lavengro-第14部分

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eastern　side　of　the　bold　rock　on　which　the　Castle　stands。　　A　

gallant　caserne　it　was　…　the　best　and　roomiest　that　I　had　hitherto　

seen　…　rather　cold　and　windy；　it　is　true；　especially　in　the　winter；　

but　commanding　a　noble　prospect　of　a　range　of　distant　hills；　which　

I　was　told　were　'the　hieland　hills；'　and　of　a　broad　arm　of　the　sea；　

which　I　heard　somebody　say　was　the　Firth　of　Forth。



My　brother；　who；　for　some　years　past；　had　been　receiving　his　

education　in　a　certain　celebrated　school　in　England；　was　now　with　

us；　and　it　came　to　pass；　that　one　day　my　father；　as　he　sat　at　

table；　looked　steadfastly　on　my　brother　and　myself；　and　then　

addressed　my　mother：　　…　'During　my　journey　down　hither；　I　have　lost　

no　opportunity　of　making　inquiries　about　these　people；　the　Scotch；　

amongst　whom　we　now　are；　and　since　I　have　been　here　I　have　observed　

them　attentively。　　From　what　I　have　heard　and　seen；　I　should　say　

that　upon　the　whole　they　are　a　very　decent　set　of　people；　they　seem　

acute　and　intelligent；　and　I　am　told　that　their　system　of　education　

is　so　excellent　that　every　person　is　learned　…　more　or　less　

acquainted　with　Greek　and　Latin。　　There　is　one　thing；　however；　

connected　with　them；　which　is　a　great　drawback　…　the　horrid　jargon　

which　they　speak。　　However　learned　they　may　be　in　Greek　and　Latin；　

their　English　is　execrable；　and　yet　I'm　told　it　is　not　so　bad　as　it　

was。　　I　was　in　company；　the　other　day；　with　an　Englishman　who　has　

resided　here　many　years。　　We　were　talking　about　the　country　and　the　

people。　　〃I　should　like　both　very　well；〃　said　I；　〃were　it　not　for　

the　language。　　I　wish　sincerely　our　Parliament；　which　is　passing　so　

many　foolish　acts　every　year；　would　pass　one　to　force　these　Scotch　

to　speak　English。〃　　〃I　wish　so；　too；〃　said　he。　　〃The　language　is　a　

disgrace　to　the　British　Government；　but；　if　you　had　heard　it　twenty　

years　ago；　captain！　…　if　you　had　heard　it　as　it　was　spoken　when　I　

first　came　to　Edinburgh！〃'



'Only　custom；'　said　my　mother。　　'I　daresay　the　language　is　now　what　

it　was　then。'



'I　don't　know；'　said　my　father；　'though　I　daresay　you　are　right；　it　

could　never　have　been　worse　than　it　is　at　present。　　But　now　to　the　

point。　　Were　it　not　for　the　language；　which；　if　the　boys　were　to　

pick　it　up；　might　ruin　their　prospects　in　life；　…　were　it　not　for　

that；　I　should　very　much　like　to　send　them　to　a　school　there　is　in　

this　place；　which　everybody　talks　about　…　the　High　School　I　think　

they　call　it。　　'Tis　said　to　be　the　best　school　in　the　whole　island；　

but　the　idea　of　one's　children　speaking　Scotch　…　broad　Scotch！　　I　

must　think　the　matter　over。'



