diff --git "a/aglib/meliad/transformer/synthetic_text_data.py" "b/aglib/meliad/transformer/synthetic_text_data.py" new file mode 100644--- /dev/null +++ "b/aglib/meliad/transformer/synthetic_text_data.py" @@ -0,0 +1,2429 @@ +# Copyright 2022 Google. +# +# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License"); +# you may not use this file except in compliance with the License. +# You may obtain a copy of the License at +# +# http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0 +# +# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software +# distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS, +# WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied. +# See the License for the specific language governing permissions and +# limitations under the License. + +"""Synthetic text data for training. +""" + + +# Excerpt from "The Illiad", by Homer, translation by Edward, Earl of Derby. +# Text from project Gutenberg, public domain. +text1_illiad_book1 = b""" +Achilles sing, O Goddess! Peleus' son; +His wrath pernicious, who ten thousand woes +Caused to Achaia's host, sent many a soul +Illustrious into Ades premature, +And Heroes gave (so stood the will of Jove)5 +To dogs and to all ravening fowls a prey, +When fierce dispute had separated once +The noble Chief Achilles from the son +Of Atreus, Agamemnon, King of men. +Who them to strife impell'd? What power divine?10 +Latona's son and Jove's.[1] For he, incensed +004 Against the King, a foul contagion raised +In all the host, and multitudes destroy'd, +For that the son of Atreus had his priest +Dishonored, Chryses. To the fleet he came15 +Bearing rich ransom glorious to redeem +His daughter, and his hands charged with the wreath +And golden sceptre[2] of the God shaft-arm'd. +His supplication was at large to all +The host of Greece, but most of all to two,20 +The sons of Atreus, highest in command. +Ye gallant Chiefs, and ye their gallant host, +(So may the Gods who in Olympus dwell +Give Priam's treasures to you for a spoil +And ye return in safety,) take my gifts25 +And loose my child, in honor of the son +Of Jove, Apollo, archer of the skies.[3] +At once the voice of all was to respect +The priest, and to accept the bounteous price; +But so it pleased not Atreus' mighty son,30 +Who with rude threatenings stern him thence dismiss'd. +Beware, old man! that at these hollow barks +I find thee not now lingering, or henceforth +Returning, lest the garland of thy God +005 And his bright sceptre should avail thee nought.35 +I will not loose thy daughter, till old age +Steal on her. From her native country far, +In Argos, in my palace, she shall ply +The loom, and shall be partner of my bed. +Move me no more. Begone; hence while thou may'st.40 +He spake, the old priest trembled and obey'd. +Forlorn he roamed the ocean's sounding shore, +And, solitary, with much prayer his King +Bright-hair'd Latona's son, Phoebus, implored.[4] +God of the silver bow, who with thy power45 +Encirclest Chrysa, and who reign'st supreme +In Tenedos and Cilla the divine, +Sminthian[5] Apollo![6] If I e'er adorned +Thy beauteous fane, or on the altar burn'd +The fat acceptable of bulls or goats,50 +Grant my petition. With thy shafts avenge +On the Achaian host thy servant's tears. +Such prayer he made, and it was heard.[7] The God, +Down from Olympus with his radiant bow +006 And his full quiver o'er his shoulder slung,55 +Marched in his anger; shaken as he moved +His rattling arrows told of his approach. +Gloomy he came as night; sat from the ships +Apart, and sent an arrow. Clang'd the cord +[8]Dread-sounding, bounding on the silver bow.[9]60 +Mules first and dogs he struck,[10] but at themselves +Dispatching soon his bitter arrows keen, +Smote them. Death-piles on all sides always blazed. +Nine days throughout the camp his arrows flew; +The tenth, Achilles from all parts convened65 +The host in council. Juno the white-armed +Moved at the sight of Grecians all around +Dying, imparted to his mind the thought.[11] +The full assembly, therefore, now convened, +Uprose Achilles ardent, and began.70 +007 Atrides! Now, it seems, no course remains +For us, but that the seas roaming again, +We hence return; at least if we survive; +But haste, consult we quick some prophet here +Or priest, or even interpreter of dreams,75 +(For dreams are also of Jove,) that we may learn +By what crime we have thus incensed Apollo, +What broken vow, what hecatomb unpaid +He charges on us, and if soothed with steam +Of lambs or goats unblemish'd, he may yet80 +Be won to spare us, and avert the plague. +He spake and sat, when Thestor's son arose +Calchas, an augur foremost in his art, +Who all things, present, past, and future knew, +And whom his skill in prophecy, a gift85 +Conferred by Phoebus on him, had advanced +To be conductor of the fleet to Troy; +He, prudent, them admonishing, replied.