 | The Five Notions |  |
48
CRITICS
As our father the Devil, becultured and fine,
Has work for his children at so much per line,
So we, for poor authors, with feather or steel
Set down on cheap paper the thing that we feel.
Has work for his children at so much per line,
So we, for poor authors, with feather or steel
Set down on cheap paper the thing that we feel.
For this is our virtue—to be of one mood,
To spurn what is stupid and puff what is good;
Arraying, displaying all beauties, all faults,
And drawing the chalk-line 'twixt true men and dolts.
To spurn what is stupid and puff what is good;
Arraying, displaying all beauties, all faults,
And drawing the chalk-line 'twixt true men and dolts.
Now pray you consider what toils we endure
A-laying down law and a-making cocksure,
Till half of our trade seems of that stodgy sort
Which overfed barristers practise in court.
A-laying down law and a-making cocksure,
Till half of our trade seems of that stodgy sort
Which overfed barristers practise in court.
49
The poor silly writer, intending no wrong,
At Springtide and Autumn he cometh along:
Then lightless and lightfoot and lurking leap we
To show him exactly the man he may be.
At Springtide and Autumn he cometh along:
Then lightless and lightfoot and lurking leap we
To show him exactly the man he may be.
“Turn here and turn there, take page so-and so,
How gracious the words! how sweetly they flow!
What passion, what vision, what vigour, what grip!
O go forth and purchase! And that's the straight tip!”
How gracious the words! how sweetly they flow!
What passion, what vision, what vigour, what grip!
O go forth and purchase! And that's the straight tip!”
Or, “This is a book of the kind no one wants;
The author is foolish, and openly flaunts
His plain lack of wit: he deserves of our stripes,
But we haven't no space. Let him serve to light pipes!”
The author is foolish, and openly flaunts
His plain lack of wit: he deserves of our stripes,
But we haven't no space. Let him serve to light pipes!”
Which is all very well, as the sane will concede,
And might be of use, if we only agreed;
But the canons of taste can never be fixed,
And, of course, in the long run, the public get mixed.
And might be of use, if we only agreed;
But the canons of taste can never be fixed,
And, of course, in the long run, the public get mixed.
50
One praises, one blames, and another does both;
To praise or to blame we're exceedingly loth,
Wherefore, as a rule, we are “both”-ers, and let
The scales swing to balance unfilliped. And yet
To praise or to blame we're exceedingly loth,
Wherefore, as a rule, we are “both”-ers, and let
The scales swing to balance unfilliped. And yet
What see we? A publisher tearing his hair!
What hear we? An author indulging in swear!
What make we? A guinea, or two—or say, ten!
What chase we? Well—that's where you have us again!
What hear we? An author indulging in swear!
What make we? A guinea, or two—or say, ten!
What chase we? Well—that's where you have us again!
So times without number we treat you to “shows,”
Our notices cumber the papers in rows,
And the sheen of our pens is like stars on the sea
Where the blue wave rolls nightly on deep Galilee.
Our notices cumber the papers in rows,
And the sheen of our pens is like stars on the sea
Where the blue wave rolls nightly on deep Galilee.
Now the Summer's at end, and our peoples take heart,
For the dog-days are done that restrainèd our art;
And, shortly, the works that are gone for to bind
Will be loosed (oh be swift!) to the sport of our kind.
For the dog-days are done that restrainèd our art;
And, shortly, the works that are gone for to bind
Will be loosed (oh be swift!) to the sport of our kind.
| The Five Notions | |