Lavengro · Chapter
Chapter XVIII explained
The narrator continues his philological pursuits at home, but at sixteen must choose a profession.
What happens
The narrator continues his philological pursuits at home, but at sixteen must choose a profession. His father doubts he is suited for the Church due to his erratic learning habits. The narrator falls gravely ill, and after a near-fatal decline, is saved by an old nurse's bitter root decoction. During convalescence, he experiences a profound, inexplicable dread, which he reflects upon as a universal human woe, urging onward action.
Themes in this chapter
Philology and Learning
The narrator continues his philological pursuits, but his erratic learning—abandoning Greek for Irish and Italian for Romani—raises questions about the nature of true scholarship.
Freedom vs. Convention
The narrator's unconventional learning path and his father's concern that he will 'fly off in a tangent' highlight the tension between individual curiosity and societal expectations.
Honor and Morality
The narrator's reflection on the 'dark principle' of dread as a potential 'mother of wisdom' and his exhortation to 'Onward' suggest a moral struggle against despair.
Characters to notice
- Lavengro
Now sixteen, he continues philological studies but falls dangerously ill and experiences a deep existential dread during recovery.
- Murtagh
Mentioned as the 'card-fancying Murtagh' who taught the narrator Irish, contrasting with his later abandonment of Italian for Romani.
- Mrs. Herne
Departed to Yorkshire at the chapter's opening, along with the other gypsies.
- Jasper Petulengro
Departed to London with the gypsies; the narrator recalls learning broken songs from such wanderers at a horse fair.
Key passages
“He will fly off in a tangent, said he, and, when called upon to exhibit his skill in Greek, will be found proficient in Irish; I have observed the poor lad attentively, and really do not know what to make of him; but I am afraid he will never make a churchman!”
The narrator's father worries that his son's unconventional learning—excelling in Irish instead of Greek—makes him unsuited for a clerical career.
Reflects the father's pragmatic assessment of the narrator's erratic scholarly habits.
“I believe it is in that state that the most remarkable feature of human physiology frequently exhibits itself. Oh, how dare I mention the dark feeling of mysterious dread which comes over the mind, and which the lamp of reason, though burning bright the while, is unable to dispel!”
During his convalescence, the narrator experiences a profound, inexplicable dread that reason cannot overcome, which he sees as a fundamental aspect of human suffering.
Introduces the chapter's philosophical meditation on existential fear.
“When thou feelest it nigh, let thy safety word be 'Onward;' if thou tarry, thou art overwhelmed. Courage! build great works—'tis urging thee—it is ever nearest the favourites of God—the fool knows little of it.”
The narrator advises that when the dark dread approaches, one must press forward courageously, as this very fear can inspire great achievements and is known to the wise, not the foolish.
A key moral exhortation in the narrator's reflection on overcoming despair.