A crowd of spirits now joined us, whom I soon perceived to be the heroes, who here frequently pay their respects to the several bards1 the recorders of their actions. I now saw Achilles and Ulysses addressing themselves to Homer, and Aeneas and Julius Caesar to Virgil: Adam went up to Milton, upon which I whispered Mr. Dryden that I thought the devil should have paid his compliments there, according to his opinion. Dryden only answered, “I believe the devil was in me when I said so.” Several applied2 themselves to Shakespeare, amongst whom Henry V made a very distinguishing appearance. While my eyes were fixed3 on that monarch4 a very small spirit came up to me, shook me heartily5 by the hand, and told me his name was THOMAS THUMB. I expressed great satisfaction in seeing him, nor could I help speaking my resentment6 against the historian, who had done such injustice7 to the stature8 of this great little man, which he represented to be no bigger than a span, whereas I plainly perceived at first sight he was full a foot and a half (and the 37th part of an inch more, as he himself informed me), being indeed little shorter than some considerable beaux of the present age. I asked this little hero concerning the truth of those stories related of him, viz., of the pudding, and the cow’s belly9. As to the former, he said it was a ridiculous legend, worthy10 to be laughed at; but as to the latter, he could not help owning there was some truth in it: nor had he any reason to be ashamed of it, as he was swallowed by surprise; adding, with great fierceness, that if he had had any weapon in his hand the cow should have as soon swallowed the devil.
He spoke11 the last word with so much fury, and seemed so confounded, that, perceiving the effect it had on him, I immediately waived12 the story, and, passing to other matters, we had much conversation touching13 giants. He said, so far from killing14 any, he had never seen one alive; that he believed those actions were by mistake recorded of him, instead of Jack15 the giant-killer, whom he knew very well, and who had, he fancied, extirpated16 the race. I assured him to the contrary, and told him I had myself seen a huge tame giant, who very complacently17 stayed in London a whole winter, at the special request of several gentlemen and ladies; though the affairs of his family called him home to Sweden.
I now beheld18 a stern-looking spirit leaning on the shoulder of another spirit, and presently discerned the former to be Oliver Cromwell, and the latter Charles Martel. I own I was a little surprised at seeing Cromwell here, for I had been taught by my grandmother that he was carried away by the devil himself in a tempest; but he assured me, on his honor, there was not the least truth in that story. However, he confessed he had narrowly escaped the bottomless pit; and, if the former part of his conduct had not been more to his honor than the latter, he had been certainly soused into it. He was, nevertheless, sent back to the upper world with this lot:— ARMY, CAVALIER, DISTRESS19.
He was born, for the second time, the day of Charles II’s restoration, into a family which had lost a very considerable fortune in the service of that prince and his father, for which they received the reward very often conferred by princes on real merit, viz. — 000. At 16 his father bought a small commission for him in the army, in which he served without any promotion20 all the reigns21 of Charles II and of his brother. At the Revolution he quitted his regiment22, and followed the fortunes of his former master, and was in his service dangerously wounded at the famous battle of the Boyne, where he fought in the capacity of a private soldier. He recovered of this wound, and retired23 after the unfortunate king to Paris, where he was reduced to support a wife and seven children (for his lot had horns in it) by cleaning shoes and snuffing candles at the opera. In which situation, after he had spent a few miserable24 years, he died half-starved and broken-hearted. He then revisited Minos, who, compassionating25 his sufferings by means of that family, to whom he had been in his former capacity so bitter an enemy, suffered him to enter here.
My curiosity would not refrain asking him one question, i. e., whether in reality he had any desire to obtain the crown? He smiled, and said, “No more than an ecclesiastic26 hath to the miter, when he cries Nolo episcopari.” Indeed, he seemed to express some contempt at the question, and presently turned away.
A venerable spirit appeared next, whom I found to be the great historian Livy. Alexander the Great, who was just arrived from the palace of death, passed by him with a frown. The historian, observing it, said, “Ay, you may frown; but those troops which conquered the base Asiatic slaves would have made no figure against the Romans.” We then privately27 lamented28 the loss of the most valuable part of his history; after which he took occasion to commend the judicious29 collection made by Mr. Hook, which, he said, was infinitely30 preferable to all others; and at my mentioning Echard’s he gave a bounce, not unlike the going off of a squib, and was departing from me, when I begged him to satisfy my curiosity in one point — whether he was really superstitious31 or no? For I had always believed he was till Mr. Leibnitz had assured me to the contrary. He answered sullenly32, “Doth Mr. Leibnitz know my mind better than myself?” and then walked away.
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1
bards
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| n.诗人( bard的名词复数 ) | |
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applied
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| adj.应用的；v.应用，适用 | |
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fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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monarch
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| n.帝王，君主，最高统治者 | |
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heartily
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| adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很 | |
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resentment
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| n.怨愤，忿恨 | |
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injustice
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| n.非正义，不公正，不公平，侵犯（别人的）权利 | |
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8
stature
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| n.（高度）水平，（高度）境界，身高，身材 | |
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belly
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| n.肚子，腹部；(像肚子一样)鼓起的部分，膛 | |
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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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spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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12
waived
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| v.宣布放弃( waive的过去式和过去分词 )；搁置；推迟；放弃（权利、要求等） | |
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13
touching
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| adj.动人的，使人感伤的 | |
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14
killing
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| n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财 | |
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15
jack
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| n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克 | |
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16
extirpated
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| v.消灭，灭绝( extirpate的过去式和过去分词 )；根除 | |
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complacently
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| adv. 满足地, 自满地, 沾沾自喜地 | |
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18
beheld
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| v.看，注视( behold的过去式和过去分词 )；瞧；看呀；（叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现）哎哟 | |
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distress
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| n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛 | |
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promotion
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| n.提升，晋级；促销，宣传 | |
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reigns
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| n.君主的统治( reign的名词复数 )；君主统治时期；任期；当政期 | |
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regiment
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| n.团，多数，管理；v.组织，编成团，统制 | |
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23
retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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25
compassionating
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| v.同情（compassionate的现在分词形式） | |
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26
ecclesiastic
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| n.教士，基督教会；adj.神职者的，牧师的，教会的 | |
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privately
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| adv.以私人的身份，悄悄地，私下地 | |
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28
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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29
judicious
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| adj.明智的，明断的，能作出明智决定的 | |
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infinitely
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| adv.无限地，无穷地 | |
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31
superstitious
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| adj.迷信的 | |
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32
sullenly
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| 不高兴地，绷着脸，忧郁地 | |
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