Early in 1766,— New Style,— reversing the Directions taken the year before, Mason sets off southward "to see the Country," whilst Dixon,— mention'd in the Field-Book only upon Mason's return, as having left Philadelphia, upon the eighteenth of March, to meet with the Commis?sioners at Chester Town,— in fact heads north for the lighted Streets of New-York.
At a Theater with no name, no fix'd address,— this night happ'ning to be upon Broad-Way,— printing no Handbills, known only by word of mouth, Dixon upon the advice of a Ferry-Companion attends a Stage performance of the musical drama The Black Hole of Calcutta, or, The Peevish1 Wazir. Before a backdrop of Fort William (executed with such an obsessively2 fine respect for detail, that during the Work's Longueurs, with the aid of a Glass, one may observe, pictur'd upon the Tableau3, sub-ordinate Dramas as if in progress,— meetings of the Management, hands clutching throats or leveling Pistols, farewells by the landing, the steaming pale forever-unreachable Hooghly and the Ships waiting to go away, leaving behind the Unspeakable), a Corps4 of two dozen Ladies appear, strolling about in quasi-Indian Dress and singing, to the (as some would say) inappropriately lively Accompaniment of a small Orchestra,
In the Black Hole of Calcut-ta, One scarcely knows quite what t' Make of Things they groan5 and mut-ter, Why, 'tis cheerier in the Gut-ter.—
Being dark and ooh so stuf-fy, Little Su-gar for one's Cof-fee, And the Na-tives, rah-ther huf-fy,— And the Pil-lows far from fluf-fy,—
Ask of an-y, Bengal-i,
How's the Black Hole, to-night,—
Don't expect him, to be jol-ly,
For there's something, not-quite right! as
The Lamps begin to sput-ter, All will not be Scones6 and But-ter, When the door's at last been shut to That Black Hole of Cal-cut-ta! La,— la,— la-la, la-la, la-la...
The Story, as near as Dixon can make out, is about a British officer whose Rivalry7 with a comically villainous Frenchman for the Affection of a Nabob's Daughter, brings on the war in Bengal. There are some catchy8 Tunes9, and an Elephant, promis'd in the first Act, which incredi?bly, at the very end of the Show, is deliver'd. The audience sits stunn'd in the vacuous10 Purity of not having been cheated. The Elephant, within its elaborate trappings of red, blue, and gold, watches everything care?fully,— someone's Elephant, perhaps, but no one's Fool. Girls emerge from the Howdah in impossible numbers, wearing Costumes as variously hued11 as the Rainbow, and as diaphanous12. They place their stocking'd Toes precisely13 upon Elephant pressure points, long known to Chinese Healers, strung along his Ear Meridians,— the Elephant rolls his eyes appreciatively. 'Tis this part of the Show that the Girls, as well, enjoy the most, or so they tell Dixon afterward14, when he wanders back-stage to see what might be up, in all Innocence15 following the Scents16 of Womanly Exertion17, to the Dressing-Room.
"Here he is!"
"Took him long enough, for a Kiddy got up so flash."
"Oh ye'll bore him, Fiona! Come over here m' Darling, you can sleep later.”
"Ooh! Cow."
"Anyone in here for a Turtle Feast? My foolish Lad has a Coach wait?ing?" Dixon is swept in a rush of Polonaises, Sacques, and Petticoats into the Vehicle, and with great cheering away they clatter18, out the Greenwich Road to Brannan's and an unsequenc'd two days of Revelry, ever punctuated19 by someone rising to cry, "I haven't felt this excited,— " turning to the Others, who roar back, " - since Eyre Coote won the Battle of Wandiwash!"— being a famous Moment from the Comedy,— Party ending up back in the Town, at Montague's Tavern20, upon Broad-Way, near Murray Street, which proves to be Head-quarters of the local Sons of Liberty, as well as thick with Intrigue21, regardless of the Hour.
