登陆注册
5391700000002

第2章 HOW THIS BOOK WAS WRITTEN,AND HOW NORMAN LESLIE FL

It is not of my own will,nor for my own glory,that I,Norman Leslie,sometime of Pitcullo,and in religion called Brother Norman,of the Order of Benedictines,of Dunfermline,indite this book.But on my coming out of France,in the year of our Lord One thousand four hundred and fifty-nine,it was laid on me by my Superior,Richard,Abbot in Dunfermline,that I should abbreviate the Great Chronicle of Scotland,and continue the same down to our own time.

{1}He bade me tell,moreover,all that I knew of the glorious Maid of France,called Jeanne la Pucelle,in whose company I was,from her beginning even till her end.

Obedient,therefore,to my Superior,I wrote,in this our cell of Pluscarden,a Latin book containing the histories of times past,but when I came to tell of matters wherein,as Maro says,"pars magna fui,"I grew weary of such rude,barbarous Latin as alone I am skilled to indite,for of the manner Ciceronian,as it is now practised by clerks of Italy,I am not master:my book,therefore,I left unfinished,breaking off in the middle of a sentence.Yet,considering the command laid on me,in the end I am come to this resolve,namely,to write the history of the wars in France,and the history of the blessed Maid (so far at least as I was an eyewitness and partaker thereof),in the French language,being the most commonly understood of all men,and the most delectable.It is not my intent to tell all the story of the Maid,and all her deeds and sayings,for the world would scarcely contain the books that should be written.But what I myself beheld,that I shall relate,especially concerning certain accidents not known to the general,by reason of which ignorance the whole truth can scarce be understood.

For,if Heaven visibly sided with France and the Maid,no less did Hell most manifestly take part with our old enemy of England.And often in this life,if we look not the more closely,and with the eyes of faith,Sathanas shall seem to have the upper hand in the battle,with whose very imp and minion I myself was conversant,to my sorrow,as shall be shown.

First,concerning myself I must say some few words,to the end that what follows may be the more readily understood.

I was born in the kingdom of Fife,being,by some five years,the younger of two sons of Archibald Leslie,of Pitcullo,near St.

Andrews,a cadet of the great House of Rothes.My mother was an Englishwoman of the Debatable Land,a Storey of Netherby,and of me,in our country speech,it used to be said that I was "a mother's bairn."For I had ever my greatest joy in her,whom I lost ere Iwas sixteen years of age,and she in me:not that she favoured me unduly,for she was very just,but that,within ourselves,we each knew who was nearest to her heart.She was,indeed,a saintly woman,yet of a merry wit,and she had great pleasure in reading of books,and in romances.Being always,when I might,in her company,I became a clerk insensibly,and without labour I could early read and write,wherefore my father was minded to bring me up for a churchman.For this cause,I was some deal despised by others of my age,and,yet more,because from my mother I had caught the Southron trick of the tongue.They called me "English Norman,"and many a battle I have fought on that quarrel,for I am as true a Scot as any,and I hated the English (my own mother's people though they were)for taking and holding captive our King,James I.of worthy memory.My fancy,like that of most boys,was all for the wars,and full of dreams concerning knights and ladies,dragons and enchanters,about which the other lads were fain enough to hear me tell what I had read in romances,though they mocked at me for reading.Yet they oft came ill speed with their jests,for my brother had taught me to use my hands:and to hold a sword I was instructed by our smith,who had been prentice to Harry Gow,the Burn-the-Wind of Perth,and the best man at his weapon in broad Scotland.From him I got many a trick of fence that served my turn later.

But now the evil time came when my dear mother sickened and died,leaving to me her memory and her great chain of gold.A bitter sorrow is her death to me still;but anon my father took to him another wife of the Bethunes of Blebo.I blame myself,rather than this lady,that we dwelt not happily in the same house.My father therefore,still minded to make me a churchman,sent me to Robert of Montrose's new college that stands in the South Street of St.

Andrews,a city not far from our house of Pitcullo.But there,like a wayward boy,I took more pleasure in the battles of the "nations"--as of Fife against Galloway and the Lennox;or in games of catch-pull,football,wrestling,hurling the bar,archery,and golf--than in divine learning--as of logic,and Aristotle his analytics.

