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<div style="background:#fff;border:#bbb dashed 1px;padding:5px"><a href="http://en.citatepedia.ro/comments.php?id=431382" style="color:#000;text-decoration:none"><div style="margin:10px 0"><strong>The Old Man's Calendar</strong></div><div style="margin:10px 0">OFT have I seen in wedlock with surprise,<br>That most forgot from which true bliss would rise<br>When marriage for a daughter is designed,<br>The parents solely riches seem to mind;<br>All other boons are left to heav'n above,<br>And sweet SIXTEEN must SIXTY learn to love!<br>Yet still in other things they nicer seem,<br>Their chariot-horses and their oxen-team<br>Are truly matched;--in height exact are these,<br>While those each shade alike must have to please;<br>Without the choice 'twere wonderful to find,<br>Or coach or wagon travel to their mind.<br>The marriage journey full of cares appears,<br>When couples match in neither souls nor years!<br>An instance of the kind I'll now detail:<br>The feeling bosom will such lots bewail!</div><div style="margin:10px 0">QUINZICA, (Richard), as the story goes,<br>Indulged his wife at balls, and feasts, and shows,<br>Expecting other duties she'd forget,<br>In which howe'er he disappointment met.<br>A judge in Pisa, Richard was, it seems,<br>In law most learned: wily in his schemes;<br>But silver beard and locks too clearly told,<br>He ought to have a wife of diff'rent mould;<br>Though he had taken one of noble birth,<br>Quite young, most beautiful, and formed for mirth,<br>Bartholomea Galandi her name;<br>The lady's parents were of rank and fame;<br>Our JUDGE herein had little wisdom shown,<br>And sneering friends around were often known<br>To say, his children ne'er could fathers lack:<br>At giving counsel some have got a knack,<br>Who, were they but at home to turn their eyes,<br>Might find, perhaps, they're not so over-wise.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">QUINZICA, then perceiving that his pow'rs<br>Fell short of what a bird like his devours,<br>T'excuse himself and satisfy his dear,<br>Pretended that, no day within the year,<br>To Hymen, as a saint, was e'er assigned,<br>In calendar, or book of any kind,<br>When full ATTENTION to the god was paid:--<br>To aged sires a nice convenient aid;<br>But this the sex by no means fancy right;<br>Few days to PLEASURE could his heart invite<br>At times, the week entire he'd have a fast;<br>At others, say the day 'mong saints was classed,<br>Though no one ever heard its holy name;--<br>FAST ev'ry Friday--Saturday the same,<br>Since Sunday followed, consecrated day;<br>Then Monday came:--still he'd abstain from play;<br>Each morning find excuse, but solemn feasts<br>Were days most sacred held by all the priests;<br>On abstinence, then, Richard lectures read,<br>And long before the time, was always led<br>By sense of right, from dainties to refrain:<br>A period afterward would also gain;<br>The like observed before and after Lent;<br>And ev'ry feast had got the same extent;<br>These times were gracious for our aged man;<br>And never pass them was his constant plan.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">OF patron saints he always had a list;<br>Th' evangelists, apostles, none he miss'd;<br>And that his scruples might have constant food;<br>Some days malign, he said, were understood;<br>Then foggy weather;--dog-days' fervent heat:<br>To seek excuses he was most complete,<br>And ne'er asham'd but manag'd things so well,<br>Four times a year, by special grace, they tell,<br>Our sage regal'd his youthful blooming wife,<br>A little with the sweets of marriage life.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">WITH this exception he was truly kind,<br>Fine dresses, jewels, all to please her mind;<br>But these are bawbles which alone controul<br>Those belles, like dolls, mere bodies void of soul.<br>Bartholomea was of diff'rent clay;<br>Her only pleasure (as our hist'ries say),<br>To go in summer to the neighb'ring coast,<br>Where her good spouse a charming house could boast,<br>In which they took their lodging once a week;<br>At times they pleasure on the waves would seek,<br>As fishing with the lady would agree,<br>And she was wond'rous partial to the sea,<br>Though far to sail they always would refuse.