Читать книгу The Uncertain Land and Other Poems - Patrick O’Brian - Страница 9

Couplets in favour of Mrs W. Koren, who sent (per JBC)^fn1 jam to the O’Brians [at Collioure] in time of dearth

All Attic virtues, beauty, wisdom, wit,

Take which you will, she doth excel in it

All these and yet one more th’Atlantic dame

Hath to illumine her noble spouse’s name,

Mark there the Greek with Chian wine and oil

Comes bearing gifts, and see how vain his toil.

Yet here Transpontine Ceres freely sends

Imprison’d comfits, Polemarchus’ blends, …

And dreams not fear nor anger (see above)

But grateful intercessions and our love

The pallid bread glows purple, and the dew

Of anxious gleed bespreads each wizen’d brow

Encrimson’d mouths gape sated at the last

Such admirable tins of jam as these

Are apt to promote international pese

May Heaven reward Mrs Koren

Who is undoubtedly a pearl among women.

The recipient of jam were [sic] undoubtedly a moron