登陆注册
4708800000042

第42章

Where are the epitaphs our fathers read?

Save a few glean'd from the sepulchral gloom Which once-named myriads nameless lie beneath, And lose their own in universal death.

I canter by the spot each afternoon Where perish'd in his fame the hero-boy, Who lived too long for men, but died too soon For human vanity, the young De Foix!

A broken pillar, not uncouthly hewn, But which neglect is hastening to destroy, Records Ravenna's carnage on its face, While weeds and ordure rankle round the base.

I pass each day where Dante's bones are laid:

A little cupola, more neat than solemn, Protects his dust, but reverence here is paid To the bard's tomb, and not the warrior's column.

The time must come, when both alike decay'd, The chieftain's trophy, and the poet's volume, Will sink where lie the songs and wars of earth, Before Pelides' death, or Homer's birth.

With human blood that column was cemented, With human filth that column is defiled, As if the peasant's coarse contempt were vented To show his loathing of the spot he soil'd:

Thus is the trophy used, and thus lamented Should ever be those blood-hounds, from whose wild Instinct of gore and glory earth has known Those sufferings Dante saw in hell alone.

Yet there will still be bards: though fame is smoke, Its fumes are frankincense to human thought;

And the unquiet feelings, which first woke Song in the world, will seek what then they sought;

As on the beach the waves at last are broke, Thus to their extreme verge the passions brought Dash into poetry, which is but passion, Or at least was so ere it grew a fashion.

If in the course of such a life as was At once adventurous and contemplative, Men, who partake all passions as they pass, Acquire the deep and bitter power to give Their images again as in a glass, And in such colours that they seem to live;

You may do right forbidding them to show 'em, But spoil (I think) a very pretty poem.

Oh! ye, who make the fortunes of all books!

Benign Ceruleans of the second sex!

Who advertise new poems by your looks, Your 'imprimatur' will ye not annex?

What! must I go to the oblivious cooks, Those Cornish plunderers of Parnassian wrecks?

Ah! must I then the only minstrel be, Proscribed from tasting your Castalian tea!

What! can I prove 'a lion' then no more?

A ball-room bard, a foolscap, hot-press darling?

To bear the compliments of many a bore, And sigh, 'I can't get out,' like Yorick's starling;

Why then I 'll swear, as poet Wordy swore (Because the world won't read him, always snarling), That taste is gone, that fame is but a lottery, Drawn by the blue-coat misses of a coterie.

Oh! 'darkly, deeply, beautifully blue,'

As some one somewhere sings about the sky, And I, ye learned ladies, say of you;

They say your stockings are so (Heaven knows why, I have examined few pair of that hue);

Blue as the garters which serenely lie Round the Patrician left-legs, which adorn The festal midnight, and the levee morn.

Yet some of you are most seraphic creatures-But times are alter'd since, a rhyming lover, You read my stanzas, and I read your features:

And- but no matter, all those things are over;

Still I have no dislike to learned natures, For sometimes such a world of virtues cover;

I knew one woman of that purple school, The loveliest, chastest, best, but- quite a fool.

Humboldt, 'the first of travellers,' but not The last, if late accounts be accurate, Invented, by some name I have forgot, As well as the sublime discovery's date, An airy instrument, with which he sought To ascertain the atmospheric state, By measuring 'the intensity of blue:'

Oh, Lady Daphne! let me measure you!

But to the narrative:- The vessel bound With slaves to sell off in the capital, After the usual process, might be found At anchor under the seraglio wall;

Her cargo, from the plague being safe and sound, Were landed in the market, one and all, And there with Georgians, Russians, and Circassians, Bought up for different purposes and passions.

Some went off dearly; fifteen hundred dollars For one Circassian, a sweet girl, were given, Warranted virgin; beauty's brightest colours Had deck'd her out in all the hues of heaven:

Her sale sent home some disappointed bawlers, Who bade on till the hundreds reach'd eleven;

But when the offer went beyond, they knew 'T was for the Sultan, and at once withdrew.

Twelve negresses from Nubia brought a price Which the West Indian market scarce would bring;

Though Wilberforce, at last, has made it twice What 't was ere Abolition; and the thing Need not seem very wonderful, for vice Is always much more splendid than a king:

The virtues, even the most exalted, Charity, Are saving- vice spares nothing for a rarity.

But for the destiny of this young troop, How some were bought by pachas, some by Jews, How some to burdens were obliged to stoop, And others rose to the command of crews As renegadoes; while in hapless group, Hoping no very old vizier might choose, The females stood, as one by one they pick'd 'em, To make a mistress, or fourth wife, or victim:

All this must be reserved for further song;

Also our hero's lot, howe'er unpleasant (Because this Canto has become too long), Must be postponed discreetly for the present;

I 'm sensible redundancy is wrong, But could not for the muse of me put less in 't:

And now delay the progress of Don Juan, Till what is call'd in Ossian the fifth Juan.

