little travels and roadside sketches-第9节

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almost　as　it　was　in　the　twelfth　century；　it　is　spanned　by　Saxon

arches；　and　lighted　by　a　multiplicity　of　Gothic　windows　of　all

sizes；　it　is　very　lofty；　clean；　and　perfectly　well　ventilated；　a

screen　runs　across　the　middle　of　the　room；　to　divide　the　male　from

the　female　patients；　and　we　were　taken　to　examine　each　ward；　where

the　poor　people　seemed　happier　than　possibly　they　would　have　been

in　health　and　starvation　without　it。　　Great　yellow　blankets　were　on

the　iron　beds；　the　linen　was　scrupulously　clean；　glittering　pewter…

jugs　and　goblets　stood　by　the　side　of　each　patient；　and　they　were

provided　with　godly　books　（to　judge　from　the　binding）；　in　which

several　were　reading　at　leisure。　　Honest　old　comfortable　nuns；　in

queer　dresses　of　blue；　black；　white；　and　flannel；　were　bustling

through　the　room；　attending　to　the　wants　of　the　sick。　　I　saw　about

a　dozen　of　these　kind　women's　faces：　one　was　youngall　were

healthy　and　cheerful。　　One　came　with　bare　blue　arms　and　a　great

pile　of　linen　from　an　outhousesuch　a　grange　as　Cedric　the　Saxon

might　have　given　to　a　guest　for　the　night。　　A　couple　were　in　a

laboratory；　a　tall；　bright；　clean　room；　500　years　old　at　least。

〃We　saw　you　were　not　very　religious；〃　said　one　of　the　old　ladies；

with　a　red；　wrinkled；　good…humored　face；　〃by　your　behavior

yesterday　in　chapel。〃　　And　yet　we　did　not　laugh　and　talk　as　we　used

at　college；　but　were　profoundly　affected　by　the　scene　that　we　saw

there。　　It　was　a　fete…day：　a　mass　of　Mozart　was　sung　in　the

eveningnot　well　sung；　and　yet　so　exquisitely　tender　and

melodious；　that　it　brought　tears　into　our　eyes。　　There　were　not

above　twenty　people　in　the　church：　all；　save　three　or　four；　were

women　in　long　black　cloaks。　　I　took　them　for　nuns　at　first。　　They

were；　however；　the　common　people　of　the　town；　very　poor　indeed；

doubtless；　for　the　priest's　box　that　was　brought　round　was　not

added　to　by　most　of　them；　and　their　contributions　were　but　two…cent

pieces；five　of　these　go　to　a　penny；　but　we　know　the　value　of

such；　and　can　tell　the　exact　worth　of　a　poor　woman's　mite！　　The

box…bearer　did　not　seem　at　first　willing　to　accept　our　donationwe

were　strangers　and　heretics；　however；　I　held　out　my　hand；　and　he

came　perforce　as　it　were。　　Indeed　it　had　only　a　franc　in　it：　but

que　voulez…vous？　　I　had　been　drinking　a　bottle　of　Rhine　wine　that

day；　and　how　was　I　to　afford　more？　　The　Rhine　wine　is　dear　in　this

country；　and　costs　four　francs　a　bottle。



Well；　the　service　proceeded。　　Twenty　poor　women；　two　Englishmen；

four　ragged　beggars；　cowering　on　the　steps；　and　there　was　the

priest　at　the　altar；　in　a　great　robe　of　gold　and　damask；　two　little

boys　in　white　surplices　serving　him；　holding　his　robe　as　he　rose

and　bowed；　and　the　money…gatherer　swinging　his　censer；　and　filling

the　little　chapel　with　smoke。　　The　music　pealed　with　wonderful

sweetness；　you　could　see　the　prim　white　heads　of　the　nuns　in　their

gallery。　　The　evening　light　streamed　down　upon　old　statues　of

saints　and　carved　brown　stalls；　and　lighted　up　the　head　of　the

golden…haired　Magdalen　in　a　picture　of　the　entombment　of　Christ。

Over　the　gallery；　and；　as　it　were；　a　kind　protectress　to　the　poor

below；　stood　the　statue　of　the　Virgin。







III。WATERLOO。





It　is；　my　dear；　the　happy　privilege　of　your　sex　in　England　to　quit

the　dinner…table　after　the　wine…bottles　have　once　or　twice　gone

round　it；　and　you　are　thereby　saved　（though；　to　be　sure；　I　can't

tell　what　the　ladies　do　up　stairs）you　are　saved　two　or　three

hours'　excessive　dulness；　which　the　men　are　obliged　to　go　through。



I　ask　any　gentleman　who　reads　thisthe　letters　to　my　Juliana　being

written　with　an　eye　to　publicationto　remember　especially　how　many

times；　how　many　hundred　times；　how　many　thousand　times；　in　his

hearing；　the　battle　of　Waterloo　has　been　discussed　after　dinner；

and　to　call　to　mind　how　cruelly　he　has　been　bored　by　the

discussion。　　〃Ah；　it　was　lucky　for　us　that　the　Prussians　came　up！〃

says　one　little　gentleman；　looking　particularly　wise　and　ominous。

〃Hang　the　Prussians！〃　（or；　perhaps；　something　stronger　〃the

Prussians！〃）　says　a　stout　old　major　on　half…pay。　　〃We　beat　the

French　without　them；　sir；　as　beaten　them　we　always　have！　　We　were

thundering　down　the　hill　of　Belle　Alliance；　sir；　at　the　backs　of

them；　and　the　French　were　crying　'Sauve　qui　peut'　long　before　the

Prussians　ever　touched　them！〃　　And　so　the　battle　opens；　and　for

