This song I dare both syng and say,
It keepeth men from grievous stryfe
When every man for hymself shall pay.
As I ryde in ryche array
For gold and sylver men wyll me floryshe;
By thys matter I dare well saye,
Ever gramercy myne owne purse.
BOOK OF HUNTING.
On the skirts of the neighbouring village there lives a kind of small potentate2, who, for aught I know, is a representative of one of the most ancient legitimate3 lines of the present day; for the empire over which he reigns4 has belonged to his family time out of mind. His territories comprise a considerable number of good fat acres; and his seat of power is an old farm-house, where he enjoys, unmolested, the stout5 oaken chair of his ancestors. The personage to whom I allude6 is a sturdy old yeoman of the name of John Tibbets, or rather Ready-Money Jack7 Tibbets, as he is called throughout the neighbourhood.
The first place where he attracted my attention was in the churchyard on Sunday; where he sat on a tombstone after service, with his hat a little on one side, holding forth9 to a small circle of auditors10, and, as I presumed, expounding11 the law and the prophets, until, on drawing a little nearer, I found he was only expatiating12 on the merits of a brown horse. He presented so faithful a picture of a substantial English yeoman, such as he is often described in books, heightened, indeed, by some little finery peculiar13 to himself, that I could not but take note of his whole appearance.
He was between fifty and sixty, of a strong muscular frame, and at least six feet high, with a physiognomy as grave as a lion's, and set off with short, curling, iron-gray locks. His shirt-collar was turned down, and displayed a neck covered with the same short, curling, gray hair; and he wore a coloured silk neckcloth, tied very loosely, and tucked in at the bosom14, with a green paste brooch on the knot. His coat was of dark-green cloth, with silver buttons, on each of which was engraved15 a stag, with his own name, John Tibbets, underneath16. He had an inner waistcoat of figured chintz, between which and his coat was another of scarlet17 cloth unbuttoned. His breeches were also left unbuttoned at the knees, not from any slovenliness18, but to show a broad pair of scarlet garters. His stockings were blue, with white clocks; he wore large silver shoe-buckles; a broad paste buckle19 in his hatband; his sleeve buttons were gold seven-shilling pieces; and he had two or three guineas hanging as ornaments20 to his watch-chain.
On making some inquiries21 about him, I gathered that he was descended22 from a line of farmers that had always lived on the same spot, and owned the same property; and that half of the churchyard was taken up with the tombstones of his race. He has all his life been an important character in the place. When a youngster, he was one of the most roaring blades of the neighbourhood. No one could match him at wrestling, pitching the bar, cudgel play, and other athletic23 exercises. Like the renowned25 Pinner of Wakefield, he was the village champion; carried off the prize at all the fairs, and threw his gauntlet at the country round. Even to this day the old people talk of his prowess, and undervalue, in comparison, all heroes of the green that have succeeded him; nay26, they say that if Ready-Money Jack were to take the field even now, there is no one could stand before him.
When Jack's father died, the neighbours shook their heads, and predicted that young Hopeful would soon make way with the old homestead; but Jack falsified all their predictions. The moment he succeeded to the paternal27 farm he assumed a new character; took a wife; attended resolutely28 to his affairs, and became an industrious29, thrifty30 farmer. With the family property he inherited a set of old family maxims32, to which he steadily34 adhered. He saw to everything himself; put his own hand to the plough; worked hard; ate heartily35; slept soundly; paid for everything in cash down; and never danced except he could do it to the music of his own money in both pockets. He has never been without a hundred or two pounds in gold by him, and never allows a debt to stand unpaid36. This has gained him his current name, of which, by the by, he is a little proud; and has caused him to be looked upon as a very wealthy man by all the village.
Notwithstanding his thrift31, however, he has never denied himself the amusements of life, but has taken a share in every passing pleasure. It is his maxim33, that "he that works hard can afford to play." He is, therefore, an attendant at all the country fairs and wakes, and has signalised himself by feats37 of strength and prowess on every village green in the shire. He often makes his appearance at horse-races, and sports his half-guinea and even his guinea at a time; keeps a good horse for his own riding, and to this day is fond of following the hounds, and is generally in at the death. He keeps up the rustic38 revels39, and hospitalities too, for which his paternal farm-house has always been noted40; has plenty of good cheer and dancing at harvest-home, and above all, keeps the "merry night,"2 as it is termed, at Christmas.
