the surprising adventures of baron munchausen-第3节

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er　magnitude　and　immediate　importance；　namely；　a　descriptive　catalogue　of　the　Collection　of　Pastes　and　Impressions　from　Ancient　and　Modern　Gems；　formed　by　James　Tassie；　the　eminent　connoisseur。　Tassie　engaged　Raspe　in　1785　to　take　charge　of　his　cabinets；　and　to　commence　describing　their　contents：　he　can　hardly　have　been　ignorant　of　his　employé's　delinquencies　in　the　past；　but　he　probably　estimated　that　mere　casts　of　gems　would　not　offer　sufficient　temptation　to　a　man　of　Raspe's　eclectic　tastes　to　make　the　experiment　a　dangerous　one。　Early　in　1786；　Raspe　produced　a　brief　but　well…executed　conspectus　of　the　arrangement　and　classification　of　the　collection；　and　this　was　followed　in　1791　by　〃A　Descriptive　Catalogue；〃　in　which　over　fifteen　thousand　casts　of　ancient　and　modern　engraved　gems；　cameos；　and　intaglios　from　the　most　renowned　cabinets　in　Europe　were　enumerated　and　described　in　French　and　English。　The　two　quarto　volumes　are　a　monument　of　patient　and　highly　skilled　industry；　and　they　still　fetch　high　prices。　The　elaborate　introduction　prefixed　to　the　work　was　dated　from　Edinburgh；　April　16；　1790。

This　laborious　task　completed；　Raspe　lost　no　time　in　applying　himself　with　renewed　energy　to　mineralogical　work。　It　was　announced　in　the　/Scots　Magazine/　for　October　1791　that　he　had　discovered　in　the　extreme　north　of　Scotland；　where　he　had　been　invited　to　search　for　minerals；　copper；　lead；　iron；　manganese；　and　other　valuable　products　of　a　similar　character。　From　Sutherland　he　brought　specimens　of　the　finest　clay；　and　reported　a　fine　vein　of　heavy　spar　and　〃every　symptom　of　coal。〃　But　in　Caithness　lay　the　loadstone　which　had　brought　Raspe　to　Scotland。　This　was　no　other　than　Sir　John　Sinclair　of　Ulbster；　a　benevolent　gentleman　of　an　ingenious　and　inquiring　disposition；　who　was　anxious　to　exploit　the　supposed　mineral　wealth　of　his　barren　Scottish　possessions。　With　him　Raspe　took　up　his　abode　for　a　considerable　time　at　his　spray…beaten　castle　on　the　Pentland　Firth；　and　there　is　a　tradition；　among　members　of　the　family；　of　Sir　John's　unfailing　appreciation　of　the　wide　intelligence　and　facetious　humour　of　Raspe's　conversation。　Sinclair　had　some　years　previously　discovered　a　small　vein　of　yellow　mundick　on　the　moor　of　Skinnet；　four　miles　from　Thurso。　The　Cornish　miners　he　consulted　told　him　that　the　mundick　was　itself　of　no　value；　but　a　good　sign　of　the　proximity　of　other　valuable　minerals。　Mundick；　said　they；　was　a　good　horseman；　and　always　rode　on　a　good　load。　He　now　employed　Raspe　to　examine　the　ground；　not　designing　to　mine　it　himself；　but　to　let　it　out　to　other　capitalists　in　return　for　a　royalty；　should　the　investigation　justify　his　hopes。　The　necessary　funds　were　put　at　Raspe's　disposal；　and　masses　of　bright；　heavy　material　were　brought　to　Thurso　Castle　as　a　foretaste　of　what　was　coming。　But　when　the　time　came　for　the　fruition　of　this　golden　promise；　Raspe　disappeared；　and　subsequent　inquiries　revealed　the　deplorable　fact　that　these　opulent　ores　had　been　carefully　imported　by　the　mining　expert　from　Cornwall；　and　planted　in　the　places　where　they　were　found。　Sir　Walter　Scott　must　have　had　the　incident　（though　not　Raspe）　in　his　mind　when　he　created　the　Dousterswivel　of　his　〃Antiquary。〃　As　for　Raspe；　he　betook　himself　to　a　remote　part　of　the　United　Kingdom；　and　had　commenced　some　mining　operations　in　country　Donegal；　when　he　was　carried　off　by　scarlet　fever　at　Muckross　in　1794。　Such　in　brief　outline　was　the　career　of　Rudolph　Erich　Raspe；　scholar；　swindler；　and　undoubted　creator　of　Baron　Munchausen。

