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ブラバント諸都市の女王であるその都市に初めて足を踏み入れたとき、彼の期待は最高潮に達した。豪華さと贅沢さがそこかしこに見られ、この産業の中心地から欠乏と貧困が追放されたかのように思われた。
「父の債務者も、この富を分かち合っているに違いない。また状況が良くなったのだろう。私の要求が正当であることを証明する書類を出せば、金を払ってくれるだろう」と彼は自分に言い聞かせた。
At his first entrance into that city, the queen of the cities of Brabant, his hopes were raised to a high pitch. Opulence and luxury were every where visible, and it seemed as if want and poverty were banished from this seat of industry.
"My father's debtors," he said to himself, "must most likely be sharing in this general wealth; and have again improved their circumstances, and will be ready to pay me if I produce my documents to prove my demands are just."
旅の疲れを癒した後、債務者数軒を訪ねる前に、その現況について問い合わせた。
After he had recovered from the fatigues of his journey, he made some enquiries concerning the circumstances of some of his debtors, before he went to call on them.
「ピーター・マーテンスはどうしてる？」食卓で尋ねた「まだ生きているのか？」
「ピーター・マーテンスなら大金持ちだ。商売繁盛で何よりだな」と仲間の一人が答えた。
"How is it with Peter Martens?" he asked his companions at table,"is he still living, and does he thrive?"
"Peter Martens is a wealthy man," replied one of the company, "and drives a flourishing trade."
「プルース家のファビアンは、大丈夫なのか？」
「ふん、資産が莫大過ぎて使い道も判らんくらいにはな。評議会の一員で、毛織物工場まで持ってるから、収入にも不足はあるまいて」
"Is Fabian of Plurs in good circumstances?"
"Oh, he scarcely knows how to employ his immense capital; he is one of the council, and his woollen manfactures give him ample profits."
「ジョナサン・プリシュカーも 繁栄しているのか？」
「マクシミリアン皇帝が花嫁を盗もうとしなければ、今頃は大金持ちだ。ジョナサンは嫁入り道具のレースを注文していたのに、皇帝は商人との契約を破棄し、花嫁も商人との契約を破棄してしまった。…もし、あんたに恋人がいて、素敵なレースをプレゼントしたいのなら、ここだけの話だが、」と続けて、「王女に贈るつもりだったものを、半額で譲ってくれるぞ」
"Is Jonathan Prishkur also in a thriving way?"
"He would be now worth a plum, if the emperor Maximilian had not allowed the French to steal his bride. * Jonathan had orders to furnish the lace for her marriage clothes, but the emperor has broke his bargain with the merchant, as the bride broke her's with him. If you have a sweetheart, to whom you wish to make a present of some fine lace, I dare say," continued the speaker, "he will let you have what he intended for the princess at half price."
「ビュート・カントの家は潰れたのか、それともまだ商売を続けているのか？」
「数年前は、ふらついてた。スペインのキャラベル船のおかげで、持ち直す感じかな」
"Has the house of the Bute Kant failed, or does it still carry on business?"
"Some years ago it was tottering, but the Spanish Caravelles * have helped to prop it up so that it seems now likely to stand."
請求先の家や人物を尋ね、父の時代に返済を停止していたほとんどの家が、現在は繁栄しているとフランクは知った。これは一時的な破産が、その後の繁栄のための基礎となるものだという持論の裏付けとなるものだった。この報せに気を良くした彼は、書類を整理し、溜め込んだ請求書を然るべき請求先へ持って行った。
しかし、彼はアントワープの人々から、現代の旅行者がドイツの地方都市で店主から受けるのと同じ扱いを受けた。ある者はブレーメンのメルキオールを覚えておらず、間違いない筈の帳簿を開いてみても、その名で計上されているものは何もなかった。またある者はフランクの父親に対して多額の告発を行い、3日も経たないうちに、その告発に応じてフランクはあっさりと牢屋に放り込まれ、びた一文残らず支払うまで釈放されることはなかった。
Frank inquired after several other houses or persons, on whom he had demands, he learned that the most of them, who had in his father's time stopped payment, were now floursihing, which confirmed his opinion, that a seasonable bankruptcy was a sure foundation for after prosperity. This news served to cheer up his spirits; he arranged his papers, and presented the old bills at their proper places. But he experienced from the people of Antwerp, the same treatment which his travelling fellow citizens of the present day experience from the shop-keepers in the provincial towns of Germany: every body treats them politely, except when they come to receive money: some would know nothing of their old debts, or said they had all been settled at the time of their bankruptcy, and it was the fault of the creditor if he had not accepted payment. Others did not remember Melchior of Bremen, they opened their infallible books, and found nothing posted under that name. Some brought forth a large charge against Frank's father; and, before the expiration of three days, he was safely shut up in prison to answer for them, and was not to be released till he had paid the last farthing.
