Scaife ATLAS

CTS Library / Of Mourning

Of Mourning (16-20)

urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0062.tlg036.perseus-eng4:16-20
Refs {'start': {'reference': '16', 'human_reference': 'None 16'}, 'end': {'reference': '20', 'human_reference': 'None 20'}}
Ancestors []
Children []
prev
plain textXML
next

Let us imagine that the son has

v.3.p.216
obtained leave from Aeacus and Pluto to take a peep into the daylight, and put a stop to these parental maunderings. Confound it, sir,’ he might exclaim, what is the noise about? You bore me. Enough of hair-plucking and face-scratching. When you call me an ill-fated wretch, you abuse a better man than yourself, and a more fortunate. Why are you so sorry for me? Is it because I am not a bald, bent, wrinkled old cripple like yourself? Is it because I have not lived to be a battered wreck, nor seen a thousand moons wax and wane, only to make a fool of myself at the last before a crowd? Can your sapience point to any single convenience of life, of which we are deprived in the lower world? I know what you will say: clothes and good dinners, wine and women, without which you think I shall be inconsolable. Are you now to learn that freedom from hunger and thirst is better than meat and drink, and insensibility to cold better than plenty of clothes?

Come, I see you need enlightenment; I will show you how lamentation ought to be done. Makea fresh start, thus: Alas, my son! Hunger and thirst and cold are his no longer! He is gone, gone beyond the reach of sickness; he fears not fever any more, nor enemies nor tyrants. Never again, my son, shall love disturb your peace, impair your health, make hourly inroads on your purse; oh, heavy change! Never can you reach contemptible old age, never be an eyesore to your juniors!—

Confess, now, that my lamentation has the advantage of yours, in veracity, as in absurdity.

Perhaps it is the pitchy darkness of the infernal regions that runs in your head? is that the trouble? Are you afraid I shall be suffocated in the confinement of the tomb? You should reflect that my eyes will presently decay, or (if such is your good pleasure) be consumed with fire; after which I shall have no occasion to notice either light or darkness. However, let that pass.

But all this lamentation, now; this fluting

v.3.p.217
and beating of breasts; these wholly disproportionate wailings: how am I the better for it all? And what do I want with a garlanded column over my grave? And what good do you suppose you are going to do by pouring wine on it? do you expect it to filter through all the way to Hades? As to the victims, you must surely see for yourselves that all the solid nutriment is whisked away heavenwards in the form of smoke, leaving us Shades precisely as we were; the residue, being dust, is useless; or is it your theory that Shades batten on ashes? Plutos realm is not so barren, nor asphodel so scarce with us, that we must apply to you for provisions.—What with this winding-sheet and these woollen bandages, my jaws have been effectually sealed up, or, by Tisiphone, I should have burst out laughing long before this at the stuff you talk and the things you do.’

And at the word Death sealed his lips for ever.

Thus far our corpse, leaning on one side, supported on an elbow. Can we doubt that he is in the right of it? And yet these simpletons, not content with their own noise, must call in professional assistance: an artist in grief, with a fine repertoire of cut-and-dried sorrows at his command, assumes the direction of this inane choir, and supplies a theme for their woful acclamations.

