the life of charlotte bronte-1-第14部分

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I　have　had　a　curious　packet　confided　to　me；　containing　an　immense　amount　of　manuscript；　in　an　inconceivably　small　space；　tales；　dramas；　poems；　romances；　written　principally　by　Charlotte；　in　a　hand　which　it　is　almost　impossible　to　decipher　without　the　aid　of　a　magnifying　glass。　　No　description　will　give　so　good　an　idea　of　the　extreme　minuteness　of　the　writing　as　the　annexed　facsimile　of　a　page。

Among　these　papers　there　is　a　list　of　her　works；　which　I　copy；　as　a　curious　proof　how　early　the　rage　for　literary　composition　had　seized　upon　her：…


CATALOGUE　OF　MY　BOOKS；　WITH　THE　PERIOD　OF　THEIR　COMPLETION；　UP　TO　AUGUST　3RD；　1830。

Two　romantic　tales　in　one　volume；　viz。；　The　Twelve　Adventurers　and　the　Adventures　in　Ireland；　April　2nd；　1829。

The　Search　after　Happiness；　a　Tale；　Aug。　1st；　1829。

Leisure　Hours；　a　Tale；　and　two　Fragments；　July　6th　1829。

The　Adventures　of　Edward　de　Crack；　a　Tale；　Feb。　2nd；　1830。

The　Adventures　of　Ernest　Alembert；　a　Tale；　May　26th；　1830。

An　interesting　Incident　in　the　Lives　of　some　of　the　most　eminent　Persons　of　the　Age；　a　Tale；　June　10th；　1830。

Tales　of　the　Islanders；　in　four　volumes。　　Contents　of　the　lst　Vol。：　l。　　An　Account　of　their　Origin；　2。　　A　Description　of　Vision　Island；　3。　　Ratten's　Attempt；　4。　　Lord　Charles　Wellesley　and　the　Marquis　of　Douro's　Adventure；　completed　June　31st；　1829。　2nd　Vol。：…　1。　　The　School…rebellion；　2。　　The　strange　Incident　in　the　Duke　of　Wellington's　Life；　3。　　Tale　to　his　Sons；　4。　　The　Marquis　of　Douro　and　Lord　Charles　Wellesley's　Tale　to　his　little　King　and　Queen；　completed　Dec。　2nd；　1829。　　3rd　Vol。：…　1。　　The　Duke　of　Wellington's　Adventure　in　the　Cavern；　2。　　The　Duke　of　Wellington　and　the　little　King's　and　Queen's　visit　to　the　Horse…　Guards；　completed　May　8th；　1830。　　4th　Vol。：…　1。　　The　three　old　Washer…women　of　Strathfieldsaye；　2。　　Lord　C。　Wellesley's　Tale　to　his　Brother；　completed　July　30th；　1830。

Characters　of　Great　Men　of　the　Present　Age；　Dec。　17th　1829。

The　Young　Men's　Magazines；　in　Six　Numbers；　from　August　to　December；　the　latter　months　double　number；　completed　December　the　12th；　1829。　　General　index　to　their　contents：…　1。　　A　True　Story；　2。　　Causes　of　the　War；　3。　　A　Song；　4。　　Conversations；　5。　　A　True　Story　continued；　6。　　The　Spirit　of　Cawdor；　7。　　Interior　of　a　Pothouse；　a　Poem；　8。　　The　Glass　Town；　a　Song；　9。　　The　Silver　Cup；　a　Tale；　10。　　The　Table　and　Vase　in　the　Desert；　a　Song；　11。　Conversations；　12。　　Scene　on　the　Great　Bridge；　13。　　Song　of　the　Ancient　Britons；　14。　　Scene　in　my　Tun；　a　Tale；　15。　　An　American　Tale；　16。　　Lines　written　on　seeing　the　Garden　of　a　Genius；　17。　The　Lay　of　the　Glass　Town；　18。　　The　Swiss　Artist；　a　Tale；　19。　Lines　on　the　Transfer　of　this　Magazine；　20。　　On　the　Same；　by　a　different　hand；　21。　　Chief　Genii　in　Council；　22。　　Harvest　in　Spain；　23。　　The　Swiss　Artists　continued；　24。　　Conversations。

The　Poetaster；　a　Drama；　in　2　volumes；　July　12th；　1830。

A　Book　of　Rhymes；　finished　December　17th；　1829。　　Contents：…　1。　The　Beauty　of　Nature；　2。　　A　Short　Poem；　3。　　Meditations　while　Journeying　in　a　Canadian　Forest；　4。　　Song　of　an　Exile；　5。　　On　Seeing　the　Ruins　of　the　Tower　of　Babel；　6。　　A　Thing　of　14　lines；　7。　　Lines　written　on　the　Bank　of　a　River　one　fine　Summer　Evening；　8。　　Spring；　a　Song；　9。　　Autumn；　a　Song。

