17.4 Morton 死, 無人 沉重

17.4 Morton sí, bô-lâng tîm-tāng

Brent chhiò chhut-lâi.

"Góa boeh kè-sio̍k gián-kiù Tonypady," i kóng. "Góa káⁿ tó͘, iáu ū chin chē lán m̄-chai ê chin-chiòng. Le̍k-sú chheh lāi-bīn tiāⁿ-tio̍h ū chēx chit-sióng ké-pâu ê kò͘-sū."

"Siōng-hó lí kā Cuthbert Oliphant Sià ê chheh sūn-sòa chah cháu." Grant ùi kūi-á the̍h-chhut hit-pún thé-biān ê kāu chheh. "Eng-kai kiông-pek le̍k-sú ha̍k-ka seng siu sim-lí-ha̍k khò-têng, chiah ín-chún in khai-sí siá-chheh."

"Huh. He tùi in mā bô-hāu. Hèng-chhù gián-kiù jîn-lūi hêng-ûi tōng-ki ê lâng sī bē khì siá le̍k-sú lah. I ē khì siá sió-soat, chò sîn-keng kho i-su, a̍h chò hoat-koaⁿ..."

"A̍h sī chò pián-á."

"A̍h sī chò pián-á. A̍h sī sǹg-miā sian. Liáu-kái jîn-sèng ê lâng tùi siá le̍k-sú bô jīm-hô hèng-chhù. Le̍k-sú tō ná chhiūⁿ sńg ang-á peng neh."

"Oh, pài-thok leh. Lí kám bē siuⁿ khek-po̍k ah? Che sī chi̍t-mn̂g ko-chhim ê..."

"Oh, góa m̄-sī hit-ê ì-sù. Góa ê ì-sù sī: le̍k-sú sī tī pêⁿ-bīn sóa sè-chiah ang-á. Chim-chiok kā siūⁿ, he khah chiap-kīn sò͘-ha̍k."

"Kì-jiân sī sò͘-ha̍k, in tō bô khoân-lī kā āu-bóe-mn̂g ê êng-á-ōe thoa ji̍p-lâi," Grant kóng, hut-jiân kháu-khì ta̍h ngē. Sîn-sèng More ê kì-tî koh-chài ín i hùn-khài. 

I koh hian-tāng Cuthbert Sià hit-pún thé-biān ê kāu chheh, chò chòe-āu ê hôe-kò͘. Tng i hian-kàu āu-bīn ê sî, liu-kòe tōa-cháiⁿ ê chheh-ia̍h sok-tō͘ bān lo̍h-lâi, sûi-āu thêng-chí.

"Kî-koài," i kóng, "le̍k-sú ha̍k-ka kèng-jiân chiah-nī goān-ì sêng-jīn lâng tī chiàn-tiûⁿ ê ióng-khì. In chiàu thoân-thóng kè-sio̍k án-ne siá, tān bô lâng thê-chhut gî-būn. Sū-si̍t-siōng, in tiong-kan bô lâng bô kiông-tiāu chit chi̍t-tiám."

"He sī te̍k-jîn ê o-ló neh," Carradine thê-chhéⁿ i. "Chit-ê thoân-thóng sī iû chi̍t siú tùi-hong só͘ siá ê koa-iâu khai-sí ê."

"Tio̍h. Sī Stanley ka-cho̍k ê chi̍t-ê lâng só͘ siá ê. ‘Jiân-āu chi̍t-ê khî-sū tùi Richard Kok-ông kóng.’ He tō tī chit hù-kīn." I koh hian chi̍t-nn̄g ia̍h, it-ti̍t kàu chhōe-tio̍h i boeh-ài ê só͘-chāi. "Khòaⁿ khí-lâi sī ‘siān-liông ê William Harrington Sià,’ its hit-ê khî-sū."

