Pedan Tic Versicles - Forgotten Books ed thee and confined thee in the socket, When, in thin tones,...
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Transcript of Pedan Tic Versicles - Forgotten Books ed thee and confined thee in the socket, When, in thin tones,...
PEDANTIC VERS ICLES
ISAAC FLAGG
BOSTON
PUBLISHED BY GINN , HEATH , co.
1 883
En tered , according to A-ct of Congress, in the year 1 883 . by .
I SAAC FLAGG
In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Wash ington .
J. S Cusm-NG 8: Co .,PRlNTERS , BOSTON.
C O N TE N T S
VERS ICLES
HY‘
LETHEN
SON GS OF Enos
SYMPOSIUM METRICUM
3 mean ing in ti mt .
SHA ! ESPEARE.
TO A REVOLV I NG BOO ! CASE .
FRIEND of me bookworm
,more than double
faced,
Thereby above dupl ic i ty,whose four
Broads ides salut e me , offering each a score
(Handy at th is perus ing elbow placed,
To serve , by t urns , i t s indolence or haste)
Of tomes replete with my O pecu liar lore
Not thy ingenuousness concern s me more,
Behold ing thus the phases of my tast e
S ucces s ively reveal ed grammar awh ile
Then sen t iment (alas ! not les s profound),
And so forth ; no regards of mood or styl e
Outweigh a problem I would fain propound
To men of c ipher,—how much , by the mile,
Thou savest me a year,i n going round '
Vamid es .
TO AN OIL STOVE
NOW Heaven ass is t me to amas’
s
Thy att ribut es ben eath one name,
Imp of the evi l eyes in glass,
G leam ing with doubly wicked flamc '
Thou,though of base metal l i c b irth ,
And fed with watery fuel , won
From the cold breast of mother earth ,
Dost warm me l ike some l i t t l e sun
S uch thy vi le orig in , no doubt
To be blown up I well avo id,
A s I proceed to blow thee out,
Tinny pet roleast eroid !
V671?zi t! cs . 7
TO A STAINED—GLAS S WINDOW .
S OFT - BL IN ! ING tran som , from a crude outdoors
Let t ing a d im , if‘
not rel igi ou s , ray
In on the cultured drone— yet who,that sees
Through thy design,much - pit ted board
,could
doubt
I t s hol ines s ? Ah no ! th ere i s a whole
Gospel of sweetnes s,maz y polychrome
,
I n those weird con ic sec t ions , j igsaw - l imned,
And secondary colors (al l of prime
Importance to aesthet i c n erves), ranged not
With stale , Ph il i st ine symmet ry of pat tern ,
To pal l on the cloyed sen se . What meant the
churl
Who glaz ed thee and confined thee in the socket ,
When, in th in tones
,with grin heret ical ,
He asked me if I’d have it upside - down
O r down s ide - up? Bl ind scoffer , h e shal l have
H is labor for h is pan-
es~
- a putty man ,
To chaffer l ewdly with a ch i ld of l igh t !
8 Va tt ic/es .
ULYS SES’ WINE .
(Abroad )
CYCLOP S , here’ s wine ; prithee wash down the
s i cken ing
Meal of man ’ s flesh beh ind that ruthle s s j aw .
S ee what‘
a drink I boas t ; an find’
st i t‘
quicken ing,
Grant I sail home,and not descend thy maw .
Man,that is wine ' — s carc e from Cyclopean
presse s
Flowed the rich nectar each immortal s ips,
Warm as far Phoebus ’ ray the gl ebe caresse s,
Sweet as a k i s s from Cytherea ’ s l ips !
Fill here again : marry,I bear no mal ice
Toward the fair poure-r ; t el l thy wretched
name .
Now , by my eye , great Bacchus t ipped that
chal ic e !
Z ounds ! and my namesakes touched it wi th
the ir flame
Vamid es . 9
Nommz ? More,more ! - Last, but not least , I
guz z l e
No -man Heigh ho , my head ! Pluck off t h i s
wreath !
Weighs l’
k’ old bri st ly Etna ; w
’ ’
re’av ’n ’ a
tu ssle ;
H- he’
s on t’
- t op,’
nd I’
m-m -mLu nderneath .
Vant ic/cs .
CALYPSO’
S WHINE .
S TR ANGE m ortal, whom Po se idon
Of troub l es turned h igh t ide on ,
Because ! yklops , on e fine dawn ,
Woke up and found hi s eye gone
Why can ’ t you s tay with me more?
Not,moping by the seashore,
Tears for Penelope pour ?
You ’re c ertain ly"
a new man ,
To set an earthly woman
Above a super - human !
You st i ck to one as few can .
I don ’ t know what I lzaa’ done,
I f fat e had made me t hat one .
And , if before’
t was sad fun,
T/z z'
s almost makes me mad run .
I t tears my very t i s sues,
To cut from hope s of b l i s s loose,
And let you go on th is cru i se !
O , what a tyrant i s Z eus
How might I , might I b z’
s choose !
O , t err ibl e odd i s s ues ,
Odys seu s
Vamif ! as .
_
1 r
GoDDEss,— if i t beseem us
To speak of that extreme mus s
We had with Polyphemus,
I’
d rather hear th e knave yel l,
From now t il l half h i s cave fel l,
Than in t h i s l iv ing grave dwel l,
Dubbed of t he sea the n avel .
If any country, save Hel l
(You know I had to brave Hell),Will l et a man behave wel l
,
I th ink I ’
d bet t er go there,
And not be h id i n nowhe re
By sweetheart s, never so fair .
And now,unless a low snare
I s laid by Z eu s , I do swear
(You needn’ t b i te your l ip so),
I shan ’ t pr-ope l that ship sl ow !
S l ip, s lap— my heart and rib s go,
Tears on e xcurs ion - t rips flow,
I n spite of meme: z'
pso,
To get apo -caljypse, O
! alypso
I 2 Vamid es .