Yet I loved to be in the scriptorium of the Abbey,and to see the good Father Peter limning the blessed saints in blue,and red,and gold,of which art he taught me a little.Often I would help him to grind his colours,and he instructed me in the laying of them on paper or vellum,with white of egg,and in fixing and burnishing the gold,and in drawing flowers,and figures,and strange beasts and devils,such as we see grinning from the walls of the cathedral.In the French language,too,he learned me,for he had been taught at the great University of Paris;and in Avignon had seen the Pope himself,Benedict XIII.,of uncertain memory.

Much I loved to be with Father Peter,whose lessons did not irk me,but jumped with my own desire to read romances in the French tongue,whereof there are many.But never could I have dreamed that,in days to come,this art of painting would win me my bread for a while,and that a Leslie of Pitcullo should be driven by hunger to so base and contemned a handiwork,unworthy,when practised for gain,of my blood.

同类推荐
  • 现报当受经

    现报当受经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • The Borgias

    The Borgias

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 佛入涅槃密迹金刚力士哀恋经

    佛入涅槃密迹金刚力士哀恋经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • St. Ives

    St. Ives

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • The Flirt

    The Flirt

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 红色交通员

    红色交通员

    钟法权,20世纪60年代出生于湖北荆门,现任第四军医大学军事预防医学院政治委员,大校军衔。中国作家协会会员,鲁迅文学院第二十一届高研班学员。先后三次荣立三等功,一次荣立二等功。在《中国作家》《解放军文艺》《青年文学》《北京文学》等报刊杂志发表小说、散文、报告文学百余篇,出版小说集《情书撰写人》《行走的声音》《脸谱》,长篇小说《浴火》,长篇报告文学《那一年,这一生》《废墟上的阳光》《陈独秀江津晚歌》《雪莲花开》。近年来,每年都有小说、散文、报告文学入选“中国小说排行榜”“中国散文排行榜”“中国报告文学排行榜”。1934年10月,被国民党军队蚕食的鄂豫皖根据地英山、商城和太湖等县,稻田里本应是金黄的谷穗,如今却像是干旱过后的枯黄野草;零星的村庄凋敝得让人不敢置信,几个月前还是一片生机勃勃的红色根据地,如今却少见炊烟,少闻鸡犬之声,少见青年男女。就在这么一个荒芜的乡村,却出现了两个青壮和尚。
  • 爱河之源(张石山散文随笔选辑)

    爱河之源(张石山散文随笔选辑)

    最早可能成为一名北大的学生,该在1966年。那年我高中毕业。我读中学的太原三中是省内重点中学,我是学校的高材生。我在全省统考曾获总分第二名;我认为自己考取中国任何一所名牌学府都易如反掌;我的首选目标是北大。我在毕业前夕已填好了报考志愿表;我的第一志愿以及第二志愿都是北大;我选了天体物理系以及飞行器系。考北京大学,要讲北京话怎么办?从高一起,我就学了一口太原“京腔”;袜子破了又怎么办?从高二起我开始学习做针线、打补丁。连补袜子这样的细节都考虑过了,有备无患,万无一失。
  • 神女殿下倾城色

    神女殿下倾城色

    彼时,南倾是神族神女,体弱多病,生母早逝,却万千宠爱。此时,世上只存神魔两界,魔界隐没,神界独大。所以当神主造出人界之时,神界诸多反对,但神主一意孤行,人类出世,司水仙君涟漪下界教导,南倾在背后出谋划策,在这对姐妹花的帮助下,人界却是进步极快,百年时间堪比夏商……但人界终是为神界所不容,设下重重计谋,置人类于死地,终于,神人之战爆发,南倾一己之力,难以力挽狂澜,却只能尽力保住九寒性命,代价却是自己重伤,沉睡千年……可神界怎么也想不到,千年后,魔族卷土重来,杀上神界,掳走南倾。当南倾醒来时,便是人族九寒变身霸气魔主,眼神中浓浓的偏执与掠夺,一步也不肯放她离开……男主前期卑微,连爱都不敢说出口,也不敢表露半分,后期偏执强大,主动出击。卑微的爱隐忍千百年,九寒早已疯魔,而南倾就是他唯一的救赎,唯一的光……身在黑暗里的人,有怎可轻易放手?
  • 江湖恩怨录

