roundabout papers-第56部分

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essing…gown　that　I　should　have　been　quite　surprised　at　him；　only　one　never　IS　surprised　in　dr　under　certain　circumstances。　〃I　can't　eat　'em　now；〃　said　the　greasy　man　（with　his　false　old　teeth；　I　wonder　he　could　eat　anything）。　　〃I　remember　Alvanley　eating　three　suppers　once　at　Carlton　Houseone　night　de　petite　comite。〃　〃Petit　comite；　sir；〃　said　Mr。　Sterne。　〃Dammy；　sir；　let　me　tell　my　own　story　my　own　way。　　I　say；　one　night　at　Carlton　house；　playing　at　blind　hookey　with　York；　Wales；　Tom　Raikes；　Prince　Boothby；　and　Dutch　Sam　the　boxer；　Alvanley　ate　three　suppers；　and　won　three　and　twenty　hundred　pounds　in　ponies。　　Never　saw　a　fellow　with　such　an　appetite；　except　Wales　in　his　GOOD　time。　But　he　destroyed　the　finest　digestion　a　man　ever　had　with　maraschino；　by　Jovealways　at　it。〃　〃Try　mine；〃　said　Mr。　Sterne。　〃What　a　doosid　queer　box；〃　says　Mr。　Brummell。　〃I　had　it　from　a　Capuchin　friar　in　this　town。　　The　box　is　but　a　horn　one；　but　to　the　nose　of　sensibility　Araby's　perfume　is　not　more　delicate。〃　〃I　call　it　doosid　stale　old　rappee；〃　says　Mr。　Brummell（as　for　me　I　declare　I　could　not　smell　anything　at　all　in　either　of　the　boxes。）　〃Old　boy　in　smock…frock；　take　a　pinch？〃　The　old　boy　in　the　smock…frock；　as　Mr。　Brummell　called　him；　was　a　very　old　man；　with　long　white　beard；　wearing；　not　a　smock…frock；　but　a　shirt；　and　he　had　actually　nothing　else　save　a　rope　round　his　neck；　which　hung　behind　his　chair　in　the　queerest　way。　〃Fair　sir；〃　he　said；　turning　to　Mr。　Brummell；　〃when　the　Prince　of　Wales　and　his　father　laid　siege　to　our　town〃　〃What　nonsense　are　you　talking；　old　cock？〃　says　Mr。　Brummell；　〃Wales　was　never　here。　　His　late　Majesty　George　IV。　passed　through　on　his　way　to　Hanover。　　My　good　man；　you　don't　seem　to　know　what's　up　at　all。　　What　is　he　talkin'　about　the　siege　of　Calais？　　I　lived　here　fifteen　years！　　Ought　to　know。　　What's　his　old　name？〃　〃I　am　Master　Eustace　of　Saint　Peter's；〃　said　the　old　gentleman　in　the　shirt。　　〃When　my　Lord　King　Edward　laid　siege　to　this　city〃　〃Laid　siege　to　Jericho！〃　cries　Mr。　Brummell。　　〃The　old　man　is　crackedcracked；　sir！〃　〃Laid　siege　to　this　city；〃　continued　the　old　man；　〃I　and　five　more　promised　Messire　Gautier　de　Mauny　that　we　would　give　ourselves　up　as　ransom　for　the　place。　　And　we　came　before　our　Lord　King　Edward；　attired　as　you　see；　and　the　fair　queen　begged　our　lives　out　of　her　gramercy。〃　〃Queen；　nonsense！　you　mean　the　Princess　of　Walespretty　woman；　petit　nez　retrousse；　grew　monstrous　stout！〃　suggested　Mr。　Brummell；　whose　reading　was　evidently　not　extensive。　　〃Sir　Sidney　Smith　was　a　fine　fellow；　great　talker；　hook　nose；　so　has　Lord　Cochrane；　so　has　Lord　Wellington。　　She　was　very　sweet　on　Sir　Sidney。〃　〃Your　acquaintance　with　the　history　of　Calais　does　not　seem　to　be　considerable；〃　said　Mr。　Sterne　to　Mr。　Brummell；　with　a　shrug。　〃Don't　it；　bishop？for　I　conclude　you　are　a　bishop　by　your　wig。　　I　know　Calais　as　well　as　any　man。　　I　lived　here　for　years　before　I　took　that　confounded　consulate　at　Caen。　　Lived　in　this　hotel；　then　at　Leleux's。　　People　used　to　stop　here。　　Good　fellows　used　to　ask　for　poor　George　Brummell；　Hertford　did；　so　did　the　Duchess　of　Devonshire。　　Not　know　Calais　indeed！　　That　is　a　good　joke。　　Had　many　a　good　dinner　here：　sorry　I　ever　left　it。〃　〃My　Lord　King　Edward；〃　chirped　the　queer　old　gentleman　in　the　shirt；　〃colonized　the　place　with　his　English；　after　we　had　yielded　it　up　to　him。　　