don juan-第41部分

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O'er　silenced　cities；　merely　served　to　flatter
Fair　Catherine's　pastime…　who　look'd　on　the　match
Between　these　nations　as　a　main　of　cocks；
Wherein　she　liked　her　own　to　stand　like　rocks。

And　there　in　a　kibitka　he　roll'd　on
（A　cursed　sort　of　carriage　without　springs；
Which　on　rough　roads　leaves　scarcely　a　whole　bone）；
Pondering　on　glory；　chivalry；　and　kings；
And　orders；　and　on　all　that　he　had　done…
And　wishing　that　post…horses　had　the　wings
Of　Pegasus；　or　at　the　least　post…chaises
Had　feathers；　when　a　traveller　on　deep　ways　is。

At　every　jolt…　and　they　were　many…　still
He　turn'd　his　eyes　upon　his　little　charge；
As　if　he　wish'd　that　she　should　fare　less　ill
Than　he；　in　these　sad　highways　left　at　large
To　ruts；　and　flints；　and　lovely　Nature's　skill；
Who　is　no　paviour；　nor　admits　a　barge
On　her　canals；　where　God　takes　sea　and　land；
Fishery　and　farm；　both　into　his　own　hand。

At　least　he　pays　no　rent；　and　has　best　right
To　be　the　first　of　what　we　used　to　call
'Gentlemen　farmer'…　a　race　worn　out　quite；
Since　lately　there　have　been　no　rents　at　all；
And　'gentlemen'　are　in　a　piteous　plight；
And　'farmers'　can't　raise　Ceres　from　her　fall：
She　fell　with　Buonaparte…　What　strange　thoughts
Arise；　when　we　see　emperors　fall　with　oats！

But　Juan　turn'd　his　eyes　on　the　sweet　child
Whom　he　had　saved　from　slaughter…　what　a　trophy
Oh！　ye　who　build　up　monuments；　defiled
With　gore；　like　Nadir　Shah；　that　costive　sophy；
Who；　after　leaving　Hindostan　a　wild；
And　scarce　to　the　Mogul　a　cup　of　coffee
To　soothe　his　woes　withal；　was　slain；　the　sinner！
Because　he　could　no　more　digest　his　dinner；…

Oh　ye！　or　we！　or　he！　or　she！　reflect；
That　one　life　saved；　especially　if　young
Or　pretty；　is　a　thing　to　recollect
Far　sweeter　than　the　greenest　laurels　sprung
From　the　manure　of　human　clay；　though　deck'd
With　all　the　praises　ever　said　or　sung：
Though　hymn'd　by　every　harp；　unless　within
Your　heart　joins　chorus；　Fame　is　but　a　din。

Oh！　ye　great　authors　luminous；　voluminous！
Ye　twice　ten　hundred　thousand　daily　scribes！
Whose　pamphlets；　volumes；　newspapers；　illumine　us！
Whether　you　're　paid　by　government　in　bribes；
To　prove　the　public　debt　is　not　consuming　us…
Or；　roughly　treading　on　the　'courtier's　kibes'
With　clownish　heel；　your　popular　circulation
Feeds　you　by　printing　half　the　realm's　starvation；…

Oh；　ye　great　authors！…　'Apropos　des　bottes；'…
I　have　forgotten　what　I　meant　to　say；
As　sometimes　have　been　greater　sages'　lots；
'T　was　something　calculated　to　allay
All　wrath　in　barracks；　palaces；　or　cots：
Certes　it　would　have　been　but　thrown　away；
And　that　's　one　fort　for　my　lost　advice；
Although　no　doubt　it　was　beyond　all　price。

But　let　it　go：…　it　will　one　day　be　found
With　other　relics　of　'a　former　world；'
When　this　world　shall　be　former；　underground；
Thrown　topsy…turvy；　twisted；　crisp'd；　and　curl'd；
Baked；　fried；　or　burnt；　turn'd　inside…out；　or　drown'd；
Like　all　the　worlds　before；　which　have　been　hurl'd
First　out　of；　and　then　back　again　to　chaos；
The　superstratum　which　will　overlay　us。

So　Cuvier　says；…　and　then　shall　e　again
Unto　the　new　creation；　rising　out
From　our　old　crash；　some　mystic；　ancient　strain
Of　things　destroy'd　and　left　in　airy　doubt：
Like　to　the　notions　we　now　entertain
Of　Titans；　giants；　fellows　of　about
Some　hundred　feet　in　height；　not　to　say　miles；
And　mammoths；　and　your　winged　crocodiles。

