第 34 节
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〃I cannot; your hanner; my fingers never learnt to play such a
blackguard tune; but if you wish to hear Croppies Get Up I can
oblige ye。〃
〃You are a Roman Catholic; I suppose?〃
〃I am not; your hanner … I am a Catholic to the back…bone; just
like my father before me。 Come; your hanner; shall I play ye
Croppies Get Up?〃
〃No;〃 said I; 〃it's a tune that doesn't please my ears。 If;
however; you choose to play Croppies Lie Down; I'll give you a
shilling。〃
〃Your hanner will give me a shilling?〃
〃Yes;〃 said I; 〃if you play Croppies Lie Down; but you know you
cannot play it; your fingers never learned the tune。〃
〃They never did; your hanner; but they have heard it played of ould
by the blackguard Orange fiddlers of Dublin on the first of July;
when the Protestant boys used to walk round Willie's statue on
College Green … so if your hanner gives me the shilling; they may
perhaps bring out something like it。〃
〃Very good;〃 said I; 〃begin!〃
〃But; your hanner; what shall we do for the words? though my
fingers may remember the tune my tongue does not remember the words
… that is unless 。 。 。〃
〃I give another shilling;〃 said I; 〃but never mind you the words; I
know the words; and will repeat them。〃
〃And your hanner will give me a shilling?〃
〃If you play the tune;〃 said I。
〃Hanner bright; your hanner?〃
〃Honour bright;〃 said I。
Thereupon the fiddler taking his bow and shouldering his fiddle;
struck up in first…rate style the glorious tune; which I had so
often heard with rapture in the days of my boyhood in the barrack…
yard of Clonmel; whilst I; walking by his side as he stumped along;
caused the welkin to resound with the words; which were the delight
of the young gentlemen of the Protestant academy of that beautiful
old town。
〃I never heard those words before;〃 said the fiddler; after I had
finished the first stanza。
〃Get on with you;〃 said I。
〃Regular Orange words!〃 said the fiddler; on my finishing the
second stanza。
〃Do you choose to get on?〃 said I。
〃More blackguard Orange words I never heard!〃 cried the fiddler; on
my coming to the conclusion of the third stanza。 〃Divil a bit
farther will I play; at any rate till I get the shilling。〃
〃Here it is for you;〃 said I; 〃the song is ended; and; of course;
the tune。〃
〃Thank your hanner;〃 said the fiddler; taking the money; 〃your
hanner has kept your word with me; which is more than I thought
your hanner would。 And now your hanner let me ask you why did your
hanner wish for that tune; which is not only a blackguard one but
quite out of date; and where did your hanner get the words?〃
〃I used to hear the tune in my boyish days;〃 said I; 〃and wished to
hear it again; for though you call it a blackguard tune; it is the
sweetest and most noble air that Ireland; the land of music; has
ever produced。 As for the words; never mind where I got them; they
are violent enough; but not half so violent as the words of some of
the songs made against the Irish Protestants by the priests。〃
〃Your hanner is an Orange man; I see。 Well; your hanner; the
Orange is now in the kennel; and the Croppies have it all their own
way。〃
〃And perhaps;〃 said I; 〃before I die; the Orange will be out of the
kennel and the Croppies in; even as they were in my young days。〃
〃Who knows; your hanner? and who knows that I may not play the old
tune round Willie's image in College Green; even as I used some
twenty…seven years ago?〃
〃Oh then you have been an Orange fiddler?〃
〃I have; your hanner。 And now as your hanner has behaved like a
gentleman to me I will tell ye all my history。 I was born in the
city of Dublin; that is in the village of Donnybrook; as I tould
your hanner before。 It was to the trade of bricklaying I was bred;
and bricklaying I followed till at last; getting my leg smashed;
not by falling off the ladder; but by a row in the fair; I was
obliged to give it up; for how could I run up the ladder with a
patten on my foot; which they put on to make my broken leg as long
as the other。 Well your hanner; being obliged to give up my
bricklaying; I took to fiddling; to which I had always a natural
inclination; and played about the streets; and at fairs; and wakes;
and weddings。 At length some Orange men getting acquainted with
me; and liking my style of playing; invited me to their lodge;
where they gave me to drink and tould me that if I would change my
religion; and join them; and play their tunes; they would make it
answer my purpose。 Well; your hanner; without much stickling I
