An Accursed RaceWord文档下载推荐.docx

An Accursed RaceWord文档下载推荐.docx

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wehaveburntCatholicsandProtestants,tosaynothingofafewwitchesandwizards.WehavesatirizedPuritans,andwehavedressed-upGuys.But,afterall,I

donotthinkwehavebeensobadasourContinentalfriends.Tobesure,ourinsularpositionhaskeptusfree,toacertaindegree,fromtheinroadsofalienraces;

who,drivenfromonelandofrefuge,stealintoanotherequallyunwillingtoreceivethem;

andwhere,forlongcenturies,theirpresenceisbarelyendured,andnopainsistakentoconcealtherepugnancewhichthenativesof"

pureblood"

experiencetowardsthem.

ThereyetremainsaremnantofthemiserablepeoplecalledCagotsinthevalleysofthePyrenees;

intheLandesnearBourdeaux;

and,stretchinguponthewestsideofFrance,theirnumbersbecomelargerinLowerBrittany.Evennow,theoriginofthesefamiliesisawordofshametothemamongtheirneighbours;

althoughtheyareprotectedbythelaw,whichconfirmedthemintheequalrightsofcitizensabouttheendofthelastcentury.Beforethentheyhadlived,forhundredsofyears,isolatedfromallthosewhoboastedofpureblood,andtheyhadbeen,allthistime,oppressedbycruellocaledicts.

Theyweretrulywhattheywerepopularlycalled,TheAccursedRace.

Alldistincttracesoftheiroriginarelost.EvenatthecloseofthatperiodwhichwecalltheMiddleAges,thiswasaproblemwhichnoonecouldsolve;

andasthetraces,whicheventhenwerefaintanduncertain,havevanishedawayonebyone,itisacompletemysteryatthepresentday.Whytheywereaccursedinthefirstinstance,whyisolatedfromtheirkind,nooneknows.Fromtheearliestaccountsoftheirstatethatareyetremainingtous,itseemsthatthenameswhichtheygaveeachotherwereignoredbythepopulationtheylivedamongst,whospokeofthemasCrestiaa,orCagots,justaswespeakofanimalsbytheirgenericnames.Theirhousesorhutswerealwaysplacedatsomedistanceoutofthevillagesofthecountry-folk,whounwillinglycalledintheservicesoftheCagotsascarpenters,ortilers,orslaters--tradeswhichseemedappropriatedbythisunfortunaterace--whowereforbiddentooccupyland,ortobeararms,theusualoccupationsofthosetimes.Theyhadsomesmallrightofpasturageonthecommonlands,andintheforests:

butthenumberoftheircattleandlive-stockwasstrictlylimitedbytheearliestlawsrelatingtotheCagots.Theywereforbiddenbyoneacttohavemorethantwentysheep,apig,aram,andsixgeese.Thepigwastobefattenedandkilledforwinterfood;

thefleeceofthesheepwastoclothethem;

butifthesaidsheephadlambs,theywereforbiddentoeatthem.Theironlyprivilegearisingfromthisincreasewas,thattheymightchooseoutthestrongestandfinestinpreferencetokeepingtheoldsheep.AtMartinmastheauthoritiesofthecommunecameround,andcountedoverthestockofeachCagot.Ifhehadmorethanhisappointednumber,theywereforfeited;

halfwenttothecommune,halftothebaillie,orchiefmagistrateofthecommune.

Thepoorbeastswerelimitedastotheamountofcommonwhichtheymightstrayoverinsearchofgrass.Whilethecattleoftheinhabitantsofthecommunemightwanderhitherandthitherinsearchofthesweetestherbage,thedeepestshade,orthecoolestpoolinwhichtostandonthehotdays,andlazilyswitchtheirdappledsides,theCagotsheepandpighadtolearnimaginarybounds,beyondwhichiftheystrayed,anyonemightsnapthemup,andkillthem,reservingapartofthefleshforhisownuse,butgraciouslyrestoringtheinferiorpartstotheiroriginalowner.Anydamagedonebythesheepwas,however,fairlyappraised,andtheCagotpaidnomoreforitthananyothermanwouldhavedone.

DidaCagotleavehispoorcabin,andventureintothetowns,eventorenderservicesrequiredofhiminthewayofhishewasbidden,byallthemunicipallaws,tostandbyandrememberhisrudeoldstate.

InallthetownsandvillagesthelargedistrictsextendingonbothsidesofthePyrenees--inallthatpartofSpain--theywereforbiddentobuyorsellanythingeatable,towalkinthemiddle（esteemedthebetter）partofthestreets,tocomewithinthegatesbeforesunrise,ortobefoundaftersunsetwithinthewallsofthetown.Butstill,astheCagotsweregood-lookingmen,and（althoughtheyborecertainnaturalmarksoftheircaste,ofwhichIshallspeakby-and-by）werenoteasilydistinguishedbycasualpassers-byfromothermen,theywerecompelledtowearsomedistinctivepeculiaritywhichshouldarresttheeye;

