roleplaying:munchausen:chapter_xxix
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— | roleplaying:munchausen:chapter_xxix [2005/11/22 18:01] (current) – created - external edit 127.0.0.1 | ||
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+ | ====== TRAVELS OF BARON MUNCHAUSEN ====== | ||
+ | ===== CHAPTER XXIX ===== | ||
+ | |||
+ | //The Baron' | ||
+ | who in his turn is attacked by Gog and Magog--Lord Whittington, | ||
+ | with the Lord Mayor' | ||
+ | --Gog and Magog assail his Lordship--Lord Whittington makes a | ||
+ | speech, and deludes Gog and Magog to his party--A general scene of | ||
+ | uproar and battle among the company, until the Baron, with great | ||
+ | presence of mind, appeases the tumult.// | ||
+ | |||
+ | "What art thou?" exclaimed Don Quixote on his potent steed. "Who art | ||
+ | thou? Speak! or, by the eternal vengeance of mine arm, thy whole | ||
+ | machinery shall perish at sound of this my trumpet!" | ||
+ | |||
+ | Astonished at so rude a salutation, the great Sphinx stopped short, | ||
+ | and bridling up herself, drew in her head, like a snail when it | ||
+ | touches something that it does not like: the bulls set up a horrid | ||
+ | bellowing, the crickets sounded an alarm, and Gog and Magog advanced | ||
+ | before the rest. One of these powerful brothers had in his hand a | ||
+ | great pole, to the extremity of which was fastened a cord of about two | ||
+ | feet in length, and to the end of the cord was fastened a ball of | ||
+ | iron, with spikes shooting from it like the rays of a star; with this | ||
+ | weapon he prepared to encounter, and advancing thus he spoke:-- | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | venture cross my way, to stop the great Munchausen. Know then, proud | ||
+ | knight, that thou shalt instant perish 'neath my potent arm." | ||
+ | |||
+ | When Quixote, Mancha' | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | know thou, that here before yon azure heaven the cause of truth, of | ||
+ | valour, and of faith right pure shall ordeal counter try it!" | ||
+ | |||
+ | Thus he spoke, and brandishing his mighty spear, would instant | ||
+ | prodigies sublime perform, had not some wight placed 'neath the tail | ||
+ | of dark Rosinante furze all thorny base; at which, quadrupedanting, | ||
+ | plunged the steed, and instant on the earth the knight roared //credo// | ||
+ | for his life. | ||
+ | |||
+ | At that same moment ten thousand frogs started from the morions of Gog | ||
+ | and Magog, and furiously assailed the knight on every side. In vain he | ||
+ | roared, and invoked fair Dulcinea del Toboso: for frogs' wild croaking | ||
+ | seemed more loud, more sonorous than all his invocations. And thus in | ||
+ | battle vile the knight was overcome, and spawn all swarmed upon his | ||
+ | glittering helmet. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | goblins could alone this arduous task perform; to rout the knight of | ||
+ | Mancha, foul defeat, and war, even such as ne'er was known before. | ||
+ | Then hear, O del Toboso! hear my vows, that thus in anguish of my soul | ||
+ | I urge, midst frogs, Gridalbin, Hecaton, Kai, Talon, and the Rove! | ||
+ | [for such the names and definitions of their qualities, their separate | ||
+ | powers.] For Merlin plumed their airy flight, and then in watery | ||
+ | moonbeam dyed his rod eccentric. At the touch ten thousand frogs, | ||
+ | strange metamorphosed, | ||
+ | behest, to vilify the knight that erst defended famed virginity, and | ||
+ | matrons all bewronged, and pilgrims hoar, and courteous guise of all! | ||
+ | But the age of chivalry is gone, and the glory of Europe is | ||
+ | extinguished for ever?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | He spake, and sudden good Lord Whittington, | ||
+ | show, came forth, armour antique of chivalry, and helmets old, and | ||
+ | troops, all streamers, flags and banners glittering gay, red, gold, | ||
+ | and purple; and in every hand a square of gingerbread, | ||
+ | nice, was brandished awful. At a word, ten thousand thousand Naples | ||
+ | biscuits, crackers, buns, and flannel-cakes, | ||
+ | encountered in mid air in glorious exaltation, like some huge storm of | ||
+ | mill-stones, | ||
+ | |||
+ | The frogs, astonished, thunderstruck, | ||
+ | that before had seemed so terrible, and drowned the cries of knight | ||
+ | renown, and mute in wonder heard the words of Whittington, | ||
+ | solemn: | ||
+ | thus presents in antique shape, attend and hear the words of peace; | ||
+ | and thou, good herald, read aloud the Riot Act!" | ||
+ | |||
+ | He ceased, and dismal was the tone that softly breathed from all the | ||
+ | frogs in chorus, who quick had petrified with fright, unless redoubted | ||
+ | Gog and Magog, both with poles, high topped with airy bladders by a | ||
+ | string dependent, had not stormed against his lordship. Ever and anon | ||
