- description
- # Babbalanja Quotes From The Old Authors Right And Left
## Overview
This section, titled "Babbalanja Quotes From The Old Authors Right And Left," is a segment of text extracted from the novel *Mardi*. It is part of Chapter XXII and focuses on a philosophical discussion led by the character Babbalanja, who references various old authors and their sayings. The section spans lines 2870 to 2932 of the source file.
## Context
This section is contained within [Chapter XXII of Mardi](arke:01KG8AJQSZDW1CKST31K7C1ZCK), which is titled "Yoomy Sings Some Odd Verses, And Babbalanja Quotes From The Old Authors Right And Left." The chapter itself is part of the larger work *Mardi*, and this specific section is extracted from the file `mardi_vol2.txt`, which is part of the [Melville Complete Works](arke:01KG89HMDZKNY753EZE1CJ8HZW) collection. This section follows the section titled "Yoomy Sings Some Odd Verses" and precedes a section that continues the chapter's title.
## Contents
The text features a conversation where Babbalanja discusses the nature of fame, reputation, and true merit. He quotes or alludes to several fictional or historical figures, including Rotato, Alla-Malolla, Bardianna, Vavona, Fulvi, and Aldina. The discussion touches upon how individuals are perceived versus their actual selves, the obscurity of genius, and the limitations of public perception. Babbalanja uses these references to illustrate points about how people are often misunderstood or judged superficially, comparing Mardi's limited vision to that of a monster with fixed eyes. The dialogue also includes interjections from other characters like Media, Mohi, and Braid-Beard, who offer their own witty or contrasting perspectives on the topics raised.
- description_generated_at
- 2026-01-30T20:49:00.454Z
- description_model
- gemini-2.5-flash-lite
- description_title
- Babbalanja Quotes From The Old Authors Right And Left
- end_line
- 2932
- extracted_at
- 2026-01-30T20:48:05.200Z
- extracted_by
- structure-extraction-lambda
- start_line
- 2870
- text
- Conversation proceeding, Braid-Beard happened to make allusion to one
Rotato, a portly personage, who, though a sagacious philosopher, and
very ambitious to be celebrated as such, was only famous in Mardi as
the fattest man of his tribe.
Said Media, “Then, Mohi, Rotato could not pick a quarrel with Fame,
since she did not belie him. Fat he was, and fat she published him.”
“Right, my lord,” said Babbalanja, “for Fame is not always so honest.
Not seldom to be famous, is to be widely known for what you are not,
says Alla-Malolla. Whence it comes, as old Bardianna has it, that for
years a man may move unnoticed among his fellows; but all at once, by
some chance attitude, foreign to his habit, become a trumpet-full for
fools; though, in himself, the same as ever. Nor has he shown himself
yet; for the entire merit of a man can never be made known; nor the sum
of his demerits, if he have them. We are only known by our names; as
letters sealed up, we but read each other’s superscriptions.
“So with the commonalty of us Mardians. How then with those beings who
every way are but too apt to be riddles. In many points the works of
our great poet Vavona, now dead a thousand moons, still remain a
mystery. Some call him a mystic; but wherein he seems obscure, it is,
perhaps, we that are in fault; not by premeditation spoke he those
archangel thoughts, which made many declare, that Vavona, after all,
was but a crack-pated god, not a mortal of sound mind. But had he been
less, my lord, he had seemed more. Saith Fulvi, ‘Of the highest order
of genius, it may be truly asserted, that to gain the reputation of
superior power, it must partially disguise itself; it must come down,
and then it will be applauded for soaring.’ And furthermore, that there
are those who falter in the common tongue, because they think in
another; and these are accounted stutterers and stammerers.’”
“Ah! how true!” cried the Warbler.
“And what says the archangel Vavona, Yoomy, in that wonderful drama of
his, ‘The Souls of the Sages?’—‘Beyond most barren hills, there are
landscapes ravishing; with but one eye to behold; which no pencil can
portray.’ What wonder then, my lord, that Mardi itself is so blind.
‘Mardi is a monster,’ says old Bardianna, ‘whose eyes are fixed in its
head, like a whale’s; it can see but two ways, and those comprising but
a small arc of a perfect vision. Poets, heroes, and men of might, are
all around this monster Mardi. But stand before me on stilts, or I will
behold you not, says the monster; brush back your hair; inhale the wind
largely; lucky are all men with dome-like foreheads; luckless those
with pippin-heads; loud lungs are a blessing; a lion is no lion that
can not roar.’ Says Aldina, ‘There are those looking on, who know
themselves to be swifter of foot than the racers, but are confounded
with the simpletons that stare.’”
“The mere carping of a disappointed cripple,” cried Mold. His
biographer states, that Aldina had only one leg.”
“Braid-Beard, you are witty,” said Babbbalanja, adjusting his robe. “My
lord, there are heroes without armies, who hear martial music in their
souls.”
“Why not blow their trumpets louder, then,” cried Media, that all Mardi
may hear?”
“My lord Media, too, is witty, Babbalanja,” said Mohi.
Breathed Yoomy, “There are birds of divinest plumage, and most glorious
song, yet singing their lyrics to themselves.”
- title
- Babbalanja Quotes From The Old Authors Right And Left