little britain-第1部分

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Little　Britain



by　Washington　Irving









What　I　write　is　most　true。。。I　have　a　whole　booke　of　cases

lying　by　me　which　if　I　should　sette　foorth；　some　grave　auntients

（within　the　hearing　of　Bow　bell）　would　be　out　of　charity　with　me。



NASHE。







IN　the　centre　of　the　great　city　of　London　lies　a　small

neighborhood；　consisting　of　a　cluster　of　narrow　streets　and

courts；　of　very　venerable　and　debilitated　houses；　which　goes

by　the　name　of　LITTLE　BRITAIN。　　Christ　Church　School　and

St。　Bartholomew's　Hospital　bound　it　on　the　west；　Smithfield　and

Long　Lane　on　the　north；　Aldersgate　Street；　like　an　arm　of　the

sea；　divides　it　from　the　eastern　part　of　the　city；　whilst　the

yawning　gulf　of　Bull…and…Mouth　Street　separates　it　from

Butcher　Lane；　and　the　regions　of　Newgate。　　Over　this　little

territory；　thus　bounded　and　designated；　the　great　dome　of　St。

Paul's；　swelling　above　the　intervening　houses　of　Paternoster

Row；　Amen　Corner；　and　Ave　Maria　Lane；　looks　down　with　an


air　of　motherly　protection。



This　quarter　derives　its　appellation　from　having　been；　in

ancient　times；　the　residence　of　the　Dukes　of　Brittany。　　As

London　increased；　however；　rank　and　fashion　rolled　off　to　the

west；　and　trade；　creeping　on　at　their　heels；　took　possession　of

their　deserted　abodes。　　For　some　time　Little　Britain　became　the

great　mart　of　learning；　and　was　peopled　by　the　busy　and

prolific　race　of　booksellers；　these　also　gradually　deserted　it；

and；　emigrating　beyond　the　great　strait　of　Newgate　Street；

settled　down　in　Paternoster　Row　and　St。　Paul's　Churchyard；

where　they　continue　to　increase　and　multiply　even　at　the

present　day。



But　though　thus　falling　into　decline；　Little　Britain　still　bears

traces　of　its　former　splendor。　　There　are　several　houses　ready

to　tumble　down；　the　fronts　of　which　are　magnificently　enriched

with　old　oaken　carvings　of　hideous　faces；　unknown　birds；

beasts；　and　fishes；　and　fruits　and　flowers　which　it　would

perplex　a　naturalist　to　classify。　　There　are　also；　in　Aldersgate

Street；　certain　remains　of　what　were　once　spacious　and　lordly

family　mansions；　but　which　have　in　latter　days　been　subdivided

into　several　tenements。　　Here　may　often　be　found　the　family　of

a　petty　tradesman；　with　its　trumpery　furniture；　burrowing

among　the　relics　of　antiquated　finery；　in　great；　rambling；　time…

stained　apartments；　with　fretted　ceilings；　gilded　cornices；　and

enormous　marble　fireplaces。　　The　lanes　and　courts　also　contain

many　smaller　houses；　not　on　so　grand　a　scale；　but；　like　your

small　ancient　gentry；　sturdily　maintaining　their　claims　to　equal

antiquity。　　These　have　their　gable　ends　to　the　street；　great　bow…

windows；　with　diamond　panes　set　in　lead；　grotesque　carvings；

and　low　arched　door…ways。



In　this　most　venerable　and　sheltered　little　nest　have　I　passed

several　quiet　years　of　existence；　comfortably　lodged　in　the

second　floor　of　one　of　the　smallest　but　oldest　edifices。　　My

sitting…room　is　an　old　wainscoted　chamber；　with　small　panels；

and　set　off　with　a　miscellaneous　array　of　furniture。　　I　have　a

particular　respect　for　three　or　four　high…backed　claw…footed

chairs；　covered　with　tarnished　brocade；　which　bear　the　marks

of　having　seen　better　days；　and　have　doubtless　figured　in　some