He is soon aware of Captain Volcanoe, who in the Year since Mason saw him has been well in the Crucible22 of the Troubles attending the Stamp Act. Some of the old gang have fled,— others have decided23 to gamble ev'rything, unto their Lives, to see the British gone,— tho' beyond this, there is little agreement. "Even if this Act is repeal'd or in practice never enforc'd, any ministry24 of this King, even one that some?how includes Mr. Pitt, will be certain to tax us. 'Tis our Duty to resist, tho' it take up all our Days, and Nights as well. The Communications are now well establish'd, despite British Interceptions. We do well. More and more are resolv'd,— our Numbers ever growing. For the first time, we had a trans-Provincial Congress here in October,— yet, the Expense, reckon'd so far, must be borne most heavily by the warmer Sentiments, for we are become a colder lot. Tell your co-adjutor he was lucky we caught him last Winter, and not this, or Blackie might have had his way."
"From what he'll be pleas'd to hope a safe distance, then, Mr. Mason sends his Compliments to your Niece."
"She ran off with an Italian Waggon-smith," the Captain shaking his head, "and they went to live in Massapequa, upon Long-Island. His mother is teaching her to cook."
"Mason will be perplex'd."
"How do you think we feel? A sort of Club, at whose Gatherings25 she might meet a possible Husband,— that's all the use we ever were to her. Politics? Poh. She may never care about any of this. The road's not for ev'ryone, 's all's it is.”
"Hallo, Cap'n. This un's a likely one,— hey?" A muscular, untended dark cloud of an Indiv. has appear'd upon Dixon's starboard Quarter.
"No, Blackie, he's another Astronomer,— you recollect27 the one last year? Well, this is his Partner."
"Mais oui, mais oui," Dixon sweeping28 off his Hat and making his Notion of a Bow. "You hate Engleesh bastaird? Want to keel them, eh? Haw, haw! Me too!"
"Much rather kill you," sighs Blackie. "But, as I mayn't, you shall have to stand me a pint29 instead."
"Seems fair." Tho' by now broad daylight outside, in here 'tis forever Midnight,— Resolutions proper to the hour being made and kept all 'round them, Windows shutter'd, lamps few. Good thing I'm a jolly straight-ahead Lad, Dixon reminds himself,— or I'd start to imagine all kinds of things—
"To the 'Sixty-six!" Pewter clanking, ale spilling and commingling30, much of it upon the Clothing of the Company.
"What d'ye think, then?" Blackie asks abruptly31 of Dixon.
"Eeh,— not Philadelphia, is it?"
"Nor Boston neither!" Blackie assures him, with a clap upon the shoulder. "Tho' it little matters."
"Aye,— ev'ry Province is agreed in this Business. All speak as One."
"What a terrible thing, that British Governments should mis-read us so, when we wish to believe in their Wisdom, their better grasp of His?tory, as of Secular32 Likelihood,— yet they will keep finding ways to nour?ish our Doubts."
"Will their Stupidity prove beyond the reach even of Mr. Franklin, our American Prometheus?"
"Why bother to educate 'em? The stupider the better."
"Yet too stupid, and the only Choice left is Battle."
"There's the Ticket!" cries Blackie.
"At the Peak of the Riots, Blackie was running about a Thousand Sailors," remarks Capt. Volcanoe.
"And they're still in Town," Blackie with an eager Nod, "thanks to Cap'n Kennedy." Who, in Command of H.M.S. Coventry, is regulating Traffick in the Harbor, allowing ships to enter, but detaining as many as
he may who attempt to leave with their Clearance33 Papers unstamp'd. "Here comes one of my Lads now, in fact."
Who does it prove to be but Foretopman Bodine, once of the Seahorse, who, as he now relates, having jump'd that ship in Madras, watching from shore as she sail'd away to the Capture of Manila, had then hir'd on to a China ship, which was set upon in mid-Ocean by Pirates, who took him to South America, whence he escap'd, making his way North, among Typhoons and Hurricanoes, Jungle and Swamp, Alligators34 and Boas, Indians and Spaniards, till fetching up in Perth Amboy in the company of a certain Roaring Dot, belle35 of the Harbor.
"Woman of my dreams," Fender-belly vilely36 chuckling37.
"Nought38 but a Snotter waiting for a Sprit," his Lady controverts39 him. "Happen'd to be this 'un, 's all."
"Sav'd his arse from a musket40 ball before Fort George in November."
"Aye!" Blackie all a-grin, "What a Night! Thousands of us! A fierce Wind, coming in off the Harbor at our backs... Sparks from the Torches flying ev'rywhere!"