With all his love of amusement, however, Jack is by no means a boisterous41 jovial42 companion. He is seldom known to laugh even in the midst of his gaiety; but maintains the same grave, lion-like demeanour. He is very slow at comprehending a joke; and is apt to sit puzzling at it, with a perplexed43 look, while the rest of the company is in a roar. This gravity has, perhaps, grown on him with the growing weight of his character; for he is gradually rising into patriarchal dignity in his native place. Though he no longer takes an active part in athletic sports, yet he always presides at them, and is appealed to on all occasions as umpire. He maintains the peace on the village-green at holiday games, and quells44 all brawls45 and quarrels by collaring the parties and shaking them heartily, if refractory46. No one ever pretends to raise a hand against him, or to contend against his decisions; the young men having grown up in habitual47 awe48 of his prowess, and in implicit49 deference50 to him as the champion and lord of the green.
He is a regular frequenter of the village inn, the landlady51 having been a sweetheart of his in early life, and he having always continued on kind terms with her. He seldom, however, drinks anything but a draught52 of ale; smokes his pipe, and pays his reckoning before leaving the tap-room. Here he "gives his little senate laws;" decides bets, which are very generally referred to him; determines upon the characters and qualities of horses; and indeed plays now and then the part of a judge, in settling petty disputes between neighbours, which otherwise might have been nursed by country attorneys into tolerable lawsuits53. Jack is very candid54 and impartial55 in his decisions, but he has not a head to carry a long argument, and is very apt to get perplexed and out of patience if there is much pleading. He generally breaks through the argument with a strong voice, and brings matters to a summary conclusion, by pronouncing what he calls the "upshot of the business," or, in other words, "the long and short of the matter."
Jack once made a journey to London, a great many years since, which has furnished him with topics of conversation ever since. He saw the old king on the terrace at Windsor, who stopped, and pointed56 him out to one of the princesses, being probably struck with Jack's truly yeoman-like appearance. This is a favourite anecdote57 with him, and has no doubt had a great effect in making him a most loyal subject ever since, in spite of taxes and poor's rates. He was also at Bartholomew-fair, where he had half the buttons cut off his coat; and a gang of pick-pockets, attracted by his external show of gold and silver, made a regular attempt to hustle58 him as he was gazing at a show; but for once they found that they had caught a tartar, for Jack enacted59 as great wonders among the gang as Samson did among the Philistines60. One of his neighbours, who had accompanied him to town, and was with him at the fair, brought back an account of his exploits, which raised the pride of the whole village; who considered their champion as having subdued61 all London, and eclipsed the achievements of Friar Tuck, or even the renowned Robin62 Hood8 himself.
Of late years the old fellow has begun to take the world easily; he works less, and indulges in greater leisure, his son having grown up, and succeeded to him both in the labours of the farm and the exploits of the green. Like all sons of distinguished63 men, however, his father's renown24 is a disadvantage to him, for he can never come up to public expectation. Though a fine, active fellow of three-and-twenty, and quite the "cock of the walk," yet the old people declare he is nothing like what Ready-Money Jack was at his time of life. The youngster himself acknowledges his inferiority, and has a wonderful opinion of the old man, who indeed taught him all his athletic accomplishments64, and holds such a sway over him, that I am told, even to this day, he would have no hesitation65 to take him in hands, if he rebelled against paternal government.
The squire66 holds Jack in very high esteem67, and shows him to all his visitors as a specimen68 of old English "heart of oak." He frequently calls at his house, and tastes some of his home-brewed, which is excellent. He made Jack a present of old Tusser's Hundred Points of good Husbandrie, which has furnished him with reading ever since, and is his text-book and manual in all agricultural and domestic concerns. He has made dog's ears at the most favourite passages, and knows many of the poetical69 maxims by heart.
Tibbets, though not a man to be daunted70 or fluttered by high acquaintances; and though he cherishes a sturdy independence of mind and manner, yet is evidently gratified by the attentions of the squire, whom he has known from boyhood, and pronounces "a true gentleman every inch of him." He is also on excellent terms with Master Simon, who is a kind of privy councillor to the family; but his great favourite is the Oxonian, whom he taught to wrestle71 and play at quarter-staff when a boy, and considers the most promising72 young gentleman in the whole county.