I　have　heard　tell　they　kept　it　for　nigh　three　hundred　years；　till　my　Lord　de　Guise　took　it　from　a　fair　Queen；　Mary　of　blessed　memory；　a　holy　woman。　　Eh；　but　Sire　Gautier　of　Mauny　was　a　good　knight；　a　valiant　captain；　gentle　and　courteous　withal！　　Do　you　remember　his　ransoming　the　？〃　〃What　is　the　old　fellow　twaddlin'　about？〃　cries　Brummell。　　〃He　is　talking　about　some　knight？I　never　spoke　to　a　knight；　and　very　seldom　to　a　baronet。　　Firkins；　my　butterman；　was　a　knighta　knight　and　alderman。　　Wales　knighted　him　once　on　going　into　the　City。〃　〃I　am　not　surprised　that　the　gentleman　should　not　understand　Messire　Eustace　of　St。　Peter's；〃　said　the　ghostly　individual　addressed　as　Mr。　Sterne。　　〃Your　reading　doubtless　has　not　been　very　extensive？〃　〃Dammy；　sir；　speak　for　yourself！〃　cries　Mr。　Brummell；　testily。　　〃I　never　professed　to　be　a　reading　man；　but　I　was　as　good　as　my　neighbors。　　Wales　wasn't　a　reading　man；　York　wasn't　a　reading　man；　Clarence　wasn't　a　reading　man；　Sussex　was；　but　he　wasn't　a　man　in　society。　　I　remember　reading　your　'Sentimental　Journey；'　old　boy：　read　it　to　the　Duchess　at　Beauvoir；　I　recollect；　and　she　cried　over　it。　　Doosid　clever　amusing　book；　and　does　you　great　credit。　　Birron　wrote　doosid　clever　books；　too；　so　did　Monk　Lewis。　　George　Spencer　was　an　elegant　poet；　and　my　dear　Duchess　of　Devonshire；　if　she　had　not　been　a　grande　dame；　would　have　beat　'em　all；　by　George。　　Wales　couldn't　write：　he　could　sing；　but　he　couldn't　spell。〃　〃Ah；　you　know　the　great　world？　so　did　I　in　my　time；　Mr。　Brummell。　　I　have　had　the　visiting　tickets　of　half　the　nobility　at　my　lodgings　in　Bond　Street。　　But　they　left　me　there　no　more　cared　for　than　last　year's　calendar；〃　sighed　Mr。　Sterne。　　〃I　wonder　who　is　the　mode　in　London　now？　　One　of　our　late　arrivals；　my　Lord　Macaulay；　has　prodigious　merit　and　learning；　and；　faith；　his　histories　are　more　amusing　than　any　novels；　my　own　included。〃　〃Don't　know；　I'm　sure　not　in　my　line。　　Pick　this　bone　of　chicken；〃　says　Mr。　Brummell；　trifling　with　a　skeleton　bird　before　him。　〃I　remember　in　this　city　of　Calais　worse　fare　than　you　bird；〃　said　old　Mr。　Eustace　of　Saint　Peter's。　　〃Marry；　sirs；　when　my　Lord　King　Edward　laid　siege　to　us；　lucky　was　he　who　could　get　a　slice　of　horse　for　his　breakfast；　and　a　rat　was　sold　at　the　price　of　a　hare。〃　〃Hare　is　coarse　food；　never　tasted　rat；〃　remarked　the　Beau。　　〃Table…　d'hote　poor　fare　enough　for　a　man　like　me；　who　has　been　accustomed　to　the　best　of　cookery。　　But　ratstifle　me！　　I　couldn't　swallow　that：　never　could　bear　hardship　at　all。〃　〃We　had　to　bear　enough　when　my　Lord　of　England　pressed　us。　　'Twas　pitiful　to　see　the　faces　of　our　women　as　the　siege　went　on；　and　hear　the　little　ones　asking　for　dinner。〃　〃Always　a　bore；　children。　　At　dessert；　they　are　bad　enough；　but　at　dinner　they're　the　deuce　and　all；〃　remarked　Mr。　Brummell。　Messire　Eustace　of　St。　Peter's　did　not　seem　to　pay　much　attention　to　the　Beau's　remarks；　but　continued　his　own　train　of　thought　as　old　men　will　do。　〃I　hear；〃　said　he；　〃that　there　has　actually　been　no　war　between　us　of　France　and　you　men　of　England　for　wellnigh　fifty　year。　　Ours　has　ever　been　a　nation　of　warriors。　　And　besides　her　regular　found　men…　at…arms；　'tis　said　the　English　of　the　present　time　have　more　than　a　hundred　thousand　of　archers　with　weapons　that　will　carry　for　half　a　mile。　　And　a　multitude　have　come　amongst　us　of　late　from　a　great　Western　country；　never　so　much　as　heard　of　in　my　timevaliant　men　and　great　drawers　of　the　long　bow；　and　they　say　they　have　ships　in　armor　that　no　shot　can　penetrate。　　