"Blackie kept imagining his Hat was a-fire," recalls the Captain. "All shouting up at them, 'Liberty!' Daring them to shoot Buggers. Tho' Major James could have ta'en easily a thousand Souls at the first Volley, he held his fire, and our War with Britain did not begin. But good Fender could have provok'd it, if anyone could." Whilst he was expos?ing his Hind-Parts to the Gaze of those in the Fort, prudent41 Dot, recog?nizing signs of Trouble ahead, remov'd a Sap from her Stocking, and bestow'd the Pygephanous Tar26 a Memento42, from which he did not awaken43 until the next day, by which time he'd been convey'd to her Barge44 at the Amboys.
"Well met, Friend," says a quiet Voice at Dixon's Elbow. "I'll not tell if you won't." Peering thro' the Smoke, he recognizes Philip Dimdown, now as un-Macaronickal as possible, a serious young man upon a Mis?sion whose end may not be predicted. They make their way to a Corner with a Clavier, from whose top Dixon must remove a Madeira bottle, two cold Chops, and a severely45 tatter'd Periwig in order even to lounge against it. "So, tha're not a Fop after all? I may pass Fop Remarks, make Fop-Joaks, without giving offense46?”
' 'Twas the best way to get by them," Dimdown causing his Tankard to nod, amiably47. "Rattling48 quite discomposes these Brits, some of whom may go for weeks without saying any more than they have to. Yet as no true Macaroni would, in non-Macaronick Company, behave too Maca-ronickally, in that was the impersonation you saw, defective49. That is, I might have been more subdued50 about it."
"Fool'd me, for fair."
"I was probably indulging Fop Sentiments long kept under, unknown even to myself. Yet, even a Son of Liberty needs to have a little Diver?sion, given that scarcely a day passes when one doesn't have to step lively if one wishes to remain attach'd to one's Arse, and for me, say,— being a Fop's just the ticket. Right now I'm obsess'd with Wigs51. I find I have to change them once a week at least in order to remain unidentified. What think ye of this one? Just snatch'd it up and threw it on,— in Town but for the night,— been trav'ling about in a French Bomb-Ketch, taken in the late War, La Fougueuse, two Mortars52 in the Cock-Pit, spot of Bother with the Trim in any kind of a Chop, dates back to 'forty-two, but she gets us where we want to go, she gets us 'round the Communica?tions," seeming by this to denote, the total Ensemble53 of Routes by which Messages might in those days pass among Americans,— by which Selves entirely54 word-made were announc'd and shar'd, now and then merging55 in a plasma56, like the Over-soul of the Hindoo, surging to and fro along the lanes, from hillside to bluff57, by way of Lanthorn-Flashes, transnoctial hoofbeats, Sharpies and Snows, cryptograms curl'd among Macaronick Wigs, Songs, Sermons, Bells in the Towers, Hat-Brims, let?ters to the Papers, Broadsheets at the Corners, Criers at Town Limits fac?ing out into the Unknown in the dead of Winter, in the middle of the Night, and shouting, never without the confidence that someone is lis?tening, somewhere, and passing the Message along,— upon Water as upon Land, La Fougueuse in Company with Ferries coming and going 'round the Clock, linking coastal58 Connecticut, New-York, the Jerseys59, all up and down Chesapeake, a single great branch'd Creature, impulses trav'ling Creeks60 and Coves61 at the speed of Thought,— Virginia, the Car-olinas, well into and beyond the Mountains, into the water-Prairie of Ohio, and thence...
" 'Tis vast," Blackie assures Dixon. "Ain't never been nothing like it. Been living in Brooklyn all my life, seen some 'shit' some English Gents wouldn't even know if they stepp'd in it,...and by t'en, 'twould be too late. But what's going on wit' t'ese Lawyers," pollicating the Captain, "hey,— yese don't want to know. It's vast, all right? Know what I'm say?ing,— vast."
Dixon shrugging, shakes his head to indicate ignorance upon the Top-ick. "Christ's Return...?" he guesses.
"That's next, after us."
"Yese are paving the way?"
"Very likely put, Sir,— " cries an ecclesiastickal-looking Personage, "I should add, 'inspiringly' but for the prepond'rance of Deists among us, whom Christ makes uncomfortable. They will have their day. And later, a generation, or two, from now, when the People are at last grown disen?chanted enough, 'twill be time for Christ to return to the Hearts of His own."
