{"id":544,"date":"2016-10-06T14:04:58","date_gmt":"2016-10-06T14:04:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/englishlitvictorianmodern\/?post_type=chapter&p=544"},"modified":"2016-10-06T14:04:59","modified_gmt":"2016-10-06T14:04:59","slug":"soliloquy-of-the-spanish-cloister","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-englishlitvictorianmodern\/chapter\/soliloquy-of-the-spanish-cloister\/","title":{"raw":"Soliloquy of the Spanish Cloister","rendered":"Soliloquy of the Spanish Cloister"},"content":{"raw":"

Gr-r-r\u2014there go, my heart\u2019s abhorrence!\n\nWater your damned flower-pots, do!\n\nIf hate killed men, Brother Lawrence,\n\nGod\u2019s blood, [footnote]An archaic oath, often \u201c\u2019sblood\u201d; similar to Gadzooks (God\u2019s hooks) or Zounds (His wounds).[\/footnote]would not mine kill you!\n\nWhat? your myrtle-bush wants trimming?\n\nOh, that rose has prior claims\u2014\n\nNeeds its leaden vase filled brimming?\n\nHell dry you up with its flames!\n\n\u00a0\n\nAt the meal we sit together;\n\nSalve tibi!<\/em>[footnote]Latin, \u201cHail to you.\u201d All italicized words are those of Brother Lawrence.[\/footnote]\u00a0<\/em>I must hear\n\nWise talk of the kind of weather,\n\nSort of season, time of year:\n\nNot a plenteous cork crop: scarcely<\/em>\n\nDare we hope oak-galls,<\/em>[footnote]Swellings on diseased oak leaves, yielding tannin, used in dyeing.[\/footnote]\u00a0I doubt;<\/em>\n\nWhat\u2019s the Latin name for \u201cparsley\u201d?<\/em>\n\nWhat\u2019s the Greek name for \u201cswine\u2019s snout\u201d?[footnote]Translation of the Latin\u2014rostrum porcinum<\/em>\u2014for dandelion.[\/footnote]\n\n\u00a0\n\nWhew! We\u2019ll have our platter burnished,\n\nLaid with care on our own shelf!\n\nWith a fire-new spoon we\u2019re furnished,\n\nAnd a goblet for ourself,\n\nRinsed like something sacrificial\n\nEre \u2018tis fit to touch our chaps[footnote]Jaws, mouth.[\/footnote]\u2014\n\nMarked with L. for our initial!\n\n(He-he! There his lily snaps!)\n\n\u00a0\n\nSaint,<\/em> forsooth! While brown Dolores\n\nSquats outside the Convent bank\n\nWith Sanchicha, telling stories,\n\nSteeping tresses in the tank,\n\nBlue-black, lustrous, thick like horsehairs,\n\n\u2014Can\u2019t I see his dead eye glow,\n\nBright as \u2018twere a Barbary corsair\u2019s?[footnote]Pirate of Africa\u2019s Barbary Coast of northern Africa, renowned for fierceness and lechery.[\/footnote]\n\n(That is, if he\u2019d let it show!)\n\n\u00a0\n\nWhen he finishes refection,[footnote]The taking of food and drink, refreshment.[\/footnote]\n\nKnife and fork he never lays\n\nCross-wise, to my recollection,\n\nAs do I, in Jesu\u2019s praise.\n\nI the Trinity illustrate,\n\nDrinking watered orange pulp\u2014\n\nIn three sips the Arian[footnote]Heresy which denied the doctrine of the\u00a0Trinity by asserting that the Son of God was a subordinate entity to God the Father.[\/footnote]\u00a0frustrate;\n\nWhile he drains his at one gulp!\n\n\u00a0\n\nOh, those melons! if he\u2019s able\n\nWe\u2019re to have a feast; so nice!\n\nOne goes to the Abbot\u2019s table,\n\nAll of us get each a slice.\n\nHow go on your flowers? None double?\n\nNot one fruit-sort can you spy?\n\nStrange!\u2014And I, too, at such trouble,\n\nKeep them close-nipped on the sly!\n\n\u00a0\n\nThere\u2019s a great text in Galatians,[footnote]cf. Galatians 5:19-21, which lists numerous mortal sins.[\/footnote]\n\nOnce you trip on it, entails\n\nTwenty-nine distinct damnations,\n\nOne sure, if another fails;\n\nIf I trip him just a-dying,\n\nSure of heaven as sure can be,\n\nSpin him round and send him flying\n\nOff to hell, a Manichee?[footnote]A heretic. The Manichean holds that the universe is controlled by equally balanced forces of good and evil.The speaker hopes to trick Brother Lawrence into uttering such a heresy before Lawrence can recant.[\/footnote]\n\n\u00a0\n\nOr, my scrofulous French novel\n\nOn grey paper with blunt type!\n\nSimply glance at it, you grovel\n\nHand and foot in Belial\u2019s [footnote]The Devil\u2019s grip.[\/footnote]\u00a0gripe;\n\nIf I double down its pages\n\nAt the woeful sixteenth print,\n\nWhen he gathers his greengages,\n\nOpe a sieve and slip it in\u2019t?\n\n\u00a0\n\nOr, there\u2019s Satan!\u2014one might venture\n\nPledge one\u2019s soul to him, yet leave\n\nSuch a flaw in the indenture[footnote]The speaker considers selling his soul to Satan in exchange for Lawrence\u2019s damnation, but would leave a loophole through which he can escape damnation himself.[\/footnote]\n\nAs he\u2019d miss till, past retrieve,\n\nBlasted lay that rose-acacia\n\nWe\u2019re so proud of! Hy, Zy, Hine...<\/em>[footnote]Probably the opening words of a curse against Lawrence.[\/footnote]\n\n\u2018St, there\u2019s Vespers! Plena gratia<\/em>\n\nAve, Virgo!<\/em> [footnote]\u201cFull of grace; Hail, Virgin!\u201d[\/footnote]\u00a0Gr-r-r\u2014you swine!\n\n\u00a0\n\n\u20141842\n<\/p>

