LITMIR.BIZ

      Published by Good Press, 2019

       [email protected]

      EAN 4057664639004

Table of Contents

       BALLAD OF THE DOUBLE-SOUL

       AUCTORIAL INDUCTION

       AUCTORIAL INDUCTION

       II

       III

       IV

       V

       BELHS CAVALIERS

       BELHS CAVALIERS

       BALTHAZAR'S DAUGHTER

       BALTHAZAR'S DAUGHTER

       JUDITH'S CREED

       CONCERNING CORINNA

       CONCERNING CORINNA

       OLIVIA'S POTTAGE

       OLIVIA'S POTTAGE

       A BROWN WOMAN

       A BROWN WOMAN

       PRO HONORIA

       PRO HONORIA

       THE IRRESISTIBLE OGLE

       THE IRRESISTIBLE OGLE

       A PRINCESS OF GRUB STREET

       A PRINCESS OF GRUB STREET

       THE LADY OF ALL OUR DREAMS

       THE LADY OF ALL OUR DREAMS

       BALLAD OF PLAGIARY

BALLAD OF THE DOUBLE-SOUL

       Table of Contents

      "Les Dieux, qui trop aiment ses faceties cruelles"—PAUL VERVILLE.

      In the beginning the Gods made man, and fashioned the sky and the sea,

       And the earth's fair face for man's dwelling-place, and

       this was the Gods' decree:—

      "Lo, We have given to man five wits: he discerneth folly and sin;

       He is swift to deride all the world outside, and blind

       to the world within:

      "So that man may make sport and amuse Us, in battling

       for phrases or pelf,

       Now that each may know what forebodeth woe to his

       neighbor, and not to himself."

      Yet some have the Gods forgotten—or is it that subtler mirth

       The Gods extort of a certain sort of folk that cumber the earth?

      For this is the song of the double-soul, distortedly two in one— Of the wearied eyes that still behold the fruit ere the seed be sown, And derive affright for the nearing night from the light of the noontide sun.

      For one that with hope in the morning set forth, and knew never a fear,

       They have linked with another whom omens bother; and

       he whispers in one's ear.

      And one is fain to be climbing where only angels have trod,

       But is fettered and tied to another's side who fears that

       it might look odd.

      And one would worship a woman whom all perfections dower,

       But the other smiles at transparent wiles; and he quotes

       from Schopenhauer.

      Thus two by two we wrangle and blunder about the earth,

       And that body we share we may not spare; but the Gods

       have need of mirth.

      So this is the song of the double-soul, distortedly two in one.— Of the wearied eyes that still behold the fruit ere the seed be sown, And derive affright for the nearing night from the light of the noontide sun.