同类推荐
  • 修真十书盘山语录卷

    修真十书盘山语录卷

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 杨勇悫公奏议

    杨勇悫公奏议

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 宣和北苑贡茶录

    宣和北苑贡茶录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • At the Earth's Core

    At the Earth's Core

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 金箓延寿设醮仪

    金箓延寿设醮仪

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 隔世前生

    隔世前生

    作者大大是个新手,所以还请你们多多包涵哈。这个小说都是短篇小说,所以不定时更新哒。
  • 浮生三侃

    浮生三侃

    本书集中了我关于艺术、男女和足球三方面的话题,想来都是娱人娱己的闲情文字。在“门外谈艺”,我写了一部分关于书画的评论和品评文字,有古人的,有今人的,更有我们身边熟悉的书画家。因为我闲来也临池学书,附庸风雅,忝为墨客。本书还收录了我的硬笔书法作品《文赋》。
  • 不纠结不焦虑的正能量励志书系(套装共8册)

    不纠结不焦虑的正能量励志书系(套装共8册)

    《不纠结不焦虑的正能量励志书系(套装共8册)》向读者展示了如何用另一种眼光、另一种态度看待世界,从而让自己的生活更为幸福;从端正说话时的态度、注意说话的表现技巧、发挥肢体语言的作用、扩大自己的知识积累、运用幽默、留心说话的语气、说话的不同对象、说话的场合地点等八个角度,详尽论述了应该如何锻炼和提升自己的口才;从如何提升自己的社交能力、如何展示自己的魅力、如何赢得别人的喜欢、如何彻底打开自己的人际关系这四个角度,全面揭示了社交的技巧和原理;告诉读者如何培养积极心态,以及如何利用自己的积极心态获得各方面的成功等。
  • 智商潜能激发(婴幼儿2-3岁)

    智商潜能激发(婴幼儿2-3岁)

    本书介绍了2~3岁幼儿智商潜能开发的方法,包括:EQ分析、智慧训练宝、快乐天地、智育百科、营养小叮咛等。
  • 大话全能系统

    大话全能系统

    文武全能、全知全晓,行家里手,涉猎广泛,十全十美,无所不能!然而那是系统,不是我...然而我却可以凭借系统想干嘛就干嘛。这其实就是一个普通人得到了一个无所不能的系统纵横寰宇,收下一个又一个弟子,学生的故事。有句话怎么说的,似乎是:伍昊(伍日天),想干嘛就干嘛。
  • 吸血鬼:罂粟邪王的甜点(全本)

    吸血鬼:罂粟邪王的甜点(全本)

    500年前,苏黎世古宅初遇,他从血族人獠牙下救下五岁的她,并在她的脖颈上印下一朵蓝色罂粟。小小的她如脆弱的花朵般易碎,脖子上刺痛的烙痕让她疑惑。“有这个印记,他们不会再咬你。”他温和的声音犹如天籁。她无惧地伸着小手抚摸他唇角的獠牙,“你是什么?为什么会有尖牙?”他嗅到她肌肤下的甜美,“我当然也是人,只是牙略长了点。”……500年后他坐拥整个血族,已是暗夜之王,也早已将那个乳臭未干的小丫头抛诸脑后。她正值花样妙龄,眼神里溢满沧桑与仇恨,且气势汹汹找上门,要置他于死地!他冷观她的放肆与阴谋,为她灭狼族,吞灵族,废弃两位王后,波澜暗涌,他们早已难舍难分,他却从不开口说爱。“可知道你脖子上的罂粟意味着什么吗?”“一个害我家破人亡万劫不复的印记罢了!”“它只象征,你是我的甜点!”*************吸血鬼唯美爱情小说**************http://m.wkkk.net/a/133042/《吸血鬼:蔷薇男爵之吻》【全本】http://m.wkkk.net/a/182217/《吸血鬼:蝶面公爵的情人》【全本】http://m.wkkk.net/a/192804/《吸血鬼:魅王的约会》【全本】http://m.wkkk.net/a/238834/《吸血鬼:罂粟邪王的甜点》【全本】http://m.wkkk.net/a/210382/《穿越:花妖陛下来敲门》【全本】http://m.wkkk.net/a/260248/《代嫁:王的辣手皇妃》【全本】http://m.wkkk.net/a/293173/《误入魔掌:狼王欺人太甚》【全本】http://m.wkkk.net/a/426260/《孕妃来袭,请王接驾》【新坑】
  • 前任最大:爱你别逃

    前任最大:爱你别逃

    六年后再见,他是娱乐巨头DC集团的首席总裁,她是DC旗下的新人娱乐经纪人,他穷追不舍,她且战且逃。陈子然:“顾阳,你以为你还逃的掉吗?”。顾阳纳闷,当年他不是对她说:“你这辈子都不要再出现在我面前了吗?”现在他是在闹哪样???他是C城的传奇,年纪轻轻便坐拥数亿家产,她是雪藏后复出的话题女星。他霸道无理,爱到至死方休,她心灰意冷,恨到地老天荒。靳睿宸:“向南,我警告过你不要再进娱乐圈。你是想要我再摧毁你一次么?”向南冷笑:“你是谁???”(圆圆群号:389103974,敲门砖是任意人物的名字哦~~~)
  • 医暇卮言

    医暇卮言

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 仁王护国般若波罗蜜多经道场念诵仪轨

    仁王护国般若波罗蜜多经道场念诵仪轨

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 李鸿章全传:李鸿章回忆录

    李鸿章全传:李鸿章回忆录

    李鸿章,最具争议的晚清重臣之一,开启中国近代化进程的第一人。他是中国近代史上许多屈辱条约的签字者,然而中国近代化的许多“第一”又都与他的名字联在一起,如中国第一家近代化航运企业——轮船招商局、中国第一条自己修筑的商业铁路、中国人自行架设的最早的电报线、中国第一批官派留学生、中国第一支近代化的海军等等。国人骂他,是因为觉得他与晚清的许多耻辱有直接关系;西方人敬他,因为认为他是中国近代史上第一个真正的杰出外交家。《李鸿章全传》的作者之一梁启超曾经说过“天下唯庸人无咎无誉”,而李鸿章在许多略知历史的人眼中肯定是“谤满天下”,果真应该如此吗?