[12] +Jove-loved Achilles! Wouldst thou learn from me +What cause hath moved Apollo to this wrath,90 +The shaft-arm'd King? I shall divulge the cause. +But thou, swear first and covenant on thy part +That speaking, acting, thou wilt stand prepared +To give me succor; for I judge amiss, +Or he who rules the Argives, the supreme95 +O'er all Achaia's host, will be incensed. +Wo to the man who shall provoke the King +For if, to-day, he smother close his wrath, +He harbors still the vengeance, and in time +Performs it. Answer, therefore, wilt thou save me?100 +To whom Achilles, swiftest of the swift. +What thou hast learn'd in secret from the God +That speak, and boldly. By the son of Jove, +Apollo, whom thou, Calchas, seek'st in prayer +008 Made for the Danai, and who thy soul105 +Fills with futurity, in all the host +The Grecian lives not, who while I shall breathe, +And see the light of day, shall in this camp +Oppress thee; no, not even if thou name +Him, Agamemnon, sovereign o'er us all.110 +Then was the seer embolden'd, and he spake. +Nor vow nor hecatomb unpaid on us +He charges, but the wrong done to his priest +Whom Agamemnon slighted when he sought +His daughter's freedom, and his gifts refused.115 +He is the cause. Apollo for his sake +Afflicts and will afflict us, neither end +Nor intermission of his heavy scourge +Granting, till unredeem'd, no price required, +The black-eyed maid be to her father sent,120 +And a whole hecatomb in Chrysa bleed. +Then, not before, the God may be appeased. +He spake and sat; when Atreus' son arose, +The Hero Agamemnon, throned supreme. +Tempests of black resentment overcharged125 +His heart, and indignation fired his eyes. +On Calchas lowering, him he first address'd. +Prophet of mischief! from whose tongue no note +Of grateful sound to me, was ever heard; +Ill tidings are thy joy, and tidings glad130 +Thou tell'st not, or thy words come not to pass. +And now among the Danai thy dreams +Divulging, thou pretend'st the Archer-God +For his priest's sake, our enemy, because +I scorn'd his offer'd ransom of the maid135 +Chryseis, more desirous far to bear +Her to my home, for that she charms me more +Than Clytemnestra, my own first espoused, +With whom, in disposition, feature, form, +Accomplishments, she may be well compared.140 +Yet, being such, I will return her hence +If that she go be best. Perish myself -- +009 But let the people of my charge be saved +Prepare ye, therefore, a reward for me, +And seek it instant. It were much unmeet145 +That I alone of all the Argive host +Should want due recompense, whose former prize +Is elsewhere destined, as ye all perceive. +To whom Achilles, matchless in the race. +Atrides, glorious above all in rank,150 +And as intent on gain as thou art great, +Whence shall the Grecians give a prize to thee? +The general stock is poor; the spoil of towns +Which we have taken, hath already passed +In distribution, and it were unjust155 +To gather it from all the Greeks again. +But send thou back this Virgin to her God, +And when Jove's favor shall have given us Troy, +A threefold, fourfold share shall then be thine. +To whom the Sovereign of the host replied.160 +Godlike Achilles, valiant as thou art, +Wouldst thou be subtle too? But me no fraud +Shall overreach, or art persuade, of thine. +Wouldst thou, that thou be recompensed, and I +Sit meekly down, defrauded of my due?165 +And didst thou bid me yield her? Let the bold +Achaians give me competent amends, +Such as may please me, and it shall be well. +Else, if they give me none, I will command +Thy prize, the prize of Ajax, or the prize170 +It may be of Ulysses to my tent, +And let the loser chafe. But this concern +Shall be adjusted at convenient time. +Come -- launch we now into the sacred deep +A bark with lusty rowers well supplied;175 +Then put on board Chryseis, and with her +The sacrifice required. Go also one +High in authority, some counsellor, +Idomeneus, or Ajax, or thyself, +Thou most untractable of all mankind;180 +010 And seek by rites of sacrifice and prayer +To appease Apollo on our host's behalf. +Achilles eyed him with a frown, and spake. +Ah! clothed with impudence as with a cloak, +And full of subtlety, who, thinkest thou -- 185 +What Grecian here will serve thee, or for thee +Wage covert war, or open? Me thou know'st, +Troy never wronged; I came not to avenge +Harm done to me; no Trojan ever drove +My pastures, steeds or oxen took of mine,190 +Or plunder'd of their fruits the golden fields +Of Phthia[13] the deep-soil'd. She lies remote, +And obstacles are numerous interposed, +Vale-darkening mountains, and the dashing sea. +No, [14]Shameless Wolf! For thy good pleasure's sake195 +We came, and, [15]Face of flint! to avenge the wrongs +By Menelaus and thyself sustain'd, +On the offending Trojan -- service kind, +But lost on thee, regardless of it all. +And now -- What now? Thy threatening is to seize200 +Thyself, the just requital of my toils, +My prize hard-earn'd, by common suffrage mine. +I never gain, what Trojan town soe'er +We ransack, half thy booty. The swift march +And furious onset -- these I largely reap,205 +But, distribution made, thy lot exceeds +Mine far; while I, with any pittance pleased, +Bear to my ships the little that I win +After long battle, and account it much. +But I am gone, I and my sable barks210 +(My wiser course) to Phthia, and I judge, +011 Scorn'd as I am, that thou shalt hardly glean +Without me, more than thou shalt soon consume.[16] +He ceased, and Agamemnon thus replied +Fly, and fly now; if in thy soul thou feel215 +Such ardor of desire to go -- begone! +I woo thee not to stay; stay not an hour +On my behalf, for I have others here +Who will respect me more, and above all +All-judging Jove. There is not in the host220 +King or commander whom I hate as thee, +For all thy pleasure is in strife and blood, +And at all times; yet valor is no ground +Whereon to boast, it is the gift of Heaven +Go, get ye back to Phthia, thou and thine!225 +There rule thy Myrmidons.