قراءة كتاب The Peacock and Parrot, on their Tour to Discover the Author of "The Peacock At Home"
تنويه: تعرض هنا نبذة من اول ١٠ صفحات فقط من الكتاب الالكتروني، لقراءة الكتاب كاملا اضغط على الزر “اشتر الآن"
اللغة: English
The Peacock and Parrot, on their Tour to Discover the Author of "The Peacock At Home"
الصفحة رقم: 5
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While some, less distinguish’d, conceiv’d themselves slighted:
The Sparrow was most opportunely engag’d,
Or he wou’d have been beyond all bounds enrag’d.
Tho’ they ponder’d, and ponder’d, at every line:
And all only serving to puzzle them more,
Sir Argus continued as wise as before.
Distracted, he knew not well whither to go,
This last disappointment afflicted him so;
But at length, on reflection, thought only one fowl
Cou’d have sense to inform him, and that was the Owl.
To her he resolv’d, then, a visit to make,
And her Supper, the following night, to partake.
In the meanwhile, the Parrot with quickness rehearses,
Again, and again, the most charming of verses.
Smart things fly about; Repartees, and Bon-Mots,
With too many secrets that all the world knows:
Old Anecdotes came on the tapis, new drest,
And season’d with Satire, to give them a zest.
“She hated the faults of her neighbour revealing.
Detraction, of late, had been full of employment,
And truly, some folks knew no other enjoyment.
’Twas said, tho’ for her part, she thought it quite cruel,
That Monsieur le Coq had been kill’d in a duel.
The Hedge-Sparrow publicly swore all was true,
That so long had been told of the Tyrant Cuckoo;
And the Bullfinch did whistle indeed to some tune,
When he said a great Pleader had stolen a spoon!”
“It is false!” cried a little bird, known as a wag;
“And I would indite him, at once, for Scan. Mag.”
All the Company now rais’d their pinions and eyes,
And protested their plumes stood on end with surprise!
While young Mrs. Pee-wit, dear sweet gentle creature!
Evinc’d her abhorrence in every feature:
That malice should lead the world thus to deceive us:
For she too had heard a long, odious relation
Of cruel oppression, and vile peculation;
And own’d, (tho’ it might be as false as the rest,)
It was whisper’d, the Goldfinch had feather’d her nest.
How ev’ry one star’d! “what detestable stories!”
The Parrot aloud cried, “O! tempora, O! mores!”
But Phœbus advancing, now brought on the day,
And the Peacock declar’d he must hasten away.
His Companion directly Sir Argus obey’d,
And both to the Countess some compliments paid;
Then bow’d a farewell, spread their light wings again,