Think　if　then　George　the　Fourth　should　be　dug　up！
How　the　new　worldlings　of　the　then　new　East
Will　wonder　where　such　animals　could　sup！
（For　they　themselves　will　be　but　of　the　least：
Even　worlds　miscarry；　when　too　oft　they　pup；
And　every　new　creation　hath　decreased
In　size；　from　overworking　the　material…
Men　are　but　maggots　of　some　huge　Earth's　burial。）

How　will…　to　these　young　people；　just　thrust　out
From　some　fresh　Paradise；　and　set　to　plough；
And　dig；　and　sweat；　and　turn　themselves　about；
And　plant；　and　reap；　and　spin；　and　grind；　and　sow；
Till　all　the　arts　at　length　are　brought　about；
Especially　of　war　and　taxing；…　how；
I　say；　will　these　great　relics；　when　they　see　'em；
Look　like　the　monsters　of　a　new　museum？

But　I　am　apt　to　grow　too　metaphysical：
'The　time　is　out　of　joint；'…　and　so　am　I；
I　quite　forget　this　poem　's　merely　quizzical；
And　deviate　into　matters　rather　dry。
I　ne'er　decide　what　I　shall　say；　and　this　I　cal
Much　too　poetical：　men　should　know　why
They　write；　and　for　what　end；　but；　note　or　text；
I　never　know　the　word　which　will　e　next。

So　on　I　ramble；　now　and　then　narrating；
Now　pondering：…　it　is　time　we　should　narrate。
I　left　Don　Juan　with　his　horses　baiting…
Now　we　'll　get　o'er　the　ground　at　a　great　rate。
I　shall　not　be　particular　in　stating
His　journey；　we　've　so　many　tours　of　late：
Suppose　him　then　at　Petersburgh；　suppose
That　pleasant　capital　of　painted　snows；

Suppose　him　in　a　handsome　uniform；…
A　scarlet　coat；　black　facings；　a　long　plume；
Waving；　like　sails　new　shiver'd　in　a　storm；
Over　a　cock'd　hat　in　a　crowded　room；
And　brilliant　breeches；　bright　as　a　Cairn　Gorme；
Of　yellow　casimere　we　may　presume；
White　stocking　drawn　uncurdled　as　new　milk
O'er　limbs　whose　symmetry　set　off　the　silk；

Suppose　him　sword　by　side；　and　hat　in　hand；
Made　up　by　youth；　fame；　and　an　army　tailor…
That　great　enchanter；　at　whose　rod's　mand
Beauty　springs　forth；　and　Nature's　self　turns　paler；
Seeing　how　Art　can　make　her　work　more　grand
（When　she　don't　pin　men's　limbs　in　like　a　gaoler）；…
Behold　him　placed　as　if　upon　a　pillar！　He
Seems　Love　turn'd　a　lieutenant　of　artillery：…

His　bandage　slipp'd　down　into　a　cravat；
His　wings　subdued　to　epaulettes；　his　quiver
Shrunk　to　a　scabbard；　with　his　arrows　at
His　side　as　a　small　sword；　but　sharp　as　ever；
His　bow　converted　into　a　cock'd　hat；
But　still　so　like；　that　Psyche　were　more　clever
Than　some　wives　（who　make　blunders　no　less　stupid）；
If　she　had　not　mistaken　him　for　Cupid。

The　courtiers　stared；　the　ladies　whisper'd；　and
The　empress　smiled：　the　reigning　favourite　frown'd…
I　quite　forget　which　of　them　was　in　hand
Just　then；　as　they　are　rather　numerous　found；
Who　took　by　turns　that　difficult　mand
Since　first　her　majesty　was　singly　crown'd：
But　they　were　mostly　nervous　six…foot　fellows；
All　fit　to　make　a　Patagonian　jealous。

Juan　was　none　of　these；　but　slight　and　slim；
Blushing　and　beardless；　and　yet　ne'ertheless
There　was　a　something　in　his　turn　of　limb；
And　still　more　in　his　eye；　which　seem'd　to　express；
That　though　he　look'd　one　of　the　seraphim；
There　lurk'd　a　man　beneath　the　spirit's　dress。
Besides；　the　empress　sometimes　liked　a　boy；
And　had　just　buried　the　fair…faced　Lanskoi。

No　wonder　then　that　Yermoloff；　or　Momonoff；
Or　Scherbatoff；　or　any　other　off
Or　on；　might　dread　her　majesty　had　not　room　enough
Within　her　bosom　（which　was　not　too　tough）
For　a　new　flame；　a　thought　to　cast　of　gloom　enough
Along　the　aspect；　whether　smooth　or　rough；
Of　him　who；　in　the　language　of　his　station；
Then　held　that　'high　official　situation。'

