轻如鸿毛5. Tom Jones汤姆琼斯

2021年1月20日发(作者：祖江)
BOOK IV
. CONTAINING THE TIME OF A YEAR.

8. Chapter viii. A battle sung by the muse...

1.

A battle sung by the muse in the Homerican style, and which none but the classical reader can taste.
2.

Mr Western had an estate in this parish; and as his house stood at little greater distance from this church than
from his own, he very often came to Divine Service here; and both he and the charming Sophia happened to
be present at this time.
3.

Sophia was much pleased with the beauty of the girl, whom she pitied for her simplicity in having dressed
herself in that manner, as she saw the envy which it had occasioned among her equals. She no sooner came
home
than
she
sent
for
the
gamekeeper,
and
ordered
him
to
bring
his
daughter
to
her;
saying
she
would
provide for her in the family, and might possibly place the girl about her own person, when her own maid,
who was now going away, had left her.
4.

Poor Seagrim was thunderstruck at this; for he was no stranger to the fault in the shape of his daughter. He
answered, in a stammering voice,
as she had never been at service.
with the girl, and am resolved to try her.
5.

Black George now repaired to his wife, on whose prudent counsel he depended to extricate him out of this
dilemma;
but
when
he
came
thither
he
found
his
house
in
some
confusion.
So
great
envy
had
this
sack
occasioned,
that
when
Mr
Allworthy
and
the
other
gentry
were
gone
from
church,
the
rage,
which
had
hitherto been confined, burst into an uproar; and, having vented itself at first in opprobrious words, laughs,
hisses, and gestures, betook itself at last to certain missile weapons; which, though from their plastic nature
they threatened neither the loss of life or of limb, were however sufficiently dreadful to a well-dressed lady.
Molly had too much spirit to bear this treatment tamely. Having therefore--but hold, as we are diffident of
our own abilities, let us here invite a superior power to our assistance.
6.

Ye Muses, then, whoever ye are, who love to sing battles, and principally thou who whilom didst recount the
slaughter in those fields where Hudibras and Trulla fought, if thou wert not starved with thy friend Butler,
assist me on this great occasion. All things are not in the power of all.
7.

As a vast herd of cows in a rich farmer's yard, if, while they are milked, they hear their calves at a distance,
lamenting the robbery which is then committing, roar and bellow; so roared forth the Somersetshire mob an
hallaloo, made up of almost as many squalls, screams, and other different sounds as there were persons, or
indeed passions among them: some were inspired by rage, others alarmed by fear, and others had nothing in
their
heads
but
the
love
of
fun;
but
chiefly
Envy,
the
sister
of
Satan,
and
his
constant
companion,
rushed
among the crowd, and blew up the fury of the women; who no sooner came up to Molly than they pelted her
with dirt and rubbish.
8.

Molly, having endeavoured in vain to make a handsome retreat, faced about; and laying hold of ragged Bess,
who advanced in the front of the enemy, she at one blow felled her to the ground. The whole army of the
enemy (though near a hundred in number), seeing the fate of their general, gave back many paces, and retired
behind a new-dug grave; for the churchyard was the field of battle, where there was to be a funeral that very
evening. Molly pursued her victory, and catching up a skull which lay on the side of the grave, discharged it
with such fury, that having hit a taylor on the head, the two skulls sent equally forth a hollow sound at their
meeting, and the taylor took presently measure of his length on the ground, where the skulls lay side by side,
and it was doubtful which was the more valuable of the two. Molly then taking a thigh-bone in her hand, fell

1