天天书屋

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第3部分（第1页）

ore　to　an　end；　of　man’s　treachery。

It　was　Orlando’s　fault　perhaps；　yet；　after　all；　are　we　to　blame　Orlando？　The　age　was　the　Elizabethan；　their　morals　were　not　ours；　nor　their　poets；　nor　their　climate；　nor　their　vegetables　even。　Everything　was　different。　The　weather　itself；　the　heat　and　cold　of　summer　and　winter；　was；　we　may　believe；　of　another　temper　altogether。　The　brilliant　amorous　day　was　divided　as　sheerly　from　the　night　as　land　from　water。　Sunsets　were　redder　and　more　intense；　dawns　were　whiter　and　more　auroral。　Of　our　crepuscular　half–lights　and　lingering　twilights　they　knew　nothing。　The　rain　fell　vehemently；　or　not　at　all。　The　sun　blazed　or　there　was　darkness。　Translating　this　to　the　spiritual　regions　as　their　wont　is；　the　poets　sang　beautifully　how　roses　fade　and　petals　fall。　The　moment　is　brief　they　sang；　the　moment　is　over；　one　long　night　is　then　to　be　slept　by　all。　As　for　using　the　artifices　of　the　greenhouse　or　conservatory　to　prolong　or　preserve　these　fresh　pinks　and　roses；　that　was　not　their　way。　The　withered　intricacies　and　ambiguities　of　our　more　gradual　and　doubtful　age　were　unknown　to　them。　Violence　was　all。　The　flower　bloomed　and　faded。　The　sun　rose　and　sank。　The　lover　loved　and　went。　And　what　the　poets　said　in　rhyme；　the　young　translated　into　practice。　Girls　were　roses；　and　their　seasons　were　short　as　the　flowers’。　Plucked　they　must　be　before　nightfall；　for　the　day　was　brief　and　the　day　was　all。　Thus；　if　Orlando　followed　the　leading　of　the　climate；　of　the　poets；　of　the　age　itself；　and　plucked　his　flower　in　the　window–seat　even　with　the　snow　on　the　ground　and　the　Queen　vigilant　in　the　corridor　we　can　scarcely　bring　ourselves　to　blame　him。　He　was　young；　he　was　boyish；　he　did　but　as　nature　bade　him　do。　As　for　the　girl；　we　know　no　more　than　Queen　Elizabeth　herself　did　what　her　name　was。　It　may　have　been　Doris；　Chloris；　Delia；　or　Diana；　for　he　made　rhymes　to　them　all　in　turn；　equally；　she　may　have　been　a　court　lady；　or　some　serving　maid。　For　Orlando’s　taste　was　broad；　he　was　no　lover　of　garden　flowers　only；　the　wild　and　the　weeds　even　had　always　a　fascination　for　him。

Here；　indeed；　we　lay　bare　rudely；　as　a　biographer　may；　a　curious　trait　in　him；　to　be　accounted　for；　perhaps；　by　the　fact　that　a　certain　grandmother　of　his　had　worn　a　smock　and　carried　milkpails。　Some　grains　of　the　Kentish　or　Sussex　earth　were　mixed　with　the　thin；　fine　fluid　which　came　to　him　from　Normandy。　He　held　that　the　mixture　of　brown　earth　and　blue　blood　was　a　good　one。　Certain　it　is　that　he　had　always　a　liking　for　low　pany；　especially　for　that　of　lettered　people　whose　wits　so　often　keep　them　under；　as　if　there　were　the　sympathy　of　blood　between　them。　At　this　season　of　his　life；　when　his　head　brimmed　with　rhymes　and　he　never　went　to　bed　without　striking　off　some　conceit；　the　cheek　of　an　innkeeper’s　daughter　seemed　fresher　and　the　wit　of　a　gamekeeper’s　niece　seemed　quicker　than　those　of　the　ladies　at　Court。　Hence；　he　began　going　frequently　to　Wapping　Old　Stairs　and　the　beer　gardens　at　night；　wrapped　in　a　grey　cloak　to　hide　the　star　at　his　neck　and　the　garter　at　his　knee。　There；　with　a　mug　before　him；　among　the　sanded　alleys　and　bowling　greens　and　all　the　simple　architecture　of　such　places；　he　listened　to　sailors’　stories　of　hardship　and　horror　and　cruelty　on　the　Spanish　main；　how　some　had　lost　their　toes；　others　their　noses—for　the　spoken　story　was　never　so　rounded　or　so　finely　coloured　as　the　written。　Especially　he　loved　to　hear　them　volley　forth　their　songs　of　‘the　Azores；　while　the　parrakeets；　which　they　had　brought　from　those　parts；　pecked　at　the　rings　in　their　ears；　tapped　with　their　hard　acquisitive　beaks　at　the　rubies　on　their　fingers；　and　swore　as　vilely　as　their　masters。　The　women　were　scarcely　less　bold　in　their　speech　and　less　free　in　their　manner　than　the　birds。　They　perched　on　his　knee；　flung　their　arms　round　his　neck　and；　guessing　that　something　out　of　the　mon　lay　hid　beneath　his　duffle　cloak；　were　quite　as　eager　to　e　at　the　truth　of　the　matter　as　Orlando　himself。

