lavengro- 第29部分

easily　judge　how　it　fares　at　the　present；　from　the　circumstance　of　

my　taking　pen　in　hand；　and　endeavouring　to　write　down　the　passages　

of　my　life　…　a　last　resource　with　most　people。　　But　at　the　period　

to　which　I　allude　I　was　just；　as　I　may　say；　entering　upon　life；　I　

had　adopted　a　profession；　and；　to　keep　up　my　character；　

simultaneously　with　that　profession　…　the　study　of　a　new　language。　　

I　speedily　became　a　proficient　in　the　one；　but　ever　remained　a　

novice　in　the　other：　　a　novice　in　the　law；　but　a　perfect　master　in　

the　Welsh　tongue。



Yes；　very　pleasant　times　were　those；　when　within　the　womb　of　a　

lofty　deal　desk；　behind　which　I　sat　for　some　eight　hours　every　day；　

transcribing　（when　I　imagined　eyes　were　upon　me）　documents　of　every　

description　in　every　possible　hand；　Blackstone　kept　company　with　Ab　

Gwilym　…　the　polished　English　lawyer　of　the　last　century；　who　wrote　

long　and　prosy　chapters　on　the　rights　of　things　…　with　a　certain　

wild　Welshman；　who　some　four　hundred　years　before　that　time　indited　

immortal　cowydds　and　odes　to　the　wives　of　Cambrian　chieftains　…　

more　particularly　to　one　Morfydd；　the　wife　of　a　certain　hunchbacked　

dignitary　called　by　the　poet　facetiously　Bwa　Bach　…　generally　

terminating　with　the　modest　request　of　a　little　private　parlance　

beneath　the　greenwood　bough；　with　no　other　witness　than　the　eos；　or　

nightingale；　a　request　which；　if　the　poet　himself　may　be　believed；　

rather　a　doubtful　point；　was　seldom；　very　seldom；　denied。　　And　by　

what　strange　chance　had　Ab　Gwilym　and　Blackstone；　two　personages　so　

exceedingly　different；　been　thus　brought　together？　　From　what　the　

reader　already　knows　of　me；　he　may　be　quite　prepared　to　find　me　

reading　the　former；　but　what　could　have　induced　me　to　take　up　

Blackstone；　or　rather　the　law？



I　have　ever　loved　to　be　as　explicit　as　possible；　on　which　account；　

perhaps；　I　never　attained　to　any　proficiency　in　the　law；　the　

essence　of　which　is　said　to　be　ambiguity；　most　questions　may　be　

answered　in　a　few　words；　and　this　among　the　rest；　though　connected　

with　the　law。　　My　parents　deemed　it　necessary　that　I　should　adopt　

some　profession；　they　named　the　law；　the　law　was　as　agreeable　to　me　

as　any　other　profession　within　my　reach；　so　I　adopted　the　law；　and　

the　consequence　was；　that　Blackstone；　probably　for　the　first　time；　

found　himself　in　company　with　Ab　Gwilym。　　By　adopting　the　law　I　had　

not　ceased　to　be　Lavengro。



So　I　sat　behind　a　desk　many　hours　in　the　day；　ostensibly　engaged　in　

transcribing　documents　of　various　kinds；　the　scene　of　my　labours　

was　a　strange　old　house；　occupying　one　side　of　a　long　and　narrow　

court；　into　which；　however；　the　greater　number　of　the　windows　

looked　not；　but　into　an　extensive　garden；　filled　with　fruit　trees；　

in　the　rear　of　a　large；　handsome　house；　belonging　to　a　highly　

respectable　gentleman；　who；　moyennant　un　douceur　considerable；　had　

consented　to　instruct　my　father's　youngest　son　in　the　mysteries　of　

glorious　English　law。　　Ah！　would　that　I　could　describe　the　good　

gentleman　in　the　manner　which　he　deserves；　he　has　long　since　sunk　

to　his　place　in　a　respectable　vault；　in　the　aisle　of　a　very　

respectable　church；　whilst　an　exceedingly　respectable　marble　slab　

against　the　neighbouring　wall　tells　on　a　Sunday　some　eye　wandering　

