penguin island-第15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　her　person　certain　singularities　that　will　appear　beautiful　or　uncomely　according　to　the　contradictory　opinions　of　men　and　the　varying　judgments　of　the　world。　She　has　on　her　forehead　two　small　horns　which　she　conceals　in　the　abundant　folds　of　her　golden　hair；　one　of　her　eyes　is　blue　and　one　is　black；　her　neck　is　bent　towards　the　left　side；　and；　like　Alexander　of　Macedon；　she　has　six　fingers　on　her　right　hand；　and　a　stain　like　a　little　monkey's　head　upon　her　skin。

〃Her　gait　is　majestic　and　her　manner　affable。　She　is　magnificent　in　her　expenses；　but　she　is　not　always　able　to　rule　desire　by　reason。

〃One　day；　having　noticed　in　the　palace　stables；　a　young　groom　of　great　beauty；　she　immediately　fell　violently　in　love　with　him；　and　entrusted　to　him　the　command　of　her　armies。　What　one　must　praise　unreservedly　in　this　great　queen　is　the　abundance　of　gifts　that　she　makes　to　the　churches；　monasteries；　and　chapels　in　her　kingdom；　and　especially　to　the　holy　house　of　Beargarden；　where；　by　the　grace　of　the　Lord；　I　made　my　profession　in　my　fourteenth　year。　She　has　founded　masses　for　the　repose　of　her　soul　in　such　great　numbers　that　every　priest　in　the　Penguin　Church　is；　so　to　speak；　transformed　into　a　taper　lighted　in　the　sight　of　heaven　to　draw　down　the　divine　mercy　upon　the　august　Crucha。〃

From　these　lines　and　from　some　others　with　which　have　enriched　my　text　the　reader　can　judge　of　the　historical　and　literary　value　of　the　〃Gesta　Penguinorum。〃　Unhappily；　that　chronicle　suddenly　comes　suddenly　to　an　end　at　third　year　of　Draco　the　Simple；　the　successor　of　Gun　the　Weak。　Having　reached　that　point　of　my　history；　I　deplore　the　loss　of　an　agreeable　and　trustworthy　guide。

During　the　two　centuries　that　followed；　the　Penguins　remained　plunged　in　blood…stained　disorder。　All　the　arts　perished。　In　the　midst　of　the　general　ignorance；　the　monks　in　the　shadow　of　their　cloister　devoted　themselves　to　study；　and　copied　the　Holy　Scriptures　with　indefatigable　zeal。　As　parchment　was　scarce；they　scraped　the　writing　off　old　manuscripts　in　order　to　transcribe　upon　them　the　divine　word。　Thus　throughout　the　breadth　of　Penguinia　Bibles　blossomed　forth　like　roses　on　a　bush。

A　monk　of　the　order　of　St。　Benedict；　Ermold　the　Penguin；　had　himself　alone　defaced　four　thousand　Greek　and　Latin　manuscripts　so　as　to　copy　out　the　Gospel　of　St。　John　four　thousand　times。　Thus　the　masterpieces　of　ancient　poetry　and　eloquence　were　destroyed　in　great　numbers。　Historians　are　unanimous　in　recognising　that　the　Penguin　convents　were　the　refuge　of　learning　during　the　Middle　Ages。

Unending　wars　between　the　Penguins　and　the　Porpoises　filled　the　close　of　this　period。　It　is　extremely　difficult　to　know　the　truth　concerning　these　wars；　not　because　accounts　are　wanting；　but　because　there　are　so　many　of　them。　The　Porpoise　Chronicles　contradict　the　Penguin　Chronicles　at　every　point。　And；　moreover；　the　Penguins　contradict　each　other　as　well　as　the　Porpoises。　I　have　discovered　two　chronicles　that　are　in　agreement；　but　one　has　copied　from　the　other。　A　single　fact　is　certain；　namely；　that　massacres；　rapes；　conflagrations；　and　plunder　succeeded　one　another　without　interruption。

