burlesques-第4章

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〃You　weep；　my　Snoggin；〃　the　Boy　said；　〃and　why？　　Hath　Life　been　so

charming　to　me　that　I　should　wish　to　retain　it？　hath　Pleasure　no

after…Weariness？　　Ambition　no　Deception；　Wealth　no　Care；　and　Glory

no　Mockery？　　Psha！　　I　am　sick　of　Success；　palled　of　Pleasure；　weary

of　Wine　and　Wit；　andnay；　start　not；　my　Adelaideand　Woman。　　I

fling　away　all　these　things　as　the　Toys　of　Boyhood。　　Life　is　the

Soul's　Nursery。　　I　am　a　Man；　and　pine　for　the　Illimitable！　　Mark

you　me！　　Has　the　Morrow　any　terrors　for　me；　think　ye？　　Did　Socrates

falter　at　his　poison？　　Did　Seneca　blench　in　his　bath？　　Did　Brutus

shirk　the　sword　when　his　great　stake　was　lost？　　Did　even　weak

Cleopatra　shrink　from　the　Serpent's　fatal　nip？　　And　why　should　I？

My　great　Hazard　hath　been　played；　and　I　pay　my　forfeit。　　Lie

sheathed　in　my　heart；　thou　flashing　Blade！　　Welcome　to　my　Bosom；

thou　faithful　Serpent；　I　hug　thee；　peace…bearing　Image　of　the

Eternal！　　Ha；　the　hemlock　cup！　　Fill　high；　boy；　for　my　soul　is

thirsty　for　the　Infinite！　　Get　ready　the　bath；　friends；　prepare　me

for　the　feast　To…morrowbathe　my　limbs　in　odors；　and　put　ointment

in　my　hair。〃



〃Has　for　a　bath；〃　Snoggin　interposed；　〃they're　not　to　be　'ad　in

this　ward　of　the　prison；　but　I　dussay　Hemmy　will　git　you　a　little

hoil　for　your　'air。〃



The　Prisoned　One　laughed　loud　and　merrily。　　〃My　guardian　understands

me　not；　pretty　oneand　thou？　what　sayest　thou？　　From　those　dear

lips　methinksplura　sunt　oscula　quam　sententiaeI　kiss　away　thy

tears；　dove！they　will　flow　apace　when　I　am　gone；　then　they　will

dry；　and　presently　these　fair　eyes　will　shine　on　another；　as　they

have　beamed　on　poor　George　Barnwell。　　Yet　wilt　thou　not　all　forget

him；　sweet　one。　　He　was　an　honest　fellow；　and　had　a　kindly　heart　for

all　the　world　said〃



〃That；　that　he　had；〃　cried　the　gaoler　and　the　girl　in　voices

gurgling　with　emotion。　　And　you　who　read！　you　unconvicted　Convict

you　murderer；　though　haply　you　have　slain　no　oneyou　Felon　in

posse　if　not　in　essedeal　gently　with　one　who　has　used　the

Opportunity　that　has　failed　theeand　believe　that　the　Truthful　and

the　Beautiful　bloom　sometimes　in　the　dock　and　the　convict's　tawny

Gabardine！



　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　。



In　the　matter　for　which　he　suffered；　George　could　never　be　brought

to　acknowledge　that　he　was　at　all　in　the　wrong。　　〃It　may　be　an

error　of　judgment；〃　he　said　to　the　Venerable　Chaplain　of　the　gaol；

〃but　it　is　no　crime。　　Were　it　Crime；　I　should　feel　Remorse。　　Where

there　is　no　remorse；　Crime　cannot　exist。　　I　am　not　sorry：

therefore；　I　am　innocent。　　Is　the　proposition　a　fair　one？〃



The　excellent　Doctor　admitted　that　it　was　not　to　be　contested。



〃And　wherefore；　sir；　should　I　have　sorrow；〃　the　Boy　resumed；　〃for

ridding　the　world　of　a　sordid　worm；*　of　a　man　whose　very　soul　was

dross；　and　who　never　had　a　feeling　for　the　Truthful　and　the

Beautiful？　　When　I　stood　before　my　uncle　in　the　moonlight；　in　the

gardens　of　the　ancestral　halls　of　the　De　Barnwells；　I　felt　that　it

was　the　Nemesis　come　to　overthrow　him。　　'Dog；'　I　said　to　the

trembling　slave；　'tell　me　where　thy　Gold　is。　　THOU　hast　no　use　for

it。　　I　can　spend　it　in　relieving　the　Poverty　on　which　thou

tramplest；　in　aiding　Science；　which　thou　knowest　not；　in　uplifting

Art；　to　which　thou　art　blind。　　Give　Gold；　and　thou　art　free。'　　But

he　spake　not；　and　I　slew　him。〃



〃I　would　not　have　this　doctrine　vulgarly　promulgated；〃　said　the

admirable　chaplain；　〃for　its　general　practice　might　chance　to　do

harm。　　Thou；　my　son；　the　Refined；　the　Gentle；　the　Loving　and

Beloved；　the　Poet　and　Sage；　urged　by　what　I　cannot　but　think　a

grievous　error；　hast　appeared　as　Avenger。　　Think　what　would　be　the

world's　condition；　were　men　without　any　Yearning　after　the　Ideal　to

attempt　to　reorganize　Society；　to　redistribute　Property；　to　avenge

Wrong。〃



〃A　rabble　of　pigmies　scaling　Heaven；〃　said　the　noble　though

misguided　young　Prisoner。　　〃Prometheus　was　a　Giant；　and　he　fell。〃



