penguin island-第1节

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Penguin　Island

by　Anatole　France




CONTENTS

BOOK　I。　THE　BEGINNINGS
BOOK　II。　THE　ANCIENT　TIMES
BOOK　III。　THE　MIDDLE　AGES　AND　THE　RENAISSANCE
BOOK　IV。　MODERN　TIMES：　TRINCO
BOOK　V。　MODERN　TIMES：　CHATILLON
BOOK　VI。　MODERN　TIMES
BOOK　VII。　MODERN　TIMES
BOOK　VIII。　FUTURE　TIMES




BOOK　I。　THE　BEGINNINGS

I。　LIFE　OF　SAINT　MAEL

Mael；　a　scion　of　a　royal　family　of　Cambria；　was　sent　in　his　ninth　year　to　the　Abbey　of　Yvern　so　that　he　might　there　study　both　sacred　and　profane　learning。　At　the　age　of　fourteen　he　renounced　his　patrimony　and　took　a　vow　to　serve　the　Lord。　His　time　was　divided；　according　to　the　rule；　between　the　singing　of　hymns；　the　study　of　grammar；　and　the　meditation　of　eternal　truths。

A　celestial　perfume　soon　disclosed　the　virtues　of　the　monk　throughout　the　cloister；　and　when　the　blessed　Gal；　the　Abbot　of　Yvern；　departed　from　this　world　into　the　next；　young　Mael　succeeded　him　in　the　government　of　the　monastery。　He　established　therein　a　school；　an　infirmary；　a　guest…house；　a　forge；　work…shops　of　all　kinds；　and　sheds　for　building　ships；　and　he　compelled　the　monks　to　till　the　lands　in　the　neighbourhood。　With　his　own　hands　he　cultivated　the　garden　of　the　Abbey；　he　worked　in　metals；　he　instructed　the　novices；　and　his　life　was　gently　gliding　along　like　a　stream　that　reflects　the　heaven　and　fertilizes　the　fields。

At　the　close　of　the　day　this　servant　of　God　was　accustomed　to　seat　himself　on　the　cliff；　in　the　place　that　is　to…day　still　called　St。　Mael's　chair。　At　his　feet　the　rocks　bristling　with　green　seaweed　and　tawny　wrack　seemed　like　black　dragons　as　they　faced　the　foam　of　the　waves　with　their　monstrous　breasts。　He　watched　the　sun　descending　into　the　ocean　like　a　red　Host　whose　glorious　blood　gave　a　purple　tone　to　the　clouds　and　to　the　summits　of　the　waves。　And　the　holy　man　saw　in　this　the　image　of　the　mystery　of　the　Cross；　by　which　the　divine　blood　has　clothed　the　earth　with　a　royal　purple。　In　the　offing　a　line　of　dark　blue　marked　the　shores　of　the　island　of　Gad；　where　St。　Bridget；　who　had　been　given　the　veil　by　St。　Malo；　ruled　over　a　convent　of　women。

Now　Bridget；　knowing　the　merits　of　the　venerable　Mael；　begged　from　him　some　work　of　his　hands　as　a　rich　present。　Mael　cast　a　hand…bell　of　bronze　for　her　and；　when　it　was　finished；　he　blessed　it　and　threw　it　into　the　sea。　And　the　bell　went　ringing　towards　the　coast　of　Gad；　where　St。　Bridget；　warned　by　the　sound　of　the　bell　upon　the　waves；　received　it　piously；　and　carried　it　in　solemn　procession　with　singing　of　psalms　into　the　chapel　of　the　convent。

Thus　the　holy　Mael　advanced　from　virtue　to　virtue。　He　had　already　passed　through　two…thirds　of　the　way　of　life；　and　he　hoped　peacefully　to　reach　his　terrestrial　end　in　the　midst　of　his　spiritual　brethren；　when　he　knew　by　a　certain　sign　that　the　Divine　wisdom　had　decided　otherwise；　and　that　the　Lord　was　calling　him　to　less　peaceful　but　not　less　meritorious　labours。