and,inthegreaternumberoftowns,itwasdecreedthattheoutwardsignofaCagotshouldbeapieceofredclothsewedconspicuouslyonthefrontofhisdress.Inothertowns,themarkofCagoteriewasthefootofaduckoragoosehungovertheirleftshoulder,soastobeseenbyanyonemeetingthem.Afteratime,themoreconvenientbadgeofapieceofyellowclothcutoutintheshapeofaduck'

sfoot,wasadopted.IfanyCagotwasfoundinanytownorvillagewithouthisbadge,hehadtopayafineoffivesous,andtolosehisdress.Hewasexpectedtoshrinkawayfromanypasser-by,forfearthattheirclothesshouldtoucheachother;

orelsetostandstillinsomecornerorby-place.IftheCagotswerethirstyduringthedayswhichtheypassedinthosetownswheretheirpresencewasbarelysuffered,theyhadnomeansofquenchingtheirthirst,fortheywereforbiddentoenterintothelittlecabaretsortaverns.Eventhewatergushingoutofthecommonfountainwasprohibitedtothem.Faraway,intheirownsqualidvillage,therewastheCagotfountain,andtheywerenotallowedtodrinkofanyotherwater.ACagotwomanhavingtomakepurchasesinthetown,wasliabletobefloggedoutofitifshewenttobuyanythingexceptonaMonday--adayonwhichallotherpeoplewhocould,kepttheirhousesforfearofcomingincontactwiththeaccursedrace.

InthePaysBasque,theprejudices--andforsometimethelaws--ranstrongeragainstthemthananywhichIhavehithertomentioned.TheBasqueCagotwasnotallowedtopossesssheep.Hemightkeepapigforprovision,buthispighadnorightofpasturage.Hemightcutandcarrygrassfortheass,whichwastheonlyotheranimalhewaspermittedtoown;

andthisasswaspermitted,becauseitsexistencewasratheranadvantagetotheoppressor,whoconstantlyavailedhimselfoftheCagot'

smechanicalskill,andwasgladtohavehimandhistoolseasilyconveyedfromoneplacetoanother.

TheracewasrepulsedbytheState.Underthesmalllocalgovernmentstheycouldholdnopostwhatsoever.AndtheywerebarelytoleratedbytheChurch,althoughtheyweregoodCatholics,andzealousfrequentersofthemass.Theymightonlyenterthechurchesbyasmalldoorsetapartforthem,throughwhichnooneofthepureraceeverpassed.Thisdoorwaslow,soastocompelthemtomakeanobeisance.Itwasoccasionallysurroundedbysculpture,whichinvariablyrepresentedanoak-branchwithadoveaboveit.Whentheywereoncein,theymightnotgototheholywaterusedbyothers.

Theyhadabenitieroftheirown;

norweretheyallowedtoshareintheconsecratedbreadwhenthatwashandedroundtothebelieversofthepurerace.TheCagotsstoodafaroff,nearthedoor.Therewerecertainboundaries--imaginarylinesonthenaveandintheisleswhichtheymightnotpass.InoneortwoofthemoretolerantofthePyreneanvillages,theblessedbreadwasofferedtotheCagots,theprieststandingononesideoftheboundary,andgivingthepiecesofbreadonalongwoodenforktoeachpersonsuccessively.

WhentheCagotdied,hewasinterredapart,inaplotburying-groundonthenorthsideofthecemetery.UndersuchlawsandprescriptionsasIhavedescribed,itisnowonderthathewasgenerallytoopoortohavemuchpropertyforhischildrentoinherit;

butcertaindescriptionsofitwereforfeitedtothecommune.Theonlypossessionwhichallwhowerenotofhisownracerefusedtotouch,washisfurniture.Thatwastainted,infectious,unclean--fitfornonebutCagots.

Whensuchwere,foratleastthreecenturies,theprevalentusagesandopinionswithregardtothisoppressedrace,itisnotsurprisingthatwereadofoccasionaloutburstsofferociousviolenceontheirpart.IntheBasses-Pyrenees,forinstanceitisonlyaboutahundredyearssince,thattheCagotsofRehouilhesroseupagainsttheinhabitantsoftheneighbouringtownofLourdes,andgotthebetterofthem,bytheirmagicalpowersasitissaid.ThepeopleofLourdeswereconqueredandslain,andtheirghastly,bloodyheadsservedthetriumphantCagotsforballstoplayatninepinswith!

Thelocalparliamentshadbegun,bythistime,toperceivehowoppressivewasthebanofpublicopinionunderwhichtheCagotslay,andwerenotinclinedtoenforcetoosevereapunishment.Accordingly,thedecreeoftheparliamentofToulousecondemnedonlytheleadingCagotsconcernedinthisaffraytobeputtodeath,andthathenceforwardandforevernoCagotwastobepermittedtoenterthetownofLourdesbyanygatebutthatcalledCapdet-pourtet:

theywereonlytobeallowedtowalkundertherain-gutters,andneithertosit,eat,nordrinkinthetown.Iftheyfailedinobservinganyoftheserules,theparliamentdecreed,inthespiritofShylock,thatthedisobedientCagotsshouldhavetwostripsofflesh,weighingnevermorethantwoouncesa-piece,cutoutfromeachsideoftheirspines.

Inthefourteenth,fifteenth,andsixteenthcenturiesitwasconsiderednomoreacrimetokillaCagotthantodestroyobno