第 3 节
作者:
世纪史诗 更新:2022-11-23 12:13 字数:9321
frozen tank to wash in。 That was the first that brought me grief; And made
me weep; till I sought relief In an emblematical handkerchief; To choke
such baby bosh in。
First and worst in the grim array… Ghosts of ghosts that have gone their
way; Which I wouldn't revive for a single day For all the wealth of
PLUTUS … Are the horrible ghosts that school…days scared: If the classical
ghost that BRUTUS dared Was the ghost of his 〃Caesar〃 unprepared; I'm
sure I pity BRUTUS。
I pass to critical seventeen; The ghost of that terrible wedding scene;
When an elderly Colonel stole my Queen; And woke my dream of heaven。
No schoolgirl decked in her nurse…room curls Was my gushing innocent
Queen of Pearls; If she wasn't a girl of a thousand girls; She was one of
forty…seven!
I see the ghost of my first cigar; Of the thence…arising family jar … Of
my maiden brief (I was at the Bar; And I called the Judge 〃Your wushup!〃)
Of reckless days and reckless nights; With wrenched…off knockers;
extinguished lights; Unholy songs and tipsy fights; Which I strove in vain
to hush up。
Ghosts of fraudulent joint…stock banks; Ghosts of 〃copy; declined with
thanks;〃 Of novels returned in endless ranks; And thousands more; I suffer。
The only line to fitly grace My humble tomb; when I've run my race; Is;
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〃Reader; this is the resting…place Of an unsuccessful duffer。〃
I've fought them all; these ghosts of mine; But the weapons I've used
are sighs and brine; And now that I'm nearly forty…nine; Old age is my
chiefest bogy; For my hair is thinning away at the crown; And the silver
fights with the worn…out brown; And a general verdict sets me down As an
irreclaimable fogy。
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Ballad: The Bishop And The
'Busman
It was a Bishop bold; And London was his see; He was short and stout
and round about And zealous as could be。
It also was a Jew; Who drove a Putney 'bus … For flesh of swine
however fine He did not care a cuss。
His name was HASH BAZ BEN; And JEDEDIAH too; And
SOLOMON and ZABULON … This 'bus…directing Jew。
The Bishop said; said he; 〃I'll see what I can do To Christianise and
make you wise; You poor benighted Jew。〃
So every blessed day That 'bus he rode outside; From Fulham town;
both up and down; And loudly thus he cried:
〃His name is HASH BAZ BEN; And JEDEDIAH too; And
SOLOMON and ZABULON … This 'bus…directing Jew。〃
At first the 'busman smiled; And rather liked the fun … He merely
smiled; that Hebrew child; And said; 〃Eccentric one!〃
And gay young dogs would wait To see the 'bus go by (These gay
young dogs; in striking togs); To hear the Bishop cry:
〃Observe his grisly beard; His race it clearly shows; He sticks no fork
in ham or pork … Observe; my friends; his nose。
〃His name is HASH BAZ BEN; And JEDEDIAH too; And
SOLOMON and ZABULON … This 'bus…directing Jew。〃
But though at first amused; Yet after seven years; This Hebrew child
got rather riled; And melted into tears。
He really almost feared To leave his poor abode; His nose; and name;
and beard became A byword on that road。
At length he swore an oath; The reason he would know … 〃I'll call and
see why ever he Does persecute me so!〃
The good old Bishop sat On his ancestral chair; The 'busman came;
sent up his name; And laid his grievance bare。
〃Benighted Jew;〃 he said (The good old Bishop did); 〃Be Christian;
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you; instead of Jew … Become a Christian kid!
〃I'll ne'er annoy you more。〃 〃Indeed?〃 replied the Jew; 〃Shall I be
freed?〃 〃You will; indeed!〃 Then 〃Done!〃 said he; 〃with you!〃
The organ which; in man; Between the eyebrows grows; Fell from his
face; and in its place He found a Christian nose。
His tangled Hebrew beard; Which to his waist came down; Was now a
pair of whiskers fair … His name ADOLPHUS BROWN!
He wedded in a year That prelate's daughter JANE; He's grown quite
fair … has auburn hair … His wife is far from plain。
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Ballad: The Troubadour
A TROUBADOUR he played Without a castle wall; Within; a hapless
maid Responded to his call。
〃Oh; willow; woe is me! Alack and well…a…day! If I were only free I'd
hie me far away!〃
Unknown her face and name; But this he knew right well; The
maiden's wailing came From out a dungeon cell。
A hapless woman lay Within that dungeon grim … That fact; I've heard
him say; Was quite enough for him。
〃I will not sit or lie; Or eat or drink; I vow; Till thou art free as I; Or I
as pent as thou。〃
Her tears then ceased to flow; Her wails no longer rang; And tuneful in
her woe The prisoned maiden sang:
〃Oh; stranger; as you play; I recognize your touch; And all that I can
say Is; thank you very much。〃
He seized his clarion straight; And blew thereat; until A warden oped
the gate。 〃Oh; what might be your will?〃
〃I've come; Sir Knave; to see The master of these halls: A maid
unwillingly Lies prisoned in their walls。〃'
With barely stifled sigh That porter drooped his head; With teardrops
in his eye; 〃A many; sir;〃 he said。
He stayed to hear no more; But pushed that porter by; And shortly
stood before SIR HUGH DE PECKHAM RYE。
SIR HUGH he darkly frowned; 〃What would you; sir; with me?〃 The
troubadour he downed Upon his bended knee。
〃I've come; DE PECKHAM RYE; To do a Christian task; You ask me
what would I? It is not much I ask。
〃Release these maidens; sir; Whom you dominion o'er … Particularly
her Upon the second floor。
〃And if you don't; my lord〃 … He here stood bolt upright; And tapped a
tailor's sword … 〃Come out; you cad; and fight!〃
SIR HUGH he called … and ran The warden from the gate: 〃Go; show
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this gentleman The maid in Forty…eight。〃
By many a cell they past; And stopped at length before A portal; bolted
fast: The man unlocked the door。
He called inside the gate With coarse and brutal shout; 〃Come; step it;
Forty…eight!〃 And Forty…eight stepped out。
〃They gets it pretty hot; The maidens what we cotch … Two years this
lady's got For collaring a wotch。〃
〃Oh; ah! … indeed … I see;〃 The troubadour exclaimed … 〃If I may make
so free; How is this castle named?
The warden's eyelids fill; And sighing; he replied; 〃Of gloomy
Pentonville This is the female side!〃
The minstrel did not wait The Warden stout to thank; But recollected
straight He'd business at the Bank。
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Ballad: Ferdinando And Elvira; Or;
The Gentle Pieman
PART I。
At a pleasant evening party I had taken down to supper One whom I
will call ELVIRA; and we talked of love and TUPPER;
MR。 TUPPER and the Poets; very lightly with them dealing; For I've
always been distinguished for a strong poetic feeling。
Then we let off paper crackers; each of which contained a motto; And
she listened while I read them; till her mother told her not to。
Then she whispered; 〃To the ball…room we had better; dear; be walking;
If we stop down here much longer; really people will be talking。〃
There were noblemen in coronets; and military cousins; There were
captains by the hundred; there were baronets by dozens。
Yet she heeded not their offers; but dismissed them with a blessing;
Then she let down all her back hair; which had taken long in dressing。
Then she had convulsive sobbings in her agitated throttle; Then she
wiped her pretty eyes and smelt her pretty smelling… bottle。
So I whispered; 〃Dear ELVIRA;