"When past sufferings are described in present prosperity, there is often greater pleasure in telling of them than there was pain in their endurance, but this cannot be said in my case, for I am not out of the trouble, but still in the depth of my sorrows.
"I was born in France, and I belong to a noble family, rich and worthy3; I was brought up in the performance of all knightly5 exercises, and taught to regulate my thoughts by my condition; but nevertheless, I was bold enough to fix them upon the lady Eusebia, a lady belonging to the queen's household, but it was only with my eyes that I ever gave her to understand that I adored her, and she, either from prudence6 or because she was not aware of it, never let me think, by word or look, that she understood me; and although disdain7 and indifference8 generally put an end to love, in its beginning for want of hope to sustain and feed it, in my case it had a contrary effect, for the silence of Eusebia lent wings to my hopes, which bore me up to the very Heavens to try and deserve her. However, the jealousy9 or undue10 curiosity of another gentleman, also a Frenchman, named Lisomir, not less favoured by fortune than by birth, discovered my secret feelings, and instead of viewing them with sympathy or pity, he felt nothing but envy and malice11. It should have been quite otherwise, for there are two great griefs in love, which reduce one to the last extremity12; one is, to love and not be beloved in return; the other, to love and be abhorred13; neither absence nor jealousy can equal these. One day Lisomir went to the king, though I had never given him any cause of offence, and told him that I and Eusebia entertained a secret and illicit14 correspondence, offending against their majesties15, and against my vow16 as a loyal and true knight4.
"The king on hearing this was greatly disturbed; he sent for me and told me what Lisomir had said; I declared my innocence17, and to prove it, and clear the honour of Eusebia, and also as the most suitable way in which to give my enemy the lie, I referred the proof to single combat. The king would not allow any spot of ground to be selected in his kingdom for our purpose, because it was forbidden by the Catholic law, but he allowed us to take one of the free cities of Germany as the scene of our encounter.
"The appointed day for the combat arrived; I appeared on the spot, with the weapons that had been determined18 upon, which were a sword and a shield. The judges and the seconds arranged the ceremonial according to the usual custom in such cases. The ground was measured, and they left us. Knowing that I had the right on my side, I entered the lists, confident and in good heart; my adversary19, I well know, met me more full of pride and arrogance20 than of a good conscience. But O ye inscrutable ways of Providence21; I did my utmost; I put my hope and trust in God, and in the innocence of my cause, I was neither overcome by fear, nor was my arm weak, nor were its motions irregular; yet how it was I know not; I suddenly found myself on the ground, with my enemy's sword threatening me with instant death. 'Strike,' I exclaimed, 'O thou who hast conquered more by luck than valour, and let loose the soul that has so ill defended the body in which it dwells; but hope not that I am subdued22, or that I shall confess a crime I have never committed. Many are the sins for which I deserve punishment, but I will not add to them by bearing false witness against myself; better far, death with honour, than to live dishonoured24.'
"'If thou dost not yield, Renato,' answered my enemy, 'this sword shall pierce thy brain, and with thy blood I will make thee confess my truth and thy guilt25.'
"But here the judges interfered26, and supposing me dead, they declared my adversary conqueror27. He was borne by his friends in triumph from the field, and I was left alone with my shame and my sorrow; more grief than wounds, and yet not grief enough, since it was insufficient28 to destroy the life my enemy's sword had spared.
"I was sought out and removed by my servants; I returned to my own country, not daring to raise my eyes from the earth, so heavy was the sense of my dishonour23, and the weight of my infamy29: in the looks of my friends I fancied I read their condemnation30; the Heavens themselves seemed obscured for me. Hardly could two or three neighbours meet to chat together in the street, but I fancied their discourse31 must be about my disgrace; and at length I grew so oppressed with melancholy32 and my sad fancies, that to escape from, or at least alleviate33 their bitterness, I determined to quit my native land, and renouncing34 my inheritance in favour of a younger brother, to banish35 myself entirely36 from my native country and home. I went away in a vessel37, with a few servants, and came to these northern parts, to seek some spot where the story of my shameful38 defeat should be unknown, and where my name might be buried in obscurity.
