Цитаты из книги The Ring And The Book

“Thanks meantime for the story, long and strong, “A pretty piece of narrative enough, “Which scarce ought so to drop out, one would think,

“From the more curious annals of our kind. “Do you tell the story, now, in off-hand style, “Straight from the book? Or simply here and there, “(The while you vault it through the loose and large) “Hang to a hint? Or is there book at all, “And don’t you deal in.poetry, make-believe, “And the white lies it sounds like?”         Yes and no!

Repair all losses by a master-stroke, Wipe out the past, all done and left undone, Swell the good present to best evermore, Die into new life, which let blood baptise!

The guardian angel gave reluctant place,

Satan stepped forward with alacrity,

“Those sinners saved, those Magdalens re-made,

“Accept their administration, well bestow “Her body and patiently possess her soul, “Until we see what better can be done.

But facts are facts and flinch not; stubborn things,

Lovers of dead truth, did ye fare the worse? Lovers of live truth, found ye false my tale? Well, now; there’s nothing in nor out o’ the world Good except truth: yet this, the something else,

What’s this then, which proves good yet seems untrue? This that I mixed with truth, motions of mine That quickened, made the inertness malleolable O’ the gold was not mine — what’s your name for this? Are means to the end, themselves in part the end? Is fiction which makes fact alive, fact too?

But human promise, oh, how short of shine! How topple down the piles of hope we rear! How history proves... nay, read Herodotus!

Do you see this square old yellow Book, I toss I’ the air, and catch again, and twirl about By the crumpled vellum covers — pure crude fact Secreted from man’s life when hearts beat hard, And brains, high-blooded, ticked two centuries since?

So, British Public, who may like me yet, (Marry and amen!) learn one lesson hence Of many which whatever lives should teach: This lesson, that our human speech is naught, Our human testimony false, our fame And human estimation words and wind. Why take the artistic why to prove so much? Because, it is the glory and good of Art, That Art remains the one way possible

Of speaking truth, to mouths like mine, at least.

Sick, not of life’s feast but of steps to climb To the house where life prepares her feast — of means To the end: for make the end attainable Without the means — my relish were like yours. A man may have an appetite enough For a whole dish of robins ready cooked, And yet lack courage to face sleet, pad snow, And snare sufficiency for supper.

When destiny intends you cards like these, What good of skill and preconcerted play?

Still, I stand here, not off the stage though close On the exit: and my last act, as my first, I owe the scene, and Him who armed me thus With Paul’s sword as with Peter’s key. I smite With my whole strength once more, then end my part, Ending, so far as man may, this offence.

And when I raise my arm, what plucks my sleeve? Who stops me in the righteous function — foe Or friend?

“I live for greed, ambition, lust, revenge; “Attain these ends by force, guile: hypocrite, “To-day, perchance to-morrow recognised

“The rational man, the type of commonsense.” There’s Loyola adapted to our time!

White shall not neutralise the black, nor good Compensate bad in man, absolve him so: Life’s business being just the terrible choice.

I am near the end; but still not at the end; All till the very end is trial in life: At this stage is the trial of my soul Danger to face, or danger to refuse? Shall I dare try the doubt now, or not dare?

Commend me to home-joy, the family board, Altar and hearth! These, with a brisk career, A source of honest profit and good fame, Just so much work as keeps the brain from rust, Just so much play as lets the heart expand, Honouring God and serving man — I say, These are reality, and all else — fluff, Nutshell and naught — thank Flaccus for the phrase!

Well, I have modelled me by Agur’s wish, “Remove far from me vanity and lies, “Feed me with food convenient for me!” What I’ the world should a wise man require beyond?

I did spring up, attempt to thrust aside

That ice-block ’twixt the sun and me, lay low

The neutraliser of all good and truth.