Christ in Flanders.docx

Christ in Flanders.docx

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ChristinFlanders

ChristinFlandersbyHonoredeBalzacTranslatedbyEllenMarriage

DEDICATION

ToMarcellineDesbordes-Valmore,adaughterofFlanders,ofwhomthesemoderndaysmaywellbeproud,IdedicatethisquaintlegendofoldFlanders.

DEBALZAC.

CHRISTINFLANDERS

AtadimlyremoteperiodinthehistoryofBrabant,communicationbetweentheIslandofCadzandandtheFlemishcoastwaskeptupbyaboatwhichcarriedpassengersfromoneshoretotheother.Middelburg,thechieftownintheisland,destinedtobecomesofamousintheannalsofProtestantism,atthattimeonlynumberedsometwoorthreehundredhearths;andtheprosperoustownofOstendwasanobscurehaven,astragglingvillagewherepiratesdweltinsecurityamongthefishermenandthefewpoormerchantswholivedintheplace.

ButthoughthetownofOstendconsistedaltogetherofsomescoreofhousesandthreehundredcottages,hutsorhovelsbuiltofthedriftwoodofwreckedvessels,itneverthelessrejoicedinthepossessionofagovernor,agarrison,aforkedgibbet,aconvent,andaburgomaster,inshort,inalltheinstitutionsofanadvancedcivilization.

WhoreignedoverBrabantandFlandersinthosedays?

Onthispointtraditionismute.Letusconfessatoncethatthistalesavorsstronglyofthemarvelous,themysterious,andthevague;elementswhichFlemishnarratorshaveinfusedintoastoryretailedsooftentogatheringsofworkersonwinterevenings,thatthedetailsvarywidelyinpoeticmeritandincongruityofdetail.Ithasbeentoldbyeverygeneration,handeddownbygrandamesatthefireside,narratednightandday,andthechroniclehaschangeditscomplexionsomewhatineveryage.Likesomegreatbuildingthathassufferedmanymodificationsofsuccessivegenerationsofarchitects,somesombreweather-beatenpile,thedelightofapoet,thestorywoulddrivethecommentatorandtheindustriouswinnowerofwords,facts,anddatestodespair.Thenarratorbelievesinit,asallsuperstitiousmindsinFlanderslikewisebelieve;andisnotawhitwisernormorecredulousthanhisaudience.Butasitwouldbeimpossibletomakeaharmonyofallthedifferentrenderings,herearetheoutlinesofthestory;

stripped,itmaybe,ofitspicturesquequaintness,butwithallitsbolddisregardofhistoricaltruth,anditsmoralteachingsapprovedbyreligion--amyth,theblossomofimaginativefancy;anallegorythatthewisemayinterprettosuitthemselves.Toeachhisownpasturage,andthetaskofseparatingthetaresfromthewheat.

TheboatthatservedtocarrypassengersfromtheIslandofCadzandtoOstendwasuponthepointofdeparture;butbeforetheskipperloosedthechainthatsecuredtheshalloptothelittlejetty,wherepeopleembarked,heblewahornseveraltimes,towarnlatelingerers,thisbeinghislastjourneythatday.Nightwasfalling.ItwasscarcelypossibletoseethecoastofFlandersbythedyingfiresofthesunset,ortomakeoutuponthehithershoreanyformsofbelatedpassengershurryingalongthewallofthedykesthatsurroundedtheopencountry,oramongthetallreedsofthemarshes.Theboatwasfull.

"Whatareyouwaitingfor?

Letusputoff!

"theycried.

Justatthatmomentamanappearedafewpacesfromthejetty,tothesurpriseoftheskipper,whohadheardnosoundoffootsteps.Thetravelerseemedtohavesprungupfromtheearth,likeapeasantwhohadlaidhimselfdownonthegroundtowaittilltheboatshouldstart,andhadslepttillthesoundofthehornawakenedhim.Washeathief?

orsomeonebelongingtothecustom-houseorthepolice?

Assoonasthemanappearedonthejettytowhichtheboatwasmoored,sevenpersonswhowerestandinginthesternoftheshallophastenedtositdownonthebenches,soastoleavenoroomforthenewcomer.

Itwastheswiftandinstinctiveworkingofthearistocraticspirit,animpulseofexclusivenessthatcomesfromtherichman'sheart.FourofthesevenpersonagesbelongedtothemostaristocraticfamiliesinFlanders.Firstamongthemwasayoungknightwithtwobeautifulgreyhounds;hislonghairflowedfrombeneathajeweledcap;heclankedhisgildedspurs,curledtheendsofhismoustachefromtimetotimewithaswaggeringgrace,andlookedrounddisdainfullyontherestofthecrew.Ahigh-borndamsel,withafalcononherwrist,onlyspokewithhermotherorwithachurchmanofhighrank,whowasevidentlyarelation.Allthesepersonsmadeagreatdealofnoise,andtalkedamongthemselvesasthoughtherewerenooneelseintheboat;yetclosebesidethemsatamanofgreatimportanceinthedistrict,astoutburgherofBruges,wrappedaboutwithavastcloak.

Hisservant,armedtotheteeth,hadsetdownacoupleofbagsfilledwithgoldathisside.Nexttotheburghercameamanoflearning,adoctoroftheUniversityofLouvain,whowastravelingwithhisclerk.