C IRCE ’
S SWINE .
(Pon g/lid ”
C IR CE, C irce, C irce !
Thirst we , th irs t we !
First me ! Firs t me ! Firs t me !
C irce feed me,Circe heed me ;
C irce,white C irce ,
C irce seated there ,
Folded hands,
flowing hair
Of that wand beh ind thee
I s no want t o b ind me ;
Who could,who could fly
From the sty in C irce ’ s eye ?
Not I ! Not I !
Harming charmer, sorcere ss ;
C harm ing harmer , not the le s s
Who wins of C irce ’s wine,
I s won of C irce ’ s wi ne !
Wins a curse he , what the worse
What the worse,worse we ,
Vers z
'
, wml’
, versz'
Mercy, mercy !Circe , Circe , Circe !
Vmaria/es . I 3
ULYSSES’ WINE .
(At
H IGH -FL IC ! ER I NG fagot s streaked the wal l s
Of lost U lysses ’ shadowy hall s .
Late sprawl ing at h i s regal board,
Revelled t he su it ors ’ no i sy horde .
They gorged hi s cut s of beeves and swine,
They crunched h i s bread , they gulped h i s wine .
Liodes, deemed of bad the best ;
Ant inous,Polybus , and the res t .
The aged bard who prai sed h i s house
They made rehearse t o the ir carouse .
His costly'
fare they spil led and spurned ;
No morsel to the gods they burned .
They tossed h i s cups with scoff and leer ,
They pulled h i s maids who brought the cheer .
They threw their t hought s where lay h i s bride
And'
vowed right soon to clasp her s ide .
1 -
4
With bel ch and shout , i n r ibald j es t ,
Oft thus the one the other addressed !
sM ine host , boys, se ems incl in ed to stay ;
Le t ’ s hepe him back by j udgment - day !’
‘Ay, t hat’ s when madam means to s top
,
And let th i s weaving- bus iness drop ! ’
‘O,curse her — she ’
s a pretty thing ,
To keep us wait ing for a s tr ing ! ’
‘That web,ha ha ! for grandpa ’ s sh roud
Big enough soon to cover a crowd ! ’
‘Let her hang off ; we’ re l ike t o thrive
,
At th i s rate, t i ll our turn arrive !’
‘Enou gh said , and here’ s to three in one
The drowned fat her, grandfather, and the son !’
‘All in one boat,and that upset
We’
l l have th e lad wi th h i s governor ye t !’
‘Tune up that turt l e - she ll,old boy ;
G ive us t/ze’ faking - down (ff Tray .
”
“I6 Ven‘
s z’
clés .
Just so !’ ‘A l l n ight ! ’ ‘Bring me one
‘He ’
s coming ! ’ How many 7’
th i s s tab l e
‘Don’ t shoot ! ’ Can ’ t swim
‘What’
s got me, boys ?’
‘Who doused— t hat gl im
Where ’
s t hat nois e
Vamid es . I 7
CABALLATION .
ExcLAIMED a fract iou s steed one day
You say, Be h it ched , but I say— Nay !
Hold out that corn , if you see fit '
But mind now, I don’ t t ake— a bi t !
Touching those th ings we m ight term el l/ens,
Old man , I can rece ive no— cal l ers .
I n fact,you ’d best give over reach ing
That buggy, l e st I stave a— breach in ,
And cast,of st raps if I find traces ,
Your l ines in qu it e unpleasant place-
s !
Old horse, quoth man , th i s may be so ;
But you ’ l l be h it ched, for w/zael or w/wa /
And first, while home the whal ing went,
Will you take l/mz‘as punnish mean t ?
I 8 Vem221! as.
EPI LOGUE .
READER ,who standeth under j okes,
To waste no word on t ip sy folks,
Who feel their con sc iou s knee s d is solving
Before a bookcase stops'
revo lv ing
But ye who steered erect and'
slow
’Twixt vers i cl e s and vert igo,
That i s (and no schoolmast er’ s squ ib th is),
S t eady ’ tw ixt S cyl la and Charybdis
Ye boys and girl s who know what fun comes
From Greek and Lat in and conundrums !
Who count s me, for profes sors’ wages ,
The prec ious pun s in these few pages ?
No escapade escape your eyes,
I tal i c set or otherwise,
And proper forfe it ure be paid
For sal ly found where none was made .
Hand in a ful l c las s ificat ion
(Miss ing no hit at derivat ion)
Vansz’
alas. I 9
How many s ing how many doub le,
How many tr1p how many t rouble ;
The hard, the soft, the gay, t he sad ones ,
And— now be careful,girl s ! —t he bad ones .
Be careful too (beware the dog !)
And glean out well the epi logue .
That lad or lass shal l be my pride, who
! nows better what I do than I do .
20 Vansz'
a/as .
EPIGRAMS .
DEAR boys, precoc ious ly in cl ined
To teach your tutors the i r rem issness
That student bus ies best h is m ind,
Who studie s most to m ind h is bus iness .
WH ICH tougher bu i lds the studen t bone,
Platon ic Greek,or mathemat i cs ?
Ant ics of quant i t ie s unknown,
Or quandaries of knowi ng Att ic s ?
S TR IVE on indifferent,charm ing girl , t o seem !
That moves me not in d ifferent w ise t o dream
Though your ind i fference were in me am iss,
Here ’
s room for hope — in difference such as
th i s .
Vansz’
a/as .
‘
2 I
WHAT dol ts as partners of the ir l ives
Fi ne women take ! has oft been said
These might rej o in , What fright s of wives
Wise men are sat i sfied to wed !
NOT rhyme , but reason gen ius shows !
Brays many a bungler,in h i s season ;
Then prin t s— what was not meant for prose,
But leaves the world to guess the reason .
WHO sl ight s that tongue yclept the motnan,
S hal l win no favors from another .