Miscellaneous　Poems；　finished　May　30th；　1830。　　Contents：…　1。　　The　Churchyard；　2。　　Description　of　the　Duke　of　Wellington's　Palace　on　the　Pleasant　Banks　of　the　Lusiva；　this　article　is　a　small　prose　tale　or　incident；　3。　　Pleasure；　　4。　　Lines　written　on　the　Summit　of　a　high　Mountain　of　the　North　of　England；　5。　　Winter；　6。　　Two　Fragments；　namely；　1st；　The　Vision；　2nd；　A　Short　untitled　Poem；　the　Evening　Walk；　a　Poem；　June　23rd；　1830。

Making　in　the　whole　twenty…two　volumes。

C。　BRONTE；　August　3；　1830


As　each　volume　contains　from　sixty　to　a　hundred　pages；　and　the　size　of　the　page　lithographed　is　rather　less　than　the　average；　the　amount　of　the　whole　seems　very　great；　if　we　remember　that　it　was　all　written　in　about　fifteen　months。　　So　much　for　the　quantity；　the　quality　strikes　me　as　of　singular　merit　for　a　girl　of　thirteen　or　fourteen。　　Both　as　a　specimen　of　her　prose　style　at　this　time；　and　also　as　revealing　something　of　the　quiet　domestic　life　led　by　these　children；　I　take　an　extract　from　the　introduction　to　〃Tales　of　the　Islanders；〃　the　title　of　one　of　their　〃Little　Magazines：〃　…


〃June　the　31st；　1829。

〃The　play　of　the　'Islanders'　was　formed　in　December；　1827；　in　the　following　manner。　　One　night；　about　the　time　when　the　cold　sleet　and　stormy　fogs　of　November　are　succeeded　by　the　snow…storms；　and　high　piercing　night　winds　of　confirmed　winter；　we　were　all　sitting　round　the　warm　blazing　kitchen　fire；　having　just　concluded　a　quarrel　with　Tabby　concerning　the　propriety　of　lighting　a　candle；　from　which　she　came　off　victorious；　no　candle　having　been　produced。　　A　long　pause　succeeded；　which　was　at　last　broken　by　Branwell　saying；　in　a　lazy　manner；　'I　don't　know　what　to　do。'　This　was　echoed　by　Emily　and　Anne。

〃TABBY。　　'Wha　ya　may　go　t'　bed。'

〃BRANWELL。　　'I'd　rather　do　anything　than　that。'

〃CHARLOTTE。　　'Why　are　you　so　glum　to…night；　Tabby？　　Oh！　suppose　we　had　each　an　island　of　our　own。'

〃BRANWELL。　　'If　we　had　I　would　choose　the　Island　of　Man。'

〃CHARLOTTE。　　'And　I　would　choose　the　Isle　of　Wight。'

〃EMILY。　　'The　Isle　of　Arran　for　me。'

〃ANNE。　　'And　mine　shall　be　Guernsey。'

〃We　then　chose　who　should　be　chief　men　in　our　islands。　　Branwell　chose　John　Bull；　Astley　Cooper；　and　Leigh　Hunt；　Emily；　Walter　Scott；　Mr。　Lockhart；　Johnny　Lockhart；　Anne；　Michael　Sadler；　Lord　Bentinck；　Sir　Henry　Halford。　　I　chose　the　Duke　of　Wellington　and　two　sons；　Christopher　North　and　Co。；　and　Mr。　Abernethy。　　Here　our　conversation　was　interrupted　by　the；　to　us；　dismal　sound　of　the　clock　striking　seven；　and　we　were　summoned　off　to　bed。　　The　next　day　we　added　many　others　to　our　list　of　men；　till　we　got　almost　all　the　chief　men　of　the　kingdom。　　After　this；　for　a　long　time；　nothing　worth　noticing　occurred。　　In　June；　1828；　we　erected　a　school　on　a　fictitious　island；　which　was　to　contain　1；000　children。　　The　manner　of　the　building　was　as　follows。　　The　Island　was　fifty　miles　in　circumference；　and　certainly　appeared　more　like　the　work　of　enchantment　than　anything　real；〃　&c。


