登陆注册
5385300000060

第60章

PROEM

'Twas Athens first, the glorious in name, That whilom gave to hapless sons of men The sheaves of harvest, and re-ordered life, And decreed laws; and she the first that gave Life its sweet solaces, when she begat A man of heart so wise, who whilom poured All wisdom forth from his truth-speaking mouth;The glory of whom, though dead, is yet to-day, Because of those discoveries divine Renowned of old, exalted to the sky.

For when saw he that well-nigh everything Which needs of man most urgently require Was ready to hand for mortals, and that life, As far as might be, was established safe, That men were lords in riches, honour, praise, And eminent in goodly fame of sons, And that they yet, O yet, within the home, Still had the anxious heart which vexed life Unpausingly with torments of the mind, And raved perforce with angry plaints, then he, Then he, the master, did perceive that 'twas The vessel itself which worked the bane, and all, However wholesome, which from here or there Was gathered into it, was by that bane Spoilt from within,- in part, because he saw The vessel so cracked and leaky that nowise 'T could ever be filled to brim; in part because He marked how it polluted with foul taste Whate'er it got within itself.So he, The master, then by his truth-speaking words, Purged the breasts of men, and set the bounds Of lust and terror, and exhibited The supreme good whither we all endeavour, And showed the path whereby we might arrive Thereunto by a little cross-cut straight, And what of ills in all affairs of mortals Upsprang and flitted deviously about (Whether by chance or force), since nature thus Had destined; and from out what gates a man Should sally to each combat.And he proved That mostly vainly doth the human race Roll in its bosom the grim waves of care.

For just as children tremble and fear all In the viewless dark, so even we at times Dread in the light so many things that be No whit more fearsome than what children feign, Shuddering, will be upon them in the dark.

This terror then, this darkness of the mind, Not sunrise with its flaring spokes of light, Nor glittering arrows of morning can disperse, But only nature's aspect and her law.

Wherefore the more will I go on to weave In verses this my undertaken task.

And since I've taught thee that the world's great vaults Are mortal and that sky is fashioned Of frame e'en born in time, and whatsoe'er Therein go on and must perforce go on......

The most I have unravelled; what remains Do thou take in, besides; since once for all To climb into that chariot' renowned......

Of winds arise; and they appeased are So that all things again.........

Which were, are changed now, with fury stilled;All other movements through the earth and sky Which mortals gaze upon (O anxious oft In quaking thoughts!), and which abase their minds With dread of deities and press them crushed Down to the earth, because their ignorance Of cosmic causes forces them to yield All things unto the empery of gods And to concede the kingly rule to them.

For even those men who have learned full well That godheads lead a long life free of care, If yet meanwhile they wonder by what plan Things can go on (and chiefly yon high things Observed o'erhead on the ethereal coasts), Again are hurried back unto the fears Of old religion and adopt again Harsh masters, deemed almighty,- wretched men, Unwitting what can be and what cannot, And by what law to each its scope prescribed, Its boundary stone that clings so deep in Time.

Wherefore the more are they borne wandering on By blindfold reason.And, Memmius, unless From out thy mind thou spuest all of this And casteth far from thee all thoughts which be Unworthy gods and alien to their peace, Then often will the holy majesties Of the high gods be harmful unto thee, As by thy thought degraded,- not, indeed, That essence supreme of gods could be by this So outraged as in wrath to thirst to seek Revenges keen; but even because thyself Thou plaguest with the notion that the gods, Even they, the Calm Ones in serene repose, Do roll the mighty waves of wrath on wrath;Nor wilt thou enter with a serene breast Shrines of the gods; nor wilt thou able be In tranquil peace of mind to take and know Those images which from their holy bodies Are carried into intellects of men, As the announcers of their form divine.

What sort of life will follow after this 'Tis thine to see.But that afar from us Veriest reason may drive such life away, Much yet remains to be embellished yet In polished verses, albeit hath issued forth So much from me already; lo, there is The law and aspect of the sky to be By reason grasped; there are the tempest times And the bright lightnings to be hymned now-Even what they do and from what cause soe'er They're borne along- that thou mayst tremble not, Marking off regions of prophetic skies For auguries, O foolishly distraught Even as to whence the flying flame hath come, Or to which half of heaven it turns, or how Through walled places it hath wound its way, Or, after proving its dominion there, How it hath speeded forth from thence amain-Whereof nowise the causes do men know, And think divinities are working there.