"Why Asaph, poh to ye and your 'they'! ye're a d——'d Voltaire
Reader yourself, what kind of Thorns-and-Angels Stuff is this?"
"Mr. Dixon, being a Quaker, can hold little love for any King, Blackie, do calm down a bit,— tho' his love for Christ may be another matter, and 'twas that I was deferring62 to, that's if you don't mind?"
'' 'Course not," Blackie replies with the smugness of one who believes he has scor'd a Point.
"Tho' rear'd a Friend," Dixon feels he must clarify, "I was expos'd at a receptive Age to a Rush of Deistick thoughts, aye very Deistick indeed...?— all in a great tumble, by way of Mr. Emerson of Hur-worth,— so I've a Sentimental63 Foot in each, as tha'd say...?"
"As a Quaker, you'd surely rather see us independent of Britain?" inquires Mr. Dimdown.
' 'Tis not how British treat Americans," Dixon amiably rubescent, " 'tis how both of You treat the African Slaves, and the Indians Native here, that engages the Friends more closely,— an old and melancholy64 History.... My allegiance, as a Quaker born, would lie, above all Tribes, with Christ,— withal, as a Geordie, for reasons unarguably Tribal65, I can have no sympathy for any British King,— not even one who's paid my Wages, bless 'im. Call me an ungrateful Cur, go ahead, I've been call'd
worse.— Eeh, lo, thy Jack's empty...? Can't have thah', allow me, all who're dry, no problem, Mr. McClean shall enter each into his Ledger66, and in the fullness of Time will all be repaid,— aye then, here they come! how canny67, with those greeaht Foahm Tops on 'em, what do tha call thah'?"
"That is a 'Head,' " Blackie quizzickal. "They don't have that, back wherever you're from? What kind o' Ale-drinker are you then, Sir?"
"Shall we quarrel, after all?"
"Innocent question," Blackie looking about for support.
"Very well, as tha did ask,— I'm a faithful and traditional Ale-Drinker, Sir, who does thee a courtesy in even swallowing this pale, hopp'd-up, water'd-down imitation of Small Beer."
"Far preferable," replies Blackie, "- - even if slanderously68 and vilely untrue,— to that black, sluggish69, treacly substitute for Naval70 Tar, Sir, no offense meant, that they swill71 down over in England?" with a look that would have been meaningful, could it get much beyond a common Glower72.
Dixon sighs. Ale Loyalty73 is important to him, as part of a pact74 with the Youth he wish'd to remain connected to. He lifts and drinks, as calmly as possible, the entire Pint of American Ale, without pausing for any Breath. Having then taken one at last, "0 Error!" he cries, "How could I've so misjudg'd this?"
Blackie is as short of Time as anyone here. This thing that is now tak?ing shape has an Inertia75 that may yet bear all before it.. .he can no longer indulge himself in what once, not long ago, would have prov'd a lively Contest,— nowadays, all energy, all attention, is claim'd by Futurity, unwritten as unscryable, the Door wide open.
Thus, "I once took Joy, 's a matter of fact, in many a British Pint," recalls Blackie, "and go ever in the Faith that so I shall again, some day. Meanwhile, as with our Tea, we brew76 American."
"Believe I'll have another of those...?" replies Dixon. "Would tha join me?”
