the life of charlotte bronte-1-第7节

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　Mozart；　Marcello；　&c。　&c。；　were　familiar　as　household　words。　　By　knowledge；　taste；　and　voice；　they　were　markedly　separate　from　ordinary　village　choirs；　and　have　been　put　in　extensive　requisition　for　the　solo　and　chorus　of　many　an　imposing　festival。　One　man　still　survives；　who；　for　fifty　years；　has　had　one　of　the　finest　tenor　voices　I　ever　heard；　and　with　it　a　refined　and　cultivated　taste。　　To　him　and　to　others　many　inducements　have　been　offered　to　migrate；　but　the　loom；　the　association；　the　mountain　air　have　had　charms　enow　to　secure　their　continuance　at　home。　　I　love　the　recollection　of　their　performance；　that　recollection　extends　over　more　than　sixty　years。　　The　attachments；　the　antipathies　and　the　hospitalities　of　the　district　are　ardent；　hearty；　and　homely。　　Cordiality　in　each　is　the　prominent　characteristic。　　As　a　people；　these　mountaineers　have　ever　been　accessible　to　gentleness　and　truth；　so　far　as　I　have　known　them；　but　excite　suspicion　or　resentment；　and　they　give　emphatic　and　not　impotent　resistance。　　Compulsion　they　defy。

〃I　accompanied　Mr。　Heap　on　his　first　visit　to　Haworth　after　his　accession　to　the　vicarage　of　Bradford。　　It　was　on　Easter　day；　either　1816　or　1817。　　His　predecessor；　the　venerable　John　Crosse；　known　as　the　'blind　vicar；'　had　been　inattentive　to　the　vicarial　claims。　　A　searching　investigation　had　to　be　made　and　enforced；　and　as　it　proceeded　stout　and　sturdy　utterances　were　not　lacking　on　the　part　of　the　parishioners。　　To　a　spectator；　though　rude；　they　were　amusing；　and　significant；　foretelling　what　might　be　expected；　and　what　was　afterwards　realised；　on　the　advent　of　a　new　incumbent；　if　they　deemed　him　an　intruder。

〃From　their　peculiar　parochial　position　and　circumstances；　the　inhabitants　of　the　chapelry　have　been　prompt；　earnest；　and　persevering　in　their　opposition　to　church…rates。　　Although　ten　miles　from　the　mother…church；　they　were　called　upon　to　defray　a　large　proportion　of　this　obnoxious　tax；I　believe　one　fifth。

〃Besides　this；　they　had　to　maintain　their　own　edifice；　&c。；　&c。　They　resisted；　therefore；　with　energy；　that　which　they　deemed　to　be　oppression　and　injustice。　　By　scores　would　they　wend　their　way　from　the　hills　to　attend　a　vestry　meeting　at　Bradford；　and　in　such　service　failed　not　to　show　less　of　the　SUAVITER　IN　MODO　than　the　FORTITER　IN　RE。　　Happily　such　occasion　for　their　action　has　not　occurred　for　many　years。

〃The　use　of　patronymics　has　been　common　in　this　locality。　　Inquire　for　a　man　by　his　Christian　name　and　surname；　and　you　may　have　some　difficulty　in　finding　him：　　ask；　however；　for　'George　o'　Ned's；'　or　'Dick　o'　Bob's；'　or　'Tom　o'　Jack's；'　as　the　case　may　be；　and　your　difficulty　is　at　an　end。　　In　many　instances　the　person　is　designated　by　his　residence。　　In　my　early　years　I　had　occasion　to　inquire　for　Jonathan　Whitaker；　who　owned　a　considerable　farm　in　the　township。　　I　was　sent　hither　and　thither；　until　it　occurred　to　me　to　ask　for　'Jonathan　o'　th'　Gate。'　　My　difficulties　were　then　at　an　end。　　Such　circumstances　arise　out　of　the　settled　character　and　isolation　of　the　natives。