II。　THE　APOSTOLICAL　VOCATION　OF　SAINT　MAEL

One　day　as　he　walked　in　meditation　to　the　furthest　point　of　a　tranquil　beach；　for　which　rocks　jutting　out　into　the　sea　formed　a　rugged　dam；　he　saw　a　trough　of　stone　which　floated　like　a　boat　upon　the　waters。

It　was　in　a　vessel　similar　to　this　that　St。　Guirec；　the　great　St。　Columba；　and　so　many　holy　men　from　Scotland　and　from　Ireland　had　gone　forth　to　evangelize　Armorica。　More　recently　still；　St。　Avoye　having　come　from　England；　ascended　the　river　Auray　in　a　mortar　made　of　rose…coloured　granite　into　which　children　were　afterwards　placed　in　order　to　make　them　strong；　St。　Vouga　passed　from　Hibernia　to　Cornwall　on　a　rock　whose　fragments；　preserved　at　Penmarch；　will　cure　of　fever　such　pilgrims　as　place　these　splinters　on　their　heads。　St。　Samson　entered　the　Bay　of　St。　Michael's　Mount　in　a　granite　vessel　which　will　one　day　be　called　St。　Samson's　basin。　It　is　because　of　these　facts　that　when　he　saw　the　stone　trough　the　holy　Mael　understood　that　the　Lord　intended　him　for　the　apostolate　of　the　pagans　who　still　peopled　the　coast　and　the　Breton　islands。

He　handed　his　ashen　staff　to　the　holy　Budoc；　thus　investing　him　with　the　government　of　the　monastery。　Then；　furnished　with　bread；　a　barrel　of　fresh　water；　and　the　book　of　the　Holy　Gospels；　he　entered　the　stone　trough　which　carried　him　gently　to　the　island　of　Hoedic。

This　island　is　perpetually　buffeted　by　the　winds。　In　it　some　poor　men　fished　among　the　clefts　of　the　rocks　and　labouriously　cultivated　vegetables　in　gardens　full　of　sand　and　pebbles　that　were　sheltered　from　the　wind　by　walls　of　barren　stone　and　hedges　of　tamarisk。　A　beautiful　fig…tree　raised　itself　in　a　hollow　of　the　island　and　thrust　forth　its　branches　far　and　wide。　The　inhabitants　of　the　island　used　to　worship　it。

And　the　holy　Mael　said　to　them：　〃You　worship　this　tree　because　it　is　beautiful。　Therefore　you　are　capable　of　feeling　beauty。　Now　I　come　to　reveal　to　you　the　hidden　beauty。〃　And　he　taught　them　the　Gospel。　And　after　having　instructed　them；　he　baptized　them　with　salt　and　water。

The　islands　of　Morbihan　were　more　numerous　in　those　times　than　they　are　to…day。　For　since　then　many　have　been　swallowed　up　by　the　sea。　St。　Mael　evangelized　sixty　of　them。　Then　in　his　granite　trough　he　ascended　the　river　Auray。　And　after　sailing　for　three　hours　he　landed　before　a　Roman　house。　A　thin　column　of　smoke　went　up　from　the　roof。　The　holy　man　crossed　the　threshold　on　which　there　was　a　mosaic　representing　a　dog　with　its　hind　legs　outstretched　and　its　lips　drawn　back。　He　was　welcomed　by　an　old　couple；　Marcus　Combabus　and　Valeria　Moerens；　who　lived　there　on　the　products　of　their　lands。　There　was　a　portico　round　the　interior　court　the　columns　of　which　were　painted　red；　half　their　height　upwards　from　the　base。　A　fountain　made　of　shells　stood　against　the　wall　and　under　the　portico　there　rose　an　altar　with　a　niche　in　which　the　master　of　the　house　had　placed　some　little　idols　made　of　baked　earth　and　whitened　with　whitewash。　Some　represented　winged　children；　others　Apollo　or　Mercury；　and　several　were　in　the　form　of　a　naked　woman　twisting　her　hair。　But　the　holy　Mael；　observing　those　figures；　discovered　among　them　the　image　of　a　young　mother　holding　a　child　upon　her　knees。

