第30章

HereIinterruptedthejockey。"Howsingular，"saidI，"isthefallanddebasementofwords；youtalkofagang，orset，ofshorters；youare，perhaps，notawarethatgangandsetwere，athousandyearsago，onlyconnectedwiththegreatandDivine；theyareancientNorsewords，whichmaybefoundintheheroicpoemsofthenorth，andintheEdda，acollectionofmythologicandheroicsongs。InthesepoemswereadthatsuchandsuchakinginvadedNorwaywithagangofheroes；orsoandso，forexample，ErikBloodaxe，wasadmittedtothesetofgods；butatpresentgangandsetaremerelyappliedtothevilestofthevile，andthelowestofthelow，—wesayagangofthievesandshorters，orasetofauthors。Howtouchingisthisdebasementofwordsinthecourseoftime；

itputsmeinmindofthedecayofoldhousesandnames。I

haveknownaMortimerwhowasahedgerandditcher，aBernerswhowasborninaworkhouse，andadescendantoftheDeBurghs，whoborethefalcon，mendingoldkettles，andmakinghorseandponyshoesinadingle。"

"Oddenough，"saidthejockey；"butyouweresayingyouknewoneBerners—manorwoman？Iwouldask。"

"Awoman，"saidI。

"WhatmightherChristiannamebe？"saidthejockey。

"Itisnottobementionedlightly，"saidI，withasigh。

"Ishouldn’twonderifitwereIsopel，"saidthejockeywithanarchglanceofhisonebrillianteye。

"ItwasIsopel，"saidI；"didyouknowIsopelBerners？"

"Ay，andhavereasontoknowher，"saidthejockey，puttinghishandintohisleftwaistcoatpocket，asiftofeelforsomething，"forshegavemewhatIbelievefewmencoulddo—

amostconfoundedwhopping。Butnow，Mr。RomanyRye，IhaveagaintotellyouthatIdon’tliketobeinterruptedwhenI’mspeaking，andtoaddthatifyoubreakinuponmeathirdtime，youandIshallquarrel。"

"Prayproceedwithyourstory，"saidI；"Iwillnotinterruptyouagain。"

"Good！"saidthejockey。"WherewasI？Oh，withasetofpeoplewhohadgivenuptheirmindstoshortening！Reducingthecoin，thoughratheralucrative，wasaverydangeroustrade。Coinfiledfeltroughtothetouch；coinclippedcouldbeeasilydetectedbytheeye；andasforcoinreducedbyaquafortis，itwasgenerallysodiscolouredthat，unlessagreatdealofpainswasusedtopolishit，peoplewereapttostareatitinastrangemanner，andtosay，’Whathavetheybeendoingtothisheregold？’Mygrandfather，asIhavesaidbefore，wasconnectedwithagangofshorters，andsometimesshortenedmoney，andatothertimespassedoffwhathadbeenshortenedbyothergentry。

"Passingoffwhathadbeenshortenedbyotherswashisruin；

foronce，intryingtopassoffabroadpiecewhichhadbeenlaidinaquafortisforfour—and—twentyhours，andwasveryblack，nothavingbeenproperlyrectified，hewasstoppedandsearched，andotherreducedcoinsbeingfoundabouthim，andinhislodgings，hewascommittedtoprison，tried，andexecuted。Hewasofferedhislife，providedhewouldbetrayhiscomrades；buthetoldthebig—wigs，whowantedhimtodoso，thathewouldseethemfartherfirst，anddiedatTyburn，amidstthecheersofthepopulace，leavingmygrandmotherandfather，towhomhehadalwaysbeenakindhusbandandparent—for，settingasidethecrimeforwhichhesuffered，hewasamoralman；leavingthem，Isay，tobewailhisirreparableloss。

"’Tissaidthatmisfortunenevercomesalone；thisis，however，notalwaysthecase。Shortlyaftermygrandfather’smisfortune，asmygrandmotherandhersonwerelivingingreatmiseryinSpitalfields，heronlyrelation—abrotherfromwhomshehadbeenestrangedsomeyears，onaccountofhermarriagewithmygrandfather，whohadbeeninaninferiorstationtoherself—died，leavingallhispropertytoherandthechild。Thispropertyconsistedofafarmofaboutahundredacres，withitsstock，andsomemoneybesides。Mygrandmother，whoknewsomethingofbusiness，instantlywentintothecountry，whereshefarmedthepropertyforherownbenefitandthatofherson，towhomshegaveaneducationsuitabletoapersoninhiscondition，tillhewasoldenoughtomanagethefarmhimself。Shortlyaftertheyoungmancameofage，mygrandmotherdied，andmyfather，inaboutayear，marriedthedaughterofafarmer，fromwhomheexpectedsomelittlefortune，butwhoverymuchdeceivedhim，becomingabankruptalmostimmediatelyafterthemarriageofhisdaughter，andhimselfandfamilygoingintotheworkhouse。

