初中英语强化训练I.docx

初中英语强化训练I.docx

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初中英语强化训练I

初中英语强化训练（I）

强化训练复习第一部分

105

Turningasideanddescendingtheglenbyanarrowerpath,arambleofhalfamilebringsmetoanothersceneofmarvellousbeauty.Intheforegroundisapoolcoveredwithwaterliliesandovershadowedbytrees;andfromit,leadingstraightupthehillside,isthe“holystair,”orcoldspring,asitiscalled.Elevendoubleflightsofstonestairs,eachpairofflightsleadingtoalandingofblackandwhitemosaic,whilstinthecentrebetweenthetwolinesofstepsarockycataractleadsarushingstreamoficycoldclearwaterfromthefountaingushingatthetopfromtherockinitsmosaicrecessdowntothebottomofthehill,whereittumblestumultuouslyintothepool.Throughthewholelengthofthelongfall,flankedbystairs,perhapstwohundred106feet,rarefernsandmossesgrowwithwildluxuriance,especiallyinandaboutthepoolsonthetenlandings;and,embosomedasthewholehillsideisindensegreenery,itisimpossibletoexaggeratethedeliciouscoolnessandbeautyofthissecludedspot.

FromthetopoftheFonteFria,orScalaSanta,thepathleadsthroughavalley,andthenprecipitouslyuptheascentthatfacedmewhenonthemorningaftermyarrivalIstooduponthebattlementsforthefirsttime.ThehermitageofSt.Ant?

ostandsuponaledgehighuptheslope,atinydismantledcell,fromwhichaviewisgainedonacleardaythatfairlytakesone’sbreathaway.Below,setinitsvastbedofverdure,thewhitestonecastlestands,thegoldarmillaryspherethatcrownsitstowerglitteringinthesun;whilstontheleftthefar-flungpanoramaoftheplain,withthebluewalloftheseabeyond,andthegreymountainsonthenorth,isfloodedwithaninundationoflight,andscatteredwiththeabodesofmen—thesombremassesofgreeneryandtheprofoundsilencethatsurroundusmakingthecontrastthemorestriking.Awiderviewstillthanthisisobtainedfromthehighestpointofthedomain,ontheveryoutskirtstowardsthesouth,wheretheCruzAlta,the“highcross,”marksthesiteofwhatinancienttimeswasawatch-towerofsoldier-monks,overlookingthecountrytowardsCoimbra,whencetheMoorsmightcometoinvadethesacredwood.

INTHEGARDENS,BUSSACO.

107

AgreaterbattlethaneverChristianandMoslemfoughtragedinlatertimesuponthis“Bussaco’sironridge,”justoutsidethegranitewallsofthewoodonthenorth-westslopesofthelongmountain.“Victory’sdarling,”Massena,wastobringstubbornPortugaltoheelatlast.Soulthadbeenexpelledin1809,afterWellington’ssurpriseofOporto;andtheEmperorwasdeterminedthatnothingshouldstandbetweenhimandhissmallvictimthistime.Massenawasattheheightofhisgloryandsuccess,andthefloweroftheimperiallegions,eightythousandmen,marchedthroughSpain,andcarriedallbeforehimatfirstinPortugal.AlmeidaandVizeufellintohishandswithoutastruggle;andtheinvadersthoughtthatnoseriousobstaclewouldbeofferedtothemarchuponLisbonbywayofCoimbra.Theroadledthemthroughthevalleybetween108thelongmountainsofBussacoandtheCremullorangeopposite,andWellington,whoseheadquarterswereatCoimbra,fifteenmilesdistant,decidedtostoptheirprogressthere.Beforethewholeofhisforcescouldbegotintoposition,newscamethattheFrenchhadcrossedtheriverMondego,andtheAnglo-Portugueseforcegraduallyfellback,alwaysfightingwiththeFrenchadvance-guard,untilthewholeofWellington’sarmyofnearly50,000werestationeduponthelongridgeofBussaco,fromtheeastwallofthedomaintotheriverMondego,wherethemountainends.

Acuriousrelationexists,hithertounnotedinEnglishnarratives,inwhichamonkofBussacogivesaminuteaccountfromdaytodayoftheeventstherefromthe20thSeptember1810untilafterthebattleonthe27th,andtheartlessdetailsofthegoodmanaremorepersonallyinterestingperhapsthanthebroadfactsofthegreatbattleitself.Hetellsthat,onthe20thSeptember,anorderlyofLordWellingtoncametothemonastery,and:

“Assoonasthedoorwasopenedtohimhesaid,‘Iwanttoseethemonastery,ha!

ha!

ha!

To-morrowattwoo’clockthecommander-in-chiefiscominghere.HesleptlastnightatLorv?

o,andtheFrenchhavealreadyarrivedatTondella....’Thepriorwastold,andheshowedtheorderlythemonasteryandchapel,orderingthebestlodging-chambertobecleanedandgotreadyforthegeneral,andtheorderly,afterdrinkingalittlewine,gallopedbacktoLorv?

o.”

THEPORTADASULLA,BUSSACO.

