第 4 节
作者:
青涩春天 更新:2021-02-20 16:55 字数:9322
19。 No sooner were they gone; than the Picts and Scots; like
worms which in the heat of the mid…day come forth from their
holes; hastily land again from their canoes; in which they had
been carried beyond the Cichican* valley; differing one from
another in manners; but inspired with the same avidity for blood;
and all more eager to shroud their villainous faces in bushy hair
than to cover with decent clothing those parts of their body which
required it。 Moreover; having heard of the departure of our friends;
and their resolution never to return; they seized with greater
boldness than before on all the country towards the extreme north
as far as the wall。 To oppose them there was placed on the heights
a garrison equally slow to fight and ill adapted to run away; a
useless and panic…struck company; who slumbered away days and
nights on their unprofitable watch。 Meanwhile the hooked weapons
of their enemies were not idle; and our wretched countrymen were
dragged from the wall and dashed against the ground。 Such premature
death; however; painful as it was; saved them from seeing the
miserable sufferings of their brothers and children。 But why
should I say more? They left their cities; abandoned the protection
of the wall; and dispersed themselves in flight more desperately
than before。 The enemy; on the other hand; pursued them with
more unrelenting cruelty than before; and butchered our countrymen
like sheep; so that their habitations were like those of savage
beasts; for they turned their arms upon each other; and for the
sake of a little sustenance; imbrued their hands in the blood of
their fellow countrymen。 Thus foreign calamities were augmented
by domestic feuds; so that the whole country was entirely destitute
of provisions; save such as could be procured in the chase。
* The meaning of this expression is not known。 O'Connor thinks
it is the Irish Sea。
20。 Again; therefore; the wretched remnant; sending to Aetius;
a powerful Roman citizen; address him as follow:〃To Aetius;*
now consul for the third time: the groans of the Britons。〃 And
again a little further; thus:〃The barbarians drive us to the
sea; the sea throws us back on the barbarians: thus two modes of
death await us; we are either slain or drowned。〃 The Romans;
however; could not assist them; and in the meantime the discomfited
people; wandering in the woods; began to feel the effects of a
severe famine; which compelled many of them without delay to yield
themselves up to their cruel persecutors; to obtain subsistence:
others of them; however; lying hid in mountains; caves and woods;
continually sallied out from thence to renew the war。 And then
it was; for the first time; that they overthrew their enemies; who
had for so many years been living in their country; for their
trust was not in man; but in God; according to the maxim of Philo;
〃We must have divine assistance; when that of man fails。〃 The
boldness of the enemy was for a while checked; but not the
wickedness of our countrymen; the enemy left our people; but the
people did not leave their sins。
* Or Agitius; according to another reading。
21。 For it has always been a custom with our nation; as it is
at present; to be impotent in repelling foreign foes; but bold
and invincible in raising civil war; and bearing the burdens of
their offences: they are impotent; I say; in following the standard
of peace and truth; but bold in wickedness and falsehood。 The
audacious invaders therefore return to their winter quarters;
determined before long again to return and plunder。 And then;
too; the Picts for the first time seated themselves at the extremity
of the island; where they afterwards continued; occasionally
plundering and wasting the country。 During these truces; the
wounds of the distressed people are healed; but another sore;
still more venomous; broke out。 No sooner were the ravages of
the enemy checked; than the island was deluged with a most
extraordinary plenty of all things; greater than was before known;
and with it grew up every kind of luxury and licentiousness。 It
grew with so firm a root; that one might truly say of it; 〃Such
fornication is heard of among you; as never was known the like
among the Gentiles。〃 But besides this vice; there arose also
every other; to which human nature is liable and in particular
that hatred of truth; together with her supporters; which still
at present destroys every thing good in the island; the love of
falsehood; together with its inventors; the reception of crime
in the place of virtue; the respect shown to wickedness rather
than goodness; the love of darkness instead of the sun; the
admission of Satan as an angel of light。 Kings were anointed;
not according to god's ordinance; but such as showed themselves
more cruel than the rest; and soon after; they were put to death
by those who had elected them; without any inquiry into their
merits; but because others still more cruel were chosen to succeed
them。 If any one of these was of a milder nature than the rest;
or in any way more regardful of the truth; he was looked upon
as the ruiner of the country; every body cast a dart at him; and
they valued things alike whether pleasing or displeasing to God;
unless it so happened that what displeased him was pleasing to
themselves。 So that the words of the prophet; addressed to the
people of old; might well be applied to our own countrymen:
〃Children without a law; have ye left God and provoked to anger
the holy one of Israel?* Why will ye still inquire; adding
iniquity? Every head is languid and every heart is sad; from the
sole of the foot to the crown; there is no health in him。〃 And
thus they did all things contrary to their salvation; as if no
remedy could be applied to the world by the true Physician of all
men。 And not only the laity did so; but our Lord's own flock and
its shepherds; who ought to have been an example to the people;
slumbered away their time in drunkenness; as if they had been
dipped in wine; whilst the swellings of pride; the jar of strife;
the griping talons of envy; and the confused estimate of right
and wrong; got such entire possession of the; that there seemed
to be poured out (and the same still continueth) contempt upon
princes; and to be made by their vanities to wander astray and
not in the way。
* Isa。 I。 4;5。 In most of these quotations there is great verbal
variation from the authorised version: the author probably quoted
from memory; if not from the Latin version。
22。 Meanwhile; God being willing to purify his family who were
infected by so deep a stain of woe; and at the hearing only of
their calamities to amend them; a vague rumour suddenly as if on
wings reaches the ears of all; that their inveterate foes were
rapidly approaching to destroy the whole country; and to take
possession of it; as of old; from one end to the other。 But yet
they derived no advantage from this intelligence; for; like frantic
beasts; taking the bit of reason between their teeth; they
abandoned the safe and narrow road; and rushed forward upon the
broad downward path of vice; which leads to death。 Whilst;
therefore; as Solomon says; the stubborn servant is not cured
by words; the fool is scourged and feels it not: a pestilential
disease morally affected the foolish people; which; without the
sword; cut off so large a number of persons; that the living
were not able to bury them。 But even this was no warning to them;
that in them also might be fulfilled the words of Isaiah the
prophet; 〃And God hath called his people to lamentation; to baldness;
and to the girdle of sackcloth; behold they begin to kill calves;
and to slay rams; to eat; to drink; and to say; 'We will eat and
drink; for to…morrow we shall die。'〃 For the time was approaching;
when all their iniquities; as formerly those of the Amorrhaeans;
should be fulfilled。 For a council was called to settle what was
best and most expedient to be done; in order to repel such frequent
and fatal irruptions and plunderings of the above…named nations。
23。 Then all the councillors; together with that proud tyrant
Gurthrigern 'Vortigern'; the British king; were so blinded; that;
as a protection to their country; they sealed its doom by inviting
in among them like wolves into the sheep…fold); the fierce and
impious Saxons; a race hateful both to God and men; to repel the
invasions of the northern nations。 Nothing was ever so pernicious
to our country; nothing was ever so unlucky。 What palpable
darkness must have enveloped their minds…darkness desperate and
cruel! Those very people whom; when absent; they dreaded more
than death itself; were invited to reside; as one may say; under
the selfsame roof。 Foolish are the princes; as it is said; of
Thafneos; giving counsel to unwise Pharaoh。 A multitude of whelps
came forth from the lair of this barbaric lioness; in three cyuls;
as they call them; that is; in there ships of war; with their
sails wafted by the wind and with omens and prophecies favourable;
for it was foretold by a certain soothsayer among them; that they
should occupy the country to which they were sailing three hundred
years; and ha