4.1 兄哥 Edward 逐工 lóng 來看 in

Chiuⁿ 4.

4.1 Hiaⁿ-ko Edward ta̍k-kang lóng lâi khòaⁿ in

Williams Sûn-chó koh chhut-hiān ê sî, í-keng sī chia̍h-tàu liáu ah; i chhoán phīⁿ-phēⁿ, mo͘h 2-pún kāux ê chheh.

“Kî-si̍t lí ē-sái kā he kau hō͘ kò͘-mn̂g..ê tō hó,” Grant kóng. “Chin pháiⁿ-sè hō͘ lí lâu-kōaⁿ poaⁿ he khí-lâi.”

“Góa tio̍h khí-lâi kā lí kái-soeh. Góa kan-ta ū sî-kan khì chi̍t-keng tiàm, tān he sī ke ni̍h siōng tōa keng ê. Che sī chheh-kè téng siōng hó ê England le̍k-sú chheh. In kóng, che sī chhī-bīn chhōe ē-tio̍h siōng-hó ê.”

I khǹg-lo̍h chi̍t-pún khòaⁿ khí-lâi giâm-siok ê hiāⁿ-chháu sek tōa-pún chheh, kek chi̍t-ê i bô kòa pó-chèng ê khoán. “In bô tan-to̍k ê Richard III ê le̍k-sú chheh. Góa sī kóng, bô i ê toān-kì. Tān in hō͘ góa chit-pún.”

He sī chi̍t-pún chheh gōa-thò ìn hui-chiong, khòaⁿ khí-lâi súi tangx ê chheh. Chheh miâ sī “Raby ê Mûi-kùi.”

“Che sī siáⁿ?”

“Khòaⁿ khí-lâi, he sī in lāu-bú. Góa sī kóng, chheh-miâ ni̍h ê Mûi-kùi. Góa bē-tàng koh tán ah: góa 5 hun-cheng āu tio̍h ài tńg-khì Chóng-pō͘, góa nā tî-tò, Tiúⁿ..ê ē kă pak-phôe. Pháiⁿ-sè, góa chò-liáu bô-kàu hó. Āu-pái koh keng-kòe, góa ē ji̍p-lâi thàm, chiah-ê chheh nā bô hó, chiah khòaⁿ ē-tàng pìⁿ siáⁿ pa̍t-khoán ê.”

Grant chin kám-sim, mā án-ne kā i piáu-sī.

Sûi Williams ê khin-khoài kha-pō͘ siaⁿ, i khai-sí kiám-sī chit-pún “siōng hó ê England le̍k-sú.” He goân-lâi sī chi̍t-pún só͘-ūi ê “Hiàn-chèng” le̍k-sú; chi̍t-pún pian-chi̍p giâm-siok ê chheh, hù-tài pang-chān lí-kái ê chhah-tô͘. Chi̍t-tiuⁿ ùi Luttrell Si-phian Chi̍p ê chhah-tô͘ chng-thāⁿ 14 sè-kí lông-bo̍k gia̍p ê chōng-hóng, á chi̍t-tiuⁿ London tong-tāi tē-tô͘ hun-koah chhut London Tōa Hóe-chai.

Chheh ni̍h kan-ta sūn-sòa-tek thê-khí Kok-ông kap Ông-hiō niāx. Tanner siá ê “Hiàn-chèng Le̍k-sú” kan-ta koan-sim siā-hōe chìn-pō͘ kap chèng-tī ián-piàn; koan-sim O͘-sí Pēⁿ, kap ìn-soat su̍t ê hoat-bêng, kap hóe-io̍h ê sú-iōng, kap Tông-gia̍p Kong-hōe ê hêng-sêng, tt. M̄-koh, ū sî-á Tanner mā in-ūi bó͘-chióng gāi-gio̍h ê khan-liân, chiah ē thê-khí Kok-ông a̍h in chhin-chiâⁿ. Kî-tiong chi̍t-ê khan-liân tō koan-hē tio̍h ìn-soat su̍t ê hoat-bêng.