Immediately　pointing　to　that　image　he　said：

〃That　is　the　Virgin；　the　mother　of　God。　The　poet　Virgil　foretold　her　in　Sibylline　verses　before　she　was　born　and；　in　angelical　tones　he　sang　Jam　redit　et　virgo。　Throughout　heathendom　prophetic　figures　of　her　have　been　made；　like　that　which　you；　O　Marcus；　have　placed　upon　this　altar。　And　without　doubt　it　is　she　who　has　protected　your　modest　household。　Thus　it　is　that　those　who　faithfully　observe　the　natural　law　prepare　themselves　for　the　knowledge　of　revealed　truths。〃

Marcus　Combabus　and　Valeria　Moerens；　having　been　instructed　by　this　speech；　were　converted　to　the　Christian　faith。　They　received　baptism　together　with　their　young　freedwoman；　Caelia　Avitella；　who　was　dearer　to　them　than　the　light　of　their　eyes。　All　their　tenants　renounced　paganism　and　were　baptized　on　the　same　day。

Marcus　Combabus；　Valeria　Moerens；　and　Caelia　Avitella　led　thenceforth　a　life　full　of　merit。　They　died　in　the　Lord　and　were　admitted　into　the　canon　of　the　saints。

For　thirty…seven　years　longer　the　blessed　Mael　evangelized　the　pagans　of　the　inner　lands。　He　built　two　hundred　and　eighteen　chapels　and　seventy…four　abbeys。

Now　on　a　certain　day　in　the　city　of　Vannes；　when　he　was　preaching　the　Gospel；　he　learned　that　the　monks　of　Yvern　had　in　his　absence　declined　from　the　rule　of　St。　Gal。　Immediately；　with　the　zeal　of　a　hen　who　gathers　her　brood；　he　repaired　to　his　erring　children。　He　was　then　towards　the　end　of　his　ninety…seventh　year；　his　figure　was　bent；　but　his　arms　were　still　strong；　and　his　speech　was　poured　forth　abundantly　like　winter　snow　in　the　depths　of　the　valleys。

Abbot　Budoc　restored　the　ashen　staff　to　St。　Mael　and　informed　him　of　the　unhappy　state　into　which　the　Abbey　had　fallen。　The　monks　were　in　disagreement　as　to　the　date　an　which　the　festival　of　Easter　ought　to　be　celebrated。　Some　held　for　the　Roman　calendar；　others　for　the　Greek　calendar；　and　the　horrors　of　a　chronological　schism　distracted　the　monastery。

There　also　prevailed　another　cause　of　disorder。　The　nuns　of　the　island　of　Gad；　sadly　fallen　from　their　former　virtue；　continually　came　in　boats　to　the　coast　of　Yvern。　The　monks　received　them　in　the　guesthouse　and　from　this　there　arose　scandals　which　filled　pious　souls　with　desolation。

Having　finished　his　faithful　report；　Abbot　Budoc　concluded　in　these　terms：

〃Since　the　coming　of　these　nuns　the　innocence　and　peace　of　the　monks　are　at　an　end。〃

〃I　readily　believe　it；〃　answered　the　blessed　Mael。　〃For　woman　is　a　cleverly　constructed　snare　by　which　we　are　taken　even　before　we　suspect　the　trap。　Alas！　the　delightful　attraction　of　these　creatures　is　exerted　with　even　greater　force　from　a　distance　than　when　they　are　close　at　hand。　The　less　they　satisfy　desire　the　more　they　inspire　it。　This　is　the　reason　why　a　poet　wrote　this　verse　to　one　of　them：

When　present　I　avoid　thee；　but　when　away　I　find　thee。

Thus　we　see；　my　son；　that　the　blandishments　of　carnal　love　have　more　power　over　hermits　and　monks　than　over　men　who　live　in　the　world。　All　through　my　life　the　demon　of　lust　has　t