第 2 节
作者:
世纪史诗 更新:2022-11-23 12:13 字数:9322
GENERAL JOHN was a soldier tried; A chief of warlike dons; A
haughty stride and a withering pride Were MAJOR…GENERAL JOHN'S。
A sneer would play on his martial phiz; Superior birth to show; 〃Pish!〃
was a favourite word of his; And he often said 〃Ho! ho!〃
FULL…PRIVATE JAMES described might be; As a man of a mournful
mind; No characteristic trait had he Of any distinctive kind。
From the ranks; one day; cried PRIVATE JAMES; 〃Oh! MAJOR…
GENERAL JOHN; I've doubts of our respective names; My mournful
mind upon。
〃A glimmering thought occurs to me (Its source I can't unearth); But
I've a kind of a notion we Were cruelly changed at birth。
〃I've a strange idea that each other's names We've each of us here got
on。 Such things have been;〃 said PRIVATE JAMES。 〃They have!〃 sneered
GENERAL JOHN。
〃My GENERAL JOHN; I swear upon My oath I think 'tis so … 〃
〃Pish!〃 proudly sneered his GENERAL JOHN; And he also said 〃Ho! ho!〃
〃My GENERAL JOHN! my GENERAL JOHN! My GENERAL
JOHN!〃 quoth he; 〃This aristocratical sneer upon Your face I blush to see!
〃No truly great or generous cove Deserving of them names; Would
sneer at a fixed idea that's drove In the mind of a PRIVATE JAMES!〃
Said GENERAL JOHN; 〃Upon your claims No need your breath to
waste; If this is a joke; FULL…PRIVATE JAMES; It's a joke of doubtful
taste。
〃But; being a man of doubtless worth; If you feel certain quite That we
were probably changed at birth; I'll venture to say you're right。〃
So GENERAL JOHN as PRIVATE JAMES Fell in; parade upon; And
PRIVATE JAMES; by change of names; Was MAJOR…GENERAL JOHN。
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The Bab Ballads
Ballad: To A Little Maid … By A
Policeman
Come with me; little maid; Nay; shrink not; thus afraid … I'll harm thee
not! Fly not; my love; from me … I have a home for thee … A fairy grot;
Where mortal eye Can rarely pry; There shall thy dwelling be!
List to me; while I tell The pleasures of that cell; Oh; little maid! What
though its couch be rude; Homely the only food Within its shade? No
thought of care Can enter there; No vulgar swain intrude!
Come with me; little maid; Come to the rocky shade I love to sing;
Live with us; maiden rare … Come; for we 〃want〃 thee there; Thou elfin
thing; To work thy spell; In some cool cell In stately Pentonville!
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The Bab Ballads
Ballad: John And Freddy
JOHN courted lovely MARY ANN; So likewise did his brother;
FREDDY。 FRED was a very soft young man; While JOHN; though quick;
was most unsteady。
FRED was a graceful kind of youth; But JOHN was very much the
strongest。 〃Oh; dance away;〃 said she; 〃in truth; I'll marry him who dances
longest。〃
JOHN tries the maiden's taste to strike With gay; grotesque; outrageous
dresses; And dances comically; like CLODOCHE AND Co。; at the
Princess's。
But FREDDY tries another style; He knows some graceful steps and
does 'em … A breathing Poem … Woman's smile … A man all poesy and
buzzem。
Now FREDDY'S operatic PAS … Now JOHNNY'S hornpipe seems
entrapping: Now FREDDY'S graceful ENTRECHATS … Now JOHNNY'S
skilful 〃cellar…flapping。〃
For many hours … for many days … For many weeks performed each
brother; For each was active in his ways; And neither would give in to
t'other。
After a month of this; they say (The maid was getting bored and
moody) A wandering curate passed that way And talked a lot of goody…
goody。
〃Oh my;〃 said he; with solemn frown; 〃I tremble for each dancing
FRATER; Like unregenerated clown And harlequin at some the…ayter。〃
He showed that men; in dancing; do Both impiously and absurdly; And
proved his proposition true; With Firstly; Secondly; and Thirdly。