〃Those　who　have　witnessed　a　Haworth　wedding　when　the　parties　were　above　the　rank　of　labourers；　will　not　easily　forget　the　scene。　　A　levy　was　made　on　the　horses　of　the　neighbourhood；　and　a　merry　cavalcade　of　mounted　men　and　women；　single　or　double；　traversed　the　way　to　Bradford　church。　　The　inn　and　church　appeared　to　be　in　natural　connection；　and　as　the　labours　of　the　Temperance　Society　had　then　to　begin；　the　interests　of　sobriety　were　not　always　consulted。　　On　remounting　their　steeds　they　commenced　with　a　race；　and　not　unfrequently　an　inebriate　or　unskilful　horseman　or　woman　was　put　HORS　DE　COMBAT。　　A　race　also　was　frequent　at　the　end。　of　these　wedding　expeditions；　from　the　bridge　to　the　toll…bar　at　Haworth。　　The　race…course　you　will　know　to　be　anything　but　level。〃

Into　the　midst　of　this　lawless；　yet　not　unkindly　population；　Mr。　Bronte　brought　his　wife　and　six　little　children；　in　February；　1820。　　There　are　those　yet　alive　who　remember　seven　heavily…laden　carts　lumbering　slowly　up　the　long　stone　street；　bearing　the　〃new　parson's〃　household　goods　to　his　future　abode。

One　wonders　how　the　bleak　aspect　of　her　new　homethe　low；　oblong；　stone　parsonage；　high　up；　yet　with　a　still　higher　back…ground　of　sweeping　moorsstruck　on　the　gentle；　delicate　wife；　whose　health　even　then　was　failing。



CHAPTER　III



The　Rev。　Patrick　Bronte　is　a　native　of　the　County　Down　in　Ireland。　His　father　Hugh　Bronte；　was　left　an　orphan　at　an　early　age。　　He　came　from　the　south　to　the　north　of　the　island；　and　settled　in　the　parish　of　Ahaderg；　near　Loughbrickland。　　There　was　some　family　tradition　that；　humble　as　Hugh　Bronte's　circumstances　were；　he　was　the　descendant　of　an　ancient　family。　　But　about　this　neither　he　nor　his　descendants　have　cared　to　inquire。　　He　made　an　early　marriage；　and　reared　and　educated　ten　children　on　the　proceeds　of　the　few　acres　of　land　which　he　farmed。　　This　large　family　were　remarkable　for　great　physical　strength；　and　much　personal　beauty。　Even　in　his　old　age；　Mr。　Bronte　is　a　striking…looking　man；　above　the　common　height；　with　a　nobly…shaped　head；　and　erect　carriage。　In　his　youth　he　must　have　been　unusually　handsome。

He　was　born　on　Patrickmas　day　（March　17）；　1777；　and　early　gave　tokens　of　extraordinary　quickness　and　intelligence。　　He　had　also　his　full　share　of　ambition；　and　of　his　strong　sense　and　forethought　there　is　a　proof　in　the　fact；　that；　knowing　that　his　father　could　afford　him　no　pecuniary　aid；　and　that　he　must　depend　upon　his　own　exertions；　he　opened　a　public　school　at　the　early　age　of　sixteen；　and　this　mode　of　living　he　continued　to　follow　for　five　or　six　years。　　He　then　became　a　tutor　in　the　family　of　the　Rev。　Mr。　Tighe；　rector　of　Drumgooland　parish。　　Thence　he　proceeded　to　St。　John's　College；　Cambridge；　where　he　was　entered　in　July；　1802；　being　at　the　time　five…and…twenty　years　of　age。　　After　nearly　four　years'　residence；　he　obtained　his　B。A。　degree；　and　was　ordained　to　a　curacy　in　Essex；　whence　he　removed　into　Yorkshire。　The　course　of　life　of　which　this　is　the　outline；　shows　a　powerful　and　remarkable　character；　originating　and　pursuing　a　purpose　in　a　resolute　and　independent　manner。　　Here　is　a　youtha　boy　of　sixteenseparating　himself　from　his　family；　and　determining　to　maintain　himself；　and　that；　not　in　the　hereditary　manner　by　agricultural　pursuits；　but　by　the　labour　of　his　brain。

