General Chat

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ALIKE in mountain or in cell,
In country or in town I dwell.
My lodging may be large or small,
Or may be nothing but a wall.
When let alone, reserved and mute
I shun appearance and dispute,
And all intruders I defy
Who would on my recesses pry.

For at my voice, as if spell-bound,
Your steps are rooted to the ground.
I choose your place, my word is law,
And if you pass it, or withdraw,
I vanish as by magic, till
You keep your distance and stand still.
This done, it yet remains with you
to lead, I only take the cue;

This deference I always pay,
Yours is the time, though mine the way.
I never speak, as many do,
Before I have been spoken to :
But then I follow like a shot,
And give as good as I have got.
All tongues I speak, and use in these
Whatever dialect you please;

All sounds I utter, deep or shrill,
A mimic of unequalled skill;
Can yelp, and low, and bark, and growl,
Like pistol crack, like thunder rowl.
But one idea to obtain
From me you would expect in vain.

For, though my talk is often terse,
I neither reason nor converse.
The chief attainment which I reach
Is great precision in my speech.
Whatever I have got to say,
I give it vent without delay ;
Yet never have been known to make
In word or letter one mistake;

And if I tell what proves untrue,
The fault is not in me but you.
My voice is either low or high
As suits the place and company,
And always pitched to answer best
The tone in which I am addrest.
Although reserved I keep my post
Amidst the clamours of a host;

Whose fire, however sharp or thick,
Will meet rejoinder just as quick:
For, be their numbers small or great,
I never suffer a defeat,
I never weary, never fly,
And always have the last reply;
Remaining when the fight is done,
Just where it found me when begun.

Pardon? lol

too much for me at this time of day, sorry,
just off to bed.
Night Susan, and anyone else around.

Lizxx

Morning Susan, agree with Liz lol too much straight over my head.

Lin xxx

Morning Lin, good to see you.:-)....tis beautifully written though......I wonder if anyone will answer it


Night Liz.....tis so easy you will kick yourself :-)


Susan
x

Ok lol is it a brick ?

Hope you are keeping well ?

Lin x

Nope lol


am good thanks Lin, but wide awake when I shouldn't be :-)


Susan
x

Ditto, have just seen OH off to work and even he told me to go back to bed.
No point though just gets harder to get up again cos I get stiff lol.
Have a good day.

Lin x

and you Lin :-)

I will come back to this later to see if anyone can answer it.

Susan
x

All I can think of is an echo.

Caz x

:-)))) You got it YC

see, I said it was simple


Susan
x

Wow I got it, and so early in the morning too.

Caz x

And more brownie points for actually managing to read it all so early in the morning, let alone think about an answer :-)))

S
x

Susan it tells you what it is in the verse if you read it properly. I like it.

Caz x

Another

Back later with the answer, if it isn't answered first.


In height and depth, in heaven and hell,
In ocean and in earth I dwell;
The first of each, the last of one,
And yet I can be found in none.
Though evil must with me begin,
I am in error, not in sin.
The first in enterprise to lead,
I never fail in strength or speed,
Yet, always found in bed, and weak,
I cannot stand alone, or speak.
The end at once of peace and strife,
And present both in death and life,
My common help to foe and friend.
To silence and to speech I lend;
And still an equal place I have
Both in the cradle and the grave.
In short, while time is I shall be,
And space must terminate with me.


S
x

the letter E?

:-)))))

right again YC

These are very old...I am trying to find the year they were written.


My last one for the morning


I am the weakest thing alive,
Yet dauntless with the strong I strive;
Defenceless and exposed I lie,
Yet old and young to serve me fly.
I beat my mother, scorn my sire,
Would smile though cities were on fire:

Wrong is to me the same as right,
I sinned before I saw the light.
My past distress affects me not,
I nothing dread my future lot;
Whatever I wish to do I dare,
And leave to others all my care.

I prize not honours, wealth, or birth,
Nor greatest glories of the earth;
And I, of all on mortal ground,
Alone am independent found.
Exempt from envy and from pride,
All that I want is soon supplied,

Unmoved by others’ weal or woe,
Without a rival or a foe.
And by the wisest and the best
My state has been accounted blest;
For Christians most advanced must be
In many things most like to me.


James Glassford

S
x

Update......1835

I'm not greedy, leaving the last one to someone else.
They sound Victorian but could be from early 1800s, otherwise not a clue.

Caz x

a little child?

You are right EB :-)

or as he put it.....an infant


S
x