第 14 节
作者:热带雨淋      更新:2021-02-18 21:58      字数:9321
  Where Dunkery frowns on Exon Moor;
  And when the four weeks neared their end;
  And their swift sweets outwore;
  I said; 'What shall I do to own
  Those beauties bright as tulips blown;
  And keep you here with me alone
  As mine for evermore?'
  〃And as she drowsed within my van
  On Exon Wild by Dunkery Tor …
  And as she drowsed within my van;
  And dawning turned to day;
  She heavily raised her sloe…black eyes
  And murmured back in softest wise;
  'One more thing; and the charms you prize
  Are yours henceforth for aye。
  〃'And swear I will I'll never go
  While Dunkery frowns on Exon Moor
  To meet the Cornish Wrestler Joe
  For dance and dallyings。
  If you'll to yon cathedral shrine;
  And finger from the chest divine
  Treasure to buy me ear…drops fine;
  And richly jewelled rings。'
  〃I said:  'I am one who has gathered gear
  From Marlbury Downs to Dunkery Tor;
  Who has gathered gear for many a year
  From mansion; mart and fair;
  But at God's house I've stayed my hand;
  Hearing within me some command …
  Curbed by a law not of the land
  From doing damage there。'
  〃Whereat she pouts; this Love of mine;
  As Dunkery frowns on Exon Moor;
  And still she pouts; this Love of mine;
  So cityward I go。
  But ere I start to do the thing;
  And speed my soul's imperilling
  For one who is my ravishing
  And all the joy I know;
  〃I come to lay this charge on thee …
  On Exon Wild by Dunkery Tor …
  I come to lay this charge on thee
  With solemn speech and sign:
  Should things go ill; and my life pay
  For botchery in this rash assay;
  You are to take hers likewiseyea;
  The month the law takes mine。
  〃For should my rival; Wrestler Joe;
  Where Dunkery frowns on Exon Moor …
  My reckless rival; Wrestler Joe;
  My Love's possessor be;
  My tortured spirit would not rest;
  But wander weary and distrest
  Throughout the world in wild protest:
  The thought nigh maddens me!〃
  PART II
  Thus did he speakthis brother of mine …
  On Exon Wild by Dunkery Tor;
  Born at my birth of mother of mine;
  And forthwith went his way
  To dare the deed some coming night 。 。 。
  I kept the watch with shaking sight;
  The moon at moments breaking bright;
  At others glooming gray。
  For three full days I heard no sound
  Where Dunkery frowns on Exon Moor;
  I heard no sound at all around
  Whether his fay prevailed;
  Or one malign the master were;
  Till some afoot did tidings bear
  How that; for all his practised care;
  He had been caught and jailed。
  They had heard a crash when twelve had chimed
  By Mendip east of Dunkery Tor;
  When twelve had chimed and moonlight climbed;
  They watched; and he was tracked
  By arch and aisle and saint and knight
  Of sculptured stonework sheeted white
  In the cathedral's ghostly light;
  And captured in the act。
  Yes; for this Love he loved too well
  Where Dunkery sights the Severn shore;
  All for this Love he loved too well
  He burst the holy bars;
  Seized golden vessels from the chest
  To buy her ornaments of the best;
  At her ill…witchery's request
  And lure of eyes like stars 。 。 。
  When blustering March confused the sky
  In Toneborough Town by Exon Moor;
  When blustering March confused the sky
  They stretched him; and he died。
  Down in the crowd where I; to see
  The end of him; stood silently;
  With a set face he lipped to me …
  〃Remember。〃  〃Ay!〃 I cried。
  By night and day I shadowed her
  From Toneborough Deane to Dunkery Tor;
  I shadowed her asleep; astir;
  And yet I could not bear …
  Till Wrestler Joe anon began
  To figure as her chosen man;
  And took her to his shining van …
  To doom a form so fair!
