Shewasactive,stirring,allfire——
Couldnotrest,couldnottire——
Toastoneshemighthavegivenlife!
Imyselflovedonce,inmyday——
Forashepherd’s,miner’s,huntsman’swife,Ihadawife,IknowwhatIsay
Neverinalltheworldsuchanone![180]
Andherewasplentytobedone,Andshethatcoulddoit,greatorsmall,Shewastodonothingatall。
Therewasalreadythismaninhispost,Thisinhisstation,andthatinhisoffice,AndtheDuke’splanadmittedawife,atmost,Tomeethiseye,withtheothertrophies,Nowoutsidethehall,nowinit,Tositthus,standthus,seeandbeseen,Attheproperplaceintheproperminute,[190]
Anddieawaythelifebetween。
Anditwasamusingenough,eachinfractionOfrule——butforafter-sadnessthatcame
Toheartheconsummateself-satisfactionWithwhichtheyoungDukeandtheolddameWouldletheradvise,andcriticise,And,beingafool,instructthewise,And,childlike,parceloutpraiseorblame:
Theyboreitallincomplacentguise,Asthoughanartificer,aftercontriving[200]
Awheel-workimageasifitwereliving,Shouldfindwithdelightitcouldmotiontostrikehim!
SofoundtheDuke,andhismotherlikehim:
Theladyhardlygotarebuff——
Thathadnotbeencontemptuousenough,Withhiscursedsmirk,ashenoddedapplause,Andkeptofftheoldmother-cat’sclaws——
180。suchanone:i。e。,forashepherd’s,miner’s,huntsman’swife。
9。
So,thelittleladygrewsilentandthin,Palingandeverpaling,Asthewayiswithahidchagrin;[210]
AndtheDukeperceivedthatshewasailing,Andsaidinhisheart,”’Tisdonetospiteme,ButIshallfindinmypowertorightme!”
Don’tswear,friend!Theoldone,manyayear,Isinhell;andtheDuke’sself……youshallhear。
10。
Well,earlyinautumn,atfirstwinter-warning,Whenthestaghadtobreakwithhisfoot,ofamorning,Adrinking-holeoutofthefreshtenderice,Thatcoveredthepondtillthesun,inatrice,Looseningit,letoutarippleofgold,[220]
Andanotherandanother,andfasterandfaster,Till,dimplingtoblindness,thewidewaterrolled,ThenitsochancedthattheDukeourmasterAskedhimselfwhatwerethepleasuresinseason,Andfound,sincethecalendarbadehimbehearty,HeshoulddotheMiddleAgenotreasonInresolvingonahunting-party,Alwaysprovided,oldbooksshowedthewayofit!
Whatmeantoldpoetsbytheirstrictures?
Andwhenoldpoetshadsaidtheirsayofit,[230]
Howtaughtoldpaintersintheirpictures?
Wemustreverttotheproperchannels,Workingsintapestry,paintingsonpanels,Andgatherupwoodcraft’sauthentictraditions:
Herewasfoodforourvariousambitions,Asoneachcase,exactlystated——
Toencourageyourdog,now,theproperestchirrup,OrbestprayertoSt。Hubertonmountingyourstirrup——
Weofthehouseholdtookthoughtanddebated。
Blessedwashewhosebackachedwiththejerkin[240]
Hissirewaswonttodoforest-workin;
Blessederhewhonoblysunk”ohs”
And”ahs”whilehetuggedonhisgrandsire’strunk-hose;
Whatsignifiedhatsiftheyhadnorimson,Eachslouchingbeforeandbehindlikethescallop,Andabletoserveatseaforashallop,Loadedwithlacquerandloopedwithcrimson?
Sothatthedeernow,tomakeashortrhymeon’t,WhatwithourVenerers,Prickers,andVerderers,Mighthopeforrealhuntersatlengthandnotmurderers,[250]
AndohtheDuke’stailor,hehadahottimeon’t!——
238。St。Hubert:patronsaintofhuntsmen。
247。lacquer:yellowishvarnish。
249。Venerers,Prickers,andVerderers:huntsmen,light-horsemen,andguardiansofthevertandvenisonintheDuke’sforest。
11。
NowyoumustknowthatwhenthefirstdizzinessOfflap-hatsandbuff-coatsandjack-bootssubsided,TheDukeputthisquestion,”TheDuke’spartprovided,HadnottheDuchesssomeshareinthebusiness?”
