BILLY BUDD Herman Melville.docx

BILLY BUDD Herman Melville.docx

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BILLYBUDDHermanMelville

　　BILLYBUDDHermanMelville

Art

Inplacidhourswell-pleasedwedream,

Ofmanyabraveunbodiedscheme.

Butformtolend,pulsedlifecreate,

Whatunlikethingsmustmeetandmate:

Aflametomelt---Awindtofreeze;

Humility—yetprideandscorn;

Instinctandstudy;loveandhate;

Audacity---reverence.Thesemustmate,

AndfusewithJacob’smysticheart,

TowrestlewiththeAngel---Art.

BillyBudd,Sailor

（Aninsidenarrative）

DEDICATED

To

JACKCHASE

ENGLISHMAN

Whereverthatgreatheartmaynowbe

HereonearthorharboredinParadise

CaptainoftheMaintop

Intheyear1843

IntheU.S.Frigate

UnitedStates

CHAPTER1

　　INTHEtimebeforesteamships,orthenmorefrequentlythannow,astrolleralongthedocksofanyconsiderablesea-portwouldoccasionallyhavehisattentionarrestedbyagroupofbronzedmariners,man-of-war'smenormerchant-sailorsinholidayattireashoreonliberty.Incertaininstancestheywouldflank,or,likeabody-guardquitesurroundsomesuperiorfigureoftheirownclass,movingalongwiththemlikeAldebaranamongthelesserlightsofhisconstellation.Thatsignalobjectwasthe"HandsomeSailor"ofthelessprosaictimealikeofthemilitaryandmerchantnavies.Withnoperceptibletraceofthevaingloriousabouthim,ratherwiththeoff-handunaffectednessofnaturalregality,heseemedtoacceptthespontaneoushomageofhisshipmates.Asomewhatremarkableinstancerecurstome.InLiverpool,nowhalfacenturyago,Isawundertheshadowofthegreatdingystreet-wallofPrince'sDock（anobstructionlongsinceremoved）acommonsailor,sointenselyblackthathemustneedshavebeenanativeAfricanoftheunadulteratebloodofHam.Asymmetricfiguremuchabovetheaverageheight.Thetwoendsofagaysilkhandkerchiefthrownlooseabouttheneckdanceduponthedisplayedebonyofhischest;inhisearswerebighoopsofgold,andaScotchHighlandbonnetwithatartanbandsetoffhisshapelyhead.

　　ItwasahotnooninJuly;andhisface,lustrouswithperspiration,beamedwithbarbaricgoodhumor.Injovialsalliesrightandleft,hiswhiteteethflashingintoherollickedalong,thecentreofacompanyofhisshipmates.TheseweremadeupofsuchanassortmentoftribesandcomplexionsaswouldhavewellfittedthemtobemarchedupbyAnacharsisClootsbeforethebarofthefirstFrenchAssemblyasRepresentativesoftheHumanRace.Ateachspontaneoustributerenderedbythewayfarerstothisblackpagodofafellow-thetributeofapauseandstare,andlessfrequentanexclamation,-themotleyretinueshowedthattheytookthatsortofprideintheevokerofitwhichtheAssyrianpriestsdoubtlessshowedfortheirgrandsculpturedBullwhenthefaithfulprostratedthemselves.

　　Toreturn.

　　IfinsomecasesabitofanauticalMuratinsettingforthhispersonashore,theHandsomeSailoroftheperiodinquestionevincednothingofthedandifiedBilly-be-Damn,anamusingcharacterallbutextinctnow,butoccasionallytobeencountered,andinaformyetmoreamusingthantheoriginal,atthetilleroftheboatsonthetempestuousErieCanalor,morelikely,vaporinginthegroggeriesalongthetow-path.Invariablyaproficientinhisperilouscalling,hewasalsomoreorlessofamightyboxerorwrestler.Itwasstrengthandbeauty.Talesofhisprowesswererecited.Ashorehewasthechampion;afloatthespokesman;oneverysuitableoccasionalwaysforemost.Close-reefingtop-sailsinagale,therehewas,astridetheweatheryard-arm-end,footintheFlemishhorseas"stirrup,"bothhandstuggingatthe"earring"asatabridle,inverymuchtheattitudeofyoungAlexandercurbingthefieryBucephalus.Asuperbfigure,tossedupasbythehornsofTaurusagainstthethunderoussky,cheerilyhallooingtothestrenuousfilealongthespar.

　　Themoralnaturewasseldomoutofkeepingwiththephysicalmake.Indeed,exceptastonedbytheformer,thecomelinessandpower,alwaysattractiveinmasculineconjunction,hardlycouldhavedrawnthesortofhonesthomagetheHandsomeSailorinsomeexamplesreceivedfromhislessgiftedassociates.

