It was her pain at finding
her opinion of De Lorge justified. He was then, just as she thought,
a liar; he never meant to be taken at his word. All his
protestations of love and service were mere phrases. His anger at
the first test of his boasting proves this. The pain in her heart is
the pain we all feel at reading of some cowardly or disloyal act;
one more man unfaithful, one more man selfish, one more who lowers
the level of human nature.
The paradox teaches us the very simple lesson that if we boast of
our prowess, we must not be angry when some one insists that we
prove it.
THE GLOVE
1845
(PETER RONSARD _loquitur_)
"Heigho!" yawned one day King Francis,
"Distance all value enhances!
When a man's busy, why, leisure
Strikes him as wonderful pleasure:
'Faith, and at leisure once is he?
Straightway he wants to be busy.
Here we've got peace; and aghast I'm
Caught thinking war the true pastime.
Is there a reason in metre?
Give us your speech, master Peter!"
I who, if mortal dare say so,
Ne'er am at loss with my Naso,
"Sire," I replied, "joys prove cloudlets:
Men are the merest Ixions"--
Here the King whistled aloud, "Let's
--Heigho--go look at our lions!"
Such are the sorrowful chances
If you talk fine to King Francis.
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