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Gr-r-r\u2014there go, my heart\u2019s abhorrence!<\/p>\n

Water your damned flower-pots, do!<\/p>\n

If hate killed men, Brother Lawrence,<\/p>\n

God\u2019s blood, [1]<\/sup><\/a>would not mine kill you!<\/p>\n

What? your myrtle-bush wants trimming?<\/p>\n

Oh, that rose has prior claims\u2014<\/p>\n

Needs its leaden vase filled brimming?<\/p>\n

Hell dry you up with its flames!<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

At the meal we sit together;<\/p>\n

Salve tibi!<\/em>[2]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0<\/em>I must hear<\/p>\n

Wise talk of the kind of weather,<\/p>\n

Sort of season, time of year:<\/p>\n

Not a plenteous cork crop: scarcely<\/em><\/p>\n

Dare we hope oak-galls,<\/em>[3]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0I doubt;<\/em><\/p>\n

What\u2019s the Latin name for \u201cparsley\u201d?<\/em><\/p>\n

What\u2019s the Greek name for \u201cswine\u2019s snout\u201d?[4]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Whew! We\u2019ll have our platter burnished,<\/p>\n

Laid with care on our own shelf!<\/p>\n

With a fire-new spoon we\u2019re furnished,<\/p>\n

And a goblet for ourself,<\/p>\n

Rinsed like something sacrificial<\/p>\n

Ere \u2018tis fit to touch our chaps[5]<\/sup><\/a>\u2014<\/p>\n

Marked with L. for our initial!<\/p>\n

(He-he! There his lily snaps!)<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Saint,<\/em> forsooth! While brown Dolores<\/p>\n

Squats outside the Convent bank<\/p>\n

With Sanchicha, telling stories,<\/p>\n

Steeping tresses in the tank,<\/p>\n

Blue-black, lustrous, thick like horsehairs,<\/p>\n

\u2014Can\u2019t I see his dead eye glow,<\/p>\n

Bright as \u2018twere a Barbary corsair\u2019s?[6]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n

(That is, if he\u2019d let it show!)<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

When he finishes refection,[7]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n

Knife and fork he never lays<\/p>\n

Cross-wise, to my recollection,<\/p>\n

As do I, in Jesu\u2019s praise.<\/p>\n

I the Trinity illustrate,<\/p>\n

Drinking watered orange pulp\u2014<\/p>\n

In three sips the Arian[8]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0frustrate;<\/p>\n

While he drains his at one gulp!<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Oh, those melons! if he\u2019s able<\/p>\n

We\u2019re to have a feast; so nice!<\/p>\n

One goes to the Abbot\u2019s table,<\/p>\n

All of us get each a slice.<\/p>\n

How go on your flowers? None double?<\/p>\n

Not one fruit-sort can you spy?<\/p>\n

Strange!\u2014And I, too, at such trouble,<\/p>\n

Keep them close-nipped on the sly!<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a great text in Galatians,[9]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n

Once you trip on it, entails<\/p>\n

Twenty-nine distinct damnations,<\/p>\n

One sure, if another fails;<\/p>\n

If I trip him just a-dying,<\/p>\n

Sure of heaven as sure can be,<\/p>\n

Spin him round and send him flying<\/p>\n

Off to hell, a Manichee?[10]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Or, my scrofulous French novel<\/p>\n

On grey paper with blunt type!<\/p>\n

Simply glance at it, you grovel<\/p>\n

Hand and foot in Belial\u2019s [11]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0gripe;<\/p>\n

If I double down its pages<\/p>\n

At the woeful sixteenth print,<\/p>\n

When he gathers his greengages,<\/p>\n

Ope a sieve and slip it in\u2019t?<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Or, there\u2019s Satan!\u2014one might venture<\/p>\n

Pledge one\u2019s soul to him, yet leave<\/p>\n

Such a flaw in the indenture[12]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n

As he\u2019d miss till, past retrieve,<\/p>\n

Blasted lay that rose-acacia<\/p>\n

We\u2019re so proud of! Hy, Zy, Hine…<\/em>[13]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n

\u2018St, there\u2019s Vespers! Plena gratia<\/em><\/p>\n

Ave, Virgo!<\/em> [14]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0Gr-r-r\u2014you swine!<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u20141842\n<\/p>\n

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Candela Citations<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t
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