the life of charlotte bronte-1-第15部分

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and　the　tallest；　and　the　most　perfect　in　every　part。　　Emily's　was　a　grave…looking　fellow；　and　we　called　him　'Gravey。'　　Anne's　was　a　queer　little　thing；　much　like　herself；　and　we　called　him　'Waiting…Boy。'　Branwell　chose　his；　and　called　him　'Buonaparte。'〃

The　foregoing　extract　shows　something　of　the　kind　of　reading　in　which　the　little　Brontes　were　interested；　but　their　desire　for　knowledge　must　have　been　excited　in　many　directions；　for　I　find　a　〃list　of　painters　whose　works　I　wish　to　see；〃　drawn　up　by　Charlotte　when　she　was　scarcely　thirteen：…

〃Guido　Reni；　Julio　Romano；　Titian；　Raphael；　Michael　Angelo；　Correggio；　Annibal　Caracci；　Leonardo　da　Vinci；　Fra　Bartolomeo；　Carlo　Cignani；　Vandyke；　Rubens；　Bartolomeo　Ramerghi。〃

Here　is　this　little　girl；　in　a　remote　Yorkshire　parsonage；　who　has　probably　never　seen　anything　worthy　the　name　of　a　painting　in　her　life；　studying　the　names　and　characteristics　of　the　great　old　Italian　and　Flemish　masters；　whose　works　she　longs　to　see　some　time；　in　the　dim　future　that　lies　before　her！　　There　is　a　paper　remaining　which　contains　minute　studies　of；　and　criticisms　upon；　the　engravings　in　〃Friendship's　Offering　for　1829；〃　showing　how　she　had　early　formed　those　habits　of　close　observation；　and　patient　analysis　of　cause　and　effect；　which　served　so　well　in　after…life　as　handmaids　to　her　genius。

The　way　in　which　Mr。　Bronte　made　his　children　sympathise　with　him　in　his　great　interest　in　politics；　must　have　done　much　to　lift　them　above　the　chances　of　their　minds　being　limited　or　tainted　by　petty　local　gossip。　　I　take　the　only　other　remaining　personal　fragment　out　of　〃Tales　of　the　Islanders；〃　it　is　a　sort　of　apology；　contained　in　the　introduction　to　the　second　volume；　for　their　not　having　been　continued　before；　the　writers　had　been　for　a　long　time　too　busy；　and　latterly　too　much　absorbed　in　politics。


〃Parliament　was　opened；　and　the　great　Catholic　question　was　brought　forward；　and　the　Duke's　measures　were　disclosed；　and　all　was　slander；　violence；　party…spirit；　and　confusion。　　Oh；　those　six　months；　from　the　time　of　the　King's　speech　to　the　end！　　Nobody　could　write；　think；　or　speak　on　any　subject　but　the　Catholic　question；　and　the　Duke　of　Wellington；　and　Mr。　Peel。　　I　remember　the　day　when　the　Intelligence　Extraordinary　came　with　Mr。　Peel's　speech　in　it；　containing　the　terms　on　which　the　Catholics　were　to　be　let　in！　　With　what　eagerness　Papa　tore　off　the　cover；　and　how　we　all　gathered　round　him；　and　with　what　breathless　anxiety　we　listened；　as　one　by　one　they　were　disclosed；　and　explained；　and　argued　upon　so　ably；　and　so　well！　and　then　when　it　was　all　out；　how　aunt　said　that　she　thought　it　was　excellent；　and　that　the　Catholics　could　do　no　harm　with　such　good　security！　　I　remember　also　the　doubts　as　to　whether　it　would　pass　the　House　of　Lords；　and　the　prophecies　that　it　would　not；　and　when　the　paper　came　which　was　to　decide　the　question；　the　anxiety　was　almost　dreadful　with　which　we　listened　to　the　whole　affair：　　the　opening　of　the　doors；　the　hush；　the　royal　dukes　in　their　robes；　and　the　great　duke　in　green　sash　and　waistcoat；　the　rising　of　all　the　peeresses　when　he　rose；　the　reading　of　his　speechPapa　saying　that　his　words　were　like　precious　gold；　and　lastly；　the　majority　of　one　to　four　（sic）　in　favour　of　the　Bill。　　But　this　is　a　digression；〃　&c。；　&c。