Two　or　three　things　strike　me　much　in　this　fragment；　one　is　the　graphic　vividness　with　which　the　time　of　the　year；　the　hour　of　the　evening；　the　feeling　of　cold　and　darkness　outside；　the　sound　of　the　night…winds　sweeping　over　the　desolate　snow…covered　moors；　coming　nearer　and　nearer；　and　at　last　shaking　the　very　door　of　the　room　where　they　were　sittingfor　it　opened　out　directly　on　that　bleak；　wide　expanseis　contrasted　with　the　glow；　and　busy　brightness　of　the　cheerful　kitchen　where　these　remarkable　children　are　grouped。　　Tabby　moves　about　in　her　quaint　country…dress；　frugal；　peremptory；　prone　to　find　fault　pretty　sharply；　yet　allowing　no　one　else　to　blame　her　children；　we　may　feel　sure。　Another　noticeable　fact　is　the　intelligent　partisanship　with　which　they　choose　their　great　men；　who　are　almost　all　stanch　Tories　of　the　time。　　Moreover；　they　do　not　confine　themselves　to　local　heroes；　their　range　of　choice　has　been　widened　by　hearing　much　of　what　is　not　usually　considered　to　interest　children。　　Little　Anne；　aged　scarcely　eight；　picks　out　the　politicians　of　the　day　for　her　chief　men。

There　is　another　scrap　of　paper；　in　this　all　but　illegible　handwriting；　written　about　this　time；　and　which　gives　some　idea　of　the　sources　of　their　opinions。


THE　HISTORY　OF　THE　YEAR　1829。

〃Once　Papa　lent　my　sister　Maria　a　book。　　It　was　an　old　geography…　book；　she　wrote　on　its　blank　leaf；　'Papa　lent　me　this　book。'　　This　book　is　a　hundred　and　twenty　years　old；　it　is　at　this　moment　lying　before　me。　　While　I　write　this　I　am　in　the　kitchen　of　the　Parsonage；　Haworth；　Tabby；　the　servant；　is　washing　up　the　breakfast…things；　and　Anne；　my　youngest　sister　（Maria　was　my　eldest）；　is　kneeling　on　a　chair；　looking　at　some　cakes　which　Tabby　has　been　baking　for　us。　　Emily　is　in　the　parlour；　brushing　the　carpet。　　Papa　and　Branwell　are　gone　to　Keighley。　　Aunt　is　up…　stairs　in　her　room；　and　I　am　sitting　by　the　table　writing　this　in　the　kitchen。　　Keighley　is　a　small　town　four　miles　from　here。　　Papa　and　Branwell　are　gone　for　the　newspaper；　the　'Leeds　Intelligencer；'　a　most　excellent　Tory　newspaper；　edited　by　Mr。　Wood；　and　the　proprietor；　Mr。　Henneman。　　We　take　two　and　see　three　newspapers　a　week。　　We　take　the　'Leeds　Intelligencer；'　Tory；　and　the　'Leeds　Mercury；'　Whig；　edited　by　Mr。　Baines；　and　his　brother；　son…in…law；　and　his　two　sons；　Edward　and　Talbot。　　We　see　the　'John　Bull；'　it　is　a　high　Tory；　very　violent。　　Mr。　Driver　lends　us　it；　as　likewise　'Blackwood's　Magazine；'　the　most　able　periodical　there　is。　　The　Editor　is　Mr。　Christopher　North；　an　old　man　seventy…four　years　of　age；　the　1st　of　April　is　his　birth…day；　his　company　are　Timothy　Tickler；　Morgan　O'Doherty；　Macrabin　Mordecai；　Mullion；　Warnell；　and　James　Hogg；　a　man　of　most　extraordinary　genius；　a　Scottish　shepherd。　　Our　plays　were　established；　'Young　Men；'　June；　1826；　'Our　Fellows；'　July；　1827；　'Islanders；'　December；　1827。　These　are　our　three　great　plays；　that　are　not　kept　secret。　Emily's　and　my　best　plays　were　established　the　1st　of　December；　1827；　the　others　March；　1828。　　Best　plays　mean　secret　plays；　they　are　very　nice　ones。　　All　our　plays　are　very　strange　ones。　　Their　nature　I　need　not　write　on　paper；　for　I　think　I　shall　always　remember　them。　　The　'Young　Men's'　play　took　its　rise　from　some　wooden　soldiers　Branwell　had：　　'Our　Fellows'　from　'AEsop's　Fables；'　and　the　'Islanders'　from　several　events　which　happened。　I　will　sketch　out　the　origin　of　our　plays　more　explicitly　if　I　can。　　First；　'Young　Men。'　　Papa　bought　Branwell　some　wooden　soldiers　at　Leeds；　when　Papa　came　home　it　was　night；　and　we　were　in　bed；　so　next　morning　Branwell　came　to　our　door　with　a　box　of　soldiers。　　Emily　and　I　jumped　out　of　bed；　and　I　snatched　up　one　and　exclaimed；　'This　is　the　Duke　of　Wellington！　　This　shall　be　the　Duke！'　　When　I　had　said　this；　Emily　likewise　took　up　one　and　said　it　should　be　hers；　when　Anne　came　down；　she　said　one　should　be　hers。　　Mine　was　the　prettiest　of　the　whole；　and　the　tallest；　and　the　most　perfect　in　every　part。　　Emily's　was　a　grave…looking　fellow；　and　we　cal