世界名著THE BOARS HEAD TAVERN EASTCHEAP A SHAKSPEARIAN RESEARCH.docx
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世界名著THE BOARS HEAD TAVERN EASTCHEAP A SHAKSPEARIAN RESEARCH.docx
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世界名著THEBOARSHEADTAVERNEASTCHEAPASHAKSPEARIANRESEARCH
1819-20
THESKETCHBOOK
THEBOAR'SHEADTAVERN,EASTCHEAP
ASHAKSPEARIANRESEARCH
byWashingtonIrving
"Atavernistherendezvous,theexchange,thestapleofgood
fellows.Ihaveheardmygreat-grandfathertell,howhis
great-great-grandfathershouldsay,thatitwasanoldproverbwhen
hisgreat-grandfatherwasachild,that'itwasagoodwindthat
blewamantothewine.'"
MOTHERBOMBIE.
ITISapiouscustom,insomeCatholiccountries,tohonorthe
memoryofsaintsbyvotivelightsburntbeforetheirpictures.The
popularityofasaint,therefore,maybeknownbythenumberof
theseofferings.One,perhaps,islefttomoulderinthedarknessof
hislittlechapel;anothermayhaveasolitarylamptothrowits
blinkingraysathwarthiseffigy;whilethewholeblazeofadoration
islavishedattheshrineofsomebeatifiedfatherofrenown.The
wealthydevoteebringshishugeluminaryofwax;theeagerzealot
hisseven-branchedcandlestick,andeventhemendicantpilgrimisby
nomeanssatisfiedthatsufficientlightisthrownuponthe
deceased,unlesshehangsuphislittlelampofsmokingoil.The
consequenceis,thatintheeagernesstoenlighten,theyareoftenapt
toobscure;andIhaveoccasionallyseenanunluckysaintalmost
smokedoutofcountenancebytheofficiousnessofhisfollowers.
InlikemannerhasitfaredwiththeimmortalShakspeare.Every
writerconsidersithisboundendutytolightupsomeportionofhis
characterorworks,andtorescuesomemeritfromoblivion.The
commentator,opulentinwords,producesvasttomesofdissertations;
thecommonherdofeditorssendupmistsofobscurityfromtheirnotes
atthebottomofeachpage;andeverycasualscribblerbringshis
farthingrushlightofeulogyorresearch,toswellthecloudof
incenseandofsmoke.
AsIhonorallestablishedusagesofmybrethrenofthequill,I
thoughtitbutpropertocontributemymiteofhomagetothememoryof
theillustriousbard.Iwasforsometime,however,sorelypuzzled
inwhatwayIshoulddischargethisduty.Ifoundmyselfanticipated
ineveryattemptatanewreading;everydoubtfullinehadbeen
explainedadozendifferentways,andperplexedbeyondthereachof
elucidation;andastofinepassages,theyhadallbeenamply
praisedbypreviousadmirers;nay,socompletelyhadthebard,of
late,beenoverlardedwithpanegyricbyagreatGermancritic,thatit
wasdifficultnowtofindevenafaultthathadnotbeenarguedintoa
beauty.
Inthisperplexity,Iwasonemorningturningoverhispages,whenI
casuallyopeneduponthecomicscenesofHenryIV.,andwas,ina
moment,completelylostinthemadcaprevelryoftheBoar'sHead
Tavern.Sovividlyandnaturallyarethesescenesofhumordepicted,
andwithsuchforceandconsistencyarethecharacterssustained,that
theybecomemingledupinthemindwiththefactsandpersonagesof
reallife.Tofewreadersdoesitoccur,thattheseareallideal
creationsofapoet'sbrain,andthat,insobertruth,nosuchknotof
merryroystererseverenlivenedthedullneighborhoodofEastcheap.
FormypartIlovetogivemyselfuptotheillusionsofpoetry.A
herooffictionthatneverexistedisjustasvaluabletomeasahero
ofhistorythatexistedathousandyearssince:
and,ifImaybe
excusedsuchaninsensibilitytothecommontiesofhumannature,I
wouldnotgiveupfatJackforhalfthegreatmenofancient
chronicle.Whathavetheheroesofyoredoneforme,ormenlikeme?
TheyhaveconqueredcountriesofwhichIdonotenjoyanacre;orthey
havegainedlaurelsofwhichIdonotinheritaleaf;ortheyhave
furnishedexamplesofhair-brainedprowess,whichIhaveneitherthe
opportunitynortheinclinationtofollow.But,oldJackFalstaff!
-
kindJackFalstaff!
sweetJackFalstaff!
-hasenlargedthe
boundariesofhumanenjoyment;hehasaddedvastregionsofwitand
goodhumor,inwhichthepoorestmanmayrevel;andhasbequeatheda
never-failinginheritanceofjollylaughter,tomakemankindmerrier
andbettertothelatestposterity.
Athoughtsuddenlystruckme:
"Iwillmakeapilgrimageto
Eastcheap,"saidI,closingthebook,"andseeiftheoldBoar's
HeadTavernstillexists.WhoknowsbutImaylightuponsome
legendarytracesofDameQuicklyandherguests;atanyrate,there
willbeakindredpleasure,intreadingthehallsoncevocalwith
theirmirth,tothatthetoperenjoysinsmellingtotheemptycask
oncefilledwithgenerouswine."
