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University of Virginia Library

Fables in Song

By Robert Lord Lytton

Lytton, Edward Robert Bulwer Lytton (1831-1891)

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I.

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I.

I. THE THISTLE.

I.

II.

III.

IV.

V.

VI.

II.

II. POSSESSION.

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III.

III. WHO'S IN THE RIGHT?

I.

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II.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

IV.

IV. PREMATURITY.

V.

V. ANCIENTS AND MODERNS.

VI.

VI. A PROVISION FOR LIFE.

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VII.

VII. THE BLUE MOUNTAINS; OR, THE FAR.

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I.

1.

2.

3.

II.

III.

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IV.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

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VIII.

VIII. A WHEAT-STALK; OR, THE NEAR.

I.

II.

III.

IV.

V.

VI.

VII.

IX.

IX. THE ASS AND THE WAGTAIL.

X.

X. THE MISANTHROPE AND THE BIRD.

XI.

XI. FORTUNE AND HER FOLLOWERS.

XII.

XII. COMPOSURE.

XIII.

XIII. SIC ITUR.

XIV.

XIV. DIOGENES OR ALEXANDER?

XV.

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XVI.

XVI. THE RAINPOOL.

I.

II.

III.

IV.

XVII.

XVII. CONTAGION.

XVIII.

XVIII. AURORA CLAIR.

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XIX.

XIX. LOST TREASURES.

I.

II.

III.

XX.

XX. CHASSÉ-CROISÉ.

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XXI.

XXI. A PHILOSOPHER.

I.

II.

XXII.

XXII. ONLY A SHAVING.

XXIII.

XXIII. THE LAST CRUISE OF THE ARROGANT; OR NO COMPROMISE.

XXIV.

XXIV. KNOWLEDGE AND POWER.

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XXV.

I.

II.

III.

XXVI.

XXVI. DE PROFUNDIS.

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XXVII.

XXVII. “GO ON, I'LL FOLLOW THEE!”

I.

II.

III.

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XXVIII.

XXVIII. THE EAGLE AND HIS COMPANIONS;

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II.

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XXIX.

XXIX. FIAT JUSTITIA.

1.

CANTO THE FIRST.—THEORY.

2.

CANTO THE SECOND.—PRACTICE.

3.

CANTO THE THIRD.—EXPERIENCE.

XXX.

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XXXI.

I.

II.

III.

XXXII.

XXXII. A PROMETHEUS UNBOUND.

XXXIII.

XXXIII. VALOUR.

XXXIV.

XXXV.

XXXV. QUESTIONABLE CONSOLATION.

XXXVI.

XXXVI. FORGIVE AND FORGET.

XXXVII.

XXXVII. THE MOUNTAINS OF TIME.

XXXVIII.

XXXVIII. CONSERVATION OF FORCE.

XXXIX.

XXXIX. HOMERIDES.

XL.

XL. POINTS DE VUE—POINT DE VUE.

XLI.

XLI. PYRRHONISM,

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XLII.

XLII. THE MOUNTAIN AND THE MARSH.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

XLIII.

XLIII. TELEOLOGY.

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XLIV.

XLIV. COGITO ERGO SUM.

1.

2.

3.

4.

4.

5.

6.

XLV.

XLV. PHILOSOPHY OF THE LITTLE.

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XLVI.

XLVI. MASTER AT HOME.

I.

II.

III.

IV.

XLVII.

XLVII. THE PLANE AND THE PENKNIFE.

XLVIII.

XLVIII. THE DRAG AND THE WHEEL.

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XLIX.

XLIX. A HAUGHTY SPIRIT BEFORE A FALL.

I.

III.

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III.

1.

2.

IV.

L.

L. THE ROSE AND THE BRAMBLE.

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LI.

LI. DUCUNT VOLENTEM FATA: NOLENTEM TRAHUNT.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

LII.

LII. SUUM CUIQUE.

LIII.

LIII. THE TWO TRAVELLERS;

LIV.

LIV. AN ILL-ASSORTED COUPLE.

LV.

LV. BETWEEN HAMMER AND ANVIL.

LVI.

LVI. HOMO HOMINI LUPUS.

LVII.

LVII. THE HORSE AND THE FLY.

LVIII.

LVIII. ET CÆTERA ET CÆTERA.

LIX.

LIX. MONUMENTUM ÆRE PERENNIUS.

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LX.

LX. SANS SOUCI.

I.

II.

III.

IV.

V.

VI.

VII.

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4.

Now a metal is iron as hard as nails,
Practical, patient, not easily bored:
But ideas it hates, and against them prevails,
As we often have seen, at the point of the sword.

118

Whilst the Balance uphung 'twixt the earth and the sky,
And by nature responsive to every vibration,
Hovers vague in a realm insubstantial and high
Which seems made for the purpose of pure speculation.
So that when “sixteen ounces of snuff are a poundweight,”
The Weights cried below to the Balance above,
Tho' he knew not, as we do, that this was unsound weight,
He replied, with a shrug, “Well, and what does that prove?”
Then, convinced that he had by this interrogation
Their materialist insolence sternly put down,
He return'd with a tremor of self-admiration
To the point out of which the discussion had grown.