ng at it objectively,
as a thing out of him, I mean.

ABRAZZA--No doubt, he hugged it.

BABBALANJA--Hard to answer. Sometimes, when by himself, he thought
hugely of it, as my lord Abrazza says; but when abroad, among men, he
almost despised it; but when he bethought him of those parts, written
with full eyes, half blinded; temples throbbing; and pain at the
heart--

ABRAZZA--Pooh! pooh!

BABBALANJA--He would say to himself, "Sure, it can not be in vain!"
Yet again, when he bethought him of the hurry and bustle of Mardi,
dejection stole over him. "Who will heed it," thought he; "what care
these fops and brawlers for me? But am I not myself an egregious
coxcomb? Who will read me? Say one thousand pages--twenty-five lines
each--every line ten words--every word ten letters. That's two million
five hundred thousand _a_'s, and _i_'s, and _o_'s to read! How
many are superfluous? Am I not mad to saddle Mardi with such a task?
Of all men, am I the wisest, to stand upon a pedestal, and teach the
mob? Ah, my own Kortanza! child of many prayers!--in whose earnest
eyes, so fathomless, I see my own; and recall all past delights and
silent agonies-thou may'st prove, as the child of some fond dotard:--
beauteous to me; hideous to Mardi! And methinks, that while so much
slaving merits that thou should'st not die; it has not been intense,
prolonged enough, for the high meed of immortality. Yet, things
immortal have been written; and by men as me;--men, who slept and
waked; and ate; and talked with tongues like mine. Ah, Oro! how may we
know or not, we are what we would be? Hath genius any stamp and
imprint, obvious to possessors? Has it eyes to see itself; or is it
blind? Or do we delude ourselves with being gods, and end in grubs?
Genius, genius?--a thousand years hence, to be a household-word?--I?--
Lombardo? but yesterday cut in the market-place by a spangled fool!--
Lombardo immortal?--Ha, ha, Lombardo! but thou art an ass, with vast
ears brushing the tops of palms! Ha, ha, ha! Methinks I see thee
immortal! 'Thus great Lombardo saith; and thus; and thus; and thus:--
thus saith he--illustrious Lombardo!--Lombardo, our great countryman!
Lombardo, prince of poets--Lombardo! great Lombardo!'--Ha, ha, ha!--
go, go! dig thy grave, and bury thyself!"

ABRAZZA--He was very funny, then, at times.

BABBALANJA--Very funny, your Highness:--amazing jolly! And from my
nethermost soul, would to Oro, thou could'st but feel one touch of
that