// Bô-lâng ē-tàng sêng-siū in ê kong-kek, Stanley ka-cho̍k ê táⁿ-kek ū-kàu kiông-lia̍t (hiah-ê pōe-poān ê cheng-seⁿ!)

Lí hoān-sè ē-sái í-āu koh lâi, góa jīn-ûi lí tī chia siuⁿ kú,

Lí ê bé tō tī lí sin-piⁿ, lēng-ji̍t lí iû-goân ē tit-tio̍h sèng-lī

Chē ông-ūi lâi thóng-tī, tì ông-koan, chò goán ê ông.

"M̄, kā pó͘-thâu kau hō͘ góa ê chhiú, kō͘ England ông-koan tì góa ê thâu.

Ūi chhòng-chō hái kap tē ê Sîn, kin-ji̍t góa boeh kō͘ England Ông ê miâ lâi sí.

Chí-iàu góa heng-khám ū chi̍t-kháu khùi, góa chi̍t-pō͘ to m̄-thè." 

I chiàu só͘ kóng ê án-ne chò - tō kóng bô miā, i boeh sí tī Kok-ông ê miâ. //

"‘Kō͘ England ông-koan tì góa ê thâu,’" Carradine kóng, ná teh chhim-su. "He tō sī āu-lâi tī sian-cha chhiū-châng hoat-hiān ê hit-téng ông-koan."

"Tio̍h. Khó-lêng hông tòng-chò chiàn-lī phín chhàng tī hia."

"Góa í-chêng kiò-sī he sī George Ông ka-bián ê sî só͘ tì ê hit-chióng koânx jiông-pò͘ koan, tān khòaⁿ-khoán he chí-sī chi̍t-ê kim-khoân."

"Tio̍h. He ē-tàng tì tī chiàn-khoe gōa-bīn."

"Thiⁿ ah," Carradine hut-jiân kek-tōng kóng, "Góa nā sī Henry, góa choa̍t-tùi bē-giàn tì hit-téng ông-koan! Góa choa̍t-tùi thó-ià he!" I tiām chi̍t-khùn liáu, chiah koh kóng: "Lí kám chai, York Tìn án-chóaⁿ siá, its tī in ê kì-lo̍k, án-chóaⁿ siá Bosworth chiàn-ia̍h ê tāi-chì?"

"M̄-chai."

"In án-ne siá: ‘Kin-á-ji̍t goán ê hó Kok-ông Richard put-hēng cho-siū sat-hāi, pī bô͘-sat; hō͘ pún-siâⁿ tōax ê tîm-tāng thiàⁿ-thàng."

Chhek-chiáu-á ê kiò-siaⁿ tī tiām-chēng tiong te̍k-pia̍t hiáng-liāng.

"Che bô sêng sī pī oàn-hūn ê chhoàn-ūi-chiá ē tit-tio̍h ê hù-bûn." Grant chòe-āu sau-siaⁿ sau-siaⁿ án-ne kóng.

"Bô sêng," Carradine kóng, "bô sêng. ‘Pún-siâⁿ tōax tîm-tāng thiàⁿ-thàng,’" i bānx tiông-ho̍k chit-kù ōe, kā he ōe-kù tī sim-koaⁿ té koh-chài phín-bī. "In tùi che chin-chiàⁿ kài chāi-ì, sīm-chì tī sin chèng-khoân tit-boeh chiūⁿ-tâi, bī-lâi lân-tit liāu-sióng ê chit-ê sî-chūn, in kō͘ pe̍h-chóa o͘-jī tī tìn ê kì-lo̍k ni̍h kì-chài in ê koan-tiám, jīn-ûi he sī bô͘-sat, hō͘ in chhimx thiàⁿ-thàng."

"Hoān-sè in thiaⁿ-tio̍h Kok-ông sí-thé siū bú-jio̍k chau-that, hō͘ in kám-kak péng-pak."

