50 bab ballads(50篇巴布歌谣)-第10节
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He up; and he says; says he; 〃O crew of the HOT CROSS BUN; Here
is the wife of my heart; for the Church has made us one!〃 And as he
uttered the word; the crew went out of their wits; And all fell down in so
many separate fainting…fits。
And then their hair came down; or off; as the case might be; And lo!
the rest of the crew were simple girls; like me; Who all had fled from their
homes in a sailor's blue array; To follow the shifting fate of kind
LIEUTENANT BELAYE。
* * * * * * * *
It's strange to think that I should ever have loved young men; But I'm
speaking of ten years past … I was barely sixty then; And now my cheeks
are furrowed with grief and age; I trow! And poor POLL PINEAPPLE'S
eyes have lost their lustre now!
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Fifty 〃Bab〃 Ballads … Much Sound and Little Sense
Fifty 〃Bab〃 Ballads … Much Sound and Little Sense
MR。 BLAKE was a regular out…and…out hardened sinner; Who was
quite out of the pale of Christianity; so to speak; He was in the habit of
smoking a long pipe and drinking a glass of grog on a Sunday after dinner;
And seldom thought of going to church more than twice or …if Good
Friday or Christmas Day happened to come in it … three times a week。
He was quite indifferent as to the particular kinds of dresses That the
clergyman wore at church where he used to go to pray; And whatever he
did in the way of relieving a chap's distresses; He always did in a nasty;
sneaking; underhanded; hole…and…corner sort of way。
I have known him indulge in profane; ungentlemanly emphatics; When
the Protestant Church has been divided on the subject of the proper width
of a chasuble's hem; I have even known him to sneer at albs … and as for
dalmatics; Words can't convey an idea of the contempt he expressed for
THEM。
He didn't believe in persons who; not being well off themselves; are
obliged to confine their charitable exertions to collecting money from
wealthier people; And looked upon individuals of the former class as
ecclesiastical hawks; He used to say that he would no more think of
interfering with his priest's robes than with his church or his steeple; And
that he did not consider his soul imperilled because somebody over whom
he had no influence whatever; chose to dress himself up like an
exaggerated GUY FAWKES。
This shocking old vagabond was so unutterably shameless That he
actually went a…courting a very respectable and pious middle…aged sister;
by the name of BIGGS。 She was a rather attractive widow; whose life as
such had always been particularly blameless; Her first husband had left
her a secure but moderate competence; owing to some fortunate
speculations in the matter of figs。
She was an excellent person in every way … and won the respect even
of MRS。 GRUNDY; She was a good housewife; too; and wouldn't have
wasted a penny if she had owned the Koh…i…noor。 She was just as strict as
57
Fifty 〃Bab〃 Ballads … Much Sound and Little Sense
Fifty 〃Bab〃 Ballads … Much Sound and Little Sense
I am sorry to say that she rather took to BLAKE … that outcast of
society; And when respectable brothers who were fond of her began to
look dubious and to cough; She would say; 〃Oh; my friends; it's because I
hope to bring this poor benighted soul back to virtue and propriety; And
besides; the poor benighted soul; with all his faults; was uncommonly well
off。
And when MR。 BLAKE'S dissipated friends called his attention to the
frown or the pout of her; Whenever he did anything which appeared to her
to savour of an unmentionable place; He would say that 〃she would be a
very decent old girl when all that nonsense was knocked out of her;〃 And
his method of knocking it out of her is one that covered him with disgrace。
She was fond of going to church services four times every Sunday; and;
four or five times in the week; and never seemed to pall of them; So he
hunted out all the churches within a convenient distance that had services
at different hours; so to speak; And when he had married her he positively
insisted upon their going to all of them; So they contrived to do about
twelve churches every Sunday; and; if they had luck; from twenty…two to
twenty…three in the course of the week。
She was fond of dropping his sovereigns ostentatiously into the plate;
and she liked to see them stand out rather conspicuously against the
commonplace half…crowns and shillings; So he took her to all the charity
sermons; and if by any extraordinary chance there wasn't a charity sermon
anywhere; he would drop a couple of sovereigns (one for him and one for
her) into the poor…box at the door; And as he always deducted the sums
thus given in charity from the housekeeping money; and the money he
allowed her for her bonnets and frillings; She soon began to find that even
charity; if you allow it to interfere with your personal luxuries; becomes an
intolerable bore。
On Sundays she was always melancholy and anything but good
society; For that day in her household was a day of sighings and sobbings
58
Fifty 〃Bab〃 Ballads … Much Sound and Little Sense
Fifty 〃Bab〃 Ballads … Much Sound and Little Sense
After about three months of this sort of thing; taking the smooth with
the rough of it; (Blacking her own boots and peeling her own potatoes was
not her notion of connubial bliss); MRS。 BLAKE began to find that she
had pretty nearly had enough of it; And came; in course of time; to think
that BLAKE'S own original line of conduct wasn't so much amiss。
And now that wicked person … that detestable sinner (〃BELIAL
BLAKE〃 his friends and well…wishers call him for his atrocities); And his
poor deluded victim; whom all her Christian brothers dislike and pity so;
Go to the parish church only on Sunday morning and afternoon and
occasionally on a week…day; and spend their evenings in connubial
fondlings and affectionate reciprocities; And I should like to know where
in the world (or rather; out of it) they expect to go!
