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344
PETER BELL THE THIRD
Then came Peter Bell the Second,
Who henceforward must be reckoned
The body of a double soul.
And that portion of the whole 20
Without which the rest would seem
Ends of a disjointed dream.—
And the Third is he who has
O'er the grave been forced to pass
To the other side, which is,— 25
Go and try else,—just like this.
Who henceforward must be reckoned
The body of a double soul.
And that portion of the whole 20
Without which the rest would seem
Ends of a disjointed dream.—
And the Third is he who has
O'er the grave been forced to pass
To the other side, which is,— 25
Go and try else,—just like this.
Peter Bell the First was Peter
Smugger, milder, softer, neater,
Like the soul before it is
Born from that world into this. 30
The next Peter Bell was he,
Predevote, like you and me.
To good or evil as may come;
His was the severer doom,—
For he was an evil Cotter, 35
And a polygamic Potter.[1]
And the fast is Peter Bell,
Damned since our first parents fell,
Damned eternally to Hell—
Surely he deserves it well! 40
Smugger, milder, softer, neater,
Like the soul before it is
Born from that world into this. 30
The next Peter Bell was he,
Predevote, like you and me.
To good or evil as may come;
His was the severer doom,—
For he was an evil Cotter, 35
And a polygamic Potter.[1]
And the fast is Peter Bell,
Damned since our first parents fell,
Damned eternally to Hell—
Surely he deserves it well! 40
PART THE FIRST
DEATH
DEATH
i
And Peter Bell, when he had been
With fresh-imported Hell-fire warmed,
Grew serious—from his dress and mien
'Twas very plainly to be seen
Peter was quite reformed. 5
And Peter Bell, when he had been
With fresh-imported Hell-fire warmed,
Grew serious—from his dress and mien
'Twas very plainly to be seen
Peter was quite reformed. 5
ii
His eyes turned up, his mouth turned down;
His accent caught a nasal twang;
He oiled his hair[2]; there might be heard
The grace of God in every word
Which Peter said or sang. 10
His eyes turned up, his mouth turned down;
His accent caught a nasal twang;
He oiled his hair[2]; there might be heard
The grace of God in every word
Which Peter said or sang. 10
iii
But Peter now grew old, and had
An ill no doctor could unravel;
His torments almost drove him mad;—
Some said it was a fever bad—
Some swore it was the gravel.15
But Peter now grew old, and had
An ill no doctor could unravel;
His torments almost drove him mad;—
Some said it was a fever bad—
Some swore it was the gravel.15
iv
His holy friends then came about,
And with long preaching and persuasion
Convinced the patient that, without
The smallest shadow of a doubt,
He was predestined to damnation. 20
His holy friends then came about,
And with long preaching and persuasion
Convinced the patient that, without
The smallest shadow of a doubt,
He was predestined to damnation. 20
v
They said—'Thy name is Peter Bell;
Thy skin is of a brimstone hue;
Alive or dead—ay, sick or well—
The one God made to rhyme with hell;
The other, I think, rhymes with you.' 25
They said—'Thy name is Peter Bell;
Thy skin is of a brimstone hue;
Alive or dead—ay, sick or well—
The one God made to rhyme with hell;
The other, I think, rhymes with you.' 25
vi
Then Peter set up such a yell!—
The nurse, who with some water gruel
Was climbing up the stairs, as well
As her old legs could climb them—fell,
And broke them both—the fall was cruel. 30
Then Peter set up such a yell!—
The nurse, who with some water gruel
Was climbing up the stairs, as well
As her old legs could climb them—fell,
And broke them both—the fall was cruel. 30
- ↑ The oldest scholiasts read— This is at once more descriptive and more megalophonous,—but the alliteration of the text had captivated the vulgar ear of the herd of later commentators.—[Shelley's Note]
A dodecagamic Potter.
- ↑ To those who have not duly appreciated the distinction between Whale and Russia oil, this attribute might rather seem to belong to the Dandy than the Evangelic. The effect, when to the windward, is indeed so similar, that it requires a subtle naturalist to discriminate the animals. They belong, however, to distinct genera.—[Shelley's Note]