　　Suchacynosure,atleastinaspect,andsomethingsuchtooinnature,thoughwithimportantvariationsmadeapparentasthestoryproceeds,waswelkin-eyedBillyBudd,orBabyBudd,asmorefamiliarlyundercircumstanceshereaftertobegivenheatlastcametobecalled,agedtwenty-one,aforetopmanoftheBritishfleettowardthecloseofthelastdecadeoftheeighteenthcentury.ItwasnotverylongpriortothetimeofthenarrationthatfollowsthathehadenteredtheKing'sService,havingbeenimpressedontheNarrowSeasfromahomeward-boundEnglishmerchantmanintoaseventy-fouroutward-bound,H.M.S.Indomitable;whichship,aswasnotunusualinthosehurrieddays,havingbeenobligedtoputtoseashortofherpropercomplementofmen.PlumpuponBillyatfirstsightinthegangwaytheboardingofficerLieutenantRatcliffpounced,evenbeforethemerchantman'screwwasformallymusteredonthequarter-deckforhisdeliberateinspection.Andhimonlyheelected.ForwhetheritwasbecausetheothermenwhenrangedbeforehimshowedtoilladvantageafterBilly,orwhetherhehadsomescruplesinviewofthemerchantmanbeingrathershort-handed,howeveritmightbe,theofficercontentedhimselfwithhisfirstspontaneouschoice.Tothesurpriseoftheship'scompany,thoughmuchtotheLieutenant'ssatisfaction,Billymadenodemur.But,indeed,anydemurwouldhavebeenasidleastheprotestofagoldfinchpoppedintoacage.

　　Notingthisuncomplainingacquiescence,allbutcheerfulonemightsay,theshipmatesturnedasurprisedglanceofsilentreproachatthesailor.TheShipmasterwasoneofthoseworthymortalsfoundineveryvocation,eventhehumblerones-thesortofpersonwhomeverybodyagreesincalling"arespectableman."And-norsostrangetoreportasitmayappeartobe-thoughaploughmanofthetroubledwaters,life-longcontendingwiththeintractableelements,therewasnothingthishonestsoulatheartlovedbetterthansimplepeaceandquiet.Fortherest,hewasfiftyorthereabouts,alittleinclinedtocorpulence,aprepossessingface,unwhiskered,andofanagreeablecolor-aratherfullface,humanelyintelligentinexpression.Onafairdaywithafairwindandallgoingwell,acertainmusicalchimeinhisvoiceseemedtobetheveritableunobstructedoutcomeoftheinnermostman.Hehadmuchprudence,muchconscientiousness,andtherewereoccasionswhenthesevirtueswerethecauseofovermuchdisquietudeinhim.Onapassage,solongashiscraftwasinanyproximitytoland,nosleepforCaptainGraveling.Hetooktoheartthoseseriousresponsibilitiesnotsoheavilybornebysomeshipmasters.

　　NowwhileBillyBuddwasdownintheforecastlegettinghiskittogether,theIndomitable'sLieutenant,burlyandbluff,nowisedisconcertedbyCaptainGraveling'somittingtoprofferthecustomaryhospitalitiesonanoccasionsounwelcometohim,anomissionsimplycausedbypreoccupationofthought,unceremoniouslyinvitedhimselfintothecabin,andalsotoaflaskfromthespirit-locker,areceptaclewhichhisexperiencedeyeinstantlydiscovered.Infacthewasoneofthosesea-dogsinwhomallthehardshipandperilofnavallifeinthegreatprolongedwarsofhistimeneverimpairedthenaturalinstinctforsensuousenjoyment.Hisdutyhealwaysfaithfullydid;butdutyissometimesadryobligation,andhewasforirrigatingitsaridity,whensoeverpossible,withafertilizingdecoctionofstrongwaters.Forthecabin'sproprietortherewasnothingleftbuttoplaythepartoftheenforcedhostwithwhatevergraceandalacritywerepracticable.Asnecessaryadjunctstotheflask,hesilentlyplacedtumblerandwater-jugbeforetheirrepressibleguest.Butexcusinghimselffrompartakingjustthen,hedismallywatchedtheunembarrassedofficerdeliberatelydilutinghisgrogalittle,thentossingitoffinthreeswallows,pushingtheemptytumbleraway,yetnotsofarastobebeyondeasyreach,atthesametimesettlinghimselfinhisseatandsmackinghislipswithhighsatisfaction,lookingstraightatthehost.

　　Theseproceedingsover,theMasterbrokethesilence;andtherelurkedaruefulreproachinthetoneofhisvoice:

"Lieutenant,youaregoingtotakemybestmanfromme,thejewelof'em."

　　"Yes,Iknow,"rejoinedtheother,immediatelydrawingbackthetumblerpreliminarytoareplenishing;"Yes,Iknow.Sorry."

　　"Begpardon,butyoudon'tunderstand,Lieutenant.Seeherenow.BeforeIshippedthatyoungfellow,myforecastlewasarat-pitofquarrels.Itwasblacktimes,Itellyou,aboardtheRightshere.Iwasworriedtothatdegreemypipehadnocomfortforme.ButBillycame;anditwaslikeaCatholicprieststrikingpeaceinanIrishshindy.Notthathepreachedtothemorsaidordidanythinginparticular;butavirtuewentoutofhim,sugaringthesourones.Theytooktohimlikehornetstotreacle;allbutthebufferofthegang,thebigshaggychapwiththefire-redwhiskers.Heindeedoutofenvy,perhaps,ofthenewcomer,andthinkingsucha'sweetandpleasantfellow,'ashemockinglydesignatedhimtotheothers,couldhardlyhavethespiritofagame-cock,mustneedsbestirhimselfintryingtogetupanuglyrowwithhim.Billyforeborewithhimandreasonedwithhiminapleasantway-heissomethinglikemyself,Lieutenant,towhomaughtlikeaquarrelishateful-butnothingserved.So,intheseconddog-watchonedaytheRedWhiskersinpresenceoftheothers,underpretenceofshowingBillyjustwhenceasirloinsteakwascut-forthefellowhadoncebeenabutcher-insultinglygavehimadigundertheribs.QuickaslightningBilly