アントワープの人々の誠実を信じ、自分の幸運の後援者として期待を寄せていた青年にとって、これは望ましい展開ではなかった。彼は狭い宿舎で、煉獄の魂の苦しみを味わった。自分の船が、嵐からも安全だと考えていたまさにその港で難破したのを見た。メラのことを考えるたびに、彼の心臓に短剣が刺さった。なぜなら彼はもはや、自分が沈んだ渦巻から再び立ち上がる可能性を、ちらとも見ることができなかったからだ。実際、彼がもう一度水面上に頭を出すことに成功したところで、どう考えても彼女の方からは、それ以上彼を助けることはできまい。
These were not pleasant prospects for a young man, who confiding in the honesty of the people of Antwerp, had placed his hopes on them as the patrons of his fortune, and who now saw at once the fair bubble vanish into nothing. He felt in his narrow lodging all the torments of a soul in purgatory. He saw his vessel wrecked in the very harbour, where he deemed himself safe from the storms; every thought of Mela was a dagger to his heart; for he saw no longer, even the shadow of a possibility, to rise once more from the whirlpool, in which he had sunk. Indeed, had he succeeded to get his head once more above water, he knew, that she was on her side, perfectly unable to assist him farther.
彼の心は静かな絶望に支配され、死ぬこと、そうして苦しみを終わらせること、それ以外に望むものはなかった。彼は実際、餓死しようと試みたが、それはすべての人にできることではなく、健康な若い胃は、頭や心の命令にそう簡単に従うことはない。
二日間、一切の食物を絶ったら、激しい飢えが彼を襲い、その欲求に耐えることは不可能であった。そして彼の決意は、目に入ったパン一切れに打ち砕かれた。
A silent despair took possession of his heart; he had no other wish but to die, and thus to end his torments. He did, in fact, make an attempt to starve himself to death, but that is not in every body's power; a healthy young stomach does not so easily submit to the decrees of the head or the heart. After having abstained for two days from all food, such a violent hunger seized him, that it was impossible to withstand its dictates; and his resolution was conquered by the sight of a crust of bread.
もっとも、アントワープの心ない市民は、債権者を称する者から巻き上げようとしたのではなく、彼の要求が正当であることを否定できないので、要求を断念させようとしただけであった。ブレーメンの説教壇からの祈りが天の門前に届いたのか、それとも債務者と目される連中が厄介な居候をいつまでも置いておこうとは思わなかったのか、3ヶ月が過ぎたころ、フランクは、24時間以内に街を出て二度と戻ってこないことを条件に牢獄から解放された。同時に、帰国の費用として少額の金が渡された。裁判長までが裁判費用及び食事代として、彼の馬と荷物を差し押さえた。
It was not, however, the intention of the hard-hearted citizens of Antwerp, to get money from their pretended debtor, but only to make him give up his claims on their money, as they could not deny the justice of his demands. Either the prayers from the pulpit at Bremen reached the porch of heaven, or his supposed creditors were not desirous of keeping a troublesome boarder for any length of time; but, at the end of three months, Frank was liberated from prison, upon condition that he would leave the city within four and twenty hours, and never return to it. He received, at the same time, a small sum of money, to pay the expences of his journey home. Justice had seized on his horse and on his baggage, to pay for the law proceedings and for his board.
哀れなフランクは心も重く、杖を唯一の友として、ほんの少し前に大きな希望を抱いて入ったこの誇り高い都市を、がっくりとorz後にした。気力も思慮も決断力も失い、自分がどこに向かっているのかもわからずに、ふらふらと歩く。空腹と過労のため、必要なものが手に入る場所を探さなければならなくなるまで、誰にも敬礼せず、質問もせず、何事にも関心を示さず。何日も目的も目標もなくさまよい、帰路を真っ直ぐ辿るように本能が導いていることにも気づかず。しかし、あるとき突然、不快な夢から覚めたように、自分が進んできた方向を認識した。
With a heavy heart, and no other friend than a walking-stick, poor Frank departed very humbly out of the proud city which he had entered, but a short time ago, with such high flown hopes. Spiritless, thoughtless, and irresolute, he wandered on, without being aware where the road led he had taken. He saluted nobody, asked no questions, and paid no attention to any thing, till hunger and excess of fatigue, obliged him to look out for some place where he might get his wants supplied. He wandered on, without aim or object for many days, ignorant that some instinct had lead him imperceptibly to take the straight road home, when, on a sudden, he seemed to awake as from an unpleasant dream, and became aware of the direction he had taken.
