but　I　see　no　necessity　for　speaking　Welsh　here。〃

〃It　is　a　pity；〃　said　I；　〃that　so　beautiful　a　country　as　Italy　
should　not　be　better　governed。〃

〃It　is；　signore；〃　said　the　Italian；　〃but　let　us　hope　that　a　time　
will　speedily　come　when　she　will　be　so。〃

〃I　don't　see　any　chance　of　it；〃　said　I。　　〃How　will　you　proceed　in　
order　to　bring　about　so　desirable　a　result　as　the　good　government　
of　Italy？〃

〃Why；　signore；　in　the　first　place　we　must　get　rid　of　the　
Austrians。〃

〃You　will　not　find　it　an　easy　matter；〃　said　I；　〃to　get　rid　of　the　
Austrians；　you　tried　to　do　so　a　little　time　ago；　but　miserably　
failed。〃

〃True；　signore；　but　the　next　time　we　try　perhaps　the　French　will　
help　us。〃

〃If　the　French　help　you　to　drive　the　Austrians　from　Italy；〃　said　I；　
〃you　must　become　their　servants。　　It　is　true　you　had　better　be　the　
servants　of　the　polished　and　chivalrous　French；　than　of　the　brutal　
and　barbarous　Germans；　but　it　is　not　pleasant　to　be　a　servant　to　
anybody。　　However；　I　do　not　believe　that　you　will　ever　get　rid　of　
the　Austrians；　even　if　the　French　assist　you。　　The　Pope　for　certain　
reasons　of　his　own　favours　the　Austrians；　and　will　exert　all　the　
powers　of　priestcraft　to　keep　them　in　Italy。　　Alas；　alas；　there　is　
no　hope　for　Italy！　　Italy；　the　most　beautiful　country　in　the　world；　
the　birth…place　of　the　cleverest　people；　whose　very　pedlars　can　
learn　to　speak　Welsh；　is　not　only　enslaved；　but　destined　always　to　
remain　enslaved。〃

〃Do　not　say　so；　signore；〃　said　the　Italian；　with　a　kind　of　groan。

〃But　I　do　say　so；〃　said　I；　〃and　what　is　more；　one　whose　shoe…
strings；　were　he　alive；　I　should　not　he　worthy　to　untie；　one　of　
your　mighty　ones；　has　said　so。　　Did　you　ever　hear　of　Vincenzio　
Filicaia？〃

〃I　believe　I　have；　signore；　did　he　not　write　a　sonnet　on　Italy？〃

〃He　did；〃　said　I；　〃would　you　like　to　hear　it？

〃Very　much；　signore。〃

I　repeated　Filicaia's　glorious　sonnet　on　Italy；　and　then　asked　him　
if　he　understood　it。

〃Only　in　part；　signore；　for　it　is　composed　in　old　Tuscan；　in　which　
I　am　not　much　versed。　　I　believe　I　should　comprehend　it　better　if　
you　were　to　say　it　in　English。〃

〃Do　say　it　in　English；〃　said　the　landlady　and　her　daughter：　　〃we　
should　so　like　to　hear　it　in　English。〃

〃I　will　repeat　a　translation；〃　said　I；　〃which　I　made　when　a　boy；　
which　though　far　from　good；　has；　I　believe；　in　it　something　of　the　
spirit　of　the　original：…


〃O　Italy！　on　whom　dark　Destiny
The　dangerous　gift　of　beauty　did　bestow；
From　whence　thou　hast　that　ample　dower　of　wo；
Which　on　thy　front　thou　bear'st　so　visibly。
Would　thou　hadst　beauty　less　or　strength　more　high；
That　more　of　fear；　and　less　of　love　might　show；
He　who　now　blasts　him　in　thy　beauty's　glow；
Or　woos　thee　with　a　zeal　that　makes　thee　die；
Then　down　from　Alp　no　more　would　torrents　rage
Of　armed　men；　nor　Gallic　coursers　hot
In　Po's　ensanguin'd　tide　their　thirst　assuage；
Nor　girt　with　iron；　not　thine　own；　I　wot；
Wouldst　thou　the　fight　by　hands　of　strangers　wage
Victress　or　vanquish'd　slavery　still　thy　lot。〃



CHAPTER　XXV



Lacing…up　High…lows　…　The　Native　Village　…　Game　Leg　…　Croppies　Lie　
Down　…　Keeping　Faith　…　Processions　…　Croppies　Get　Up　…　Daniel　
O'Connell。


