The court and parliament of beasts freely translated from The Animali Parlanti of Giambattista Casti ::

The court and parliament of beasts freely translated from The Animali Parlanti of Giambattista Casti

A Poem in seven cantos. By William Stewart Rose

Rose, William Stewart (1775-1843)

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THE COURT AND PARLIAMENT OF BEASTS.

CANTO I.

II.

III.

IV.

VI.

VII.

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CANTO I.

TO UGO FOSCOLO.

Address—The Parliament of Beasts—They vote
A Despotism—Different Brutes of note
Propos'd for King—Rejected, and the poll
Adjourn'd—Two beasts remaining on the roll.

UGO, you've seen a lady working at
A chair-bottom, in tent-stitch, or a stool.
Her centre ('tis in general a cat)
Is ready drawn; and here she goes by rule.
But, if she's skill and fancy, she may order
At pleasure, the surrounding field and border.

'Tis much the same with my poetic venture:
The “fundamental feature”'s ready plann'd.
My Lion, like the lady's cat i' the centre,
—My Lion with his court—by other hand.
But for the arabesque which skirts the picture,
This is my own, and so fair field for stricture.

But lest those, who know nothing of the matter,
Should think, that I distort the real story,
In order to indulge myself in satire,
I solemnly beseech of Whig or Tory,
To turn to my original, when doubting:
Ex gra. for alien act and Ourangoutang.

Casti's accus'd, 'tis true, of personality,
And painting cubs of Petersburgh and Naples,
Yet is, in fact, so free from all locality,
That his best portraits will be always staples,
In every country, papal or heretic.
So true it is, that Genius is prophetic.

Once more; I make but little alteration,
Except what tends to make the story shorter;
Since I, in the pure love of concentration,
Have boil'd down three thick volumes to a quarter
Of one: and have let go my author's skirt,
Wherever he has plung'd through filth and dirt.

This for the matter of th' immediate fiction.
—As to the rest, I've sought another mould,
Wherein to cast my sentiment and diction;
And found it 'mid the Florentines of old:
Not 'mid their sons (there's little there worth stealing)
Rumfordiz'd out of fancy, force, and feeling.

Dear Foscolo, to thee my dedication's
Address'd with reason. Who like thee is able
To judge betwixt the theme and variations?
To whom so well can I inscribe my fable,
As thee? since I, upon good proof, may sing thee
Doctum sermones utriusque linguæ.

I

I sing the Lion and the Lion's lair,
The virtues, vices, patriotism, treason,
The policy, the peace and wars, that were
What time the bestial race had speech and reason.
High matter, smother'd in the womb of time,
And now first marri'd to immortal rhyme.

II

O Zodiack, thou, by whom that time is meted,
Grant I complete the glorious race I run!
And ye, Immortal Beasts, in order seated
About the sacred circus of the Sun,
Great Constellations, grant one lucid ray
To guide my course, and glad me on my way.

III

In Parliament, the various beasts were set;
I mean the better, from the baser singled.
They were, I say, in full convention met,
To choose a monarchy, unmixt or mingled,
Republick, or whatever form might suit
The anarchick disposition of the Brute.

IV

I shall report but part of the debate,
That, where opinions to a point were verging.
The Courser had defin'd a mixt estate,
The good of King, and Lords, and Commons urging;
And many beasts, after their way, were cheering,
When forward sprang the Dog, and claim'd a hearing.

V

The Dog was one, who to the great was odious;
The hope, head, hand, and heart of the plebeian;
Worthy the Roman tribunate, a Clodius,
Who made patricians quake at the Tarpeian.
“O high and puissant Beasts, props of the state,”
He cri'd, “is this the issue of debate?

VI

“How long, O Quadrupeds, will you be blind,
“And know not that your monarch constitutional,
“Your King, by custom and by law confined,
“Is a mere butt to tempests revolutional?
“A paltry and a pitiable thing,
“A mockery and may-game of a King.

VII

“Beasts, let us have a King, who can defend
“The harm'd and helpless, and control the strong,
“To whose dominion violence shall bend;—
“Serene and savage beasts, we've born too long
“The rage of anarchists. If I serve any,
“I serve but one. Heav'n guard me from the many.”

VIII

This said, he scratch'd; to mark his auditory,
And see how his persuasive periods told;
And heard from some a shout applauditory;
(The feeble are rebuk'd beneath the bold.)
And those, who disapprov'd of his oration,
Rais'd but a wretched growl of reprobation.

IX

He ey'd his work, and struck while it was hot,
And scar'd opponents gaz'd on him with wonder;
Then—“Were it possible, as it is not,
“To bind those hands which ought to wield the thunder,
“Bethink ye of the fable of the frog.
“Beasts, do not let us re-enact King Log.

X

“King constitutional is but a shade:
“Nor boasts one saving bulwark but the steeple;
“A feeble work. Whig Lords his rights invade,
“Lords, whooping to th' assault the peevish people.
“When clouds are charg'd with ruin, will you flee,
“Ye beasts, for refuge to a rotten tree?”