  He made it handsome for her sake …
  And Dunkery smiled to Exon Moor …
  He made it handsome for her sake;
  Painting it out and in;
  And on the door of apple…green
  A bright brass knocker soon was seen;
  And window…curtains white and clean
  For her to sit within。
  And all could see she clave to him
  As cleaves a cloud to Dunkery Tor;
  Yea; all could see she clave to him;
  And every day I said;
  〃A pity it seems to part those two
  That hourly grow to love more true:
  Yet she's the wanton woman who
  Sent one to swing till dead!〃
  That blew to blazing all my hate;
  While Dunkery frowned on Exon Moor;
  And when the river swelled; her fate
  Came to her pitilessly 。 。 。
  I dogged her; crying:  〃Across that plank
  They use as bridge to reach yon bank
  A coat and hat lie limp and dank;
  Your goodman's; can they be?〃
  She paled; and went; I close behind …
  And Exon frowned to Dunkery Tor;
  She went; and I came up behind
  And tipped the plank that bore
  Her; fleetly flitting across to eye
  What such might bode。  She slid awry;
  And from the current came a cry;
  A gurgle; and no more。
  How that befell no mortal knew
  From Marlbury Downs to Exon Moor;
  No mortal knew that deed undue
  But he who schemed the crime;
  Which night still covers 。 。 。 But in dream
  Those ropes of hair upon the stream
  He sees; and he will hear that scream
  Until his judgment…time。
  THE ABBEY MASON
  (Inventor of the 〃Perpendicular〃 Style of Gothic Architecture)
  The new…vamped Abbey shaped apace
  In the fourteenth century of grace;
  (The church which; at an after date;
  Acquired cathedral rank and state。)
  Panel and circumscribing wall
  Of latest feature; trim and tall;
  Rose roundabout the Norman core
  In prouder pose than theretofore;
  Encasing magically the old
  With parpend ashlars manifold。
  The trowels rang out; and tracery
  Appeared where blanks had used to be。
  Men toiled for pleasure more than pay;
  And all went smoothly day by day;
  Till; in due course; the transept part
  Engrossed the master…mason's art。
  … Home…coming thence he tossed and turned
  Throughout the night till the new sun burned。
  〃What fearful visions have inspired
  These gaingivings?〃 his wife inquired;
  〃As if your tools were in your hand
  You have hammered; fitted; muttered; planned;
  〃You have thumped as you were working hard:
  I might have found me bruised and scarred。
  〃What then's amiss。  What eating care
  Looms nigh; whereof I am unaware?〃
  He answered not; but churchward went;
  Viewing his draughts with discontent;
  And fumbled there the livelong day
  Till; hollow…eyed; he came away。
  … 'Twas said; 〃The master…mason's ill!〃
  And all the abbey works stood still。
  Quoth Abbot Wygmore:  〃Why; O why
  Distress yourself?  You'll surely die!〃
  The mason answered; trouble…torn;
  〃This long…vogued style is quite outworn!
  〃The upper archmould nohow serves
  To meet the lower tracery curves:
  〃The ogees bend too far away
  To give the flexures interplay。
  〃This it is causes my distress 。 。 。
  So it will ever be unless
  〃New forms be found to supersede
  The circle when occasions need。
  〃To carry it out I have tried and toiled;
  And now perforce must own me foiled!
  〃Jeerers will say:  'Here was a man
  Who could not end what he began!'〃
  … So passed that day; the next; the next;
  The abbot scanned the task; perplexed;
  The townsmen mustered all their wit
  To fathom how to compass it;
  But no raw artistries availed
  Where practice in the craft had failed 。 。 。
  … One night he tossed; all open…eyed;
  And early left his helpmeet's side。
  Scattering the rushes of the floor
  He wandered from the chamber door
  And sought the sizing pile; whereon
  Struck dimly a cadaverous dawn
  Through freezing rain; that drenched the board
  Of diagram…lines he last had scored …
  Chalked phantasies in vain begot
  To knife the architectural knot …
  In front of which he dully stood;
  Regarding them in hopeless mood。
  He closelier looked; then looked again:
  The chalk…scratched draught…board faced the rain;
  Whose icicled drops deformed the lines
  Innumerous of his lame designs;
  So that they streamed in small white threads
  From the upper segments to the heads
  Of arcs below; uniting them
  Each by a stalactitic stem。
  … At once; with eyes that struck out sparks;
  He adds accessory cusping…marks;
  Then laughs aloud。  The thing was done
  So long assayed from sun to sun 。 。 。
  … Now in his joy he grew aware
  Of one behind him standing there;
  And; turning; saw the abbot; who
  The weather's whim was watching too。
  Onward to Prime the abbot went;
  Tacit upon the incident。
  … Men now discerned as days revolved
  The ogive riddle had been solved;
  Templates were cut; fresh lines were chalked
  Where lines had been defaced and balked;
  And the work swelled and mounted higher;
  Achievement distancing desire;
  Here jambs with transoms fixed between;
  Where never the like before had been …
  There little mullions thinly sawn
  Where meeting circles once were drawn。
  〃We knew;〃 men said; 〃the thing would go
  After his craft…wit got aglow;
  〃And; once fulfilled what he has designed;
  We'll honour him and his great mind!〃
  When matters stood thus poised awhile;
  And all surroundings shed a smile;
  The master…mason on an eve
  Homed to his wife and seemed to grieve 。 。 。
  … 〃The abbot spoke to me to…day:
  He hangs about the works alway。
  〃He knows the source as well as I
  Of the new style men magnify。
  〃He said:  'You pride yourself too much
  On your creation。  Is it such?
  〃'Surely the hand of God it is
  That conjured so;