    江湖恩怨录

    双甲子,一轮回,飘雪门重现江湖。一个大时代的来临!你,准备好抢夺你的机缘了吗?
  • 暖宠迷心

    暖宠迷心

    【1v1暖宠】她赵家小透明当得好好的,一桩婚事愣是砸到了她头上。白捡了一个人人羡慕的钻石老公。不甘逃婚,亦是没能躲过他们的孽缘。为了离婚,使出浑身解数,依旧没能将那一纸婚约作废。好在小道消息,老公心系真爱白月光。当她放松心态,心安理得享受生活的时候。才发现自己大错特错,傻傻的跌进了骆子倾盘织的罗网。赵文舒咬牙切齿的控诉道:“你骗子,你真爱呢,白月光呢。”赵文舒噼里啪啦一堆问题砸下来,直接把骆子倾砸闷了。只能无辜的回了句:“都是你。”
  • 女汉子逆袭:皇后很嚣张

    女汉子逆袭:皇后很嚣张

    既然都送上门来,那就勉为其难的做皇后吧。当皇后?可以,皇上你可别给我搞三宫六院!其他的妃子,我看就没有必要留在宫里了吧!什么叫男女平等,什么叫女人不是盖的,皇上来了又怎么样?他要不听话,我就休了他!书友群:137709980,亲们来了可得好好的支持哈!
  • 工作六十年

    工作六十年

    1958年6月下旬,我从部队转业来到算是第二故乡的太原市。到市人事局报到,接待我的军转办干部征求我对分配单位的意见。由于我在早两年的政治运动中受到冲击,认为是缘于在知识分子成堆的学校工作所致,渴望改变工作环境和工作性质。当时,全国已掀起大跃进和大炼钢铁运动序幕,各行各业单位都急需增加人员,我提出希望分配到太原钢铁公司当工人。军转办干部让我先休息两星期,在家等待分配。未分配工作前,我住在二哥家。当时二哥在山西省公路局工作,但仍住在原来工作单位华北工程局的职工家属宿舍。是一座解放后新建的三层楼房,是该局科长以上干部的家属宿舍。
  • 魔妃医手遮天

    魔妃医手遮天

    【先更完九尾猫】初暖语录:“我就是神中极品,神老大都要看我脸色行事。”她柳眉微挑,笑得春风得意。“别人害我三分,我杀那人三生。”她面容绝美,却神情淡淡,气质出尘。“空城犹如潮拍岸,一拍一打成两半。”纤指微抬,指了指前面荒芜的明月城。“我眉眼弯弯,笑得风情万种,我玉指勾勾,无数男子挣的头破血流。”她以袖拂面,故作娇羞可谓是红袖添香黯销魂。第一次相见,她误撞他怀,他神情淡淡,气质冰冷。后来他们都穿了,从此......仙子降临,锋芒毕露,翻手为云,覆手为雨。
  • 宝贝生病妈妈治

    宝贝生病妈妈治

    宝贝身体不舒服了,我们第一时间想到的肯定是送医院治疗。其实,一些孩子常见的疾病,只要不是急症,有时妈妈完全可以在家里给孩子做治疗,效果不错,孩子也不受罪。都有哪些治疗方法可以在家中进行呢?有很多西药、中草药和其他天然制剂都可以不需要医生处方就在家庭治疗中使用,你知道怎么用吗?妈咪们快快仔细看过来吧。
  • 戏法罗

    戏法罗

    老荣、老柴、老渣、老月、老合,此五老谓之五花。金、皮、彩、挂、评、团、调、柳,谓之八门。五花八门谓之江湖。写一个真实存在却并不为人熟知的江湖;写几个真实存在却并不为人熟知的行当;写几种真实存在却并不为人熟知的手艺。写几位真实存在却并不为人熟知的手艺人;写几件真实存在却并不为人所熟知的事情。吴州戏法罗、湖南鬼马张、江东快手刘、西南傅家、北方穆派、华北韩家门、京城单义堂……徐徐揭开一副真实存在的江湖彩门画卷。公布个读者群:558430470