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第46章

ancient poems-第46章

小说: ancient poems 字数: 每页4000字

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came too soon; The violet I o'erlooked; and vowed to wait till June。

In June; the red rose sprung; bat was no flower for me; I plucked it up; lo! by the stalk; and planted the willow…tree。 The willow I must wear with sorrow twined among; That all the world may know I falshood loved too long。'

(61) The following account of Billy Bolton may; with propriety; be  inserted here:… It was a lovely September day; and the scene was  Arncliffe; a retired village in Littondale; one of the most  secluded of the Yorkshire dales。  While sitting at the open window  of the humble hostelrie; we heard what we; at first; thought was a  RANTER parson; but; on inquiry; were told it was old Billy Bolton  reading to a crowd of villagers。  Curious to ascertain what the  minstrel was reading; we joined the crowd; and found the text…book  was a volume of Hume's ENGLAND; which contained the reign of  Elizabeth。  Billy read in a clear voice; with proper emphasis; and  correct pronunciation; interlarding his reading with numerous  comments; the nature of some of which may be readily inferred from  the fact that the minstrel belonged to what he called 'the ancient  church。'  It was a scene for a painter; the village situate in one  of the deepest parts of the dale; the twilight hour; the attentive  listeners; and the old man; leaning on his knife…grinding machine;  and conveying popular information to a simple peasantry。  Bolton is  in the constant habit of so doing; and is really an extraordinary  man; uniting; as he does; the opposite occupations of minstrel;  conjuror; knife…grinder; and schoolmaster。  Such a labourer (though  an humble one) in the great cause of human improvement is well  deserving of this brief notice; which it would be unjust to  conclude without stating that whenever the itinerant teacher takes  occasion to speak of his own creed; and contrast it with others; he  does so in a spirit of charity; and he never performs any of his  sleight…of…hand tricks without a few introductory remarks on the  evil of superstition; and the folly of supposing that in the  present age any mortal is endowed with supernatural attainments。

(62) This elastic opening might be adapted to existing  circumstances by a slight alteration:…

The praise of a dairy to tell you I mean; But all things in order; first God save the Queen。

The common copies print 'God save the Queen;' which of course  destroys the rhyme。

(63) This is the reading of a common stall copy。  Chappell reads …

'For at Tottenham…court;'

which is no doubt correct; though inapplicable to a rural assembly  in our days。

(64) Brew; or broo; or broth。  Chappell's version reads; 'No state  you can think;' which is apparently a mistake。  The reading of the  common copies is to be preferred。

(65) No doubt the original word in these places was SACK; as in  Chappell's copy … but what would a peasant understand by SACK?   Dryden's receipt for a sack posset is as follows:…

'From fair Barbadoes; on the western main; Fetch sugar half…a…pound: fetch sack; from Spain; A pint: then fetch; from India's fertile coast; Nutmeg; the glory of the British toast。' MISCELLANY POEM; V。 138。

(66) Corrupted in modern copies into 'we'll range and we'll rove。'   The reading in the text is the old reading。  The phrase occurs in  several old songs。

(67) We should; probably; read 'he。'

(68) Peer … equal。

(69) The road or street。

(70) This is the only instance of this peculiar form in the present  version。  The miners in the Marienberg invariably said 'for to'  wherever the preposition 'to' occurred before a verb。

(71) Three is a favourite number in the nursery rhymes。  The  following is one of numerous examples:…

There was an old woman had three sons; Jerry and James and John: Jerry was hung; James was drowned; John was lost and never was found; And there was an end of her three sons; Jerry; and James; and John!







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