Odropmelikeacursedthing。
See’stthouthecrowdedswardsofgold?
TheywavetousRoseandRing。
death-whitemouth!Ocastmedown!
Thoudiest?ThenwiththeeIdie-
See’stthoutheangelswiththeirCrown?
Wetwainhavereachedthesky。
WhentheHeadofBranWasfirmonBritishshoulders,Godmadeaman!
Criedallbeholders。
SteelcouldnotresistTheweighthisarmwouldrattle;
He,withnakedfist,Hasbrain’daknightinbattle。
Hemarchedonthefoe,Andnevercountednumbers;
ForeignwidowsknowThehostshesenttoslumbers。
Asastreetyouscan,That’stoweredbythesteeple,SotheHeadofBranRoseo’erhispeople。
’Death’smyneighbour,’
QuothBrantheBlest;
’ChristianlabourBringsChristianrest。
FromthetrunkseverTheHeadofBran,ThatwhichneverHasbenttoman!
’ThatwhichneverTomenhasbowedShallleeverToshametheshroud:
ShallleeverTofacethefoe;
Severit,sever,Andwithoneblow。
’Beitwritten,ThatallIwroughtWasforBritain,Indeedandthought:
Beitwritten,ThatwhileIdie,GlorytoBritain!
Ismylastcry。
’GlorytoBritain!
Deathechoesmeround。
GlorytoBritain!
Theworldshallresound。
GlorytoBritain!
Inruinandfall,GlorytoBritain!
Isheardoverall。’
Burn,Sun,downthesea!
Branlieslowwiththee。
Burst,Morn,fromthemain!
Bransoshallriseagain。
Blow,Wind,fromthefield!
Bran’sHeadistheBriton’sshield。
Beam,Star,intheWest!
BrightburnstheHeadofBrantheBlest。
Crimson-footed,likethestork,Fromgreatrutsofslaughter,WarriorsoftheGoldenTorqueCrosstheliftingwater。
Princesseven,enchaininghands,Beartheleheadhomeward。
Lo!itspeaks,andstillcommands:
Gazingoutfarfoamward。
FierywordsoflightningsenseDownthehollowsthunder;
ForesthostelsknownotwhenceComesthespeech,andwonder。
City-Castles,onthesteep,WherethefaithfulSevenHouseatmidnight,hear,insleep,Laughterunderheaven。
Lilies,swimmingonthemere,Inthecastleshadow,Underdrawtheirheads,andFearWalksthemistymeadow。
Tremblenot!itisnotDeathPledgingdarkespousal:
’TistheHeadofendlessbreath,Challengingcarousal!
Brimthehorn!ahealthisdrunk,Now,thatshallkeepgoing:
Lifeisbutthepebblesunk;
Deeds,thecirclegrowing!
Fill,andpledgetheHeadofBran!
Whilehisleadtheyfollow,LongshallheadsinBritainplanSpeechDeathcannotswallow!
Theoldcoach-roadthroughacommonoffurze,Withknollsofpine,ranwhite;
Berriesofautumn,withthistles,andburrs,Andspider-threads,droop’dinthelight。
Thelightinathinblueveilpeeredsick;
Thesheepgrazedcloseandstill;
ThesmokeofafarmbyayellowrickCurledlazilyunderahill。
Noflyshooktheroundofthesilvernet;
Noinsecttheswiftbirdchased;
OnlytwotravellersmovedandmetAcrossthathazywaste。
Onewasagirlwithababethatthrove,Herruinandherbliss;
Onewasayouthwithalawlesslove,Whoclaspeditthemoreforthis。
Thegirlforherbabehummedprayerfulspeech;
Theyouthforhislovedidpray;
Eachcastawistfullookoneach,Andeitherwenttheirway。
Now,this,tomynotion,ispleasantcheer,Tolieallaloneonaraggedheath,Whereyournoseisn’tsniffingforbonesorbeer,Butapeat-firesmellslikeagardenbeneath。
Thecottagersbustleaboutthedoor,Andthegirlatthewindowtiesherstrings。
She’sadishforamanwho’samindtobepoor;
Lord!womenaresuchexpensethings。
Wedon’tmarrybeggars,saysshe:why,no:
Itseemsthattomake’emiswhatyoudo;
AndasIcancook,andscour,andsew,Ineedn’tpayhalfmyctualsforyou。
Amanforhimselfshouldbeabletoscratch,Buttickling’saluxury:-love,indeed!
Loveburnsaslongasthelucifermatch,Wedlock’sthecandle!Now,that’smycreed。
Thechurch-bellssoundwater-likeoverthewheat;
Andupthelongpathtrooppairafterpair。
Theman’swell-brushed,andthewomanlooksneat:
It’smanandwomaneverywhere!
Unless,likeme,youliehereflat,Withadonkeyforfriend,youmusthaveawife:
Shepullsoutyourhair,butshebrushesyourhat。
Appearancesmakethebesthalfoflife。
Younicelittlemadam!youknowyou’renice。
IrememberhearingaparsonsayYou’reaplatefulofvanitypepper’dwithce;
Youchapatthegatethinkst’otherway。
Onhiswaistcoatyoureadbothhisheadandhisheart:
There’sawholeweek’swagestherefiguredingold!
Yes!whenyouturnroundyoumaywellgeastart:
It’sfuntoafellowwho’sgettingold。
Now,that’sagoodcraft,weangwaistcoatsandflowers,Andsellingofribbons,andscentingoflard:
Itgesyouahousetogetinfromtheshowers,Andfoodwhenyourappetitejockeysyouhard。
Youlearespectableman;butIaskIfit’sworththetrouble?Youuseyourtools,Andspendyourtime,andwhat’syourtask?