of　the　old　palaces　of　Little　Britain。　　They　seem　to　me　to　keep

together；　and　to　look　down　with　sovereign　contempt　upon

their　leathern…bottomed　neighbors：　as　I　have　seen　decayed

gentry　carry　a　high　head　among　the　plebeian　society　with　which

they　were　reduced　to　associate。　　The　whole　front　of　my　sitting…

room　is　taken　up　with　a　bow…window；　on　the　panes　of　which

are　recorded　the　names　of　previous　occupants　for　many

generations；　mingled　with　scraps　of　very　indifferent

gentlemanlike　poetry；　written　in　characters　which　I　can　scarcely

decipher；　and　which　extol　the　charms　of　many　a　beauty　of

Little　Britain　who　has　long；　long　since　bloomed；　faded；　and

passed　away。　　As　I　am　an　idle　personage；　with　no　apparent

occupation；　and　pay　my　bill　regularly　every　week；　I　am　looked

upon　as　the　only　independent　gentleman　of　the　neighborhood；

and；　being　curious　to　learn　the　internal　state　of　a　community　so

apparently　shut　up　within　itself；　I　have　managed　to　work　my

way　into　all　the　concerns　and　secrets　of　the　place。



Little　Britain　may　truly　be　called　the　heart's　core　of　the　city；

the　stronghold　of　true　John　Bullism。　　It　is　a　fragment　of

London　as　it　was　in　its　better　days；　with　its　antiquated　folks

and　fashions。　　Here　flourish　in　great　preservation　many　of　the

holiday　games　and　customs　of　yore。　　The　inhabitants　most

religiously　eat　pancakes　on　Shrove　Tuesday；　hot…cross…buns　on

Good　Friday；　and　roast　goose　at　Michaelmas；　they　send　love…

letters　on　Valentine's　Day；　burn　the　pope　on　the　fifth　of

November；　and　kiss　all　the　girls　under　the　mistletoe　at

Christmas。　　Roast　beef　and　plum　pudding　are　also　held　in

superstitious　veneration；　and　port　and　sherry　maintain　their

grounds　as　the　only　true　English　wines；　all　others　being


considered　vile；　outlandish　beverages。



Little　Britain　has　its　long　catalogue　of　city　wonders；　which　its

inhabitants　consider　the　wonders　of　the　world：　such　as　the

great　bell　of　St。　Paul's；　which　sours　all　the　beer　when　it　tolls；

the　figures　that　strike　the　hours　at　St。　Dunstan's　clock；　the

Monument；　the　lions　in　the　Tower；　and　the　wooden　giants　in

Guildhall。　　They　still　believe　in　dreams　and　fortune…telling；　and

an　old　woman　that　lives　in　Bull…and…Mouth　Street　makes　a

tolerable　subsistence　by　detecting　stolen　goods；　and　promising

the　girls　good　husbands。　　They　are　apt　to　be　rendered

uncomfortable　by　comets　and　eclipses；　and　if　a　dog　howls

dolefully　at　night；　it　is　looked　upon　as　a　sure　sign　of　a　death

in

the　place。　　There　are　even　many　ghost　stories　current；

particularly　concerning　the　old　mansion…houses；　in　several　of

which　it　is　said　strange　sights　are　sometimes　seen。　　Lords　and

ladies；　the　former　in　full　bottomed　wigs；　hanging　sleeves；　and

swords；　the　latter　in　lappets；　stays；　hoops　and　brocade；　have

been　seen　walking　up　and　down　the　great　waste　chambers；　on

moonlight　nights；　and　are　supposed　to　be　the　shades　of　the

ancient　proprietors　in　their　court…dresses。



Little　Britain　has　likewise　its　sages　and　great　men。　　One　of

the　most　important　of　the　former　is　a　tall；　dry　old　gentleman；　of

the　name　of　Skryme；　who　keeps　a　small　apothecary's　shop。　　He

has　a　cadaverous　countenance；　full　of　cavities　and　projections；

with　a　brown　circle　round　each　eye；　like　a　pair　of　horned

spectacles。　　He　is　much　thought　of　by　the　old　women；　who

