letters from high latitudes-第47部分

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When　the　knights　rode　off；　King　Harald　Hardrada　asked　the　Earl；　〃Who　was　the　man　who　spoke　so　well？〃

The　Earl　replied；　〃That　knight　was　Harold　of　England。〃

The　stern　Norwegian　King　regrets　that　his　enemy　had　escaped　from　his　hands；　owing　to　his　ignorance　of　this　fact；　but　even　in　his　first　burst　of　disappointment；　the　noble　Norse　nature　speaks　in　generous　admiration　of　his　foe；　saying　to　the　people　about　him；　〃That　was　but　a　little　man；　yet　he　sat　firmly　in　his　stirrups。〃

The　fierce；　but　unequal　combat　is　soon　at　an　end；　and　when　tardy　succour　arrives　from　the　ships；　Harald　Hardrada　is　lying　on　his　face；　with　the　deadly　arrow　in　his　throat；　never　to　see　Nidaros　again。　Seven　feet　of　English　earth；　and　no　more；　has　the　strong　arm　and　fiery　spirit　conquered。

But　enough　of　these　gallant　fellows；　I　must　carry　you　off　to　a　much　pleasanter　scene　of　action。　After　a　very　agreeable　dinner　with　Mr。　K；　who　has　been　most　kind　to　us；　we　adjourned　to　the　ball。　The　room　was　large　and　well　lightedplenty　of　pretty　faces　adorned　it；the　floor　was　smooth；　and　the　scrape　of　the　fiddles　had　a　festive　accent　so　extremely　inspiriting；　that　I　besought　Mr。　K　to　present　me　to　one　of　the　fair　personages　whose　tiny　feet　were　already　tapping　the　floor　with　impatience　at　their　own　inactivity。

I　was　led　up　in　due　form　to　a　very　pretty　lady；　and　heard　my　own　name；　followed　by　a　singular　sound　purporting　to　be　that　of　my　charming　partner；　Madame　Hghelghghagllaghem。　For　the　pronunciation　of　this　polysyllabic　cognomen；　I　can　only　give　you　a　few　plain　instructions；　commence　it　with　a　slight　cough；　continue　with　a　gurgling　in　the　throat；　and　finish　with　the　first　convulsive　movement　of　a　sneeze；　imparting　to　the　whole　operation　a　delicate　nasal　twang。　　If　the　result　is　not　something　approaching　to　the　sound　required；　you　must　relinquish　all　hope　of　achieving　it；　as　I　did。　Luckily；　my　business　was　to　dance；　and　not　to　apostrophize　the　lady；　and　accordingly；　when　the　waltz　struck　up；　I　hastened　to　claim；　in　the　dumbest　show；　the　honour　of　her　hand。　Although　my　dancing　qualifications　have　rather　rusted　during　the　last　two　or　three　years；　I　remembered　that　the　time　was　not　so　very　far　distant　when　even　the　fair　Mademoiselle　E　had　graciously　pronounced　me　to　be　a　very　tolerable　waltzer；　〃for　an　Englishman；〃　and　I　led　my　partner　to　the　circle　already　formed　with　the　〃air　capable〃　which　the　object　of　such　praise　is　entitled　to　assume。　　There　was　a　certain　languid　rhythm　in　the　air　they　were　playing　which　rather　offended　my　ears；　but　I　suspected　nothing　until；　observing　the　few　couples　who　had　already　descended　into　the　arena；　I　became　aware　that　they　were　twirling　about　with　all　the　antiquated　grace　of　〃la　valse　a　trois　temps。〃　Of　course　my　partner　would　be　no　exception　to　the　general　rule！　nobody　had　ever　danced　anything　else　at　Throndhjem　from　the　days　of　Odin　downwards；　and　I　had　never　so　much　as　attempted　it。　What　was　to　be　done？　I　could　not　explain　the　state　of　the　case　to　Madame　Hghelghghagllaghem；　she　could　not　understand　English；　nor　I　speak　Norse。　My　brain　reeled　with　anxiety　to　find　some　solution　of　the　difficulty；　or　some　excuse　for　rushing　from　her　presence。　What　if　I　were　taken　with　a　sudden　bleeding　at　the　nose；　or　had　an　apoplectic　fit　on　the　spot？　Either　case　would　necessitate　my　being　carried　decently　out；　and　consigned　to　oblivion；　which　would　have　been　a　comfort　under　the　circumstances。　There　was　nothing　for　it　but　the　courage　of　despair；　so；　casting　reflection　to　the　winds　and　my　arm　round　her　waist；　I　suddenly　whisked　her　off　her　legs；　and　dashed　madly　down　the　room；　〃a　deux　temps。〃　At　the　first　perception　that　something　unusual　was　going　on；　she　gave　such　an　eldritch　scream；　that　the　whole　society　suddenly　came　to　a　standstill。　I　thought　it　best　to　assume　an　aspect　of　innocent　composure　and　conscious　rectitude；　which　had　its　effect；　for　though　the　lady　began　with　a　certain　degree　of　hysterical　animation　to　describe　her　wrongs；　she　finished　with　a　hearty　laugh；　in　which　the　company　cordially　joined；　and　I　delicately　chimed　in。　For　the　rest　of　the　dance　she　seemed　to　resign　herself　to　her　fate；　and　floated　through　space；　under　my　guidance；　with　all　the　ABANDON　of　Francesca　di　Rimini；　in　Scheffer's　famous　picture。

The　Crown　Prince　is　a　tall；　fine…looking　person；　he　was　very　gracious；　and　asked　many　questions　about　my　voyage。

At　night　there　was　a　general　illumination；　to　which　the　〃Foam〃　contributed　some　blue　lights。

