Wednesday, November 09, 2016

 

The American Eagle

Charles Dickens (1812-1870), Martin Chuzzlewit, ed. Margaret Cardwell (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1982), pp. 545-546 (Chapter XXXIV):
"Why Cook! what are you thinking of so steadily?" said Martin.

"Why I was a thinking, sir," returned Mark, "that if I was a painter and was called upon to paint the American Eagle, how should I do it?"

"Paint it as like an Eagle as you could, I suppose."

"No," said Mark. "That wouldn't do for me, sir. I should want to draw it like a Bat, for its short-sightedness; like a Bantam, for its bragging; like a Magpie, for its honesty; like a Peacock, for its vanity; like a Ostrich, for its putting its head in the mud, and thinking nobody sees it—"

"And like a Phoenix, for its power of springing from the ashes of its faults and vices, and soaring up anew into the sky!" said Martin. "Well, Mark. Let us hope so."
Hat tip: Lee Pratsch.



<< Home
Newer›  ‹Older

This page is powered by Blogger. Isn't yours?