登陆注册
20051200000009

第9章 THE SKETCH BOOK(3)

I was informed by Frank Bracebridge, that the parson had been a chumof his father's at Oxford, and had received this living shortlyafter the latter had come to his estate. He was a completeblack-letter hunter, and would scarcely read a work printed in theRoman character. The editions of Caxton and Wynkin de Worde were hisdelight; and he was indefatigable in his researches after such oldEnglish writers as have fallen into oblivion from their worthlessness.

In deference, perhaps, to the notions of Mr. Bracebridge, he hadmade diligent investigations into the festive rites and holidaycustoms of former times; and had been as zealous in the inquiry asif he had been a boon companion; but it was merely with thatplodding spirit with which men of adust temperament follow up anytrack of study, merely because it is denominated learning; indifferentto its intrinsic nature, whether it be the illustration of the wisdom,or of the ribaldry and obscenity of antiquity. He had pored over theseold volumes so intensely, that they seemed to have been reflected inhis countenance; which, if the face be indeed an index of the mind,might be compared to a title-page of black letter.

On reaching the church porch, we found the parson rebuking thegray-headed sexton for having used mistletoe among the greens withwhich the church was decorated. It was, he observed, an unholyplant, profaned by having been used by the Druids in their mysticceremonies; and though it might be innocently employed in thefestive ornamenting of halls and kitchens, yet it had been deemed bythe Fathers of the Church as unhallowed, and totally unfit forsacred purposes. So tenacious was he on this point, that the poorsexton was obliged to strip down a great part of the humble trophiesof his taste, before the parson would consent to enter upon theservice of the day.

The interior of the church was venerable but simple; on the wallswere several mural monuments of the Bracebridges, and just besidethe altar was a tomb of ancient workmanship, on which lay the effigyof a warrior in armor, with his legs crossed, a sign of his havingbeen a crusader. I was told it was one of the family who hadsignalized himself in the Holy Land, and the same whose picture hungover the fireplace in the hall.

During service, Master Simon stood up in the pew, and repeated theresponses very audibly; evincing that kind of ceremonious devotionpunctually observed by a gentleman of the old school, and a man of oldfamily connections. I observed too that he turned over the leaves of afolio prayer-book with something of a flourish; possibly to show offan enormous seal-ring which enriched one of his fingers, and which hadthe look of a family relic. But he was evidently most solicitous aboutthe musical part of the service, keeping his eye fixed intently on thechoir, and beating time with much gesticulation and emphasis.

The orchestra was in a small gallery, and presented a most whimsicalgrouping of heads, piled one above the other, among which Iparticularly noticed that of the village tailor, a pale fellow witha retreating forehead and chin, who played on the clarionet, andseemed to have blown his face to a point; and there was another, ashort pursy man, stooping and laboring at a bass-viol, so as to shownothing but the top of a round bald head, like the egg of anostrich. There were two or three pretty faces among the femalesingers, to which the keen air of a frosty morning had given abright rosy tint; but the gentlemen choristers had evidently beenchosen, like old Cremona fiddles, more for tone than looks; and asseveral had to sing from the same book, there were clusterings ofodd physiognomies, not unlike those groups of cherubs we sometimes seeon country tombstones.

The usual services of the choir were managed tolerably well, thevocal parts generally lagging a little behind the instrumental, andsome loitering fiddler now and then making up for lost time bytravelling over a passage with prodigious celerity, and clearingmore bars than the keenest fox-hunter to be in at the death. But thegreat trial was an anthem that had been prepared and arranged byMaster Simon, and on which he had founded great expectation. Unluckilythere was a blunder at the very outset; the musicians became flurried;Master Simon was in a fever; every thing went on lamely andirregularly until they came to a chorus beginning "Now let us singwith one accord," which seemed to be a signal for parting company: allbecame discord and confusion; each shifted for himself, and got to theend as well, or, rather, as soon as he could, excepting one oldchorister in a pair of horn spectacles, bestriding and pinching a longsonorous nose; who happened to stand a little apart, and, beingwrapped up in his own melody, kept on a quavering course, wrigglinghis head, ogling his book, and winding all up by a nasal solo of atleast three bars' duration.

The parson gave us a most erudite sermon on the rites and ceremoniesof Christmas, and the propriety of observing it not merely as a day ofthanksgiving, but of rejoicing; supporting the correctness of hisopinions by the earliest usages of the church, and enforcing them bythe authorities of Theophilus of Cesarea, St. Cyprian, St. Chrysostom,St. Augustine, and a cloud more of saints and fathers, from whom hemade copious quotations. I was a little at a loss to perceive thenecessity of such a mighty array of forces to maintain a point whichno one present seemed inclined to dispute; but I soon found that thegood man had a legion of ideal adversaries to contend with; having, inthe course of his researches on the subject of Christmas, gotcompletely embroiled in the sectarian controversies of the Revolution,when the Puritans made such a fierce assault upon the ceremonies ofthe church, and poor old Christmas was driven out of the land byproclamation of Parliament.* The worthy parson lived but with timespast, and knew but little of the present.

