the complete writings-2- 第45部分

〃Does　the　signor　live　near　Mexico？〃

〃Not　in　dangerous　proximity；〃　we　replied；　but　we　did　not　forfeit　his　good　opinion　by　saying　that　we　visited　it　but　seldom。

Well；　he　had　seen　all　quarters　of　the　globe：　he　had　been　for　years　a　traveler；　but　he　had　come　back　here　with　a　stronger　love　for　it　than　ever；　it　was　to　him　the　most　delightful　spot　on　earth；　he　said。　　And　we　could　not　tell　him　where　its　equal　is。　　If　I　had　nothing　else　to　do；　I　think　I　should　cast　in　my　lot　with　him；at　least　for　a　week。

But　the　monks　never　got　into　a　cozier　nook　than　the　Convent　of　the　Camaldoli。　　That　also　is　suppressed：　its　gardens；　avenues；　colonnaded　walks；　terraces；　buildings；　half　in　ruins。　　It　is　the　level　surface　of　a　hill；　sheltered　on　the　east　by　higher　peaks；　and　on　the　north　by　the　more　distant　range　of　Great　St。　Angelo；　across　the　valley；　and　is　one　of　the　most　extraordinarily　fertile　plots　of　ground　I　ever　saw。　The　rich　ground　responds　generously　to　the　sun。　　I　should　like　to　have　seen　the　abbot　who　grew　on　this　fat　spot。　　The　workmen　were　busy　in　the　garden；　spading　and　pruning。

A　group　of　wild；　half…naked　children　came　about　us　begging；　as　we　sat　upon　the　walls　of　the　terrace；the　terrace　which　overhangs　the　busy　plain　below；　and　which　commands　the　entire；　varied；　nooky　promontory；　and　the　two　bays。　　And　these　children；　insensible　to　beauty；　want　centesimi！

In　the　rear　of　the　church　are　some　splendid　specimens　of　the　umbrella…like　Italian　pine。　　Here　we　found；　also；　a　pretty　little　ruin；it　might　be　Greek　andit　might　be　Druid　for　anything　that　appeared；　ivy…clad；　and　suggesting　a　religion　older　than　that　of　the　convent。　　To　the　east　we　look　into　a　fertile；　terraced　ravine；　and　beyond　to　a　precipitous　brown　mountain；　which　shows　a　sharp　outline　against　the　sky；　halfway　up　are　nests　of　towns；　white　houses；　churches；　and　above；　creeping　along　the　slope；　the　thread　of　an　ancient　road；　with　stone　arches　at　intervals；　as　old　as　Caesar。

We　descend；　skirting　for　some　distance　the　monastery　walls；　over　which　patches　of　ivy　hang　like　green　shawls。　　There　are　flowers　in　profusion；　scented　violets；　daisies；　dandelions；　and　crocuses；　large　and　of　the　richest　variety；　with　orange　pistils；　and　stamens　purple　and　violet；　the　back　of　every　alternate　leaf　exquisitely　penciled。

We　descend　into　a　continuous　settlement；　past　shrines；　past　brown；　sturdy　men　and　handsome　girls　working　in　the　vineyards；　we　descend　　but　words　express　nothinginto　a　wonderful　ravine；　a　sort　of　refined　Swiss　scene；high；　bare　steps　of　rock　butting　over　a　chasm；　ruins；　old　walls；　vines；　flowers。　　The　very　spirit　of　peace　is　here；　and　it　is　not　disturbed　by　the　sweet　sound　of　bells　echoed　in　the　passes。　On　narrow　ledges　of　precipices；　aloft　in　the　air　where　it　would　seem　that　a　bird　could　scarcely　light；　we　distinguish　the　forms　of　men　and　women；　and　their　voices　come　down　to　us。　　They　are　peasants　cutting　grass；　every　spire　of　which　is　too　precious　to　waste。

