The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman Part 52

Though there are two reasons why you need not talk loud of this to every one.

First, Because 'twill make the said nags the harder to be got; and

Secondly, 'Tis not a word of it true.-Allons!

As for Sens-you may dispatch-in a word-"Tis an archiepiscopal see.'

-For Joigny-the less, I think, one says of it the better.

But for Auxerre-I could go on for ever: for in my grand tour through Europe, in which, after all, my father (not caring to trust me with any one) attended me himself, with my uncle Toby, and Trim, and Obadiah, and indeed most of the family, except my mother, who being taken up with a project of knitting my father a pair of large worsted breeches-(the thing is common sense)-and she not caring to be put out of her way, she staid at home, at Shandy Hall, to keep things right during the expedition; in which, I say, my father stopping us two days at Auxerre, and his researches being ever of such a nature, that they would have found fruit even in a desert-he has left me enough to say upon Auxerre: in short, wherever my father went-but 'twas more remarkably so, in this journey through France and Italy, than in any other stages of his life-his road seemed to lie so much on one side of that, wherein all other travellers have gone before him-he saw kings and courts and silks of all colours, in such strange lights-and his remarks and reasonings upon the characters, the manners, and customs of the countries we pa.s.s'd over, were so opposite to those of all other mortal men, particularly those of my uncle Toby and Trim-(to say nothing of myself)-and to crown all-the occurrences and sc.r.a.pes which we were perpetually meeting and getting into, in consequence of his systems and opiniotry-they were of so odd, so mix'd and tragi-comical a contexture-That the whole put together, it appears of so different a shade and tint from any tour of Europe, which was ever executed-that I will venture to p.r.o.nounce-the fault must be mine and mine only-if it be not read by all travellers and travel-readers, till travelling is no more,-or which comes to the same point-till the world, finally, takes it into its head to stand still.-

-But this rich bale is not to be open'd now; except a small thread or two of it, merely to unravel the mystery of my father's stay at Auxerre.

-As I have mentioned it-'tis too slight to be kept suspended; and when 'tis wove in, there is an end of it.

We'll go, brother Toby, said my father, whilst dinner is coddling-to the abbey of Saint Germain, if it be only to see these bodies, of which Monsieur Sequier has given such a recommendation.-I'll go see any body, quoth my uncle Toby; for he was all compliance through every step of the journey-Defend me! said my father-they are all mummies-Then one need not shave; quoth my uncle Toby-Shave! no-cried my father-'twill be more like relations to go with our beards on-So out we sallied, the corporal lending his master his arm, and bringing up the rear, to the abbey of Saint Germain.

Every thing is very fine, and very rich, and very superb, and very magnificent, said my father, addressing himself to the sacristan, who was a younger brother of the order of Benedictines-but our curiosity has led us to see the bodies, of which Monsieur Sequier has given the world so exact a description.-The sacristan made a bow, and lighting a torch first, which he had always in the vestry ready for the purpose; he led us into the tomb of St. Heribald-This, said the sacristan, laying his hand upon the tomb, was a renowned prince of the house of Bavaria, who under the successive reigns of Charlemagne, Louis le Debonnair, and Charles the Bald, bore a great sway in the government, and had a princ.i.p.al hand in bringing every thing into order and discipline-

Then he has been as great, said my uncle, in the field, as in the cabinet-I dare say he has been a gallant soldier-He was a monk-said the sacristan.

My uncle Toby and Trim sought comfort in each other's faces-but found it not: my father clapped both his hands upon his cod-piece, which was a way he had when any thing hugely tickled him: for though he hated a monk and the very smell of a monk worse than all the devils in h.e.l.l-yet the shot hitting my uncle Toby and Trim so much harder than him, 'twas a relative triumph; and put him into the gayest humour in the world.

-And pray what do you call this gentleman? quoth my father, rather sportingly: This tomb, said the young Benedictine, looking downwards, contains the bones of Saint Maxima, who came from Ravenna on purpose to touch the body-

-Of Saint Maximus, said my father, popping in with his saint before him,-they were two of the greatest saints in the whole martyrology, added my father-Excuse me, said the sacristan-'twas to touch the bones of Saint Germain, the builder of the abbey-And what did she get by it? said my uncle Toby-What does any woman get by it? said my father-Martyrdome; replied the young Benedictine, making a bow down to the ground, and uttering the word with so humble, but decisive a cadence, it disarmed my father for a moment. 'Tis supposed, continued the Benedictine, that St. Maxima has lain in this tomb four hundred years, and two hundred before her canonization-'Tis but a slow rise, brother Toby, quoth my father, in this self-same army of martyrs.-A desperate slow one, an' please your honour, said Trim, unless one could purchase-I should rather sell out entirely, quoth my uncle Toby-I am pretty much of your opinion, brother Toby, said my father.