Chi̍t-ê kiò Caxton ê lâng, chhut-sin chū Kent ê Weald, chi̍t-ê āu-lâi chiâⁿ-chò London Chhī-tiúⁿ ê pò͘-siong sai-á, hit-sî sin-khu chah sai-hū ûi-chiok lâu hō͘ i ê 20 merk khì Bruges. Tng-tong tī Kē-tē Kok (Low Countries) ê khó͘-būn chhiu hō͘ ni̍h, nn̄g-ê ùi England lâi ê siàu-liân lān-bîn, sin-khó͘ kàu-ūi he chhián-chúi hái-hōaⁿ ê sî, tō sī chit-ê chhut-sin chū Kent ê Weald ê sêng-kong seng-lí lâng kā in kiù-chō͘. He lān-bîn tō sī Edward IV kap in sió-tī Richard; tán Edward ê ūn-tô͘ kàu, tńg-khì thóng-tī England ê sî, Caxton mā lâi kàu hia, chū án-ne, England ê thâu kúi-pún chheh sī ūi Edward IV só͘ ìn-soat ê, sī iû Edward ê mōe-sài só͘ siá ê.

I hian chheh-ia̍h, tio̍h-kiaⁿ hoat-hiān pak-lī jîn-sèng ê chu-sìn sī gōa-nī bô-bī. Jîn-lūi ê pi-siong m̄-sī jīm-hô lâng ê pi-siong, pò-chóa tho̍k-chiá chá tō hoat-hiān che ah. Tōa kui-bô͘ ê húi-bia̍t khó-lêng hō͘ lâng io-chiah kut khí léng, choân-sin ka-lún-sún, tān lāi-sim bô án-chóaⁿ kám-tōng. Tōa-chúi tī China im-sí 1,000 lâng sī sin-bûn: chi̍t-ê gín-á im-sí tī chúi-tî sī pi-kio̍k.

Só͘-í, Tanner Ss tùi England bîn-cho̍k chìn-pō͘ ê biô-siá, sui-bóng hō͘ lâng chàn-thàn, tān bē ín-khí kek-tōng. M̄-koh, tī chheh ni̍h, ū-sî bô hoat-tō͘ pī-bián kò-jîn ê sî, i ê biô-siá tō oa̍h-thiàu kah hō͘ lâng chek-khek ū chhù-bī. Tī “Paston Ka-cho̍k ê Phe-sìn” ê ín-bûn lāi-bīn, kí chi̍t-ê lē. Paston Ka-cho̍k koàn-sì kā le̍k-sú phiàn-toān chham-cha̍p tī salad iû ê tēng-toaⁿ kap sûn-mn̄g Clement tī Cambridge kòe-liáu án-chóaⁿ ê phe-sìn tiong-kan.

Tō tī chit 2-kiāⁿ ji̍t-siông sió-sū ê tiong-kan, chhut-hiān chi̍t-tiâu sióx ê kì-chài: York Ka-cho̍k ê nn̄g-ê cha-po͘ gín-á, George kap Richard, tòa tī Paston Ka-cho̍k tī London ê chū-só͘, á in hiaⁿ-ko Edward ta̍k-kang lóng lâi khòaⁿ in.

Tong-jiân loh, Grant án-ne siūⁿ, ná kā chheh khǹg-lo̍h tī chhn̂g-toaⁿ, gia̍h-ba̍k khòaⁿ he taⁿ i ū-khòaⁿ bô tio̍h ê thian-pông, tong-jiân tī í-chêng chiông-lâi m̄-bat ū England kok-ông chhin-chhiūⁿ Edward IV kap in sió-tī Richard án-ne keng-giām kòe pêng-bîn seng-oa̍h.

Tāi-khài kan-ta in í-āu ê Charles II ē pí-phēng tit. M̄-koh, sīm-chì tī sàn-chhiah kap tô-bông tiong-kan, Charles it-ti̍t lóng sī Kok-ông ê kiáⁿ; sī koân-lâng chi̍t-téng ê lâng. Hit 2-ê tòa tī Paston Ka-cho̍k chū-só͘ ê sè-hàn gín-á put-kò sī York ka-cho̍k ê sè-kiáⁿ. Tī siōng-hó ê sî-chūn, in mā bô siáⁿ te̍k-pia̍t ê tiōng-iàu sèng, á tī siá hit-tiuⁿ Paston phe-sìn ê sî, in bô chhù, mā khó-lêng khòaⁿ bē-tio̍h bī-lâi.

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章 4.

4.1 兄哥 Edward 逐工 lóng 來看 in

Williams 巡佐 koh 出現 ê 時, 已經是 食晝了 ah; 伊喘 phīⁿ-phēⁿ, mo͘h 2 本 kāux ê 冊.

“其實 你會使 kā he 交 hō͘ 顧門..ê tō 好,” Grant 講. “真歹勢 hō͘ 你 流汗搬 he khiaih.”

