世界名著Little BritainWord格式文档下载.docx

世界名著Little BritainWord格式文档下载.docx

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sea,dividesitfromtheeasternpartofthecity;

whilstthe

yawninggulfofBull-and-MouthStreetseparatesitfrom

ButcherLane,andtheregionsofNewgate.Overthislittle

territory,thusboundedanddesignated,thegreatdomeofSt.

Paul'

s,swellingabovetheinterveninghousesofPaternoster

Row,AmenCorner,andAveMariaLane,looksdownwithan

airofmotherlyprotection.

Thisquarterderivesitsappellationfromhavingbeen,in

ancienttimes,theresidenceoftheDukesofBrittany.As

Londonincreased,however,rankandfashionrolledofftothe

west,andtrade,creepingonattheirheels,tookpossessionof

theirdesertedabodes.ForsometimeLittleBritainbecamethe

greatmartoflearning,andwaspeopledbythebusyand

prolificraceofbooksellers;

thesealsograduallydesertedit,

and,emigratingbeyondthegreatstraitofNewgateStreet,

settleddowninPaternosterRowandSt.Paul'

sChurchyard,

wheretheycontinuetoincreaseandmultiplyevenatthe

presentday.

Butthoughthusfallingintodecline,LittleBritainstillbears

tracesofitsformersplendor.Thereareseveralhousesready

totumbledown,thefrontsofwhicharemagnificentlyenriched

witholdoakencarvingsofhideousfaces,unknownbirds,

beasts,andfishes;

andfruitsandflowerswhichitwould

perplexanaturalisttoclassify.Therearealso,inAldersgate

Street,certainremainsofwhatwereoncespaciousandlordly

familymansions,butwhichhaveinlatterdaysbeensubdivided

intoseveraltenements.Heremayoftenbefoundthefamilyof

apettytradesman,withitstrumperyfurniture,burrowing

amongtherelicsofantiquatedfinery,ingreat,rambling,time-

stainedapartments,withfrettedceilings,gildedcornices,and

enormousmarblefireplaces.Thelanesandcourtsalsocontain

manysmallerhouses,notonsograndascale,but,likeyour

smallancientgentry,sturdilymaintainingtheirclaimstoequal

antiquity.Thesehavetheirgableendstothestreet;

greatbow-

windows,withdiamondpanessetinlead,grotesquecarvings,

andlowarcheddoor-ways.

InthismostvenerableandshelteredlittlenesthaveIpassed

severalquietyearsofexistence,comfortablylodgedinthe

secondfloorofoneofthesmallestbutoldestedifices.My

sitting-roomisanoldwainscotedchamber,withsmallpanels,

andsetoffwithamiscellaneousarrayoffurniture.Ihavea

particularrespectforthreeorfourhigh-backedclaw-footed

chairs,coveredwithtarnishedbrocade,whichbearthemarks

ofhavingseenbetterdays,andhavedoubtlessfiguredinsome

oftheoldpalacesofLittleBritain.Theyseemtometokeep

together,andtolookdownwithsovereigncontemptupon

theirleathern-bottomedneighbors:

asIhaveseendecayed

gentrycarryahighheadamongtheplebeiansocietywithwhich

theywerereducedtoassociate.Thewholefrontofmysitting-

roomistakenupwithabow-window,onthepanesofwhich

arerecordedthenamesofpreviousoccupantsformany

generations,mingledwithscrapsofveryindifferent

gentlemanlikepoetry,writtenincharacterswhichIcanscarcely

decipher,andwhichextolthecharmsofmanyabeautyof

LittleBritainwhohaslong,longsincebloomed,faded,and

passedaway.AsIamanidlepersonage,withnoapparent

occupation,andpaymybillregularlyeveryweek,Iamlooked

uponastheonlyindependentgentlemanoftheneighborhood;

and,beingcurioustolearntheinternalstateofacommunityso

apparentlyshutupwithinitself,Ihavemanagedtoworkmy

wayintoalltheconcernsandsecretsoftheplace.

LittleBritainmaytrulybecalledtheheart'

scoreofthecity;

thestrongholdoftrueJohnBullism.Itisafragmentof

Londonasitwasinitsbetterdays,withitsantiquatedfolks

andfashions.Hereflourishingreatpreservationmanyofthe

holidaygamesandcustomsofyore.Theinhabitantsmost

religiouslyeatpancakesonShroveTuesday,hot-cross-bunson

GoodFriday,androastgooseatMichaelmas;

theysendlove-

lettersonValentine'

sDay,burnthepopeonthefifthof

November,andkissallthegirlsunderthemistletoeat

Christmas.Roastbeefandplumpuddingarealsoheldin

superstitiousveneration,andportandsherrymaintaintheir

groundsastheonlytrueEnglishwines;

allothersbeing

consideredvile,outlandishbeverages.