"Tio̍h. Tio̍h. Lí bē hi-bāng khòaⁿ-tio̍h lí bat koh kèng-ài ê lâng, hông pak-kng saⁿ-á, tiàu tī bé-téng hàiⁿ lâi hàiⁿ khì, ná chhiūⁿ sí tōng-bu̍t án-ne."

"Sīm-chì te̍k-jîn, lán mā bē ài in siū chit-khoán tùi-thāi. M̄-koh, tī Henry-Morton hit-tīn lâng, lí chhōe bô liân-bín ê sim."

"Huh, Morton!" Brent hoah chit-ê miâ, bē-su phùi-chhut chhùi-lāi ê pháiⁿ-chia̍h mi̍h. Siong-sìn góa, Morton sí ê sî, chiah bô-lâng kám-kak ‘tîm-tāng.’ Lí chai-iáⁿ Pian-nî-sú ha̍k-ka án-chóaⁿ siá i bô? Góa sī kóng tī London hit-ê. I án-ne siá: ‘Tī lán ê sî-tāi, bô lâng ē-tàng kap i tī kok hong-bīn sio-pí; sui-bóng i chāi-sè ê sî pēng m̄-sī bô chit-phìⁿ thó͘-tē ê tāi-chiòng tùi i biáu-sī kap oàn-hūn.’"

--

17.4 Morton 死, 無人 沉重 

Brent 笑出來. 

"我欲 繼續 研究 Tonypady," 伊講. "我 káⁿ 賭, 猶有 真濟 咱毋知 ê 真相. 歷史冊 內面 定著有 chēx 這種 ké-pâu ê 故事." 

"上好 你 kā Cuthbert Oliphant Sià ê 冊 順紲 扎走." Grant ùi 櫃仔 提出 彼本 體面 ê 厚冊. "應該 強迫 歷史學家 先修 心理學 課程, 才允准 in 開始 寫冊." 

"Huh. He 對 in mā 無效. 興趣研究 人類 行為動機 ê 人 是 袂去 寫歷史 lah. 伊會 去 寫小說, 做 神經科 醫師, a̍h 做法官..." 

"抑是 做諞仔." 

"抑是 做諞仔. 抑是 算命仙. 了解人性 ê 人 對 寫歷史 無任何興趣. 歷史 tō ná 像 耍 尪仔兵 neh." 

"Oh, 拜託 leh. 你敢袂 siuⁿ 刻薄 ah? 這是 一門 高深 ê..." 

"Oh, 我毋是 彼个意思. 我 ê 意思是: 歷史是 tī 平面 徙 細隻 尪仔. 斟酌 kā 想, he 較接近 數學." 

"既然是 數學, in tō 無權利 kā 後尾門 ê 閒仔話 拖入來," Grant 講, 忽然 口氣踏硬. 神聖 More ê 記持 閣再 引伊 憤慨. 

伊 koh 掀動 Cuthbert Sià 彼本 體面 ê 厚冊, 做 最後 ê 回顧. Tng 伊 掀到 後面 ê 時, 溜過 大指 ê 冊頁 速度 慢落來, 隨後 停止. 

"奇怪," 伊講, "歷史學家 竟然 chiah-nī 願意 承認 人 tī 戰場 ê 勇氣. In 照傳統 繼續 án-ne 寫, 但 無人 提出疑問. 事實上, in 中間 無人 無強調 chit 一點." 

"彼是 敵人 ê o-ló neh," Carradine 提醒伊. "這个傳統 是由 一首 對方 所寫 ê 歌謠 開始 ê." 

"著. 是 Stanley 家族 ê 一个人 所寫 ê. ‘然後 一个騎士 對 Richard 國王 講.’ He tō tī chit 附近." 伊 koh 掀 一兩 頁, 一直到 揣著 伊欲愛 ê 所在. "看起來 是 ‘善良 ê William Harrington Sià,’ its 彼个騎士." 

// 無人 會當 承受 in ê 攻擊, Stanley 家族 ê 打擊 有夠 強烈 (hiah-ê 背叛 ê 精牲!) 

