castle rackrent-第22部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


n　the　province　of　Munster　it　is　a　common　thing　for　the　women　to　follow　a　funeral；　to　join　in　the　universal　cry　with　all　their　might　and　main　for　some　time；　and　then　to　turn　and　ask'Arrah！　who　is　it　that's　dead？who　is　it　we're　crying　for？'　　Even　the　poorest　people　have　their　own　burying…placesthat　is；　spots　of　ground　in　the　churchyards　where　they　say　that　their　ancestors　have　been　buried　ever　since　the　wars　of　Ireland；　and　if　these　burial…places　are　ten　miles　from　the　place　where　a　man　dies；　his　friends　and　neighbours　take　care　to　carry　his　corpse　thither。　Always　one　priest；　often　five　or　six　priests；　attend　these　funerals；　each　priest　repeats　a　mass；　for　which　he　is　paid；　sometimes　a　shilling；　sometimes　half　a　crown；　sometimes　half　a　guinea；　or　a　guinea；　according　to　their　circumstances；　or；　as　they　say；　according　to　the　ability　of　the　deceased。　　After　the　burial　of　any　very　poor　man；　who　has　left　a　widow　or　children；　the　priest　makes　what　is　called　a　COLLECTION　for　the　widow；　he　goes　round　to　every　person　present；　and　each　contributes　sixpence　or　a　shilling；　or　what　they　please。　　The　reader　will　find　in　the　note　upon　the　word　WAKE；　more　particulars　respecting　the　conclusion　of　the　Irish　funerals。

Certain　old　women；　who　cry　particularly　loud　and　well　are　in　great　request；　and；　as　a　man　said　to　the　Editor；　'Every　one　would　wish　and　be　proud　to　have　such　at　his　funeral；　or　at　that　of　his　friends。'　　The　lower　Irish　are　wonderfully　eager　to　attend　the　funerals　of　their　friends　and　relations；　and　they　make　their　relationships　branch　out　to　a　great　extent。　　The　proof　that　a　poor　man　has　been　well　beloved　during　his　life　is　his　having　a　crowded　funeral。　To　attend　a　neighbour's　funeral　is　a　cheap　proof　of　humanity；　but　it　does　not；　as　some　imagine；　cost　nothing。　The　time　spent　in　attending　funerals　may　be　safely　valued　at　half　a　million　to　the　Irish　nation；　the　Editor　thinks　that　double　that　sum　would　not　be　too　high　an　estimate。　　The　habits　of　profligacy　and　drunkenness　which　are　acquired　at　WAKES　are　here　put　out　of　the　question。　　When　a　labourer；　a　carpenter；　or　a　smith；　is　not　at　his　work；　which　frequently　happens；　ask　where　he　is　gone；　and　ten　to　one　the　answer　is'Oh；　faith；　please　your　honour；　he　couldn't　do　a　stroke　to…day；　for　he's　gone　to　THE　funeral。'

Even　beggars；　when　they　grow　old；　go　about　begging　FOR　THEIR　OWN　FUNERALS　that　is；　begging　for　money　to　buy　a　coffin；　candles；　pipes；　and　tobacco。　　For　the　use　of　the　candles；　pipes；　and　tobacco；　see　WAKE。

Those　who　value　customs　in　proportion　to　their　antiquity；　and　nations　in　proportion　to　their　adherence　to　ancient　customs；　will　doubtless　admire　the　Irish　ULLALOO；　and　the　Irish　nation；　for　persevering　in　this　usage　from　time　immemorial。　The　Editor；　however；　has　observed　some　alarming　symptoms；　which　seem　to　prognosticate　the　declining　taste　for　the　Ullaloo　in　Ireland。　　In　a　comic　theatrical　entertainment；　represented　not　long　since　on　the　Dublin　stage；　a　chorus　of　old　women　was　introduced；　who　set　up　the　Irish　howl　round　the　relics　of　a　physician；　who　is　supposed　to　have　fallen　under　the　wooden　sword　of　Harlequin。　After　the　old　women　have　continued　their　Ullaloo　for　a　decent　time；　with　all　the　necessary　accompaniments　of　wringing　their　hands；　wiping　or　rubbing　their　eyes　with　the　corners　of　their　gowns　or　aprons；　etc。；　one　of　the　mourners　suddenly　suspends　her　lamentable　cries；　and；　turning　to　her　neighbour；　asks；　'Arrah　now；　honey；　who　is　it　we're　crying　for？'