For months both JOHN and FREDDY danced; The curate's protests
little heeding; For months the curate's words enhanced The sinfulness of
their proceeding。
At length they bowed to Nature's rule … Their steps grew feeble and
unsteady; Till FREDDY fainted on a stool; And JOHNNY on the top of
FREDDY。
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The Bab Ballads
〃Decide!〃 quoth they; 〃let him be named; Who henceforth as his wife
may rank you。〃 〃I've changed my views;〃 the maiden said; 〃I only marry
curates; thank you!〃
Says FREDDY; 〃Here is goings on! To bust myself with rage I'm
ready。〃 〃I'll be a curate!〃 whispers JOHN … 〃And I;〃 exclaimed poetic
FREDDY。
But while they read for it; these chaps; The curate booked the maiden
bonny … And when she's buried him; perhaps; She'll marry FREDERICK
or JOHNNY。
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The Bab Ballads
Ballad: Sir Guy The Crusader
Sir GUY was a doughty crusader; A muscular knight; Ever ready to
fight; A very determined invader; And DICKEY DE LION'S delight。
LENORE was a Saracen maiden; Brunette; statuesque; The reverse of
grotesque; Her pa was a bagman from Aden; Her mother she played in
burlesque。
A CORYPHEE; pretty and loyal; In amber and red The ballet she led;
Her mother performed at the Royal; LENORE at the Saracen's Head。
Of face and of figure majestic; She dazzled the cits … Ecstaticised pits;
… Her troubles were only domestic; But drove her half out of her wits。
Her father incessantly lashed her; On water and bread She was
grudgingly fed; Whenever her father he thrashed her Her mother sat down
on her head。
GUY saw her; and loved her; with reason; For beauty so bright Sent
him mad with delight; He purchased a stall for the season; And sat in it
every night。
His views were exceedingly proper; He wanted to wed; So he called at
her shed And saw her progenitor whop her … Her mother sit down on her
head。
〃So pretty;〃 said he; 〃and so trusting! You brute of a dad; You
unprincipled cad; Your conduct is really disgusting; Come; come; now
admit it's too bad!
〃You're a turbaned old Turk; and malignant … Your daughter LENORE
I intensely adore; And I cannot help feeling indignant; A fact that I hinted
before;
〃To see a fond father employing A deuce of a knout For to bang her
about; To a sensitive lover's annoying。〃 Said the bagman; 〃Crusader; get
out。〃
Says GUY; 〃Shall a warrior laden With a big spiky knob; Sit in peace
on his cob While a beautiful Saracen maiden Is whipped by a Saracen
snob?
〃To London I'll go from my charmer。〃 Which he did; with his loot
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The Bab Ballads
(Seven hats and a flute); And was nabbed for his Sydenham armour At MR。
BEN…SAMUEL'S suit。
SIR GUY he was lodged in the Compter; Her pa; in a rage; Died (don't
know his age); His daughter; she married the prompter; Grew bulky and
quitted the stage。
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The Bab Ballads
Ballad: Haunted
Haunted? Ay; in a social way By a body of ghosts in dread array; But
no conventional spectres they … Appalling; grim; and tricky: I quail at mine
as I'd never quail At a fine traditional spectre pale; With a turnip head and
a ghostly wail; And a splash of blood on the dickey!
Mine are horrible; social ghosts; … Speeches and women and guests and
hosts; Weddings and morning calls and toasts; In every bad variety: Ghosts
who hover about the grave Of all that's manly; free; and brave: You'll find
their names on the architrave Of that charnel…house; Society。
Black Monday … black as its school…room ink … With its dismal boys
that snivel and think Of its nauseous messes to eat and drink; And its
frozen tank to wash in。 That was the first that brought me gr