<br>One day it happened better to amuse,<br>Our couple diff'rent fishing vessels took,<br>And skimm'd the wave to try who most could hook,<br>Of fish and pleasure; and they laid a bet,<br>The greatest number which of them should get.<br>On board they had a man or two at most.<br>And each the best adventure hop'd to boast.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">A CERTAIN pirate soon observ'd the ship,<br>In which this charming lady made the trip,<br>And presently attack'd and seiz'd the same;<br>But Richard's bark to shore in safety came;<br>So near the land, or else he would not brave,<br>To any great extent, the stormy wave,<br>Or that the robber thought if both he took,<br>He could not decently for favours look,<br>And he preferr'd those joys the FAIR bestow,<br>To all the riches which to mortals flow.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">ALTHOUGH a pirate, he had always shown<br>Much honour in his acts, as well was known;<br>But Cupid's frolicks were his heart's delight:<br>None truly brave can ever beauty slight;<br>A sailor's always bold and kind and free,<br>Good lib'ral fellows, such they'll ever be;<br>'Mong saints indeed 'twere vain their names to seek!<br>The man was good howe'er of whom we speak;<br>His usual name was Pagamin Montegue;<br>For hours the lady's screams were heard a league,<br>While he each minute anxiously would seize,<br>To cheer her spirits and her heart to please;<br>T'attain his wish he ev'ry art combined;<br>At length the lovely captive all resigned.<br>'Twas Cupid conquer'd, Cupid with his dart;<br>A thousand times more pirate in his art,<br>Than Pagamin; on bleeding hearts he preys,<br>But little quarter gives, nor grace displays:<br>To pay her ransom she'd enough of gold;<br>For this her spouse was truly never cold;<br>No fast nor festival therein appear'd,<br>And her captivity he greatly fear'd.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">THIS calendar o'erspread with rubrick days;<br>She soon forgot and learn'd the pirate's ways;<br>The matrimonial zone aside was thrown,<br>And only mentioned where the fact was known:</div><div style="margin:10px 0">OUR lawyer would his fingers sooner burn;<br>Than have his wife but virtuous home return;<br>By means of gold he entertain'd no doubt,<br>Her restoration might be brought about.<br>A passport from the pirate he obtain'd,<br>Then waited on him and his wish explain'd;<br>To pay he offer'd what soe'er he'd ask;<br>His terms accept, though hard perhaps the task;</div><div style="margin:10px 0">THE robber answer'd, if my name around,<br>Be not for honourable acts renown'd,<br>'Tis quite unjust:--your partner I'll restore<br>In health, without a ransom:--would you more?<br>A friendship so respect'd, heav'n forefend!<br>Should ever, by my conduct, have an end.<br>The fair, whom you so ardently admire,<br>Shall to your arms return as you desire,<br>Such pleasure to a friend I would not sell;<br>Convince me that she's your's, and all is well;<br>For if another I to you should give,<br>(And many that I've taken with me live,)<br>I surely should incur a heavy blame;<br>I lately captur'd one, a charming dame,<br>With auburn locks, a little fat, tall, young;<br>If she declare she does to you belong,<br>When you she's seen, I will the belle concede;<br>You'll take her instantly; I'll not impede.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">THE sage replied, your conduct's truly wise;<br>Such wond'rous kindness fills me with surprise;<br>But since 'tis said that every trade must live,<br>The sum just mention:--I'll the ransom give;<br>No compliment I wish, my purse behold<br>You know the money presently is told;<br>Consider me a stranger now I pray;<br>With you I'd equal probity display,<br>And so will act, I swear, as you shall see;<br>There 's not a doubt the fair will go with me;<br>My word for this I would not have you take:--<br>You'll see how happy 'twill the lady make<br>To find me here; to my embrace she'll fly;<br>My only fears--that she of joy will die.<br>To them the charmer now was instant brought,<br>Who eyed her husband as beneath a thought;<br>Received him coldly, just as if he'd been<br>A stranger from Peru, she ne'er had seen.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">LOOK, said Quinzica, she's ashamed 'tis plain<br>So many lookers on her love restrain;<br>But be assured, if we were left alone,<br>Around my neck her arms would soon be thrown.