第 49 节
作者:恐龙王      更新:2021-02-21 15:31      字数:9321
  beats Scott hollow; and Percy too:  but; sir; the day for these
  things is gone by; nobody at present cares for Percy; nor for Scott
  either; save as a novelist; sorry to discourage merit; sir; but
  what can I do!  What else have you got?'
  'The songs of Ab Gwilym; the Welsh bard; also translated by myself;
  with notes critical; philological; and historical。'
  'Pass on … what else?'
  'Nothing else;' said I; folding up my manuscript with a sigh;
  'unless it be a romance in the German style; on which; I confess; I
  set very little value。'
  'Wild?'
  'Yes; sir; very wild。'
  'Like the Miller of the Black Valley?'
  'Yes; sir; very much like the Miller of the Black Valley。'
  'Well; that's better;' said the publisher; 'and yet; I don't know;
  I question whether any one at present cares for the miller himself。
  No; sir; the time for those things is also gone by; German; at
  present; is a drug; and; between ourselves; nobody has contributed
  to make it so more than my good friend and correspondent; … but;
  sir; I see you are a young gentleman of infinite merit; and I
  always wish to encourage merit。  Don't you think you could write a
  series of evangelical tales?'
  'Evangelical tales; sir?'
  'Yes; sir; evangelical novels。'
  'Something in the style of Herder?'
  'Herder is a drug; sir; nobody cares for Herder … thanks to my good
  friend。  Sir; I have in yon drawer a hundred pages about Herder;
  which I dare not insert in my periodical; it would sink it; sir。
  No; sir; something in the style of the DAIRYMAN'S DAUGHTER。'
  'I never heard of the work till the present moment。'
  'Then; sir; procure it by all means。  Sir; I could afford as much
  as ten pounds for a well…written tale in the style of the
  DAIRYMAN'S DAUGHTER; that is the kind of literature; sir; that
  sells at the present day!  It is not the Miller of the Black Valley
  … no; sir; nor Herder either; that will suit the present taste; the
  evangelical body is becoming very strong; sir; the canting
  scoundrels … '
  'But; sir; surely you would not pander to a scoundrelly taste?'
  'Then; sir; I must give up business altogether。  Sir; I have a
  great respect for the goddess Reason … an infinite respect; sir;
  indeed; in my time; I have made a great many sacrifices for her;
  but; sir; I cannot altogether ruin myself for the goddess Reason。
  Sir; I am a friend to Liberty; as is well known; but I must also be
  a friend to my own family。  It is with the view of providing for a
  son of mine that I am about to start the Review of which I was
  speaking。  He has taken into his head to marry; sir; and I must do
  something for him; for he can do but little for himself。  Well;
  sir; I am a friend to Liberty; as I said before; and likewise a
  friend to Reason; but I tell you frankly that the Review which I
  intend to get up under the rose; and present him with when it is
  established; will be conducted on Oxford principles。'
  'Orthodox principles; I suppose you mean; sir?'