THE FESTIVAL OF ADONI S .
(S ea t lz a fif t ee n th z
'
dy l l of
P ER S ON S R EPR ESEN TED .
MRS . GORGO . MRs . PRAX INOA .
EUTYCH IS, /zan nm z‘
o’. EUNOA
,
b an nm z a’s .
FIRST SPECTATOR . PHRvGIA,
SECOND SPECTATOR . Z OPYRION,nan son .
AN OLD WOMAN .
SCENE I . P nax z’norz
’
s Honsa o f
GO RGO (to E zm orz , ift a ”m i d,w/zo open s flza zl
’
oon) .
I S Prax inoa i n
PRAX INOA (appaa n z'
ng oa/z z'
n rz’a n d (m swan i /zg i n per son ) .
Well,she z
'
s— if that ’ s al l !
S o ,at last , madam Gorgo , you concluded t o call
S ee a chair for her , Eu noa , with a cush ion on ’
t
t oo .
26 P omp/wows.
GORGO .
O , don’ t put yourself out
PRAX INOA.
There, be seat ed , now do
GORGO (si n/si ng ax /za u staa’on Me
My sake s,I ’
m most dead ! Why, Prax inoa, there ,
I t ’
s a wonder I ’
ve reached you al ive,I declare !
S uch a crowd in th ese st reet s , such a myriad of
folks !
S old iers march ing and rid ing , top - boot s and red
cloaks
And the j ourney new,perfec tly endle s s ! Dear me ,
Why did n ’
t you l ive further off, Mrs . P .
PRAX INOA .
I t el l you , i t’
s j ust what that lunat ic meant !
We must n ’
t be ne ighbors of course not sohe
went
To the eend s of c reat ion , and h i red th i s hole
Just t o sp it e me ! I know him— drat' h i s s t ingy
Old soulGORGO .
Don’
z speak of your consort , my clear, i n that s tyle
And your own l ittl e boy in t he room all the wh i le .
P anap/znasas . 27
On ly see how he stares, at such words from h is
ma !
No,no
,Z opery darl ing , she don
’ t mean your pa .
PM X INOA.
The brat does understand , as I l ive !
GORGO .
N i ce papa
PRAX INOA .
This con - sort,as you cal l i t, a few days ago
(When we say t’other day, that mean s a lway s , you
know)
Went to buy l i ly -white , for my personal use ,
And came back here with the great ,
s i l ly gooseGORco.
Mine ’
s prec isely the same,death on dol lars and
cent s !
S ure t o make extra work,at whatever expen se
Bought t he scrapings off somebody ’ s ragbag for
yarn
Only yesterday—seven sh i ll ings,and not worth
one darn
28 P anap/znasas
But come now,Praxinoa, put on your bes t th ings
And get ready ; I want you to go t o the king’ s
And s ee the Adon i s . They have it th is year
I n Ptol emy ’ s own palace ; indeed , as I hear
Our good queen i s preparing a“
perfect gem of a
showPRAX INOA .
O,everyth ing ’
s grand in grand houses,I know |
GORGO .
Yes,but then , you
’ l l have someth ing t o t el l of,i f
you go ,
What y ou saw there— t o them that d id n ’
t'
see i t
come, come,
I t ’
s t ime, and more t oo
PRAX INOA .
Lord , i f I was l ike some !
No . work,and s ix hol iday s Ou t 0’ t he seven
Pick my sewin ’ up,Eu noa . Merc iful heaven !
S t i ck it righ t in my way again , l az ybone s, do !
Cats can snooz e,but they can ’ t hold a candle to
you
P anap/zna sas . 29
S t i r your stumps ! Water fi rs t here— warn ’ t i t
wa z‘an I said
And she had to bring soap ! Well— there, yes ,
pour ahead
Not qu it e so much ne ither, slobb erh ead , if you
please
Who asked you , young puppy, t o douse my che
mise ?
There now, s top ; I’
m as clean as k ind Heaven
thought best .
Fly round there : fetch the key of the b ig camphor
che st .GORGO .
Why Praxy, t hat dress You look heavenly in i t
Let me know what it cost , th i s ident ical m inute
PRAXI-NOA .
Don ’ t ment ion it,now real ly I daresn
’
t confes s
(Howsumever I do set the world by the dress),
For, Gorgo, i t j ust cos t a ri - dic - nlou s price !
GORGO .
Well I would n ’ t care ne i ther,i t does set so n ice !
30 P anap/znasas .
PRAe OA .
Well,I reckon you ’re pret ty near right about l/za t !
Come, B uny, my sh awl— and take and t ie on my
Jaunty,so - NO. S i ree, Bub , you ain’ t go in ’ too !
Hoss b it es ! Hobb ledy-
gobb ledy, t eeth l ike tomb
stones ! Boo - hoe ,
Bawl as much as you please , but it n ever wil l do
To have cripples — take h im, Phryg ia (we . can ’ t
wai t any more),
Get h i s playth ings cal l
s treet - door .
32 P a nap/znasas .
Now he ’ l l k i l l that man on h im , j ust as sure as a
gun
That ch i ld d id do a b le s sed good th ing, when he
staid
S afe to homeGORGO .
There, Praxinoa, don’ t be afraid
re beh ind ’ em at last , and they’ re on the ir
own ground .
PRAX INOA .
Well,I fee l that my forces are com in
’ around
If there ’
S anyth ing oan cause my whol e corpus t o
quake,
I t ’
s a hos s , and that cold , c lammy crit t er, a snake
Come along,t here ’
s an ocean of folks in our wake
GORGO (to a n old woma n mov ing in Z/za opposi te d iner/ion ) .
From the palace, eh, aunty
OLD WOMAN .
Yes , ch illu n , I be
GORGO .
I s i t easy t o get in ?
P anap/znasas . 33
OLD WOMAN .
Try it , s i s sy, and see !