O；　gentle　ladies！　should　you　seek　to　know
The　import　of　this　diplomatic　phrase；
Bid　Ireland's　Londonderry's　Marquess　show
His　parts　of　speech；　and　in　the　strange　displays
Of　that　odd　string　of　words；　all　in　a　row；
Which　none　divine；　and　every　one　obeys；
Perhaps　you　may　pick　out　some　queer　no　meaning；
Of　that　weak　wordy　harvest　the　sole　gleaning。

I　think　I　can　explain　myself　without
That　sad　inexplicable　beast　of　prey…
That　Sphinx；　whose　words　would　ever　be　a　doubt；
Did　not　his　deeds　unriddle　them　each　day…
That　monstrous　hieroglyphic…　that　long　spout
Of　blood　and　water；　leaden　Castlereagh！
And　here　I　must　an　anecdote　relate；
But　luckily　of　no　great　length　or　weight。

An　English　lady　ask'd　of　an　Italian；
What　were　the　actual　and　official　duties
Of　the　strange　thing　some　women　set　a　value　on；
Which　hovers　oft　about　some　married　beauties；
Called　'Cavalier　servente？'…　a　Pygmalion
Whose　statues　warm　（I　fear；　alas！　too　true　't　is）
Beneath　his　art。　The　dame；　press'd　to　disclose　them；
Said…　'Lady；　I　beseech　you　to　suppose　them。'

And　thus　I　supplicate　your　supposition；
And　mildest；　matron…like　interpretation；
Of　the　imperial　favourite's　condition。
'T　was　a　high　place；　the　highest　in　the　nation
In　fact；　if　not　in　rank；　and　the　suspicion
Of　any　one's　attaining　to　his　station；
No　doubt　gave　pain；　where　each　new　pair　of　shoulders；
If　rather　broad；　made　stocks　rise　and　their　holders。

Juan；　I　said；　was　a　most　beauteous　boy；
And　had　retain'd　his　boyish　look　beyond
The　usual　hirsute　seasons　which　destroy；
With　beards　and　whiskers；　and　the　like；　the　fond
Parisian　aspect　which　upset　old　Troy
And　founded　Doctors'　mons：…　I　have　conn'd
The　history　of　divorces；　which；　though　chequer'd；
Calls　Ilion's　the　first　damages　on　record。

And　Catherine；　who　loved　all　things　（save　her　lord；
Who　was　gone　to　his　place）；　and　pass'd　for　much
Admiring　those　（by　dainty　dames　abhorr'd）
Gigantic　gentlemen；　yet　had　a　touch
Of　sentiment；　and　he　she　most　adored
Was　the　lamented　Lanskoi；　who　was　such
A　lover　as　had　cost　her　many　a　tear；
And　yet　but　made　a　middling　grenadier。

Oh　thou　'teterrima　causa'　of　all　'belli'…
Thou　gate　of　life　and　death…　thou　nondescript！
Whence　is　our　exit　and　our　entrance；…　well　I
May　pause　in　pondering　how　all　souls　are　dipt
In　thy　perennial　fountain：…　how　man　fell　I
Know　not；　since　knowledge　saw　her　branches　stript
Of　her　first　fruit；　but　how　he　falls　and　rises
Since；　thou　hast　settled　beyond　all　surmises。

Some　call　thee　'the　worst　cause　of　war；'　but　I
Maintain　thou　art　the　best：　for　after　all
From　thee　we　e；　to　thee　we　go；　and　why
To　get　at　thee　not　batter　down　a　wall；
Or　waste　a　world？　since　no　one　can　deny
Thou　dost　replenish　worlds　both　great　and　small：
With；　or　without　thee；　all　things　at　a　stand
Are；　or　would　be；　thou　sea　of　life's　dry　land！

Catherine；　who　was　the　grand　epitome
Of　that　great　cause　of　war；　or　peace；　or　what
You　please　（it　causes　all　the　things　which　be；
So　you　may　take　your　choice　of　this　or　that）…
Catherine；　I　say。　was　very　glad　to　see
The　handsome　herald；　on　whose　plumage　sat
Victory；　and　pausing　as　she　saw　him　kneel
With　his　despatch；　forgot　to　break　the　seal。

Then　recollecting　the　whole　empress；　nor
forgetting　quite　the　woman　（which　posed
At　least　three　pa