It might be, if you'd reason with him, ladies,
He would eat something, for I have a notion
That if he brought misfortune on the King,
Or the King's house, we'd be as little thought of
As summer linen when the winter's come.
He would eat something, for I have a notion
That if he brought misfortune on the King,
Or the King's house, we'd be as little thought of
As summer linen when the winter's come.
Yeats
_
How many days
Will you keep up this quarrel with the King,
And the King's nobles, and myself, and all,
Who'd gladly be your friends, if you would let them?
[_Going near to MONK. _
If you would try, you might persuade him, father.
I cannot make him answer me, and yet
If fitting hands would offer him the food,
He might accept it.
MONK.
Certainly I will not.
I've made too many homilies, wherein
The wanton imagination of the poets
Has been condemned, to be his flatterer.
If pride and disobedience are unpunished
Who will obey?
CHAMBERLAIN.
[_Going to other side towards SOLDIER. _]
If you would speak to him,
You might not find persuasion difficult,
With all the devils of hunger helping you.
SOLDIER.
I will not interfere, and if he starve
For being obstinate and stiff in the neck,
'Tis but good riddance.
CHAMBERLAIN.
One of us must do it.
It might be, if you'd reason with him, ladies,
He would eat something, for I have a notion
That if he brought misfortune on the King,
Or the King's house, we'd be as little thought of
As summer linen when the winter's come.
FIRST GIRL.
But it would be the greater compliment
If Peter'd do it.
SECOND GIRL.
Reason with him, Peter.
Persuade him to eat; he's such a bag of bones!
SOLDIER.
I'll never trust a woman's word again!
There's nobody that was so loud against him
When he was at the table; now the wind's changed,
And you that could not bear his speech or his silence,
Would have him there in his old place again;
I do believe you would, but I won't help you.
SECOND GIRL.
Why will you be so hard upon us, Peter?
You know we have turned the common sort against us,
And he looks miserable.
FIRST GIRL.
We cannot dance,
Because no harper will pluck a string for us.
SECOND GIRL.
I cannot sleep with thinking of his face.
How many days
Will you keep up this quarrel with the King,
And the King's nobles, and myself, and all,
Who'd gladly be your friends, if you would let them?
[_Going near to MONK. _
If you would try, you might persuade him, father.
I cannot make him answer me, and yet
If fitting hands would offer him the food,
He might accept it.
MONK.
Certainly I will not.
I've made too many homilies, wherein
The wanton imagination of the poets
Has been condemned, to be his flatterer.
If pride and disobedience are unpunished
Who will obey?
CHAMBERLAIN.
[_Going to other side towards SOLDIER. _]
If you would speak to him,
You might not find persuasion difficult,
With all the devils of hunger helping you.
SOLDIER.
I will not interfere, and if he starve
For being obstinate and stiff in the neck,
'Tis but good riddance.
CHAMBERLAIN.
One of us must do it.
It might be, if you'd reason with him, ladies,
He would eat something, for I have a notion
That if he brought misfortune on the King,
Or the King's house, we'd be as little thought of
As summer linen when the winter's come.
FIRST GIRL.
But it would be the greater compliment
If Peter'd do it.
SECOND GIRL.
Reason with him, Peter.
Persuade him to eat; he's such a bag of bones!
SOLDIER.
I'll never trust a woman's word again!
There's nobody that was so loud against him
When he was at the table; now the wind's changed,
And you that could not bear his speech or his silence,
Would have him there in his old place again;
I do believe you would, but I won't help you.
SECOND GIRL.
Why will you be so hard upon us, Peter?
You know we have turned the common sort against us,
And he looks miserable.
FIRST GIRL.
We cannot dance,
Because no harper will pluck a string for us.
SECOND GIRL.
I cannot sleep with thinking of his face.