"By chance I found this little isle—its appearance pleased me; with the assistance of my servants I built this hermitage, and shut myself up in it; I then dismissed them, but desired that once in each year they would come and see me, in order to bury my remains39. The love they bore me, and the gifts which I bestowed40 on them, made them willingly obey my requests, for I will not call them commands. They departed, and left me to my solitude41, wherein I found such pleasant company in these trees, herbs, and flowers, clear streams, and babbling42 brooks43, that I lamented44 I had not sooner escaped from my sorrows. O sweet solitude! friend of the unhappy! O silence, how welcome art thou, without fear of the voice of the flatterer, or the slanderer45. How much could I not say, sirs, in favour of this holy solitude and wholesome46 silence; but I must stop myself to tell you, how in a year my servants returned, and brought with them my adored Eusebia, whom you see in this sister hermit2. She had heard from my servants of the retreat which I had found; and in recompense for my love, and compassion47 for my disgrace, she resolved to bear me company in my trouble, as we had both been innocent of all guilt, and had not been companions in crime: so embarking48 with them, she left her home and her country, her wealth and comforts, and what was more than all, she left her good name and honour to become the public talk, since by her flight she confirmed the report of our mutual49 fault.
"I received her as she had hoped I should, and the beauty and solitude of this place, instead of increasing those wishes and thoughts I had once indulged, had now a contrary effect. Thanks to Heaven, and to her purity and goodness, we consider ourselves as lawfully50 husband and wife, and in peace and love; like two living statues, have we dwelt here for ten years, during which time, not one has passed without a visit from my servants, bringing us the necessaries which in this desert place we require; and sometimes they are accompanied by a priest, who confesses us. We have in our hermitage everything proper for celebrating the holy offices; we sleep apart, take our meals together, and converse51 upon heavenly things, despise the world, and, trusting in God's mercy, we look forward with hope to life eternal."
Here Renato ended his discourse, and all his hearers expressed their pleasure and admiration52 at the incidents he had related, not because it seemed a new thing that Heaven should send chastisements contrary to human expectations, since they knew that these are sent frequently for two causes;—to the wicked as punishment, and to improve and try the good, amongst whom they considered Renato, and bestowed on him many kind and consolatory53 words, nor did they omit to do the same by Eusebia.
"O life of solitude!" here exclaimed Rutilio, (who had listened to the hermit's story with most profound attention,) "O solitary54 life; holy, free, and safe, are they who embrace thee, choose thee, and enjoy thee!"
"True, friend Rutilio," said Maurice, "but only in certain cases, for there is no great marvel55 if a humble56 shepherd retires into the solitude of the country; nor when a poor wretch57, who is half starved in a town, takes refuge in a retreat where he knows he shall find sustenance58. These ways of living are often only a means of fostering idleness and sloth59, and it is no small idleness if a man leaves his troubles to be remedied by others. If I were to see a Carthaginian Hannibal leave the world to shut himself up in a hermitage, as we have seen a Charles the Fifth retire into a monastery60, I should feel astonishment61 and admiration; but if a plebeian62 goes into obscurity, or a poor unknown being retires from society, I neither wonder nor admire. However, Renato is not one of these, since it was neither poverty nor necessity that led him into these solitudes63, but his own good feelings; here he finds in scarcity64, abundance, and in solitude, society, and lives the more securely, having but little to lose."
"And," added Periander, "if I was old instead of very young, so many perils65 and dangers have been my share, that I should look upon a peaceful hermitage as the extreme of felicity, and in the tomb of silence to bury my name; but I cannot relinquish66 the object for which I have hitherto lived, nor change the mode of life I was following at the time when the horse of King Cratilius appeared, where my history left off last."
They heard him say this with great delight, for they perceived by his manner that Periander was willing to return to his so oft begun and never ended story, which in fact he did, as follows.
