Imatges de pàgina
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INSCRIPTION ON THE MONUMENt of a dog.

The sculptor's art exhausts the pomp of woe (1),
And storied urns (2) record who rests below;
When all is done, upon the tomb is seen,

Not what he was,
but what he should have been.
But the poor dog, in life the firmest friend,
The first to welcome (3), foremost to defend,
Whose honest heart is still his master's own,
Who labours, fights, lives, breathes for him alone,
Unhonoured falls, unnoticed all his worth,
Denied in heaven the soul he held on earth :
While man, vain insect! hopes to be forgiven,
And claims himself a sole exclusive heaven.
Oh man! thou feeble tenant (4) of an hour,
Debased (5) by slavery, or corrupt by power,
Who knows thee well must quit thee with disgust,
Degraded mass of animated dust!

Thy love is lust (6), thy friendship all a cheat (7),
Thy smiles hypocrisy, thy words deceit !

By nature vile, ennobled but by name,

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Each kindred (8) brute might bid thee blush for shame. Ye! who perchance behold (9) this simple urn,

Pass on-it honours none you wish to mourn :

(1) The pomp of woe,

les pompes du deuil.

(2) Storied urns, urnes chargées d'inscriptions.

(5) To welcome, 'accueillir.

(4) Tenant, habitant.

(5) Debased, avili.

(6) Lust, sensualité.

(7) A cheat, une imposture.

(8) Kindred, de la même famille, parent.

(9) To behold, regarder, contempler.

To mark a friend's remains these stones arise;

I never knew but one, and here he lies.

BYRON.

LIFE IS BUT A CHASE AFTER HAPPINESS.

What is in this world but grief and care?
What noise and bustle do kings make to find it!
When life's (1) but a short chase, our game (2) content (3),
Which, most pursued, is most compelled to fly;
And he that mounts him on the swiftest hope
Shall often run his courser to a stand (4);
While the poor peasant, from some distant hill,
Undanger'd and at ease views all the sport,
And sees content take shelter (5) in his cottage.
SHAKSPEARE.

ON THE INVENTION OF LETTERS.

Tell me what genius did the art invent,
The lively image of the voice to paint;
Who first the secret how to colour sound,
And to give shape to reason wisely found;
With bodies how to clothe (6) ideas taught,
And how to draw the picture (7) of a thought;

(1) Life's, pour life is, la vie est.

(2) Game, gibier.

(3) Content, contentement, bonheur.

(4) To run to a stand, épuiser.

(5) To take shelter, se réfugier.

(6) To clothe, vêtir, habiller.

(7) To draw a picture, faire un tableau, dessiner.

REPUTATION.

Who taught the hand to speak, the eye to hear
A silent language roving (1) far and near;

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Whose softest noise (2) outstrips loud thunder's sound,
And spreads her accents through the wordl's vast round;
A voice heard by the deaf, spoke by the dumb,
Whose echo reaches (3) long, long time to come;
Which dead men speak as well as those alive.-
Tell me what genius did this art contrive?

WALLER.

REPUTATION.

Good name, in man or woman, my dear lord, Is the immediate jewel of their souls; [thing; Who steals my purse steals trash (4), 'tis something, no'Twas (5) mine, 'tis (5) his, and has been slave to thouBut he who filches (6) from me my good name, [sands; Robs me of that which not enriches him,

And makes me poor indeed.

SHAKSPEARE.

(1) To rove, voyager, aller, parcourir.
(2) To outstrip, devancer, aller plus vite.
(3) To reach, atteindre, parvenir.

(4) Trash, de la crasse.

(5) 'Twas, 'tis, pour it was, it is, c'était, c'est (6) To filch, voler, dérober, filouter

THE ADVANTAGES OF EDUCATION.

And therefore thou wast bred to virtuous knowledge, And wisdom early planted in thy soul,

That thou might'st (1) know to rule thy fiery (2) passions:
To bind their rage and stay (3) their headlong (4) course;
To bear with (5) accidents, and every change
Of various life; to struggle with adversity;
To wait the leisure of the righteous Gods.
Till they, in their own good appointed hour,
Shall bid thy better days come forth (6) at once,
A long and shining train (7); till thou, well pleas'd,
Shalt bow, and bless thy fate, and say, "the Gods are just."
ROWE.

THE CARNIVAL.

"Tis known, at least it should be, that throughout All countries of the Catholic persuasion ,

Some weeks before Shrove-Tuesday (8) comes about, The people take their fill (9) of recreation,

(1) Might'st, pour mightest, imparfait du subjonctif, que tu pusses.

(2) Fiery, fougueux.

(3) To stay, v. a., réprimer.

(4) Headlong, entêté, violent.

(5) To bear with, supporter, endurer.

(6) To come forth, se présenter, sortir du chaos.

(7) A shining train, une brillante suite.

(8) Shrove-Tuesday, mardi-gras.

(9) To take one's fill, jouir avec excès, s'enivrer.

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And buy repentance, ere (1) they grow devout,
However high their rank or low their station,
With fiddling, feasting, dancing, drinking, masking,
And other things which may be had for asking.

And there are dresses, splendid, but fantastical,
Masks of all times and nations; Turks and Jews,
And harlequins and clowns, with feats gymnastical;
Greeks, Romans, Yankee-doodles (2), and Hindoos;
All kinds of dress, except the ecclesiastical,
All people as their fancies hit, may choose;
But no one in these parts may quiz (5) the clergy :
Therefore take heed, ye Free-thinkers (4), I charge ye.

This feast is called the Carnival, which being
Interpreted, implies "farewell to flesh;

So call'd because the name and thing agreeing,
Through Lent (5) they live on fish both salt and fresh.
But why they usher (6) Lent with so much glee in,
Is more than I can tell, although I guess

'Tis as we take a glass with friends at parting,

In the stage-coach (7) or packet, just at starting.

(1) Ere, avant que.

(2) Yankee-doodles, sobriquet donné aux Américains par les Anglais.

(3) To quiz, se moquer de, mystifier.

(4) Free-thinkers, les Saint-Simoniens de l'Angleterre, qui ne portent cependant pas de costume.

(5) Lent, carême.

(6) To usher in, introduire.
(7) Stage-coach, la diligence.

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