This　must　have　been　written　when　she　was　between　thirteen　and　fourteen。

It　will　be　interesting　to　some　of　my　readers　to　know　what　was　the　character　of　her　purely　imaginative　writing　at　this　period。　　While　her　description　of　any　real　occurrence　is；　as　we　have　seen；　homely；　graphic；　and　forcible；　when　she　gives　way　to　her　powers　of　creation；　her　fancy　and　her　language　alike　run　riot；　sometimes　to　the　very　borders　of　apparent　delirium。　　Of　this　wild　weird　writing；　a　single　example　will　suffice。　　It　is　a　letter　to　the　editor　of　one　of　the　〃Little　Magazines。〃


〃Sir；It　is　well　known　that　the　Genii　have　declared　that　unless　they　perform　certain　arduous　duties　every　year；　of　a　mysterious　nature；　all　the　worlds　in　the　firmament　will　be　burnt　up；　and　gathered　together　in　one　mighty　globe；　which　will　roll　in　solitary　grandeur　through　the　vast　wilderness　of　space；　inhabited　only　by　the　four　high　princes　of　the　Genii；　till　time　shall　be　succeeded　by　Eternity；　and　the　impudence　of　this　is　only　to　be　paralleled　by　another　of　their　assertions；　namely；　that　by　their　magic　might　they　can　reduce　the　world　to　a　desert；　the　purest　waters　to　streams　of　livid　poison；　and　the　clearest　lakes　to　stagnant　waters；　the　pestilential　vapours　of　which　shall　slay　all　living　creatures；　except　the　blood…thirsty　beast　of　the　forest；　and　the　ravenous　bird　of　the　rock。　　But　that　in　the　midst　of　this　desolation　the　palace　of　the　Chief　Genii　shall　rise　sparkling　in　the　wilderness；　and　the　horrible　howl　of　their　war…cry　shall　spread　over　the　land　at　morning；　at　noontide　and　night；　but　that　they　shall　have　their　annual　feast　over　the　bones　of　the　dead；　and　shall　yearly　rejoice　with　the　joy　of　victors。　　I　think；　sir；　that　the　horrible　wickedness　of　this　needs　no　remark；　and　therefore　I　haste　to　subscribe　myself；　&c。

〃July　14；　1829。〃


It　is　not　unlikely　that　the　foregoing　letter　may　have　had　some　allegorical　or　political　reference；　invisible　to　our　eyes；　but　very　clear　to　the　bright　little　minds　for　whom　it　was　intended。　Politics　were　evidently　their　grand　interest；　the　Duke　of　Wellington　their　demi…god。　　All　that　related　to　him　belonged　to　the　heroic　age。　　Did　Charlotte　want　a　knight…errant；　or　a　devoted　lover；　the　Marquis　of　Douro；　or　Lord　Charles　Wellesley；　came　ready　to　her　hand。　　There　is　hardly　one　of　her　prose…writings　at　this　time　in　which　they　are　not　the　principal　personages；　and　in　which　their　〃august　father〃　does　not　appear　as　a　sort　of　Jupiter　Tonans；　or　Deus　ex　Machina。

As　one　evidence　how　Wellesley　haunted　her　imagination；　I　copy　out　a　few　of　the　titles　to　her　papers　in　the　various　magazines。

〃Liffey　Castle；〃　a　Tale　by　Lord　C。　Wellesley。

〃Lines　to　the　River　Aragua；〃　by　the　Marquis　of　Douro。

〃An　Extraordinary　Dream；〃　by　Lord　C。　Wellesley。

〃The　Green　Dwarf；　a　Tale　of　the　Perfect　Tense；〃　by　the　Lord　Charles　Albert　Florian　Wellesley。

〃Strange　Events；〃　by　Lord　C。　A。　F。　Wellesley。

Life　in　an　isolated　village；　or　a　lonely　country…house；　presents　many　little　occurrences　which　sink　into　the　mind　of　childhood；　there　to　be　brooded　over。　　No　other　event　may　have　happened；　or　be　likely　to　happen；　for　days；　to　push　one　of　these　aside；　before　it　has　assumed　a　vague　and　mysterious　importance。　　Thus；　children　leading　a　secluded　life　are　often　thoughtful　and　dreamy：　　the　impressions　made　upon　them　by　the　world　withoutthe　unusual　sights　of　earth　and　skythe　accidental　meetings　with　strange　faces　and　figures　（rare　occurrences　in　those　out…of…the…way　places）are　sometimes　magnified　by　them　into　things　so　deeply　significant　as　to　be　almost　supernatural。　　This　peculiarity　I　perceive　very　strongly　in　Charlotte's　writings　at　this　time。　Indeed；　under　the　circumstances；　it　is　no　peculiarity。　　It　has　been　common　to　all；　from　the　Chaldean　shepherds〃the　lonely　herdsman　stretched　on　the　soft　grass　through　half　a　summer's　day〃…　…the　solitary　monkto　all　whose　impressions　from　without　have　had　time　to　grow　and　vivify　in　the　imagination；　till　they　have　been　received　as　actual　personifications；　or　supernatural　visions；　to　doubt　which　would　be　blasphemy。