[17] I need not thee, +Nor heed thy wrath a jot. But this I say, +Sure as Apollo takes my lovely prize +Chryseis, and I shall return her home +In mine own bark, and with my proper crew,230 +So sure the fair Briseis shall be mine. +I shall demand her even at thy tent. +So shalt thou well be taught, how high in power +I soar above thy pitch, and none shall dare +Attempt, thenceforth, comparison with me.235 +He ended, and the big, disdainful heart +Throbbed of Achilles; racking doubt ensued +And sore perplex'd him, whether forcing wide +A passage through them, with his blade unsheathed +To lay Atrides breathless at his foot,240 +012 Or to command his stormy spirit down. +So doubted he, and undecided yet +Stood drawing forth his falchion huge; when lo! +Down sent by Juno, to whom both alike +Were dear, and who alike watched over both,245 +Pallas descended. At his back she stood +To none apparent, save himself alone, +And seized his golden locks. Startled, he turned, +And instant knew Minerva. Flashed her eyes +Terrific;[18] whom with accents on the wing250 +Of haste, incontinent he questioned thus. +Daughter of Jove, why comest thou? that thyself +May'st witness these affronts which I endure +From Agamemnon? Surely as I speak, +This moment, for his arrogance, he dies.255 +To whom the blue-eyed Deity. From heaven +Mine errand is, to sooth, if thou wilt hear, +Thine anger. Juno the white-arm'd alike +To him and thee propitious, bade me down: +Restrain thy wrath. Draw not thy falchion forth.260 +Retort, and sharply, and let that suffice. +For I foretell thee true. Thou shalt receive, +Some future day, thrice told, thy present loss +For this day's wrong. Cease, therefore, and be still. +To whom Achilles. Goddess, although much265 +Exasperate, I dare not disregard +Thy word, which to obey is always best.[19] +Who hears the Gods, the Gods hear also him. +He said; and on his silver hilt the force +Of his broad hand impressing, sent the blade270 +Home to its rest, nor would the counsel scorn +013 Of Pallas. She to heaven well-pleased return'd, +And in the mansion of Jove AEgis[20]-armed +Arriving, mingled with her kindred Gods. +But though from violence, yet not from words275 +Abstained Achilles, but with bitter taunt +Opprobrious, his antagonist reproached. +Oh charged with wine, in steadfastness of face +Dog unabashed, and yet at heart a deer! +Thou never, when the troops have taken arms,280 +Hast dared to take thine also; never thou +Associate with Achaia's Chiefs, to form +The secret ambush.[21] No. The sound of war +Is as the voice of destiny to thee. +Doubtless the course is safer far, to range285 +Our numerous host, and if a man have dared +Dispute thy will, to rob him of his prize. +King! over whom? Women and spiritless -- +Whom therefore thou devourest; else themselves +Would stop that mouth that it should scoff no more.290 +But hearken. I shall swear a solemn oath. +By this same sceptre,[22] which shall never bud, +Nor boughs bring forth as once, which having left +Its stock on the high mountains, at what time +The woodman's axe lopped off its foliage green,295 +And stript its bark, shall never grow again; +Which now the judges of Achaia bear, +014 Who under Jove, stand guardians of the laws, +By this I swear (mark thou the sacred oath) +Time shall be, when Achilles shall be missed;300 +When all shall want him, and thyself the power +To help the Achaians, whatsoe'er thy will; +When Hector at your heels shall mow you down: +The Hero-slaughtering Hector! Then thy soul, +Vexation-stung, shall tear thee with remorse,305 +That thou hast scorn'd, as he were nothing worth, +A Chief, the soul and bulwark of your cause. +So saying, he cast his sceptre on the ground +Studded with gold, and sat. On the other side +The son of Atreus all impassion'd stood,310 +When the harmonious orator arose +Nestor, the Pylian oracle, whose lips +Dropped eloquence -- the honey not so sweet. +Two generations past of mortals born +In Pylus, coetaneous with himself,315 +He govern'd now the third -- amid them all +He stood, and thus, benevolent, began. +Ah! what calamity hath fall'n on Greece! +Now Priam and his sons may well exult, +Now all in Ilium shall have joy of heart320 +Abundant, hearing of this broil, the prime +Of Greece between, in council and in arms. +But be persuaded; ye are younger both +Than I, and I was conversant of old +With Princes your superiors, yet from them325 +No disrespect at any time received. +Their equals saw I never; never shall; +Exadius, Coeneus, and the Godlike son +Of AEgeus, mighty Theseus; men renown'd +For force superior to the race of man,330 +Brave Chiefs they were, and with brave foes they fought, +With the rude dwellers on the mountain-heights +The Centaurs,[23] whom with havoc such as fame +015 Shall never cease to celebrate, they slew. +With these men I consorted erst, what time335 +From Pylus, though a land from theirs remote, +They called me forth, and such as was my strength, +With all that strength I served them. Who is he? +What Prince or Chief of the degenerate race +Now seen on earth who might with these compare?340 +Yet even these would listen and conform +To my advice in consultation given, +Which hear ye also; for compliance proves +Oft times the safer and the manlier course. +Thou, Agamemnon! valiant as thou art,345 +Seize not the maid, his portion from the Greeks, +But leave her his; nor thou, Achilles, strive +With our imperial Chief; for never King +Had equal honor at the hands of Jove +With Agamemnon, or was throned so high.350 +Say thou art stronger, and art Goddess-born, +How then? His territory passes thine, +And he is Lord of thousands more than thou. +Cease, therefore, Agamemnon; calm thy wrath; +And it shall be mine office to entreat355 +Achilles also to a calm, whose might +The chief munition is of all our host. +To whom the sovereign of the Greeks replied, +The son of Atreus. Thou hast spoken well, +Old Chief, and wisely. But this wrangler here -- 360 +Nought will suffice him but the highest place: +He must control us all, reign over all, +Dictate to all; but he shall find at least +One here, disposed to question his commands. +If the eternal Gods have made him brave,365 +Derives he thence