-Poor St. Maxima! said my uncle Toby low to himself, as we turn'd from her tomb: She was one of the fairest and most beautiful ladies either of Italy or France, continued the sacristan-But who the duce has got lain down here, besides her? quoth my father, pointing with his cane to a large tomb as we walked on-It is Saint Optat, Sir, answered the sacristan-And properly is Saint Optat plac'd! said my father: And what is Saint Optat's story? continued he. Saint Optat, replied the sacristan, was a bishop-

-I thought so, by heaven! cried my father, interrupting him-Saint Optat!-how should Saint Optat fail? so s.n.a.t.c.hing out his pocket-book, and the young Benedictine holding him the torch as he wrote, he set it down as a new prop to his system of Christian names, and I will be bold to say, so disinterested was he in the search of truth, that had he found a treasure in Saint Optat's tomb, it would not have made him half so rich: 'Twas as successful a short visit as ever was paid to the dead; and so highly was his fancy pleas'd with all that had pa.s.sed in it,-that he determined at once to stay another day in Auxerre.

-I'll see the rest of these good gentry to-morrow, said my father, as we cross'd over the square-And while you are paying that visit, brother Shandy, quoth my uncle Toby-the corporal and I will mount the ramparts.

Chapter 4.IX.

-Now this is the most puzzled skein of all-for in this last chapter, as far at least as it has help'd me through Auxerre, I have been getting forwards in two different journies together, and with the same dash of the pen-for I have got entirely out of Auxerre in this journey which I am writing now, and I am got half way out of Auxerre in that which I shall write hereafter-There is but a certain degree of perfection in every thing; and by pus.h.i.+ng at something beyond that, I have brought myself into such a situation, as no traveller ever stood before me; for I am this moment walking across the market-place of Auxerre with my father and my uncle Toby, in our way back to dinner-and I am this moment also entering Lyons with my post-chaise broke into a thousand pieces-and I am moreover this moment in a handsome pavillion built by Pringello (The same Don Pringello, the celebrated Spanish architect, of whom my cousin Antony has made such honourable mention in a scholium to the Tale inscribed to his name. Vid. p.129, small edit.), upon the banks of the Garonne, which Mons. Sligniac has lent me, and where I now sit rhapsodising all these affairs.

-Let me collect myself, and pursue my journey.

Chapter 4.X.

I am glad of it, said I, settling the account with myself, as I walk'd into Lyons-my chaise being all laid higgledy-piggledy with my baggage in a cart, which was moving slowly before me-I am heartily glad, said I, that 'tis all broke to pieces; for now I can go directly by water to Avignon, which will carry me on a hundred and twenty miles of my journey, and not cost me seven livres-and from thence, continued I, bringing forwards the account, I can hire a couple of mules-or a.s.ses, if I like, (for n.o.body knows me,) and cross the plains of Languedoc for almost nothing-I shall gain four hundred livres by the misfortune clear into my purse: and pleasure! worth-worth double the money by it. With what velocity, continued I, clapping my two hands together, shall I fly down the rapid Rhone, with the Vivares on my right hand, and Dauphiny on my left, scarce seeing the ancient cities of Vienne, Valence, and Vivieres. What a flame will it rekindle in the lamp, to s.n.a.t.c.h a blus.h.i.+ng grape from the Hermitage and Cote roti, as I shoot by the foot of them! and what a fresh spring in the blood! to behold upon the banks advancing and retiring, the castles of romance, whence courteous knights have whilome rescued the distress'd-and see vertiginous, the rocks, the mountains, the cataracts, and all the hurry which Nature is in with all her great works about her.

As I went on thus, methought my chaise, the wreck of which look'd stately enough at the first, insensibly grew less and less in its size; the freshness of the painting was no more-the gilding lost its l.u.s.tre-and the whole affair appeared so poor in my eyes-so sorry!-so contemptible! and, in a word, so much worse than the abbess of Andouillets' itself-that I was just opening my mouth to give it to the devil-when a pert vamping chaise-undertaker, stepping nimbly across the street, demanded if Monsieur would have his chaise refitted-No, no, said I, shaking my head sideways-Would Monsieur choose to sell it? rejoined the undertaker-With all my soul, said I-the iron work is worth forty livres-and the gla.s.ses worth forty more-and the leather you may take to live on.