Let 1 w 3
us 1 w 5
imagine 1 w 12
that 1 w 16
the 1 w 19
son 1 w 22
has 1 w 25
obtained 1 w 33
leave 1 w 38
from 1 w 42
Aeacus 1 w 48
and 1 w 51
Pluto 1 w 56
to 2 w 58
take 1 w 62
a 9 w 63
peep 1 w 67
into 1 w 71
the 2 w 74
daylight 1 w 82
and 2 w 86
put 1 w 89
a 12 w 90
stop 1 w 94
to 5 w 96
these 1 w 101
parental 1 w 109
maunderings 1 w 120
Confound 1 w 130
it 1 w 132
sir 1 w 136
he 4 w 140
might 1 w 145
exclaim 1 w 152
what 1 w 158
is 1 w 160
the 4 w 163
noise 1 w 168
about 1 w 173
You 1 w 177
bore 1 w 181
me 1 w 183
Enough 1 w 190
of 1 w 192
hair-plucking 1 w 205
and 3 w 208
face-scratching 1 w 223
When 1 w 228
you 1 w 231
call 1 w 235
me 2 w 237
an 4 w 239
ill-fated 1 w 248
wretch 1 w 254
you 2 w 258
abuse 1 w 263
a 27 w 264
better 1 w 270
man 1 w 273
than 1 w 277
yourself 1 w 285
and 4 w 289
a 31 w 290
more 1 w 294
fortunate 1 w 303
Why 1 w 307
are 2 w 310
you 4 w 313
so 2 w 315
sorry 1 w 320
for 2 w 323
me 3 w 325
Is 1 w 328
it 2 w 330
because 1 w 337
I 2 w 338
am 1 w 340
not 1 w 343
a 36 w 344
bald 1 w 348
bent 1 w 353
wrinkled 1 w 362
old 1 w 365
cripple 1 w 372
like 1 w 376
yourself 2 w 384
Is 2 w 387
it 3 w 389
because 2 w 396
I 4 w 397
have 1 w 401
not 2 w 404
lived 1 w 409
to 6 w 411
be 5 w 413
a 40 w 414
battered 1 w 422
wreck 1 w 427
nor 1 w 431
seen 1 w 435
a 42 w 436
thousand 1 w 444
moons 1 w 449
wax 1 w 452
and 6 w 455
wane 1 w 459
only 1 w 464
to 7 w 466
make 1 w 470
a 48 w 471
fool 1 w 475
of 2 w 477
myself 1 w 483
at 7 w 485
the 5 w 488
last 1 w 492
before 1 w 498
a 51 w 499
crowd 1 w 504
Can 1 w 508
your 3 w 512
sapience 1 w 520
point 1 w 525
to 8 w 527
any 1 w 530
single 1 w 536
convenience 1 w 547
of 3 w 549
life 1 w 553
of 4 w 556
which 1 w 561
we 1 w 563
are 3 w 566
deprived 1 w 574
in 10 w 576
the 6 w 579
lower 1 w 584
world 1 w 589
I 5 w 591
know 1 w 595
what 2 w 599
you 7 w 602
will 1 w 606
say 1 w 609
clothes 1 w 617
and 7 w 620
good 1 w 624
dinners 1 w 631
wine 1 w 636
and 8 w 639
women 1 w 644
without 1 w 652
which 2 w 657
you 8 w 660
think 1 w 665
I 6 w 666
shall 1 w 671
be 7 w 673
inconsolable 1 w 685
Are 1 w 689
you 9 w 692
now 2 w 695
to 9 w 697
learn 1 w 702
that 2 w 706
freedom 1 w 713
from 2 w 717
hunger 1 w 723
and 9 w 726
thirst 1 w 732
is 3 w 734
better 2 w 740
than 2 w 744
meat 1 w 748
and 10 w 751
drink 1 w 756
and 11 w 760
insensibility 1 w 773
to 10 w 775
cold 1 w 779
better 3 w 785
than 3 w 789
plenty 1 w 795
of 5 w 797
clothes 2 w 804
Come 1 w 809
I 7 w 811
see 2 w 814
you 10 w 817
need 1 w 821
enlightenment 1 w 834
I 8 w 836
will 2 w 840
show 1 w 844
you 11 w 847
how 2 w 850
lamentation 1 w 861
ought 1 w 866
to 11 w 868
be 10 w 870
done 1 w 874
Makea 1 w 880
fresh 1 w 885
start 1 w 890
thus 1 w 895
Alas 1 w 900
my 2 w 903
son 2 w 906
Hunger 1 w 913
and 12 w 916
thirst 2 w 922
and 13 w 925
cold 2 w 929
are 4 w 932