Troy was catched and walked in to by never - say
dyin’
Lor,my handsome young gal , there ain
’
t noth in’
l ike t ryin’
GORGO .
Dear me,what a perfect o ld oracl e she was
Had to treat us,free grat i s, t o c lass ical saws !
PRAX INOA .
These old women, I vum , i t beat s al l , what they
do know
Why, t hey’
re po sted on Jup it er’ s doin
'
s with Juno !
GORGO .
P - r- axy, look at tho se doors ! Here’ s the b iggest
crowd yet
We are i n for i t now, I’
m a
’
th inking
PRAXINOA.
You bet
Gorgo, give us vour hand grip now ! Eunoa, you
Take Eu tychy’
s, don’ t d rop i t, you
’re undone i f
you do
34 P anajo/znasas.
Now let’
s go in ; al l t ogether ! S t ick t o us l ike
a flea,
Euny ; gri t your teeth good ! Here we go l
me - r- cy me
There ’s my summer si lk, Gorgo, gone up ! What
vexat ion ,
Rent l ike that For God ’ s sake ,
(no Finsz‘Spa-d amn, close nan)
as you hope for salvat ion,
Mister,see to my shawl !
FI RST SPECTATOR .
Ma ’am, in my s i tuat ion
Less i s seen than is fe l t s t i l l I ’
ll see— as I am !
PRAXINO-A .
Well,my soul— and my body—“th i s is a sweet
j am !
I ’
ve been took in t ight places afore , but I vow
If I knowed j ust what p igs were at push in’
t i l l now !
FI RST SPECTATOR (a ssisi z'
ng z‘o ax z
‘nz
’
aa /a i/za z‘wo
Cheer up, my good woman , we a re al l h igh and
dry .
P a nap/znasas . 3 5
PRAXINo‘
A.
And may you,good s ir, find yourself not dry, but
h igh
For a year and S IX months , for escort in’
us by .
Gorgo,that ’ s what I cal l a young man of some
b reed in’
.
A in’
t they g ivin’ our Eun there a healthy o l d
squ eez in’
Bust through there, poor s inner now good on
your head !
All aboard , every woman’
s ins ide — as /za said ,
When he locked up , and rai s ed h i s hymeneal shout ,
With h im on the in s ide and her on the out .
36 P anap/znasas .
S CENE I I I . T/za [n tanz’
on of Mo P a /aoa.
GORGO .
My goodness , quick , Praxiny, do come th i s way !
Take a look at the se tapestry p ictures,I say
,
Before anyth ing ! I never,what sweet pret ty
th ings
You ’
11 declare they set fairies a weaving for k ings .
‘
PRAXINOA .
S aint s al ive where on airth now,I j ust wou ld l ike
to know,
Did th ey scare up the art i s t s that drawed for th is
Show ?
Now j us t l ook at them figgers — ain’ t they power
ful correc t ?
How is that , eh , for nat eral, chromat i c effec t ?
They ’ re actooally l ivin’
, t hey ain’ t wove— not in
the l east
There,I always said man was a n ice, c lever beas t
And if there ain ’ t he h imself, Wenu s’
s handsome
young lover,
P a na/J/znasos . 37
On a s ilver - legged sofy, with dark purple cover !
La su z ! ain’ t h i s vi sage j ust a spec tacle to gaz e on
Why,them whiskers , they
’d inflame the tempera
ment of an Amaz on
I don ’ t blame her for feelin ’ l onesome,without her
Adoni s,
When he ’
s t rav’
lled back to Hell beh ind Pluto ’ s
b lack pon ie s
SECOND SPECTATOR (a t a l z’
lfla z
'
l z Z/z a onowa’
Travel back there yourselves,you infernal old
c ron ies
S tep your quacking !’
They ’ l l have the house
down , with the twang
Of their broad Doric brogue , and the ir out landish
slangPRAX INOA .
flfy , myI who ’
s the fel ler
(Say i ng /aim) sonny, where d id y ou grow ?
I t ’
s a lot of y onn b iz , whether we quack or crow
j ust command your own lackies Ain ’ t you nabbed
the wrong goose,
38 P a nap/znasas .
When you order round lad ie s from great Syracuse ?
And I ’
ll t el l you someth in’ el se
,if your noddle ’
s
i n doubt
Warn ’ t i t Corin th , where our forefathers used to
hang out
That was Bel l erophon ’ s place , h im as once d ruv
Pegasus !
S lang? we sl ing the st raight l in go o ’ the Pelo
ponnasu s
Can ’ t a Dorian lady, without be in’ s ot on
,
Wag her own mother’
s tongue ? He ain ’ t born
yet,nor thought on
Lord bl es s u s - that ’
s a goin ’ t o set up for our
boss
Well I guess not ! Come , I would n’
t — lOok at
here now, old hoss
Be a coun t in’ o ’ my ch icken s— t hat i s , i f I was
you
Til l the dear l i t t l e cri t t ers bog z’
a t o peek through
GORGO .
Hush,Praxy, be qu ie t They ’ve l ift ed the curta in
40 Pa nap/znasas .
POLYPHEMU S TO GALATEA .
(S ee Me aZa'
oan t/z z’
a’
y ZZ (y
FOR l ove no med ic ine exi s t s , accord ing to mynot ion ,
Friend N ic i as,
- b e i t i n the shape of plas ter, p il l ,
or pot ion ,
Except Z/za’
fli zzsas / That ’ s a drug with no wry
face beh ind it ,
And brings Immediat e rel ief : t he trouble i s— to
find it |
I ’
m stat ing paten t fact s , meth i nks , t o one i n your
pos it ion ,
A poet favored of the N ine , as wel l as a phys i c ian .
No other remedy, at least — t o take a case b e
tween u s
VVou ld help my rus t i c coun tryman,the youthful
Polyphemus,
I n the Old t ime,when he was dead in love with
Galatea,
P anap/znasas . 4 I
Who used to swim S i c i l ian seas— and Cyclops
used t o see her !
