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Fables in Song

By Robert Lord Lytton
Lytton, Edward Robert Bulwer Lytton (1831-1891)

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VOL. I.
  
INTRODUCTORY.
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I. THE THISTLE.
  
MOTTO.
  
PRELUDE.
 I. 
PART I.
 II. 
PART II.
 III. 
PART III.
 IV. 
PART IV.
 V. 
PART V.
 VI. 
PART VI.
 II. 
II. POSSESSION.
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III. WHO'S IN THE RIGHT?
  
PRELUDE.
 I. 
PART I.
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PART II.
 1. 
1.
 2. 
2.
 3. 
3.
 4. 
4.
 5. 
5.
 6. 
6.
 7. 
7.
 IV. 
IV. PREMATURITY.
 V. 
V. ANCIENTS AND MODERNS.
 VI. 
VI. A PROVISION FOR LIFE.
  
To E. L.,
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VII. THE BLUE MOUNTAINS; OR, THE FAR.
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PART I.
 1. 
1.
 2. 
2.
 3. 
3.
 II. 
PART II.
 III. 
PART III.
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PART IV.
 1. 
1.
 2. 
2.
 3. 
3.
 4. 
4.
 5. 
5.
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VIII. A WHEAT-STALK; OR, THE NEAR.
 I. 
I.
 II. 
II.
 III. 
III.
 IV. 
IV.
 V. 
V.
 VI. 
VI.
 VII. 
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. 
XV. A LEGEND.
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XVI. THE RAINPOOL.
  
PRELUDE.
 I. 
PART I.
 II. 
PART II.
 III. 
PART III.
 IV. 
PART IV.
 XVII. 
XVII. CONTAGION.
 XVIII. 
XVIII. AURORA CLAIR.
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XIX. LOST TREASURES.
 I. 
PART I.
 II. 
PART II.
 III. 
PART III.
 XX. 
XX. CHASSÉ-CROISÉ.
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XXI. A PHILOSOPHER.
 I. 
PART I.
 II. 
PART 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. OPINION.
 I. 
PART I.
 II. 
PART II.
 III. 
PART III.
 XXVI. 
XXVI. DE PROFUNDIS.
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XXVII. “GO ON, I'LL FOLLOW THEE!”
 I. 
I.
 II. 
II.
 III. 
III.
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XXVIII. THE EAGLE AND HIS COMPANIONS;
  
MONOLOGUE.
  
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VOL. II.
  
INTRODUCTORY.
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XXIX. FIAT JUSTITIA.
 1. 
CANTO THE FIRST.—THEORY.
 2. 
CANTO THE SECOND.—PRACTICE.
 3. 
CANTO THE THIRD.—EXPERIENCE.
 XXX. 
XXX. THE ROCK.
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XXXI. DEMOS.
 I. 
PART 1.
 II. 
PART II.
 III. 
PART III.
 XXXII. 
XXXII. A PROMETHEUS UNBOUND.
 XXXIII. 
XXXIII. VALOUR.
 XXXIV. 
XXXIV. PAIN.
 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. THE MOUNTAIN AND THE MARSH.
 1. 
1.
 2. 
2.
 3. 
3.
 4. 
4.
 5. 
5.
 6. 
6.
 7. 
7.
 8. 
8.
 9. 
9.
 10. 
10.
 11. 
11.
 XLIII. 
XLIII. TELEOLOGY.
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XLIV. COGITO ERGO SUM.
 1. 
1.
 2. 
2.
 3. 
3.
 4. 
4.
 5. 
5.
 6. 
6.
 XLV. 
XLV. PHILOSOPHY OF THE LITTLE.
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XLVI. MASTER AT HOME.
 I. 
PART I.
 II. 
PART II.
 III. 
PART III.
 IV. 
PART IV.
 XLVII. 
XLVII. THE PLANE AND THE PENKNIFE.
 XLVIII. 
XLVIII. THE DRAG AND THE WHEEL.
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XLIX. A HAUGHTY SPIRIT BEFORE A FALL.
 I. 
PART I.
 III. 
PART II.
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PART III.
 1. 
1.
 2. 
2.
 IV. 
PART IV.
 L. 
L. THE ROSE AND THE BRAMBLE.
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LI. DUCUNT VOLENTEM FATA: NOLENTEM TRAHUNT.
 1. 
1.
 2. 
2.
 3. 
3.
 4. 
4.
 5. 
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.
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LX. SANS SOUCI.
  
PROLOGUE
 I. 
PART I.
 II. 
PART II.
 III. 
PART III.
 IV. 
PART IV.
 V. 
PART V.
 VI. 
PART VI.
 VII. 
PART VII.

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III. PART III.

And now? Was all this a delirium, dream'd
By famisht Fancy? Had the flimsy hum
Of flies and gnats the sea's deep music seem'd
And was that acorn, floating in the scum,
That bloated acorn, right when she derided
What to her hollow maggot-eaten husk
The miserable pool with sighs confided
Of those bright thoughts which thrill'd it in the dusk?
The squelch'd nut counsell'd the reluctant water
To learn life's lesson of the loathsome toad,
112

“A sorceress she! in all the wood none greater:
Hath roam'd the world thro', and knows many a road.
“She'll tell you, nothing is without a reason.
The flies and gnats (perchance the old toad too)
Enjoy themselves here in the summer season,
And doubtless fare the better, friend, for you.
“Reflect on that, and be not so dejected.
Contentment, truly, is the best of things.
We cannot all be all that we expected.
I, too, have had mine own imaginings.
“And I myself, when I was green and glowing,”
(The hollow nut said), “I myself, in truth,
Was plagued with whims and wishes. For my growing
The heavens then seem'd not high enough! 'Twas youth
“And the green sickness. ‘Why, my pretty Miss,’
Whisper'd the old toad, ‘dream brisk youth away?’
And introduced me, as you see, to this
Good lusty playfellow, that's ever gay.”
The while she spake, up popp'd, with beaded eyes,
A fat white worm, self-confident and vain,
Stared at the world with impudent surprise,
And slunk into the hollow nut again.
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“For these, then, am I here?” dismay'd thereat,
The wretched pool complain'd. “For these alone?
Toadstool and toad, and worm, and fly, and gnat?
All for their profit, nothing for mine own?”
And its face darken'd, and more dismal grew
Its turbid being; and a filthy weed
Over its film'd and stagnant surface drew
Nets to catch sportive spiders; and a breed
Of brassy-headed, spongy-bodied buds
Pimpled the slippery banks of that black pool;
And slugs and snails, dull lazy brotherhoods,
Lived at their ease there in the gloom and cool.
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