收听单词发音 |
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peevish
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| adj.易怒的，坏脾气的 | |
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obsessively
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| ad.着迷般地，过分地 | |
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tableau
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| n.画面，活人画（舞台上活人扮的静态画面） | |
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corps
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| n.(通信等兵种的)部队；(同类作的)一组 | |
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groan
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| vi./n.呻吟，抱怨；(发出)呻吟般的声音 | |
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scones
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| n.烤饼，烤小圆面包( scone的名词复数 ) | |
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rivalry
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| n.竞争，竞赛，对抗 | |
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catchy
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| adj.易记住的，诡诈的，易使人上当的 | |
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tunes
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| n.曲调，曲子( tune的名词复数 )v.调音( tune的第三人称单数 )；调整；（给收音机、电视等）调谐；使协调 | |
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vacuous
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| adj.空的，漫散的，无聊的，愚蠢的 | |
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hued
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| 有某种色调的 | |
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diaphanous
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| adj.(布)精致的，半透明的 | |
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precisely
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| adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地 | |
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afterward
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| adv.后来；以后 | |
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innocence
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| n.无罪；天真；无害 | |
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scents
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| n.香水( scent的名词复数 )；气味；（动物的）臭迹；（尤指狗的）嗅觉 | |
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exertion
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| n.尽力，努力 | |
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clatter
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| v./n.(使)发出连续而清脆的撞击声 | |
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punctuated
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| v.（在文字中）加标点符号，加标点( punctuate的过去式和过去分词 )；不时打断某事物 | |
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tavern
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| n.小旅馆，客栈；小酒店 | |
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intrigue
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| vt.激起兴趣，迷住；vi.耍阴谋；n.阴谋，密谋 | |
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crucible
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| n.坩锅，严酷的考验 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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ministry
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| n.(政府的)部；牧师 | |
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gatherings
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| 聚集( gathering的名词复数 )； 收集； 采集； 搜集 | |
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tar
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| n.柏油，焦油；vt.涂或浇柏油/焦油于 | |
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recollect
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| v.回忆，想起，记起，忆起，记得 | |
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sweeping
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| adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的 | |
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pint
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| n.品脱 | |
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commingling
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| v.混合，掺和，合并( commingle的现在分词 ) | |
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abruptly
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| adv.突然地，出其不意地 | |
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secular
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| n.牧师，凡人；adj.世俗的，现世的，不朽的 | |
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clearance
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| n.净空；许可(证)；清算；清除，清理 | |
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alligators
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| n.短吻鳄( alligator的名词复数 ) | |
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belle
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| n.靓女 | |
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vilely
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| adv.讨厌地，卑劣地 | |
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chuckling
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| 轻声地笑( chuckle的现在分词 ) | |
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nought
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| n.／adj.无，零 | |
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controverts
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| v.争论，反驳，否定( controvert的第三人称单数 ) | |
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musket
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| n.滑膛枪 | |
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prudent
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| adj.谨慎的，有远见的，精打细算的 | |
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memento
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| n.纪念品，令人回忆的东西 | |
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awaken
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| vi.醒，觉醒；vt.唤醒，使觉醒，唤起，激起 | |
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barge
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| n.平底载货船，驳船 | |
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severely
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| adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地 | |
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offense
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| n.犯规，违法行为；冒犯，得罪 | |
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amiably
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| adv.和蔼可亲地，亲切地 | |
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48
rattling
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| adj. 格格作响的, 活泼的, 很好的 adv. 极其, 很, 非常 动词rattle的现在分词 | |
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defective
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| adj.有毛病的，有问题的，有瑕疵的 | |
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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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wigs
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| n.假发，法官帽( wig的名词复数 ) | |
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mortars
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| n.迫击炮( mortar的名词复数 )；砂浆；房产；研钵 | |
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ensemble
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| n.合奏(唱)组；全套服装；整体，总效果 | |
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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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merging
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| 合并（分类） | |
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plasma
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| n.血浆，细胞质，乳清 | |
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bluff
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| v.虚张声势，用假象骗人；n.虚张声势，欺骗 | |
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coastal
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| adj.海岸的，沿海的，沿岸的 | |
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jerseys
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| n.运动衫( jersey的名词复数 ) | |
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creeks
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| n.小湾( creek的名词复数 )；小港；小河；小溪 | |
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61
coves
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| n.小海湾( cove的名词复数 )；家伙 | |
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62
deferring
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| v.拖延，延缓，推迟( defer的现在分词 )；服从某人的意愿，遵从 | |
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sentimental
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| adj.多愁善感的，感伤的 | |
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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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tribal
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| adj.部族的，种族的 | |
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ledger
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| n.总帐，分类帐；帐簿 | |
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canny
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| adj.谨慎的，节俭的 | |
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slanderously
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| 造谣中伤地，诽谤地 | |
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sluggish
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| adj.懒惰的，迟钝的，无精打采的 | |
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naval
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| adj.海军的，军舰的，船的 | |
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71
swill
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| v.冲洗；痛饮；n.泔脚饲料；猪食；（谈话或写作中的）无意义的话 | |
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72
glower
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| v.怒目而视 | |
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loyalty
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| n.忠诚，忠心 | |
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pact
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| n.合同，条约，公约，协定 | |
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inertia
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| adj.惰性，惯性，懒惰，迟钝 | |
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brew
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| v.酿造，调制 | |
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