canterbury pieces-第8部分

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keep　as　much　out　of　her　way　as　possible。　　Caliban　was　like　the　man
cook　on　a　back…country　run。　　〃'Tis　a　villain；　sir；〃　says　Miranda。　　〃I
do　not　love　to　look　on。〃　　〃But　as　'tis；〃　returns　Prospero；　〃we　cannot
miss　him；　he　does　make　our　fire；　fetch　in　our　wood；　and　serve　in
offices　that　profit　us。〃　　Hands　were　scarce；　and　Prospero　was　obliged
to　put　up　with　Caliban　in　spite　of　the　many　drawbacks　with　which　his
services　were　attended；　in　fact；　no　one　on　the　island　could　have
liked　him；　for　Ariel　owed　him　a　grudge　on　the　score　of　the　cruelty
with　which　he　had　been　treated　by　Sycorax；　and　we　have　already　heard
what　Miranda　and　Prospero　had　to　say　about　him。　　He　may　therefore
pass　for　nobody。　　Prospero　was　an　old　man；　or　at　any　rate　in　all
probability　some　forty　years　of　age；　therefore　it　is　no　wonder　that
when　Miranda　saw　Prince　Ferdinand　she　should　have　fallen　violently　in
love　with　him。　　〃Nothing　ill；〃　according　to　her　view；　〃could　dwell　in
such　a　templeif　the　ill　Spirit　have　so　fair　an　house；　good　things
will　strive　to　dwell　with　't。〃　　A　very　natural　sentiment　for　a　girl
in　Miranda's　circumstances；　but　nevertheless　one　which　betrayed　a
charming　inexperience　of　the　ways　of　the　world　and　of　the　real　value
of　good　looks。　　What　surprises　us；　however；　is　this；　namely　the
remarkable　celerity　with　which　Miranda　in　a　few　hours　became　so
thoroughly　wide　awake　to　the　exigencies　of　the　occasion　in
consequence　of　her　love　for　the　Prince。　　Prospero　has　set　Ferdinand
to　hump　firewood　out　of　the　bush；　and　to　pile　it　up　for　the　use　of
the　cave。　　Ferdinand　is　for　the　present　a　sort　of　cadet；　a　youth　of
good　family；　without　cash　and　unaccustomed　to　manual　labour；　his
unlucky　stars　have　landed　him　on　the　island；　and　now　it　seems　that　he
〃must　remove　some　thousands　of　these　logs　and　pile　them　up；　upon　a
sore　injunction。〃　　Poor　fellow！　　Miranda's　heart　bleeds　for　him。　　Her
〃affections　were　most　humble〃；　she　had　been　content　to　take　Ferdinand
on　speculation。　　On　first　seeing　him　she　had　exclaimed；　〃I　have　no
ambition　to　see　a　goodlier　man〃；　and　it　makes　her　blood　boil　to　see
this　divine　creature　compelled　to　such　an　ignominious　and　painful
labour。　　What　is　the　family　consumption　of　firewood　to　her？　　Let
Caliban　do　it；　let　Prospero　do　it；　or　make　Ariel　do　it；　let　her　do　it
herself；　or　let　the　lightning　come　down　and　〃burn　up　those　logs　you
are　enjoined　to　pile〃；the　logs　themselves；　while　burning；　would
weep　for　having　wearied　him。　　Come　what　would；　it　was　a　shame　to　make
Ferdinand　work　so　hard；　so　she　winds　up　thus：　　〃My　father　is　hard　at
study；　pray　now　rest　yourselfHE'S　SAFE　FOR　THESE　THREE　HOURS。〃
Safeif　she　had　only　said　that　〃papa　was　safe；〃　the　sentence　would
have　been　purely　modern；　and　have　suited　Thackeray　as　well　as
Shakspeare。　　See　how　quickly　she　has　learnt　to　regard　her　father　as
one　to　be　watched　and　probably　kept　in　a　good　humour　for　the　sake　of
Ferdinand。　　We　suppose　that　the　secret　of　the　modern　character　of
this　particular　passage　lies　simply　in　the　fact　that　young　people
make　love　pretty　much　in　the　same　way　now　that　they　did　three　hundred
years　ago；　and　possibly；　with　the　exception　that　〃the　governor〃　may
be　substituted　for　the　words　〃my　father〃　by　the　young　ladies　of　three
hundred　years　hence；　the　passage　will　sound　as　fresh　and　modern　then
as　it　does　now。　　Let　the　Prosperos　of　that　age　take　a　lesson；　and
either　not　allow　the　Ferdinands　to　pile　up　firewood；　or　so　to　arrange
their　studies　as　not　to　be　〃safe〃　for　any　three　consecutive　hours。
It　is　true　that　Prospero's　objection　to　the　match　was　only　feigned；
but　Miranda　thought　otherwise；　and　for　all　purposes　of　argument　we
are　justified　in　supposing　that　he　was　in　earnest。