GLOSSARY　4。　THE　TENANTS　WERE　SENT　AWAY　WITHOUT　THEIR　WHISKY。It　is　usual　with　some　landlords　to　give　their　inferior　tenants　a　glass　of　whisky　when　they　pay　their　rents。　　Thady　calls　it　THEIR　whisky；　not　that　the　whisky　is　actually　the　property　of　the　tenants；　but　that　it　becomes　their　RIGHT　after　it　has　been　often　given　to　them。　　In　this　general　mode　of　reasoning　respecting　RIGHTS　the　lower　Irish　are　not　singular；　but　they　are　peculiarly　quick　and　tenacious　in　claiming　these　rights。　　'Last　year　your　honour　gave　me　some　straw　for　the　roof　of　my　house　and　I　EXPECT　your　honour　will　be　after　doing　the　same　this　year。'　　In　this　manner　gifts　are　frequently　turned　into　tributes。　　The　high　and　low　are　not　always　dissimilar　in　their　habits。　　It　is　said；　that　the　Sublime　Ottoman　Forte　is　very　apt　to　claim　gifts　as　tributes：　　thus　it　is　dangerous　to　send　the　Grand　Seignor　a　fine　horse　on　his　birthday　one　year；　lest　on　his　next　birthday　he　should　expect　a　similar　present；　and　should　proceed　to　demonstrate　the　reasonableness　of　his　expectations。

GLOSSARY　5。　HE　DEMEANED　HIMSELF　GREATLYmeans；　he　lowered　or　disgraced　himself　much。

GLOSSARY　6。　DUTY　FOWLS；　DUTY　TURKEYS；　AND　DUTY　GEESE。In　many　leases　in　Ireland；　tenants　were　formerly　bound　to　supply　an　inordinate　quantity　of　poultry　to　their　landlords。　　The　Editor　knew　of　thirty　turkeys　being　reserved　in　one　lease　of　a　small　farm。

GLOSSARY　7。　ENGLISH　TENANTS。An　English　tenant　does　not　mean　a　tenant　who　is　an　Englishman；　but　a　tenant　who　pays　his　rent　the　day　that　it　is　due。　　It　is　a　common　prejudice　in　Ireland；　amongst　the　poorer　classes　of　people；　to　believe　that　all　tenants　in　England　pay　their　rents　on　the　very　day　when　they　become　due。　　An　Irishman；　when　he　goes　to　take　a　farm；　if　he　wants　to　prove　to　his　landlord　that　he　is　a　substantial　man；　offers　to　become　an　ENGLISH　TENANT。　If　a　tenant　disobliges　his　landlord　by　voting　against　him；　or　against　his　opinion；　at　an　election；　the　tenant　is　immediately　informed　by　the　agent　that　he　must　become　an　ENGLISH　TENANT。　This　threat　does　not　imply　that　he　is　to　change　his　language　or　his　country；　but　that　he　must　pay　all　the　arrear　of　rent　which　he　owes；　and　that　he　must　thenceforward　pay　his　rent　on　that　day　when　it　becomes　due。

GLOSSARY　8。　CANTINGdoes　not　mean　talking　or　writing　hypocritical　nonsense；　but　selling　substantially　by　auction。

GLOSSARY　9。　DUTY　WORK。It　was　formerly　common　in　Ireland　to　insert　clauses　in　leases；　binding　tenants　to　furnish　their　landlords　with　labourers　and　horses　for　several　days　in　the　year。　　Much　petty　tyranny　and　oppression　have　resulted　from　this　feudal　custom。　Whenever　a　poor　man　disobliged　his　landlord；　the　agent　sent　to　him　for　his　duty　work；　and　Thady　does　not　exaggerate　when　he　says；　that　the　tenants　were　often　called　from　their　own　work　to　do　that　of　their　landlord。　　Thus　the　very　means　of　earning　their　rent　were　taken　from　them：　　whilst　they　were　getting　home　their　landlord's　harvest；　their　own　was　often　ruined；　and　yet　their　rents　were　expected　to　be　paid　as　punctually　as　if　their　time　had　been　at　their　own　disposal。　　This　appears　the　height　of　absurd　injustice。

In　Esthonia；　amongst　the　poor　Sclavonian　race　of　peasant　slaves；　they　pay　tributes　to　their　lords；　not　under　the　name　of　duty　work；　duty　geese；　duty　turkeys；　etc。；　but　under　the　name　of　RIGHTEOUSNESSES。　The　following　ballad　is　a　curious　specimen　of　Esthonian　poetry：

