50 bab ballads-第16部分
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Never; never
Pass the fairy portal。
Slyly stealing;
She to Ealing
Made a daily journey;
There she found him;
Clients round him
(He was an attorney)。
Long they tarried;
Then they married。
When the ceremony
Once was ended;
Off they wended
On their moon of honey。
Twelvemonth; maybe;
Saw a baby
(Friends performed an orgie)。
Much they prized him;
And baptized him
By the name of GEORGIE;
GEORGIE grew up;
Then he flew up
To his fairy mother。
Happy meeting …
Pleasant greeting …
Kissing one another。
〃Choose a calling
Most enthralling;
I sincerely urge ye。〃
〃Mother;〃 said he
(Rev'rence made he);
〃I would join the clergy。
〃Give permission
In addition …
Pa will let me do it:
There's a living
In his giving …
He'll appoint me to it。
Dreams of coff'ring;
Easter off'ring;
Tithe and rent and pew…rate;
So inflame me
(Do not blame me);
That I'll be a curate。〃
She; with pleasure;
Said; 〃My treasure;
'T is my wish precisely。
Do your duty;
There's a beauty;
You have chosen wisely。
Tell your father
I would rather
As a churchman rank you。
You; in clover;
I'll watch over。〃
GEORGIE said; 〃Oh; thank you!〃
GEORGIE scudded;
Went and studied;
Made all preparations;
And with credit
(Though he said it)
Passed examinations。
(Do not quarrel
With him; moral;
Scrupulous digestions …
'Twas his mother;
And no other;
Answered all the questions。)
Time proceeded;
Little needed
GEORGIE admonition:
He; elated;
Vindicated
Clergyman's position。
People round him
Always found him
Plain and unpretending;
Kindly teaching;
Plainly preaching;
All his money lending。
So the fairy;
Wise and wary;
Felt no sorrow rising …
No occasion
For persuasion;
Warning; or advising。
He; resuming
Fairy pluming
(That's not English; is it?)
Oft would fly up;
To the sky up;
Pay mamma a visit。
* * * * * * * *
Time progressing;
GEORGIE'S blessing
Grew more Ritualistic …
Popish scandals;
Tonsures … sandals …
Genuflections mystic;
Gushing meetings …
Bosom…beatings …
Heavenly ecstatics …
Broidered spencers …
Copes and censers …
Rochets and dalmatics。
This quandary
Vexed the fairy …
Flew she down to Ealing。
〃GEORGIE; stop it!
Pray you; drop it;
Hark to my appealing:
To this foolish
Papal rule…ish
Twaddle put an ending;
This a swerve is
From our Service
Plain and unpretending。〃
He; replying;
Answered; sighing;
Hawing; hemming; humming;
〃It's a pity …
They're so pritty;
Yet in mode becoming;
Mother tender;
I'll surrender …
I'll be unaffected … 〃
But his Bishop
Into HIS shop
Entered unexpected!
〃Who is this; sir; …
Ballet miss; sir?〃
Said the Bishop coldly。
〃'T is my mother;
And no other;〃
GEORGIE answered boldly。
〃Go along; sir!
You are wrong; sir;
You have years in plenty;
While this hussy
(Gracious mussy!)
Isn't two and twenty!〃
(Fairies clever
Never; never
Grow in visage older;
And the fairy;
All unwary;
Leant upon his shoulder!)
Bishop grieved him;
Disbelieved him;
GEORGE the point grew warm on;
Changed religion;
Like a pigeon; (14)
And became a Mormon!
Ballad: THE WAY OF WOOING。
A MAIDEN sat at her window wide;
Pretty enough for a Prince's bride;
Yet nobody came to claim her。
She sat like a beautiful picture there;
With pretty bluebells and roses fair;
And jasmine…leaves to frame her。
And why she sat there nobody knows;
But this she sang as she plucked a rose;
The leaves around her strewing:
〃I've time to lose and power to choose;
'T is not so much the gallant who woos;
But the gallant's WAY of wooing!〃
A lover came riding by awhile;
A wealthy lover was he; whose smile
Some maids would value greatly …
A formal lover; who bowed and bent;
With many a high…flown compliment;
And cold demeanour stately;
〃You've still;〃 said she to her suitor stern;
〃The 'prentice…work of your craft to learn;
If thus you come a…cooing。
I've time to lose and power to choose;
'T is not so much the gallant who woos;
As the gallant's WAY of wooing!〃
A second lover came ambling by …
A timid lad with a frightened eye
And a colour mantling highly。
He muttered the errand on which he'd come;
Then only chuckled and bit his thumb;
And simpered; simpered shyly。
〃No;〃 said the maiden; 〃go your way;
You dare but think what a man would say;
Yet dare to come a…suing!