Under　the　unhappy　prince　Bosco　IX。　the　kingdom　was　at　the　verge　of　ruin。　On　the　news　that　the　Porpoise　fleet；　composed　of　six　hundred　great　ships；　was　in　sight　of　Alca；　the　bishop　ordered　a　solemn　procession。　The　cathedral　chapter；　the　elected　magistrates；　the　members　of　Parliament；　and　the　clerics　of　the　University　entered　the　Cathedral　and；　taking　up　St。　Orberosia's　shrine；　led　it　in　procession　through　the　town；　followed　by　the　entire　people　singing　hymns。　The　holy　patron　of　Penguinia　was　not　invoked　in　vain。　Nevertheless；　the　Porpoises　besieged　the　town　both　by　land　and　sea；　took　it　by　assault；　and　for　three　days　and　three　nights　killed；　plundered；　violated；　and　burned；　with　all　the　indifference　that　habit　produces。

Our　astonishment　cannot　be　too　great　at　the　fact　that；　during　those　iron　ages；　the　faith　was　preserved　intact　among　the　Penguins。　The　splendour　of　the　truth　in　those　times　illumined　all　souls　that　had　not　been　corrupted　by　sophisms。　This　is　the　explanation　of　the　unity　of　belief。　A　constant　practice　of　the　Church　doubtless　contributed　also　to　maintain　this　happy　communion　of　the　faithfulevery　Penguin　who　thought　differently　from　the　others　was　immediately　burned　at　the　stake。



IV。　LETTERS：　JOHANNES　TALPA

During　the　minority　of　King　Gun；　Johannes　Talpa；　in　the　monastery　of　Beargarden；　where　at　the　age　of　fourteen　he　had　made　his　profession　and　from　which　he　never　departed　for　a　single　day　throughout　his　life；　composed　his　celebrated　Latin　chronicle　in　twelve　books　called　〃De　Gestis　Penguinorum。〃

The　monastery　of　Beargarden　lifts　its　high　walls　on　the　summit　of　an　inaccessible　peak。　One　sees　around　it　only　the　blue　tops　of　mountains；　divided　by　the　clouds。

When　he　began　to　write　his　〃Gesta　Penguinorum；〃　Johannes　Talpa　was　already　old。　The　good　monk　has　taken　care　to　tell　us　this　in　his　book：　〃My　head　has　long　since　lost；〃　he　says；　〃its　adornment　of　fair　hair；　and　my　scalp　resembles　those　convex　mirrors　of　metal　which　the　Penguin　ladies　consult　with　so　much　care　and　zeal。　My　stature；　naturally　small；　has　with　years　become　diminished　and　bent。　My　white　beard　gives　warmth　to　my　breast。〃

With　a　charming　simplicity；　Talpa　informs　us　of　certain　circumstances　in　his　life　and　some　features　in　his　character。　〃Descended；〃　he　tells　us；　〃from　a　noble　family；　and　destined　from　childhood　for　the　ecclesiastical　state；　I　was　taught　grammar　and　music。　I　learnt　to　read　under　the　guidance　of　a　master　who　was　called　Amicus；　and　who　would　have　been　better　named　Inimicus。　As　I　did　not　easily　attain　to　a　knowledge　of　my　letters；　he　beat　me　violently　with　rods　so　that　I　can　say　that　he　printed　the　alphabet　in　strokes　upon　my　back。〃

In　another　passage　Talpa　confesses　his　natural　inclination　towards　pleasure。　These　are　his　expressive　words：　〃In　my　youth　the　ardour　of　my　senses　was　such　that　in　the　shadow　of　the　woods　I　experienced　a　sensation　of　boiling　in　a　pot　rather　than　of　breathing　the　fresh　air。　I　fled　from　women；　but　in　vain；　for　every　object　recalled　them　to　me。〃

