登陆注册
4708800000093

第93章

That suit in Chancery,- which some persons plead In an appeal to the unborn, whom they, In the faith of their procreative creed, Baptize posterity, or future clay,-To me seems but a dubious kind of reed To lean on for support in any way;

Since odds are that posterity will know No more of them, than they of her, I trow.

Why, I 'm posterity- and so are you;

And whom do we remember? Not a hundred.

Were every memory written down all true, The tenth or twentieth name would be but blunder'd;

Even Plutarch's Lives have but pick'd out a few, And 'gainst those few your annalists have thunder'd;

And Mitford in the nineteenth century Gives, with Greek truth, the good old Greek the lie.

Good people all, of every degree, Ye gentle readers and ungentle writers, In this twelfth Canto 't is my wish to be As serious as if I had for inditers Malthus and Wilberforce:- the last set free The Negroes and is worth a million fighters;

While Wellington has but enslaved the Whites, And Malthus does the thing 'gainst which he writes.

I 'm serious- so are all men upon paper;

And why should I not form my speculation, And hold up to the sun my little taper?

Mankind just now seem wrapt in mediation On constitutions and steam-boats of vapour;

While sages write against all procreation, Unless a man can calculate his means Of feeding brats the moment his wife weans.

That 's noble! That 's romantic! For my part, I think that 'Philo-genitiveness' is (Now here 's a word quite after my own heart, Though there 's a shorter a good deal than this, If that politeness set it not apart;

But I 'm resolved to say nought that 's amiss)-I say, methinks that 'Philo-genitiveness'

Might meet from men a little more forgiveness.

And now to business.- O my gentle Juan, Thou art in London- in that pleasant place, Where every kind of mischief 's daily brewing, Which can await warm youth in its wild race.

'T is true, that thy career is not a new one;

Thou art no novice in the headlong chase Of early life; but this is a new land, Which foreigners can never understand.

What with a small diversity of climate, Of hot or cold, mercurial or sedate, I could send forth my mandate like a primate Upon the rest of Europe's social state;

But thou art the most difficult to rhyme at, Great Britain, which the Muse may penetrate.

All countries have their 'Lions,' but in the There is but one superb menagerie.

But I am sick of politics. Begin, 'Paulo Majora.' Juan, undecided Amongst the paths of being 'taken in,'

Above the ice had like a skater glided:

When tired of play, he flirted without sin With some of those fair creatures who have prided Themselves on innocent tantalisation, And hate all vice except its reputation.

But these are few, and in the end they make Some devilish escapade or stir, which shows That even the purest people may mistake Their way through virtue's primrose paths of snows;

And then men stare, as if a new ass spake To Balaam, and from tongue to ear o'erflows Quicksilver small talk, ending (if you note it)

With the kind world's amen- 'Who would have thought it?'

The little Leila, with her orient eyes, And taciturn Asiatic disposition (Which saw all western things with small surprise, To the surprise of people of condition, Who think that novelties are butterflies To be pursued as food for inanition), Her charming figure and romantic history Became a kind of fashionable mystery.

The women much divided- as is usual Amongst the sex in little things or great.

Think not, fair creatures, that I mean to abuse you all-I have always liked you better than I state:

Since I 've grown moral, still I must accuse you all Of being apt to talk at a great rate;

And now there was a general sensation Amongst you, about Leila's education.

In one point only were you settled- and You had reason; 't was that a young child of grace, As beautiful as her own native land, And far away, the last bud of her race, Howe'er our friend Don Juan might command Himself for five, four, three, or two years' space, Would be much better taught beneath the eye Of peeresses whose follies had run dry.

So first there was a generous emulation, And then there was a general competition, To undertake the orphan's education.

As Juan was a person of condition, It had been an affront on this occasion To talk of a subscription or petition;

But sixteen dowagers, ten unwed she sages, Whose tale belongs to 'Hallam's Middle Ages,'

And one or two sad, separate wives, without A fruit to bloom upon their withering bough-Begg'd to bring up the little girl and 'out,'-For that 's the phrase that settles all things now, Meaning a virgin's first blush at a rout, And all her points as thorough-bred to show:

And I assure you, that like virgin honey Tastes their first season (mostly if they have money).

How all the needy honourable misters, Each out-at-elbow peer, or desperate dandy, The watchful mothers, and the careful sisters (Who, by the by, when clever, are more handy At making matches, where ''t is gold that glisters,'

Than their he relatives), like flies o'er candy Buzz round 'the Fortune' with their busy battery, To turn her head with waltzing and with flattery!

Each aunt, each cousin, hath her speculation;

Nay, married dames will now and then discover Such pure disinterestedness of passion, I 've known them court an heiress for their lover.