a privilege to rail? +Whom thus Achilles interrupted fierce. +Could I be found so abject as to take +The measure of my doings at thy lips, +Well might they call me coward through the camp,370 +A vassal, and a fellow of no worth. +016 Give law to others. Think not to control +Me, subject to thy proud commands no more. +Hear yet again! And weigh what thou shalt hear. +I will not strive with thee in such a cause,375 +Nor yet with any man; I scorn to fight +For her, whom having given, ye take away. +But I have other precious things on board; +Of those take none away without my leave. +Or if it please thee, put me to the proof380 +Before this whole assembly, and my spear +Shall stream that moment, purpled with thy blood. +Thus they long time in opposition fierce +Maintained the war of words; and now, at length, +(The grand consult dissolved,) Achilles walked385 +(Patroclus and the Myrmidons his steps +Attending) to his camp and to his fleet. +But Agamemnon order'd forth a bark, +A swift one, manned with twice ten lusty rowers; +He sent on board the Hecatomb:[24] he placed390 +Chryseis with the blooming cheeks, himself, +And to Ulysses gave the freight in charge. +So all embarked, and plow'd their watery way. +Atrides, next, bade purify the host; +The host was purified, as he enjoin'd,395 +And the ablution cast into the sea. +Then to Apollo, on the shore they slew, +Of the untillable and barren deep, +Whole Hecatombs of bulls and goats, whose steam +Slowly in smoky volumes climbed the skies.400 +Thus was the camp employed; nor ceased the while +The son of Atreus from his threats denounced +At first against Achilles, but command +Gave to Talthybius and Eurybates +His heralds, ever faithful to his will.405 +Haste -- Seek ye both the tent of Peleus' son +Achilles. Thence lead hither by the hand +017 Blooming Briseis, whom if he withhold, +Not her alone, but other spoil myself +Will take in person -- He shall rue the hour.410 +With such harsh message charged he them dismissed +They, sad and slow, beside the barren waste +Of Ocean, to the galleys and the tents +Moved of the Myrmidons. Him there they found +Beneath the shadow of his bark reclined,415 +Nor glad at their approach. Trembling they stood, +In presence of the royal Chief, awe-struck, +Nor questioned him or spake. He not the less +Knew well their embassy, and thus began. +Ye heralds, messengers of Gods and men,420 +Hail, and draw near! I bid you welcome both. +I blame not you; the fault is his alone +Who sends you to conduct the damsel hence +Briseis. Go, Patroclus, generous friend! +Lead forth, and to their guidance give the maid.425 +But be themselves my witnesses before +The blessed Gods, before mankind, before +The ruthless king, should want of me be felt +To save the host from havoc[25] -- Oh, his thoughts +Are madness all; intelligence or skill,430 +Forecast or retrospect, how best the camp +May be secured from inroad, none hath he. +He ended, nor Patroclus disobey'd, +But leading beautiful Briseis forth +Into their guidance gave her; loth she went435 +From whom she loved, and looking oft behind. +Then wept Achilles, and apart from all, +With eyes directed to the gloomy Deep +And arms outstretch'd, his mother suppliant sought. +Since, mother, though ordain'd so soon to die,440 +I am thy son, I might with cause expect +Some honor at the Thunderer's hands, but none +To me he shows, whom Agamemnon, Chief +018 Of the Achaians, hath himself disgraced, +Seizing by violence my just reward.445 +So prayed he weeping, whom his mother heard +Within the gulfs of Ocean where she sat +Beside her ancient sire. From the gray flood +Ascending sudden, like a mist she came, +Sat down before him, stroked his face, and said.450 +Why weeps my son? and what is thy distress? +Hide not a sorrow that I wish to share. +To whom Achilles, sighing deep, replied. +Why tell thee woes to thee already known? +At Thebes, Eetion's city we arrived,455 +Smote, sack'd it, and brought all the spoil away. +Just distribution made among the Greeks, +The son of Atreus for his lot received +Blooming Chryseis. Her, Apollo's priest +Old Chryses followed to Achaia's camp,460 +That he might loose his daughter. Ransom rich +He brought, and in his hands the hallow'd wreath +And golden sceptre of the Archer God +Apollo, bore; to the whole Grecian host, +But chiefly to the foremost in command465 +He sued, the sons of Atreus; then, the rest +All recommended reverence of the Seer, +And prompt acceptance of his costly gifts. +But Agamemnon might not so be pleased, +Who gave him rude dismission; he in wrath470 +Returning, prayed, whose prayer Apollo heard, +For much he loved him. A pestiferous shaft +He instant shot into the Grecian host, +And heap'd the people died. His arrows swept +The whole wide camp of Greece, till at the last475 +A Seer, by Phoebus taught, explain'd the cause. +I first advised propitiation. Rage +Fired Agamemnon. Rising, he denounced +Vengeance, and hath fulfilled it. She, in truth, +Is gone to Chrysa, and with her we send480 +Propitiation also to the King +019 Shaft-arm'd Apollo. But my beauteous prize +Briseis, mine by the award of all, +His heralds, at this moment, lead away. +But thou, wherein thou canst, aid thy own son!485 +Haste hence to Heaven, and if thy word or deed +Hath ever gratified the heart of Jove, +With earnest suit press him on my behalf. +For I, not seldom, in my father's hall +Have heard thee boasting, how when once the Gods,490 +With Juno, Neptune, Pallas at their head, +Conspired to bind the Thunderer, thou didst loose +His bands, O Goddess! calling to his aid +The Hundred-handed warrior, by the Gods +Briareus, but by men, AEgeon named.