Do thou, Calliope, ingenious Muse, Solace of mortals and delight of gods, Point out the course before me, as I race On to the white line of the utmost goal, That I may get with signal praise the crown, With thee my guide!

GREAT METEOROLOGICAL PHENOMENA, ETC.

同类推荐
  • 万斯同先生传

    万斯同先生传

    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。
  • 饮膳正要

    饮膳正要

    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。
  • 三论玄义

    三论玄义

    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。
  • 佛说无量门破魔陀罗尼经

    佛说无量门破魔陀罗尼经

    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。
  • 明觉禅师语录

    明觉禅师语录

    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。
热门推荐
  • 太上洞神天公消魔护国经

    太上洞神天公消魔护国经

    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。
  • 我和绝美总裁老婆

    我和绝美总裁老婆

    他是地球至尊王者,佣兵界的大帝,帅得掉渣的超级男神。他老婆漂亮的不像话,只能用天使面孔魔鬼身材来形容,还是一家大公司总裁,可惜对他冷如冰山,认为他除了帅以外,一无是处,是个吃软饭的窝囊废。
  • 盛世孽缘:错爱33天

    盛世孽缘:错爱33天

    高中一次邂逅,她被他惦记上了。大学找上门的偶遇,单恋的他开始强攻心上人。从此,她是他护在怀里的心尖宠。 宠着宠着恋人变成了仇人。 恨着恨着又小心翼翼地宠成了珍宝。可春风得意没多久,他又被她抛弃了。 这一次,他是否还会幸运的拥她入怀? 而她,又是否还会等在灯火阑珊处? ———————
  • 夺命快递

    夺命快递

    我是个快递员,我送出的快递来自地狱去往人间,中间的路是用亡灵的鲜血铺成。如果有一天,收到我的快递的人没有死,那人间就会沦为地狱……
  • 重生之毒心王妃

    重生之毒心王妃

    她——李斓清是一个长相极度平凡的女子,却以她那绝世的才华、聪慧的头脑冲破大家的认可而出名,又以她坚强的个性,冲破时代束缚而与她所爱的破落户商恒结合,湮没在太和皇朝里的芸芸众生之中。她——李岚卿是太和皇朝里出了名的绝代美女,她的绝代倾城按道理应该是太和皇朝里众位男人所追求与爱慕的,可是她的痴傻、无能、懦弱也与她的美貌同时并称与太和皇朝,是每个太和皇朝男人所避之不及的。两个太和皇朝里的女子都是太和皇朝享誉一时、各具特色的女子,当李斓清重生在李岚卿的身上并与之重合在一起合二为一的时候,倾城之貌与智慧结合以后,那又会发生什么?片段一:“夫君,你真的与秀儿在一起了吗?你忘记了我为你所做的一切了吗?你忘记了我们的儿女了吗?忘记了我们幸福的日子吗?”“我一直都没有喜欢过你,我一直喜欢的都是秀儿,你只是秀儿的替身,秀儿才是与我共度一生,携手一世的伴侣。”“既然你喜欢秀儿,你可以娶她回来啊,只要你说,我一定会同意的啊。”“可是秀儿她不要做姨娘,她要做我的夫人,我也不想秀儿伤心,我也希望秀儿以大学士夫人的身份站在我的身边,陪我度过每个日日夜夜。”“那你可以休了我,然后再娶秀儿。”“我不能冒这个险,我不能被世人说闲话,你知道我才被皇上封为大学士,而且你是那么疼爱秀儿的,为了我们幸福,求你成全我们吧。”片段二:“这是谁帮你们做的?”李岚卿含着泪水拿过了桌子上面摆着的小布娃娃询问着身后的两个小孩。“不许动,她是我们的母亲送给我们的。”商皑伸手夺过了李岚卿手中布娃娃,怒目瞪着李岚卿,眼里充满了警惕。“你叫商皑,你叫商蓓?”李岚卿拉起了商皑与商蓓的小手,心疼的看着她们的破衣烂衫。“我叫李皑,我妹妹叫李蓓。”商皑抽出了自己的小手,夺过了妹妹的小手,拉着妹妹退后了几步,冷冷的看着李岚卿。“你是娘亲吗?”商蓓从商皑手中抽出了小手,不怕生的往前走了几步,盯着李岚卿。“你怎么这么认为?”李岚卿大惊的看着商蓓。“因为你有娘亲的味道。”商蓓歪着脑袋天真的看着李岚卿,眼里露出了孺慕之情。片段三:“王爷你不能进去。”一个仆人拦住了正要进房间的某王爷。“为什么,这里是我的房间,你敢拦我?”某王爷冷厉的看着面前的仆人。“不是小的拦王爷,是.是蓓小姐今晚要与王妃睡。”仆人害怕的偷看了一眼某王爷,犹豫的回答着。“嗯,好吧。”某王爷认命的转身往回走,才踏出一步,又停了下来。
  • 倾天尊皇