59
Fifty 〃Bab〃 Ballads … Much Sound and Little Sense
Fifty 〃Bab〃 Ballads … Much Sound and Little Sense
S
VENGEANCE。
WEARY at heart and extremely ill Was PALEY VOLLAIRE of
Bromptonville; In a dirty lodging; with fever down; Close to the Polygon;
Somers Town。
PALEY VOLLAIRE was an only son (For why? His mother had had
but one); And PALEY inherited gold and grounds Worth several hundred
thousand pounds。
But he; like many a rich young man; Through this magnificent fortune
ran; And nothing was left for his daily needs But duplicate copies of
mortgage…deeds。
Shabby and sorry and sorely sick; He slept; and dreamt that the clock's
〃tick; tick;〃 Was one of the Fates; with a long sharp knife; Snicking off bits
of his shortened life。
He woke and counted the pips on the walls; The outdoor passengers'
loud footfalls; And reckoned all over; and reckoned again; The little white
tufts on his counterpane。
A medical man to his bedside came。 (I can't remember that doctor's
name); And said; 〃You'll die in a very short while If you don't set sail for
Madeira's isle。〃
〃Go to Madeira? goodness me! I haven't the money to pay your fee!〃
〃Then; PALEY VOLLAIRE;〃 said the leech; 〃good bye; I'll come no more;
for your're sure to die。〃
He sighed and he groaned and smote his breast; 〃Oh; send;〃 said he;
〃for FREDERICK WEST; Ere senses fade or my eyes grow dim: I've a
terrible tale to whisper him!〃
Poor was FREDERICK'S lot in life; … A dustman he with a fair young
wife; A worthy man with a hard…earned store; A hundred and seventy
pounds … or more。
FREDERICK came; and he said; 〃Maybe You'll say what you
happened to want with me?〃 〃Wronged boy;〃 said PALEY VOLLAIRE; 〃I
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Fifty 〃Bab〃 Ballads … Much Sound and Little Sense
Fifty 〃Bab〃 Ballads … Much Sound and Little Sense
THE TERRIBLE TALE。
〃'Tis now some thirty…seven years ago Since first began the plot that
I'm revealing; A fine young woman; whom you ought to know; Lived with
her husband down in Drum Lane; Ealing。 Herself by means of mangling
reimbursing; And now and then (at intervals) wet…nursing。
〃Two little babes dwelt in their humble cot: One was her own … the
other only lent to her: HER OWN SHE SLIGHTED。 Tempted by a lot Of
gold and silver regularly sent to her; She ministered unto the little other In
the capacity of foster…mother。
〃I WAS HER OWN。 Oh! how I lay and sobbed In my poor cradle deeply;
deeply cursing The rich man's pampered bantling; who had robbed
My only birthright … an attentive nursing! Sometimes in hatred of my
foster…brother; I gnashed my gums … which terrified my mother。
〃One day … it was quite early in the week … I IN MY CRADLE
HAVING PLACED THE BANTLING … Crept into his! He had not learnt
to speak; But I could see his face with anger mantling。 It was imprudent well;
disgraceful maybe; For; oh! I was a bad; blackhearted baby!
〃So great a luxury was food; I think No wickedness but I was game to
try for it。 NOW if I wanted anything to drink At any time; I only had to cry
for it! ONCE; if I dared to weep; the bottle lacking; My b