He sen t no roses , apples , lock s of hair t o prove
h i s pass ion ,
But made a bus iness of the th ing,i n downright
craz y fash ion .
His flocks would turn untended home to fold from
flowery pasture,
While at the wet and weedy Shore , from morn t i l l
n igh t,the ir master
One more of Venus ’ vict ims (yon know how she
l ikes to use ’em) ,
Would pine away , and s ing away the Nere id of
h i s bosom .
He found the phys ic , I repeat , and, perched above
the ocean
On a h igh rock,d id thus outpour th e flood of h i s
emot ion .
O Galatea, glorious girl, don’ t put your fe l l er off !
(Cream - cheese, my grac ious ! ain’ t more wh i te no
lamb ain ’ t half so soft !)
42 P anap/znasas .
Don ’ t be a sk it t ish c alf, don’
t be a grape with
puckery sap !
Com in ’ that game 0’ comin ’ ou t '
j u st when I take
a nap ,
And when I wake there, cus smy l uck ! d ive
in again Eanslap
You run l ike any sheep as sp ies a gray wolf
glarin’ at her
But as for me,my girl
,l ook here
,I ’ l l t e l l
what "
3 th e mat ter
I know the day when I go t smashed : that ’
s when
you went for pos ie s,
And my old mother went along— and me, t o steer
your noses .
I had the fi rs t squ in t at you then,and s i nce I fi rs t
knocked under,
There ain ’ t n o peace for Polypheme but you
don ’ t care , by thunder !
I guess I see what for you run : yes, yes ! I
sho uld n ’ t wonder
I f this ’ ere one long shaggy eyebrow made you
kind 0’
skeery ,
P anap/znasas . 43“
Sp'
ann in’ my mug from ear to ear ; and th i s one
ogler, deary
And then the nose set s on the l ip a trifle flat,t o
pass 1
But what ’ s Z/za t, when a fel ler drives a thousand
Sheep to grass,
And milks no end 0’ goat s and ewes
,and drinks
the st rippin’
s straight ,
With chees es , the whol e b les s ed year, piled round
him by the crate
As to performrin’ on the flu te— if mus ic ’
s to your
l ik in ’
There ain ’ t a Cyclops ’ mother ’ s son“ can tune her
u p as“
I can
Toot lin’ at every hour 0’ the n ight , i n every sort 0
’
weather,
All about you, my pret ty pippin—sweet, and me
together
And ain ’ t I a rai s in ’ eleven l i ttl e fawns I catched
up where my place is,
To’mu.se you when I ain
’ t t o home — they ’
ve al l
got spot ted faces
44 P anap/znasas .
Four bul ly baby - bruin s t oo Come up and see ’em
play,s i s
Come up,and s crape a n ic e soft nest right on my
cab in -floor,
And let old brindled Ocean bust h i s gul le t at th e
shore
What k ind of a stal l i s that 0’ hi sn , t o’commodate
a lady ?
Come up to mine,and cult ivat e a taste for some
t hin’ sh ady
There ’ s laurel s there, and cypres se s as l i th and
sl ick as you be !
And creepin’ ivy, and vine s (them grapes sh ine
up to any ruby !)
And wa z‘an ?— when your wh ist le want s a wett in ’
in the future
Old br is t ly Etna s snowy knob s l ings. down the
stuff t o suit you !
That’
s al l very fine,I hear you say— if [ warn ’ t
qu it e so hairy
Lord ble s s you ! don ’
t I mean to take a singe i n’
when I marry ?
P anap/znasas . 45
The wood ’
s al l cut and d r i ed , and where’ s the
girl to t ouch her Off qu ick
I ’
d l e t you burn my l iver out , or th i s one prec ious
opt ic !
Where ’
d I be t/oan —O , hang it al l, why warn’ t
I born a whal e
With two old paddle -wheel s o ’ fins and seven - hoss
power tai l
I ’
dmake one scoot down there , and ki s s that hand0
’ yourn —that i s ,
I f you wOn ’
t let me on your mouth , and fetch
white crocuses,
Or else a peppy - blow with soft red petal s to her
ph iz .
One on ’em blos soms when i t ’ s cold, t’other in
the t epid season,
So I could n’
t bring ’em both to once, you see ,
i t don ’ t s tand to reason .
I ’
11 l earn to swim,you bet I wil l my duck,— in
darn short order,
When the next sh ip sail s by as has a swim-
profes
sor aboard her .
46 P anap/z nasas .
Perhaps then'
I’
d find out what’
t i s you find so
mighty n ice
I n that br ine - tub ! Now,Gal ly t ake a p iece 0
’
good advice '
Come ou t ! and when you ’ve come,forget— l ike
me, _a s it t in ’ now
On th is ’ere rock—t o go back home : there ain ’ tno te l l in ’ how
I wish you wanted to l ive wi th me,and feed and
milk my cri tt ers ;
And help me Ch ange my milk to cheese,a d roppin
’
i n the b i t t ers
That ’
s j ust what we’
d be a'
doin ’ t o - day, if’
t warn ’ t
for that old s in ner,
My mother ! —seen me al l th i s t ime a growin’
th inner and th in ner,
And ain ’ t sa id’
one good word yet for me to you !
O,bosh , I know her
I ’ l l punch her head,I ’ l l pound her toes , I swear
I ’
ll go clean through her !
I f she don ’ t know what ’
t. i s t o fee l th is way , by
dam I ’
11 Show her !
‘l ‘tuf bu t 230mm ift grcitj citt fib er Sand) bct Orufte6 tcigt nidj t Ij inauf in Die reinen finite ;S te fiBeIt ift nottfonnncn flbcratl,£80 bet Timid) nicbt [j infommt mi t innerD ual.
SCH ILLER .
HYLETHEN .
