don juan-第26部分

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mence　with　feelings　warm；　and　prospects　high；
But　time　strips　our　illusions　of　their　hue；
And　one　by　one　in　turn；　some　grand　mistake
Casts　off　its　bright　skin　yearly　like　the　snake。

''T　is　true；　it　gets　another　bright　and　fresh；
Or　fresher；　brighter；　but　the　year　gone　through；
This　skin　must　go　the　way；　too；　of　all　flesh；
Or　sometimes　only　wear　a　week　or　two；…
Love　's　the　first　net　which　spreads　its　deadly　mesh；
Ambition；　Avarice；　Vengeance；　Glory；　glue
The　glittering　lime…twigs　of　our　latter　days；
Where　still　we　flutter　on　for　pence　or　praise。'

'All　this　is　very　fine；　and　may　be　true；'
Said　Juan；　'but　I　really　don't　see　how
It　betters　present　times　with　me　or　you。'
'No？'　quoth　the　other；　'yet　you　will　allow
By　setting　things　in　their　right　point　of　view；
Knowledge；　at　least；　is　gain'd；　for　instance；　now；
We　know　what　slavery　is；　and　our　disasters
May　teach　us　better　to　behave　when　masters。'

'Would　we　were　masters　now；　if　but　to　try
Their　present　lessons　on　our　Pagan　friends　here；'
Said　Juan；…　swallowing　a　heart…burning　sigh：
'Heaven　help　the　scholar　whom　his　fortune　sends　here！'
'Perhaps　we　shall　be　one　day；　by　and　by；'
Rejoin'd　the　other；　when　our　bad　luck　mends　here；
Meantime　（yon　old　black　eunuch　seems　to　eye　us）

'But　after　all；　what　is　our　present　state？
'T　is　bad；　and　may　be　better…　all　men's　lot：
Most　men　are　slaves；　none　more　so　than　the　great；
To　their　own　whims　and　passions；　and　what　not；
Society　itself；　which　should　create
Kindness；　destroys　what　little　we　had　got：
To　feel　for　none　is　the　true　social　art
Of　the　world's　stoics…　men　without　a　heart。'

Just　now　a　black　old　neutral　personage
Of　the　third　sex　stept　up；　and　peering　over
The　captives；　seem'd　to　mark　their　looks　and　age；
And　capabilities；　as　to　discover
If　they　were　fitted　for　the　purposed　cage：
No　lady　e'er　is　ogled　by　a　lover；
Horse　by　a　blackleg；　broadcloth　by　a　tailor；
Fee　by　a　counsel；　felon　by　a　jailor；

As　is　a　slave　by　his　intended　bidder。
'T　is　pleasant　purchasing　our　fellow…creatures；
And　all　are　to　be　sold；　if　you　consider
Their　passions；　and　are　dext'rous；　some　by　features
Are　bought　up；　others　by　a　warlike　leader；
Some　by　a　place…　as　tend　their　years　or　natures；
The　most　by　ready　cash…　but　all　have　prices；
From　crowns　to　kicks；　according　to　their　vices。

The　eunuch；　having　eyed　them　o'er　with　care；
Turn'd　to　the　merchant；　and　begun　to　bid
First　but　for　one；　and　after　for　the　pair；
They　haggled；　wrangled；　swore；　too…　so　they　did！
As　though　they　were　in　a　mere　Christian　fair
Cheapening　an　ox；　an　ass；　a　lamb；　or　kid；
So　that　their　bargain　sounded　like　a　battle
For　this　superior　yoke　of　human　cattle。

At　last　they　settled　into　simple　grumbling；
And　pulling　out　reluctant　purses；　and
Turning　each　piece　of　silver　o'er；　and　tumbling
Some　down；　and　weighing　others　in　their　hand；
And　by　mistake　sequins　with　paras　jumbling；
Until　the　sum　was　accurately　scann'd；
And　then　the　merchant　giving　change；　and　signing
Receipts　in　full；　began　to　think　of　dining。

I　wonder　if　his　appetite　was　good？
Or；　if　it　were；　if　also　his　digestion？
Methinks　at　meals　some　odd　thoughts　might　intrude；
And　conscience　ask　a　curious　sort　of　question；
About　the　right　divine　how　far　we　should
Sell　flesh　and　blood。　When　dinner　has　opprest　one；
I　think　it　is　perhaps　the　gloomiest　hour
Which　turns　up　out　of　the　sad　twenty…four。

