按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
y of the Fourth Age there were already to be foundin the Shire several libraries that contained many historical books andrecords。
The largest of these collections were probably at Undertowers； at GreatSmials； and at Brandy Hall。 This account of the end of the Third Age is drawnmainly from the Red Book of Westmarch。 That most important source for the
history of the War of the Ring was so called because it was long preserved atUndertowers； the home of the Fairbairns； Wardens of the Westmarch。 It was inorigin Bilbo's private diary； which he took with him to Rivendell。 Frodobrought it back to the Shire； together with many loose leaves of notes； andduring S。R。 1420…1 he nearly filled its pages with his account of the War。 Butannexed to it and preserved with it； probably m a single red case； were thethree large volumes； bound in red leather； that Bilbo gave to him as a partinggift。 To these four volumes there was added in Westmarch a fifth containingmentaries； genealogies； and various other matter concerning the hobbitmembers of the Fellowship。
The original Red Book has not been preserved； but many copies were made；
especially of the first volume； for the use of the descendants of the childrenof Master Samwise。 The most important copy； however； has a different history。
It was kept at Great Smials； but it was written in Condor； probably at therequest of the great…grandson of Peregrin； and pleted in S。R。 1592 （F。A。
172）。 Its southern scribe appended this note： Findegil； King's Writer；
finished this work in IV 172。 It is an exact copy in all details of theThain's Book m Minas Tirith。 That book was a copy； made at the request of KingElessar； of the Red Book of the Periannath； and was brought to him by theThain Peregrin when he retired to Gondor in IV 64。
The Thain's Book was thus the first copy made of the Red Book andcontained much that was later omitted or lost。 In Minas Tirith it received
much annotation； and many corrections； especially of names； words； andquotations in the Elvish languages； and there was added to it an abbreviatedversion of those parts of _The Tale of Aragorn and Arwen_ which lie outsidethe account of the War。 The full tale is stated to have been written byBarahir； grandson of the Steward Faramir； some time after the passing of theKing。 But the chief importance of Findegil's copy is that it alone containsthe whole of Bilbo's 'Translations from the Elvish'。 These three volumes were
found to be a work of great skill and learning in which； between 1403 and1418； he had used all the sources available to him in Rivendell； both livingand written。 But since they were little used by Frodo； being almost entirelyconcerned with the Elder Days； no more is said of them here。
Since Meriadoc and Peregrin became the heads of their great families； andat the same time kept up their connexions with Rohan and Gondor； the librariesat Bucklebury and Tuckborough contained much that did not appear in the RedBook。 In Brandy Hall there were many works dealing with Eriador and thehistory of Rohan。 Some of these were posed or begun by Meriadoc himself；
though in the Shire he was chiefly remembered for his _Herblore of the Shire；_
and for his _Reckoning of Years_ m which he discussed the relation of thecalendars of the Shire and Bree to those of Rivendell； Gondor； and Rohan。 Healso wrote a short treatise on _Old Words and Names in the Shire；_ havingspecial interest in discovering the kinship with the language of the Rohirrimof such 'shire…words' as _mathom_ and old elements in place names。
At Great Smials the books were of less interest to Shire…folk； thoughmore important for larger history。 None of them was written by Peregrin； buthe and his successors collected many manuscripts written by scribes of Gondor：
mainly copies or summaries of histories or legends relating to Elendil and hisheirs。 Only here in the Shire were to be found extensive materials for thehistory of Númenor and the arising of Sauron。 It was probably at Great Smialsthat _The Tale of Years_ was put together； with the assistance of materialcollected by Meriadoc。 Though the dates given are often conjectural；
especially for the Second Age； they deserve attention。 It is probable thatMeriadoc obtained assistance and information from Rivendell； which he visitedmore than once。 There； though Elrond had departed； his sons long remained；
together with some of the High…elven folk。 It is said that Celeborn went todwell there after the departure of Galadriel； but there is no record of theday when at last he sought the Grey Havens； and with him went the last livingmemory of the Elder Days in Middle…earth。
THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING
_being the first part of
The Lord of the Rings_
BOOK I
_Chapter 1_
A Long…expected Party
When Mr。 Bilbo Baggins of Bag End announced that he would shortly becelebrating his eleventy…first birthday with a party of special magnificence；
there was much talk and excitement in Hobbiton。
Bilbo was very rich and very peculiar； and had been the wonder of theShire for sixty years； ever since his remarkable disappearance and unexpectedreturn。 The riches he had brought back from his travels had now bee a locallegend； and it was popularly believed； whatever the old folk might say； thatthe Hill at Bag End was full of tunnels stuffed with treasure。 And if that wasnot enough for fame； there was also his prolonged vigour to marvel at。 Timewore on； but it seemed to have little effect on Mr。 Baggins。 At ninety he wasmuch the same as at fifty。 At ninety…nine they began to call him _well_…
preserved； but _unchanged_ would have been nearer the mark。 There were somethat shook their heads and thought this was too much of a good thing； itseemed unfair that anyone should possess （apparently） perpetual youth as wellas （reputedly） inexhaustible wealth。
'It will have to be paid for；' they said。 'It isn't natural； and troublewill e of it！'
But so far trouble had not e； and as Mr。 Baggins was generous with hismoney； most people were willing to forgive him his oddities and his goodfortune。 He remained on visiting terms with his relatives （except； of course；
the Sackville…Bagginses）； and he had many devoted admirers among the hobbitsof poor and unimportant families。 But he had no close friends； until some ofhis younger cousins began to grow up。
The eldest of these； and Bilbo's favourite； was young Frodo Baggins。 WhenBilbo was ninety…nine； he adopted Frodo as his heir； and brought him to liveat Bag End； and the hopes of the Sackville…Bagginses were finally dashed。
Bilbo and Frodo happened to have the same birthday； September 22nd。 'You hadbetter e and live here； Frodo my lad；' said Bilbo one day； 'and then we cancelebrate our birthday…parties fortably together。' At that time Frodo wasstill in his _tweens；_ as the hobbits called the irresponsible twentiesbetween childhood and ing of age at thirty…three。
Twelve more years passed。 Each year the Bagginses had given very livelybined birthday…parties at Bag End； but now it was understood that somethingquite exceptional was being planned for that autumn。 Bilbo was going to be_eleventy…one；_ 111； a rather curious number and a very respectable age for ahobbit （the Old Took himself had only reached 130）； and Frodo was going to be_thirty…three；_ 33） an important number： the date of his 'ing of age'。
Tongues began to wag in Hobbiton and Bywater； and rumour of the ingevent travelled all over the Shire。 The history and character of Mr。 BilboBaggins became once again the chief topic of conversation； and the older folksuddenly found their reminiscences in wele demand。
No one had a more attentive audience than old Ham Gamgee； monly knownas the Gaffer。 He held forth at _The Ivy Bush_； a small inn on the Bywater
road； and he spoke with some authority； for he had tended the garden at BagEnd for forty years； and had helped old Holman in the same job before that。
Now that he was himself growing old and stiff in the joints； the job wasmainly carried on by his youngest son； Sam Gamgee。 Both father and son were onvery friendly terms with Bilbo and Frodo。 They lived on the Hill itself； inNumber 3 Bagshot Row just below Bag End。
'A very nice well…spoken gentlehobbit is Mr。 Bilbo； as