    倾天尊皇

    实力为尊,强着如林的异世大陆上,一个落魄宗门弟子,又该如何夹缝中求生,强大,逆行?请多多关注倾天尊皇,看叶倾天传奇逆行,随他一起征服异世!
  • 题兴善寺隋松院与人

    题兴善寺隋松院与人

    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。
  • 人之初

    人之初

    尹守国,2006年开始小说创作,发表中短篇小说70多万字,作品多次被《新华文摘》、《小说选刊》、《北京文学中篇小说月报》等选载,中国作家协会会员,辽宁省作协签约作家。
  • 家有鬼妻

    家有鬼妻

    见鬼啦!一场车祸,将朱可柔带离人世,当她睁眼之时,世界已全然不同。鬼域?冤魂聚集,皆带前世记忆,可为何唯独她缺失记忆,仅仅记得那车祸场景。冥门开启,入冥门,红尘已断,混迹在鬼域,却为何,接连出现迎亲队伍,难道这就是传说中的鬼婚?鬼门大开,百鬼夜行,遗失的记忆,等她找寻。一件件诡异的事接踵而来,看她如何拨开迷雾,解开隐藏在背后的阴谋。当她真心乐于做鬼之时,她却发现自己并非死得其所,遭人暗害?呵,就以她那睚眦必报的心理,能安然不出?这一世,她只想与他安稳一生,却为何有那么多波折。报复?保护?她必让曾经的预言成真!当冷漠无情的男子逼近她时,她以为她连鬼都做不成了。“帅哥,有话好说。”朱可柔魅惑一眼,只求保自己小命。男子却什么话都不说,手中印诀闪现,直逼眼前的女鬼,眼眸中所散发的光芒异常夺目。忽有一日,场景转换。“你老跟着我干嘛?”朱可柔双手叉腰,无比无奈地问道。“怕丢。”男子宠溺地望着朱可柔。“人鬼殊途,我们不可能的。”“做鬼,不难。”男子手起,刀落。简介无能,勿要错过。本文绝对不是恐怖小说,男女主身心干净,一对一。本文不过是一只打不死的女小强杠上无良通灵师,顺带报仇打怪,尔后。。。嘿嘿,你们懂得。摸爬滚打求收藏,乃们要是不收藏,我家柔柔可是会去找你的哦!
  • 从周日到周六

    从周日到周六

    袁丽在厨房里烧菜,刘欣在厨房里给老婆打下手。有一搭没一搭的,袁丽又开始嘀咕起来。“不该让他这么早上学的,真不该!”“是啊!”“你以为他是个神童?你以为他是我们那时候?一家几个孩子,爸爸妈妈顾不过来?学习好不好全看自己的造化和水平。哪像现在?一家就一个孩子,谁不超前教育?谁不望子成龙?现在……都是你,非让他提前上学,拼音根本没接触过,会几个加减法有什么用?”“是啊,是啊!”。“你没看陈老师那表情,好像我们家的峰峰是蠢材一个呢。她说他连写一行空一行都不懂!”