The presents for his granddaughter, for his daughters,
For his sister, for his old cronies in Stratford
And in London. And therefore when he was urged,
As I believe, to name her
He left her his
Secondbest
Bed.
_Punkt._
Leftherhis
Secondbest
Leftherhis
Bestabed
Secabest
Leftabed.
Woa!
--Pretty countryfolk had few chattels then, John Eglinton observed, as
they have still if our peasant plays are true to type.
--He was a rich country gentleman, Stephen said, with a coat of arms
and landed estate at Stratford and a house in Ireland yard, a capitalist
shareholder, a bill promoter, a tithefarmer. Why did he not leave her
his best bed if he wished her to snore away the rest of her nights in
peace?
--It is clear that there were two beds, a best and a secondbest, Mr
Secondbest Best said finely.
--_Separatio a mensa et a thalamo_, bettered Buck Mulligan and was
smiled on.
--Antiquity mentions famous beds, Second Eglinton puckered, bedsmiling.
Let me think.
--Antiquity mentions that Stagyrite schoolurchin and bald heathen sage,
Stephen said, who when dying in exile frees and endows his slaves, pays
tribute to his elders, wills to be laid in earth near the bones of his
dead wife and bids his friends be kind to an old mistress (don't forget
Nell Gwynn Herpyllis) and let her live in his villa.
--Do you mean he died so? Mr Best asked with slight concern. I mean...
--He died dead drunk, Buck Mulligan capped. A quart of ale is a dish for
a king. O, I must tell you what Dowden said!
--What? asked Besteglinton.
William Shakespeare and company, limited. The people's William. For
terms apply: E. Dowden, Highfield house...
--Lovely! Buck Mulligan suspired amorously. I asked him what he thought
of the charge of pederasty brought against the bard. He lifted his hands
and said: _All we can say is that life ran very high in those days._
Lovely!
Catamite.
--The sense of beauty leads us astray, said beautifulinsadness Best to
ugling Eglinton.
Steadfast John replied severe:
--The doctor can tell us what those words mean. You cannot eat your cake
and have it.
Sayest thou so? Will they wrest from us, from me, the palm of beauty?
--And the sense of property, Stephen said. He drew Shylock out of his
own long pocket. The son of a maltjobber and moneylender he was himself
a cornjobber and moneylender, with ten tods of corn hoarded in
|