"Mymother，however，mademyfatheranexcellentwife；andifmyfatherinthelongrundidnotdowellitwasnofaultofhers。Myfatherwasnotabadmanbynature，hewasofaneasy，generoustemper，themostunfortunatetemper，bythebye，forsuccessinthislifethatanypersoncanbepossessedof，asthosewhohaveitarealmostsuretobemadedupesofbythedesigning。But，thougheasyandgenerous，hewasanythingbutafool；hehadaquickandwittytongueofhisownwhenhechosetoexertit，andwoebetothosewhoinsultedhimopenly，fortherewasnotabetterboxerinthewholecountryround。MyparentsweremarriedseveralyearsbeforeIcameintotheworld，whowastheirfirstandonlychild。Imaybecalledanunfortunatecreature；Iwasbornwiththisbeamorscaleonmylefteye，whichdoesnotallowmetoseewithit；andthoughIcanseetolerablysharplywiththeother，indeedmorethanmostpeoplecanwithbothoftheirs，itisagreatmisfortunenottohavetwoeyeslikeotherpeople。Moreover，settingasidetheaffairofmyeye，Ihadaveryuglycountenance；mymouthbeingslightlywrungaside，andmycomplexionswarthy。Infact，Ilookedsoqueerthatthegossipsandneighbours，whentheyfirstsawme，sworeIwasachangeling—perhapsitwouldhavebeenwellifIhadneverbeenborn；formypoorfather，whohadbeenparticularlyanxioustohaveason，nosoonersawmethanheturnedaway，wenttotheneighbouringtown，anddidnotreturnfortwodays。IambynomeanscertainthatIwasnotthecauseofhisruin，fortillIcameintotheworldhewasfondofhishome，andattendedmuchtobusiness，butafterwardshewentfrequentlyintocompany，anddidnotseemtocaremuchabouthisaffairs：hewas，however，akindman，andwhenhiswifegavehimadviceneverstruckher，nordoI

everrememberthathekickedmewhenIcameinhisway，orsomuchascursedmyuglyface，thoughitwaseasytoseethathedidn’tover—likeme。WhenIwassixyearsoldIwassenttothevillage—school，whereIwassoonbookedforadunce，becausethemasterfounditimpossibletoteachmeeithertoreadorwrite。BeforeIhadbeenatschooltwoyears，however，Ihadbeatenboysfouryearsolderthanmyself，andcouldflingastonewithmylefthand（forifIamright—eyedIamleft—handed）higherandfartherthananyoneintheparish。Moreover，noboycouldequalmeatriding，andnopeopleridesowellordesperatelyasboys。Icouldrideadonkey—athingfarmoredifficulttoridethanahorse—atfullgallopoverhedgesandditches，seated，orratherfloatinguponhishinderpart，—so，thoughanythingbutclever，asthishereRomanyRyewouldsay，Iwasyetabletodothingswhichfewotherpeoplecoulddo。BythetimeIwastenmyfather’saffairshadgotintoaverydesperatecondition，forhehadtakentogamblingandhorse—racing，and，beingunsuccessful，hadsoldhisstock，mortgagedhisestate，andincurredveryseriousdebts。Theupshotwas，thatwithinalittletimeallhehadwasseized，himselfimprisoned，andmymotherandmyselfputintoacottagebelongingtotheparish，which，beingverycoldanddamp，wasthecauseofhercatchingafever，whichspeedilycarriedheroff。Iwasthenboundapprenticetoafarmer，inwhoseserviceIunderwentmuchcoarsetreatment，cold，andhunger。

"Afterlyinginprisonneartwoyears，myfatherwasliberatedbyanActforthebenefitofinsolventdebtors；hewasthenlostsightofforsometime；atlast，however，hemadehisappearanceintheneighbourhooddressedlikeagentleman，andseeminglypossessedofplentyofmoney。Hecametoseeme，tookmeintoafield，andaskedmehowIwasgettingon。ItoldhimIwasdreadfullyused，andbeggedhimtotakemeawaywithhim；herefused，andtoldmetobesatisfiedwithmycondition，forthathecoulddonothingforme。Ihadagreatloveformyfather，andlikewiseagreatadmirationforhimonaccountofhischaracterasaboxer，theonlycharacterwhichboysingeneralregard，soIwishedmuchtobewithhim，independentlyofthedog’slifeIwasleadingwhereIwas；Ithereforesaidifhewouldnottakemewithhim，Iwouldfollowhim；herepliedthatImustdonosuchthing，forthatifIdid，itwouldbemyruin。Iaskedhimwhathemeant，buthemadenoreply，onlysayingthathewouldgoandspeaktothefarmer。Thentakingmewithhim，hewenttothefarmer，andinaverycivilmannersaidthatheunderstoodIhadnotbeenverykindlytreatedbyhim，buthehopedthatinfutureIshouldbeusedbetter。Thefarmeransweredinasurlytone，thatIhadbeenonlytoowelltreated，forthatIwasaworthlessyoungscoundrel；highwordsensued，andthefarmer，forgettingthekindofmanhehadtodealwith，checkedhimwithmygrandsire’smisfortune，andsaidhedeservedtobehangedlikehisfather。Inamomentmyfatherknockedhimdown，andonhisgettingup，gavehimaterriblebeating，thentakingm