I　SLEPT　in　the　chamber　communicating　with　the　room　in　which　I　had　
dined。　　The　chamber　was　spacious　and　airy；　the　bed　first…rate；　and　
myself　rather　tired；　so　that　no　one　will　be　surprised　when　I　say　
that　I　had　excellent　rest。　　I　got　up；　and　after　dressing　myself　
went　down。　　The　morning　was　exceedingly　brilliant。　　Going　out　I　saw　
the　Italian　lacing　up　his　high…lows　against　a　step。　　I　saluted　him；　
and　asked　him　if　he　was　about　to　depart。

〃Yes；　signore；　I　shall　presently　start　for　Denbigh。〃

〃After　breakfast　I　shall　start　for　Bangor；〃　said　I。

〃Do　you　propose　to　reach　Bangor　to…night；　signore？〃

〃Yes；〃　said　I。

〃Walking；　signore？〃

〃Yes；〃　said　I；　〃I　always　walk　in　Wales。〃

〃Then　you　will　have　rather　a　long　walk；　signore；　for　Bangor　is　
thirty…four　miles　from　here。〃

I　asked　him　if　he　was　married。

〃No；　signore；　but　my　brother　in　Liverpool　is。〃

〃To　an　Italian？〃

〃No；　signore；　to　a　Welsh　girl。〃

〃And　I　suppose；〃　said　I；　〃you　will　follow　his　example　by　marrying　
one；　perhaps　that　good…looking　girl　the　landlady's　daughter　we　were　
seated　with　last　night？〃

〃No；　signore；　I　shall　not　follow　my　brother's　example。　　If　ever　I　
take　a　wife　she　shall　be　of　my　own　village；　in　Como；　whither　I　hope　
to　return；　as　soon　as　I　have　picked　up　a　few　more　pounds。〃

〃Whether　the　Austrians　are　driven　away　or　not？〃　said　I。

〃Whether　the　Austrians　are　driven　away　or　not　…　for　to　my　mind　
there　is　no　country　like　Como；　signore。〃

I　ordered　breakfast；　whilst　taking　it　in　the　room　above　I　saw　
through　the　open　window　the　Italian　trudging　forth　on　his　journey；　
a　huge　box　on　his　back；　and　a　weather…glass　in　his　hand　…　looking　
the　exact　image　of　one　of　those　men；　his　country　people；　whom　forty　
years　before　I　had　known　at　N…。　　I　thought　of　the　course　of　time；　
sighed　and　felt　a　tear　gather　in　my　eye。

My　breakfast　concluded；　I　paid　my　bill；　and　after　inquiring　the　way　
to　Bangor；　and　bidding　adieu　to　the　kind　landlady　and　her　daughter；　
set　out　from　Cerrig　y　Drudion。　　My　course　lay　west；　across　a　flat　
country；　bounded　in　the　far　distance　by　the　mighty　hills　I　had　seen　
on　the　preceding　evening。　　After　walking　about　a　mile　I　overtook　a　
man　with　a　game　leg；　that　is　a　leg　which；　either　by　nature　or　
accident　not　being　so　long　as　its　brother　leg；　had　a　patten　
attached　to　it；　about　five　inches　high；　to　enable　it　to　do　duty　
with　the　other　…　he　was　a　fellow　with　red　shock　hair　and　very　red　
features；　and　was　dressed　in　ragged　coat　and　breeches　and　a　hat　
which　had　lost　part　of　its　crown；　and　all　its　rim；　so　that　even　
without　a　game　leg　he　would　have　looked　rather　a　queer　figure。　　In　
his　hand　he　carried　a　fiddle。

〃Good　morning　to　you；〃　said　I。

〃A　good　morning　to　your　hanner；　a　merry　afternoon　and　a　roaring；　
joyous　evening　…　that　is　the　worst　luck　I　wish　to　ye。〃

〃Are　you　a　native　of　these　parts？〃　said　I。

〃Not　exactly；　your　hanner　…　I　am　a　native　of　the　city　of　Dublin；　
or；　what's　all　the　same　thing；　of　the　village　of　Donnybrook；　which　
is　close　by　it。〃

〃A　celebrated　place；〃　said　I。

〃Your　hanner　may　say　that；　all　the　world　has　heard　of　Donnybrook；　
owing　to　the　humours　of　its　fair。　　Many　is　the　merry　tune　I　have　
played　to　the　boys　at　that　fair。〃

〃You　are　a　professor　of　music；　I　suppose？〃

〃And　not　a　very　bad　one；　as　your　hanner　will　say；　if　you　allow　me　
to　play　you　a　tune。〃

〃Can　you　play　Croppies　Lie　Down？〃

〃I　cannot；　your　hanner；　my　fingers　never　learnt　to　play　such　a　
blackguard　tune；　but　if　you　wish　to　he