I　suppose；　from　what　I　have　heard；　that　Mr。　Tighe　became　strongly　interested　in　his　children's　tutor；　and　may　have　aided　him；　not　only　in　the　direction　of　his　studies；　but　in　the　suggestion　of　an　English　university　education；　and　in　advice　as　to　the　mode　in　which　he　should　obtain　entrance　there。　　Mr。　Bronte　has　now　no　trace　of　his　Irish　origin　remaining　in　his　speech；　he　never　could　have　shown　his　Celtic　descent　in　the　straight　Greek　lines　and　long　oval　of　his　face；　but　at　five…and…twenty；　fresh　from　the　only　life　he　had　ever　known；　to　present　himself　at　the　gates　of　St。　John's　proved　no　little　determination　of　will；　and　scorn　of　ridicule。

While　at　Cambridge；　he　became　one　of　a　corps　of　volunteers；　who　were　then　being　called　out　all　over　the　country　to　resist　the　apprehended　invasion　by　the　French。　　I　have　heard　him　allude；　in　late　years；　to　Lord　Palmerston　as　one　who　had　often　been　associated　with　him　then　in　the　mimic　military　duties　which　they　had　to　perform。

We　take　him　up　now　settled　as　a　curate　at　Hartshead；　in　Yorkshire…　…far　removed　from　his　birth…place　and　all　his　Irish　connections；　with　whom；　indeed；　he　cared　little　to　keep　up　any　intercourse；　and　whom　he　never；　I　believe；　re…visited　after　becoming　a　student　at　Cambridge。

Hartshead　is　a　very　small　village；　lying　to　the　east　of　Huddersfield　and　Halifax；　and；　from　its　high　situationon　a　mound；　as　it　were；　surrounded　by　a　circular　basincommanding　a　magnificent　view。　　Mr。　Bronte　resided　here　for　five　years；　and；　while　the　incumbent　of　Hartshead；　he　wooed　and　married　Maria　Branwell。

She　was　the　third　daughter　of　Mr。　Thomas　Branwell；　merchant；　of　Penzance。　　Her　mother's　maiden　name　was　Carne：　　and；　both　on　father's　and　mother's　side；　the　Branwell　family　were　sufficiently　well　descended　to　enable　them　to　mix　in　the　best　society　that　Penzance　then　afforded。　　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Branwell　would　be　living　their　family　of　four　daughters　and　one　son；　still　childrenduring　the　existence　of　that　primitive　state　of　society　which　is　well　described　by　Dr。　Davy　in　the　life　of　his　brother。

〃In　the　same　town；　when　the　population　was　about　2；000　persons；　there　was　only　one　carpet；　the　floors　of　rooms　were　sprinkled　with　sea…sand；　and　there　was　not　a　single　silver　fork。

〃At　that　time；　when　our　colonial　possessions　were　very　limited；　our　army　and　navy　on　a　small　scale；　and　there　was　comparatively　little　demand　for　intellect；　the　younger　sons　of　gentlemen　were　often　of　necessity　brought　up　to　some　trade　or　mechanical　art；　to　which　no　discredit；　or　loss　of　caste；　as　it　were；　was　attached。　The　eldest　son；　if　not　allowed　to　remain　an　idle　country　squire；　was　sent　to　Oxford　or　Cambridge；　preparatory　to　his　engaging　in　one　of　the　three　liberal　professions　of　divinity；　law；　or　physic；　the　second　son　was　perhaps　apprenticed　to　a　surgeon　or　apothecary；　or　a　solicitor