THE　ENGLISH　CRICKETERS



The　following　lines　were　written　by　Butler　in　February；　1864；　and
appeared　in　the　PRESS。　　They　refer　to　a　visit　paid　to　New　Zealand　by
a　team　of　English　cricketers；　and　have　kindly　been　copied　and　sent　to
me　by　Miss　Colborne…Veel；　whose　father　was　editor　of　the　PRESS　at　the
time　that　Butler　was　writing　for　it。　　Miss　Colborne…Veel　has　further
permitted　to　me　to　make　use　of　the　following　explanatory　note：　　〃The
coming　of　the　All　England　team　was　naturally　a　glorious　event　in　a
province　only　fourteen　years　old。　　The　Mayor　and　Councillors　had　'a
car　of　state'otherwise　a　brake'with　postilions　in　the　English
style。'　　Cobb　and　Co。　supplied　a　six…horse　coach　for　the　English
eleven；　the　yellow　paint　upon　which　suggested　the　'glittering　chariot
of　pure　gold。'　　So　they　drove　in　triumph　from　the　station　and　through
the　town。　　Tinley　for　England　and　Tennant　for　Canterbury　were　the
heroes　of　the　match。　　At　the　Wednesday　dinner　referred　to　they
exchanged　compliments　and　cricket　balls　across　the　table。　　This　early
esteem　for　cricket　may　be　explained　by　a　remark　made　by　the　All
England　captain；　that　'on　no　cricket　ground　in　any　colony　had　he　met
so　many　public　school　men；　especially　men　from　old　Rugby；　as　at
Canterbury。'〃

　＇To　the　Editor；　the　Press；　February　15th；　1864。＇

SirThe　following　lines；　which　profess　to　have　been　written　by　a
friend　of　mine　at　three　o'clock　in　the　morning　after　the　dinner　of
Wednesday　last；　have　been　presented　to　myself　with　a　request　that　I
should　forward　them　to　you。　　I　would　suggest　to　the　writer　of　them
the　following　quotation　from　〃Love's　Labour's　Lost。〃

I　am；　Sir；
Your　obedient　servant；
S。B。

〃You　find　not　the　apostrophes；　and　so　miss　the　accent；　let　me
supervise　the　canzonet。　　Here　are　only　numbers　ratified；　but　for　the
elegancy；　facility；　and　golden　cadence　of　poesy；　caret　。　。　。　Imitari
is　nothing。　　So　doth　the　hound　his　master；　the　ape　his　keeper；　the
tired　horse　his　rider。〃

