cambridge pieces-第5部分

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indeed；　have　once　been　covered　with　velvet；　but　they　are　now　so　worn
that　one　can　scarcely　detect　that　they　have　been　so；　the　tables
warped　and　worm…eaten；　the　few；　that　is；　that　remained　there；　the
shutters　cracked　and　dry　with　the　sun　and　summer　of　so　many　hundred
yearsno　Renaissance　work　here；　yet　for　all　that　there　was
something　about　it　which　made　it　to　me　the　only　really　pleasurable
nobleman's　mansion　that　I　have　ever　been　over；　the　view　from　the　top
is　superb；　and　then　the　row　home　to　Arona；　the　twinkling　lights
softly　gleaming　in　the　lake；　the　bells　jangling　from　the　tall　and
gaudy　campaniles；　the　stillness　of　the　summer　nightso　warm　and　yet
so　refreshing　on　the　water；　hush；　there　are　some　people　singinghow
sweetly　their　voices　are　borne　to　us　upon　the　slight　breath　of　wind
that　alone　is　stirring；　oh；　it　is　a　cruel　thing　to　think　of　war　in
connection　with　such　a　spot　as　this；　and　yet　from　this　very　Angera
to　this　very　Arona　it　is　that　the　Austrians　have　been　crossing　to
commence　their　attack　on　Sardinia。　　I　fear　these　next　summer　nights
will　not　be　broken　with　the　voice　of　much　singing　and　that　we　shall
have　to　hush　for　the　roaring　of　cannon。

I　never　knew　before　how　melodiously　frogs　can　croakthere　is　a
sweet　guttural　about　some　of　these　that　I　never　heard　in　England：
before　going　to　bed；　I　remember　particularly　one　amorous　batrachian
courting　malgre　sa　maman　regaled　us　with　a　lusciously　deep　rich
croak；　that　served　as　a　good　accompaniment　for　the　shrill　whizzing
sound　of　the　cigales。

My　space　is　getting　short；　but　fortunately　we　are　getting　on　to
ground　better　known；　I　will　therefore　content　myself　with　sketching
out　the　remainder　of　our　tour　and　leaving　the　reader　to　Murray　for
descriptions。

We　left　Arona　with　regret　on　Thursday　morning　（June　18）；　took
steamer　to　the　Isola　Bella；　which　is　an　example　of　how　far　human
extravagance　and　folly　can　spoil　a　rock；　which　had　it　been　left
alone　would　have　been　very　beautiful；　and　thence　by　a　little　boat
went　to　Baveno；　thence　we　took　diligence　for　Domo　d'Ossola；　the
weather　clouded　towards　evening　and　big　raindrops　beginning　to
descend　we　thought　it　better　to　proceed　at　once　by　the　same
diligence　over　the　Simplon；　we　did　not　care　to　walk　the　pass　in　wet；
therefore　leaving　Domo　d'Ossola　at　ten　o'clock　that　night　we　arrived
at　Iselle　about　two；　the　weather　clearing　we　saw　the　gorge　of　Gondo
and　walked　a　good　way　up　the　pass　in　the　early　morning　by　the
diligence；　breakfasted　at　Simplon　at　four　o'clock　in　the　morning；
and　without　waiting　a　moment　as　soon　as　we　got　out　at　Brieg　set　off
for　Visp；　which　we　reached　at　twelve　on　foot；　we　washed　and　dressed
there；　dined　and　advanced　to　Leuk；　and　thence　up　the　most
exquisitely　beautiful　road　to　Leukerbad；　which　we　reached　at　about
eight　o'clock　after　a　very　fatiguing　day。　　The　Hotel　de　la　France　is
clean　and　cheap。　　Next　morning　we　left　at　half…past　five　and；
crossing　the　Gemini；　got　to　Frutigen　at　half…past　one；　took　an　open
trap　after　dinner　and　drove　to　Interlaken；　which　we　reached　on　the
Saturday　night　at　eight　o'clock；　the　weather　first　rate；　Sunday　we
rested　at　Interlaken；　on　Monday　we　assailed　the　Wengern　Alp；　but　the
weather　being　pouring　wet　we　halted　on　the　top　and　spent　the　night
there；　being　rewarded　by　the　most　transcendent　evening　view　of　the
Jungfrau；　Eiger；　and　Monch　in　the　clear　cold　air　seen　through　a　thin
veil　of　semi…transparent　cloud　that　was　continually　scudding　across
them。