[26]495 +For he in prowess and in might surpassed +020 His father Neptune, who, enthroned sublime, +Sits second only to Saturnian Jove, +Elate with glory and joy. Him all the Gods +Fearing from that bold enterprise abstained.500 +Now, therefore, of these things reminding Jove, +Embrace his knees; entreat him that he give +The host of Troy his succor, and shut fast +The routed Grecians, prisoners in the fleet, +That all may find much solace[27] in their King,505 +And that the mighty sovereign o'er them all, +Their Agamemnon, may himself be taught +His rashness, who hath thus dishonor'd foul +The life itself, and bulwark of his cause. +To him, with streaming eyes, Thetis replied.510 +Born as thou wast to sorrow, ah, my son! +Why have I rear'd thee! Would that without tears, +Or cause for tears (transient as is thy life, +A little span) thy days might pass at Troy! +But short and sorrowful the fates ordain515 +Thy life, peculiar trouble must be thine, +Whom, therefore, oh that I had never borne! +But seeking the Olympian hill snow-crown'd, +I will myself plead for thee in the ear +Of Jove, the Thunderer. Meantime at thy fleet520 +Abiding, let thy wrath against the Greeks +Still burn, and altogether cease from war. +For to the banks of the Oceanus,[28] +Where AEthiopia holds a feast to Jove,[29] +021 He journey'd yesterday, with whom the Gods525 +Went also, and the twelfth day brings them home. +Then will I to his brazen-floor'd abode, +That I may clasp his knees, and much misdeem +Of my endeavor, or my prayer shall speed. +So saying, she went; but him she left enraged530 +For fair Briseis' sake, forced from his arms +By stress of power. Meantime Ulysses came +To Chrysa with the Hecatomb in charge. +Arrived within the haven[30] deep, their sails +Furling, they stowed them in the bark below.535 +Then by its tackle lowering swift the mast +Into its crutch, they briskly push'd to land, +Heaved anchors out, and moor'd the vessel fast. +Forth came the mariners, and trod the beach; +Forth came the victims of Apollo next,540 +And, last, Chryseis. Her Ulysses led +Toward the altar, gave her to the arms +Of her own father, and him thus address'd. +O Chryses! Agamemnon, King of men, +Hath sent thy daughter home, with whom we bring545 +A Hecatomb on all our host's behalf +To Phoebus, hoping to appease the God +022 By whose dread shafts the Argives now expire. +So saying, he gave her to him, who with joy +Received his daughter. Then, before the shrine550 +Magnificent in order due they ranged +The noble Hecatomb.[31] Each laved his hands +And took the salted meal, and Chryses made +His fervent prayer with hands upraised on high. +God of the silver bow, who with thy power555 +Encirclest Chrysa, and who reign'st supreme +In Tenedos, and Cilla the divine! +Thou prov'dst propitious to my first request, +Hast honor'd me, and punish'd sore the Greeks; +Hear yet thy servant's prayer; take from their host560 +At once the loathsome pestilence away! +So Chryses prayed, whom Phoebus heard well-pleased; +Then prayed the Grecians also, and with meal +Sprinkling the victims, their retracted necks +First pierced, then flay'd them; the disjointed thighs565 +They, next, invested with the double caul, +Which with crude slices thin they overspread. +The priest burned incense, and libation poured +Large on the hissing brands, while, him beside, +Busy with spit and prong, stood many a youth570 +Trained to the task. The thighs with fire consumed, +They gave to each his portion of the maw, +Then slashed the remnant, pierced it with the spits, +And managing with culinary skill +The roast, withdrew it from the spits again.575 +Their whole task thus accomplish'd, and the board +023 Set forth, they feasted, and were all sufficed. +When neither hunger more nor thirst remained +Unsatisfied, boys crown'd the beakers high +With wine delicious, and from right to left580 +Distributing the cups, served every guest. +Thenceforth the youths of the Achaian race +To song propitiatory gave the day, +Paeans[32] to Phoebus, Archer of the skies, +Chaunting melodious. Pleased, Apollo heard.585 +But, when, the sun descending, darkness fell, +They on the beach beside their hawsers slept; +And, when the day-spring's daughter rosy-palm'd +Aurora look'd abroad, then back they steer'd +To the vast camp. Fair wind, and blowing fresh,590 +Apollo sent them; quick they rear'd the mast, +Then spread the unsullied canvas to the gale, +And the wind filled it. Roared the sable flood +Around the bark, that ever as she went +Dash'd wide the brine, and scudded swift away.595 +Thus reaching soon the spacious camp of Greece, +Their galley they updrew sheer o'er the sands +From the rude surge remote, then propp'd her sides +With scantlings long,[33] and sought their several tents. +But Peleus' noble son, the speed-renown'd600 +Achilles, he, his well-built bark beside, +Consumed his hours, nor would in council more, +Where wise men win distinction, or in fight +Appear, to sorrow and heart-withering wo +Abandon'd; though for battle, ardent, still605 +He panted, and the shout-resounding field. +But when the twelfth fair morrow streak'd the East, +024 Then all the everlasting Gods to Heaven +Resorted, with the Thunderer at their head, +And Thetis, not unmindful of her son,610 +Prom the salt flood emerged, seeking betimes +Olympus and the boundless fields of heaven. +High, on the topmost eminence sublime +Of the deep-fork'd Olympian she perceived +The Thunderer seated, from the Gods apart.615 +She sat before him, clasp'd with her left hand +His knees, her right beneath his chin she placed, +And thus the King, Saturnian Jove, implored. +Father of all, by all that I have done +Or said that ever pleased thee, grant my suit.620 +Exalt my son, by destiny short-lived +Beyond the lot of others. Him with shame +The King of men hath overwhelm'd, by force +Usurping his just meed; thou, therefore, Jove, +Supreme in wisdom, honor him, and give625 +Success to Troy, till all Achaia's sons +Shall yield him honor more than he hath lost! +She spake, to whom the Thunderer nought replied, +But silent sat long time. She, as her hand +Had grown there, still importunate, his knees630 +Clasp'd as at first, and thus her suit renew'd.