We　descend；　and　pass　by　a　house　on　a　knoll；　and　a　terrace　of　olives　extending　along　the　road　in　front。　　Half　a　dozen　children　come　to　the　road　to　look　at　us　as　we　approach；　and　then　scamper　back　to　the　house　in　fear；　tumbling　over　each　other　and　shouting；　the　eldest　girl　making　good　her　escape　with　the　baby。　　My　companion　swings　his　hat；　and　cries；　〃Hullo；　baby！〃　And　when　we　have　passed　the　gate；　and　are　under　the　wall；　the　whole　ragged；　brown…skinned　troop　scurry　out　upon　the　terrace；　and　run　along；　calling　after　us；　in　perfect　English；　as　long　as　we　keep　in　sight；　〃Hullo；　baby！〃　〃Hullo；　baby！〃　　The　next　traveler　who　goes　that　way　will　no　doubt　be　hailed　by　the　quick…witted　natives　with　this　salutation；　and；　if　he　is　of　a　philological　turn；　he　will　probably　benefit　his　mind　by　running　the　phrase　back　to　its　ultimate　Greek　roots。




A　DRY　TIME

For　three　years；　once　upon　a　time；　it　did　not　rain　in　Sorrento。　　Not　a　drop　out　of　the　clouds　for　three　years；　an　Italian　lady　here；　born　in　Ireland；　assures　me。　　If　there　was　an　occasional　shower　on　the　Piano　during　all　that　drought；　I　have　the　confidence　in　her　to　think　that　she　would　not　spoil　the　story　by　noticing　it。

The　conformation　of　the　hills　encircling　the　plain　would　be　likely　to　lead　any　shower　astray；　and　discharge　it　into　the　sea；　with　whatever　good　intentions　it　may　have　started　down　the　promontory　for　Sorrento。　I　can　see　how　these　sharp　hills　would　tear　the　clouds　asunder；　and　let　out　all　their　water；　while　the　people　in　the　plain　below　watched　them　with　longing　eyes。　　But　it　can　rain　in　Sorrento。　　Occasionally　the　northeast　wind　comes　down　with　whirling；　howling　fury；　as　if　it　would　scoop　villages　and　orchards　out　of　the　little　nook；　and　the　rain；　riding　on　the　whirlwind；　pours　in　drenching　floods。　　At　such　times　I　hear　the　beat　of　the　waves　at　the　foot　of　the　rock；　and　feel　like　a　prisoner　on　an　island。　　Eden　would　not　be　Eden　in　a　rainstorm。

The　drought　occurred　just　after　the　expulsion　of　the　Bourbons　from　Naples；　and　many　think　on　account　of　it。　　There　is　this　to　be　said　in　favor　of　the　Bourbons：　that　a　dry　time　never　had　occurred　while　they　reigned；a　statement　in　which　all　good　Catholics　in　Sorrento　will　concur。　　As　the　drought　went　on；　almost　all　the　wells　in　the　place　dried　up；　except　that　of　the　Tramontano　and　the　one　in　the　suppressed　convent　of　the　Sacred　Heart；I　think　that　is　its　name。

It　is　a　rambling　pile　of　old　buildings；　in　the　center　of　the　town；　with　a　courtyard　in　the　middle；　and　in　it　a　deep　well；　boring　down　I　know　not　how　far　into　the　rock；　and　always　full　of　cold　sweet　water。　The　nuns　have　all　gone　now；　and　I　look　in　vain　up　at　the　narrow　slits　in　the　masonry；　which　served　them　for　windows；　for　the　glance　of　a　worldly　or　a　pious　eye。　　The　poor　people　of　Sorrento；　when　the　public　wells　and　fountains　had　gone　dry；　used　to　come　and　draw　at　the　Tramontano；　but　they　were　not　allowed　to　go　to　the　well　of　the　convent；　the　gates　were　closed。　　Why　the　government　shut　them　I　cannot　see：　perhaps　it　knew　nothing　of　it；　and　some　stupid　official　took　the　pompous　responsibility。　　The　people　grumbled；　and　cursed　the　government；　and；　in　their　simplicity；　probably　never　took　any　steps　to　revoke　the　prohibitory　law。　　No　doubt；　as　the　government　had　caused　the　drought；　it　was　all　of　a　piece；　the　good　rustics　thought。