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1
privy
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| adj.私用的；隐密的 | |
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potentate
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| n.统治者；君主 | |
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legitimate
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| adj.合法的，合理的，合乎逻辑的；v.使合法 | |
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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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allude
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| v.提及，暗指 | |
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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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8
hood
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| n.头巾，兜帽，覆盖；v.罩上，以头巾覆盖 | |
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9
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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auditors
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| n.审计员，稽核员( auditor的名词复数 )；（大学课程的）旁听生 | |
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11
expounding
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| 论述，详细讲解( expound的现在分词 ) | |
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12
expatiating
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| v.详述，细说( expatiate的现在分词 ) | |
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13
peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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14
bosom
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| n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的 | |
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15
engraved
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| v.在（硬物）上雕刻（字，画等）( engrave的过去式和过去分词 )；将某事物深深印在（记忆或头脑中） | |
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16
underneath
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| adj.在...下面，在...底下；adv.在下面 | |
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17
scarlet
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| n.深红色，绯红色，红衣；adj.绯红色的 | |
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18
slovenliness
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19
buckle
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| n.扣子，带扣；v.把...扣住，由于压力而弯曲 | |
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20
ornaments
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| n.装饰( ornament的名词复数 )；点缀；装饰品；首饰v.装饰，点缀，美化( ornament的第三人称单数 ) | |
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21
inquiries
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| n.调查( inquiry的名词复数 )；疑问；探究；打听 | |
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22
descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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23
athletic
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| adj.擅长运动的，强健的；活跃的，体格健壮的 | |
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24
renown
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| n.声誉，名望 | |
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renowned
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| adj.著名的，有名望的，声誉鹊起的 | |
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26
nay
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| adv.不；n.反对票，投反对票者 | |
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27
paternal
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| adj.父亲的，像父亲的，父系的，父方的 | |
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28
resolutely
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| adj.坚决地，果断地 | |
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29
industrious
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| adj.勤劳的，刻苦的，奋发的 | |
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30
thrifty
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| adj.节俭的；兴旺的；健壮的 | |
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31
thrift
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| adj.节约，节俭；n.节俭，节约 | |
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32
maxims
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| n.格言，座右铭( maxim的名词复数 ) | |
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33
maxim
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| n.格言，箴言 | |
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34
steadily
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| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
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35
heartily
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| adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很 | |
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36
unpaid
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| adj.未付款的，无报酬的 | |
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37
feats
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| 功绩，伟业，技艺( feat的名词复数 ) | |
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38
rustic
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| adj.乡村的，有乡村特色的；n.乡下人，乡巴佬 | |
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39
revels
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| n.作乐( revel的名词复数 )；狂欢；着迷；陶醉v.作乐( revel的第三人称单数 )；狂欢；着迷；陶醉 | |
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40
noted
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| adj.著名的，知名的 | |
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41
boisterous
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| adj.喧闹的，欢闹的 | |
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42
jovial
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| adj.快乐的，好交际的 | |
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43
perplexed
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| adj.不知所措的 | |
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quells
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| v.（用武力）制止，结束，镇压( quell的第三人称单数 ) | |
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45
brawls
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| 吵架，打架( brawl的名词复数 ) | |
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46
refractory
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| adj.倔强的，难驾驭的 | |
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47
habitual
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| adj.习惯性的；通常的，惯常的 | |
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48
awe
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| n.敬畏，惊惧；vt.使敬畏，使惊惧 | |
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49
implicit
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| a.暗示的，含蓄的，不明晰的，绝对的 | |
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50
deference
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| n.尊重，顺从；敬意 | |
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51
landlady
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| n.女房东，女地主 | |
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52
draught
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| n.拉，牵引，拖；一网（饮，吸，阵)；顿服药量，通风；v.起草，设计 | |
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53
lawsuits
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| n.诉讼( lawsuit的名词复数 ) | |
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54
candid
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| adj.公正的，正直的；坦率的 | |
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55
impartial
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| adj.(in,to)公正的，无偏见的 | |
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56
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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anecdote
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| n.轶事，趣闻，短故事 | |
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58
hustle
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| v.推搡；竭力兜售或获取；催促；n.奔忙(碌) | |
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59
enacted
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| 制定（法律），通过（法案）( enact的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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60
philistines
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| n.市侩，庸人( philistine的名词复数 )；庸夫俗子 | |
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61
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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62
robin
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| n.知更鸟，红襟鸟 | |
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63
distinguished
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| adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的 | |
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accomplishments
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| n.造诣；完成( accomplishment的名词复数 )；技能；成绩；成就 | |
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hesitation
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| n.犹豫，踌躇 | |
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66
squire
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| n.护卫, 侍从, 乡绅 | |
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67
esteem
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| n.尊敬，尊重；vt.尊重，敬重；把…看作 | |
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68
specimen
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| n.样本，标本 | |
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69
poetical
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| adj.似诗人的；诗一般的；韵文的；富有诗意的 | |
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70
daunted
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| 使（某人）气馁，威吓( daunt的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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wrestle
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| vi.摔跤，角力；搏斗；全力对付 | |
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promising
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| adj.有希望的，有前途的 | |
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