The　merit　of　Munchausen；　as　the　adult　reader　will　readily　perceive；　does　not　reside　in　its　literary　style；　for　Raspe　is　no　exception　to　the　rule　that　a　man　never　has　a　style　worthy　of　the　name　in　a　language　that　he　did　not　prattle　in。　But　it　is　equally　obvious　that　the　real　and　original　Munchausen；　as　Raspe　conceived　and　doubtless　intended　at　one　time　to　develop　him；　was　a　delightful　personage　whom　it　would　be　the　height　of　absurdity　to　designate　a　mere　liar。　Unfortunately　the　task　was　taken　out　of　his　hand　and　a　good　character　spoiled；　like　many　another；　by　mere　sequel…mongers。　Raspe　was　an　impudent　scoundrel；　and　fortunately　so；　his　impudence　relieves　us　of　any　difficulty　in　resolving　the　question；to　whom　（if　any　one）　did　he　owe　the　original　conception　of　the　character　whose　fame　is　now　so　universal。

When　Raspe　was　resident　in　G？ttingen　he　obtained；　in　all　probability　through　Gerlach　Adolph　von　Munchausen；　the　great　patron　of　arts　and　letters　and　of　G？ttingen　University；　an　introduction　to　Hieronynimus　Karl　Friedrich　von　Munchausen；　at　whose　hospitable　mansion　at　Bodenwerder　he　became　an　occasional　visitor。　Hieronynimus；　who　was　born　at　Bodenwerder　on　May　11；　1720；　was　a　cadet　of　what　was　known　as　the　black　line　of　the　house　of　Rinteln　Bodenwerder；　and　in　his　youth　served　as　a　page　in　the　service　of　Prince　Anton　Ulrich　of　Brunswick。　When　quite　a　stripling　he　obtained　a　cornetcy　in　the　〃Brunswick　Regiment〃　in　the　Russian　service；　and　on　November　27；　1740；　he　was　created　a　lieutenant　by　letters　patent　of　the　Empress　Anna；　and　served　two　arduous　campaigns　against　the　Turks　during　the　following　years。　In　1750　he　was　promoted　to　be　a　captain　of　cuirassiers　by　the　Empress　Elizabeth；　and　about　1760　he　retired　from　the　Russian　service　to　live　upon　his　patrimonial　estate　at　Bodenwerder　in　the　congenial　society　of　his　wife　and　his　paragon　among　huntsmen；　R？semeyer；　for　whose　particular　benefit　he　maintained　a　fine　pack　of　hounds。　He　kept　open　house；　and　loved　to　divert　his　guests　with　stories；　not　in　the　braggart　vein　of　Dugald　Dalgetty；　but　so　embellished　with　palpably　extravagant　lies　as　to　crack　with　a　humour　that　was　all　their　own。　The　manner　has　been　appropriated　by　Artemus　Ward　and　Mark　Twain；　but　it　was　invented　by　Munchausen。　Now　the　stories　mainly　relate　to　sporting　adventures；　and　it　has　been　asserted　by　one　contemporary　of　the　baron　that　Munchausen　contracted　the　habit　of　drawing　such　a　long…bow　as　a　measure　of　self…defence　against　his　invaluable　but　loquacious　henchman；　the　worthy　R？semeyer。　But　it　is　more　probable；　as　is　hinted　in　the　first　preface；　that　Munchausen；　being　a　shrewd　man；　found　the　practice　a　sovereign　specific　against　bores　and　all　other　kinds　of　serious　or　irrelevant　people；　while　it　naturally　endeared　him　to　the　friends　of　whom　he　had　no　small　number。

