The Blessed Damozel: Dante Gabriel Rossetti and P G Wodehouse

The blessed damozel leaned out
From the gold bar of Heaven;
Her eyes were deeper than the depth
Of waters stilled at even;
She had three lilies in her hand,
And the stars in her hair were seven.
Her robe, ungirt from clasp to hem,
No wrought flowers did adorn,
But a white rose of Mary’s gift,
For service meetly worn;
Her hair that lay along her back
Was yellow like ripe corn.
Herseemed she scarce had been a day
One of God’s choristers;
The wonder was not yet quite gone
From that still look of hers;
Albeit, to them she left, her day
Had counted as ten years.
(To one, it is ten years of years.
. . . Yet now, and in this place,
Surely she leaned o’er me—her hair
Fell all about my face. . . .
Nothing: the autumn fall of leaves.
The whole year sets apace.)^[1]

The Blessed Damozel” is perhaps the best known poem by Dante Gabriel Rossetti, which was first published in 1850 in the Pre-Raphaelite journal The Germ. Rossetti subsequently revised the poem twice and republished it in 1856, 1870 and 1873. The image, ‘The Blessed Damozel’ is also by Dante Gabriel Rossetti. (Wikipedia)

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‘I only wanted to emphasize my warning to you not to keep on taking gnats out of Madeline’s eyes. Perhaps I overdid it.’

‘You chilled me to the marrow.’

‘Sorry I was so dramatic. You needn’t worry. They’ve only had a lovers’ tiff such as occurs with the mushiest couples.’

‘What about?’

‘How do I know? Perhaps he queried her statement that the stars were God’s daisy chain.’

I had to admit that there was something in this theory. Madeline’s breach with Gussie Fink-Nottle had been caused by her drawing his attention to the sunset and saying sunsets always made her think of the Blessed Damozel leaning out from the gold bar of heaven, and he said, ‘Who?’ and she said, ‘The Blessed Damozel’, and he said, ‘Never heard of her’, adding that sunsets made him sick, and so did the Blessed Damozel. A girl with her outlook would be bound to be touchy about stars and daisy chains.

P G Wodehouse, Much Obliged, Jeeves

Experience: Dorothy Parker

Some men break your heart in two,
Some men fawn and flatter,
Some men never look at you;
And that clears up the matter.

Dorothy Parker

Experience

The image is copyright: BestPhotoStudio via Shutterstock

Acetylmethyldimethyloxamidphenylhydrazine: James Agate

I just can’t bear to run short of Acetylmethyldimethyloxamidphenylhydrazine

James Agate 1877-1947

Diary 9 April 1937

Google has not proved particularly friendly on this occasion, but I think these are for high blood pressure.

I Dreamt I Dwelt In Marble Halls

I dreamt I dwelt in marble halls
With vassals and serfs at my side,
And of all who assembled within those walls
That I was the hope and the pride.
I had riches all too great to count
And a high ancestral name.

But I also dreamt which pleased me most
That you loved me still the same,
That you loved me
You loved me still the same,
That you loved me
You loved me still the same.

I dreamt that suitors sought my hand,
That knights upon bended knee
And with vows no maidens heart could withstand,
They pledged their faith to me.
And I dreamt that one of that noble host
Came forth my hand to claim.

But I also dreamt which charmed me most
That you loved me still the same
That you loved me
You loved me still the same,
That you loved me
You loved me still the same.

I Dreamt I Dwelt in Marble Halls or “The Gipsy Girl’s Dream” is a popular aria from The Bohemian Girl, an 1843 opera by Michael William Balfe, with lyrics by Alfred Bunn. It is sung in the opera by the character Arline, who is in love with Thaddeus, a Polish nobleman and political exile.^[1] It has been performed and recorded by many artists including Enya.^[2] It is said to bring bad luck if whistled or sung in a theatre.^[3]

The song has been satirised repeatedly. Lewis Carroll‘s parody was published in Lays of Mystery, Imagination and Humour in 1855:^[4]

I dreamt I dwelt in marble halls, And each damp thing that creeps and crawls went wobble-wobble on the walls..

Very popular in the 19th century, the piece also has many modern incarnations. The song makes a brief appearance in the 1946 film, Dragonwyck. The first line of the song is sung and “scatted,” in the number, “Swing,” from the 1953 Broadway show, “Wonderful Town.” The first line is also sung, (off-screen), by aspiring botanist, Seymour, in the 1960 cult classic film, “The Little Shop of Horrors.” More recently, an ambient, ethereal version was recorded by Enya for her Grammy-winning 1991 album, Shepherd Moons; her version also appeared on the soundtrack of the Martin Scorsese film The Age of Innocence.^[5] Celtic Woman also recorded the piece. . A version by Sinéad O’Connor was on the soundtrack of the 1997 Irish film The Butcher Boy.^[6] The song was also quoted by James Joyce in his story “Clay” from the book Dubliners. (Wikipedia)

The image is copyright: PerseoMedusa via Shutterstock

Fasionable Ideas

For an idea ever to be fashionable is ominous, since it must afterwards be always old-fashioned.