To　counterbalance　this　tendency　in　Charlotte；　was　the　strong　common　sense　natural　to　her；　and　daily　called　into　exercise　by　the　requirements　of　her　practical　life。　　Her　duties　were　not　merely　to　learn　her　lessons；　to　read　a　certain　quantity；　to　gain　certain　ideas；　she　had；　besides；　to　brush　rooms；　to　run　errands　up　and　down　stairs；　to　help　in　the　simpler　forms　of　cooking；　to　be　by　turns　play…fellow　and　monitress　to　her　younger　sisters　and　brother；　to　make　and　to　mend；　and　to　study　economy　under　her　careful　aunt。　　Thus　we　see　that；　while　her　imagination　received　vivid　impressions；　her　excellent　understanding　had　full　power　to　rectify　them　before　her　fancies　became　realities。　　On　a　scrap　of　paper；　she　has　written　down　the　following　relation：…


〃June　22；　1830；　6　o'clock　p。m。　〃Haworth；　near　Bradford。

〃The　following　strange　occurrence　happened　on　the　22nd　of　June；　1830：…　At　the　time　Papa　was　very　ill；　confined　to　his　bed；　and　so　weak　that　he　could　not　rise　without　assistance。　　Tabby　and　I　were　alone　in　the　kitchen；　about　half…past　nine　ante…meridian。　Suddenly　we　heard　a　knock　at　the　door；　Tabby　rose　and　opened　it。　An　old　man　appeared；　standing　without；　who　accosted　her　thus：…

〃OLD　MAN。'Does　the　parson　live　here？'

〃TABBY。'Yes。'

〃OLD　MAN。'I　wish　to　see　him。'

〃TABBY。'He　is　poorly　in　bed。'

〃OLD　MAN。'I　have　a　message　for　him。'

〃TABBY。'Who　from？'

〃OLD　MAN。'From　the　Lord。'

〃TABBY。'Who？'

〃OLD　MAN。'The　Lord。　　He　desires　me　to　say　that　the　Bridegroom　is　coming；　and　that　we　must　prepare　to　meet　him；　that　the　cords　are　about　to　be　loosed；　and　the　golden　bowl　broken；　the　pitcher　broken　at　the　fountain。'

〃Here　he　concluded　his　discourse；　and　abruptly　went　his　way。　　As　Tabby　closed　the　door；　I　asked　her　if　she　knew　him。　　Her　reply　was；　that　she　had　never　seen　him　before；　nor　any　one　like　him。　Though　I　am　fully　persuaded　that　he　was　some　fanatical　enthusiast；　well　meaning　perhaps；　but　utterly　ignorant　of　true　piety；　yet　I　could　not　forbear　weeping　at　his　words；　spoken　so　unexpectedly　at　that　particular　period。〃


Though　the　date　of　the　following　poem　is　a　little　uncertain；　it　may　be　most　convenient　to　introduce　it　here。　　It　must　have　been　written　before　1833；　but　how　much　earlier　there　are　no　means　of　determining。　　I　give　it　as　a　specimen　of　the　remarkable　poetical　talent　shown　in　the　various　diminutive　writings　of　this　time；　at　least；　in　all　of　them　which　I　have　been　able　to　read。


THE　WOUNDED　STAG。

Passing　amid　the　deepest　shade　Of　the　wood's　sombre　heart；　Last　night　I　saw　a　wounded　deer　Laid　lonely　and　apart。

Such　light　as　pierced　the　crowded　boughs　（Light　scattered；　scant　and　dim；）　Passed　through　the　fern　that　formed　his　couch　And　centred　full　on　him。

Pain　trembled　in　his　weary　limbs；　Pain　filled　his　patient　eye；　Pain…crushed　amid　the　shadowy　fern　His　branchy　crown　did　lie。

Where　were　his　comrades？　where