his 1 w 935
no 8 w 937
longer 1 w 943
He 1 w 946
is 5 w 948
gone 1 w 952
gone 2 w 957
beyond 1 w 963
the 9 w 966
reach 1 w 971
of 6 w 973
sickness 1 w 981
he 12 w 984
fears 1 w 989
not 3 w 992
fever 1 w 997
any 2 w 1000
more 2 w 1004
nor 2 w 1008
enemies 1 w 1015
nor 3 w 1018
tyrants 1 w 1025
Never 1 w 1031
again 1 w 1036
my 3 w 1039
son 3 w 1042
shall 2 w 1048
love 1 w 1052
disturb 1 w 1059
your 4 w 1063
peace 1 w 1068
impair 1 w 1075
your 5 w 1079
health 1 w 1085
make 2 w 1090
hourly 1 w 1096
inroads 1 w 1103
on 15 w 1105
your 6 w 1109
purse 1 w 1114
oh 1 w 1117
heavy 1 w 1123
change 1 w 1129
Never 2 w 1135
can 1 w 1138
you 15 w 1141
reach 2 w 1146
contemptible 1 w 1158
old 4 w 1161
age 1 w 1164
never 1 w 1170
be 12 w 1172
an 26 w 1174
eyesore 1 w 1181
to 12 w 1183
your 7 w 1187
juniors 1 w 1194
Confess 1 w 1203
now 3 w 1207
that 3 w 1212
my 4 w 1214
lamentation 2 w 1225
has 2 w 1228
the 10 w 1231
advantage 1 w 1240
of 7 w 1242
yours 3 w 1247
in 19 w 1250
veracity 1 w 1258
as 5 w 1261
in 20 w 1263
absurdity 1 w 1272
Perhaps 1 w 1281
it 8 w 1283
is 7 w 1285
the 11 w 1288
pitchy 1 w 1294
darkness 1 w 1302
of 8 w 1304
the 12 w 1307
infernal 1 w 1315
regions 1 w 1322
that 4 w 1326
runs 1 w 1330
in 22 w 1332
your 9 w 1336
head 1 w 1340
is 8 w 1343
that 5 w 1347
the 13 w 1350
trouble 1 w 1357
Are 2 w 1361
you 19 w 1364
afraid 1 w 1370
I 9 w 1371
shall 3 w 1376
be 13 w 1378
suffocated 1 w 1388
in 23 w 1390
the 14 w 1393
confinement 1 w 1404
of 9 w 1406
the 15 w 1409
tomb 1 w 1413
You 2 w 1417
should 1 w 1423
reflect 1 w 1430
that 6 w 1434
my 5 w 1436
eyes 2 w 1440
will 3 w 1444
presently 1 w 1453
decay 1 w 1458
or 14 w 1461
if 2 w 1464
such 1 w 1468
is 9 w 1470
your 10 w 1474
good 2 w 1478
pleasure 1 w 1486
be 14 w 1489
consumed 1 w 1497
with 2 w 1501
fire 1 w 1505
after 1 w 1511
which 3 w 1516
I 10 w 1517
shall 4 w 1522
have 2 w 1526
no 13 w 1528
occasion 1 w 1536
to 14 w 1538
notice 1 w 1544
either 1 w 1550
light 3 w 1555
or 15 w 1557
darkness 2 w 1565
However 1 w 1573
let 1 w 1577
that 7 w 1581
pass 1 w 1585
But 1 w 1589
all 6 w 1592
this 1 w 1596
lamentation 3 w 1607
now 4 w 1611
this 2 w 1616
fluting 1 w 1623
and 14 w 1626
beating 1 w 1633
of 10 w 1635
breasts 1 w 1642
these 2 w 1648
wholly 1 w 1654
disproportionate 1 w 1670
wailings 1 w 1678
how 3 w 1682
am 5 w 1684
I 11 w 1685
the 18 w 1688
better 4 w 1694
for 4 w 1697
it 12 w 1699
all 7 w 1702
And 1 w 1706
what 3 w 1710
do 3 w 1712
I 12 w 1713
want 1 w 1717
with 3 w 1721
a 139 w 1722
garlanded 1 w 1731
column 1 w 1737
over 1 w 1741
my 6 w 1743
grave 1 w 1748
And 2 w 1752
what 4 w 1756
good 3 w 1760
do 4 w 1762
you 21 w 1765
suppose 1 w 1772
you 22 w 1775
are 5 w 1778
going 1 w 1783
to 15 w 1785
do 5 w 1787
by 1 w 1789
pouring 1 w 1796
wine 2 w 1800
on 25 w 1802
it 14 w 1804
do 6 w 1807
you 23 w 1810
expect 1 w 1816
