BlackShanglan
Silver-Tongued Papist
- Joined
- Jul 7, 2004
- Posts
- 16,888
Yet if thou hadst known but half
Of the joyance of her laugh,
Of the measures of her walk,
Of the music of her talk,
Of the witch'ry of her wit,
Even when smarting under it, -
Half the sense, the charm, the grace,
Thou hadst worshipped in my place.
Why does Ferguson always seem to me to be writing of her? I suppose it's that he writes of great epic heroes and wondrous things. But I think of her so often with these lines, and always smile to have them come back with the story of Conor gaining his kingship by solving a thorny dispute. I can't help reading in "Colly" instead.
Colly, with unalter'd mien,
In a clear sweet voice serene,
Took in hand the tangled skein
And began to make it plain.
As a sheep-dog sorts his cattle,
As a king arrays his battle,
So, the facts on either side,
She would marshal and divide.
Every branching side-dispute
Traced she downward to the root
Of the strife's main stem, and there
Laid the groud of difference bare.
Then to scope of either cause
Set the compass of the laws,
This adopting, that rejecting, -
Reasons to a head collecting, -
As a charging cohort goes
Through and over scatter'd foes
So, from point to point, she brought
Onward still the weight of thought
Thorugh all error and confusion,
'Til she set the clear conclusion,
Standing like a queen alone,
All things adverse overthrown,
And gave judgement clear and sound: -
Praises fill'd the hall around;
Yea, the man that lost the cause
Hardly could withhold applause.
As for sr71plt, I think I might be to somewhat to blame in dragging that individual into connection with Colleen, for which I am sorry. I posted earlier today, when I thought that sr71plt had left the thread and that I was mostly just addressing a group of people who shared my affection for Colly. I'd thought the thread pretty much done with its previous festivities, and didn't expect that sr71plt was still bothering to read it.
Of the joyance of her laugh,
Of the measures of her walk,
Of the music of her talk,
Of the witch'ry of her wit,
Even when smarting under it, -
Half the sense, the charm, the grace,
Thou hadst worshipped in my place.
Why does Ferguson always seem to me to be writing of her? I suppose it's that he writes of great epic heroes and wondrous things. But I think of her so often with these lines, and always smile to have them come back with the story of Conor gaining his kingship by solving a thorny dispute. I can't help reading in "Colly" instead.
Colly, with unalter'd mien,
In a clear sweet voice serene,
Took in hand the tangled skein
And began to make it plain.
As a sheep-dog sorts his cattle,
As a king arrays his battle,
So, the facts on either side,
She would marshal and divide.
Every branching side-dispute
Traced she downward to the root
Of the strife's main stem, and there
Laid the groud of difference bare.
Then to scope of either cause
Set the compass of the laws,
This adopting, that rejecting, -
Reasons to a head collecting, -
As a charging cohort goes
Through and over scatter'd foes
So, from point to point, she brought
Onward still the weight of thought
Thorugh all error and confusion,
'Til she set the clear conclusion,
Standing like a queen alone,
All things adverse overthrown,
And gave judgement clear and sound: -
Praises fill'd the hall around;
Yea, the man that lost the cause
Hardly could withhold applause.
As for sr71plt, I think I might be to somewhat to blame in dragging that individual into connection with Colleen, for which I am sorry. I posted earlier today, when I thought that sr71plt had left the thread and that I was mostly just addressing a group of people who shared my affection for Colly. I'd thought the thread pretty much done with its previous festivities, and didn't expect that sr71plt was still bothering to read it.