同类推荐
  • 红楼复梦

    红楼复梦

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 技术

    技术

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 秋夜喜友人宿

    秋夜喜友人宿

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 禹贡锥指略例

    禹贡锥指略例

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • Rosmersholm

    Rosmersholm

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 世界上最著名的36桩暗杀事件

    世界上最著名的36桩暗杀事件

    所选的都是世界上最著名的暗杀事件,全书从摩萨德暗杀机器、美国暗杀谜案、失败的暗杀行动、被暗杀的国家元首、政治变革中的暗杀行动、民国刺杀疑案等几个方面为广大读者讲述一个个真实而又扣人心弦的暗杀事件。
  • 崇陵传信录

    崇陵传信录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 魔兽战神10:神界之门

    魔兽战神10:神界之门

    掌命之神战无命被害,跌落凡间,神性尽失。若欲重返天道,必须从凡人开始修炼,百战成帝,千战成神,登顶战神巅峰;跻身仙界,历劫成帝,净化神兽鲲鹏血脉;飞升神界,修得五行圆满,九道大成,掌控天地规则,破碎虚空,方能重返天道。如若百世之内,战无命无法凭借自己的能力返回道界,那等待他的就是魂飞魄散。轮回路上的九十九世,战无命都生活在莫氏家族的阴影之下,莫氏家族,一个无人知晓却无处不在的神秘家族,上抵神界,下达凡间,遍布各大星域,渗入各大宗门。战无命每一次历劫成神登顶巅峰之时,就会被神秘的莫家人打下神坛,噬其命魂圆满自身。战无命与莫家有宿世杀身灭族之仇,仇深似海、不死不休!
  • 毒霸天下腹黑小狂妃

    毒霸天下腹黑小狂妃

    废物?白痴?呵,再睁眼,傲世天下的神情,唯我独尊的气场,哪还像之前那个唯唯诺诺的小白鼠,简直是罗刹请来的战斗机好叭,请问,你身后那个喊你的是?“擦,我都说了,这事就此揭过粑,不就亲了一下,抱了一下,呃..睡了一觉么”......
  • 夜雨萧萧

    夜雨萧萧

    魇邪刀伤人,伤口终生不愈。十五年前魇邪刀主一家遇袭,叶雨死于“幽寒十狱"之手,遗孤三子不知去向,转眼回到今日,随着千年血参的出世,武林各派驱马相争,强大的高手陆续登场……
  • 第二次世界大战实录:领袖篇

    第二次世界大战实录:领袖篇

    世界邪恶力量发动人非正义的战争给世界人民带来了太多的苦难、血腥与残暴;而世界民主力量的正义的反抗又使其充满了英勇、顽强和悲壮,并以最终的胜利推动了人类历史的进步。因此可以说,二战历史是一个悲剧和成就、痛苦和壮丽、灾难和理想并存的历史,是一个正义战胜邪恶的历史。本书将通过对二战时期著名领袖英勇事迹的描绘,提醒世人应牢记历史,永远铭记在战争中做出杰出贡献的伟大领袖。
  • 中华人民共和国矿山安全法

    中华人民共和国矿山安全法

    为加强法制宣传,迅速普及法律知识,服务于我国民主法制建设,多年来,中国民主法制出版社根据全国人大常委会每年定期审议通过、修订的法律,全品种、大规模的出版了全国人民代表大会常务委员会公报版的系列法律单行本。该套法律单行本经过最高立法机关即全国人民代表大会常务委员会的权威审定,法条内容准确无误,文本格式规范合理,多年来受到了社会各界广泛关注与好评。
  • 有一种温暖叫感恩

    有一种温暖叫感恩

    本书主要内容包括:温暖一生的棉鞋;爱在热血中奔流;一杯浓浓的牛奶;每天付出一点爱;幸福的套袖;幸福已经满满的等。许多人为了领悟人生哲理费尽心机,殊不知一滴水里蕴藏着浩瀚的大海,一则短小的文章中孕育着博大的智慧。感动源于生活中的每一次花开草枯,日落月出。而微型小说就是生活的浓缩。如雨后新荷凝聚的水滴,晶莹剔透,折射着世界的每一缕阳光。
  • 妖王大人请住手

    妖王大人请住手

    世间繁华依旧殊不知没了你如何过活妖如何人又如何爱的只是你而已
  • 琼琚佩语

    琼琚佩语

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。