Love's　Labour's　Lost；　Act　IV；　S。　2。

HORATIO　。　。　。

。　。　。　The　whole　town　rose
Eyes　out　to　meet　them；　in　a　car　of　state
The　Mayor　and　all　the　Councillors　rode　down
To　give　them　greeting；　while　the　blue…eyed　team
Drawn　in　Cobb's　glittering　chariot　of　pure　gold
Careered　it　from　the　station。But　the　Mayor　…
Thou　shouldst　have　seen　the　blandness　of　the　man；
And　watched　the　effulgent　and　unspeakable　smiles
With　which　he　beamed　upon　them。
His　beard；　by　nature　tawny；　was　suffused
With　just　so　much　of　a　most　reverend　grizzle
That　youth　and　age　should　kiss　in't。　　I　assure　you
He　was　a　Southern　Palmerston；　so　old
In　understanding；　yet　jocund　and　jaunty
As　though　his　twentieth　summer　were　as　yet
But　in　the　very　June　o'　the　year；　and　winter
Was　never　to　be　dreamt　of。　　Those　who　heard
His　words　stood　ravished。　　It　was　all　as　one
As　though　Minerva；　hid　in　Mercury's　jaws；
Had　counselled　some　divinest　utterance
Of　honeyed　wisdom。　　So　profound；　so　true；
So　meet　for　the　occasion；　and　soshort。
The　king　sat　studying　rhetoric　as　he　spoke；
While　the　lord　Abbot　heaved　half…envious　sighs
And　hung　suspended　on　his　accents。
　　　CLAUD。　　But　will　it　pay；　Horatio？
　　　HOR。　　Let　Shylock　see　to　that；　but　yet　I　trust
He's　no　great　loser。
　　　CLAUD。　　Which　side　went　in　first？
　　　HOR。　　　　　　　　We　did；
And　scored　a　paltry　thirty　runs　in　all。
The　lissom　Lockyer　gambolled　round　the　stumps
With　many　a　crafty　curvet：　　you　had　thought
An　Indian　rubber　monkey　were　endued
With　wicket…keeping　instincts；　teazing　Tinley
Issued　his　treacherous　notices　to　quit；
Ruthlessly　truthful　to　his　fame；　and　who
Shall　speak　of　Jackson？　　Oh！　'twas　sad　indeed
To　watch　the　downcast　faces　of　our　men
Returning　from　the　wickets；　one　by　one；
Like　patients　at　the　gratis　consultation
Of　some　skilled　leech；　they　took　their　turn　at　physic。
And　each　came　sadly　homeward　with　a　face
Awry　through　inward　anguish；　they　were　pale
As　ghosts　of　some　dead　but　deep　mourned　love；
Grim　with　a　great　despair；　but　forced　to　smile。
　　　CLAUD。　　Poor　souls！　　Th'　unkindest　heart　had　bled　for　them。
But　what　came　after？
　　　HOR。　　　　　　　　Fortune　turned　her　wheel；
And　Grace；　disgraced　for　the　nonce；　was　bowled
First　ball；　and　all　the　welkin　roared　applause！
As　for　the　rest；　they　scored　a　goodly　score
And　showed　some　splendid　cricket；　but　their　deeds
Were　not　colossal；　and　our　own　brave　Tennant
Proved　himself　all　as　good　a　man　as　they。
*　*　*　*　*
Through　them　we　greet　our　Mother。　　In　their　coming；
We　shake　our　dear　old　England　by　the　hand
And　watch　space　dwindling；　while　the　shrinking　world
Collapses　into　nothing。　　Mark　me　well；
Matter　as　swift　as　swiftest　thought　shall　fly；
And　space　itself　be　nowhere。　　Future　Tinleys
Shall　bowl　from　London　to　our　Christ　Church　Tennants；
And　all　the　runs　for　all　the　stumps　be　made
In　flying　baskets　which　shall　come　and　go
And　do　the　circuit　round　about　the　globe
Within　ten　seconds。　　Do　not　check　me　with
The　roundness　of　the　intervening　world；
The　winds；　the　mountain　ranges；　and　the　seas　…
These　hinder　nothing；　for　the　leathern　sphere；
Like　to　a　planetary　satellite；
Shall　wheel　its　faithful　orb　and　strike　the　bails
Clean　from　the　centre　of　the　middle　stump。
*　*　*　*　*
Mirrors　shall　hang　suspended　in　the　air；
Fixed　by　a　chain　between　two　chosen　stars；
And　every　eye　shall　be　a　telescope
To　read　the　passing　shadows　from　the　world。
Such　games　shall　be　hereafter；　but　as　yet
We　lay　foundations　only。
　　　CLAUD。　　Thou　must　be　drunk；　Horatio。
　　　HOR。　　　　　　　　So　I　am。






Footnotes：

｛1｝　　We　were　asked　by　a　learned　brother　philosopher　who　saw　this
article　in　MS。　what　we　meant　by　alluding　to　rudimentary　organs　in
machines。　　Could　we；　he　asked；　give　any　example　of　such　organs？　　We
pointed　to　the　little　protuberance　at　the　bottom　of　the　bowl　of　our
tobacco　pipe。　　This　organ　was　originally　designed　for　the　same
purpose　as　the　rim　at　the　bottom　of　a　tea…cup；　which　is　but　another
form　of　the　same　function。　　Its　purpose　was　to　keep　the　heat　of　the
pipe　from　marking　the　table　on　which　it　rested。　　Originally；　as　we
have　seen　in　very　early　tobacco　pipes；　this　protuberance　was　of　a
very　different　shape　to　what　it　is　now。　　It　was　broad　at　the　bottom
and　flat；　so　that　while　the　pipe　was　being　smoked　the　bowl　might　rest
upon　the　table。　　Use　and　disuse　have　here　come　into　play　and　served
to　reduce　the　function　to　its　present　rudimentary　condition。　　That
these　rudimentary　organs　are　rarer　in　machinery　than　in　animal　life
is　owing　to　the　more　prompt　action　of　the　human　selection　as　compared
with　the　sl