[34] +Or grant my prayer, and ratify the grant, +Or send me hence (for thou hast none to fear) +Plainly refused; that I may know and feel +By how much I am least of all in heaven.635 +To whom the cloud-assembler at the last +Spake, deep-distress'd. Hard task and full of strife +Thou hast enjoined me; Juno will not spare +For gibe and taunt injurious, whose complaint +Sounds daily in the ears of all the Gods,640 +That I assist the Trojans; but depart, +Lest she observe thee; my concern shall be +How best I may perform thy full desire. +025 And to assure thee more, I give the sign +Indubitable, which all fear expels645 +At once from heavenly minds. Nought, so confirmed, +May, after, be reversed or render'd vain. +He ceased, and under his dark brows the nod +Vouchsafed of confirmation. All around +The Sovereign's everlasting head his curls650 +Ambrosial shook,[35] and the huge mountain reeled. +Their conference closed, they parted. She, at once, +From bright Olympus plunged into the flood +Profound, and Jove to his own courts withdrew. +Together all the Gods, at his approach,655 +Uprose; none sat expectant till he came, +But all advanced to meet the Eternal Sire. +So on his throne he sat. Nor Juno him +Not understood; she, watchful, had observed, +In consultation close with Jove engaged660 +Thetis, bright-footed daughter of the deep, +And keen the son of Saturn thus reproved. +Shrewd as thou art, who now hath had thine ear? +Thy joy is ever such, from me apart +To plan and plot clandestine, and thy thoughts,665 +Think what thou may'st, are always barred to me. +To whom the father, thus, of heaven and earth. +Expect not, Juno, that thou shalt partake +My counsels at all times, which oft in height +And depth, thy comprehension far exceed,670 +Jove's consort as thou art. When aught occurs +Meet for thine ear, to none will I impart +Of Gods or men more free than to thyself. +But for my secret thoughts, which I withhold +From all in heaven beside, them search not thou675 +With irksome curiosity and vain. +026 Him answer'd then the Goddess ample-eyed.[36] +What word hath passed thy lips, Saturnian Jove, +Thou most severe! I never search thy thoughts, +Nor the serenity of thy profound680 +Intentions trouble; they are safe from me: +But now there seems a cause. Deeply I dread +Lest Thetis, silver-footed daughter fair +Of Ocean's hoary Sovereign, here arrived +At early dawn to practise on thee, Jove!685 +I noticed her a suitress at thy knees, +And much misdeem or promise-bound thou stand'st +To Thetis past recall, to exalt her son, +And Greeks to slaughter thousands at the ships. +To whom the cloud-assembler God, incensed.690 +Ah subtle! ever teeming with surmise, +And fathomer of my concealed designs, +Thy toil is vain, or (which is worse for thee,) +Shall but estrange thee from mine heart the more. +And be it as thou sayest, -- I am well pleased695 +That so it should be. Be advised, desist, +Hold thou thy peace. Else, if my glorious hands +Once reach thee, the Olympian Powers combined +To rescue thee, shall interfere in vain. +He said, -- whom Juno, awful Goddess, heard700 +Appall'd, and mute submitted to his will. +But through the courts of Jove the heavenly Powers +All felt displeasure; when to them arose +Vulcan, illustrious artist, who with speech +Conciliatory interposed to sooth705 +His white-armed mother Juno, Goddess dread. +Hard doom is ours, and not to be endured, +027 If feast and merriment must pause in heaven +While ye such clamor raise tumultuous here +For man's unworthy sake: yet thus we speed710 +Ever, when evil overpoises good. +But I exhort my mother, though herself +Already warn'd, that meekly she submit +To Jove our father, lest our father chide +More roughly, and confusion mar the feast.715 +For the Olympian Thunderer could with ease +Us from our thrones precipitate, so far +He reigns to all superior. Seek to assuage +His anger therefore; so shall he with smiles +Cheer thee, nor thee alone, but all in heaven.720 +So Vulcan, and, upstarting, placed a cup +Full-charged between his mother's hands, and said, +My mother, be advised, and, though aggrieved, +Yet patient; lest I see thee whom I love +So dear, with stripes chastised before my face,725 +Willing, but impotent to give thee aid.[37] +Who can resist the Thunderer? Me, when once +I flew to save thee, by the foot he seized +And hurl'd me through the portal of the skies. +"From morn to eve I fell, a summer's day,"730 +And dropped, at last, in Lemnos. There half-dead +The Sintians found me, and with succor prompt +And hospitable, entertained me fallen. +So He; then Juno smiled, Goddess white-arm'd, +And smiling still, from his unwonted hand[38]735 +Received the goblet. He from right to left +Rich nectar from the beaker drawn, alert +Distributed to all the powers divine. +028 Heaven rang with laughter inextinguishable +Peal after peal, such pleasure all conceived740 +At sight of Vulcan in his new employ. +So spent they in festivity the day, +And all were cheered; nor was Apollo's harp +Silent, nor did the Muses spare to add +Responsive melody of vocal sweets.745 +But when the sun's bright orb had now declined, +Each to his mansion, wheresoever built +By the lame matchless Architect, withdrew.