cambridge pieces-第6节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


pull；　we　got　there　by　two　o'clock；　dined　（Italian　is　spoken　here
again）；　and　finally　reached　Hospenthal　at　half…past　five　after　a
very　long　day。

On　Thursday　walking　down　to　Amstegg　and　taking　a　trap　to　Fluelen；　we
then　embarked　on　board　a　steamer　and　had　a　most　enjoyable　ride　to
Lucerne；　where　we　slept；　Friday　to　Basle　by　rail；　walking　over　the
Hauenstein；　｛2｝　and　getting　a　magnificent　panorama　（alas！　a　final
one）　of　the　Alps；　and　from　Basle　to　Strasburg；　where　we　ascended　the
cathedral　as　far　as　they　would　let　us　without　special　permission
from　a　power　they　called　Mary；　and　then　by　the　night　train　to　Paris；
where　we　arrived　Saturday　morning　at　ten。

Left　Paris　on　Sunday　afternoon；　slept　at　Dieppe；　left　Dieppe　Monday
morning；　got　to　London　at　three　o'clock　or　thereabouts；　and　might
have　reached　Cambridge　that　night　had　we　been　so　disposed；　next　day
came　safely　home　to　dear　old　St。　John's；　cash　in　hand　7d。

From　my　window　｛3｝　in　the　cool　of　the　summer　twilight　I　look　on　the
umbrageous　chestnuts　that　droop　into　the　river；　Trinity　library
rears　its　stately　proportions　on　the　left；　opposite　is　the　bridge；
over　that；　on　the　right；　the　thick　dark　foliage　is　blackening　almost
into　sombreness　as　the　night　draws　on。　　Immediately　beneath　are　the
arched　cloisters　resounding　with　the　solitary　footfall　of　meditative
students；　and　suggesting　grateful　retirement。　　I　say　to　myself　then；
as　I　sit　in　my　open　window；　that　for　a　continuance　I　would　rather
have　this　than　any　scene　I　have　visited　during　the　whole　of　our　most
enjoyed　tour；　and　fetch　down　a　Thucydides；　for　I　must　go　to　Shilleto
at　nine　o'clock　to…morrow。




TRANSLATION　FROM　AN　UNPUBLISHED　WORK　OF　HERODOTUS



This　piece　and　the　ten　that　follow　it　date　from　Butler's
undergraduate　days。　　They　were　preserved　by　the　late　Canon　Joseph
McCormick；　who　was　Butler's　contemporary　at　Cambridge　and　knew　him
well。

In　a　letter　to　THE　TIMES；　published　27　June；　1902；　shortly　after
Butler's　death；　Canon　McCormick　gave　some　interesting　details　of
Butler's　Cambridge　days。　　〃I　have　in　my　possession；〃　he　wrote；　〃some
of　the　skits　with　which　he　amused　himself　and　some　of　his　personal
friends。　　Perhaps　the　skit　professed　to　be　a　translation　from
Thucydides；　inimitable　in　its　way；　applied　to　Johnians　in　their
successes　or　defeats　on　the　river；　or　it　was　the　'Prospectus　of　the
Great　Split　Society；'　attacking　those　who　wished　to　form　narrow　or
domineering　parties　in　the　College；　or　it　was　a　very　striking　poem
on　Napoleon　in　St。　Helena；　or　it　was　a　play　dealing　with　a　visit　to
the　Paris　Exhibition；　which　he　sent　to　PUNCH；　and　which；　strange　to
say；　the　editor　never　inserted；　or　it　was　an　examination　paper　set
to　a　gyp　of　a　most　amusing　and　clever　character。〃　　One　at　least　of
the　pieces　mentioned　by　Canon　McCormick　has　unfortunately
disappeared。　　Those　that　have　survived　are　here　published　for　what
they　are　worth。　　There　is　no　necessity　to　apologise　for　their　faults
and　deficiencies；　which　do　not；　I　think；　obscure　their　value　as
documents　illustrating　the　development　of　that　gift　of　irony　which
Butler　was　afterwards　to　wield　with　such　brilliant　mastery。
'Napoleon　at　St。　Helena'　and　'The　Shield　of　Achilles'　have　already
appeared　in　THE　EAGLE；　December；　1902；　the　〃Translation　from
Herodotus；〃　〃The　Shield　of　Achilles；〃　〃The　Two　Deans　II；〃　and　〃On
the　Italian　Priesthood；〃　in　THE　NOTE…BOOKS　OF　SAMUEL　BUTLER；　the
〃Prospectus　of　the　Great　Split　Society〃　and　〃A　Skit　on　Examinations〃
in　THE　EAGLE；　June；　1913。


And　the　Johnians　practise　their　tub　in　the　following　manner：　　They
select　eight　of　the　most　serviceable　freshmen　and　put　these　into　a
boat；　and　to　each　one　of　them　they　give　an　oar；　and　having　told　them
to　look　at　the　backs　of　the　men　before　them　they　make　them　bend
forward　as　far　as　they　can　and　at　the　same　moment；　and　having　put
the　end　of　the　oar　into　the　water　pull　it　back　again　in　to　them
about　the　bottom　of　the　ribs；　and　if　any　of　them　does　not　do　this　or
looks　about　him　away　from　the　back　of　the　man　before　him　they　curse
him　in　the　most　terrible　manner；　but　if　he　does　what　he　is　bidden
they　immediately　cry　out：