consider　him　a　kind　of　conjurer；　because　he　has　two　of　three

stuffed　alligators　hanging　up　in　his　shop；　and　several　snakes　in

bottles。　　He　is　a　great　reader　of　almanacs　and　newspapers；　and

is　much　given　to　pore　over　alarming　accounts　of　plots；

conspiracies；　fires；　earthquakes；　and　volcanic　eruptions；　which

last　phenomena　he　considers　as　signs　of　the　times。　　He　has

always　some　dismal　tale　of　the　kind　to　deal　out　to　his　customers；

with　their　doses；　and　thus　at　the　same　time　puts　both　soul　and

body　into　an　uproar。　He　is　a　great　believer　in　omens　and

predictions；　and　has　the　prophecies　of　Robert　Nixon　and

Mother　Shipton　by　heart。　No　man　can　make　so　much　out　of　an

eclipse；　or　even　an　unusually　dark　day；　and　he　shook　the　tail　of

the　last　comet　over　the　heads　of　his　customers　and　disciples

until　they　were　nearly　frightened　out　of　their　wits。　　He　has

lately　got　hold　of　a　popular　legend　or　prophecy；　on　which　he

has　been　unusually　eloquent。　　There　has　been　a　saying　current

among　the　ancient　sibyls；　who　treasure　up　these　things；　that

when　the　grasshopper　on　the　top　of　the　Exchange　shook　hands

with　the　dragon　on　the　top　of　Bow　Church　Steeple；　fearful

events　would　take　place。　　This　strange　conjunction；　it　seems；　has

as　strangely　come　to　pass。　　The　same　architect　has　been　engaged

lately　on　the　repairs　of　the　cupola　of　the　Exchange；　and　the

steeple　of　Bow　church；　and；　fearful　to　relate；　the　dragon　and

the　grasshopper　actually　lie；　cheek　by　jole；　in　the　yard　of　his

workshop。



〃Others；〃　as　Mr。　Skryme　is　accustomed　to　say；　〃may　go　star…

gazing；　and　look　for　conjunctions　in　the　heavens；　but　here　is　a

conjunction　on　the　earth；　near　at　home；　and　under　our　own　eyes；

which　surpasses　all　the　signs　and　calculations　of　astrologers。〃　　

Since　these　portentous　weathercocks　have　thus　laid　their　heads

together；　wonderful　events　had　already　occurred。　　The　good

old　king；　notwithstanding　that　he　had　lived　eighty…two　years；

had　all　at　once　given　up　the　ghost；　another　king　had　mounted

the　throne；　a　royal　duke　had　died　suddenly；another；　in

France；　had　been　murdered；　there　had　been　radical　meetings　in

all　parts　of　the　kingdom；　the　bloody　scenes　at　Manchester；　the

great　plot　of　Cato　Street；　and　above　all；　the　queen　had　returned

to　England！　　All　these　sinister　events　are　recounted　by　Mr。

Skryme；　with　a　mysterious　look；　and　a　dismal　shake　of　the

head；　and　being　taken　with　his　drugs；　and　associated　in　the

minds　of　his　auditors　with　stuffed　sea…monsters；　bottled

serpents；　and　his　own　visage；　which　is　a　title…page　of

tribulation；　they　have　spread　great　gloom　through　the　minds　of

the　people　of　Little　Britain。　　They　shake　their　heads　whenever

they　go　by　Bow　Church；　and　observe；　that　they　never　expected

any　good　to　come　of　taking　down　that　steeple；　which　in　old

times　told　nothing　but　glad　tidings；　as　the　history　of

Whittington　and　his　Cat　bears　witness。



The　rival　oracle　of　Little　Britain　is　a　substantial

cheesemonger；　who　lives　in　a　fragment　of　one　of　the　old　family

mansions；　and　is　as　magnificently　lodged　as　a　round…bellied

mite　in　the　midst　of　one　of　his　own　Cheshires。　　Indeed；　he　is　a

man　of　no　little　standing　and　importance；　and　his　renown

extends　through　Huggin　Lane；　and　Lad　Lane；　and　even　unto

Aldermanbury。　　His　opinion　is　very　much　taken　in　affairs　of

state；　having　read　the　Sunday　papers　for　th