“我著起來 kā 你 解說. 我干焦 有時間 去一間店, 但 彼是 街 ni̍h 上大間 ê. 這是 冊架頂 上好 ê England 歷史冊. In 講, 這是 市面 揣會著 上好 ê.” 

伊囥落 一本 看起來 嚴肅 ê 艾草色 大本冊, 激一个 伊無掛保證 ê 款. “In 無 單獨 ê Richard III ê 歷史冊. 我是講, 無 伊 ê 傳記. 但 in hō͘ 我 這本.”

彼是一本 冊外套印徽章, 看起來 媠 tangx ê 冊. 冊名是 “Raby ê 玫瑰.”

“這是啥?”

“看 khiaih, 彼是 in 老母. 我是講, 冊名 ni̍h ê 玫瑰. 我袂當 koh 等 ah: 我 5 分鐘後 著愛 轉去總部, 我若 遲到, Tiúⁿ..ê 會 kă 剝皮. 歹勢, 我做了 無夠好. 後擺 koh 經過, 我會 入來探, chiah-ê 冊 若無好, 才看會當 pìⁿ 啥別款 ê.”

Grant 真感心, mā án-ne kā 伊 表示.

隨 Williams ê 輕快 跤步聲, 伊開始 檢視 這本 “上好 ê England 歷史.” He 原來是 一本所謂 ê “憲政” 歷史; 一本編輯嚴肅 ê 冊, 附帶 幫贊理解 ê 插圖. 一張 ùi Luttrell 詩篇集 ê 插圖 妝thāⁿ 14 世紀 農木業 ê 狀況, á 一張 London 當代地圖 分割出 London 大火災. 

冊 ni̍h 干焦 順紲 tek 提起 國王 kap 王后 niāx. Tanner 寫 ê “憲政歷史” 干焦關心 社會進步 kap 政治演變; 關心 烏死病, kap 印刷術 ê 發明, kap 火藥 ê 使用, kap 同業公會 ê 形成, tt. 毋過, 有時仔 Tanner mā 因為 某種 礙虐 ê 牽連, 才會提起 國王 a̍h in 親情. 其中 一个牽連 tō 關係著 印刷術 ê 發明.

一个叫 Caxton ê 人, 出身自 Kent ê Weald, 一个 後來成做 London 市長 ê 布商師仔, 彼時身軀 扎 師傅遺囑 留 hō͘ 伊 ê 20 merk 去 Bruges. Tng-tong tī 低地國 (Low Countries) ê 苦悶秋雨 ni̍h, 兩个 ùi England 來 ê 少年難民, 辛苦到位 he 淺水海岸 ê 時, tō 是這个 出身自 Kent ê Weald ê 成功 生理人 kā in 救助. He 難民 tō 是 Edward IV kap in 小弟 Richard; 等 Edward ê 運途到, 轉去統治 England ê 時, Caxton mā 來到 hia, 自 án-ne, England ê 頭幾本冊 是為 Edward IV 所印刷 ê, 是由 Edward ê 妹婿 所寫 ê.

伊掀 冊頁, 著驚發現 剝離人性 ê 資訊 是 gōa-nī 無味. 人類 ê 悲傷 毋是 任何人 ê 悲傷, 報紙讀者 早 tō 發現這 ah. 大規模 ê 毀滅 可能 hō͘ 人 腰脊骨 起冷, 全身 ka-lún-sún, 但 內心 無按怎 感動. 大水 tī China 淹死 1,000 人是新聞: 一个囡仔 淹死 tī 水池 是悲劇. 

所以, Tanner Ss 對 England 民族 進步 ê 描寫, 雖罔 hō͘ 人 讚嘆, 但 袂引起 激動. 毋過, tī 冊 ni̍h, 有時 無法度 避免 個人 ê 時, 伊 ê 描寫 tō 活跳 kah hō͘ 人 即刻 有趣味. Tī “Paston 家族 ê 批信” ê 引文內面, 舉一个例. Paston 家族慣勢 kā 歷史片段 摻雜 tī salad 油 ê 訂單 kap 詢問 Clement tī Cambridge 過了按怎 ê 批信中間. 

Tō tī chit 2 件 日常小事 ê 中間, 出現 一條 sióx ê 記載: York 家族 ê 兩个 查埔囡仔, George kap Richard, 蹛 tī Paston 家族 tī London ê 住所, á in 兄哥 Edward 逐工 lóng 來看 in.