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1
isle
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| n.小岛，岛 | |
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hermit
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| n.隐士，修道者；隐居 | |
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worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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knight
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| n.骑士，武士；爵士 | |
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knightly
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| adj. 骑士般的 adv. 骑士般地 | |
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prudence
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| n.谨慎，精明，节俭 | |
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disdain
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| n.鄙视，轻视；v.轻视，鄙视，不屑 | |
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indifference
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| n.不感兴趣，不关心，冷淡，不在乎 | |
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jealousy
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| n.妒忌，嫉妒，猜忌 | |
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undue
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| adj.过分的；不适当的；未到期的 | |
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malice
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| n.恶意，怨恨，蓄意；[律]预谋 | |
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extremity
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| n.末端，尽头；尽力；终极；极度 | |
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abhorred
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| v.憎恶( abhor的过去式和过去分词 )；（厌恶地）回避；拒绝；淘汰 | |
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illicit
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| adj.非法的，禁止的，不正当的 | |
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majesties
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| n.雄伟( majesty的名词复数 )；庄严；陛下；王权 | |
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vow
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| n.誓(言)，誓约；v.起誓，立誓 | |
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innocence
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| n.无罪；天真；无害 | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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adversary
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| adj.敌手，对手 | |
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arrogance
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| n.傲慢，自大 | |
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providence
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| n.深谋远虑，天道，天意；远见；节约；上帝 | |
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subdued
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| adj. 屈服的，柔和的，减弱的 动词subdue的过去式和过去分词 | |
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dishonour
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| n./vt.拒付（支票、汇票、票据等）；vt.凌辱，使丢脸；n.不名誉，耻辱，不光彩 | |
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dishonoured
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| a.不光彩的，不名誉的 | |
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guilt
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| n.犯罪；内疚；过失，罪责 | |
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interfered
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| v.干预( interfere的过去式和过去分词 )；调停；妨碍；干涉 | |
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conqueror
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| n.征服者，胜利者 | |
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insufficient
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| adj.(for，of)不足的，不够的 | |
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infamy
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| n.声名狼藉，出丑，恶行 | |
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condemnation
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| n.谴责; 定罪 | |
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discourse
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| n.论文，演说；谈话；话语；vi.讲述，著述 | |
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melancholy
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| n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的 | |
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alleviate
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| v.减轻，缓和，缓解(痛苦等) | |
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34
renouncing
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| v.声明放弃( renounce的现在分词 )；宣布放弃；宣布与…决裂；宣布摒弃 | |
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banish
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| vt.放逐，驱逐；消除，排除 | |
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entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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vessel
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| n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管 | |
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shameful
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| adj.可耻的，不道德的 | |
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remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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40
bestowed
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| 赠给，授予( bestow的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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solitude
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| n. 孤独; 独居,荒僻之地,幽静的地方 | |
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42
babbling
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| n.胡说，婴儿发出的咿哑声adj.胡说的v.喋喋不休( babble的现在分词 )；作潺潺声（如流水）；含糊不清地说话；泄漏秘密 | |
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brooks
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| n.小溪( brook的名词复数 ) | |
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44
lamented
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| adj.被哀悼的，令人遗憾的v.（为…）哀悼，痛哭，悲伤( lament的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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45
slanderer
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| 造谣中伤者 | |
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46
wholesome
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| adj.适合；卫生的；有益健康的；显示身心健康的 | |
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47
compassion
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| n.同情，怜悯 | |
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48
embarking
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| 乘船( embark的现在分词 )； 装载； 从事 | |
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49
mutual
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| adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的 | |
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50
lawfully
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| adv.守法地，合法地；合理地 | |
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51
converse
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| vi.谈话，谈天，闲聊；adv.相反的，相反 | |
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52
admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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53
consolatory
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| adj.慰问的，可藉慰的 | |
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54
solitary
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| adj.孤独的，独立的，荒凉的；n.隐士 | |
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55
marvel
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| vi.(at)惊叹vt.感到惊异；n.令人惊异的事 | |
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56
humble
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| adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低 | |
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57
wretch
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| n.可怜的人，不幸的人；卑鄙的人 | |
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sustenance
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| n.食物，粮食；生活资料；生计 | |
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sloth
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| n.[动]树懒；懒惰，懒散 | |
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monastery
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| n.修道院，僧院，寺院 | |
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astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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plebeian
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| adj.粗俗的；平民的；n.平民；庶民 | |
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solitudes
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| n.独居( solitude的名词复数 )；孤独；荒僻的地方；人迹罕至的地方 | |
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scarcity
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| n.缺乏，不足，萧条 | |
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perils
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| 极大危险( peril的名词复数 )； 危险的事（或环境） | |
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relinquish
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| v.放弃，撤回，让与，放手 | |
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