many　mortal　hours；　amid　rounds　of　claret；　rages　over　and　over

again。



I　thought　to　myself　considering　the　above　things；　what　a　fine　thing

it　will　be　in　after…days　to　say　that　I　have　been　to　Brussels　and

never　seen　the　field　of　Waterloo；　indeed；　that　I　am　such　a

philosopher　as　not　to　care　a　fig　about　the　battlenay；　to　regret；

rather；　that　when　Napoleon　came　back；　the　British　Government　had

not　spared　their　men　and　left　him　alone。



But　this　pitch　of　philosophy　was　unattainable。　　This　morning；　after

having　seen　the　Park；　the　fashionable　boulevard；　the　pictures；　the

cafeshaving　sipped；　I　say；　the　sweets　of　every　flower　that　grows

in　this　paradise　of　Brussels；　quite　weary　of　the　place；　we　mounted

on　a　Namur　diligence；　and　jingled　off　at　four　miles　an　hour　for

Waterloo。



The　road　is　very　neat　and　agreeable：　the　Forest　of　Soignies　here

and　there　interposes　pleasantly；　to　give　your　vehicle　a　shade；　the

country；　as　usual；　is　vastly　fertile　and　well　cultivated。　　A　farmer

and　the　conducteur　were　my　companions　in　the　imperial；　and　could　I

have　understood　their　conversation；　my　dear；　you　should　have　had

certainly　a　report　of　it。　　The　jargon　which　they　talked　was；

indeed；　most　queer　and　puzzlingFrench；　I　believe；　strangely

hashed　up　and　pronounced；　for　here　and　there　one　could　catch　a　few

words　of　it。　　Now　and　anon；　however；　they　condescended　to　speak　in

the　purest　French　they　could　muster；　and；　indeed；　nothing　is　more

curious　than　to　hear　the　French　of　the　country。　　You　can't

understand　why　all　the　people　insist　upon　speaking　it　so　badly。　　I

asked　the　conductor　if　he　had　been　at　the　battle；　he　burst　out

laughing　like　a　philosopher；　as　he　was；　and　said　〃Pas　si　bete。〃　　I

asked　the　farmer　whether　his　contributions　were　lighter　now　than　in

King　William's　time；　and　lighter　than　those　in　the　time　of　the

Emperor？　　He　vowed　that　in　war…time　he　had　not　more　to　pay　than　in

time　of　peace　（and　this　strange　fact　is　vouched　for　by　every　person

of　every　nation）；　and　being　asked　wherefore　the　King　of　Holland　had

been　ousted　from　his　throne；　replied　at　once；　〃Parceque　c'etoit　un

voleur：〃　for　which　accusation　I　believe　there　is　some　show　of

reason；　his　Majesty　having　laid　hands　on　much　Belgian　property

before　the　lamented　outbreak　which　cost　him　his　crown。　　A　vast　deal

of　laughing　and　roaring　passed　between　these　two　worldly　people　and

the　postilion；　whom　they　called　〃baron；〃　and　I　thought　no　doubt

that　this　talk　was　one　of　the　many　jokes　that　my　companions　were

in　the　habit　of　making。　　But　not　so：　the　postilion　was　an　actual

baron；　the　bearer　of　an　ancient　name；　the　descendant　of　gallant

gentlemen。　　Good　heavens！　what　would　Mrs。　Trollope　say　to　see　his

lordship　here？　　His　father　the　old　baron　had　dissipated　the　family

fortune；　and　here　was　this　young　nobleman；　at　about　five…and…forty；

compelled　to　bestride　a　clattering　Flemish　stallion；　and　bump　over

dusty　pavements　at　the　rate　of　five　miles　an　hour。　　But　see　the

beauty　of　high　blood：　with　what　a　calm　grace　the　man　of　family

accommodates　himself　to　fortune。　　Far　from　being　cast　down；　his

lordship　met　his　fate　like　a　man：　he　swore　and　laughed　the　whole　of

the　journey；　and　as　we　changed　horses；　condescended　to　partake　of

half　a　pint　of　Louvain　beer；　to　which　the　farmer　treated　him

indeed　the　worthy　rustic　treated　me　to　a　glass　too。



Much　delight　and　instruction　have　I　had　in　the　course　of　the

journey　from　my　guide；　philosopher；　and　friend；　the　author　of

〃Murray's　Handbook。〃　　He　has　gathered　together；　indeed；　a　store　of

information；　and　must；　to　make　his　single　volume；　have　gutted　many

hundreds　of　guide…books。　　How　the　Continental　ciceroni　must　hate

him；　whoever　he　is！　　Every　English　party　I　saw　had　this　infallible

red　book　in　their　hands；　and　gained　a　vast　deal　of　historical　and

general　information　from　it。　　Thus　I　heard；　in　confidence；　many

remarkable　anecdotes　of　Charles　V。；　the　Duke　of　Alva；　Count　Egmont；

all　of　which　I　had　before　perceived；　with　much　satisfaction；　not

only　in　the　〃Handbook；〃　but　even　in　other　works。



The　Laureate　is　among　the　English　poets　evidently　the　great

favorite　of　our　guide：　the　choice　does　honor　to　his　head　and　heart。

A　man　must　have　a　very　strong　bent　for　poetry；　indeed；　who　carries

Southey's　works　in　his　portmanteau；　and　quotes　them　in　proper　time

and　occasion。　　Of　course　at　Waterloo　a　spirit　like　our　guide's

cannot　fail　to　be　deeply　moved；　and　to　turn　to　his　favorite　poet

for　sympathy。　　Hark　how　the　laureated　bard　sings　about　the

tombstones　at　Waterloo：