We　got　under　way　early　this　morning；　and　without　a　pilotas　we　had　enteredmade　our　way　out　to　sea　again。　I　left　Throndhjem　with　regret；　not　for　its　own　sake；　for　in　spite　of　balls　and　illuminations　I　should　think　the　pleasures　of　a　stay　there　would　not　be　deliriously　exciting；　but　this　whole　district　is　so　intimately　associated　in　my　mind　with　all　the　brilliant　episodes　of　ancient　Norwegian　History；　that　I　feel　as　if　I　were　taking　leave　of　all　those　noble　Haralds；　and　Olafs；　and　Hacons；　among　whom　I　have　been　living　in　such　pleasant　intimacy　for　some　time　past。

While　we　are　dropping　down　the　coast；　I　may　as　well　employ　the　time　in　giving　you　a　rapid　sketch　of　the　commencement　of　this　fine　Norse　people；　though　the　story　〃remonte　jusqu'a　la　nuit　des　temps；〃　and　has　something　of　the　vague　magnificence　of　your　own　M'Donnell　genealogy；　ending　a　long　list　of　great　potentates；　with　〃somebody；　who　was　the　son　of　somebody　else；　who　was　the　son　of　Scotha；　who　was　the　daughter　of　Pharaoh！〃

In　bygone　ages；　beyond　the　Scythian　plains　and　the　fens　of　the　Tanais；　in　that　land　of　the　morning；　to　which　neither　Grecian　letters　nor　Roman　arms　had　ever　penetrated；　there　was　a　great　city　called　Asgaard。　Of　its　founder；　of　its　history；　we　know　nothing；　but　looming　through　the　mists　of　antiquity　we　can　discern　an　heroic　figure；　whose　superior　attainments　won　for　him　the　lordship　of　his　own　generation；　and　divine　honours　from　those　that　succeeded。　Whether　moved　by　an　irresistible　impulse；　or　impelled　by　more　powerful　neighbours；　it　is　impossible　to　say；　but　certain　it　is　that　at　some　period；　not　perhaps　very　long　before　the　Christian　era；　under　the　guidance　of　this　personage；　a　sun…nurtured　people　moved　across　the　face　of　Europe；　in　a　north…westerly　direction；　and　after　leaving　settlements　along　the　southern　shores　of　the　Baltic；　finally　established　themselves　in　the　forests　and　valleys　of　what　has　come　to　be　called　the　Scandinavian　Peninsula。　That　children　of　the　South　should　have　sought　out　so　inclement　a　habitation　may　excite　surprise；　but　it　must　always　be　remembered　that　they　were；　probably；　a　comparatively　scanty　congregation；　and　that　the　unoccupied　valleys　of　Norway　and　Sweden；　teeming　with　fish　and　game；　and　rich　in　iron；　were　a　preferable　region　to　lands　only　to　be　colonised　after　they　had　been　conquered。

Thus；　under　the　leadership　of　Odin　and　his　twelve　Paladins；　to　whom　a　grateful　posterity　afterwards　conceded　thrones　in　the　halls　of　their　chief's　Valhalla；the　new　emigrants　spread　themselves　along　the　margin　of　the　out…ocean；　and　round　about　the　gloomy　fiords；　and　up　and　down　the　deep　valleys　that　fall　away　at　right　angles　from　the　backbone；　or　keel；　as　the　seafaring　population　soon　learnt　to　call　the　flat；　snow…capped　ridge　that　runs　down　the　centre　of　Norway。

Amid　the　rude　but　not　ungenial　influences　of　its　bracing　climate；　was　gradually　fostered　that　gallant　race　which　was　destined　to　give　an　imperial　dynasty　to　Russia；　a　nobility　to　England；　and　conquerors　to　every　sea…board　in　Europe。

Upon　the　occupation　of　their　new　home；　the　ascendency　of　that　mysterious　hero；　under　whose　auspices　the　settlement　was　conducted；　appears　to　have　remained　more　firmly　established　than　ever；　not　only　over　the　mass　of　the　people；　but　also　over　the　twelve　subordinate　chiefs　who　accompanied　him；　there　never　seems　to　have　been　the　slightest　attempt　to　question　his　authority；　and；　though　afterwards　themselves　elevated　into　an　order　of　celestial　beings；　every　tradition　which　has　descended　is　careful　to　maintain　his　human　and　divine　supremacy。　Through　the　obscurity；　the　exaggeration；　and　the　ridiculous　fables；　with　which　his　real　existence　has　been　overloaded；　we　can　still　see　that　this　man　evidently　possessed　a　genius　as　superior　to　his　contemporaries；　as　has　ever　given　to　any　child　of　man　the　ascendency　over　his　generation。　In　the　simple　language　of　the　old　chronicler；　we　are　told；　〃that　his　countenance　was　so　beautiful　that；　when　sitting　among　his　friends；　the　spirits　of　all　were　exhilarated　by　it；　that　when　he　spoke；　all　were　persuaded；　that　when　he　went　forth　to　meet　his　enemies；　none　could　withstand　him。〃　Though　subsequently　made　a　god　by　the　superstitious　people　he　had　benefited；　his　death　seems　to　have　been　noble　and　religious。　He　summoned　his　friends　around　his　pillow；　intimated　a　belief　in　the　immortality　of　his　soul；　and　his　hope　that　hereafter　they　should　meet　again　in　Paradise。　〃Then；〃　we　are　told；　〃began　the　belief　in　Odin；　and　their　calling　upon　him。〃

On　the　settlement　of　the　country；　the　land　was　divided　and　subdivided　into　lotssome　as　small　as　fifty　acresand　each　proprietor　held　his　shareas　their　descendants　do　to　this　dayby　udal　right；　that　is；　not　as　a　fief　of　the　Crown；　or　of　any　superior　lord；　but　in　absolute；　inalienable　po