Theresolutionwasnosoonerformedthanputinexecution.Iforbear
totreatofthevariousadventuresandwondersIencounteredinmy
travels;ofthehauntedregionsofCockLane;ofthefadedglories
ofLittleBritain,andthepartsadjacent;whatperilsIranin
Cateaton-streetandoldJewry;oftherenownedGuildhallanditstwo
stuntedgiants,theprideandwonderofthecity,andtheterrorof
allunluckyurchins;andhowIvisitedLondonStone,andstruckmy
staffuponit,inimitationofthatarchrebel,JackCade.
Letitsufficetosay,thatIatlengtharrivedinmerry
Eastcheap,thatancientregionofwitandwassail,wherethevery
namesofthestreetsrelishedofgoodcheer,asPuddingLanebears
testimonyevenatthepresentday.ForEastcheap,saysoldStowe,"was
alwaysfamousforitsconvivialdoings.Thecookescriedhotribbesof
beefroasted,pieswellbaked,andothervictuals:
therewas
clatteringofpewterpots,harpe,pipe,andsawtrie."Alas!
how
sadlyisthescenechangedsincetheroaringdaysofFalstaffand
oldStowe!
Themadcaproystererhasgivenplacetotheplodding
tradesman;theclatteringofpotsandthesoundof"harpeand
sawtrie,"tothedinofcartsandtheaccurseddingingofthe
dustman'sbell;andnosongisheard,save,haply,thestrainof
somesirenfromBillingsgate,chantingtheeulogyofdeceased
mackerel.
Isought,invain,fortheancientabodeofDameQuickly.Theonly
relicofitisaboar'shead,carvedinreliefinstone,which
formerlyservedasthesign,butatpresentisbuiltintothe
partinglineoftwohouses,whichstandonthesiteoftherenowned
oldtavern.
Forthehistoryofthislittleabodeofgoodfellowship,Iwas
referredtoatallow-chandler'swidow,opposite,whohadbeenbornand
broughtuponthespot,andwaslookeduptoastheindisputable
chronicleroftheneighborhood.Ifoundherseatedinalittleback
parlor,thewindowofwhichlookedoutuponayardabouteightfeet
square,laidoutasaflower-garden;whileaglassdooropposite
affordedadistantpeepofthestreet,throughavistaofsoapand
tallowcandles:
thetwoviews,whichcomprised,inallprobability,
herprospectsinlife,andthelittleworldinwhichshehadlived,
andmoved,andhadherbeing,forthebetterpartofacentury.
TobeversedinthehistoryofEastcheap,greatandlittle,from
LondonStoneevenuntotheMonument,wasdoubtless,inheropinion,to
beacquaintedwiththehistoryoftheuniverse.Yet,withallthis,
shepossessedthesimplicityoftruewisdom,andthatliberal
communicativedisposition,whichIhavegenerallyremarkedin
intelligentoldladies,knowingintheconcernsoftheirneighborhood.
Herinformation,however,didnotextendfarbackintoantiquity.
ShecouldthrownolightuponthehistoryoftheBoar'sHead,fromthe
timethatDameQuicklyespousedthevaliantPistol,untilthegreat
fireofLondon,whenitwasunfortunatelyburntdown.Itwassoon
rebuilt,andcontinuedtoflourishundertheoldnameandsign,
untiladyinglandlord,struckwithremorsefordoublescores,bad
measures,andotheriniquities,whichareincidenttothesinful
raceofpublicans,endeavoredtomakehispeacewithheaven,by
bequeathingthetaverntoSt.Michael'sChurch,CrookedLane,
towardsthesupportingofachaplain.Forsometimethevestry
meetingswereregularlyheldthere;butitwasobservedthattheold
Boarneverhelduphisheadunderchurchgovernment.Hegradually
declined,andfinallygavehislastgaspaboutthirtyyearssince.The
tavernwasthenturnedintoshops;butsheinformedmethata
pictureofitwasstillpreservedinSt.Michael'sChurch,whichstood
justintherear.Togetasightofthispicturewasnowmy
determination;so,havinginformedmyselfoftheabodeofthe
sexton,ItookmyleaveofthevenerablechroniclerofEastcheap,my
visithavingdoubtlessraisedgreatlyheropinionofherlegendary
lore,andfurnishedanimportantincidentinthehistoryofherlife.
Itcostmesomedifficulty,andmuchcuriousinquiry,toferret
outthehumblehanger-ontothechurch.IhadtoexploreCrookedLane,
anddiverslittlealleys,andelbows,anddarkpassages,withwhich
thisoldcityisperforated,likeanancientcheese,oraworm-eaten
chestofdrawers.AtlengthItracedhimtoacornerofasmall
courtsurroundedbyloftyhouses,wheretheinhabitantsenjoyaboutas
muchofthefaceofheaven,asacommunityoffrogsatthebottomofa
well.
Thesextonwasameek,acquiescinglittleman,ofabowing,lowly
habit:
yethehadapleasanttwinklinginhiseye,and,ifencouraged,
wouldnowandthenhazardasmallpleasantry;suchasamanofhislow
estatemightventuretomakeinthecompanyofhighchurchwardens,and
othermightymenoftheearth.Ifoundhimincompanywiththe
deputyorganist,seatedapart,likeMilton'sangels,discoursing,no
doubt,onhighdoctrinalpoints,andsettlingtheaffairsofthe
churchoverafriendlypotofale-forthelowerclassesofEnglish
seldomdeliberateonanyweightymatterwithouttheassistanceofa
cooltankardtocleartheirunderstandings.Iarrivedatthemoment
whentheyhadfinishedtheiraleandtheirargument,and
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