Skip directly to:Main content Main navigation

University of Virginia Library

Fables in Song

By Robert Lord Lytton

Lytton, Edward Robert Bulwer Lytton (1831-1891)

collapse section

I.

collapse section

I.

I. THE THISTLE.

I.

II.

III.

IV.

V.

VI.

II.

II. POSSESSION.

collapse section

III.

III. WHO'S IN THE RIGHT?

I.

collapse section

II.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

IV.

IV. PREMATURITY.

V.

V. ANCIENTS AND MODERNS.

VI.

VI. A PROVISION FOR LIFE.

collapse section

VII.

VII. THE BLUE MOUNTAINS; OR, THE FAR.

collapse section

I.

1.

2.

3.

II.

III.

collapse section

IV.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

collapse section

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.

collapse section

XVI.

XVI. THE RAINPOOL.

I.

II.

III.

IV.

XVII.

XVII. CONTAGION.

XVIII.

XVIII. AURORA CLAIR.

collapse section

XIX.

XIX. LOST TREASURES.

I.

II.

III.

XX.

XX. CHASSÉ-CROISÉ.

collapse section

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.

collapse section

XXV.

I.

II.

III.

XXVI.

XXVI. DE PROFUNDIS.

collapse section

XXVII.

XXVII. “GO ON, I'LL FOLLOW THEE!”

I.

II.

III.

collapse section

XXVIII.

XXVIII. THE EAGLE AND HIS COMPANIONS;

collapse section

II.

collapse section

XXIX.

XXIX. FIAT JUSTITIA.

1.

CANTO THE FIRST.—THEORY.

2.

CANTO THE SECOND.—PRACTICE.

3.

CANTO THE THIRD.—EXPERIENCE.

XXX.

collapse section

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,

collapse section

XLII.

XLII. THE MOUNTAIN AND THE MARSH.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

XLIII.

XLIII. TELEOLOGY.

collapse section

XLIV.

XLIV. COGITO ERGO SUM.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

XLV.

XLV. PHILOSOPHY OF THE LITTLE.

collapse section

XLVI.

XLVI. MASTER AT HOME.

I.

II.

III.

IV.

XLVII.

XLVII. THE PLANE AND THE PENKNIFE.

XLVIII.

XLVIII. THE DRAG AND THE WHEEL.

collapse section

XLIX.

XLIX. A HAUGHTY SPIRIT BEFORE A FALL.

I.

III.

collapse section

III.

1.

2.

IV.

L.

L. THE ROSE AND THE BRAMBLE.

collapse section

LI.

LI. DUCUNT VOLENTEM FATA: NOLENTEM TRAHUNT.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

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.

collapse section

LX.

LX. SANS SOUCI.

I.

II.

III.

IV.

V.

VI.

VII.

collapse section

Collapse All | Expand All expand section

6.

Conversing thus, the two
Whom Fate so strangely had united now
By land, as once by water, by and by
Bethought them of the Sage who from on high,
When each was floundering in the flood below,
Had graciously vouchsafed to let them know
A truth; which he, for the occasion, took
From Seneca; who stole it from the book
Of some Greek Poet; who had borrow'd it
From some one else; to whom some other Wit
Had lent it first. So, forth the two friends set
To find the Sage to whom they owed this debt.
Him, after fruitless search for many a day,
They found, when he was being borne away
To his last resting-place.

Where, as 'tis fit,
This story also ends. No fable it;

160

Albeit not on that account a fact;
Since every fable must have to it tackt
Some sort of moral. But such tales as these
May serve for morals, if their readers please,
To all those fabulous things which so confound us
By really happening in the world around us.