HERE the torren t swiftest flows,
Where dark rocks the st ream oppose,
Where the wh ite foam sai l s away,
There we hold the trout at play .
Where above the crystal t ide
Frowns the rugged mountain - s ide,
Echo ing hoarsely to the cal l
Of each impetuous waterfal l,
That leaps from terrace mo ssy - brown ,
To pebbly bas in plunging down .
5 2 H'
y lal/zan .
Where the green and diz z y wave,
Reel ing through a gran i te cave,
Laps the stony barriers round
With a fain tly gurgl ing sound,
Til l i t gathers s trength , and shoot s
Out again beneath the root s
Of a s turdy hemlock - st em,
G ian t warder of the glen ,
With head bathed in the morn ing beam,
And dewy foothold by the s tream .
Where through many a c love n ledge,
That yawns apart with p iny edge,
Faster pours the torrent yet ,
Or where it s scat t ered waters wet
Broad rocky tables of the h i l l ,
S pread to th e sun upris ing st i l l ,
Or where i t breaks in twain , and gl ides
Hy laZ/zan . 5 3
Down a st eep isle t ’ s fretted s ides,
Hardly - severed'
streamlet - pair
Swift to rush togethe r, where
On some gaun t and hoary b irch
The staid kingfi sher, from his perch ,
Watches with a sidelong look
The bubbl ing maz es of the brook,
Before i t soft ly fal l s to rest ,
Wooed to st i l lness on the breas t
Of a forest - shel tered pool ,
Whose darkened grotto , by the cool
Leafy-
border shut to V i ew,
Let s but one ardent sunbeam through
One amber shaft from brink to brink
Where the purl ing eddie s s ink,
And a r ainbow in the spray
Where we hold the trout at play .
54 Hy /aZ/zan .
Rumb l ing chasm , r ingingfall,
S hadowy marge, - and bowlders wh ite ;
All in sympathy with al l ,
Harmony of dark and bright ;
~ Ever changeful monot one,
Earth ’ s d ivine uncon sc iou s hymn,
B lend ing wi th the lul l of noon
Fi l led are the senses t o the brim ,
The soul immersed in Nature ’ s own
As the pale n igh t - born dewdrops fly
The c l imb ing archer of the sky,
I s each unt imely pass ion flown ;
Nor turn s the inward eye to see
That wh ich m ight , yet may not be .
Hy laZ/zan .
And lure s the curren t on t o gain
The goal of val l ey and of plain ,Far from i t s l imp id mountain source
,
S t eering a vague impat ient course
By crim son . b el t and gi lded crest
Of vapory legion s in t he west .
Where the ripples d imly fade,
S ome sudden - springing fi sh has made,
As under bank and bush y moundThe sunset - shadow close s round
,
And damps the glow and burs ts t he spel l,
That l ingered where the las t t inge fe l l
Across the wil low - guarded bed
Of quiet waters,bl ind ly led
To fi nd a pa th le s s dest iny,
Merged in r iver and in sea .
Hy lat/zan . 5 7
Hark !— where chant s beyond th e
One weirdly - dis tant Whippoorwi ll ,
Plaint ive harb inger of n ight
! uenched i s a day’ s un sul l ied l ight
,
Too ru eless, when i t dawn again ,
To dawn upon the haun t s of men .
Where the torren t swift est flows,
Where dark rocks the st ream oppose ,
Where the white foam. Sail s away,
There we hold the t rout at play .
a t'
flviwoo é'
pw'
ros‘ci t/909 .
AESCHYLUS .
SONGS OF EROS .
TA ! E the S pring from out the year
,
Take from S pring her flowers ;
Let no smil ing bud appear,
! uench the glowing hours
Then take Eros , and h is praise ,
Eros,Eros from my days !
From the red rose take her thorn ,
Where were thorn u nfit t er ?
Let no blossom sweet be born
With a t inge of b i t ter
Then take Eros , and h is smart ,
Eros,Eros from my heart !
S ongs
Turn the home - bound carr i er- dove ,
Like an arrow speed ing
Will she stay her fl igh t of love ,
Frost or tempest h eed i ng ?
' E I‘
OS h ie s where he is bent ,
May, or may he ne’ e r repen t
I
CH I LD of the skies ,
Maid,— as thou art
S tar of m ine eyes,
Heaven of“
my heart .
Drawthou but near,A11, al l i s l igh t !
But di sappear,
Lo, i t i s n ight !
64 S ong s .
WER E th ere in the whole firmament a star,
Out shone i t s fe llows ’ dimmer,feebler l igh t ,
That none ‘should earl ier usher from afar
The first pal e gl immer from the eye of night ;
Were there a wave , of al l that heave and s ink
Rest le s s and ceasele s s on the ocean - plain,
Foremo s t t o c lamber up the craggy brink .
Dashed in ten thousand drops of briny rain ;
A z ephyr were t here , of the j ocund sprit es
That flee and fol l ow through the path s of
Fleete s t and maddest in it s g iddy fl ight s
From barren peak anon t-o val l ey fair :
S ongs . 65
That z ephyr were my love , O l ove , for thee !
Thou the fair gOal my light breath Should
pursue
Not al l the winds of heaven might vie with me,
To catch thy trace , t o fol low, and to woo !
I were that wave,and thou the ”wished - for shore
,
Whither in to i l some,pass ionate unrest
Th is heart should struggle,t i l l i t s throbbings
bore
A t earful , j oyfu l wanderer to thy breast !
And —fain would I , beloved , be that star ;
Even unto thee as' Hesperu s to N ight
First by thy gray eye welcomed from afar,
And latest l ingering in it s W in some l ight .
66 S ongs .
HAVE , t hen , fat e and t ime , fulfi l l ing the ir u n
changeab l e decree,
Brought the dreaded hour that cal l s me, thus t o
part,dear girl, from thee ?
Life, before our pathways blended , was a j ourney
touched with gloom
Now,when th ine I share no longer
,mine i s darker
than the tomb .