He　told　his　stories　with　imperturbable　/sang　froid/；　in　a　dry　manner；　and　with　perfect　naturalness　and　simplicity。　He　spoke　as　a　man　of　the　world；　without　circumlocution；　his　adventures　were　numerous　and　perhaps　singular；　but　only　such　as　might　have　been　expected　to　happen　to　a　man　of　so　much　experience。　A　smile　never　traversed　his　face　as　he　related　the　least　credible　of　his　tales；　which　the　less　intimate　of　his　acquaintance　began　in　time　to　think　he　meant　to　be　taken　seriously。　In　short；　so　strangely　entertaining　were　both　manner　and　matter　of　his　narratives；　that　〃Munchausen's　Stories〃　became　a　by…word　among　a　host　of　appreciative　acquaintance。　Among　these　was　Raspe；　who　years　afterwards；　when　he　was　starving　in　London；　bethought　himself　of　the　incomparable　baron。　He　half　remembered　some　of　his　sporting　stories；　and　supplemented　these　by　gleanings　from　his　own　commonplace　book。　The　result　is　a　curious　medley；　which　testifies　clearly　to　learning　and　wit；　and　also　to　the　turning　over　of　musty　old　books　of　/faceti？/　written　in　execrable　Latin。

　　The　story　of　the　Baron's　horse　being　cut　in　two　by　the　descending　　　portcullis　of　a　besieged　town；　and　the　horseman's　innocence　of　the　　　fact　until；　upon　reaching　a　fountain　in　the　midst　of　the　city；　the　　　insatiate　thirst　of　the　animal　betrayed　his　deficiency　in　hind　　　quarters；　was　probably　derived　by　Raspe　from　the　/Faceti？　　　Bebelian？/　of　Heinrich　Bebel；　first　published　at　Strassburgh　in　　　1508。

　　There　it　is　given　as　follows：　〃De　Insigni　Mendacio。　Faber　　　clavicularius　quem　superius　fabrum　mendaciorum　dixi；　narravit　se　　　tempore　belli；　credens　suos　se　subsecuturos　equitando　ad　cujusdam　　　oppidi　portas　penetrasse：　et　cum　ad　portas　venisset　cataractam　　　turre　demissam；　equum　suum　post　ephippium　discidisse；　　　dimidiatumque　reliquisse；　atque　se　media　parte　equi　ad　forum　usque　　　oppidi　equitasse；　et　caedem　non　modicam　peregisse。　Sed　cum　　　retrocedere　vellet　multitudine　hostium　obrutus；　tum　demum　equum　　　cecidisse　seque　captum　fuisse。〃

　　The　drinking　at　the　fountain　was　probably　an　embellishment　of　　　Raspe's　own。　Many　of　Bebel's　jests　were　repeated　in　J。　P。　Lange's　　　/Delici？　Academic？/　（Heilbronn；　1665）；　a　section　of　which　was　　　expressly　devoted　to　〃Mendacia　Ridicula〃；　but　the　yarn　itself　is　　　probably　much　older　than　either。　Similarly；　the　quaint　legend　of　　　the　thawing　of　the　horn　was　told　by　Castiglione　in　his　　　/Cortegiano/；　first　published　in　1528。　This　is　how　Castiglione　　　tells　it：　A　merchant　of　Lucca　had　travelled　to　Poland　in　order　to　　　buy　furs；　but　as　there　was　at　that　time　a　war　with　Muscovy；　from　　　which　country　the　furs　were　procured；　the　Lucchese　merchant　was　　　directed　to　the　confines　of　the　two　countries。　On　reaching　the　　　Borysthenes；　which　divided　Poland　and　Muscovy；　he　found　that　the　　　Muscovite　traders　remained　on　their　own　side　of　the　river　from　　　distrust；　on　account　of　the　state　of　hostilities。　Th