He threw it over the window.
Floor-cloth. objection.
It will rain.
of, or about, more modern and better in this sense; but, habits of thinking on, &c. perfectly good. for.
in the draught of.
out of the draught of.
in that art, &c.
way, or they If any person, &c. ; or rather, all
persons passing this way will be prosecuted.
To trivial wonders is my song confined, A slender crew, and folks without a mind; Whose futile forms no impious hand inspires With warmth unhallowed, or Promethean fires.
Where gaping throngs admire the mimic feat, And sleight of face enchants the grinning street, All whom the pleasure or the wonder bring, Intent on mirth, fill the allotted ring. Nor reigns disorder; but precedence fit Marshals the crowd, and as they pay they sit.
At last the curtain slides, and straight all eyes Fix on the box, where thread in many plies Crosses the window, lest the pervious space Betrayed the guile. And now a shrill-tongued race Enter their lackered hall and much-daubed home. Here, pent in narrow scene and lowly dome, Plots, wars, and pomps, and all man's busy day, On their small boards, the little people play A blustering manny struts above the rest, With breadth of buckle on his ampler vest;
Whose wandering eye-balls roll with living lightw Immoderate swells his paunch, and to huge height we've Rises his back. The pigmy tribe askance Ponder his frightful step and giant, glance.
He, trusting in his size and unmatched force, Rails on the mob without remorse; puny And, scattering loud his tyrant wit around, In squalls of joy the wicked droll is drown'd. Oft too, though serious rites the rest engage, And some high pageant fills the thoughtful stage, Reckless he spurns upon the earnest train, With bursts of bootless cheer and shrill disdain Oft shocks the painted fair in froward mood, And darts loud kisses on the averted wood.
Meantime, with various games, the common sort Strain their light limbs, and cope in agile sport.
Sometimes the wooden gentry you behold In purple issue and the blaze of gold; As bent on motive of some great appeal, Or high concernment of the commonweal; In decent rank the matron troop advance, The gorgeous chieftain, and the glittering lance. So, ere the stars just loose their silver wain, Glide forth the pageant sprites and fairy train, In festive mazes tread their narrow round, And touch with noiseless feet the frequent ground; Aurora dawns, nor any trace is seen
But a sweet herbage, and a fresher green.
Yet clouds will rise, and mar this fairer light, For wars are known, fell wars and horrid fight.
The savage band are up in arms; fierce blows
Deform their seat, and break their soft repose. So faithless as the smiles of pleasure are! So close the heel of joy is rubbed by care! Now swords, now tubes with fetid sulphur prest, And gleam of iron, and lances in the rest, And dreadful clash ensue: the bars within Strain to the pressure and the hideous din ; While the touched nitre, with distracting sound, Spatters its fires and erring hisses round.
Heaped is the floor with slain; strewed round the stage Host lies on host, dire fruit of civil rage.
At length, when war has spent his frantic fires, And thirst of blood no more the breast inspires, To former arts they turn, and wonted ways. And here not seldom such whom happier days Knew, or renown of sequent ages held, Shew their small bulks, a venerable eld, Fathers, dread names, majestic walk revered, With careful front, and spread of snowy beard.
« 前へ次へ » |