Why,tomakeaslideforacoupleoffools。
Youcan’tmatchthecolouro’theseheathmounds,Norbetterthatpeat-fire’sagreeablesmell。
I’mclothed-likewithnaturalsightsandsounds;
TomyselfI’mintune:Ihopeyou’reaswell。
Youjollyoldcot!thoughyoudon’towncoal:
It’sagenerouspotthat’sboiledwithpeat。
LettheLordMayoro’Londonroastoxenwhole:
Hissmoke,atleast,don’tsmellsosweet。
I’mnotalowRadical,hatingthelaws,Who’dthearistocracyrebuke。
Italko’theLordMayoro’LondonbecauseIoncewasonintimatetermswithhiscook。
Iservedhimaturn,andgotpensionedonscraps,And,Lord,Sir!didn’tIenvyhisplace,TillDeathknock’dhimdownwiththesoftestoftaps,AndIknewwhatwasmeantbyatallowyface!
Onthecontrary,I’mConservatequite;
There’sbeggarsinScripture’mongstGentilesandJews:
It’snonsense,tryingtosetthingsright,Forifpeoplewillge,why,who’llrefuse?
Thatstoppingoldcustomwakesmyspleen:
Thepoorandtherichbothingingagree:
Yourtight-fistedshopman’stheRadicalmean:
There’snothingincommon’twthimandme。
HesaysI’mnouse!butIwon’treply。
You’reluckynotbeingofusetohim!
Onweek-dayshe’splayingatSpiderandFly,AndonSundayshesingsaboutCherubim!
Nailingshillingstocountersishischiefwork:
Henodsnowandthenatthenameonhisdoor:
Butjudgeofustwo,atabowandasmirk,IthinkI’mhismatch:andI’mhonest——that’smore。
Nouse!well,Imayn’tbe。Youringapig’ssnout,Andthencalltheanimalglutton!Now,he,Mr。Shopman,he’snoughtbutapipeandaspoutWhowon’tletthegoodso’thisworldpassfree。
Thisblazingblueweatherallroundthebrowncrop,Hecan’tenjoy!allbutcashhehates。
He’sonlyasnailthatcrawlsunderhisshop;
Thoughhehasgottheearo’themagistrates。
Now,gingandtaking’saproperexchange,Likequestionandanswer:you’rebothcontent。
Butbuyingandsellingseemsalwaysstrange;
You’rehostile,andthat’sthethingthat’smeant。
It’smanagainstman——you’realmostbrutes;
There’sherenothanks,andthere’stherenopride。
IfCharity’sChristian,don’tblamemypursuits,Icarryatouchstonebywhichyou’retried-
’Takeit,’saysshe,’it’sallI’vegot’:
IrememberagirlinLondonstreets:
Shestoodbyacoffee-stall,niceandhot,Mybellywaslikealambthatbleats。
SaysItomyself,ashershillingIseized,Youhaven’tacharacterhere,mydear!
Butformakingarascallikemesopleased,I’llgeyouone,inabettersphere!
Andthat’swhereitis——shemademefeelIwasarascal:butpeoplewhoscorn,Andtellapoorpatch-breechheisn’tgenteel,Why,theymakehimkickup——andhetreadsonacorn。
Itisn’tliking,it’scurstill-luck,Dreshalfofusintothebegging-trade:
Iffortakingtowateryoupraiseaduck,Fortakingtobeerwhyamanupbraid?
Thesermon’sover:they’reoutoftheporch,Andit’stimeformetomovealeg;
Butingeneralpeoplewhocomefromchurch,Andhavecalledthemselvessinners,hatechapstobeg。
I’llwagerthey’llallof’emdineto-day!
Iwaseasyhalfaminuteago。
Ifthatisn’tpigthat’sbakingaway,MayIperish!——we’renevercontented——heigho!
BYTHEROSANNA——TOF。M。STANZERTHAL,TYROL
TheoldgreyAlphascaughtthecloud,Andthetorrentrersingsaloud;
Theglacier-greenRosannasingsAnorgansongofitsuppersprings。
Foamingunderthetiersofpine,Iseeitdashdownthedarkrane,Andittumblestherocksinboisterousplay,Withanearnestwilltofinditsway。
Sharpitthrowsoutanemeraldshoulder,And,thunderingeverofthemountain,Slapsinsportsomegiantboulder,Andtopsitinasilverfountain。
Achainoffoamfromendtoend,Andasolitudesodeep,myfriend,YoumayforgetthatmanabidesBeyondthegreatmutemountain-sides。
Yettome,inthishigh-walledsolitudeOfrerandrockandforestrude,TheroaringvoicethroughthelongwhitechainIsthevoiceoftheworldofbubbleandbrain。
WithinaTempleoftheToes,WheretwirledthepassionateWili,Isawfullmanyamarketrose,Andsighedformyllagelily。
WithcynicalAdrianthenItookflightTothatolddeadcitywhosecarolBurstsoutlikeareveller’sloudinthenight,Ashesitsastridehisbarrel。
WetwowereboundtheAlpstoscale,Uptherock-reflectingrer;
Oldtimesblewthro’melikeagale,Andkeptmythoughtsinaquer。
Hawkingruin,wood-slope,andneReeledsilver-lacedundermysion,Andintomepassed,withthegreen-eyedwineKnockinghardatmyheadforadmission。
第11章