Friend,if on thy path my presence shed i ndeed
a cheering ray,
Then est eem'
as gain the brighter,kindl ier mo
ment s of the way
Does the t ravel l er, t urn ing qu ickened from the
fount whose wavelet s pour
Crystal coo lness by th e ways ide, leave it sadder
than befo re
S ongs . 67
Ay,— when fates re lentl es s b id h im turn despair
ingly h is gaz e
From the only green oasi s In the desert of h i s
days !
Was there aught of hope to m ingle with th e tears
that d immed the eyes
Of our common parent s,sadly wandering down
from Paradi se
“ Gentle Hope has set an ange l in the gat eway of
despair,
With upl ifted finger warn ing al l whose s teps would
enter there
‘Fly,
’ he said (myself have heard h im) ;‘fly
, nor
cross to these demesnes ;
Fly through cloud and sea and forest fly beyond
the gates of d reams
Let me pass z‘lzaz
'
n portal s , widest flung to those
whose lot i s mine ;
Leading t o the weird Lethean realm of phantasy
divine
68 S ongs .
Let my sleep become my waking,and my waking
be my sleep ;
And My dream it s snowy p in ion round my slum
b erIng V ig i l sweep
Ay,—and when thou find ’
st t he palace,whence
thy bet ter gen ius cal l s ;
And hast heard the myst i c voice s echo ing soft ly
through it s hal l s
S end, O send (some heart may crave it), t o the
que st ion send reply,
Whether dy ing he not l iving, and t o l ive be not
t o d ie
(Dual )
If of l ife in death such port ion dwel l s as dwell s of
death in l ife ,
Then“
are such as we immortal mortal only prove
the strife’Twixt what m ight be and what must be ; must
but once the funeral - knel l
S igh , as s igh the broken - heart ed O farewel l,
sweet love,farewel l
S ong s . 69
H I S st ep i s gone, hi s vo ice i s s t il l , h is eye seeks
m ine no more ;
And yet I seem to see and hear and read them,as
before
An echo and a shadow now, where glowed and
sparkled then
A soul whose beams wil l never warm th i s fro z en
heart again .
Thou happy streamlet , rippl ing by, whe re new I
stand alone
I saw thee with an icy pal l across thy bosom
th rown
No hope was there of m ilder sk ies , no dream of
any Spring
And st i l l I heard the fond refrain of van i shed
S ummer r ing .
70 S ongs .
What Earth her l ovely ch i ldren lends, some god
has granted me '
Bound by co l d memory ’ s magic song, my heart,
O burst not free ;
S oo the at the source s of the pas t the pangs Of
presen t woe
O tears of infin i t e regret , cease no t , ceas e not t o
flow
72 S ongs .
A S that sm i le , that glance, that fervor,
As th i s pass ion came unsought,
So I cl aim ,now all i s over
,
That thou t oo forget me not .
Then,when beams thy bridal morn ing,
Beams for h im who win s the l ot,
From that wreath (if th i s my warn ing
Bid thee st i l l forge t me not)
By fai r mates,with loving vi s i t
,
To thy t rembl ing fingers brought,
S ave for me,— /za cannot m i s s it ,
S ave a dear forget -me - not .
I t shal l save one blooming hour
From a withering age of thought
O my lOst , my broken flower,
O forget , forget me not !
S ongs . 7 3
METHOU GHT I stood by a mountain grand ,
And the sea crept up to i t s flinty s t rand .
I heard no Sound in that region l one
But the waves , and the ir weary monotone .
The mountain moved, as it were in s l eep
And st i rred the wat ers of al l the deep,
And a surge swang might ily t o and fro,
And now rose louder,and now sank low.
Then floated the ringing tones between
Of a lyre , swept by a hand unseen .
Sweet and solemn they seemed to gl ide
From caverns dark in the mountain - s ide ;
Til l the b il low ceased to beat at the shore ,
And weari ly murmured the waves as before .
But long in my ear an echo rang
Of the throe, and the surge, and the lyre’ s c lang .
74 S ongs .
I LOO ! ED on a br imming fountain,
With it s waters upwell ing for aye,
They were black in the shadow of even,
They were brigh t in the l ustre of day .
flower by it s margent m irrored,
with faires t petal sm iled ;
b ird ’neath the verdure,but warb led
fondes t caro l wi ld .
Each wind to h i s s i len t hol low
Had sped , with a murmur low ;
While the wrinkled h i l l - tops gl immered
I n the s leepy noonday glow .
A maiden knelt w ith a ewer,
From the l impid source to fi l l,
And it s depth s they were strong to woo
That she gaz ed with a tran sport st i l l . “
S ongs . 7 5
From the th irs ty.fore st -maz es
A chase -worn huntsman came,
But drank not— for the spel l begui led
Of a rapture he could not name .
And they seemed to wait,and to wonder
I f th e i r vi s i on sh ould van ish away,
As I looked on the brimming fountain,
With it s waters upwell ing for aye .
80 Sympos inm.
The n the t rembl ing passi on s start
From the barriers of the heart ;
Th en the thought leaps to the tongue,
And the hope d ie s not un sung .
Gen ius then flings out a beam
From h i s bright , ec s tat i c dream ;
He whom fate s have burthened low
Drops one fragment of hi s woe .
SO be th i s Euterpe ’ s hour
Own ye,fr iend to friend
,her powe r :
Till I l ast take up the strain ,
And we crown our cups again .
a
S t i l l er, st i l l er palm to brow !
As I le t the myrt l e - bough
Cros s from hand to hand along,
And from voic e to vo ice the song.
Symposz'
nm. 8 1
W ITH the boug 'h methoug’
ht a spark
Thri l led me , O'
sympo-siiarch
,
Of the soul that flashes yet
I n the measures thou has t set .
