the life of charlotte bronte-1-第3节

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and　where　the　custom　still　lingers。　　The　idea　of　the　mistress　and　her　maidens　spinning　at　the　great　wheels　while　the　master　was　abroad　ploughing　his　fields；　or　seeing　after　his　flocks　on　the　purple　moors；　is　very　poetical　to　look　back　upon；　but　when　such　life　actually　touches　on　our　own　days；　and　we　can　hear　particulars　from　the　lips　of　those　now　living；　there　come　out　details　of　coarsenessof　the　uncouthness　of　the　rustic　mingled　with　the　sharpness　of　the　tradesmanof　irregularity　and　fierce　lawlessnessthat　rather　mar　the　vision　of　pastoral　innocence　and　simplicity。　　Still；　as　it　is　the　exceptional　and　exaggerated　characteristics　of　any　period　that　leave　the　most　vivid　memory　behind　them；　it　would　be　wrong；　and　in　my　opinion　faithless；　to　conclude　that　such　and　such　forms　of　society　and　modes　of　living　were　not　best　for　the　period　when　they　prevailed；　although　the　abuses　they　may　have　led　into；　and　the　gradual　progress　of　the　world；　have　made　it　well　that　such　ways　and　manners　should　pass　away　for　ever；　and　as　preposterous　to　attempt　to　return　to　them；　as　it　would　be　for　a　man　to　return　to　the　clothes　of　his　childhood。

The　patent　granted　to　Alderman　Cockayne；　and　the　further　restrictions　imposed　by　James　I。　on　the　export　of　undyed　woollen　cloths　（met　by　a　prohibition　on　the　part　of　the　States　of　Holland　of　the　import　of　English…dyed　cloths）；　injured　the　trade　of　the　West　Riding　manufacturers　considerably。　　Their　independence　of　character；　their　dislike　of　authority；　and　their　strong　powers　of　thought；　predisposed　them　to　rebellion　against　the　religious　dictation　of　such　men　as　Laud；　and　the　arbitrary　rule　of　the　Stuarts；　and　the　injury　done　by　James　and　Charles　to　the　trade　by　which　they　gained　their　bread；　made　the　great　majority　of　them　Commonwealth　men。　　I　shall　have　occasion　afterwards　to　give　one　or　two　instances　of　the　warm　feelings　and　extensive　knowledge　on　subjects　of　both　home　and　foreign　politics　existing　at　the　present　day　in　the　villages　lying　west　and　east　of　the　mountainous　ridge　that　separates　Yorkshire　and　Lancashire；　the　inhabitants　of　which　are　of　the　same　race　and　possess　the　same　quality　of　character。

The　descendants　of　many　who　served　under　Cromwell　at　Dunbar；　live　on　the　same　lands　as　their　ancestors　occupied　then；　and　perhaps　there　is　no　part　of　England　where　the　traditional　and　fond　recollections　of　the　Commonwealth　have　lingered　so　long　as　in　that　inhabited　by　the　woollen　manufacturing　population　of　the　West　Riding；　who　had　the　restrictions　taken　off　their　trade　by　the　Protector's　admirable　commercial　policy。　　I　have　it　on　good　authority　that；　not　thirty　years　ago；　the　phrase；　〃in　Oliver's　days；〃　was　in　common　use　to　denote　a　time　of　unusual　prosperity。　The　class　of　Christian　names　prevalent　in　a　district　is　one　indication　of　the　direction　in　which　its　tide　of　hero…worship　sets。　　Grave　enthusiasts　in　politics　or　religion　perceive　not　the　ludicrous　side　of　those　which　they　give　to　their　children；　and　some　are　to　be　found；　still　in　their　infancy；　not　a　dozen　miles　from　Haworth；　that　will　have　to　go　through　life　as　Lamartine；　Kossuth；　and　Dembinsky。　　And　so　there　is　a　testimony　to　what　I　have　said；　of　the　traditional　feeling　of　the　district；　in　the　fact　that　the　Old　Testament　names　in　general　use　among　the　Puritans　are　yet　the　prevalent　appellations　in　most　Yorkshire　families　of　middle　or　humble　rank；　whatever　their　religious　persuasion　may　be。　There　are　numerous　records；　too；　that　show　the　kindly　way　in　which　the　ejected　ministers　were　received　by　the　gentry；　as　well　as　by　the　poorer　part　of　the　inhabitants；　during　the　persecuting　days　of　Charles　II。　　These　little　facts　all　testify　to　the　old　hereditary　spirit　of　independence；　ready　ever　to　resist　authority　which　was　conceived　to　be　unjustly　exercised；　that　distinguishes　the　people　of　the　West　Riding　to　the　present　day。

The　parish　of　Halifax　touches　that　of　Bradford；　in　which　the　chapelry　of　Haworth　is　included；　and　the　nature　of　the　ground　in　the　two　parishes　is　much　the　of　the　same　wild　and　hilly　description。　　The　abundance　of　coal；　and　the　number　of　mountain　streams　in　the　district；　make　it　highly　favourable　to　manufactures；　and　accordingly；　as　I　stated；　the　inhabitants　have　for　centuries　been　engaged　in　making　cloth；　as　well　as　in　agricultural　pursuits。　　But　the　intercourse　of　trade　failed；　for　a　long　time；　to　bring　amenity　and　civilization　into　these　outlying　hamlets；　or　widely　scattered　dwellings。　　Mr。　Hunter；　in　his　〃Life　of　Oliver　Heywood；〃　quotes　a　sentence　out　of　a　memorial　of　one　James　Rither；　living　in　the　reign　of　Elizabeth；　which　is　partially　true　to　this　day：…