Is　it　so？　　Wonderful；　wonderful！　The　best　armor；　gossips；　is　a　stout　heart。〃　〃And　if　ever　manly　heart　beat　under　shirt…frill；　thine　is　that　heart；　Sir　Eustace！〃　cried　Mr。　Sterne；　enthusiastically。　〃We；　of　France；　were　never　accused　of　lack　of　courage；　sir；　in　so　far　as　I　know；〃　said　Messire　Eustace。　　〃We　have　shown　as　much　in　a　thousand　wars　with　you　English　by　sea　and　land；　and　sometimes　we　conquered；　and　sometimes；　as　is　the　fortune　of　war；　we　were　discomfited。　　And　notably　in　a　great　sea…fight　which　befell　off　Ushant　on　the　first　of　June　　　Our　Admiral；　messire　Villaret　de　Joyeuse；　on　board　his　galleon　named　the　'Vengeur；'　being　sore　pressed　by　an　English　bombard；　rather　than　yield　the　crew　of　his　ship　to　mercy；　determined　to　go　down　with　all　on　board　of　her：　and　to　the　cry　of　Vive　la　Repubor；　I　would　say；　of　Notre　Dame　a　la　Rescousse；　he　and　his　crew　all　sank　to　an　immortal　grave〃　〃Sir；〃　said　I；　looking　with　amazement　at　the　old　gentleman；　〃surely；　surely；　there　is　some　mistake　in　your　statement。　　Permit　me　to　observe　that　the　action　of　the　first　of　June　took　place　five　hundred　years　after　your　time；　and〃　〃Perhaps　I　am　confusing　my　dates；〃　said　the　old　gentleman；　with　a　faint　blush。　　〃You　say　I　am　mixing　up　the　transactions　of　my　time　on　earth　with　the　story　of　my　successors？　　It　may　be　so。　　We　take　no　count　of　a　few　centuries　more　or　less　in　our　dwelling　by　the　darkling　Stygian　river。　　Of　late；　there　came　amongst　us　a　good　knight；　Messire　de　Cambronne；　who　fought　against　you　English　in　the　country　of　Flanders；　being　captain　of　the　guard　of　my　Lord　the　King　of　France；　in　a　famous　battle　where　you　English　would　have　been　utterly　routed　but　for　the　succor　of　the　Prussian　heathen。　　This　Messire　de　Cambronne；　when　bidden　to　yield　by　you　of　England；　answered　this；　'The　guard　dies　but　never　surrenders；'　and　fought　a　long　time　afterwards；　as　became　a　good　knight。　　In　our　wars　with　you　of　England　it　may　have　pleased　the　Fates　to　give　you　the　greater　success；　but　on　our　side；　also；　there　has　been　no　lack　of　brave　deeds　performed　by　brave　men。〃　〃King　Edward　may　have　been　the　victor；　sir；　as　being　the　strongest；　but　you　are　the　hero　of　the　siege　of　Calais！〃　cried　Mr。　Sterne。　〃Your　story　is　sacred；　and　your　name　has　been　blessed　for　five　hundred　years。　　Wherever　men　speak　of　patriotism　and　sacrifice；　Eustace　of　Saint　Pierre　shall　be　beloved　and　remembered。　　I　prostrate　myself　before　the　bare　feet　which　stood　before　King　Edward。　　What　collar　of　chivalry　is　to　be　compared　to　that　glorious　order　which　you　wear？　　Think；　sir；　how　out　of　the　myriad　millions　of　our　race；　you；　and　some　few　more；　stand　forth　as　exemplars　of　duty　and　honor。　　Fortunati　nimium！〃　〃Sir；〃　said　the　old　gentleman；　〃I　did　but　my　duty　at　a　painful　moment；　and　'tis　matter　of　wonder　to　me　that　men　talk　still；　and　glorify　such　a　trifling　matter。　　By　our　Lady's　grace；　in　the　fair　kingdom　of　France；　there　are　scores　of　thousands　of　men；　gentle　and　simple；　who　would　do　as　I　did。　　Does　not　every　sentinel　at　his　post；　does　not　every　archer　in　the　front　of　battle；　brave　it；　and　die　where　his　captain　bids　him？　　Who　am　I　that　I　should　be　chosen　out　of　all　France　to　be　an　example　of　fortitude？　　I　braved　no　tortures；　though　these　I　trust　I　would　have　endured　with　a　good　heart。　　I　was　subject　to　threats　only。　　Who　was　the　Roman　knight　of　whom　the　Latin　clerk　Horatius　tells？〃　〃A　Latin　clerk？　　Faith；　I　f