it 15 w 1818
to 16 w 1820
filter 1 w 1826
through 1 w 1833
all 8 w 1836
the 19 w 1839
way 1 w 1842
to 17 w 1844
Hades 1 w 1849
As 1 w 1852
to 18 w 1854
the 20 w 1857
victims 1 w 1864
you 24 w 1868
must 1 w 1872
surely 1 w 1878
see 3 w 1881
for 5 w 1884
yourselves 1 w 1894
that 8 w 1898
all 9 w 1901
the 21 w 1904
solid 1 w 1909
nutriment 1 w 1918
is 13 w 1920
whisked 1 w 1927
away 1 w 1931
heavenwards 1 w 1942
in 31 w 1944
the 22 w 1947
form 1 w 1951
of 11 w 1953
smoke 1 w 1958
leaving 1 w 1966
us 9 w 1968
Shades 1 w 1974
precisely 1 w 1983
as 10 w 1985
we 4 w 1987
were 1 w 1991
the 23 w 1995
residue 1 w 2002
being 1 w 2008
dust 1 w 2012
is 16 w 2015
useless 1 w 2022
or 20 w 2025
is 17 w 2027
it 16 w 2029
your 12 w 2033
theory 1 w 2039
that 9 w 2043
Shades 2 w 2049
batten 1 w 2055
on 26 w 2057
ashes 1 w 2062
Pluto 2 w 2068
s 125 w 2070
realm 1 w 2075
is 18 w 2077
not 5 w 2080
so 9 w 2082
barren 1 w 2088
nor 4 w 2092
asphodel 1 w 2100
so 10 w 2102
scarce 1 w 2108
with 4 w 2112
us 12 w 2114
that 10 w 2119
we 6 w 2121
must 2 w 2125
apply 1 w 2130
to 20 w 2132
you 27 w 2135
for 7 w 2138
provisions 1 w 2148
What 1 w 2154
with 5 w 2158
this 3 w 2162
winding-sheet 1 w 2175
and 16 w 2178
these 3 w 2183
woollen 1 w 2190
bandages 1 w 2198
my 7 w 2201
jaws 1 w 2205
have 3 w 2209
been 1 w 2213
effectually 1 w 2224
sealed 1 w 2230
up 2 w 2232
or 24 w 2235
by 2 w 2238
Tisiphone 1 w 2247
I 13 w 2249
should 2 w 2255
have 4 w 2259
burst 1 w 2264
out 3 w 2267
laughing 1 w 2275
long 2 w 2279
before 2 w 2285
this 4 w 2289
at 29 w 2291
the 26 w 2294
stuff 1 w 2299
you 28 w 2302
talk 1 w 2306
and 18 w 2309
the 27 w 2312
things 1 w 2318
you 29 w 2321
do 7 w 2323
And 3 w 2328
at 30 w 2330
the 28 w 2333
word 1 w 2337
Death 1 w 2342
sealed 2 w 2348
his 7 w 2351
lips 1 w 2355
for 9 w 2358
ever 6 w 2362
Thus 1 w 2367
far 1 w 2370
our 15 w 2373
corpse 1 w 2379
leaning 1 w 2387
on 30 w 2389
one 5 w 2392
side 1 w 2396
supported 1 w 2406
on 32 w 2408
an 35 w 2410
elbow 1 w 2415
Can 2 w 2419
we 7 w 2421
doubt 1 w 2426
that 11 w 2430
he 38 w 2432
is 24 w 2434
in 39 w 2436
the 29 w 2439
right 1 w 2444
of 12 w 2446
it 19 w 2448
And 4 w 2452
yet 1 w 2455
these 4 w 2460
simpletons 1 w 2470
not 6 w 2474
content 1 w 2481
with 6 w 2485
their 1 w 2490
own 1 w 2493
noise 2 w 2498
must 3 w 2503
call 2 w 2507
in 40 w 2509
professional 1 w 2521
assistance 1 w 2531
an 38 w 2534
artist 1 w 2540
in 41 w 2542
grief 1 w 2547
with 7 w 2552
a 194 w 2553
fine 2 w 2557
repertoire 1 w 2567
of 14 w 2569
cut-and-dried 1 w 2582
sorrows 1 w 2589
at 33 w 2591
his 8 w 2594
command 1 w 2601
assumes 1 w 2609
the 32 w 2612
direction 1 w 2621
of 15 w 2623
this 5 w 2627
inane 1 w 2632
choir 1 w 2637
and 21 w 2641
supplies 1 w 2649
a 201 w 2650
theme 1 w 2655
for 10 w 2658
their 2 w 2663
woful 1 w 2668
acclamations 1 w 2680