50 bab ballads(50篇巴布歌谣)-第9节
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Fifty 〃Bab〃 Ballads … Much Sound and Little Sense
OH; listen to the tale of MISTER WILLIAM; if you please; Whom
naughty; naughty judges sent away beyond the seas。 He forged a party's
will; which caused anxiety and strife; Resulting in his getting penal
servitude for life。
He was a kindly goodly man; and naturally prone; Instead of taking
others' gold; to give away his own。 But he had heard of Vice; and longed
for only once to strike … To plan ONE little wickedness … to see what it was
like。
He argued with himself; and said; 〃A spotless man am I; I can't be
more respectable; however hard I try! For six and thirty years I've always
been as good as gold; And now for half an hour I'll plan infamy untold!
〃A baby who is wicked at the early age of one; And then reforms … and
dies at thirty…six a spotless son; Is never; never saddled with his
babyhood's defect; But earns from worthy men consideration and respect。
〃So one who never revelled in discreditable tricks Until he reached the
comfortable age of thirty…six; May then for half an hour perpetrate a deed
of shame; Without incurring permanent disgrace; or even blame。
〃That babies don't commit such crimes as forgery is true; But little sins
develop; if you leave 'em to accrue; And he who shuns all vices as
successive seasons roll; Should reap at length the benefit of so much self…
control。
〃The common sin of babyhood … objecting to be drest … If you leave it
to accumulate at compound interest; For anything you know; may
represent; if you're alive; A burglary or murder at the age of thirty…five。
〃Still; I wouldn't take advantage of this fact; but be content With some
pardonable folly … it's a mere experiment。 The greater the temptation to go
wrong; the less the sin; So with something that's particularly tempting I'll
begin。
〃I would not steal a penny; for my income's very fair … I do not want a
penny … I have pennies and to spare … And if I stole a penny from a money…
bag or till; The sin would be enormous … the temptation being NIL。
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Fifty 〃Bab〃 Ballads … Much Sound and Little Sense
Fifty 〃Bab〃 Ballads … Much Sound and Little Sense
〃There's WILSON who is dying … he has wealth from Stock and rent If
I divert his riches from their natural descent; I'm placed in a position to
indulge each little whim。〃 So he diverted them … and they; in turn; diverted
him。
Unfortunately; though; by some unpardonable flaw; Temptation isn't
recognized by Britain's Common Law; Men found him out by some
peculiarity of touch; And WILLIAM got a 〃lifer;〃 which annoyed him
very much。
For; ah! he never reconciled himself to life in gaol; He fretted and he
pined; and grew dispirited and pale; He was numbered like a cabman; too;
which told upon him so That his spirits; once so buoyant; grew
uncomfortably low。
And sympathetic gaolers would remark; 〃It's very true; He ain't been
brought up common; like the likes of me and you。〃 So they took him into
hospital; and gave him mutton chops; And chocolate; and arrowroot; and
buns; and malt and hops。
Kind Clergymen; besides; grew interested in his fate; Affected by the
details of his pitiable state。 They waited on the Secretary; somewhere in
Whitehall; Who said he would receive them any day they liked to call。
〃Consider; sir; the hardship of this interesting case: A prison life brings
with it something very like disgrace; It's telling on young WILLIAM;
who's reduced to skin and bone … Remember he's a gentleman; with money
of his own。
〃He had an ample income; and of course he stands in need Of sherry
with his dinner; and his customary weed; No delicacies now can pass his
gentlemanly lips … He misses his sea…bathing and his continental trips。
〃He says the other prisoners are commonplace and rude; He says he
cannot relish uncongenial prison food。 When quite a boy they taught him
to distinguish Good from Bad; And other educational advantages he's had。
〃A burglar or garotter; or; indeed; a common thief Is very glad to
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Fifty 〃Bab〃 Ballads … Much Sound and Little Sense
Fifty 〃Bab〃 Ballads … Much Sound and Little Sense
〃But beef and mutton…broth don't seem to suit our WILLIAM'S whim;
A boon to other prisoners …a punishment to him。 It never was intended
that the discipline of gaol Should dash a convict's spirits; sir; or make him
thin or pale。〃
〃Good Gracious Me!〃 that sympathetic Secretary cried; 〃Suppose in
prison fetters MISTER WILLIAM should have died! Dear me; of course!
Imprisonment for LIFE his sentence saith: I'm very glad you mentioned it
… it might have been For Death!