〃Yes；　indeed；　my　brave　youth！〃　the　benevolent　Dr。　Fuzwig　exclaimed；

clasping　the　Prisoner's　marble　and　manacled　hand；　〃and　the　Tragedy

of　To…morrow　will　teach　the　World　that　Homicide　is　not　to　be

permitted　even　to　the　most　amiable　Genius；　and　that　the　lover　of

the　Ideal　and　the　Beautiful；　as　thou　art；　my　son；　must　respect　the

Real　likewise。〃



〃Look！　here　is　supper！〃　cried　Barnwell　gayly。　　〃This　is　the　Real；

Doctor；　let　us　respect　it　and　fall　to。〃　　He　partook　of　the　meal　as

joyously　as　if　it　had　been　one　of　his　early　festals；　but　the　worthy

chaplain　could　scarcely　eat　it　for　tears。





*　This　is　a　gross　plagiarism：　the　above　sentiment　is　expressed　much

more　eloquently　in　the　ingenious　romance　of　Eugene　Aram：〃The

burning　desires　I　have　knownthe　resplendent　visions　I　have

nursedthe　sublime　aspirings　that　have　lifted　me　so　often　from

sense　and　clay：　these　tell　me；　that　whether　for　good　or　ill；　I　am

the　thing　of　an　immortality　and　the　creature　of　a　God。　。　。　。　　I

have　destroyed　a　man　noxious　to　the　world！　with　the　wealth　by　which

he　afflicted　society；　I　have　been　the　means　of　blessing　many。〃







CODLINGSBY。



BY　D。　SHREWSBERRY；　ESQ。





I。





〃The　whole　world　is　bound　by　one　chain。　　In　every　city　in　the　globe

there　is　one　quarter　that　certain　travellers　know　and　recognize

from　its　likeness　to　its　brother　district　in　all　other　places　where

are　congregated　the　habitations　of　men。　　In　Tehran；　or　Pekin；　or

Stamboul；　or　New　York；　or　Timbuctoo；　or　London；　there　is　a　certain

district　where　a　certain　man　is　not　a　stranger。　　Where　the　idols

are　fed　with　incense　by　the　streams　of　Ching…wang…foo；　where　the

minarets　soar　sparkling　above　the　cypresses；　their　reflections

quivering　in　the　lucid　waters　of　the　Golden　Horn；　where　the　yellow

Tiber　flows　under　broken　bridges　and　over　imperial　glories；　where

the　huts　are　squatted　by　the　Niger；　under　the　palm…trees；　where　the

Northern　Babel　lies；　with　its　warehouses；　and　its　bridges；　its

graceful　factory…chimneys；　and　its　clumsy　faneshidden　in　fog　and

smoke　by　the　dirtiest　river　in　the　worldin　all　the　cities　of

mankind　there　is　One　Home　whither　men　of　one　family　may　resort。

Over　the　entire　world　spreads　a　vast　brotherhood；　suffering；

silent；　scattered；　sympathizing；　WAITINGan　immense　Free…Masonry。

Once　this　world…spread　band　was　an　Arabian　clana　little　nation

alone　and　outlying　amongst　the　mighty　monarchies　of　ancient　time；

the　Megatheria　of　history。　　The　sails　of　their　rare　ships　might　be

seen　in　the　Egyptian　waters；　the　camels　of　their　caravans　might

thread　the　sands　of　Baalbec；　or　wind　through　the　date…groves　of

Damascus；　their　flag　was　raised；　not　ingloriously；　in　many　wars；

against　mighty　odds；　but　'twas　a　small　people；　and　on　one　dark

night　the　Lion　of　Judah　went　down　before　Vespasian's　Eagles；　and　in

flame；　and　death；　and　struggle；　Jerusalem　agonized　and　died。　。　。　。

Yes；　the　Jewish　city　is　lost　to　Jewish　men；　but　have　they　not　taken

the　world　in　exchange？〃



Mused　thus　Godfrey　de　Bouillon；　Marquis　of　Codlingsby；　as　he

debouched　from　Wych　Street　into　the　Strand。　　He　had　been　to　take　a

box　for　Armida　at　Madame　Vestris's　theatre。　　That　little　Armida　was

folle　of　Madame　Vestris's　theatre；　and　her　little　brougham；　and　her

little　self；　and　her　enormous　eyes；　and　her　prodigious　opera…glass；

and　her　miraculous　bouquet；　which　cost　Lord　Codlingsby　twenty

guineas　every　evening　at　Nathan's　in　Covent　Garden　（the　children　of

the　gardeners　of　Sharon　have　still　no　rival　for　flowers）；　might　be

seen；　three　nights　in　the　week　at　least；　in　the　narrow；　charming；

comfortable　little　theatre。　　Godfrey　had　the　box。　　He　was

strolling；　listlessly；　eastward；　and　the　above　thoughts　passed

through　the　young　noble's　mind　as　he　came　in　sight　of　Holywell

Street。



The　occupants　of　the　London　Ghetto　sat　at　their　porches　basking　in

the　evening　sunshine。　　Children　were　playing　on　the　steps。　　Fathers

were　smoking　at　the　lintel。　　Smiling　faces　looked　out　fro