第 16 节
作者:
世纪史诗 更新:2022-11-23 12:13 字数:8323
His skipper (CAPTAIN JOYCE); He gave him many a rating; And
almost lost his voice From thus expostulating:
〃Lay aft; you lubber; do! What's come to that young man; JOE? Belay!
… 'vast heaving! you! Do kindly stop that banjo!
〃I wish; I do … O lor'! … You'd shipped aboard a trader: ARE you a
sailor or A negro serenader?〃
But still the stricken lad; Aloft or on his pillow; Howled forth in
accents sad His aggravating 〃Willow!〃
Stern love of duty bad Been JOYCE'S chiefest beauty; Says he; 〃I love
that lad; But duty; damme! duty!
〃Twelve months' black…hole; I say; Where daylight never flashes; And
always twice a day A good six dozen lashes!〃
But JOSEPH had a mate; A sailor stout and lusty; A man of low estate;
But singularly trusty。
Says he; 〃Cheer hup; young JOE! I'll tell you what I'm arter … To that
Fust Lord I'll go And ax him for his darter。
〃To that Fust Lord I'll go And say you love her dearly。〃 And JOE said
(weeping low); 〃I wish you would; sincerely!〃
That sailor to that Lord Went; soon as he had landed; And of his own
accord An interview demanded。
Says he; with seaman's roll; 〃My Captain (wot's a Tartar) Guv JOE
twelve months' black…hole; For lovering your darter。
〃He loves MISS LADY JANE (I own she is his betters); But if you'll
jine them twain; They'll free him from his fetters。
〃And if so be as how You'll let her come aboard ship; I'll take her with
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me now。〃 〃Get out!〃 remarked his Lordship。
That honest tar repaired To JOE upon the billow; And told him how
he'd fared。 JOE only whispered; 〃Willow!〃
And for that dreadful crime (Young sailors; learn to shun it) He's
working out his time; In six months he'll have done it。
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Ballad: To The Terrestrial Globe。
By A Miserable Wretch
Roll on; thou ball; roll on! Through pathless realms of Space Roll on!
What though I'm in a sorry case? What though I cannot meet my bills?
What though I suffer toothache's ills? What though I swallow countless
pills? Never YOU mind! Roll on!
Roll on; thou ball; roll on! Through seas of inky air Roll on! It's true
I've got no shirts to wear; It's true my butcher's bill is due; It's true my
prospects all look blue … But don't let that unsettle you! Never YOU mind!
Roll on!
'IT ROLLS ON。
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Ballad: Gentle Alice Brown
It was a robber's daughter; and her name was ALICE BROWN; Her
father was the terror of a small Italian town; Her mother was a foolish;
weak; but amiable old thing; But it isn't of her parents that I'm going for to
sing。
As ALICE was a…sitting at her window…sill one day; A beautiful young
gentleman he chanced to pass that way; She cast her eyes upon him; and
he looked so good and true; That she thought; 〃I could be happy with a
gentleman like you!〃
And every morning passed her house that cream of gentlemen; She
knew she might expect him at a quarter unto ten; A sorter in the Custom…
house; it was his daily road (The Custom…house was fifteen minutes' walk
from her abode)。
But ALICE was a pious girl; who knew it wasn't wise To look at
strange young sorters with expressive purple eyes; So she sought the
village priest to whom her family confessed; The priest by whom their
little sins were carefully assessed。
〃Oh; holy father;〃 ALICE said; 〃't would grieve you; would it not; To
discover that I was a most disreputable lot? Of all unhappy sinners I'm the
most unhappy one!〃 The padre said; 〃Whatever have you been and gone
and done?〃
〃I have helped mamma to steal a little kiddy from its dad; I've assisted
dear papa in cutting up a little lad; I've planned a little burglary and forged
a little cheque; And slain a little baby for the coral on its neck!〃
The worthy pastor heaved a sigh; and dropped a silent tear; And said;
〃You mustn't judge yourself too heavily; my dear: It's wrong to murder
babies; little corals for to fleece; But sins like these one expiates at half…a…
crown apiece。
〃Girls will be girls … you're very young; and flighty in your mind; Old
heads upon young shoulders we must not expect to find: We mustn't be too
hard upon these little girlish tricks … Let's see … five crimes at half…a…crown
… exactly twelve…and…six。〃
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〃Oh; father;〃 little Alice cried; 〃your kindness makes me weep; You do
these little things for me so singularly cheap … Your thoughtful liberality I
never can forget; But; oh! there is another crime I haven't mentioned yet!
〃A pleasant…looking gentleman; with pretty purple eyes; I've noticed at
my window; as I've sat a…catching flies; He passes by it every day as
certain as can be … I blush to say I've winked at him; and he has winked at
me!〃
〃For shame!〃 said FATHER PAUL; 〃my erring daughter! On my
word This is the most distressing news that I have ever heard。 Why;
naughty girl; your excellent papa has pledged your hand To a promising
young robber; the lieutenant of his band!
〃This dreadful piece of news will pain your worthy parents so! They
are the most remunerative customers I know; For many many years
they've kept starvation from my doors: I never knew so criminal a family
as yours!
〃The common country folk in this insipid neighbourhood Have
nothing to confess; they're so ridiculously good; And if you marry any one
respectable at all; Why; you'll reform; and what will then become of
FATHER PAUL?〃
The worthy priest; he up and drew his cowl upon his crown; And
started off in haste to tell the news to ROBBER BROWN … To tell him
how his daughter; who was now for marriage fit; Had winked upon a
sorter; who reciprocated it。
Good ROBBER BROWN he muffled up his anger pretty well: He said;
〃I have a notion; and that notion I will tell; I will nab this gay young sorter;
terrify him into fits; And get my gentle wife to chop him into little bits。
〃I've studied human nature; and I know a thing or two: Though a girl
may fondly love a living gent; as many do … A feeling of disgust upon her
senses there will fall When she looks upon his body chopped particularly
small。〃
He traced that gallant sorter to a still suburban square; He watched his
opportunity; and seized him unaware; He took a life…preserver and he hit
him on the head; And MRS。 BROWN dissected him before she went to
bed。
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And pretty little ALICE grew more settled in her mind; She never
more was guilty of a weakness of the kind; Until at length good ROBBER
BROWN bestowed her pretty hand On the promising young robber; the
lieutenant of his band。
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