　This　is　the　cause　that　the　country　is　ruined；　　And　the　straw　of　the　thatch　is　eaten　away；　　The　gentry　are　come　to　live　in　the　land　　Chimneys　between　the　village；　　And　the　proprietor　upon　the　white　floor！　　The　sheep　brings　forth　a　lamb　with　a　white　forehead；　　This　is　paid　to　the　lord　for　a　RIGHTEOUSNESS　SHEEP。　　The　sow　farrows　pigs；　　They　go　to　the　spit　of　the　lord。　　The　hen　lays　eggs；　　They　go　into　the　lord's　frying…pan。　　The　cow　drops　a　male　calf；　　That　goes　into　the　lord's　herd　as　a　bull。　　The　mare　foals　a　horse　foal；　　That　must　be　for　my　lord's　nag。　　The　boor's　wife　has　sons；　　They　must　go　to　look　after　my　lord's　poultry。

GLOSSARY　10。　OUT　OF　FORTY…NINE　SUITS　WHICH　HE　HAD；　HE　NEVER　LOST　ONE　BUT　SEVENTEEN。Thady's　language　in　this　instance　is　a　specimen　of　a　mode　of　rhetoric　common　in　Ireland。　　An　astonishing　assertion　is　made　in　the　beginning　of　a　sentence；　which　ceases　to　be　in　the　least　surprising；　when　you　hear　the　qualifying　explanation　that　follows。　Thus　a　man　who　is　in　the　last　stage　of　staggering　drunkenness　will；　if　he　can　articulate；　swear　to　you'Upon　his　conscience　now；　and　may　he　never　stir　from　the　spot　alive　if　he　is　telling　a　lie；　upon　his　conscience　he　has　not　tasted　a　drop　of　anything；　good　or　bad；　since　morning　at…all…at…all；　but　half　a　pint　of　whisky；　please　your　honour。'

GLOSSARY　11。　FAIRY　MOUNTSBarrows。　It　is　said　that　these　high　mounts　were　of　great　service　to　the　natives　of　Ireland　when　Ireland　was　invaded　by　the　Danes。　　Watch　was　always　kept　on　them；　and　upon　the　approach　of　an　enemy　a　fire　was　lighted　to　give　notice　to　the　next　watch；　and　thus　the　intelligence　was　quickly　communicated　through　the　country。　　SOME　YEARS　AGO；　the　common　people　believed　that　these　barrows　were　inhabited　by　fairies；　or；　as　they　called　them；　by　the　GOOD　PEOPLE。　　'Oh；　troth；　to　the　best　of　my　belief；　and　to　the　best　of　my　judgment　and　opinion；'　said　an　elderly　man　to　the　Editor；　'it　was　only　the　old　people　that　had　nothing　to　do；　and　got　together；　and　were　telling　stories　about　them　fairies；　but　to　the　best　of　my　judgment　there's　nothing　in　it。　Only　this　I　heard　myself　not　very　many　years　back　from　a　decent　kind　of　a　man；　a　grazier；　that；　as　he　was　coming　just　FAIR　AND　EASY　（QUIETLY）　from　the　fair；　with　some　cattle　and　sheep；　that　he　had　not　sold；　just　at　the　church　of　…　at　an　angle　of　the　road　like；　he　was　met　by　a　good…looking　man；　who　asked　him　where　he　was　going？　　And　he　answered；　〃Oh；　far　enough；　I　must　be　going　all　night。〃　　〃No；　that　you　mustn't　nor　won't　（says　the　man）；　you'll　sleep　with　me　the　night；　and　you'll　want　for　nothing；　nor　your　cattle　nor　sheep　neither；　nor　your　BEAST　（HORSE）；　so　come　along　with　me。〃　　With　that　the　grazier　LIT　（ALIGHTED）　from　his　horse；　and　it　was　dark　night；　but　presently　he　finds　himself；　he　does　not　know　in　the　wide　world　how；　in　a　fine　house；　and　plenty　of　everything　to　eat　and　drink；　nothing　at　all　wanting　that　he　could　wish　for　or　think　of。　　And　he　does　not　MIND　（RECOLLECT　or　KNOW）　how　at　last　he　falls　asleep；　and　in　the　morning　he　finds　himself　lying；　not　in　ever　a　bed　or　a　house　at　all；　but　just　in　the　angle　of　the　road　where　first　he　met　the　strange　man：　　there　he　finds　himself　lying　on　his　back　on　the　grass；　and　all　his　sheep　feeding　as　quiet　as　ever　all　round　about　him；　and　his　horse　the　same　way；　and　the　bridle　of　the　beast　over　his　wrist。　　And　I　asked　him　what　he　thought　of　it；　and　from　first　to　last　he　could　thi