Voltaire　says　'No：'　he　tells　you　that　Candide
Found　life　most　tolerable　after　meals；
He　's　wrong…　unless　man　were　a　pig；　indeed；
Repletion　rather　adds　to　what　he　feels；
Unless　he　's　drunk；　and　then　no　doubt　he　's　freed
From　his　own　brain's　oppression　while　it　reels。
Of　food　I　think　with　Philip's　son；　or　rather
Ammon's　（ill　pleased　with　one　world　and　one　father）；

I　think　with　Alexander；　that　the　act
Of　eating；　with　another　act　or　two；
Makes　us　feel　our　mortality　in　fact
Redoubled；　when　a　roast　and　a　ragout；
And　fish；　and　soup；　by　some　side　dishes　back'd；
Can　give　us　either　pain　or　pleasure；　who
Would　pique　himself　on　intellects；　whose　use
Depends　so　much　upon　the　gastric　juice？

The　other　evening　（'t　was　on　Friday　last）…
This　is　a　fact　and　no　poetic　fable…
Just　as　my　great　coat　was　about　me　cast；
My　hat　and　gloves　still　lying　on　the　table；
I　heard　a　shot…　't　was　eight　o'clock　scarce　past…
And；　running　out　as　fast　as　I　was　able；
I　found　the　military　mandant
Stretch'd　in　the　street；　and　able　scarce　to　pant。

Poor　fellow！　for　some　reason；　surely　bad；
They　had　slain　him　with　five　slugs；　and　left　him　there
To　perish　on　the　pavement：　so　I　had
Him　borne　into　the　house　and　up　the　stair；
And　stripp'd　and　look'd　to…　But　why　should　I　ad
More　circumstances？　vain　was　every　care；
The　man　was　gone：　in　some　Italian　quarrel
Kill'd　by　five　bullets　from　an　old　gun…barrel。

I　gazed　upon　him；　for　I　knew　him　well；
And　though　I　have　seen　many　corpses；　never
Saw　one；　whom　such　an　accident　befell；
So　calm；　though　pierced　through　stomach；　heart；　and　liver；
He　seem'd　to　sleep；…　for　you　could　scarcely　tell
（As　he　bled　inwardly；　no　hideous　river
Of　gore　divulged　the　cause）　that　he　was　dead：
So　as　I　gazed　on　him；　I　thought　or　said…

'Can　this　be　death？　then　what　is　life　or　death？
Speak！'　but　he　spoke　not：　'Wake！'　but　still　he　slept：…
'But　yesterday　and　who　had　mightier　breath？
A　thousand　warriors　by　his　word　were　kept
In　awe：　he　said；　as　the　centurion　saith；
〃Go；〃　and　he　goeth；　〃e；〃　and　forth　he　stepp'd。
The　trump　and　bugle　till　he　spake　were　dumb…
And　now　nought　left　him　but　the　muffled　drum。'

And　they　who　waited　once　and　worshipp'd…　they
With　their　rough　faces　throng'd　about　the　bed
To　gaze　once　more　on　the　manding　clay
Which　for　the　last；　though　not　the　first；　time　bled：
And　such　an　end！　that　he　who　many　a　day
Had　faced　Napoleon's　foes　until　they　fled；…
The　foremost　in　the　charge　or　in　the　sally；
Should　now　be　butcher'd　in　a　civic　alley。

The　scars　of　his　old　wounds　were　near　his　new；
Those　honourable　scars　which　brought　him　fame；
And　horrid　was　the　contrast　to　the　view…
But　let　me　quit　the　theme；　as　such　things　claim
Perhaps　even　more　attention　than　is　due
From　me：　I　gazed　（as　oft　I　have　gazed　the　same）
To　try　if　I　could　wrench　aught　out　of　death
Which　should　confirm；　or　shake；　or　make　a　faith；

But　it　was　all　a　mystery。　Here　we　are；
And　there　we　go：…　but　where？　five　bits　of　lead；
Or　three；　or　two；　or　one；　send　very　far！
And　is　this　blood；　then；　form'd　but　to　be　shed？
Can　every　element　our　elements　mar？
And　air…　earth…　water…　fire　live…　and　we　dead？
We　whose　minds　prehend　all　things？　No　more；
But　let　us　to　the　story　as　before。