  'I do; sir; I am no linguist; but I believe the words are
  synonymous。'
  Much more conversation passed between us; and it was agreed that I
  should become a contributor to the Oxford Review。  I stipulated;
  however; that; as I knew little of politics; and cared less; no
  other articles should be required from me than such as were
  connected with belles…lettres and philology; to this the big man
  readily assented。  'Nothing will be required from you;' said he;
  'but what you mention; and now and then; perhaps; a paper on
  metaphysics。  You understand German; and perhaps it would be
  desirable that you should review Kant; and in a review of Kant;
  sir; you could introduce to advantage your peculiar notions about
  EX NIHILO。'  He then reverted to the subject of the DAIRYMAN'S
  DAUGHTER; which I promised to take into consideration。  As I was
  going away; he invited me to dine with him on the ensuing Sunday。
  'That's a strange man!' said I to myself; after I had left the
  house; 'he is evidently very clever; but I cannot say that I like
  him much; with his Oxford Reviews and Dairyman's Daughters。  But
  what can I do?  I am almost without a friend in the world。  I wish
  I could find some one who would publish my ballads; or my songs of
  Ab Gwilym。  In spite of what the big man says; I am convinced that;
  once published; they would bring me much fame and profit。  But how
  is this? … what a beautiful sun! … the porter was right in saying
  that the day would clear up … I will now go to my dingy lodging;
  lock up my manuscripts; and then take a stroll about the big city。'
  CHAPTER XXXI
  The walk … London's Cheape … Street of the Lombards … Strange
  bridge … Main arch … The roaring gulf … The boat … Cly…faking … A
  comfort … The book … The blessed woman … No trap。
  SO I set out on my walk to see the wonders of the big city; and; as
  chance would have it; I directed my course to the east。  The day;
  as I have already said; had become very fine; so that I saw the
  great city to advantage; and the wonders thereof:  and much I
  admired all I saw; and; amongst other things; the huge cathedral;
  standing so proudly on the most commanding ground in the big city;
  and I looked up to the mighty dome; surmounted by a golden cross;
  and I said within myself; 'That dome must needs be the finest in
  the world'; and I gazed upon it till my eyes reeled; and my brain
  became dizzy; and I thought that the dome would fall and crush me;
  and I shrank within myself; and struck yet deeper into the heart of
  the big city。
  'O Cheapside! Cheapside!' said I; as I advanced up that mighty
  thoroughfare; 'truly thou art a wonderful place for hurry; noise;
  and riches!  Men talk of the bazaars of the East … I have never
  seen them … but I daresay that; compared with thee; they are poor
  places; silent places; abounding with empty boxes; O thou pride of
  London's east! … mighty mart of old renown! … for thou art not a
  place of yesterday:… long before the Roses red and white battled in
  fair England; thou didst exist … a place of throng and bustle …
  place of gold and silver; perfumes and fine linen。  Centuries ago
  thou couldst extort the praises even of the fiercest foes of
  England。  Fierce bards of Wales; sworn foes of England; sang thy
  praises centuries ago; and even the fiercest of them all; Red
  Julius himself; wild Glendower's bard; had a word of praise for
  London's 'Cheape;' for so the bards of Wales styled thee in their
  flowing odes。  Then; if those who were not English; and hated
  England; and all connected therewith; had yet much to say in thy
  praise; when thou wast far inferior to what thou art now; why
  should true…born Englishmen; or those who call themselves so; turn
  up their noses at thee; and scoff thee at the present day; as I
  believe they do?  But; let others do as they will; I; at least; who
  am not only an Englishman; but an East Englishman; will not turn up
  my nose at thee; but will praise and extol thee; calling thee mart
  of the world … a place of wonder and astonishment! … and; were it
  right and fitting to wish that anything should endure for ever; I
  would say prosperity to Cheapside; throughout all ages … may it be
  the world's resort for merchandise; world without end。
  And when I had passed through the Cheape I entered another street;
  which led up a kind of ascent; and which proved to be the street of
  the Lombards; called so from the name of its first founders; and I
  walked rapidly up the street of the Lombards; neither looking to
  the right nor left; for it had no interest for me; though I had a
  kind of consciousness that mighty things were being transacted
  behind its walls:  but it wanted the throng; bustle; and outward
  magnificence of the Cheape; and it had never been spoken of by
  'ruddy bards'!  And; when I had got to the end of the street of the
  Lombards; I stood still for some time; deliberating within myself
  whether I should turn to the right or the left; or go straight
  forward; and at last I turned to the right; down a street of rapid
  descent; and presently found myself upon a bridge which traversed
  the river which runs by the big city。
  A strange kind of bridge it was; huge and massive; and seemingly of
  great antiquity。  It had an arched back; like that of a hog; a high
  balustrade; and at either side; at intervals; were stone bowers
  bulking over the river; but open on the other side; and furnished
  with a semicircular bench。  Though the bridge was wide … very wide
  … it was all too narrow for the concourse upon it。  Thousands of
  human beings were pouring over the bridge。  But what chiefly struck
  my attention was a double row of carts and wagons; the generality
  drawn by horses as large as elephants; each row striving hard in a
  different direction; and not unfrequently brought to a stand…still。
  Oh