你 凡勢 會使 以後 閣來, 我認為 你 tī chia siuⁿ 久, 

你 ê 馬 tō tī 你身邊, 另日 你猶原 會得著 勝利 

坐王位 來 統治, 戴王冠, 做 阮 ê 王. 

"毋, kā 斧頭 交 hō͘ 我 ê 手, kō͘ England 王冠 戴 我 ê 頭. 

為創造 海 kap 地 ê 神, 今日 我欲 kō͘ England 王 ê 名 來死. 

只要 我胸坎 有一口氣, 我 一步 to 毋退." 

伊照 所講 ê án-ne 做 - tō 講 無命, 伊欲 死 tī 國王 ê 名. // 

"‘Kō͘ England 王冠 戴 我 ê 頭,’" Carradine 講, ná teh 深思. "He tō 是 後來 tī 仙楂 樹叢 發現 ê 彼頂 王冠." 

"著, 可能 hông 當做 戰利品 藏 tī hia." 

"我以前 叫是 he 是 George 王 加冕 ê 時 所戴 ê 彼種 koânx 絨布冠, 但 看款 he 只是 一个金環." 

"著. He 會當 戴 tī 戰盔 外面." 

"天 ah," Carradine 忽然 激動講, "我若是 Henry, 我絕對 袂癮 戴彼頂 王冠! 我絕對 討厭 he!" 伊恬 一睏了, 才閣講: "你敢知, York 鎮 按怎寫, its tī in ê 記錄, 按怎 寫 Bosworth 戰役 ê 代誌?" 

"毋知." 

"In án-ne 寫: ‘今仔日 阮 ê 好國王 Richard 不幸 遭受殺害, 被謀殺; hō͘ 本城 tōax ê 沉重 疼痛." 

粟鳥仔 ê 叫聲 tī 恬靜中 特別 響亮. 

"Che 無成是 被怨恨 ê 篡位者 會 得著 ê 訃聞." Grant 最後 梢聲梢聲 án-ne 講. 

"無成," Carradine 講, "無成. ‘本城 tōax 沉重 疼痛,’" 伊 bānx 重複 這句話, kā he 話句 tī 心肝底 閣再 品味. "In 對 che 真正 kài 在意, 甚至 tī 新政權 得欲 上台, 未來 難得料想 ê 這个時陣, in kō͘ 白紙烏字 tī 鎮 ê 記錄 ni̍h 記載 in ê 觀點, 認為 he 是 謀殺, hō͘ in chhimx 疼痛." 

"凡勢 in 聽著 國王 死體 受侮辱 蹧躂, hō͘ in 感覺 反腹." 

"著. 著. 你 袂希望 看著 你捌 koh 敬愛 ê 人, hông 剝光 衫仔, 吊 tī 馬頂 幌來幌去, ná 像 死動物 án-ne." 

"甚至敵人, 咱 mā 袂愛 in 受 這款 對待. 毋過, tī Henry-Morton hit 陣人, 你揣無 憐憫 ê 心." 

"Huh, Morton!" Brent 喝 這个名, 袂輸 呸出 喙內 ê 歹食 mi̍h. 相信我, Morton 死 ê 時, 才 無人 感覺 ‘沉重.’ 你知影 編年史 學家 按怎 寫伊 無? 我是講 tī London 彼个. 伊 án-ne 寫: ‘Tī 咱 ê 時代, 無人 會當 kap 伊 tī 各方面 相比; 雖罔 伊在世 ê 時 並毋是 無 這片土地 ê 大眾 對伊 藐視 kap 怨恨.’" 

--

17.4

Brent laughed.

‘I’ll stick to Tonypandy,’ he said. ‘I bet there’s a lot more of it that we don’t know about. I bet history books are just riddled with it.’