Next　morning　early　we　descended　to　Grindelwald；　thence　past　the
upper　glacier　under　the　Wetterhorn　over　the　Scheidegg　to　Rosenlaui；
where　we　dined　and　saw　the　glacier；　after　dinner；　descending　the
valley　we　visited　the　falls　of　Reichenbach　（which　the　reader　need
not　do　if　he　means　to　see　those　of　the　Aar　at　Handegg）；　and　leaving
Meyringen　on　our　left　we　recommenced　an　ascent　of　the　valley　of　the
Aar；　sleeping　at　Guttannen；　about　ten　miles　farther　on。

Next　day；　i。e。　Wednesday；　June　24；　leaving　Guttannen　very　early；
passing　the　falls　of　Handegg；　which　are　first　rate；　we　reached　the
hospice　at　nine；　had　some　wine　there；　and　crawled　on　through　the
snow　and　up　the　rocks　to　the　summit　of　the　passhere　we　met　an　old
lady；　in　a　blue　ugly；　with　a　pair　of　green　spectacles；　carried　in　a
chaise　a　porteur；　she　had　taken　it　into　her　head　in　her　old　age　that
she　would　like　to　see　a　little　of　the　world；　and　here　she　was。　　We
had　seen　her　lady's　maid　at　the　hospice；　concerning　whom　we　were
told　that　she　was　〃bien　sage；〃　and　did　not　scream　at　the　precipices。
On　the　top　of　the　Gemini；　too；　at　half…past　seven　in　the　morning；　we
had　met　a　somewhat　similar　lady　walking　alone　with　a　blue　parasol
over　the　snow；　about　half　an　hour　after　we　met　some　porters　carrying
her　luggage；　and　found　that　she　was　an　invalid　lady　of　Berne；　who
was　walking　over　to　the　baths　at　Leukerbad　for　the　benefit　of　her
healthwe　scarcely　thought　there　could　be　much　occasionleaving
these　two　good　ladies　then；　let　us　descend　the　Grimsel　to　the　bottom
of　the　glacier　of　the　Rhone；　and　then　ascend　the　Furkaa　stiff
pull；　we　got　there　by　two　o'clock；　dined　（Italian　is　spoken　here
again）；　and　finally　reached　Hospenthal　at　half…past　five　after　a
very　long　day。

On　Thursday　walking　down　to　Amstegg　and　taking　a　trap　to　Fluelen；　we
then　embarked　on　board　a　steamer　and　had　a　most　enjoyable　ride　to
Lucerne；　where　we　slept；　Friday　to　Basle　by　rail；　walking　over　the
Hauenstein；　｛2｝　and　getting　a　magnificent　panorama　（alas！　a　final
one）　of　the　Alps；　and　from　Basle　to　Strasburg；　where　we　ascended　the
cathedral　as　far　as　they　would　let　us　without　special　permission
from　a　power　they　called　Mary；　and　then　by　the　night　train　to　Paris；
where　we　arrived　Saturday　morning　at　ten。

Left　Paris　on　Sunday　afternoon；　slept　at　Dieppe；　left　Dieppe　Monday
morning；　got　to　London　at　three　o'clock　or　thereabouts；　and　might
have　reached　Cambridge　that　night　had　we　been　so　disposed；　next　day
came　safely　home　to　dear　old　St。　John's；　cash　in　hand　7d。

From　my　window　｛3｝　in　the　cool　of　the　summer　twilight　I　look　on　the
umbrageous　chestnuts　that　droop　into　the　river；　Trinity　library
rears　its　stately　proportions　on　the　left；　opposite　is　the　bridge；
over　that；　on　the　right；　the　thick　dark　foliage　is　blackening　almost
into　sombreness　as　the　night　draws　on。　　Immediately　beneath　are　the
arched　cloisters　resounding　with　the　solitary　footfall　of　meditative
students；　and　suggesting　grateful　retirement。　　I　say　to　myself　then；
as　I　sit　in　my　open　window；　that　for　a　continuance　I　would　rather
have　this　than　any　scene　I　have　visited　during　the　whole　of　our　most
enjoyed　tour；　and　fetch　down　a　Thucydides；　for　I　must　go　to　Shilleto
at　nine　o'clock　to…morrow。