While　he　was　writing　his　chronicle；　a　terrible　war；　at　once　foreign　and　domestic；　laid　waste　the　Penguin　land。　The　soldiers　of　Crucha　came　to　defend　the　monastery　of　Beargarden　against　the　Penguin　barbarians　and　established　themselves　strongly　within　its　walls。　In　order　to　render　it　impregnable　they　pierced　loop…holes　through　the　walls　and　they　took　the　lead　off　the　church　roof　to　make　balls　for　their　slings。　At　night　they　lighted　huge　fires　in　the　courts　and　cloisters　and　on　them　they　roasted　whole　oxen　which　they　spitted　upon　the　ancient　pine…trees　of　the　mountain。　Sitting　around　the　flames；　amid　smoke　filled　with　a　mingled　odour　of　resin　and　fat；　they　broached　huge　casks　of　wine　and　beer。　Their　songs；　their　blasphemies；　and　the　noise　of　their　quarrels　drowned　the　sound　of　the　morning　bells。

At　last　the　Porpoises；　having　crossed　the　defiles；　laid　siege　to　the　monastery。　They　were　warriors　from　the　North；　clad　in　copper　armour。　They　fastened　ladders　a　hundred　and　fifty　fathoms　long　to　the　sides　of　the　cliffs　and　sometimes　in　the　darkness　and　storm　these　broke　beneath　the　weight　of　men　and　arms；　and　bunches　of　the　besiegers　were　hurled　into　the　ravines　and　precipices。　A　prolonged　wail　would　be　heard　going　down　into　the　darkness；　and　the　assault　would　begin　again。　The　Penguins　poured　streams　of　burning　wax　upon　their　assailants；　which　made　them　blaze　like　torches。　Sixty　times　the　enraged　Porpoises　attempted　to　scale　the　monastery　and　sixty　times　they　were　repulsed。

For　six　months　they　had　closely　invested　the　monastery；　when；　on　the　day　of　the　Epiphany；　a　shepherd　of　the　valley　showed　them　a　hidden　path　by　which　they　climbed　the　mountain；　penetrated　into　the　vaults　of　the　abbey；　ran　through　the　cloisters；　the　kitchens；　the　church；　the　chapter　halls；　the　library；　the　laundry；　the　cells；　the　refectories；　and　the　dormitories；　and　burned　the　buildings；　killing　and　violating　without　distinction　of　age　or　sex。　The　Penguins；　awakened　unexpectedly；　ran　to　arms；　but　in　the　darkness　and　alarm　they　struck　at　one　another；　whilst　the　Porpoises　with　blows　of　their　axes　disputed　the　sacred　vessels；　the　censers；　the　candlesticks；　dalmatics；　reliquaries；　golden　crosses；　and　precious　stones。

The　air　was　filled　with　an　acrid　odour　of　burnt　flesh。　Groans　and　death…cries　arose　in　the　midst　of　the　flames；　and　on　the　edges　of　the　crumbling　roofs　monks　ran　in　thousands　like　ants；　and　fell　into　the　valley。　Yet　Johannes　Talpa　kept　on　writing　his　Chronicle。　The　soldiers　of　Crucha　retreated　speedily　and　filled　up　all　the　issues　from　the　monastery　with　pieces　of　rock　so　as　to　shut　up　the　Porpoises　in　the　burning　buildings。　And　to　crush　the　enemy　beneath　the　ruin　they　employed　the　trunks　of　old　oaks　as　battering…rams。　The　burning　timbers　fell　in　with　a　noise　like　thunder　and　the　lofty　arches　of　the　naves　crumbled　beneath　the　shock　of　these　giant　trees　when　moved　by　six　hundred　men　together。　Soon　there　was　left　nothing　of　the　rich　and　extensive　abbey　but　the　cell　of　Johannes　Talpa；　which；　by　a　marvellous　chance；　hung　from　the　ruin　of　a　smoking　gable。　The　old　chr