I've time to lose and power to choose;
'T is not so much the gallant who woos;
As the gallant's WAY of wooing!〃
A third rode up at a startling pace …
A suitor poor; with a homely face …
No doubts appeared to bind him。
He kissed her lips and he pressed her waist;
And off he rode with the maiden; placed
On a pillion safe behind him。
And she heard the suitor bold confide
This golden hint to the priest who tied
The knot there's no undoing;
With pretty young maidens who can choose;
'T is not so much the gallant who woos;
As the gallant's WAY of wooing!〃
Ballad: HONGREE AND MAHRY。 A RECOLLECTION OF A SURREY MELODRAMA。
THE sun was setting in its wonted west;
When HONGREE; Sub…Lieutenant of Chassoores;
Met MAHRY DAUBIGNY; the Village Rose;
Under the Wizard's Oak … old trysting…place
Of those who loved in rosy Aquitaine。
They thought themselves unwatched; but they were not;
For HONGREE; Sub…Lieutenant of Chassoores;
Found in LIEUTENANT…COLONEL JOOLES DUBOSC
A rival; envious and unscrupulous;
Who thought it not foul scorn to dodge his steps;
And listen; unperceived; to all that passed
Between the simple little Village Rose
And HONGREE; Sub…Lieutenant of Chassoores。
A clumsy barrack…bully was DUBOSC;
Quite unfamiliar with the well…bred tact
That animates a proper gentleman
In dealing with a girl of humble rank。
You'll understand his coarseness when I say
He would have married MAHRY DAUBIGNY;
And dragged the unsophisticated girl
Into the whirl of fashionable life;
For which her singularly rustic ways;
Her breeding (moral; but extremely rude);
Her language (chaste; but ungrammatical);
Would absolutely have unfitted her。
How different to this unreflecting boor
Was HONGREE; Sub…Lieutenant of Chassoores。
Contemporary with the incident
Related in our opening paragraph;
Was that sad war 'twixt Gallia and ourselves
That followed on the treaty signed at Troyes;
And so LIEUTENANT…COLONEL JOOLES DUBOSC
(Brave soldier; he; with all his faults of style)
And HONGREE; Sub…Lieutenant of Chassoores;
Were sent by CHARLES of France against the lines
Of our Sixth HENRY (Fourteen twenty…nine);
To drive his legions out of Aquitaine。
When HONGREE; Sub…Lieutenant of Chassoores;
Returned; suspecting nothing; to his camp;
After his meeting with the Village Rose;
He found inside his barrack letter…box
A note from the commanding officer;
Requiring his attendance at head…quarters。
He went; and found LIEUTENANT…COLONEL JOOLES。
〃Young HONGREE; Sub…Lieutenant of Chassoores;
This night we shall attack the English camp:
Be the 'forlorn hope' yours … you'll lead it; sir;
And lead it too with credit; I've no doubt。
As every man must certainly be killed
(For you are twenty 'gainst two thousand men);
It is not likely that you will return。
But what of that? you'll have the benefit
Of knowing that you die a soldier's death。〃
Obedience was young HONGREE'S strongest point;
But he imagined that he only owed
Allegiance to his MAHRY and his King。
〃If MAHRY bade me lead these fated men;
I'd lead them …but I do not think she would。
If CHARLES; my King; said; 'Go; my son; and die;'
I'd go; of course … my duty would be clear。
But MAHRY is in bed asleep; I hope;
And CHARLES; my King; a hundred leagues from this。
As for LIEUTENANT…COLONEL JOOLES DUBOSC;
How know I that our monarch would approve
The order he has given me to…night?
My King I've sworn in all things to obey …
I'll only take my orders from my King!〃
Thus HONGREE; Sub…Lieutenant of Chassoores;
Interpreted the terms of his commission。
And HONGREE; who was wise as he was good;
Disguised himself that night in ample cloak;
Round flapping hat; and vizor mask of black;
And made; unnoticed; for the English camp。
He passed the unsuspecting sentinels
(Who little thought a man in this disguise
Could be a proper object of suspicion);
And ere the curfew bell had boomed 〃lights out;〃
He found in audience Bedford's haughty Duke。
〃Your Grace;〃 he said; 〃start not … be not alarmed;
Although a Frenchman stands before your eyes。
I'm HONGREE; Sub…Lieutenant of Chassoores。
My Colonel will attack your camp to…night;
And orders me to lead the hope forlorn。
Now I am sure our excellent KING CHARLES
Would not approve of this; but he's away
A hundred leagues; and rather more than that。
So; utterly devoted to my King;
Blinded by my attachment to the throne;
And having but its interest at heart;
I feel it is my duty to disclose
All schemes that emanate from COLONEL JOOLES;
If I believe that they are not the kind
Of schemes that our good monarch would approve。〃
〃But how;〃 said Bedford's Duke; 〃do you propose
That we should overthrow your Colonel's scheme?〃
And HONGREE; Sub…Lieutenant of Chassoores;
Replied at once with never…failing tact:
〃Oh; sir; I know this cursed country well。
Entrust yourself and all your host to me;
I'll lead you safely by a secret path
Into the heart of COLONEL JOOLES' array;
And you can then attack them unprepared;
And slay my fellow…countrymen unarmed。〃
The thing was done。 The DUKE of BEDFORD gave
The order; and two thousand fighting men
Crept silently into the Gallic camp;
And slew the Frenchmen as they lay asleep;
And Bedford's