Nor　was　opportunity　lacking。　The　river　was　astir　early　and　late　with　barges；　wherries；　and　craft　of　all　description。　Every　day　sailed　to　sea　some　fine　ship　bound　for　the　Indies；　now　and　again　another　blackened　and　ragged　with　hairy　men　on　board　crept　painfully　to　anchor。　No　one　missed　a　boy　or　girl　if　they　dallied　a　little　on　the　water　after　sunset；　or　raised　an　eyebrow　if　gossip　had　seen　them　sleeping　soundly　among　the　treasure　sacks　safe　in　each　other’s　arms。　Such　indeed　was　the　adventure　that　befel　Orlando；　Sukey；　and　the　Earl　of　Cumberland。　The　day　was　hot；　their　loves　had　been　active；　they　had　fallen　asleep　among　the　rubies。　Late　that　night　the　Earl；　whose　fortunes　were　much　bound　up　in　the　Spanish　ventures；　came　to　check　the　booty　alone　with　a　lantern。　He　flashed　the　light　on　a　barrel。　He　started　back　with　an　oath。　Twined　about　the　cask　two　spirits　lay　sleeping。　Superstitious　by　nature；　and　his　conscience　laden　with　many　a　crime；　the　Earl　took　the　couple—they　were　wrapped　in　a　red　cloak；　and　Sukey’s　bosom　was　almost　as　white　as　the　eternal　snows　of　Orlando’s　poetry—for　a　phantom　sprung　from　the　graves　of　drowned　sailors　to　upbraid　him。　He　crossed　himself。　He　vowed　repentance。　The　row　of　alms　houses　still　standing　in　the　Sheen　Road　is　the　visible　fruit　of　that　moment’s　panic。　Twelve　poor　old　women　of　the　parish　today　drink　tea　and　tonight　bless　his　Lordship　for　a　roof　above　their　heads；　so　that　illicit　love　in　a　treasure　ship—but　we　omit　the　moral。

Soon；　however；　Orlando　grew　tired；　not　only　of　the　disfort　of　this　way　of　life；　and　of　the　crabbed　streets　of　the　neighbourhood；　but　of　the　primitive　manner　of　the　people。　For　it　has　to　be　remembered　that　crime　and　poverty　had　none　of　the　attraction　for　the　Elizabethans　that　they　have　for　us。　They　had　none　of　our　modern　shame　of　book　learning；　none　of　our　belief　that　to　be　born　the　son　of　a　butcher　is　a　blessing　and　to　be　unable　to　read　a　virtue；　no　fancy　that　what　we　call　‘life’　and　‘reality’　are　somehow　connected　with　ignorance　and　brutality；　nor；　indeed；　any　equivalent　for　these　two　words　at　all。　It　was　not　to　seek　‘life’　that　Orlando　went　among　them；　not　in　quest　of　‘reality’　that　he　left　them。　But　when　he　had　heard　a　score　of　times　how　Jakes　had　lost　his　nose　and　Sukey　her　honour—and　they　told　the　stories　admirably；　it　must　be　admitted—he　began　to　be　a　little　weary　of　the　repetition；　for　a　nose　can　only　be　cut　off　in　one　way　and　maidenhood　lost　in　another—or　so　it　seemed　to　him—whereas　the　arts　and　the　sciences　had　a　diversity　about　them　which　stirred　his　curiosity　profoundly。　So；　always　keeping　them　in　happy　memory；　he　left　off　frequenting　the　beer　gardens　and　the　skittle　alleys；　hung　his　grey　cloak　in　his　wardrobe；　let　his　star　shine　at　his　neck　and　his　garter　twinkle　at　his　knee；　and　appeared　once　more　at　the　Court　of　King　James。　He　was　young；　he　was　rich；　he　was　handsome。　No　one　could　have　been　received　with　greater　acclamation　than　he　was。

It　is　certain　indeed　that　many　ladies　were　ready　to　show　him　their　favours。　The　names　of　three　at　least　were　freely　coupled　with　his　in　marriage—Clorinda；　Favilla；　Euphrosyne—so　he　called　them　in　his　sons。

To　take　them　in　order；　Clorinda　was　a　sweet–mannered　gentle　lady　enough；—indeed　Orlando　was　greatly　taken　with　her　for　six　months　and　a　half；　but　she　had　white　eyelashes　and　could　not　bear　the　sight　of　blood。　A　hare　brought　up　roasted　at　her　father’s　table　turned　her　faint。　She　was　much　under　the　influence　of　the　Priests　too；　and　stinted　her　underlinen　in　order　to　give　to　the　poor。　She　took　it　on　her　to　reform　Orlando　of　his　sins；　which　sickened　him；　so　that　he　drew　back　from　the　marriage；　and　did　not　much　regret　it　when　she　died　soon　after　of　the　small–pox。