And　he　did　think　the　matter　over；　and　the　result　of　his　

deliberation　was　a　determination　to　send　us　to　the　school。　　Let　me　

call　thee　up　before　my　mind's　eye；　High　School；　to　which；　every　

morning；　the　two　English　brothers　took　their　way　from　the　proud　old　

Castle　through　the　lofty　streets　of　the　Old　Town。　　High　School！　…　

called　so；　I　scarcely　know　why；　neither　lofty　in　thyself　nor　by　

position；　being　situated　in　a　flat　bottom；　oblong　structure　of　

tawny　stone；　with　many　windows　fenced　with　iron　netting　…　with　thy　

long　hall　below；　and　thy　five　chambers　above；　for　the　reception　of　

the　five　classes；　into　which　the　eight　hundred　urchins　who　styled　

thee　instructress　were　divided。　　Thy　learned　rector　and　his　four　

subordinate　dominies；　thy　strange　old　porter　of　the　tall　form　and　

grizzled　hair；　hight　Boee；　and　doubtless　of　Norse　ancestry；　as　his　

name　declares；　perhaps　of　the　blood　of　Bui　hin　Digri；　the　hero　of　

northern　song　…　the　Jomsborg　Viking　who　clove　Thorsteinn　Midlangr　

asunder　in　the　dread　sea　battle　of　Horunga　Vog；　and　who；　when　the　

fight　was　lost　and　his　own　two　hands　smitten　off；　seized　two　chests　

of　gold　with　his　bloody　stumps；　and；　springing　with　them　into　the　

sea；　cried　to　the　scanty　relics　of　his　crew；　'Overboard　now；　all　

Bui's　lads！'　　Yes；　I　remember　all　about　thee；　and　how　at　eight　of　

every　morn　we　were　all　gathered　together　with　one　accord　in　the　

long　hall；　from　which；　after　the　litanies　had　been　read　（for　so　I　

will　call　them；　being　an　Episcopalian）；　the　five　classes　from　the　

five　sets　of　benches　trotted　off　in　long　files；　one　boy　after　the　

other；　up　the　five　spiral　staircases　of　stone；　each　class　to　its　

destination；　and　well　do　I　remember　how　we　of　the　third　sat　hushed　

and　still；　watched　by　the　eye　of　the　dux；　until　the　door　opened；　

and　in　walked　that　model　of　a　good　Scotchman；　the　shrewd；　

intelligent；　but　warm…hearted　and　kind　dominie；　the　respectable　

Carson。



And　in　this　school　I　began　to　construe　the　Latin　language；　which　I　

had　never　done　before；　notwithstanding　my　long　and　diligent　study　

of　Lilly；　which　illustrious　grammar　was　not　used　at　Edinburgh；　nor　

indeed　known。　　Greek　was　only　taught　in　the　fifth　or　highest　class；　

in　which　my　brother　was；　as　for　myself；　I　never　got　beyond　the　

third　during　the　two　years　that　I　remained　at　this　seminary。　　I　

certainly　acquired　here　a　considerable　insight　in　the　Latin　tongue；　

and；　to　the　scandal　of　my　father　and　horror　of　my　mother；　a　

thorough　proficiency　in　the　Scotch；　which；　in　less　than　two　months；　

usurped　the　place　of　the　English；　and　so　obstinately　maintained　its　

ground；　that　I　still　can　occasionally　detect　its　lingering　remains。　　

I　did　not　spend　my　time　unpleasantly　at　this　school；　though；　first　

of　all；　I　had　to　pass　through　an　ordeal。



'Scotland　is　a　better　country　than　England；'　said　an　ugly；　blear…

eyed　lad；　about　a　head　and　shoulders　taller　than　myself；　the　leader　

of　a　gang　of　varlets　who　surrounded　me　in　the　playground；　on　the　

first　day；　as　soon　as　the　morning　lesson　was　over。　　'Scotland　is　a　

far　better　country　than　England；　in　every　respect。'



'Is　it？'　said　I。　　'Then　you　ought　to　be　very　thankful　for　not　

having　been　born　in　England。'



'That's　just　what　I　am；　ye　loon；　and　every　morning；　when　I　say　my　

prayers；　I　thank　God　for　not　being　an　Englishman。　　The　Scotch　are　a　

much　better　and　braver　people　than　the　English。'



'It　may　be　so；'　said　I；　'for　what　I　know　…　indeed；　till　I　came　

here；　I　never　heard　a　word　either　about　the　Scotch　or　their　

country。'



'Are　ye　making　fun　of　us；　ye　English　puppy？'　said　the　blear…eyed　

lad；　'take　that！'　and　I　was　presently　beaten　black　and　blue。　　And　

thus　did　I　first　become　aware　of　the　difference　of　races　and　their　

antipathy　to　each　other。



'Bow　to　the　storm；　and　it　shall　pass　over　you。'　　I　held　my　peace；　

and　silently　submitted　to　the　superiority　of　the　Scotch　…　IN　

NUMBERS。　　This　was　enough；　from　an　object　of　persecution　I　soon　

became　one　of　patronage；　especially　amongst　the　champions　of　the　

class。　　'The　English；'　said　the　blear…eyed　lad；　'though　a　wee　bit　

behind　the　Scotch　in　strength　and　fortitude；　are　nae　to　be　sneezed　

at；　being　far　ahead　of　the　Irish；　to　say　nothing　of　the　French；　a　

pack　of　cowardly　scoundrels。　　And　with　regard　to　the　English　

country；　it　is　na　Scotland；　it　is　true；　but　it　has　its　gude　

properties；　and；　though　there　is　ne'er　a　haggis　in　a'　the　land；　

there's　an　unco　deal　o'　gowd　and　siller。　　I　respect　England；　for　I　

have　an　auntie　married　there。'



The　Scotch　are　certainly　a　most　pugnacious　people；　their　whole　

history　proves　it。　　Witness　their　incessant　wars　with　the　English　

in　the　olden　time；　and　their　internal　feuds；　highland　and　lowland；　

clan　with　clan；　family　with　family；　Saxon　with　Gael。　　In　my　time；　

the　schoolboys；　for　want；　perhaps；　of　English　urchins　to　contend　

with；　were　continually　fighting　with　each　other；　every　noon　there　

was　at　least　one　pugilistic　encounter；　and　sometimes　three。　　In　one　

month　I　witnessed　more　of　these　encounters　than　I　had　ever　

previously　seen　under　similar　circumstances　in　England。　　After　all；　

there　was　not　much　harm　done。　　Harm！　what　harm　could　result　from　

short　chopping　blows；　a　hug；　and　a　tumble？　　I　was　witness　to　many　a　

sounding　whack；　some　blood　shed；　'a　blue　ee'　now　and　then；　but　

nothing　more。　　In　England；　on　the　contrary；　where　the　lads　were　

comparatively　mild；　gentle；　and　pacific；　I　had　been　present　at　more　

than　one　death　caused　by　blows　in　boyish　combats；　in　which　the　

oldest　of　the　victors　had　scarcely　reached　thirteen　years；　but　

these　blows　were　in　the　jugular；　given　with　the　full　force　of　the　

arm　shot　out　horizontally　from　the　shoulder。



But　the　Scotch　…　though　by　no　means　proficients　in　boxing　（and　how　

should　they　box；　seeing　that　they　have　never　had　a　teacher？）　…　are；　

I　repeat；　a　most　pugnacious　people；　at　least　they　were　in　my　time。　　

Anything　served　them；　that　is；　the　urchins；　as　a　pretence　for　a　

fray；　or；　Dorically　speaking；　a　BICKER；　every　street　and　close　was　

at　feud　with　its　neighbour；　the　lads　of　the　school　were　at　feud　

with　the　young　men　of　the　college；　whom　they　pelted　in　winter　with　

snow；　and　in　summer　with　stones；　and　then　the　feud　between　the　old　

and　new　town！



One　day　I　was　standing　on