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">IF this, replied the pirate, you believe,<br>Attend her toilet:--naught can then deceive.<br>Away they went, and closely shut the door;<br>When Richard said, thou darling of my store,<br>How can'st thou thus behave? my pretty dove,<br>'Tis thy Quinzica, come to seek his love,<br>In all the same, except about his wife;<br>Dost in this face a change observe my life?<br>'Tis grieving for thy loss that makes me ill;<br>Did ever I in aught deny thy will?<br>In dress or play could any thee exceed?<br>And had'st thou not whatever thou might'st need?<br>To please thee, oft I made myself a slave;<br>Such thou art now; but thee again I crave.<br>Then what dost think about thy honour, dear?--<br>Said she, with ire, I neither know nor fear;<br>Is this a time to guard it, do you say?<br>What pain was shown by any one, I pray;<br>When I was forc'd to wed a man like you,<br>Old, impotent, and hateful to the view,<br>While I was young and blooming as the morn,<br>Deserving truly, something less forlorn,<br>And seemingly intended to possess<br>What Hymen best in store has got to bless;<br>For I was thought by all the world around,<br>Most worthy ev'ry bliss in wedlock found.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">YET things took quite another turn with me<br>In tune my husband never proved to be,<br>Except a feast or two throughout the year;<br>From Pagamin I met a diff'rent cheer;<br>Another lesson presently he taught;<br>The life's sweet pleasures more the pirate brought,<br>In two short days, than e'er I had from you<br>In those four years that only you I knew.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">PRAY leave me husband:--let me have my will<br>Insist not on my living with you still;<br>No calendars with Pagamin are seen--<br>Far better treated with the man I've been.<br>My other friends and you much worse deserved:<br>The spouse, for taking me when quite unnerved,<br>And they, for giving preference base to gold,<br>To those pure joys--far better thought than told.<br>But Pagamin in ev'ry way can please;<br>And though no code he owns, yet all is ease;<br>Himself will tell you what has passed this morn,<br>His actions would a sov'reign prince adorn.<br>Such information may excite surprise,<br>But now the truth, 'twere useless to disguise,<br>Nothing will gain belief, we've no one near<br>To witness our discourse:--adieu, my dear,<br>To all your festivals--I'm flesh and blood:--<br>Gems, dresses, ornaments, do little good;<br>You know full well, betwixt the head and heel,<br>Though little's said, yet much we often feel.<br>On this she stopt, and Richard dropt his chin,<br>Rejoiced to 'scape from such unwelcome din.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">BARTHOLOMEA, pleased with what had passed;<br>No disposition showed to hold him fast;<br>The downcast husband felt such poignant grief,<br>With ills where age can scarcely hope relief,<br>That soon he left this busy stage of life,<br>And Pagamin the widow took to wife.<br>The deed was just, for neither of the two<br>E'er felt what oft in Richard rose to view;<br>From feeling proof arose their mutual choice;<br>And 'tween them ne'er was heard the jarring voice.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">BEHOLD a lesson for the aged man;<br>Who thinks, when old, to act as he began;<br>But, if the sage a yielding dotard seems,<br>His work is done by those the wife esteems;<br>Complaints are never heard; no thrilling fears;<br>And ev'ry one around at ease appears.</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br /></a><br />poem by <a href="http://en.citatepedia.ro/by.php?a=La+Fontaine">La Fontaine</a><div class=q>
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<script type="text/javascript" src="//s7.addthis.com/js/300/addthis_widget.js#pubid=citatepedia" async="async"></script><div style="display:inline-block" class="addthis_sharing_toolbox" data-url="http://en.citatepedia.ro/comments.php?id=431382" data-title="The Old Man's Calendar de La Fontaine" data-description="OFT have I seen in wedlock with surprise,
That most forgot from which true bliss would rise
When marriage for a daughter is designed,
The parents solely riches seem to mind;
All other boons are left to heav'n above,
And sweet SIXTEEN must SIXTY le..."></div>
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