gave up my Popery; joined the Orange lodge; learned the Orange
tunes; and became a regular Protestant boy; and truly the Orange
men kept their word; and made it answer my purpose。 Oh the meat
and drink I got; and the money I made by playing at the Orange
lodges and before the processions when the Orange men paraded the
streets with their Orange colours。 And oh; what a day for me was
the glorious first of July when with my whole body covered with
Orange ribbons; I fiddled Croppies Lie Down; Boyne Water; and the
Protestant Boys before the procession which walked round Willie's
figure on horseback in College Green; the man and horse all ablaze
with Orange colours。 But nothing lasts under the sun; as your
hanner knows; Orangeism began to go down; the Government scowled at
it; and at last passed a law preventing the Protestant boys
dressing up the figure on the first of July; and walking round it。
That was the death…blow of the Orange party; your hanner; they
never recovered it; but began to despond and dwindle; and I with
them; for there was scarcely any demand for Orange tunes。 Then Dan
O'Connell arose with his emancipation and repale cries; and then
instead of Orange processions and walkings; there were Papist
processions and mobs; which made me afraid to stir out; lest
knowing me for an Orange fiddler; they should break my head; as the
boys broke my leg at Donnybrook fair。 At length some of the
repalers and emancipators knowing that I was a first…rate hand at
fiddling came to me and tould me; that if I would give over playing
Croppies Lie Down and other Orange tunes; and would play Croppies
Get Up; and what not; and become a Catholic and a repaler; and an
emancipator; they would make a man of me … so as my Orange trade
was gone; and I was half…starved; I consinted; not however till
they had introduced me to Daniel O'Connell; who called me a cridit
to my country; and the Irish Horpheus; and promised me a sovereign
if I would consint to join the cause; as he called it。 Well; your
hanner; I joined with the cause and became a Papist; I mane a
Catholic once more; and went at the head of processions covered all
over with green ribbons; playing Croppies Get Up; Granny Whale; and
the like。 But; your hanner; though I went the whole hog with the
repalers and emancipators; they did not make their words good by
making a man of me。 Scant and sparing were they in the mate and
drink; and yet more sparing in the money; and Daniel O'Connell
never gave me the sovereign which he promised me。 No; your hanner;
though I played Croppies Get Up; till my fingers ached; as I
stumped before him and his mobs and processions; he never gave me
the sovereign: unlike your hanner who gave me the shilling ye
promised me for playing Croppies Lie Down; Daniel O'Connell never
gave me the sovereign he promised me for playing Croppies Get Up。
Och; your hanner; I often wished the ould Orange days were back
again。 However as I could do no better I continued going the whole
hog with the emancipators and repalers and Dan O'Connell; I went
the whole animal with them till they had got emancipation; and I
went the whole animal with them till they had nearly got repale …
when all of a sudden they let the whole thing drop … Dan and his
party having frighted the Government out of its seven senses; and
gotten all they could get; in money and places; which was all they
wanted; let the whole hullabaloo drop; and of course myself; who
formed part of it。 I went to those who had persuaded me to give up
my Orange tunes; and to play Papist ones; begging them to give me
work; but they tould me very civilly that they had no further
occasion for my services。 I went to Daniel O'Connell reminding him
of the sovereign he had promised me; and offering if he gave it me
to play Croppies Get Up under the nose of the lord…lieutenant
himself; but he tould me that he had not time to attend to me; and
when I persisted; bade me go to the Divil and shake myself。 Well;
your hanner; seeing no prospect for myself in my own country; and
having incurred some little debts; for which I feared to be
arrested; I came over to England and Wales; where with little
content and satisfaction I have passed seven years。〃
〃Well;〃 said I; 〃thank you for your history … farewell。〃
〃Stap; your hanner; does your hanner think that the Orange will
ever be out of the kennel; and that the Orange boys will ever walk
round the brass man and horse in College Green as they did of
ould?〃
〃Who knows?〃 said I。 〃Bu