〃Release him with a ticket … he'll be better then; no doubt; And tell him
I apologize。〃 So MISTER WILLIAM'S out。 I hope he will be careful in his
manuscripts; I'm sure; And not begin experimentalizing any more。
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Fifty 〃Bab〃 Ballads … Much Sound and Little Sense
Fifty 〃Bab〃 Ballads … Much Sound and Little Sense
T
WOMAN'S STORY。
I'M old; my dears; and shrivelled with age; and work; and grief; My
eyes are gone; and my teeth have been drawn by Time; the Thief! For
terrible sights I've seen; and dangers great I've run … I'm nearly seventy
now; and my work is almost done!
Ah! I've been young in my time; and I've played the deuce with men!
I'm speaking of ten years past … I was barely sixty then: My cheeks were
mellow and soft; and my eyes were large and sweet; POLL PINEAPPLE'S
eyes were the standing toast of the Royal Fleet!
A bumboat woman was I; and I faithfully served the ships With apples
and cakes; and fowls; and beer; and halfpenny dips; And beef for the
generous mess; where the officers dine at nights; And fine fresh
peppermint drops for the rollicking midshipmites。
Of all the kind commanders who anchored in Portsmouth Bay; By far
the sweetest of all was kind LIEUTENANT BELAYE。' LIEUTENANT
BELAYE commanded the gunboat HOT CROSS BUN; She was seven
and thirty feet in length; and she carried a gun。
With a laudable view of enhancing his country's naval pride; When
people inquired her size; LIEUTENANT BELAYE replied; 〃Oh; my ship;
my ship is the first of the Hundred and Seventy… ones!〃 Which meant her
tonnage; but people imagined it meant her guns。
Whenever I went on board he would beckon me down below; 〃Come
down; Little Buttercup; come〃 (for he loved to call me so); And he'd tell of
the fights at sea in which he'd taken a part; And so LIEUTENANT
BELAYE won poor POLL PINEAPPLE'S heart!
But at length his orders came; and he said one day; said he; 〃I'm
ordered to sail with the HOT CROSS BUN to the German Sea。〃 And the
Portsmouth maidens wept when they learnt the evil day; For every
Portsmouth maid loved good LIEUTENANT BELAYE。
And I went to a back back street; with plenty of cheap cheap shops;
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Fifty 〃Bab〃 Ballads … Much Sound and Little Sense
Fifty 〃Bab〃 Ballads … Much Sound and Little Sense
We sailed that afternoon at the mystic hour of one; … Remarkably nice
young men were the crew of the HOT CROSS BUN; I'm sorry to say that
I've heard that sailors sometimes swear; But I never yet heard a BUN say
anything wrong; I declare。
When Jack Tars meet; they meet with a 〃Messmate; ho! What cheer?〃
But here; on the HOT CROSS BUN; it was 〃How do you do; my dear?〃
When Jack Tars growl; I believe they growl with a big big D… But the
strongest oath of the HOT CROSS BUNS was a mild 〃Dear me!〃
Yet; though they were all well…bred; you could scarcely call them slick:
Whenever a sea was on; they were all extremely sick; And whenever the
weather was calm; and the wind was light and fair; They spent more time
than a sailor should on his back back hair。
They certainly shivered and shook when ordered aloft to run; And they
screamed when LIEUTENANT BELAYE discharged his only gun。 And as
he was proud of his gun … such pride is hardly wrong … The Lieutenant was
blazing away at intervals all day long。
They all agreed very well; though at times you heard it said That BILL
had a way of his own of making his lips look red … That JOE looked quite
his age … or somebody might declare That BARNACLE'S long pig…tail was
never his own own hair。
BELAYE would admit that his men were of no great use to him; 〃But;
then;〃 he would say; 〃there is little to do on a gunboat trim I can hand; and
reef; and steer; and fire my big gun too … And it IS such a treat to sail with
a gentle well…bred crew。〃
I saw him every day。 How the happy moments sped! Reef topsails!
Make all taut! There's dirty weather ahead! (I do not mean that tempests
threatened the HOT CROSS BUN: In THAT case; I don't know whatever
we SHOULD have done!)
After a fortnight's cruise; we put into port one day; And off on leave
for a week went kind LIEUTENANT BELAYE; And after a long long
week had passed (and it seemed like a life); LIEUTENANT BELAYE
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Fifty 〃Bab〃 Ballads … Much Sound and Little Sense
Fifty 〃Bab〃 Ballads … Much Sound and Little Sense
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!