47 The Banished Duke living in the Forest speaks to his Retainers From As You Like It, 11. i. Now, my co-mates, and brothers in exile, Hath not old custom made this life more sweet Which, like the toad, ugly and venomous, Finds tongues in trees, books in the running brooks, I would not change it. AMIENS. Happy is your Grace, That can translate the stubbornness of fortune Into so quiet and so sweet a style. . . . 48* ... The Ancient Mariner PART I It is an ancient Mariner, And he stoppeth one of three. Shakespeare. -By thy long gray beard and glittering eye, a precious jewel] refers to an old popular belief. 'The Bridegroom's doors are open'd wide, And I am next of kin ; The guests are met, the feast is set : May'st hear the merry din.' He holds him with his skinny hand, 'There was a ship,' quoth he. —' Hold off! unhand me, gray-beard loon ! ' Eftsoons his hand dropt he. He holds him with his glittering eye :- And listens like a three years' child: The Wedding-Guest sat on a stone: He cannot choose but hear; And thus spake on that ancient man, The bright-eyed Mariner :— 'The ship was cheer'd, the harbour clear'd; Merrily did we drop Below the kirk, below the hill, Below the light-house top. 'The Sun came up upon the left, Out of the sea came he! And he shone bright, and on the right Went down into the sea. "Higher and higher every day, Till over the mast at noon The Wedding-Guest here beat his breast, For he heard the loud bassoon. eftsoons] at once. The bride hath paced into the hall, Nodding their heads before her goes The Wedding-Guest he beat his breast, And thus spake on that ancient man, The bright-eyed Mariner :— And now the storm-blast came, and he He struck with his o'ertaking wings, 'With sloping masts and dipping prow, And forward bends his head, The ship drove fast, loud roar'd the blast, And southward aye we fled. 'And now there came both mist and snow, And it grew wondrous cold: And ice, mast-high, came floating by, ' And through the drifts the snowy clifts Did send a dismal sheen: Nor shapes of men nor beasts we ken— The ice was all between. 'The ice was here, the ice was there, The ice was all around: It crack'd and growl'd, and roar'd and howl'd, Like noises in a swound! minstrelsy] musicians. sheen] subst., shining. swound] swoon. 'At length did cross an Albatross, As if it had been a Christian soul, 'It ate the food it ne'er had eat, 'And a good south wind sprung up And every day, for food or play, 'In mist or cloud, on mast or shroud, It perch'd for vespers nine; behind; Whiles all the night, through fog-smoke white, God save thee, ancient Mariner ! From the fiends, that plague thee thus !— PART II 'The Sun now rose upon the right: Out of the sea came he, Still hid in mist,—and on the left Went down into the sea. ' And the good south wind still blew behind, But no sweet bird did follow, Nor any day for food or play Albatross] great sea-bird. the food it ne'er had eat] biscuit-worms. shroud] rigging. 'And I had done a hellish thing, And it would work 'em woe : For all averr'd, I had kill'd the bird Ah wretch! said they, the bird to slay, 'Nor dim nor red, like God's own head, Then all averr'd, I had kill'd the bird That brought the fog and mist. 'Twas right, said they, such birds to slay, That bring the fog and mist. 'The fair breeze blew, the white foam flew, The furrow stream'd off free; We were the first that ever burst Into that silent sea. 'Down dropt the breeze, the sails dropt down, 'Twas sad as sad could be ; And we did speak only to break The silence of the sea! ́All in a hot and copper sky, The bloody Sun, at noon, Right up above the mast did stand, No bigger than the Moon. 'Day after day, day after day, We stuck, nor breath nor motion; As idle as a painted ship Upon a painted ocean. 'Water, water, everywhere, And all the boards did shrink; Water, water, everywhere, Nor any drop to drink. |