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- 11475
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- 2026-01-30T20:48:26.985Z
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- 11422
- text
- seed-sower, the profusion of thy good things; I, audacious as I am,
resolved upon an emprise.
The Marquis, methought, though glorious, is not of the gods, the more
reproach to their synod; but I will make them yield a place for him on
their golden benches; I will make him an Immortal! How? Monumentalise
him to the remotest posterity in a book fragrant as violets, yet lasting
as the Pyramids!
Yes, and as the prophets of old, announcing the mind of their deity, in
some instances dramatically put on his personality, even so will I
assume that of de Grandvin. How otherwise, indeed? since he it is that
kindles me, inspires me, usurps me. I will snatch at those themes--New
Italy and the Old Masters--wherein this very night we heard him so
sportively romance. I will render the fine festivity of his tone, as
well as the loftier touch; catch the rhythm of the waves of his seas of
invention; swim out there; in short, I did by implication say to myself
an insane thing--I will imitate the inimitable!
The issue of the temerarious resolve, how humiliating! And no wonder.
The inordinate aim, and the inadequate achievement! The soaring ambition
of the balloon, and its abrupt drop at a fatal puncture!
You who have basked in the vital beams of the Marquis, place not in
contrast his own radiant aspect side by side with the dim delineation of
him in the preceding sketch. And, for the attempted rendering of his
thought and style in the piece to follow, take charitable example from
the Persian, who in his comment upon the Icelandic version of the fervid
orientalisms of Sadi and Hafiz, made humane allowance for the inherent
difficulties and presumably numb fingers of the translator in penning
it.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
PORTRAIT OF A GENTLEMAN
John Gentian, Esq., or Major Gentian, or the Dean, or the Major, or
Jack--for all these styles are his according to circumstances and the
person mentioning or addressing him--is one of those socially notable
characters whose names for all the notability will be found rather in
the trustworthy City Directory than in the not-always-reliable
Biographical Dictionary. Accordingly in the former ‘John Gentian’ is set
down as hailing from the ‘Burgundy Club,’ the street and number of the
club-house duly and accurately given. In brief, John Gentian is a
bachelor having chambers on an upper story of the club-house, a
privilege which at his solicitation was cheerfully accorded him, as by
seniority of membership, to say nothing of happy qualifications in his
character, Dean of the Chapter of _Burgundians_, for so do they
denominate themselves, the brethren of that congenial fraternity.
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