XI

Besides some monsters who, from heat, were sleeping,
And some who wish'd the long debate concluded;
And more who put their wits in other's keeping,
And by the Dog's oration were deluded,
He had before secur'd a steady crew
Of stirring partizans; but these were few.

XII

For he perceiv'd this game was full of danger:
His better card, the public disposition.
And the main body, to his views a stranger,
Serv'd but as stepping-stones to his ambition.
They sought for safety from the beasts of prey;
And he, in other's name, aspir'd to sway.

XIII

The Fox, himself, was puzzled, with the rest:
He guess'd, indeed, the speech had mystic meaning;
But lock'd his own suspicion in his breast,
And watch'd to see which way the house was leaning.
Meanwhile he ponder'd on his present course;
And amid cries of ‘question’ rose the Horse,

XIV

And shook his mane, and cried, “O Dog, shall we,
“Masters of moor and mountain, never broke
“To chiding curb, the freest of the free,
“Say, shall we vilely volunteer the yoke?
“Think well before you fasten on your fetters!
“Think, while you may, you dog and dog's abettors!”

XV

Murmurs and cheers ensu'd: he said and snorted.
And, “Gallant steed, you're shy, and danger fear,
“Where danger's none,” (the wily Dog retorted;
And the Dog's choice supporters—“hear, hear, hear!”)
“I'll use no logic, though the field is ample,
“Adduce no stronger proof than man's example.

XVI

“Lo man, whom you hold wisest of the wise,
“To cram his prince's coffers, drains his own;
“For him, with blind devotion, lives and dies,
“The voluntary victim of the throne.
“Say, while he plays such part in sober sadness,
“Say, have his other acts the sign of madness?”

XVII

He said and sate. There was an angry Bear,
Who, at his speech, had growl'd disapprobation,
And twice was call'd to order by the chair.
He scarcely let him finish his oration,
And thus; “Is man a rule to beast or bird?
“Cite us, Sir Dog, example less absurd.”

XVIII

The Bear had late escap'd from basest labour,
And fled from dirty streets, to down and dell,
Damning his master, monkey, pipe and tabor;
His ears still rung with drone, squeak, thump, and bell:
Detain'd by man, who kept him for his pleasure,
And held it mirth to see him mar a measure.

XIX

To him the Dog; “This spiteful reprobation
“Of your late lord, you might discreetly spare.”
“—And think you love can rise from like relation?”
Bruin rejoin'd. The laugh was with the Bear.
But stedfast to his point, unmark'd the joke,
The Dog pursu'd, and to the question spoke.

XX

And still he sail'd an end, o'er ledge and shelf,
With leading wind. No noble stirr'd objection:
Each hop'd the choice might light upon himself.
'Twas voted to proceed to an election;
And those, who curs'd the Dog at heart, appear'd
His keenest partizans, and loudest cheer'd.

XXI

The Tiger first was put in nomination.
His tail, pied coat, the lightning of his pat,
(But for the Dog's insidious intimation)
Had told. But he; “He's after all a cat,
“A better breed of cat.” Here lay the sting.
For nobody would choose a cat for King.

XXII

A mountain democrat propos'd the Bear.
On this the Dog: “I honour his long pole;
“I own him first jack-pudding of the fair;
“A thorough comical, buffooning droll.
“But shall we choose a King to make us laugh,
“And change the sceptre for the ragged staff?”

XXIII

To him the Bear; “Who, better acts his part,
“In this great stage-play, matters not two grains,
“I, a buffoon by nature, you by art.
“At least you will not fail for want of pains.”
Although th' assembly laugh'd at Bruin's sally,
The barren jest procur'd him not a tally.

XXIV

The previous sarcasm, on the Bear's unfitness,
Fix'd the foundations of eternal hate:
Though Hockley is no more, you still may witness
Th' effect, in sore and sanguinary bait.
And still through the long line of their descendants
Their sons and grandsons shall dispute ascendance.

XXV

The Bull was next expos'd to nomination,
With many more,—brute beasts of straw and lath,
Successively rejected in rotation.
And next the Mule, oh! tell it not in Gath!
Put up the Ass, 'mid laughing, scraping, fleering:
But he was hooted off on half a hearing.

XXVI

My Ass, console thyself; the time is coming
When thou, blest beast, like Dog, shalt have thy day:
When Kings, thy sad and solemn virtues summing,
Council and Court shall echo to thy bray.
And puissant peers thy proud pretensions own,
And thou be deem'd best bulwark of the throne.

XXVII

But leave we for a time, the Ass and Mule,
That second hope of beasts, that Ass's scion.
—Of all who late contended for the pool,
Remain'd but two, the Elephant and Lion.
—Ballot and beast have been the theme too long;
Be these the subjects of a second song.

See his accurate translation of Sterne's Sentimental Journey into Italian.

“Pugnent ipsique nepotesque.”

University of Virginia Library

CANTO I.

TO UGO FOSCOLO.

I

II

III

IV

V

VI

VII

VIII

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XI

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XIII

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XVI

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