THE PRINCESS 21
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e seven stay’d at Christmas up to read ; 176And there we took one tutor as to read:The hard-grain’d Muses of the cube and squareWere out of season: never man, I think,So molder’d in a sinecure as he: 180For while our cloisters echoed frosty feet,And our long walks were stripped as bare as brooms,We did but talk you over, pledge you allIn wassail ; often, like as many girls—Sick for the hollies and the yews of home— 185As many little trifling Lilias—play’dCharades and riddles as at Christmas here,And what's my thought and when and where and how,And often told a tale from mouth to mouthAs here at Christmas.” She remember’d that : 190A pleasant game, she thought : she liked it moreThan magic music, forfeits, all the rest.But these—what kind of tales did men tell men,She wonder’d, by themselves ? A half-disdain Perch’d on the pouted blossom of her lips : 195And Walter nodded at me ; “ He began,The rest would follow, each in turn ; and soWe forged a sevenfold story. Kind ? what kind ? 176. to read, the English expression for ‘ to study.”178. Mathematics. - 180. led such an idle life. Sinecure, a Latin word (lit. ‘* without care”) meaning a position of ease. : :183. pledge in wassail, drink your health; from the Scandinavian “expression wees heel, i.e , ‘‘ good health to you.” 185. hollies and yews, Christmas decorations.187-8. Christmas games. $191, Lilia, girl-like, prefers the quieter games, pp THE PRINCESS Chimeras, crotchets, Christmas solecisms,Seven-headed monsters only made to kill 200Time by the fire in winter.”“ Kill him now, The tyrant! kill him in the summer too,”Said Lilia ; “ Why not now ?” the maiden Aunt.“Why not a summer’s as a winter's tale ?A tale for summer as befits the time, 205And something it should be to suit the place,Heroic, for a hero lies beneath,Grave, solemn !” Walter warp’d his mouth at thisTo something so mock-solemn that I laugh’dAnd Lilia woke with sudden-shrilling mirth 210An echo like a ghostly woodpecker,Hid in the ruins ; till the maiden Aunt(A little sense of wrong had touch’d her faceWith color) turn’d to me with “ As you will ;Heroic if you will, or what you will, 215Or be yourself your hero if you will.” “Take Lilia, then, for heroine,” clamor’d he,“And make her some great Princess, six feet high,Grand, epic, homicidal ; and be you _199. Chimera, a monster in Greek mythology, having the head of alion, the body of a goat, and the tail of a dragon. he word heremeans a grotesque and incongruous tale. crotchets, whimsical fancies.solecism, something absurd and extravagant; here an extrava-erage ’s tale. The reference is to Sh 204. winter’s tale. e reference is to Shakspeare’s pla: in-ter’s Tale ; see 231 below. we Play 208. warp’d, twisted. a, sudden a eke re of , alliterative compoundwords is noticeable. . “point-painte work-wan,” * -gladed,” ‘“‘ mock-meek,” etc. ; : glee Bae ie ... color. She was annoyed at the frivolity of Walterand Lilia. 219, homicidal, referring to Lilia’s speech, 127-137 above. 3~ a) ~
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