〃Well　pulled；　number　so…and…so。〃

For　they　do　not　call　them　by　their　names　but　by　certain　numbers；
each　man　of　them　having　a　number　allotted　to　him　in　accordance　with
his　place　in　the　boat；　and　the　first　man　they　call　stroke；　but　the
last　man　bow；　and　when　they　have　done　this　for　about　fifty　miles
they　come　home　again；　and　the　rate　they　travel　at　is　about　twenty…
five　miles　an　hour；　and　let　no　one　think　that　this　is　too　great　a
rate；　for　I　could　say　many　other　wonderful　things　in　addition
concerning　the　rowing　of　the　Johnians；　but　if　a　man　wishes　to　know
these　things　he　must　go　and　examine　them　himself。　　But　when　they
have　done　they　contrive　some　such　a　device　as　this；　for　they　make
them　run　many　miles　along　the　side　of　the　river　in　order　that　they
may　accustom　them　to　great　fatigue；　and　many　of　them　being
distressed　in　this　way　fall　down　and　die；　but　those　who　survive
become　very　strong；　and　receive　gifts　of　cups　from　the　others；　and
after　the　revolution　of　a　year　they　have　great　races　with　their
boats　against　those　of　the　surrounding　islanders；　but　the　Johnians；
both　owing　to　the　carefulness　of　the　training　and　a　natural
disposition　for　rowing；　are　always　victorious。　　In　this　way　then　the
Johnians；　I　say；　practise　their　tub。



THE　SHIELD　OF　ACHILLES；　WITH　VARIATIONS



And　in　it　he　placed　the　Fitzwilliam　and　King's　College　Chapel　and
the　lofty　towered　church　of　the　Great　Saint　Mary；　which　looketh
toward　the　Senate　House；　and　King's　Parade　and　Trumpington　Road　and
the　Pitt　Press　and　the　divine　opening　of　the　Market　Square　and　the
beautiful　flowing　fountain　which　formerly　Hobson　laboured　to　make
with　skilful　art；　him　did　his　father　beget　in　the　many…public…housed
Trumpington　from　a　slavey　mother；　and　taught　him　blameless　works；
and　he；　on　the　other　hand；　sprang　up　like　a　young　shoot；　and　many
beautifully　matched　horses　did　he　nourish　in　his　stable；　which　used
to　convey　his　rich　possessions　to　London　and　the　various　cities　of
the　world；　but　oftentimes　did　he　let　them　out　to　others　and
whensoever　anyone　was　desirous　of　hiring　one　of　the　long…tailed
horses；　he　took　them　in　order　so　that　the　labour　was　equal　to　all；
wherefore　do　men　now　speak　of　the　choice　of　the　renowned　Hobson。
And　in　it　he　placed　the　close　of　the　divine　Parker；　and　many
beautiful　undergraduates　were　delighting　their　tender　minds　upon　it
playing　cricket　with　one　another；　and　a　match　was　being　played　and
two　umpires　were　quarrelling　with　one　another；　the　one　saying　that
the　batsman　who　was　playing　was　out；　and　the　other　declaring　with
all　his　might　that　he　was　not；　and　while　they　two　were　contending；
reviling　one　another　with　abusive　language；　a　ball　came　and　hit　one
of　them　on　the　nose；　and　the　blood　flowed　out　in　a　stream；　and
darkness　was　covering　his　eyes；　but　the　rest　were　crying　out　on　all
sides：

〃Shy　it　up。〃

And　he　could　not；　him　then　was　his　companion　addressing　with
scornful　words：

〃Arnold；　why　dost　thou　strive　with　me　since　I　am　much　wiser？　　Did　I
not　see　his　leg　before　the　wicket　and　rightly　declare　him　to　be　out？
Thee　then　has　Zeus　now　punished　according　to　thy　deserts；　and　I　will
seek　some　other　umpire　of　the　game　equally…participated…in…by…both…
sides。〃

And　in　it　he　placed　the　Cam；　and　many　boats　equally　rowed　on　both
sides　were　going　up　and　down　on　the　bosom　of　the　deep…rolling　river；
and　the　coxswains　were　cheering　on　the　men；　for　they　were　going　to
enter　the　contest　of　the　scratchean　fours；　and　three　men　were　rowing
together　in　a　boat；　strong　and　stout　and　determined　in　their　hearts
that　they　would　either　first　break　a　blood…vessel　or　earn　for
themselves　the　electroplated…Birmingham…manufactured　magnificence　of
a　pewter　to　stand　on　their　hall　tables　in　memorial　of　their
strength；　and　from　time　to　time　drink　from　it　the　exhilarating
streams　of　beer　whensoever　their　dear　heart　should　compel　them；　but
the　fourth　was　weak　and　unequally　matched　with　the　others；　and　the
coxswain　was　encouraging　him　and　called　him　by　name　and　spake
cheering　words：

〃Smith；　when　thou　hast　begun　the　contest；　be　not　flurried　nor　strive
too　hard　against　thy　fate；　look　at　the　back　of　the　man　before　thee
and　row　with　as　much　strength　as　the　Fates　spun　out　for　thee　on　the
day　when　thou　fellest　between　the　knees　of　thy　mother；　neither　lose
thine　oar；　but　hold　it　tight　with　thy　hands。〃



PROSPECTUS　OF　THE　GREAT　SPLIT　SOCIETY



It　is　the　object　of　this　society　to　promote　parties　and　splits　in
general；　and　since　of　late　we　have　perceived　disunion　among　friends
to　be　not　nearly　so　ripe　as　in　the　Bible　it　is　plainly　commanded　to
be；　we　the　members　of　this　club　have　investigated　the　means　of
producing；　fostering；　and　invigorating　strife　of　all　kinds；　whereby
the　society　of　man　will　be　profited　much。　　For　in　a　few　hours　we　can
by　the　means　we　have　discovered　create　so　beautiful　a　dissension
between　two　who　have　lately　been　friends；　that　they　shall　never
speak　of　one　another　again；　and　their　spirit　is　to　be　greatly
admired　and　praised　for　this。　　And　since　it　is　the　great　goddess
Tal