What a mine of wealth, quoth I, as he counted me the money, has this post-chaise brought me in? And this is my usual method of book-keeping, at least with the disasters of life-making a penny of every one of 'em as they happen to me-

-Do, my dear Jenny, tell the world for me, how I behaved under one, the most oppressive of its kind, which could befal me as a man, proud as he ought to be of his manhood-

'Tis enough, saidst thou, coming close up to me, as I stood with my garters in my hand, reflecting upon what had not pa.s.s'd-'Tis enough, Tristram, and I am satisfied, saidst thou, whispering these words in my ear,.......... .........;-.........-any other man would have sunk down to the centre-

-Every thing is good for something, quoth I.

-I'll go into Wales for six weeks, and drink goat's whey-and I'll gain seven years longer life for the accident. For which reason I think myself inexcusable, for blaming Fortune so often as I have done, for pelting me all my life long, like an ungracious d.u.c.h.ess, as I call'd her, with so many small evils: surely, if I have any cause to be angry with her, 'tis that she has not sent me great ones-a score of good cursed, bouncing losses, would have been as good as a pension to me.

-One of a hundred a year, or so, is all I wish-I would not be at the plague of paying land-tax for a larger.

Chapter 4.XI.

To those who call vexations, Vexations, as knowing what they are, there could not be a greater, than to be the best part of a day at Lyons, the most opulent and flouris.h.i.+ng city in France, enriched with the most fragments of antiquity-and not be able to see it. To be withheld upon any account, must be a vexation; but to be withheld by a vexation-must certainly be, what philosophy justly calls Vexation upon Vexation.

I had got my two dishes of milk coffee (which by the bye is excellently good for a consumption, but you must boil the milk and coffee together-otherwise 'tis only coffee and milk)-and as it was no more than eight in the morning, and the boat did not go off till noon, I had time to see enough of Lyons to tire the patience of all the friends I had in the world with it. I will take a walk to the cathedral, said I, looking at my list, and see the wonderful mechanism of this great clock of Lippius of Basil, in the first place-

Now, of all things in the world, I understand the least of mechanism-I have neither genius, or taste, or fancy-and have a brain so entirely unapt for every thing of that kind, that I solemnly declare I was never yet able to comprehend the principles of motion of a squirrel cage, or a common knife-grinder's wheel-tho' I have many an hour of my life look'd up with great devotion at the one-and stood by with as much patience as any christian ever could do, at the other-

I'll go see the surprising movements of this great clock, said I, the very first thing I do: and then I will pay a visit to the great library of the Jesuits, and procure, if possible, a sight of the thirty volumes of the general history of China, wrote (not in the Tartarean, but) in the Chinese language, and in the Chinese character too.

Now I almost know as little of the Chinese language, as I do of the mechanism of Lippius's clock-work; so, why these should have jostled themselves into the two first articles of my list-I leave to the curious as a problem of Nature. I own it looks like one of her ladys.h.i.+p's obliquities; and they who court her, are interested in finding out her humour as much as I.

When these curiosities are seen, quoth I, half addressing myself to my valet de place, who stood behind me-'twill be no hurt if we go to the church of St. Irenaeus, and see the pillar to which Christ was tied-and after that, the house where Pontius Pilate lived-'Twas at the next town, said the valet de place-at Vienne; I am glad of it, said I, rising briskly from my chair, and walking across the room with strides twice as long as my usual pace-'for so much the sooner shall I be at the Tomb of the two lovers.'

What was the cause of this movement, and why I took such long strides in uttering this-I might leave to the curious too; but as no principle of clock-work is concerned in it-'twill be as well for the reader if I explain it myself.

Chapter 4.XII.

O! there is a sweet aera in the life of man, when (the brain being tender and fibrillous, and more like pap than any thing else)-a story read of two fond lovers, separated from each other by cruel parents, and by still more cruel destiny-

Amandus-He Amanda-She- each ignorant of the other's course, He-east She-west Amandus taken captive by the Turks, and carried to the emperor of Morocco's court, where the princess of Morocco falling in love with him, keeps him twenty years in prison for the love of his Amanda.-

She-(Amanda) all the time wandering barefoot, and with dishevell'd hair, o'er rocks and mountains, enquiring for Amandus!-Amandus! Amandus!-making every hill and valley to echo back his name-Amandus! Amandus! at every town and city, sitting down forlorn at the gate-Has Amandus!-has my Amandus enter'd?-till,-going round, and round, and round the world-chance unexpected bringing them at the same moment of the night, though by different ways, to the gate of Lyons, their native city, and each in well-known accents calling out aloud,

Is Amandus / Is my Amanda still alive?