‘You’d better take Sir Cuthbert Oliphant with you, by the way.’ Grant took the fat respectable-looking volume from his locker. ‘Historians should be compelled to take a course in psychology before they are allowed to write.’

‘Huh. That wouldn’t do anything for them. A man who is interested in what makes people tick doesn’t write history. He writes novels, or becomes an alienist, or a magistrate——’

‘Or a confidence man.’

‘Or a confidence man. Or a fortune-teller. A man who understands about people hasn’t any yen to write history. History is toy soldiers.’

‘Oh, come. Aren’t you being a little severe? It’s a very learned and erudite——’

‘Oh, I didn’t mean it that way. I mean: it’s moving little figures about on a flat surface. It’s half-way to mathematics, when you come to think about it.’

‘Then if it’s mathematics they’ve no right to drag in backstairs gossip,’ Grant said, suddenly vicious. The memory of the sainted More continued to upset him. He thumbed through the fat respectable Sir Cuthbert in a farewell review. As he came to the final pages the[Pg 218] progress of the paper from under his thumb slackened, and presently stopped.

‘Odd,’ he said ‘how willing they are to grant a man the quality of courage in battle. They have only tradition to go on, and yet not one of them questions it. Not one of them, in fact, fails to stress it.’

‘It was an enemy’s tribute,’ Garradine reminded him. ‘The tradition began with a ballad written by the other side.’

‘Yes. By a man of the Stanleys. “Then a knight to King Richard gan say.” It’s here somewhere.’ He turned over a leaf or two, until he found what he was looking for. ‘It was “good Sir William Harrington”, it seems. The knight in question.

“There may no man their strokes abide, the Stanleys dints they be so strong (the treacherous bastards!)

Ye may come back at another tide, methinks ye tarry here too long,

Your horse at your hand is ready, another day you may worship win

And come to reign with royalty, and wear your crown and be our king.

‘Nay, give me my battle-axe in my hand, set the crown of England on my head so high.

For by Him that made both sea and land, King of England this day I will die.

One foot I will never flee whilst the breath is my breast within.’

As he said so did it be—if he lost his life he died a King.”

‘“Set the crown of England on my head”,’ said[Pg 219] Carradine, musing. ‘That was the crown that was found in a hawthorn bush afterwards.’

‘Yes. Set aside for plunder probably.’

‘I used to picture it one of those high plush things that King George got crowned in, but it seems it was just a gold circlet.’

‘Yes. It could be worn outside the battle helmet.’

‘Gosh,’ said Carradine with sudden feeling, ‘I sure would have hated to wear that crown if I had been Henry! I sure would have hated it!’ He was silent for a little, and then he said: ‘Do you know what the town of York wrote—wrote in their records, you know—about the battle of Bosworth?’

‘No.’

‘They wrote: “This day was our good King Richard piteously slain and murdered; to the great heaviness of this city.”’

The chatter of the sparrows was loud in the quiet.

‘Hardly the obituary of a hated usurper,’ Grant said at last, very dry.

‘No,’ said Carradine, ‘no. “To the great heaviness of this city”,’ he repeated slowly, rolling the phrase over in his mind. ‘They cared so much about it that even with a new régime in the offing and the future not to be guessed at they put down in black and white in the town record their opinion that it was murder and their sorrow at it.’

‘Perhaps they had just heard about the indignities perpetrated on the King’s dead body and were feeling a little sick.’

‘Yes. Yes. You don’t like to think of a man you’ve known and admired flung stripped and dangling across a pony like a dead animal.’

[Pg 220]‘One wouldn’t like to think of even an enemy so. But sensibility is not a quality that one would look for among the Henry-Morton crowd.’

‘Huh. Morton!’ said Brent, spitting out the word as if it were a bad taste. ‘No one was “heavy” when Morton died, believe me. Know what the Chronicler wrote of him? The London one, I mean. He wrote: “In our time was no man like to be compared with him in all things; albeit that he lived not without the great disdain and hatred of the Commons of this land.”’

--