The　purchaser　of　Juan　and　acquaintance
Bore　off　his　bargains　to　a　gilded　boat；
Embark'd　himself　and　them；　and　off　they　went　thence
As　fast　as　oars　could　pull　and　water　float；
They　look'd　like　persons　being　led　to　sentence；
Wondering　what　next；　till　the　caique　was　brought
Up　in　a　little　creek　below　a　wall
O'ertopp'd　with　cypresses；　dark…green　and　tall。

Here　their　conductor　tapping　at　the　wicket
Of　a　small　iron　door；　't　was　open'd；　and
He　led　them　onward；　first　through　a　low　thicket
Flank'd　by　large　groves；　which　tower'd　on　either　hand：
They　almost　lost　their　way；　and　had　to　pick　it…
For　night　was　dosing　ere　they　came　to　land。
The　eunuch　made　a　sign　to　those　on　board；
Who　row'd　off；　leaving　them　without　a　word。

As　they　were　plodding　on　their　winding　way
Through　orange　bowers；　and　jasmine；　and　so　forth
（Of　which　I　might　have　a　good　deal　to　say；
There　being　no　such　profusion　in　the　North
Of　oriental　plants；　'et　cetera；'
But　that　of　late　your　scribblers　think　it　worth
Their　while　to　rear　whole　hotbeds　in　their　works
Because　one　poet　travell'd　'mongst　the　Turks）…

As　they　were　threading　on　their　way；　there　came
Into　Don　Juan's　head　a　thought；　which　he
Whisper'd　to　his　panion：…　't　was　the　same
Which　might　have　then　occurr'd　to　you　or　me。
'Methinks；'　said　he；　'it　would　be　no　great　shame
If　we　should　strike　a　stroke　to　set　us　free；
Let　's　knock　that　old　black　fellow　on　the　head；
And　march　away…　't　were　easier　done　than　said。'

'Yes；'　said　the　other；　'and　when　done；　what　then？
How　get　out？　how　the　devil　got　we　in？
And　when　we　once　were　fairly　out；　and　when
From　Saint　Bartholomew　we　have　saved　our　skin；
To…morrow　'd　see　us　in　some　other　den；
And　worse　off　than　we　hitherto　have　been；
Besides；　I　'm　hungry；　and　just　now　would　take；
Like　Esau；　for　my　birthright　a　beef…steak。

'We　must　be　near　some　place　of　man's　abode；…
For　the　old　negro's　confidence　in　creeping；
With　his　two　captives；　by　so　queer　a　road；
Shows　that　he　thinks　his　friends　have　not　been　sleeping；
A　single　cry　would　bring　them　all　abroad：
'T　is　therefore　better　looking　before　leaping…
And　there；　you　see；　this　turn　has　brought　us　through；
By　Jove；　a　noble　palace！…　lighted　too。'

It　was　indeed　a　wide　extensive　building
Which　open'd　on　their　view；　and　o'er　the　front
There　seem'd　to　be　besprent　a　deal　of　gilding
And　various　hues；　as　is　the　Turkish　wont；…
A　gaudy　taste；　for　they　are　little　skill'd　in
The　arts　of　which　these　lands　were　once　the　font：
Each　villa　on　the　Bosphorus　looks　a　screen
New　painted；　or　a　pretty　opera…scene。

And　nearer　as　they　came；　a　genial　savour
Of　certain　stews；　and　roast…meats；　and　pilaus；
Things　which　in　hungry　mortals'　eyes　find　favour；
Made　Juan　in　his　harsh　intentions　pause；
And　put　himself　upon　his　good　behaviour：
His　friend；　too；　adding　a　new　saving　clause；
Said；　'In　Heaven's　name　let's　get　some　supper　now；
And　then　I　'm　with　you；　if　you　're　for　a　row。'

Some　talk　of　an　appeal　unto　some　passion；
Some　to　men's　feelings；　others　to　their　reason；
The　last　of　these　was　never　much　the　fashion；
For　reason　thinks　all　reasoning　out　of　season。
Some　speakers　whine；　and　others　lay　the　lash　on；
But　more　or　less　continue　still　to　tease　on；
With　arguments　according　to　their　'forte；'
But　no　one　dreams　of　ever　being　short。…

But　I　digress：　of　all　appeals；…　although
I　grant　the　power　of　pathos；　and　of　gold；
Of　beauty；　flattery；　threats；　a　shilling；…　no
Method　's　more　sure　at　moments　to　take　hold
Of　the　best　feelings　of　mankind；　which　grow
More　tender；　as　we　every　day　behold；
Than　that　all…softening；　overpowering　knell；
The　tocsin　of　the　soul…　the　dinner…bell。

Turk