from　its　prayer…book　that　his　dust　lies　below；　to　secure　such　

respectabilities　in　death；　he　passed　a　most　respectable　life。　　Let　

no　one　sneer；　he　accomplished　much；　his　life　was　peaceful；　so　was　

his　death。　　Are　these　trifles？　　I　wish　I　could　describe　him；　for　I　

loved　the　man；　and　with　reason；　for　he　was　ever　kind　to　me；　to　whom　

kindness　has　not　always　been　shown；　and　he　was；　moreover；　a　choice　

specimen　of　a　class　which　no　longer　exists　…　a　gentleman　lawyer　of　

the　old　school。　　I　would　fain　describe　him；　but　figures　with　which　

he　has　nought　to　do　press　forward　and　keep　him　from　my　mind's　eye；　

there　they　pass；　Spaniard　and　Moor；　Gypsy；　Turk；　and　livid　Jew。　　

But　who　is　that？　what　that　thick　pursy　man　in　the　loose；　snuff…

coloured　greatcoat；　with　the　white　stockings；　drab　breeches；　and　

silver　buckles　on　his　shoes；　that　man　with　the　bull　neck；　and　

singular　head；　immense　in　the　lower　part；　especially　about　the　

jaws；　but　tapering　upward　like　a　pear；　the　man　with　the　bushy　

brows；　small　gray　eyes　replete　with　catlike　expression；　whose　

grizzled　hair　is　cut　close；　and　whose　ear…lobes　are　pierced　with　

small　golden　rings？　　Oh！　that　is　not　my　dear　old　master；　but　a　

widely　different　personage。　　Bon　jour；　Monsieur　Vidocq！　expressions　

de　ma　part　a　Monsieur　Le　Baron　Taylor。　　But　here　he　comes　at　last；　

my　veritable　old　master！



A　more　respectable…looking　individual　was　never　seen；　he　really　

looked　what　he　was；　a　gentleman　of　the　law　…　there　was　nothing　of　

the　pettifogger　about　him：　　somewhat　under　the　middle　size；　and　

somewhat　rotund　in　person；　he　was　always　dressed　in　a　full　suit　of　

black；　never　worn　long　enough　to　become　threadbare。　　His　face　was　

rubicund；　and　not　without　keenness；　but　the　most　remarkable　thing　

about　him　was　the　crown　of　his　head；　which　was　bald；　and　shone　like　

polished　ivory；　nothing　more　white；　smooth；　and　lustrous。　　Some　

people　have　said　that　he　wore　false　calves；　probably　because　his　

black　silk　stockings　never　exhibited　a　wrinkle；　they　might　just　as　

well　have　said　that　he　waddled；　because　his　shoes　creaked；　for　

these　last；　which　were　always　without　a　speck；　and　polished　as　his　

crown；　though　of　a　different　hue；　did　creak；　as　he　walked　rather　

slowly。　　I　cannot　say　that　I　ever　saw　him　walk　fast。



He　had　a　handsome　practice；　and　might　have　died　a　very　rich　man；　

much　richer　than　he　did；　had　he　not　been　in　the　habit　of　giving　

rather　expensive　dinners　to　certain　great　people；　who　gave　him　

nothing　in　return　except　their　company；　I　could　never　discover　his　

reasons　for　doing　so；　as　he　always　appeared　to　me　a　remarkably　

quiet　man；　by　nature　averse　to　noise　and　bustle；　but　in　all　

dispositions　there　are　anomalies：　　I　have　already　said　that　he　

lived　in　a　handsome　house；　and　I　may　as　well　here　add　that　he　had　a　

very　handsome　wife；　who　both　dressed　and　talked　exceedingly　well。



So　I　sat　behind　the　deal　desk；　engaged　in　copying　documents　of　

various　kinds；　and　in　the　apartment　in　which　I　sat；　and　in　the　

adjoining　ones；　there　were　others；　some　of　whom　likewise　copied　

documents；　while　some　were　engaged　in　the　yet　more　difficult　task　

of　drawing　them　up；　and　some　of　these；　sons　of　nobody；　were　paid　

for　the　work　they　did；　whilst　others；　like　myself；　sons　of　

somebody；　paid　for　being　permitted　to　work；　which；　as　our　principal　