[39] +Jove also, kindler of the fires of heaven, +His couch ascending as at other times750 +When gentle sleep approach'd him, slept serene, +With golden-sceptred Juno at his side. +""" + + +# Excerpt from "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" by Mark Twain. +# Text from project Gutenberg, public domain. +text2_huckleberry_finn = b""" +CHAPTER I. + +YOU don't know about me without you have read a book by the name of The +Adventures of Tom Sawyer; but that ain't no matter. That book was made +by Mr. Mark Twain, and he told the truth, mainly. There was things +which he stretched, but mainly he told the truth. That is nothing. I +never seen anybody but lied one time or another, without it was Aunt +Polly, or the widow, or maybe Mary. Aunt Polly--Tom's Aunt Polly, she +is--and Mary, and the Widow Douglas is all told about in that book, which +is mostly a true book, with some stretchers, as I said before. + +Now the way that the book winds up is this: Tom and me found the money +that the robbers hid in the cave, and it made us rich. We got six +thousand dollars apiece--all gold. It was an awful sight of money when +it was piled up. Well, Judge Thatcher he took it and put it out +at interest, and it fetched us a dollar a day apiece all the year +round--more than a body could tell what to do with. The Widow Douglas +she took me for her son, and allowed she would sivilize me; but it was +rough living in the house all the time, considering how dismal regular +and decent the widow was in all her ways; and so when I couldn't stand +it no longer I lit out. I got into my old rags and my sugar-hogshead +again, and was free and satisfied. But Tom Sawyer he hunted me up and +said he was going to start a band of robbers, and I might join if I +would go back to the widow and be respectable. So I went back. + +The widow she cried over me, and called me a poor lost lamb, and she +called me a lot of other names, too, but she never meant no harm by +it. She put me in them new clothes again, and I couldn't do nothing but +sweat and sweat, and feel all cramped up. Well, then, the old thing +commenced again. The widow rung a bell for supper, and you had to come +to time. When you got to the table you couldn't go right to eating, but +you had to wait for the widow to tuck down her head and grumble a little +over the victuals, though there warn't really anything the matter with +them,--that is, nothing only everything was cooked by itself. In a +barrel of odds and ends it is different; things get mixed up, and the +juice kind of swaps around, and the things go better. + +After supper she got out her book and learned me about Moses and the +Bulrushers, and I was in a sweat to find out all about him; but by and +by she let it out that Moses had been dead a considerable long time; so +then I didn't care no more about him, because I don't take no stock in +dead people. + +Pretty soon I wanted to smoke, and asked the widow to let me. But she +wouldn't. She said it was a mean practice and wasn't clean, and I must +try to not do it any more. That is just the way with some people. They +get down on a thing when they don't know nothing about it. Here she was +a-bothering about Moses, which was no kin to her, and no use to anybody, +being gone, you see, yet finding a power of fault with me for doing a +thing that had some good in it. And she took snuff, too; of course that +was all right, because she done it herself. + +Her sister, Miss Watson, a tolerable slim old maid, with goggles on, +had just come to live with her, and took a set at me now with a +spelling-book. She worked me middling hard for about an hour, and then +the widow made her ease up. I couldn't stood it much longer. Then for +an hour it was deadly dull, and I was fidgety. Miss Watson would say, +"Don't put your feet up there, Huckleberry;" and "Don't scrunch up +like that, Huckleberry--set up straight;" and pretty soon she would +say, "Don't gap and stretch like that, Huckleberry--why don't you try to +behave?" Then she told me all about the bad place, and I said I wished +I was there. She got mad then, but I didn't mean no harm. All I wanted +was to go somewheres; all I wanted was a change, I warn't particular. + She said it was wicked to say what I said; said she wouldn't say it for +the whole world; she was going to live so as to go to the good place. + Well, I couldn't see no advantage in going where she was going, so I +made up my mind I wouldn't try for it. But I never said so, because it +would only make trouble, and wouldn't do no good. + +Now she had got a start, and she went on and told me all about the good +place. She said all a body would have to do there was to go around all +day long with a harp and sing, forever and ever. So I didn't think +much of it. But I never said so. I asked her if she reckoned Tom Sawyer +would go there, and she said not by a considerable sight. I was glad +about that, because I wanted him and me to be together. + +Miss Watson she kept pecking at me, and it got tiresome and lonesome. + By and by they fetched the niggers in and had prayers, and then +everybody was off to bed. I went up to my room with a piece of candle, +and put it on the table. Then I set down in a chair by the window and +tried to think of something cheerful, but it warn't no use. I felt +so lonesome I most wished I was dead. The stars were shining, and the +leaves rustled in the woods ever so mournful; and I heard an owl, away +off, who-whooing about somebody that was dead, and a whippowill and a +dog crying about somebody that was going to die; and the wind was trying +to whisper something to me, and I couldn't make out what it was, and so +it made the cold shivers run