George Santayana 1863-1952

Winds of Doctrine (1913)

The image is copyright: NREY via Shutterstock

Lochinvar: Sir Walter Scott

O young Lochinvar is come out of the west,
Through all the wide Border his steed was the best;
And save his good broadsword he weapons had none,
He rode all unarm’d, and he rode all alone.
So faithful in love, and so dauntless in war,
There never was knight like the young Lochinvar.

He staid not for brake, and he stopp’d not for stone,
He swam the Eske river where ford there was none;
But ere he alighted at Netherby gate,
The bride had consented, the gallant came late:
For a laggard in love, and a dastard in war,
Was to wed the fair Ellen of brave Lochinvar.

So boldly he enter’d the Netherby Hall,
Among bride’s-men, and kinsmen, and brothers and all:
Then spoke the bride’s father, his hand on his sword,
(For the poor craven bridegroom said never a word,)
“O come ye in peace here, or come ye in war,
Or to dance at our bridal, young Lord Lochinvar?”

“I long woo’d your daughter, my suit you denied; —
Love swells like the Solway, but ebbs like its tide —
And now I am come, with this lost love of mine,
To lead but one measure, drink one cup of wine.
There are maidens in Scotland more lovely by far,
That would gladly be bride to the young Lochinvar.”

The bride kiss’d the goblet: the knight took it up,
He quaff’d off the wine, and he threw down the cup.
She look’d down to blush, and she look’d up to sigh,
With a smile on her lips and a tear in her eye.
He took her soft hand, ere her mother could bar, —
“Now tread we a measure!” said young Lochinvar.

So stately his form, and so lovely her face,
That never a hall such a gailiard did grace;
While her mother did fret, and her father did fume
And the bridegroom stood dangling his bonnet and plume;
And the bride-maidens whisper’d, “’twere better by far
To have match’d our fair cousin with young Lochinvar.”

One touch to her hand, and one word in her ear,
When they reach’d the hall-door, and the charger stood near;
So light to the croupe the fair lady he swung,
So light to the saddle before her he sprung!
“She is won! we are gone, over bank, bush, and scaur;
They’ll have fleet steeds that follow,” quoth young Lochinvar.

There was mounting ‘mong Graemes of the Netherby clan;
Forsters, Fenwicks, and Musgraves, they rode and they ran:
There was racing and chasing on Cannobie Lee,
But the lost bride of Netherby ne’er did they see.
So daring in love, and so dauntless in war,
Have ye e’er heard of gallant like young Lochinvar?

Sir Walter Scott

Marmion (1808)

My mother used to know the whole of this poem by heart, and needed little encouragement to recite it on long car journeys. Braveheart had nothing on Lochinvar as a Scottish romantic hero!

Fable: Dorothy Parker

Oh, there once was a lady, and so I’ve been told,
Whose lover grew weary, whose lover grew cold.
“My child,” he remarked, “though our episode ends,
In the manner of men, I suggest we be friends.”
And the truest of friends ever after they were —
Oh, they lied in their teeth when they told me of her!

Dorothy Parker

Fable

The image is copyright: Marcin Pawinski via Shutterstock

Real Nature of Live on Universe

Someone To Watch Over Me: Ella Fitzgerald

There’s a saying old, says that love is blind
Still we’re often told, “seek and ye shall find”
So I’m going to seek a certain lad I’ve had in mind

Looking everywhere, haven’t found him yet
He’s the big affair I cannot forget
Only man I ever think of with regret

I’d like to add his initial to my monogram
Tell me, where is the shepherd for this lost lamb?

There’s a somebody I’m longin’ to see
I hope that he, turns out to be
Someone who’ll watch over me

I’m a little lamb who’s lost in the wood
I know I could, always be good
To one who’ll watch over me

Although he may not be the man some
Girls think of as handsome
To my heart he carries the key

Won’t you tell him please to put on some speed
Follow my lead, oh, how I need
Someone to watch over me

Won’t you tell him please to put on some speed
Follow my lead, oh, how I need
Someone to watch over me

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“Someone to Watch Over Me” is a song composed by George Gershwin with lyrics by Ira Gershwin from the musical Oh, Kay! (1926), where it was introduced by Gertrude Lawrence. It has been performed by numerous artists since its debut and is a jazz standard as well as a key work in the Great American Songbook.

Ella Fitzgerald Sings the George and Ira Gershwin Songbook , arranged and conducted by Nelson Riddle…Recorded March 26, 1959, Capitol Studios, Hollywood. (Verve Records)

I am grateful to Round Midnight TV, who uploaded this to You Tube and added the lyrics and commentary.

Scathing Criticism: Brian Sewell

Reviewing Shirley Conran’s ‘Tiger Eyes‘

The only passage in the book worth reading is at the very end, where she acknowledges the technical help of a duchess, a marchioness, a baroness and even poor Bruce Chatwin.

Brian Sewell

Daily Telegraph, 11 June 1994