109

Earlynextmorningthewholewood,thehermitages,themonastery,andthechapelwerefilledwithEnglishofficers,fiftyofficersbeingquarteredinthemonasteryitself.Wellingtonarrivedatmidday,andwhenthepriorshowedhimthebestguest-chamber,sweptandgarnishedforhisuse,herefusedit,“althoughitwasthebest,”becauseithadonlyonedoor,andanotherapartmentwithtwodoorshadtobefoundforhim.Whilstthislodgingwasbeingpreparedandcleaned,thegeneralrodeoutofthedomainbythegateonthenorthsideandinspectedthewholepositionfromthehighestpointoftheridgetotheeast,onthebaregranitecrestofwhichhefixedhisownpositionforthedayofthebattle.Standinguponthisspottherespreadsbelowthesteepslopesintheforegroundanundulatingplain,somefivemilesacross,withCaramulomountainsontheotherside.Through110thisbrokenplainMassenawasforcedtomarchinordertoturnorcrosstheBussacomountains,andproceedonhisroadtoCoimbra,Lisbon,andOporto.WhenhelearntthattheEnglishgeneralhaddecidedtoriskeverythingbymakingastandtherewithforcesinferiortohisownheatfirstrefusedtobelieveit,forconstantsuccesshadmadehimthinkthathistroopscoulddoanything;andifWellingtonwerebeatenhere,thenannihilationwouldawaittheEnglish,andPortugalwouldfollowSpaininbowingtotheyokeofFrance.ButifWellingtondoestaketherisk,saidMassena,“Jeletiens!

demainnousfinironslaconquêtedePortugal,etenunpendejoursjenoyeraileléopard.”Ney,Junot,andRegnierinvaincounselledMassenanottoflinghismenawayuponattackingsuchatremendouspositionasthatofBussaco,andurgedhimtoretireandawaitreinforcementsfromFrance;butMassenalaughedattheirwisefears,anddecidedtostormtheheight.“ThereisonlytherearguardoftheEnglishthere,”hesaid;“ifthewholearmyistheresomuchthebetter,thegoodluckofthedarlingofvictorywillnotabandonhim.”

EverycellandeverycornerofthemonasteryanddependencieswerefullofEnglishtroops,111“exceptFatherAntoniooftheAngels’cell,whichnoonewouldhave,asitwasfilledwithallsortsofoldrags,rubbish,andoldironhecouldpickup,andthemonkshadtosleepanywhere.”Onthe26thSeptembertheFrenchwereseenonthemountainsoppositeandupontheplainbelow,whereskirmishingwasconstantbetweenadvance-guards.Thenorth-eastwallofthedomainwaspartlydemolishedandcrowdedwithEnglishtroops,whilstbatteriesofartillerytoppedthecrestoftheridge,andCrawford’scorpsheldanoutlyingspurthatprojectsintotheplainfromoppositethenorthgate（PortadaRainha）ofthewood.LordWellingtonroseveryearlyonthemorningofthe27th,andtothedismayofthemonksorderedhisbaggagetobesentoutofthewoodtowardsCoimbra.Itwasnotforflight,asthemonksfeared,butprudence,andafterbreakfastthegreatgeneralrodeoutandtookhisstanduponthetopoftheridgeofBussaco,overlookingthelongvalley.Hisowntroopsweretoalargeextenthiddenbehindthecrestofthehill,andoccupiedthewholelengthofthemountainfrombeyondtheMondegoonthenorth-easttothemonasteryonthewest,Crawford’spositionontheprojectingspuron112theEnglishleftflankmakingthepositionatthatendpracticallysemicircular;thisleftflankconsequentlyenfiladedwithitsartillerythefaceofthedeclivityuponwhosecrestWellington’scentrewasstationed.OntheextremerightoftheEnglish,ontheothersideoftheMondego,GeneralHillwasincommand,withthePortugueseunderGeneralFane;butthewholeoftherestoftheAnglo-PortuguesearmywasposteduponorbehindthelongcrestofBussaco,theextremeleftunderGeneralCrawfordbeingthrustforwardupontheprojectingspur.Atsixo’clockonthemorningofthe27thSeptember,undercoverofaheavymist,twodesperateattacksweredelivereduponthecentreoftheEnglishposition.ThatontherightofthecentrewasledbyRegnierwithincredibledashandbravery,butwithterriblelosstotheFrench.AwholedivisionofFrenchmenatonepointherefinallystruggledtothesummitoftheridge,andtheeaglesplantedonthegranitecrestproclaimedtoMassenathatthevictorywaswon.Butthe88thand45thregimentswereinreservebehindthecrest,andatthecapturedpositiongallantPictonwasincommand.Likeanavalanchethetworegiments,withaPortuguesebattalion,advancedalongtheridgewithfixedbayonetsatthecharge.Withirresistibleimpetustheysweptallbeforethem.TheFrenchdivisionwashurledhelter-skelterdowntheprecipitousdeclivitywithhideousruinanddevastation.AllthefaceofBussacoatthatpointwassownwiththedeadanddying,theFrenchlossexceedingfourthousand,andthelegionsoftheDarlingofVictoryexperiencedthebitternessoftheirfirstdefeat.ThisawfulcarnagetookplaceatsomelittledistancetotherightofwhereWellingtonstoodonthesummitoftheridgethoughwellwithinsight,andasimilarattempt,butwithevenlesssuccesswasmadestillnearertohimonhisleft;whilstastubbornandsanguinarystruggletookplaceuponthespurontheextremeEnglishleftoccupiedbyCrawfordandPacke,upononep