當然 loh, Grant án-ne 想, ná kā 冊 囥落 tī 床單, 攑目看 he 今 伊 有看無著 ê 天篷, 當然 tī 以前 從來 m̄-bat 有 England 國王 親像 Edward IV kap in 小弟 Richard án-ne 經驗過 平民生活. 

大概 干焦 in 以後 ê Charles II 會 比並得. 毋過, 甚至 tī 散赤 kap 逃亡中間, Charles 一直 lóng 是 國王 ê 囝; 是 懸人一等 ê 人. Hit 2 个 蹛 tī Paston 家族住所 ê 細漢囡仔 不過是 York 家族 ê 細囝. Tī 上好 ê 時陣, in mā 無啥 特別 ê 重要性, á tī 寫彼張 Paston 批信 ê 時, in 無厝, mā 可能 看袂著 未來.

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4.

4.1

It was after luncheon before Sergeant Williams reappeared, breathless, bearing two fat volumes.

‘You should have left them with the porter,’ Grant said. ‘I didn’t mean you to come sweating up here with them.’

‘I had to come up and explain. I had only time to go to one shop, but it’s the biggest in the street. That’s the best history of England they have in stock. It’s the best there is anywhere, they say.’ 

He laid down a severe-looking sage-green tome, with an air of taking no responsibility for it. ‘They had no separate history of Richard III. I mean, no life of him. But they gave me this.’ /

This was a gay affair with a coat of arms on the wrapper. It was called The Rose of Raby.

‘What is this?’

‘She was his mother, it seems. The Rose in question, I mean. I can’t wait: I’m due at the Yard in five minutes from now and the Super will flay me alive if I’m late. Sorry I couldn’t do better. I’ll look in again, first time I’m passing, and if these are no good I’ll see what else I can get.’

Grant was grateful and said so.

To the sound of Williams’ brisk departing footsteps he began his inspection of the ‘best history of England there is’. It turned out to be what is known as a ‘constitutional’ history; a sober compilation lightened with improving[Pg 52] illustrations. An illumination from the Luttrell Psalter decorated the husbandry of the fourteenth century, and a contemporary map of London bisected the Great Fire. /

Kings and Queens were mentioned only incidentally. Tanner’s Constitutional History was concerned only with social progress and political evolution; with the Black Death, and the invention of printing, and the use of gunpowder, and the formation of the Trade Guilds, and so forth. But here and there Mr Tanner was forced, by a horrid germaneness, to mention a King or his relations. And one such germaneness occurred in connection with the invention of printing.

A man called Caxton came out of the Weald of Kent as draper’s apprentice to a future Lord Mayor of London, and then went to Bruges with the twenty merks his master left him in his will. And when, in the dreary autumn rain of the Low Countries, two young refugees from England fetched up on those low shores, in very low water, it was the successful merchant from the Weald of Kent who gave them succour. The refugees were Edward IV and his brother Richard; and when in the turn of the wheel Edward came back to rule England, Caxton came too, and the first books printed in England were printed for Edward IV and written by Edward’s brother-in-law.

He turned the pages and marvelled how dull information is deprived of personality. The sorrows of humanity are no one’s sorrows, as newspaper readers long ago found out. A frisson of horror may go down one’s spine at wholesale destruction but one’s heart stays unmoved. A thousand people drowned in floods in China are news: a solitary child drowned in a pond is tragedy. /

So Mr[Pg 53] Tanner’s account of the progress of the English race was admirable but unexciting. But here and there where he could not avoid the personal his narrative flowered into a more immediate interest. In extracts from the Pastons’ letters, for instance. The Pastons had a habit of sandwiching scraps of history between orders for salad oil and inquiries as to how Clement was doing at Cambridge. /

And between two of those domesticities appeared the small item that the two little York boys, George and Richard, were living in the Pastons’ London lodgings, and that their brother Edward came every day to see them.

Surely, thought Grant, dropping the book for a moment on the counterpane and staring up at the now invisible ceiling, surely never before can anyone have come to the throne of England with so personal an experience of the ordinary man’s life as Edward IV and his brother Richard. /

And perhaps only Charles II after them. And Charles, even in poverty and flight, had always been a King’s son; a man apart. The two little boys who were living in the Pastons’ lodgings were merely the babies of the York family. Of no particular importance at the best of times, and at the moment when the Paston letter was written without a home and possibly without a future.

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