observed；　was　but　reasonable；　forasmuch　as　we　not　unfrequently　

utterly　spoiled　the　greater　part　of　the　work　intrusted　to　our　

hands。



There　was　one　part　of　the　day　when　I　generally　found　myself　quite　

alone；　I　mean　at　the　hour　when　the　rest　went　home　to　their　

principal　meal；　I；　being　the　youngest；　was　left　to　take　care　of　the　

premises；　to　answer　the　bell；　and　so　forth；　till　relieved；　which　

was　seldom　before　the　expiration　of　an　hour　and　a　half；　when　I　

myself　went　home；　this　period；　however；　was　anything　but　

disagreeable　to　me；　for　it　was　then　that　I　did　what　best　pleased　

me；　and；　leaving　off　copying　the　documents；　I　sometimes　indulged　in　

a　fit　of　musing；　my　chin　resting　on　both　my　hands；　and　my　elbows　

planted　on　the　desk；　or；　opening　the　desk　aforesaid；　I　would　take　

out　one　of　the　books　contained　within　it；　and　the　book　which　I　took　

out　was　almost　invariably；　not　Blackstone；　but　Ab　Gwilym。



Ah；　that　Ab　Gwilym！　　I　am　much　indebted　to　him；　and　it　were　

ungrateful　on　my　part　not　to　devote　a　few　lines　to　him　and　his　

songs　in　this　my　history。　　Start　not；　reader；　I　am　not　going　to　

trouble　you　with　a　poetical　dissertation；　no；　no；　I　know　my　duty　

too　well　to　introduce　anything　of　the　kind；　but　I；　who　imagine　I　

know　several　things；　and　amongst　others　the　workings　of　your　mind　

at　this　moment；　have　an　idea　that　you　are　anxious　to　learn　a　

little；　a　very　little；　more　about　Ab　Gwilym　than　I　have　hitherto　

told　you；　the　two　or　three　words　that　I　have　dropped　having　

awakened　within　you　a　languid　kind　of　curiosity。　　I　have　no　

hesitation　in　saying　that　he　makes　one　of　the　some　half…dozen　

really　great　poets　whose　verses；　in　whatever　language　they　wrote；　

exist　at　the　present　day；　and　are　more　or　less　known。　　It　matters　

little　how　I　first　became　acquainted　with　the　writings　of　this　man；　

and　how　the　short　thick　volume；　stuffed　full　with　his　immortal　

imaginings；　first　came　into　my　hands。　　I　was　studying　Welsh；　and　I　

fell　in　with　Ab　Gwilym　by　no　very　strange　chance。　　But；　before　I　

say　more　about　Ab　Gwilym；　I　must　be　permitted　…　I　really　must　…　to　

say　a　word　or　two　about　the　language　in　which　he　wrote；　that　same　

'Sweet　Welsh。'　　If　I　remember　right；　I　found　the　language　a　

difficult　one；　in　mastering　it；　however；　I　derived　unexpected　

assistance　from　what　of　Irish　remained　in　my　head；　and　I　soon　found　

that　they　were　cognate　dialects；　springing　from　some　old　tongue　

which　itself；　perhaps；　had　sprung　from　one　much　older。　　And　here　I　

cannot　help　observing　cursorily　that　I　every　now　and　then；　whilst　

studying　this　Welsh；　generally　supposed　to　be　the　original　tongue　

of　Britain；　encountered　words　which；　according　to　the　

lexicographers；　were　venerable　words　highly　expressive；　showing　the　

wonderful　power　and　originality　of　the　Welsh；　in　which；　however；　

they　were　no　longer　used　in　common　discourse；　but　were　relics；　

precious　relics；　of　the　first　speech　of　Britain；　perhaps　of　the　

world；　with　which　words；　however；　I　was　already　well　acquainted；　

and　which　I　had　picked　up；　not　in　learned　books；　classic　books；　and　

in　tongues　of　old　renown；　but　whilst　listening　to　Mr。　Petulengro　

and　Tawno　Chikno　talking　over　their　everyday　affairs　in　the　

language　of　the　tents；　which　circumstance　did　not　fail　to　give　rise　

to　de