首页 >出版文学> Jasmin>第43章

第43章

  Somefearedforbrideandbridegroomyet;andguessAtstrangemischance。”Inthenightcrieswereheard,”
  Othershadseensomeshadowsonthewall,inwondrousways。
  LivesPascalyet?NonedarestodressThespicybroth,[11]toleavebesidethenuptialdoor;
  Andsoanotherhourgoeso’er。
  Thenfloatsalovelystrainofmusicoverhead,Asweetrefrainoftheardbefore,’Tistheaoubado[12]offeredtothenewly-wed。
  Sothedooropesatlast,andtheyoungpairwasseen,Sheblushedbeforethefolk,butfriendlyhandandmien,Thefragmentsofhergartergives,Andeverywomantworeceives;
  Thenwinksandwordsofruthfromeyeandliparepassed,AndluckofproudPascalmakesenviousallatlast,Forthepoorlads,whoseheartsarehealedbutslightly,Oftheirfirstferventpain,WhentheyseeFranconnette,blossomingrose-lightbrightly,Alldewyfresh,sosweetandsightly,Theycryaloud,”We’llne’erbelieveaSorcereragain!”
  FootnotestoFRANCONNETTE。
  [1]BlaisedeMontluc,MarshalofFrance,wasoneofthebitterestpersecutorsoftheHugueuots。Towardstheendofthesixteenthcentury,AgenwasacentreofProtestantism。Thetownwastakenagainandagainbythecontendingreligiousfactions。
  WhenMontlucretooktheplace,in1562,fromTruelle,theHuguenotcaptain,hefoundthattheinhabitantshadfled,andtherewasnoonetobutcherGascogneetLanguedoc,parPaulJoanne,p。95。MontlucmadeupforhisdisappointmentbylayingwastethecountrybetweenFumelandPenne,townstothenorthofAgen,andslayingalltheHuguenots——men,women,andchildren——onwhomhecouldlayhishands。HethenreturnedtohiscastleofEstillac,devotedhimselftoreligiousexercises,and”tookthesacrament,”saysJasmin,”whilehishandsweredrippingwithfraternalblood。”Montlucdiedin1577,andwasburiedinthegardenofEstillac,whereamonument,theruinsofwhichstillexist’,waserectedoverhisremains。
  [2]JourdeDieu!
  [3]Wehr-wolves,wizardwolves——loup-garou。SuperstitionsrespectingthemareknowninBrittanyandtheSouthofFrance。
  [4]MissHarriettW。Preston,inherarticleonJasmin’sFranconnetteintheAtlanticMonthlyforFebruary,1876,says:”Thebuscou,orbusking,wasakindofbee,atwhichtheyoungpeopleassembled,bringingthethreadoftheirlatespinning,whichwasdividedintoskeinsofthepropersizebyabroadthinplateofsteelorwhalebonecalledabusc。Thesamething,underpreciselythesamename,figuredinthetoiletsofourgrandmothers,andhence,probably,theScotchuseoftheverbtobusk,orattire。”JamiesonScottishDictionarysays:”ThetermbuskisemployedinabeautifulproverbwhichisverycommonlyusedinScotland,’Abonnybrideissoonbusked。’”
  [5]MissPrestonsaysthiswasacustomwhichprevailedincertainpartsofFrance。ItwascarriedbytheFrenchemigrantstoCanada,whereitflourishedinrecenttimes。TheSacramentalBreadwascrownedbyoneormorefrostedorotherwiseornamentedcakes,whichwerereservedforthefamilyoftheSeigneur,orothercommunicantsofdistinction。
  [6]AtNotreDamedeBonEncontre,achurchinthesuburbsofAgen,celebratedforitslegends,itsmiracles,andthenumerouspilgrimageswhichareusuallymadetoitinthemonthofMay。
  [7]TheAngelswalkedinprocession,andsangtheAngelosattheappropriatehours。
  [8]TheancientparishchurchofRoquefort,whoseruinsonlynowremain。Seetextfortheeffectsofthestorm。
  [9]DounzelisthewordusedbyJasmin。MissH。W。Prestonsaysofthispassage:”ThereissomethingessentiallyknightlyinPascal’scastofcharacter,anditissingularthat,atthesupremecrisisofhisfate,heassumes,asifunconsciously,theveryphraseologyofchivalry。’Somesquiredounzelshouldfollowmetodeath,’&c。,andwefinditaltogethernaturalandburninginthehigh-heartedsmith。TherearemanyplaceswhereJasminaddresseshishearersdirectlyas’Messieurs,’wherethecontextalsomakesitevidentthatthewordisemphatic,thatheisdistinctlyconsciousofaddressingthosewhoareabovehiminrank,andthatthepropertranslationis’gentles,’oreven’masters’;yetnopoeteverlivedwhowaslessofasycophant。”
  [10]Lowsedasthesieveismadeofrawsilk,andisusedforsiftingflour。Ithasalsoasingularuseinnecromancy。
  Whenonedesirestoknowthenameofthedoerofanact——atheftforinstance——thesieveismadetorevolve,butwoetohimwhosenameisspokenjustasthesievestops!
  [11]Anancientpractice。LouTourrinnoubial,ahighly-spicedonionsoup,wascarriedbytheweddinggueststothebridegroomatalatehourofthenight。
  [12]Theaoubado——asongofearlymorning,correspondingtotheserenadeoreveningsong。
  End