Wel l the god deserves of youth
If he drives the blade of t ruth
Through the sord id chains that
Or the body, or the mind !
Freedom be to me the breath
Of the l ife I owe t o death
Freedom , won with groan and cheer
In the tempest of the spear !
Freedom ’ s pledge of equal aims ,
Equal hopes , and equal names ;
Freedom’ s deep and deathles s t one
Echoing round each despot ’ s thron e .
82 Symposinm.
Freedom,.mixed with every thought
Art or phantasy has wrought
Into shapes, wh ich gave to s ee
S ign s of greater shapes to be .
Freedom , march ing in th e van
Of the proud advance of man
All that peace and wi sdom yiel d
M irrored in her burn ished sh ie ld .
C laims a free hand thus the right ,
Leafy symbol of del igh t ,
Thee thy tuneful way to send
At t he h il ted weapon ’ s end !
Symposium . 83
Is there augh t in gl i t t er ing steel ,’
Moves an awe - s truck heart to feel
What the he ight s, the depths, at tained
By the wil l of man unchain ed ?
H is al l - reach ing ken profound
Air nor sea avail s to bound ;
Cave nor wildernes s, t o re st
T-rackle ss of h i s cunn ing quest .
From the wave he l ift s the pearl ,
O ’er wh ose h inged casket whirl
Whelm ing edd ie s,t hrough the d im
Grottoes of the t rident - king .
Wide on b il lowy path s and far
Fl ies for h im the sail -winged car,
Points h im many a namele s s strand,
S unset - realms of wonder- land .
Sympos ium .
Earth her buried t reasure - room
Opes to h im , and, from the gloom
Of it s n iches dank and cold,
Beams the tempt ing bl'
ush of gold .
I n her vaul t s of marb l e - ve in
Delve s h i s hand,to rear the fane
S affron gleams. of Eos lave
Per i s tyl e and a‘rch it rave !
Now to evi l,now to good
Tends the soul, with fi tfu l mood
Here , to du s t low -flu t tering— there,
To fair et her soaring fair !
Symposium. 8 5
H APPY th ey, whose act s fulfi l
Not some earth ly mistre s s ’ will
Who but Wisdom ’ s b idd ing hear,
Her immortal anger fear !
Them no lo nger,pass ion - racked
Fickle -witted wh ims d ist rac tWisdom ’ s nomes harmon ious al l
From her silver '
plectrum fal l .
Me the p iny wreath lure s not ,
Over I sthm ian courses sought ;
Not the loud Olympian meed,
Earned by fiery - footed steed .
Not the wrest ler ’ s firm renown
Sways my feal ty to a crown
Wrung from pleasure,pride , and
I n the st ruggle of myself.
86 Sympos ium.
S tand no t I to argue i t
Where the gaping many s i t
Not wi th smoo th, Ob sequious plea
Wise to seem , bu t wi se to be !
What the vain mob vaunt s to know,
Wisdom proves with quest ion s low ;
While the quick - tongued rhetor prate s ,
Wisdom ponders , wisdom wait s .
Whil e the ir fact ion s rub and fret,
While the ir emp ire s ri se and set,
Wisdom fares her pat ien t way
With the torch tha t sh ines for aye .
88 Symposi um .
A l l that drip s from calm or care
Poesy in cha l i ce rare
Pours , and blends th e world of l igh t
With th e myst ic world of n ight .
Many a t ranqui l chord has rung
Through the d irge of 11mm;Many a paean , s t rong to save,
Echoed from Cocytus ’ wave .
When Death cons ecrat es h i s own ,
Poesy,with vot ive stone,
S t il l h er ge‘nt l e t ribut e br i ngs,
S t i l l the muse of memory s ings .
Sympos ium. 89
COMES t o me the myrt l e ? Now
S oft ly be en shrined the bough !
Now love ’ s hymn let me at tune,
Whom love ’ s emb l em brings the boon .
Sweet may ring your gleeful rhyme,
H igh the chant of freedom ch im e,
But the songs that pie rce the graves
Are the songs of Ero s ’ slaves .
I n the ir word s a cri sp ing flame ,
I n the ir t ones a W i n some shame ,
I n the ir cadences a sigh
As of leaves , whose fal l i s n igh .
Dire , invinc ible th e works
Of the potent god who lurks
By rude fo ld , or gi lded hall ,
On hi s haple ss prey to fal l !
90 Symposium .
S udden - vengeful ire who wreaks
From his l ai r of v irgin cheeks,
Haun t s the curve of comely l imbs,
’Neath the m i s ty eyel id swim s .
Swift , h is suppl ican t s'
t o Spurn
Whi l s t at al tar ’ s marge they burn
I ncen se of regretful years,
With a l i tany of tears .
Ero s ’ branch has done the round
S ee l— t o Eros " statue bound ,
Droops it s green — the wh ile we hark
To thy lay, sympos iarch .
Symposium . 9 I
HELLAS , Hellas, lo, I bring
Thee the lay I ri se t o s ing !
Gods and heroes, lend my voice
Numbers worthy of the cho ice !
Hel las , first in name of thee
Brave men swore they would be free
Firs t, then , i n thy cup be poured
Cnimson g /onias of Z/i a swana’.
I n thy prai se re sounded h igh
Music , born of sea and sky
Wreathe I , so , t h i s rim along
Flowans of nat ion- dy ing song .
Of the nat ions , Hellas , th ine
Beauty chose, to hold her shrine
Here in ruby waves I trace
M amonias of Ma f a inast f aoa.
Symposium .
Pledge me now the t rip le - crowned,
I f of love ye know the sound,
I f the t rumpet , if t he ly re
S et s the he art of you th on fi re !
Drink to Hel las, as she s tands ,
Hellas, Hellas, land of lands ;
Drink to art and eloquence,
All that speaks t o m ind or sense ;
word s of law and right,
l iberty and l ight ,
beauty, d r ink to fame ,
an immortal name
