[syndicate] The Wuthering Heights of Paradise Lost

[jeff harrison]

BOOK ONE, LINES 299 - 321 


Nathless he so endur'd, till on the Beach 
Of that inflamed Sea, he stood and call'd 
His Legions, Angel Forms, who lay intrans't 
Thick as Autumnal Leaves that strow the Brooks 
In Vallombrosa, where th' Etrurian shades 
High overarch't imbowr; or scatterd sedge 
Afloat, when with fierce Winds Orion arm'd 
Hath vext the Red-Sea Coast, whose waves orethrew 
Busiris and his Memphian Chivalry, 
While with perfidious hatred 

One stop brought us into the family sitting-room, without any introductory lobby or passage: they call it here 'the house' pre- eminently. It includes kitchen and parlour, generally; but I believe at Wuthering Heights the kitchen is forced to retreat altogether into another quarter: at least I distinguished a chatter of tongues, and a clatter of culinary utensils, deep within; and I observed no signs of roasting, boiling, or baking, about the huge fireplace; nor any glitter of copper saucepans and tin cullenders on the walls. One end, indeed, reflected splendidly both light and heat from ranks of immense pewter dishes, interspersed with silver jugs and tankards, towering row after row, on a vast oak dresser, to the very roof. The latter had never been under-drawn: its entire anatomy lay bare to an inquiring eye, except where a frame of wood laden with oatcakes and clusters of legs of beef, mutton, and ham, concealed it. Above the chimney were sundry villainous old guns, and
 a couple of horse-pistols: and, by way of ornament, three gaudily-painted canisters disposed along its ledge. 

If such astonishment as this can sieze 
Eternal spirits; or have ye chos'n this place 
After the toyl of Battel to repose 
Your wearied vertue, for the ease you find 

This was worse than before: the youth grew crimson, and clenched his fist, with every appearance of a meditated assault. But he seemed to recollect himself presently, and smothered the storm in a brutal curse, muttered on my behalf: which, however, I took care not to notice. 


* 


BOOK FOUR, LINES 1 - 26 


With this insult my patience was at an end. I uttered an expression of disgust, and pushed past him into the yard, running against Earnshaw in my haste. It was so dark that I could not see the means of exit; and, as I wandered round, I heard another specimen of their civil behaviour amongst each other. 

Of that first Battel, and his flight to Hell: 
Yet not rejoycing in his speed, though bold, 

If it be, he deserves flaying alive for not running to welcome me, and for screaming as if I were a goblin. Unnatural cub, come hither! 

Begins his dire attempt, which nigh the birth 
Now rowling, boiles in his tumultuous brest, 
And like a devillish Engine back recoiles 
Upon himself; horror and doubt distract 
His troubl'd thoughts, and from the bottom stirr 
The Hell within him, for within him Hell 
He brings, and round about him, nor from Hell 
One step no more then from himself can fly 

We came to the chapel. I have passed it really in my walks, twice or thrice; it lies in a hollow, between two hills: an elevated hollow, near a swamp, whose peaty moisture is said to answer all the purposes of embalming on the few corpses deposited there. 

That slumberd, wakes the bitter memorie 
Of what he was, what is, and what must be 
Worse; of worse deeds worse sufferings must ensue. 


* 


BOOK TWO, LINES 906 - 922 


With that concluding word, the whole assembly, exalting their pilgrim's staves, rushed round me in a body; and I, having no weapon to raise in self-defence, commenced grappling with Joseph, my nearest and most ferocious assailant, for his. 

Hee rules a moment; Chaos Umpire sits, 
And by decision more imbroiles the fray 
By which he Reigns: next him high Arbiter 
Chance governs all. Into this wilde Abyss, 
The Womb of nature and perhaps her Grave, 
Of neither Sea, nor Shore, nor Air, nor Fire, 

I lingered round them, under that benign sky: watched the moths fluttering among the heath and harebells, listened to the soft wind breathing through the grass, and wondered how any one could ever imagine unquiet slumbers for the sleepers in that quiet earth. 

His dark materials to create more Worlds, 
Into this wild Abyss the warie fiend 
Stood on the brink of Hell and look'd a while, 

When he saw my horse's breast fairly pushing the barrier, he did put out his hand to unchain it, and then sullenly preceded me up the causeway, calling, as we entered the court, - 'Joseph, take Mr. Lockwood's horse; and bring up some wine.' 

He had to cross. Nor was his eare less peal'd 
With noises loud and ruinous (to compare 
Great things with small) then when Bellona storms, 


* 


BOOK NINE, LINES 14 - 30 


Not less but more Heroic then the wrauth 
Of stern Achilles on his Foe pursu'd 
Thrice Fugitive about Troy Wall; or rage 
Of Turnus for Lavinia disespous'd, 
Or Neptun's ire or Juno's, that so long 
Perplex'd the Greek and Cytherea's Son; 
If answerable style I can obtaine 

Then she began describing with hysterical emotion the effect it produced on her to see black; and started, and trembled, and, at last, fell a-weeping - and when I asked what was the matter, answered, she didn't know; but she felt so afraid of dying! 

Her nightly visitation unimplor'd, 
And dictates to me slumb'ring, or inspires 
Easie my unpremeditated Verse: 
Since first this Subject for Heroic Song 
Pleas 

In the evening we had a dance. 

d 

Who knows but your father was Emperor of China, and your mother an Indian queen, each of them able to buy up, with one week's income, Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange together? 

Not sedulous by Nature to indite 
Warrs, hitherto the onely Argument 

Come to the glass, and I'll let you see what you should wish. Do you mark those two lines between your eyes; and those thick brows, that, instead of rising arched, sink in the middle; and that couple of black fiends, so deeply buried, who never open their windows boldly, but lurk glinting under them, like devil's spies? 

With long and tedious havoc fabl'd Knights 

 
---------------------------------
Need a quick answer? Get one in minutes from people who know. Ask your question on Yahoo! Answers.
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://tekspost.no/mailman/private/syndicate/attachments/20061204/8791e34c/attachment.html>