LittleBritainhasitslongcatalogueofcitywonders,whichits

inhabitantsconsiderthewondersoftheworld:

suchasthe

greatbellofSt.Paul'

s,whichsoursallthebeerwhenittolls;

thefiguresthatstrikethehoursatSt.Dunstan'

sclock;

the

Monument;

thelionsintheTower;

andthewoodengiantsin

Guildhall.Theystillbelieveindreamsandfortune-telling,and

anoldwomanthatlivesinBull-and-MouthStreetmakesa

tolerablesubsistencebydetectingstolengoods,andpromising

thegirlsgoodhusbands.Theyareapttoberendered

uncomfortablebycometsandeclipses;

andifadoghowls

dolefullyatnight,itislookeduponasasuresignofadeath

in

theplace.Thereareevenmanyghoststoriescurrent,

particularlyconcerningtheoldmansion-houses;

inseveralof

whichitissaidstrangesightsaresometimesseen.Lordsand

ladies,theformerinfullbottomedwigs,hangingsleeves,and

swords,thelatterinlappets,stays,hoopsandbrocade,have

beenseenwalkingupanddownthegreatwastechambers,on

moonlightnights;

andaresupposedtobetheshadesofthe

ancientproprietorsintheircourt-dresses.

LittleBritainhaslikewiseitssagesandgreatmen.Oneof

themostimportantoftheformerisatall,dryoldgentleman,of

thenameofSkryme,whokeepsasmallapothecary'

sshop.He

hasacadaverouscountenance,fullofcavitiesandprojections;

withabrowncircleroundeacheye,likeapairofhorned

spectacles.Heismuchthoughtofbytheoldwomen,who

considerhimakindofconjurer,becausehehastwoofthree

stuffedalligatorshangingupinhisshop,andseveralsnakesin

bottles.Heisagreatreaderofalmanacsandnewspapers,and

ismuchgiventoporeoveralarmingaccountsofplots,

conspiracies,fires,earthquakes,andvolcaniceruptions;

which

lastphenomenaheconsidersassignsofthetimes.Hehas

alwayssomedismaltaleofthekindtodealouttohiscustomers,

withtheirdoses;

andthusatthesametimeputsbothsouland

bodyintoanuproar.Heisagreatbelieverinomensand

predictions;

andhasthepropheciesofRobertNixonand

MotherShiptonbyheart.Nomancanmakesomuchoutofan

eclipse,orevenanunusuallydarkday;

andheshookthetailof

thelastcometovertheheadsofhiscustomersanddisciples

untiltheywerenearlyfrightenedoutoftheirwits.Hehas

latelygotholdofapopularlegendorprophecy,onwhichhe

hasbeenunusuallyeloquent.Therehasbeenasayingcurrent

amongtheancientsibyls,whotreasureupthesethings,that

whenthegrasshopperonthetopoftheExchangeshookhands

withthedragononthetopofBowChurchSteeple,fearful

eventswouldtakeplace.Thisstrangeconjunction,itseems,has

asstrangelycometopass.Thesamearchitecthasbeenengaged

latelyontherepairsofthecupolaoftheExchange,andthe

steepleofBowchurch;

and,fearfultorelate,thedragonand

thegrasshopperactuallylie,cheekbyjole,intheyardofhis

workshop.

"

Others,"

asMr.Skrymeisaccustomedtosay,"

maygostar-

gazing,andlookforconjunctionsintheheavens,buthereisa

conjunctionontheearth,nearathome,andunderourowneyes,

whichsurpassesallthesignsandcalculationsofastrologers."

Sincetheseportentousweathercockshavethuslaidtheirheads

together,wonderfuleventshadalreadyoccurred.Thegood

oldking,notwithstandingthathehadlivedeighty-twoyears,

hadallatoncegivenuptheghost;

anotherkinghadmounted

thethrone;

aroyaldukehaddiedsuddenly,--another,in

France,hadbeenmurdered;

therehadbeenradicalmeetingsin

allpartsofthekingdom;

thebloodyscenesatManchester;

greatplotofCatoStreet;

andaboveall,thequeenhadreturned

toEngland!

AllthesesinistereventsarerecountedbyMr.

Skryme,withamysteriouslook,andadismalshakeofthe

head;

andbeingtakenwithhisdrugs,andassociatedinthe

mindsofhisauditorswithstuffedsea-monsters,bottled

serpents,andhisownvisage,whichisatitle-pageof

tribulation,theyhavespreadgreatgloomthroughthemindsof

thepeopleofLittleBritain.Theyshaketheirheadswhenever

theygobyBowChurch,andobserve,thattheyneverexpected

anygoodtocomeoftakingdownthatsteeple,whichinold

timestoldnothingbutgladtidings,asthehistoryof

WhittingtonandhisCatbearswitness.

TherivaloracleofLittleBritainisasubstantial

cheesemonger,wholivesinafragmentofoneoftheoldfamily

mansions,andisasmagnificentlylodgedasaround-bellied