TRANSLATION　FROM　AN　UNPUBLISHED　WORK　OF　HERODOTUS



This　piece　and　the　ten　that　follow　it　date　from　Butler's
undergraduate　days。　　They　were　preserved　by　the　late　Canon　Joseph
McCormick；　who　was　Butler's　contemporary　at　Cambridge　and　knew　him
well。

In　a　letter　to　THE　TIMES；　published　27　June；　1902；　shortly　after
Butler's　death；　Canon　McCormick　gave　some　interesting　details　of
Butler's　Cambridge　days。　　〃I　have　in　my　possession；〃　he　wrote；　〃some
of　the　skits　with　which　he　amused　himself　and　some　of　his　personal
friends。　　Perhaps　the　skit　professed　to　be　a　translation　from
Thucydides；　inimitable　in　its　way；　applied　to　Johnians　in　their
successes　or　defeats　on　the　river；　or　it　was　the　'Prospectus　of　the
Great　Split　Society；'　attacking　those　who　wished　to　form　narrow　or
domineering　parties　in　the　College；　or　it　was　a　very　striking　poem
on　Napoleon　in　St。　Helena；　or　it　was　a　play　dealing　with　a　visit　to
the　Paris　Exhibition；　which　he　sent　to　PUNCH；　and　which；　strange　to
say；　the　editor　never　inserted；　or　it　was　an　examination　paper　set
to　a　gyp　of　a　most　amusing　and　clever　character。〃　　One　at　least　of
the　pieces　mentioned　by　Canon　McCormick　has　unfortunately
disappeared。　　Those　that　have　survived　are　here　published　for　what
they　are　worth。　　There　is　no　necessity　to　apologise　for　their　faults
and　deficiencies；　which　do　not；　I　think；　obscure　their　value　as
documents　illustrating　the　development　of　that　gift　of　irony　which
Butler　was　afterwards　to　wield　with　such　brilliant　mastery。
'Napoleon　at　St。　Helena'　and　'The　Shield　of　Achilles'　have　already
appeared　in　THE　EAGLE；　December；　1902；　the　〃Translation　from
Herodotus；〃　〃The　Shield　of　Achilles；〃　〃The　Two　Deans　II；〃　and　〃On
the　Italian　Priesthood；〃　in　THE　NOTE…BOOKS　OF　SAMUEL　BUTLER；　the
〃Prospectus　of　the　Great　Split　Society〃　and　〃A　Skit　on　Examinations〃
in　THE　EAGLE；　June；　1913。


And　the　Johnians　practise　their　tub　in　the　following　manner：　　They
select　eight　of　the　most　serviceable　freshmen　and　put　these　into　a
boat；　and　to　each　one　of　them　they　give　an　oar；　and　having　told　them
to　look　at　the　backs　of　the　men　before　them　they　make　them　bend
forward　as　far　as　they　can　and　at　the　same　moment；　and　having　put
the　end　of　the　oar　into　the　water　pull　it　back　again　in　to　them
about　the　bottom　of　the　ribs；　and　if　any　of　them　does　not　do　this　or
looks　about　him　away　from　the　back　of　the　man　before　him　they　curse
him　in　the　most　terrible　manner；　but　if　he　does　what　he　is　bidden
they　immediately　cry　out：

〃Well　pulled；　number　so…and…so。〃

For　they　do　not　call　them　by　their　names　but　by　certain　numbers；
each　man　of　them　having　a　number　allotted　to　him　in　accordance　with
his　place　in　the　boat；　and　the　first　man　they　call　stroke；　but　the
last　man　bow；　and　when　they　have　done　this　for　about　fifty　miles
they　come　home　again；　and　the　rate　they　travel　at　is　about　twenty…
five　miles　an　hour；　and　let　no　one　think　that　this　is　too　great　a
rate；　for　I　could　say　many　other　wonderful　things　in　addition
concerning　the　rowing　of　the　Johnians；　but　if　a　man　wishes　to　know
these　things　he　must　go　and　examine　them　himself。　　But　when　they
have　done　they　contrive　some　such　a　device　as　this；　for　they　make
them　run　many　miles　along　the　side　of　the　river　in　order　that　they
may　accustom　them　to　great　fatigue；　and　many　of　them　being
distressed　in　this　way　fall　down　and　die；　but　those　who　survive
become　very　strong；　and　receive　gifts　of　cups　from　the　others；　and
after　the　revolution　of　a　year　they　have　great　races　with　th