Works of Charles Dickens - Charles Dickens [3416]
X.
Now sevin long years is gone and past,
And fourteen days vell known to me;
She packed up all her gay clouthing,
And swore Lord Bateman she would go see.
XI.
O ven she arrived at Lord Bateman's castle,
How bouldly then she rang the bell,
"Who's there! who's there!" cries the proud young porter,
"O come, unto me pray quickly tell."
XII.
"O! is this here Lord Bateman's castle,
And is his lordship here vithin?"
"O Yes! O yes!" cries the proud young porter;
"He's just now takin' his young bride in."
XIII.
"O! bid him to send me a slice of bread,
And a bottle of the wery best vine,
And not forgettin' the fair young lady
As did release him ven close confine."
XIV.
O! avay and avay vent this proud young porter,
O! avay and avay and avay vent he,
Until he come to Lord Bateman's charmber,
Ven he vent down on his bended knee.
XV.
"Vot news, vot news, my proud young porter,
Vot news, vot news, come tell to me?"
"O there is the fairest young lady
As ever my two eyes did see.
XVI.
"She has got rings on ev'ry finger,
And on one finger she has got three:
Vith as much gay gould about her middle
As would buy half Northumberlee.
XVII.
"O she bids you to send her a slice of bread
And a bottle of the wery best vine,
And not forgettin' the fair young lady
As did release you ven close confine."
XVIII.
Lord Bateman then in passion flew,
And broke his sword in splinters three,
Saying, "I vill give half my father's land
If so be as Sophia has crossed the sea."
XIX.
Then up and spoke this young bride's mother,
Who never vos heerd to speak so free:
Sayin, "You'll not forget my ounly darter,
If so be as Sophia has crossed the sea."
XX.
"O it's true I made a bride of your darter,
But she's neither the better nor the vorse for me;
She came to me with a horse and saddle,
But she may go home in a coach and three."
XXI.
Lord Bateman then prepared another marriage,
With both their hearts so full of glee,
Saying, "I vill roam no more to foreign countries
Now that Sophia has crossed the sea."
________
Go to Start
Life And Adventures of Martin Chuzzlewit
One | Two | Three | Four | Five | Six | Seven | Eight | Nine | Ten | Eleven | Twelve | Thirteen | Fourteen | Fifteen | Sixteen | Seventeen | Eighteen | Nineteen | Twenty | Twenty-One | Twenty-Two | Twenty-Three | Twenty-Four | Twenty-Five | Twenty-Six | Twenty-Seven | Twenty-Eight | Twenty-Nine | Thirty | Thirty-One | Thirty-Two | Thirty-Three | Thirty-Four | Thirty-Five | Thirty-Six | Thirty-Seven | Thirty-Eight | Thirty-Nine | Forty | Forty-One | Forty-Two | Forty-Three | Forty-Four | Forty-Five | Forty-Six | Forty-Seven | Forty-Eight | Forty-Nine | Fifty | Fifty-One | Fifty-Two | Fifty-Three | Fifty-Four
PREFACE
What is exaggeration to one class of minds and perceptions, is plain truth to another. That which is commonly called a long-sight, perceives in a prospect innumerable features and bearings non-existent to a short-sighted person. I sometimes ask myself whether there may occasionally be a difference of this kind between some writers and some readers; whether it is ALWAYS the writer who colours highly, or whether it is now and then the reader whose eye for colour is a little dull?
On this head of exaggeration I have a positive experience, more curious than the speculation I have just set down. It is this: I have never touched a character precisely from the life, but some counterpart of that character has incredulously asked me: "Now really, did I ever really, see one like it?"
All the Pecksniff family upon earth are quite agreed, I believe, that Mr Pecksniff is an exaggeration, and that no such character ever existed. I will not offer any plea on his behalf to so powerful and genteel a body, but will make a remark on the character of Jonas Chuzzlewit.
I conceive that the sordid coarseness and brutality of Jonas would be unnatural, if there had been nothing in his early education, and in the precept and example always before him, to engender and develop the vices that make him odious. But,