Favilla；　who　es　next；　was　of　a　different　sort　altogether。　She　was　the　daughter　of　a　poor　Somersetshire　gentleman；　who；　by　sheer　assiduity　and　the　use　of　her　eyes　had　worked　her　way　up　at　court；　where　her　address　in　horsemanship；　her　fine　instep；　and　her　grace　in　dancing　won　the　admiration　of　all。　Once；　however；　she　was　so　ill–advised　as　to　whip　a　spaniel　that　had　torn　one　of　her　silk　stockings　（and　it　must　be　said　in　justice　that　Favilla　had　few　stockings　and　those　for　the　most　part　of　drugget）　within　an　inch　of　its　life　beneath　Orlando’s　window。　Orlando；　who　was　a　passionate　lover　of　animals；　now　noticed　that　her　teeth　were　crooked；　and　the　two　front　turned　inward；　which；　he　said；　is　a　sure　sign　of　a　perverse　and　cruel　disposition　in　women；　and　so　broke　the　engagement　that　very　night　for　ever。

The　third；　Euphrosyne；　was　by　far　the　most　serious　of　his　flames。　She　was　by　birth　one　of　the　Irish　Desmonds　and　had　therefore　a　family　tree　of　her　own　as　old　and　deeply　rooted　as　Orlando’s　itself。　She　was　fair；　florid；　and　a　trifle　phlegmatic。　She　spoke　Italian　well；　had　a　perfect　set　of　teeth　in　the　upper　jaw；　though　those　on　the　lower　were　slightly　discoloured。　She　was　never　without　a　whippet　or　spaniel　at　her　knee；　fed　them　with　white　bread　from　her　own　plate；　sang　sweetly　to　the　virginals；　and　was　never　dressed　before　mid–day　owing　to　the　extreme　care　she　took　of　her　person。　In　short；　she　would　have　made　a　perfect　wife　for　such　a　nobleman　as　Orlando；　and　matters　had　gone　so　far　that　the　lawyers　on　both　sides　were　busy　with　covenants；　jointures；　settlements；　messuages；　tenements；　and　whatever　is　needed　before　one　great　fortune　can　mate　with　another　when；　with　the　suddenness　and　severity　that　then　marked　the　English　climate；　came　the　Great　Frost。

The　Great　Frost　was；　historians　tell　us；　the　most　severe　that　has　ever　visited　these　islands。　Birds　froze　in　mid–air　and　fell　like　stones　to　the　ground。　At　Norwich　a　young　countrywoman　started　to　cross　the　road　in　her　usual　robust　health　and　was　seen　by　the　onlookers　to　turn　visibly　to　powder　and　be　blown　in　a　puff　of　dust　over　the　roofs　as　the　icy　blast　struck　her　at　the　street　corner。　The　mortality　among　sheep　and　cattle　was　enormous。　Corpses　froze　and　could　not　be　drawn　from　the　sheets。　It　was　no　unmon　sight　to　e　upon　a　whole　herd　of　swine　frozen　immovable　upon　the　road。　The　fields　were　full　of　shepherds；　ploughmen；　teams　of　horses；　and　little　bird–scaring　boys　all　struck　stark　in　the　act　of　the　moment；　one　with　his　hand　to　his　nose；　another　with　the　bottle　to　his　lips；　a　third　with　a　stone　raised　to　throw　at　the　ravens　who　sat；　as　if　stuffed；　upon　the　hedge　within　a　yard　of　him。　The　severity　of　the　frost　was　so　extraordinary　that　a　kind　of　petrifaction　sometimes　ensued；　and　it　was　monly　supposed　that　the　great　increase　of　rocks　in　some　parts　of　Derbyshire　was　due　to　no　eruption；　for　there　was　none；　but　to　the　solidification　of　unfortunate　wayfarers　who　had　been　turned　literally　to　stone　where　they　stood。　The　Church　could　give　little　help　in　the　matter；　and　though　some　landowners　had　these　relics　blessed；　the　most　part　preferred　to　use　them　either　as　landmarks；　scratching–posts　for　sheep；　or；　when　the　form　of　the　stone　allowed；　drinking　troughs　for　cattle；　which　purposes　they　serve；　admirably　for　the　most　part；　to　this　day。

But　while　the　country　people　suffered　the　extremity　of　want；　and　the　trade　of　the　country　was　at　a　standstill；　London　enjoyed　a　carnival　of　the　utmost　brilliancy。　The　Court　was　at　Greenwich；　and　the　new　King　s

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