Thislittlegroupoffolk,wholookedcontemptuouslyateachother,wasseparatedfromthepassengersintheforwardpartoftheboatbythebenchofrowers.

Thebelatedtravelerglancedabouthimashesteppedonboard,sawthattherewasnoroomforhiminthestern,andwenttothebowsinquestofaseat.Theywereallpoorpeoplethere.Atfirstsightofthebareheadedmaninthebrowncamletcoatandtrunk-hose,andplainstifflinencollar,theynoticedthatheworenoornaments,carriednocapnorbonnetinhishand,andhadneitherswordnorpurseathisgirdle,andoneandalltookhimforaburgomastersureofhisauthority,aworthyandkindlyburgomasterlikesomanyaFlemingofoldtimes,whosehomelyfeaturesandcharactershavebeenimmortalizedbyFlemishpainters.Thepoorerpassengers,therefore,receivedhimwithdemonstrationsofrespectthatprovokedscornfultitteringattheotherendoftheboat.Anoldsoldier,inuredtotoilandhardship,gaveuphisplaceonthebenchtothenewcomer,andseatedhimselfontheedgeofthevessel,keepinghisbalancebyplantinghisfeetagainstoneofthosetraversebeams,likethebackboneofafish,thatholdtheplanksofaboattogether.Ayoungmother,whoboreherbabyinherarms,andseemedtobelongtotheworkingclassinOstend,movedasidetomakeroomforthestranger.Therewasneitherservilitynorscorninhermannerofdoingthis;itwasasimplesignofthegoodwillbywhichthepoor,whoknowbylongexperiencethevalueofaserviceandthewarmththatfellowshipbrings,giveexpressiontotheopen-heartednessandthenaturalimpulsesoftheirsouls;soartlesslydotheyrevealtheirgoodqualitiesandtheirdefects.Thestrangerthankedherbyagesturefullofgraciousdignity,andtookhisplacebetweentheyoungmotherandtheoldsoldier.Immediatelybehindhimsatapeasantandhisson,aboytenyearsofage.Abeggarwoman,old,wrinkled,andcladinrags,wascrouching,withheralmostemptywallet,onagreatcoilofropethatlayintheprow.Oneoftherowers,anoldsailor,whohadknownherinthedaysofherbeautyandprosperity,hadlethercomein"fortheloveofGod,"inthebeautifulphrasethatthecommonpeopleuse.

"Thankyoukindly,Thomas,"theoldwomanhadsaid."Iwillsaytwo/Paters/andtwo/Aves/foryouinmyprayersto-night."

Theskipperblewhishornforthelasttime,lookedalongthesilentshore,flungoffthechain,ranalongthesideoftheboat,andtookuphispositionatthehelm.Helookedatthesky,andassoonastheywereoutintheopensea,heshoutedtothemen:

"Pullaway,pullwithallyourmight!

Theseaissmilingatasquall,thewitch!

Icanfeeltheswellbythewaytherudderworks,andthestorminmywounds."

Thenauticalphrases,unintelligibletoearsunusedtothesoundofthesea,seemedtoputfreshenergyintotheoars;theykepttimetogether,therhythmofthemovementwasstillevenandsteady,butquiteunlikethepreviousmannerofrowing;itwasasifacanteringhorsehadbrokenintoagallop.Thegaycompanyseatedinthesternamusedthemselvesbywatchingthebrawnyarms,thetannedfaces,andsparklingeyesoftherowers,theplayofthetensemuscles,thephysicalandmentalforcesthatwerebeingexertedtobringthemforatriflingtollacrossthechannel.Sofarfrompityingtherowers'

distress,theypointedoutthemen'sfacestoeachother,andlaughedatthegrotesqueexpressionsonthefacesofthecrewwhowerestrainingeverymuscle;butintheforepartoftheboatthesoldier,thepeasant,andtheoldbeggarwomanwatchedthesailorswiththesympathynaturallyfeltbytoilerswholivebythesweatoftheirbrowandknowtheroughstruggle,thestrenuousexcitementofeffort.Thesefolk,moreover,whoseliveswerespentintheopenair,hadallseenthewarningsofdangerinthesky,andtheirfacesweregrave.Theyoungmotherrockedherchild,singinganoldhymnoftheChurchforalullaby.

"Ifweevergetthereatall,"thesoldierremarkedtothepeasant,"itwillbebecausetheAlmightyisbentonkeepingusalive."

"Ah!

HeistheMaster,"saidtheoldwoman,"butIthinkitwillbeHisgoodpleasuretotakeustoHimself.Justlookatthatlightdownthere..."andshenoddedherheadasshespoketowardsthesunset.

Streaksoffieryredglaredfrombehindthemassesofcrimson-flushedbrowncloudthatseemedabouttounlooseafuriousgale.Therewasasmotheredmurmurofthesea,amoaningsoundthatseemedtocomefromthedepths,alowwarninggrowl,suchasadoggiveswhenheonlymeansmischiefasyet.Afterall,Ostendwasnotfaraway.Perhapspainting,likepoetry,couldnotprolongtheexistenceofthepicturepresentedbyseaandskyatthatmomentbeyondthetimeofitsactualduration.Artdemandsvehementcontrasts,whereforeartistsusuallyseekoutNature'smoststrikingeffects,doubtlessbecausetheydespairofrenderingthe