+ | the bladders, loud resounding on his chaps, proclaimed their fury | ||
+ | against all potent law, coercive mayoralty; when he, submissive, thus | ||
+ | in cunning guile addressed the knights assailant: | ||
+ | renowned and famous! what, my sons, shall you assail your father, | ||
+ | friend, and chief confessed? Shall you, thus armed with bladders vile, | ||
+ | attack my title, eminence, and pomp sublime? Subside, vile discord, | ||
+ | and again return to your true ' | ||
+ | your gorgeous pouch I've crammed, all calapash, green fat, and | ||
+ | calapee. Remember how you've feasted, stood inert for ages, until size | ||
+ | immense you've gained. And think, how different is the service of | ||
+ | Munchausen, where you o'er seas, cold, briny, float along the tide, | ||
+ | eternal toiling like to slaves of Algiers and Tripoli. And ev'n on | ||
+ | high, balloon like, through the heavens have journeyed late, upon a | ||
+ | rainbow or some awful bridge stretched eminent, as if on earth he had | ||
+ | not work sufficient to distress your potent servitudes, but he should | ||
+ | also seek in heaven dire cause of labour! Recollect, my friends, even | ||
+ | why or wherefore should you thus assail your lawful magistrate, or why | ||
+ | desert his livery? or for what or wherefore serve this German Lord | ||
+ | Munchausen, who for all your labour shall alone bestow some fudge and | ||
+ | heroic blows in war? Then cease, and thus in amity return to | ||
+ | friendship aldermanic, bungy, brown, and sober." | ||
+ | |||
+ | Ceased he then, right worshipful, when both the warring champions | ||
+ | instant stemmed their battle, and in sign of peace and unity | ||
+ | returning, 'neath their feet reclined their weapons. Sudden at a | ||
+ | signal either stamped his foot sinistrine, and the loud report of | ||
+ | bursten bladder stunned each ear surrounding, | ||
+ | from on high convulsing heaven and earth. | ||
+ | |||
+ | 'Twas now upon the saddle once again the knight of Mancha rose, and in | ||
+ | his hand far balancing his lance, full tilt against the troops of | ||
+ | bulls opposing run. And thou, shrill Crillitrilkril, | ||
+ | cricket e'er on hob of rural cottage, or chimney black, more gladsome | ||
+ | turned his merry note, e'en thou didst perish, shrieking gave the | ||
+ | ghost in empty air, the sport of every wind; for e'en that heart so | ||
+ | jocund and so gay was pierced, harsh spitted by the lance of Mancha, | ||
+ | while undaunted thou didst sit between the horns that crowned | ||
+ | Mowmowsky. And now Whittington advanced, 'midst armour antique and the | ||
+ | powers Magog and Gog, and with his rod enchanting touched the head of | ||
+ | every frog, long mute and thunderstruck, | ||
+ | and salute, they sung blithe jocund, and amain advanced rebellious | ||
+ | ' | ||
+ | |||
+ | While Sphinx, though great, gigantic, seemed instinctive base and | ||
+ | cowardly, and at the sight of storming gingerbread, | ||
+ | and Gog, and Quixote, all against her, started fierce, o' | ||
+ | boat, balloons, and all; loud roared the bulls, hideous, and the crash | ||
+ | of wheels, and chaos of confusion drear, resounded far from earth to | ||
+ | heaven. And still more fierce in charge the great Lord Whittington, | ||
+ | from poke of ermine his famed Grimalkin took. She screamed, and harsh | ||
+ | attacked my bulls confounded; lightning-like she darted, and from half | ||
+ | the troop their eyes devouring tore. Nor could the riders, crickets | ||
+ | throned sublime, escape from rage, from fury less averse than cannons | ||
+ | murder o'er the stormy sea. The great Mowmowsky roared amain and | ||
+ | plunged in anguish, shunning every dart of fire-eyed fierce Grimalkin. | ||
+ | Dire the rage of warfare and contending crickets, Quixote and great | ||
+ | Magog; when Whittington advancing--" | ||
+ | headlong on the foe bear down impetuous." | ||
+ | the mighty rod, tipped wonderful each bull, at which more fierce the | ||
+ | creatures bellowed, while enchantment drear devoured their vitals. And | ||
+ | all had gone to wreck in more than mortal strife, unless, like Neptune | ||
+ | orient from the stormy deep, I rose, e'en towering o'er the ruins of | ||
+ | my fighting troops. Serene and calm I stood, and gazed around | ||
+ | undaunted; nor did aught oppose against my foes impetuous. But sudden | ||
+ | from chariot purses plentiful of fudge poured forth, and scattered it | ||
+ | amain o'er all the crowd contending. As when old Catherine or the | ||
+ | careful Joan doth scatter to the chickens bits of bread and crumbs | ||
+ | fragmented, while rejoiced they gobble fast the proffered scraps in | ||
+ | general plenty and fraternal peace, and " | ||
+ | hush!" | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | ---- | ||
+ | Go to [[CHAPTER XXX]] | ||
+ | |||
roleplaying/munchausen/chapter_xxix.txt · Last modified: by 127.0.0.1