ForoutofthemouthoftwoorthreewitnessesDidheestablishallfit-or-unfitnesses;
And,aftermuchlayingofheadstogether,Somebody’scapgotanotablefeatherBytheannouncementwithproperunction[260]
Thathehaddiscoveredthelady’sfunction;
Sinceancientauthorsgavethistenet,”Whenhornswindamortandthedeerisatsiege,Letthedameofthecastleprickforthonherjennet,AndwithwatertowashthehandsofherliegeInacleanewerwithafairtowelling,Letherpresideatthedisembowelling。”
Now,myfriend,ifyouhadsolittlereligionAstocatchahawk,somefalcon-lanner,Andthrustherbroadwingslikeabanner[270]
Intoacoopforavulgarpigeon;
AndifdaybydayandweekbyweekYoucutherclaws,andsealedhereyes,Andclippedherwings,andtiedherbeak,WoulditcauseyouanygreatsurpriseIf,whenyoudecidedtogiveheranairing,Youfoundsheneededalittlepreparing?——
Isay,shouldyoubesuchacurmudgeon,Ifsheclungtotheperch,astotakeitindudgeon?
YetwhentheDuketohisladysignified,[280]
Justadaybefore,ashejudgedmostdignified,Inwhatapleasureshewastoparticipate,——
And,insteadofleapingwideinflashes,Hereyesjustliftedtheirlonglashes,Asifpressedbyfatigueevenhecouldnotdissipate,AnddulyacknowledgedtheDuke’sforethought,Butspokeofherhealth,ifherhealthwereworthaught,Oftheweightbydayandthewatchbynight,Andmuchwrongnowthatusedtoberight,So,thankinghim,declinedthehunting,——[290]
Wasconductevermoreaffronting?
Withalltheceremonysettled——
Withthetowelready,andthesewerPolishinguphisoldestewer,Andthejennetpitchedupon,apiebald,Black-barred,cream-coated,andpinkeye-balled,——
NowonderiftheDukewasnettled!
Andwhenshepersistednevertheless,——
Well,Isupposehere’sthetimetoconfessThatthereranhalfroundourlady’schamber[300]
Abalconynoneofthehardesttoclamber;
AndthatJacynththetire-woman,readyinwaiting,Staidincalloutside,whatneedofrelating?
AndsinceJacynthwaslikeaJunerose,why,aferventAdorerofJacynthofcoursewasyourservant;
Andifshehadthehabittopeepthroughthecasement,HowcouldIkeepatanyvastdistance?
Andso,asIsay,onthelady’spersistence,TheDuke,dumbstrickenwithamazement,Stoodforawhileinasultrysmother,[310]
Andthen,withasmilethatpartookoftheawful,TurnedherovertohisyellowmotherTolearnwhatwasdecorousandlawful;
Andthemothersmeltbloodwithacat-likeinstinct,Ashercheekquickwhitenedthroughallitsquince-tinct。
Oh,buttheladyheardthewholetruthatonce!
Whatmeantshe?——Whowasshe?——Herdutyandstation,Thewisdomofageandthefollyofyouth,atonce,Itsdecentregardanditsfittingrelation——
Inbrief,myfriends,setallthedevilsinhellfree[320]
AndturnthemouttocarouseinabelfryAndtreattheprieststoafifty-partcanon,Andthenyoumayguesshowthattongueofhersranon!