〃They　have　no　superior　to　court；　no　civilities　to　practise：　　a　sour　and　sturdy　humour　is　the　consequence；　so　that　a　stranger　is　shocked　by　a　tone　of　defiance　in　every　voice；　and　an　air　of　fierceness　in　every　countenance。〃

Even　now；　a　stranger　can　hardly　ask　a　question　without　receiving　some　crusty　reply；　if；　indeed；　he　receive　any　at　all。　　Sometimes　the　sour　rudeness　amounts　to　positive　insult。　　Yet；　if　the　〃foreigner〃　takes　all　this　churlishness　good…humouredly；　or　as　a　matter　of　course；　and　makes　good　any　claim　upon　their　latent　kindliness　and　hospitality；　they　are　faithful　and　generous；　and　thoroughly　to　be　relied　upon。　　As　a　slight　illustration　of　the　roughness　that　pervades　all　classes　in　these　out…of…the…way　villages；　I　may　relate　a　little　adventure　which　happened　to　my　husband　and　myself；　three　years　ago；　at　Addingham　…


From　Penigent　to　Pendle　Hill；　From　Linton　to　Long…ADDINGHAM　And　all　that　Craven　coasts　did　tell；　&c。　…


one　of　the　places　that　sent　forth　its　fighting　men　to　the　famous　old　battle　of　Flodden　Field；　and　a　village　not　many　miles　from　Haworth。

We　were　driving　along　the　street；　when　one　of　those　ne'er…do…weel　lads　who　seem　to　have　a　kind　of　magnetic　power　for　misfortunes；　having　jumped　into　the　stream　that　runs　through　the　place；　just　where　all　the　broken　glass　and　bottles　are　thrown；　staggered　naked　and　nearly　covered　with　blood　into　a　cottage　before　us。　　Besides　receiving　another　bad　cut　in　the　arm；　he　had　completely　laid　open　the　artery；　and　was　in　a　fair　way　of　bleeding　to　deathwhich；　one　of　his　relations　comforted　him　by　saying；　would　be　likely　to　〃save　a　deal　o'　trouble。〃

When　my　husband　had　checked　the　effusion　of　blood　with　a　strap　that　one　of　the　bystanders　unbuckled　from　his　leg；　he　asked　if　a　surgeon　had　been　sent　for。

〃Yoi；〃　was　the　answer；　〃but　we　dunna　think　he'll　come。〃

〃Why　not？〃

〃He's　owd；　yo　seen；　and　asthmatic；　and　it's　up…hill。〃

My　husband　taking　a　boy　for　his　guide；　drove　as　fast　as　he　could　to　the　surgeon's　house；　which　was　about　three…quarters　of　a　mile　off；　and　met　the　aunt　of　the　wounded　lad　leaving　it。

〃Is　he　coming？〃　inquired　my　husband。

〃Well；　he　didna'　say　he　wouldna'　come。〃

〃But；　tell　him　the　lad　may　bleed　to　death。〃

〃I　did。〃

〃And　what　did　he　say？〃

〃Why；　only；　'D…n　him；　what　do　I　care？'〃

It　ended；　however；　in　his　sending　one　of　his　sons；　who；　though　not　brought　up　to　〃the　surgering　trade；〃　was　able　to　do　what　was　necessary　in　the　way　of　bandages　and　plasters。　　The　excuse　made　for　the　surgeon　was；　that　〃he　was　near　eighty；　and　getting　a　bit　doited；　and　had　had　a　matter　o'　twenty　childer。〃

Among　the　most　unmoved　of　the　lookers…on　was　the　brother　of　the　boy　so　badly　hurt；　and　while　he　was　lying　in　a　pool　of　blood　on　the　flag　floor；　and　crying　out　how　much　his　arm　was　〃warching；〃　his　stoical　relation　stood　coolly　smoking　his　bit　of　black　pipe；　and　uttered　not　a　single　word　of　either　sympathy　or　sorrow。

Forest　customs；　existing　in　the　fringes　of　dark　wood；　which　clothed　the　declivity　of　the　hills　on　either　side；　tended　to　brutalize　the　population　until　the　middle　of　the　seventeenth　century。　　Execution　by　beheading　was　performed　in　a　summary　way　upon　either　men　or　women　who　were　guilty　of　but　very　slight　crimes；　and　a　dogged；　yet　in　some　cases　fine；　indifference　to　human　life　was　thus　generated。　　The　roads　were　so　notoriously　bad；　even　up　to　the　last　thirty　years；　that　there　was　little　communication　between　one　village　and　another；　if　the　produce　of　industry　could　be　conveyed　at　stated　times　to　the　cloth　market　of　the　district；　it　was　all　that　could　be　done；　and；　in　lonely　houses　on　the　distant　hill…side；　or　by　the　small　magnates　of　secluded　hamlets；　crimes　might　be　committed　almost　unknown；　certainly　without　any　great　uprising　of　popular　indignation　calculated　to　bring　down　the　strong　arm　of　the　law。　　It　must　be　remembered　that　in　those　days　there　was　no　rural　constabulary；　and　the　few　magistrates　left　to　themselves；　and　generally　related　to　one　another；　were　most　of　them　inclined　to　tolerate　eccentricity；　and　to　wink　at　faults　too　much　like　their　own。

Men　hardly　past　middle　life　talk　of　the　days　of　their　youth；　spent　in　this　part　of　the　country；　when；　during　the　winter　months；　they　rode　up　to　the　saddle…girths　in　mud；　when　absolute　business　was　the　only　reason　for　stirring　beyond　the　precincts　of　home；　and　when　that　business　was　conducted　under　a　pressure　of　difficulties　which　they　themselves；　borne　along　to　Bradford　market　in　a　swift　first…class　carriage；　can　hardly　believe　to　have　been　possible。　For　instance；　one　woollen　manufacturer　says　that；　not　five　and　twenty　years　ago；　he