彼はすぐに立ち止まり、このまま進むべきか、それとも戻るべきかと思案した。このままでは、故郷の町で乞食のような生活を送り、軽蔑の烙印を押され、かつて富と誇りで凌駕した同胞の慈悲に頼らなければならないと思うと、恥ずかしさと混乱が彼を襲うのである。また、このような惨めな状況でメラを前にして、どうすればいいのだろうか。彼女は恥ずかしくて死んでしまうだろうし、彼は永遠に彼女を失うことになるのだろう。こんな憂鬱な光景を最後まで想像するなんて、やっていられない。まるでブレーメンの門にたどり着き、群衆が軽蔑と嘲笑をもって彼を迎えようとしているのが見えたかのように、彼は振り返り、急いで立ち去ったのだ。
He immediately stopt to consider whether he should go on, or return. Shame and confusion overwhelmed him, when he reflected that he should live like a beggar in his native city, be branded with contempt, and should have to depend upon the benevolence of his fellow-citizens, whom he once surpassed in wealth and ostentation. And how could he think of appearing before Mela in this miserable condi tion? she would die with shame, and he would be sure to lose her for ever. He did not allow his imagination to finish this melancholy pic ture; but turned about, and hurried away as if he had already reached the gates of Bremen, and saw the mob ready to greet him with scorn and mockery.
瞬時に、オランダの海港のどれかへ到ることを決意した。船員としてスペインの船に乗り込み、新世界に行き、自分が価値を認識せず軽率にも無駄にした富を、富が溢れているペルーで得るまでは、自分の国に戻るまい。この計画では、メラは遠く離れた所に置かれ、決して捕まえることのできない運命にある影のようにしか見えない。しかし、フランクは、彼女が再び、彼の将来の人生の特徴として描かれていることを幸せと感じ、急ぐ分だけ早く彼女に会えるとでもいうかのように、大股に踏み出していた。
Instantly, he resolved he would try to reach one of the Dutch sea-ports, would enter on board a Spanish ship as a sailor, go to the new world, and not return to his own country, till he had gained in Peru, where riches abounded, that wealth he had thoughtlessly wasted before he was aware of its value. In this plan, Mela was placed so far at a distance, that she appeared like a shadow he was destined never to catch; but Frank felt a ray of happiness that she was once more entered as a feature in the picture of his future life, and he walked forward with long strides, as if he thought to reach her the sooner for his haste.
Brabant: 当時(1183-1794)、ブリュッセル周辺はブラバント公国 Hertogdom Brabant という公爵領になっていた。今のオランダからベルギーに跨る。
He would be now worth a plum , if the emperor Maximilian had not allowed the French to steal his bride .原註 * Ann of Bretagne.
アンヌ・ド・ブルターニュ（フランス語: Anne de Bretagne, ブルトン語: Anna Breizh, 1477年1月25日 - 1514年1月9日）は、ブルターニュ女公（在位:1488年 - 1514年）。ブルターニュ公フランソワ2世と2度目の妃マルグリット・ド・フォワの子。また、シャルル8世、ルイ12世の2代のフランス国王の王妃でもある。1490年12月19日、ブルターニュ公位を継承していたアンヌは、レンヌで当時ローマ王であったハプスブルク家のマクシミリアンと代理結婚した。しかし翌年12月6日、アンヌはランジェ城にて正式にシャルル8世と結婚した。この結婚は緊急に行われ、その後ローマ教皇インノケンティウス8世が検証した（1492年2月15日）。アンヌとマクシミリアンの結婚は最初からなかったものとみなされ、過去の日付にさかのぼって結婚を取り消すようフランスの裁判所に命じた。
原註p.62 Caravelles * The name of the Spanish ships , which traded in those times to America.
キャラベル船あるいはカラベル船（Caravel）は、3本マストの小型帆船。