Well,somehoworotheritendedatlast,And,lickingherwhiskers,outshepassed;
Andafterher,——makinghehopedafaceLikeEmperorNeroorSultanSaladin,StalkedtheDuke’sselfwiththeausteregraceOfancientheroormodernpaladin,Fromdoortostaircase——oh,suchasolemn[330]
Unbendingofthevertebralcolumn!——
263。windamort:announcethatthedeeristaken。
273。sealed:moreproperlyspelt`seeled’,aterminfalconry;
Lat。`cilium’,aneyelid;`seel’,tocloseuptheeyelidsofahawk,orotherbirdFr。`cillerlesyeux’。”Come,seelingNight,SkarfevpthetenderEyeofpittifulDay。”`Macbeth’,III。II。46。
322。fifty-partcanon:”Acanon,inmusic,isapiecewhereinthesubjectisrepeated,invariouskeys:andbeingstrictlyobeyedintherepetition,becomesthe`canon’——theimperativeLAW——
towhatfollows。Fiftyofsuchpartswouldbeindeedanotablepeal:
tomanagethreeisenoughofanachievementforagoodmusician。”——
FromPoet’sLettertotheEditor。
12。
However,atsunriseourcompanymustered;
Andherewasthehuntsmanbiddingunkennel,Andthere’neathhisbonnettheprickerblustered,Withfeatherdankasaboughofwetfennel;
Forthecourt-yardwallswerefilledwithfogYoumightcutasanaxechopsalog——
Likesomuchwoolforcolorandbulkiness;
AndoutrodetheDukeinaperfectsulkiness,Since,beforebreakfast,amanfeelsbutqueasily,[340]
AndasinkingatthelowerabdomenBeginsthedaywithindifferentomen。
Andlo!ashelookedarounduneasily,Thesunploughedthefogupanddroveitasunder,Thiswayandthat,fromthevalleyunder;
And,lookingthroughthecourt-yardarch,Downinthevalley,whatshouldmeethimButatroopofgypsiesontheirmarch?
Nodoubtwiththeannualgiftstogreethim。
13。
Now,inyourland,gypsiesreachyou,only[350]
Afterreachingalllandsbeside;
Norththeygo,Souththeygo,troopingorlonely,Andstill,astheytravelfarandwide,Catchtheyandkeepnowatracehere,atracethere,Thatputsyouinmindofaplacehere,aplacethere。
Butwithus,Ibelievetheyriseoutoftheground,Andnowhereelse,Itakeit,arefoundWiththeearth-tintyetsofreshlyembrowned;
Born,nodoubt,likeinsectswhichbreedonTheveryfruittheyaremeanttofeedon。[360]
Fortheearth——notausetowhichtheydon’tturnit,Theorethatgrowsinthemountain’swomb,Orthesandinthepitslikeahoneycomb,Theysiftandsoftenit,bakeitandburnit——
Whethertheyweldyou,forinstance,asnaffleWithside-barsneverabrutecanbaffle;
Oralockthat’sapuzzleofwardswithinwards;
Or,ifyourcolt’sforefootinclinestocurveinwards,HorseshoestheyhammerwhichturnonaswivelAndwon’tallowthehooftoshrivel。[370]
ThentheycastbellsliketheshellofthewinkleThatkeepastoutheartintheramwiththeirtinkle;
Butthesand——theypinchandpounditlikeotters;
Commendmetogypsyglass-makersandpotters!
Glassesthey’llblowyou,crystal-clear,Wherejustafaintcloudofroseshallappear,AsifinpurewateryoudroppedandletdieAbruisedblack-bloodedmulberry;
Andthatothersort,theircrowningpride,Withlongwhitethreadsdistinctinside,[380]
Likethelake-flower’sfibrousrootswhichdangleLoosesuchalengthandnevertangle,Wheretheboldsword-lilycutstheclearwaters,Andthecup-lilycoucheswithallthewhitedaughters:
Sucharetheworkstheyputtheirhandto,Theusestheyturnandtwistironandsandto。
Andthesemadethetroop,whichourDukesawsallyTowardhiscastlefromoutofthevalley,Menandwomen,likenew-hatchedspiders,Comeoutwiththemorningtogreetourriders。[390]
Anduptheywoundtilltheyreachedtheditch,Whereatallstoppedsaveone,awitchThatIknew,asshehobbledfromthegroup,Byhergaitdirectlyandherstoop,I,whomJacynthwasusedtoimportuneToletthatsamewitchtellusourfortune。