glaucus-第1节

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Glaucus；　or　The　Wonders　of　the　Shore



by　Charles　Kingsley









Dedication。





MY　DEAR　MISS　GRENFELL；



I　CANNOT　forego　the　pleasure　of　dedicating　this　little　book　to　you；　

excepting　of　course　the　opening　exhortation　（needless　enough　in　

your　case）　to　those　who　have　not　yet　discovered　the　value　of　

Natural　History。　　Accept　it　as　a　memorial　of　pleasant　hours　spent　

by　us　already；　and　as　an　earnest；　I　trust；　of　pleasant　hours　to　be　

spent　hereafter　（perhaps；　too；　beyond　this　life　in　the　nobler　world　

to　come）；　in　examining　together　the　works　of　our　Father　in　heaven。



Your　grateful　and　faithful　brother…in…law；



C。　KINGSLEY。



BIDEFORD；



APRIL　24。　1855。







GLAUCUS；　OR；　THE　WONDERS　OF　THE　SHORE。







You　are　going　down；　perhaps；　by　railway；　to　pass　your　usual　six　

weeks　at　some　watering…place　along　the　coast；　and　as　you　roll　along　

think　more　than　once；　and　that　not　over…cheerfully；　of　what　you　

shall　do　when　you　get　there。　　You　are　half…tired；　half…ashamed；　of　

making　one　more　in　the　ignoble　army　of　idlers；　who　saunter　about　

the　cliffs；　and　sands；　and　quays；　to　whom　every　wharf　is　but　a　

〃wharf　of　Lethe；〃　by　which　they　rot　〃dull　as　the　oozy　weed。〃　　You　

foreknow　your　doom　by　sad　experience。　　A　great　deal　of　dressing；　a　

lounge　in　the　club…room；　a　stare　out　of　the　window　with　the　

telescope；　an　attempt　to　take　a　bad　sketch；　a　walk　up　one　parade　

and　down　another；　interminable　reading　of　the　silliest　of　novels；　

over　which　you　fall　asleep　on　a　bench　in　the　sun；　and　probably　have　

your　umbrella　stolen；　a　purposeless　fine…weather　sail　in　a　yacht；　

accompanied　by　many　ineffectual　attempts　to　catch　a　mackerel；　and　

the　consumption　of　many　cigars；　while　your　boys　deafen　your　ears；　

and　endanger　your　personal　safety；　by　blazing　away　at　innocent　

gulls　and　willocks；　who　go　off　to　die　slowly；　a　sport　which　you　

feel　to　be　wanton；　and　cowardly；　and　cruel；　and　yet　cannot　find　in　

your　heart　to　stop；　because　〃the　lads　have　nothing　else　to　do；　and　

at　all　events　it　keeps　them　out　of　the　billiard…room；〃　and　after　

all；　and　worst　of　all；　at　night　a　soulless　RECHAUFFE　of　third…rate　

London　frivolity：　　this　is　the　life…in…death　in　which　thousands　

spend　the　golden　weeks　of　summer；　and　in　which　you　confess　with　a　

sigh　that　you　are　going　to　spend　them。



Now　I　will　not　be　so　rude　as　to　apply　to　you　the　old　hymn…distich　

about　one　who





〃　…　finds　some　mischief　still

For　idle　hands　to　do：〃





but　does　it　not　seem　to　you；　that　there　must　surely　be　many　a　thing　

worth　looking　at　earnestly；　and　thinking　over　earnestly；　in　a　world　

like　this；　about　the　making　of　the　least　part　whereof　God　has　

employed　ages　and　ages；　further　back　than　wisdom　can　guess　or　

imagination　picture；　and　upholds　that　least　part　every　moment　by　

laws　and　forces　so　complex　and　so　wonderful；　that　science；　when　it　

tries　to　fathom　them；　can　only　learn　how　little　it　can　learn？　　And　

does　it　not　seem　to　you　that　six　weeks'　rest；　free　from　the　cares　

of　town　business　and　the　whirlwind　of　town　pleasure；　could　not　be　

better　spent　than　in　examining　those　wonders　a　little；　instead　of　

wandering　up　and　down　like　the　many；　still　wrapt　up　each　in　his　

little　world　of　vanity　and　self…interest；　unconscious　of　what　and　

where　they　really　are；　as　they　gaze　lazily　around　at　earth　and　sea　

and　sky；　and　have





〃No　speculation　in　those　eyes

Which　they　do　glare　withal〃？





Why　not；　then；　try　to　discover　a　few　of　the　Wonders　of　the　Shore？　　

For　wonders　there　are　there　around　you　at　every　step；　stranger　than　

ever　opium…eater　dreamed；　and　yet　to　be　seen　at　no　greater　expense　

than　a　very　little　time　and　trouble。



Perhaps　you　smile；　in　answer；　at　the　notion　of　becoming　a　

〃Naturalist：〃　and　yet　you　cannot　deny　that　there　must　be　a　

fascination　in　the　study　of　Natural　History；　though　what　it　is　is　

as　yet　unknown　to　you。　　Your　daughters；　perhaps；　have　been　seized　

with　the　prevailing　〃Pteridomania；〃　and　are　collecting　and　buying　

ferns；　with　Ward's　cases　wherein　to　keep　them　（for　which　you　have　

to　pay）；　and　wrangling　over　unpronounceable　names　of　species　（which　

seem　to　he　different　in　each　new　Fern…book　that　they　buy）；　till　the　

Pteridomania　seems　to　you　somewhat　of　a　bore：　　and　yet　you　cannot　

deny　that　they　find　an　enjoyment　in　it；　and　are　more　active；　more　

cheerful；　more　self…forgetful　over　it；　than　they　would　have　been　