'Tantaene!' Such the virtues of high station, Even in the hopeful Isle, whose outlet 's 'Dover!'

While the poor rich wretch, object of these cares, Has cause to wish her sire had had male heirs.

Some are soon bagg'd, and some reject three dozen.

'T is fine to see them scattering refusals And wild dismay o'er every angry cousin (Friends of the party), who begin accusals, Such as- 'Unless Miss (Blank) meant to have chosen Poor Frederick, why did she accord perusals To his billets? Why waltz with him? Why, I pray, Look yes last night, and yet say no to-day?

'Why?- Why?- Besides, Fred really was attach'd;

'T was not her fortune- he has enough without:

同类推荐
  • 佛说力士移山经

    佛说力士移山经

    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。
  • 上清化形隐景登升保仙上经

    上清化形隐景登升保仙上经

    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。
  • 八识规矩论义

    八识规矩论义

    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。
  • 重阳注五篇灵文

    重阳注五篇灵文

    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。
  • 咸同将相琐闻

    咸同将相琐闻

    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
  • 金刚般若经集验记

    金刚般若经集验记

    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。
  • 你不可不知的历史典故

    你不可不知的历史典故

    历史当然有用,以古鉴今,读史明智。我为什么反复说没用呢?因为我们这个民族现在的功利性太强了。功能说得太多,难免庸俗化……
  • 崩坏星河

    崩坏星河

    随着星际殖民时代的开启,人类终于将文明核心价值观散布到了广袤的星河之中。粉碎星球的战舰巨炮为漆黑寒冷的宇宙点燃了正能量之火,大炮射程之内,遍地真理!这是最好的时代,这是最坏的时代。这是一个周游列国,行侠仗义的故事。这是一个遍赏群芳,绝不负责的故事。读者群:老群崩坏星河虫卵孵化井145108957新群:崩坏星河482605483
  • 厉少轻吻之甜妻太暴力

    厉少轻吻之甜妻太暴力

    厉少表示,不能在这样下去,可娇妻太凶猛,他不敢不从,从此,林笙笙:“今天干吗去了?”厉擎掣:“我…我去公司了!”“好啊!我怀孕了你竟然不陪我,还想着你的公司!今晚别想进房!”厉少,卒。
  • 淡定的人生不生气

    淡定的人生不生气

    《淡定的人生不生气》告诉我们人人都会生气,然而如果你能达到超脱的境界,就能成为非常人所能及之人,大干世界,芸芸众生,你、我和他终究是过客,何必时常为了一些不足挂齿的事而“怒发冲冠”,或者因为一句无意的闲话而“怒火中烧”,生气之后,事情没有解决,反而伤了自己的身体,还有人因为自己的一时冲动而误了事,懊恼不已,这不仅会自毁形象,而且需要日后的努力修补,然而“破镜难圆”,很难修复得好,由此可见,生气确实有百害而无一利,要之何用?
  • 极品神印少主

    极品神印少主

    玉晓天,一个地球上的国术爱好者,被洪荒至宝——天地玄黄印带着穿越而来,并且成为了武国亲王府的少主。啥,丞相和王府作对?灭了他,什么,敌国敢来侵略,没说的,灭国。还有什么,奥,我妈是神族囚禁啊,把神族也灭了!且看拥有了鸿蒙至宝、天地玄黄印作为伴生神印的废物,如何逆袭天才,挑战权威,追求真情,看人们眼中的废物如何演绎极品少主,成为神印主宰。
  • 廿二史札记

    廿二史札记

    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。
  • 美德与自由

    美德与自由

    1816年,贡斯当再一次尝试着与斯达尔夫人做最终的和解,但她拒绝了他。次年,她谢世,年仅51岁。她将背德者的名声永远留给了他。她难道记不起她在流亡岁月贡斯当的陪伴了吗?那时,斯达尔夫人接到遭拿破仑流放的律令,没有丝毫恐怵,因为贡斯当将陪她一起度过。马车辚辚疾驰在从巴黎通往流放地的途中,那是秋天,枫叶染红了两旁的景色,路边有大朵大朵的菖蒲花在开放。两个年轻如朝阳的相爱男女,胸怀理想和锦绣文章,在颠簸中拥揽,间歇时他们会讨论国家民族之事,也讨论文学写作之事。
  • 集资阵痛(四卷本)

    集资阵痛(四卷本)

    古今中外第一部集资诈骗调查著作。一个个最具代表性的典型案例,一场场击鼓传花游戏中的个体悲剧,古今中外人性中共通的贪婪一面,金融垄断与钱权法角逐的时代背景,改良变革的制度路径,均在作者笔下生动再现,融会贯通,浑然一体。文文笔流畅,见解独到,观点犀利,思想深邃。
  • 温凉盏鼓词

    温凉盏鼓词

    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。