第 34 节
作者:随便看看      更新:2021-02-25 00:46      字数:9322
  〃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