over　novels　and　gossip；　crochet　and　Berlin…wool。　　At　least　you　will　

confess　that　the　abomination　of　〃Fancy…work〃　…　that　standing　cloak　

for　dreamy　idleness　（not　to　mention　the　injury　which　it　does　to　

poor　starving　needlewomen）　…　has　all　but　vanished　from　your　

drawing…room　since　the　〃Lady…ferns〃　and　〃Venus's　hair〃　appeared；　

and　that　you　could　not　help　yourself　looking　now　and　then　at　the　

said　〃Venus's　hair；〃　and　agreeing　that　Nature's　real　beauties　were　

somewhat　superior　to　the　ghastly　woollen　caricatures　which　they　had　

superseded。



You　cannot　deny；　I　say；　that　there　is　a　fascination　in　this　same　

Natural　History。　　For　do　not　you；　the　London　merchant；　recollect　

how　but　last　summer　your　douce　and　portly　head…clerk　was　seized　by　

two　keepers　in　the　act　of　wandering　in　Epping　Forest　at　dead　of　

night；　with　a　dark　lantern；　a　jar　of　strange　sweet　compound；　and　

innumerable　pocketfuls　of　pill…boxes；　and　found　it　very　difficult　

to　make　either　his　captors　or　you　believe　that　he　was　neither　going　

to　burn　wheat…ricks；　nor　poison　pheasants；　but　was　simply　〃sugaring　

the　trees　for　moths；〃　as　a　blameless　entomologist？　　And　when；　in　

self…justification；　he　took　you　to　his　house　in　Islington；　and　

showed　you　the　glazed　and　corked　drawers　full　of　delicate　insects；　

which　had　evidently　cost　him　in　the　collecting　the　spare　hours　of　

many　busy　years；　and　many　a　pound；　too；　out　of　his　small　salary；　

were　you　not　a　little　puzzled　to　make　out　what　spell　there　could　be　

in　those　〃useless〃　moths；　to　draw　out　of　his　warm　bed；　twenty　miles　

down　the　Eastern　Counties　Railway；　and　into　the　damp　forest　like　a　

deer…stealer；　a　sober　white…headed　Tim　Linkinwater　like　him；　your　

very　best　man　of　business；　given　to　the　reading　of　Scotch　political　

economy；　and　gifted　with　peculiarly　clear　notions　on　the　currency　

question？



It　is　puzzling；　truly。　　I　shall　be　very　glad　if　these　pages　help　

you　somewhat　toward　solving　the　puzzle。



We　shall　agree　at　least　that　the　study　of　Natural　History　has　

become　now…a…days　an　honourable　one。　　A　Cromarty　stonemason　was　

till　lately　…　God　rest　his　noble　soul！　…　the　most　important　man　in　

the　City　of　Edinburgh；　by　dint　of　a　work　on　fossil　fishes；　and　the　

successful　investigator　of　the　minutest　animals　takes　place　

unquestioned　among　men　of　genius；　and；　like　the　philosopher　of　old　

Greece；　is　considered；　by　virtue　of　his　science；　fit　company　for　

dukes　and　princes。　　Nay；　the　study　is　now　more　than　honourable；　it　

is　（what　to　many　readers　will　be　a　far　higher　recommendation）　even　

fashionable。　　Every　well…educated　person　is　eager　to　know　something　

at　least　of　the　wonderful　organic　forms　which　surround　him　in　every　

sunbeam　and　every　pebble；　and　books　of　Natural　History　are　finding　

their　way　more　and　more　into　drawing…rooms　and　school…rooms；　and　

exciting　greater　thirst　for　a　knowledge　which；　even　twenty　years　

ago；　was　considered　superfluous　for　all　but　the　professional　

student。



What　a　change　from　the　temper　of　two　generations　since；　when　the　

naturalist　was　looked　on　as　a　harmless　enthusiast；　who　went　〃bug…

hunting；〃　simply　because　he　had　not　spirit　to　follow　a　fox！　　There　

are　those　alive　who　can　recollect　an　amiable　man　being　literally　

bullied　out　of　the　New　Forest；　because　he　dared　to　make　a　

collection　（at　this　moment；　we　believe；　in　some　unknown　abyss　of　

that　great　Avernus；　the　British　Museum）　of　fossil　shells　from　those　

very　Hordwell　Cliffs；　for　exploring　which　there　is　now　established　

a　society　of　subscribers　and　correspondents。　　They　can　remember；　

too；　when；　on　the　first　appearance　of　Bewick's　〃British　Birds；〃　the　

excellent　sportsman　who　brought　it　down　to　the　Forest　was　asked；　

Why　on　earth　he　had　bought　a　book　about　〃cock　sparrows〃？　and　had　to　

justify　himself　again　and　again；　simply　by　lending　the　book　to　his　

brother　sportsmen；　to　convince　them　that　there　were　rather　more　

than　a　dozen　sorts　of　birds　（as　they　then　held）　indigenous　to　

Hampshire。　　But　the　book；　perhaps；　which　turned　the　tide　in　favour　

of　Natural　History；　among　the　higher　classes　at　least；　in　the　south　

of　England；　was　White's　〃History　of　Selborne。〃　　A　Hampshire　

gentleman　and　sportsman；　whom　everybody　knew；　had　taken　the　trouble　

to　write　a　book　about　the　birds　and　the　weeds　in　his　own　parish；　

and　the　every…day　things　which　went　on　under　his　eyes；　and　everyone　

else's。　　And　all　gentlemen；　from　the　Weald　of　Kent　to　the　Vale　of　

Blackmore；　shrugged　their　shoulders　mysteriously；　and