For　the　government　did　indirectly　occasion　the　dry　spell。　　I　have　the　information　from　the　Italian　lady　of　whom　I　have　spoken。　　Among　the　first　steps　of　the　new　government　of　Italy　was　the　suppression　of　the　useless　convents　and　nunneries。　　This　one　at　Sorrento　early　came　under　the　ban。　　It　always　seemed　to　me　almost　a　pity　to　rout　out　this　asylum　of　praying　and　charitable　women；　whose　occupation　was　the　encouragement　of　beggary　and　idleness　in　others；　but　whose　prayers　were　constant；　and　whose　charities　to　the　sick　of　the　little　city　were　many。　　If　they　never　were　of　much　good　to　the　community；　it　was　a　pleasure　to　have　such　a　sweet　little　hive　in　the　center　of　it；　and　I　doubt　not　that　the　simple　people　felt　a　genuine　satisfaction；　as　they　walked　around　the　high　walls；　in　believing　that　pure　prayers　within　were　put　up　for　them　night　and　day；　and　especially　when　they　waked　at　night；　and　heard　the　bell　of　the　convent；　and　knew　that　at　that　moment　some　faithful　soul　kept　her　vigils；　and　chanted　prayers　for　them　and　all　the　world　besides；　and　they　slept　the　sounder　for　it　thereafter。　　I　confess　that；　if　one　is　helped　by　vicarious　prayer；　I　would　rather　trust　a　convent　of　devoted　women　（though　many　of　them　are　ignorant；　and　some　of　them　are　worldly；　and　none　are　fair　to　see）　to　pray　for　me；　than　some　of　the　houses　of　coarse　monks　which　I　have　seen。

But　the　order　came　down　from　Naples　to　pack　off　all　the　nuns　of　the　Sacred　Heart　on　a　day　named；　to　close　up　the　gates　of　the　nunnery；　and　hang　a　flaming　sword　outside。　　The　nuns　were　to　be　pulled　up　by　the　roots；　so　to　say；　on　the　day　specified；　and　without　postponement；　and　to　be　transferred　to　a　house　prepared　for　them　at　Massa；　a　few　miles　down　the　promontory；　and　several　hundred　feet　nearer　heaven。　Sorrento　was　really　in　mourning：　it　went　about　in　grief。　　It　seemed　as　if　something　sacrilegious　were　about　to　be　done。　　It　was　the　intention　of　the　whole　town　to　show　its　sense　of　it　in　some　way。

The　day　of　removal　came；　and　it　rained！　　It　poured：　the　water　came　down　in　sheets；　in　torrents；　in　deluges；　it　came　down　with　the　wildest　tempest　of　many　a　year。　　I　think；　from　accurate　reports　of　those　who　witnessed　it；　that　the　beginning　of　the　great　Deluge　was　only　a　moisture　compared　to　this。　　To　turn　the　poor　women　out　of　doors　such　a　day　as　this　was　unchristian；　barbarous；　impossible。　Everybody　who　had　a　shelter　was　shivering　indoors。　　But　the　officials　were　inexorable。　　In　the　order　for　removal；　nothing　was　said　about　postponement　on　account　of　weather；　and　go　the　nuns　must。

And　go　they　did；　the　whole　town　shuddering　at　the　impiety　of　it；　but　kept　from　any　demonstration　by　the　tempest。　Carriages　went　round　to　the　convent；　and　the　women　were　loaded　into　them；　packed　into　them；　carried　and　put　in；　if　they　were　too　infirm　to　go　themselves。　　They　were　driven　away；　cross　and　wet　and　bedraggled。　　They　found　their　dwelling　on　the　hill　not　half　prepared　for　them；　leaking　and　cold　and　c