over me. Then away out in the woods I heard +that kind of a sound that a ghost makes when it wants to tell about +something that's on its mind and can't make itself understood, and so +can't rest easy in its grave, and has to go about that way every night +grieving. I got so down-hearted and scared I did wish I had some +company. Pretty soon a spider went crawling up my shoulder, and I +flipped it off and it lit in the candle; and before I could budge it +was all shriveled up. I didn't need anybody to tell me that that was +an awful bad sign and would fetch me some bad luck, so I was scared +and most shook the clothes off of me. I got up and turned around in my +tracks three times and crossed my breast every time; and then I tied +up a little lock of my hair with a thread to keep witches away. But +I hadn't no confidence. You do that when you've lost a horseshoe that +you've found, instead of nailing it up over the door, but I hadn't ever +heard anybody say it was any way to keep off bad luck when you'd killed +a spider. + +I set down again, a-shaking all over, and got out my pipe for a smoke; +for the house was all as still as death now, and so the widow wouldn't +know. Well, after a long time I heard the clock away off in the town +go boom--boom--boom--twelve licks; and all still again--stiller than +ever. Pretty soon I heard a twig snap down in the dark amongst the +trees--something was a stirring. I set still and listened. Directly I +could just barely hear a "me-yow! me-yow!" down there. That was good! + Says I, "me-yow! me-yow!" as soft as I could, and then I put out the +light and scrambled out of the window on to the shed. Then I slipped +down to the ground and crawled in among the trees, and, sure enough, +there was Tom Sawyer waiting for me. + + +CHAPTER II. + +WE went tiptoeing along a path amongst the trees back towards the end of +the widow's garden, stooping down so as the branches wouldn't scrape our +heads. When we was passing by the kitchen I fell over a root and made +a noise. We scrouched down and laid still. Miss Watson's big nigger, +named Jim, was setting in the kitchen door; we could see him pretty +clear, because there was a light behind him. He got up and stretched +his neck out about a minute, listening. Then he says: + +"Who dah?" + +He listened some more; then he come tiptoeing down and stood right +between us; we could a touched him, nearly. Well, likely it was +minutes and minutes that there warn't a sound, and we all there so close +together. There was a place on my ankle that got to itching, but I +dasn't scratch it; and then my ear begun to itch; and next my back, +right between my shoulders. Seemed like I'd die if I couldn't scratch. + Well, I've noticed that thing plenty times since. If you are with +the quality, or at a funeral, or trying to go to sleep when you ain't +sleepy--if you are anywheres where it won't do for you to scratch, why +you will itch all over in upwards of a thousand places. Pretty soon Jim +says: + +"Say, who is you? Whar is you? Dog my cats ef I didn' hear sumf'n. +Well, I know what I's gwyne to do: I's gwyne to set down here and +listen tell I hears it agin." + +So he set down on the ground betwixt me and Tom. He leaned his back up +against a tree, and stretched his legs out till one of them most touched +one of mine. My nose begun to itch. It itched till the tears come into +my eyes. But I dasn't scratch. Then it begun to itch on the inside. +Next I got to itching underneath. I didn't know how I was going to set +still. This miserableness went on as much as six or seven minutes; but +it seemed a sight longer than that. I was itching in eleven different +places now. I reckoned I couldn't stand it more'n a minute longer, +but I set my teeth hard and got ready to try. Just then Jim begun +to breathe heavy; next he begun to snore--and then I was pretty soon +comfortable again. + +Tom he made a sign to me--kind of a little noise with his mouth--and we +went creeping away on our hands and knees. When we was ten foot off Tom +whispered to me, and wanted to tie Jim to the tree for fun. But I said +no; he might wake and make a disturbance, and then they'd find out I +warn't in. Then Tom said he hadn't got candles enough, and he would slip +in the kitchen and get some more. I didn't want him to try. I said Jim +might wake up and come. But Tom wanted to resk it; so we slid in there +and got three candles, and Tom laid five cents on the table for pay. +Then we got out, and I was in a sweat to get away; but nothing would do +Tom but he must crawl to where Jim was, on his hands and knees, and play +something on him. I waited, and it seemed a good while, everything was +so still and lonesome. + +As soon as Tom was back we cut along the path, around the garden fence, +and by and by fetched up on the steep top of the hill the other side of +the house. Tom said he slipped Jim's hat off of his head and hung it +on a limb right over him, and Jim stirred a little, but he didn't wake. +Afterwards Jim said the witches be witched him and put him in a trance, +and rode him all over the State, and then set him under the trees again, +and hung his hat on a limb to show who done it. And next time Jim told +it he said they rode him down to New Orleans; and, after that, every +time he told it he spread it more and more, till by and by he said they +rode him all over the world, and tired him most to death, and his back +was all over saddle-boils. Jim was monstrous proud about it, and he +got so he wouldn't hardly notice the other niggers. Niggers would come +miles to hear Jim tell about it, and he was more looked up to than any +nigger in that country. Strange niggers would stand with their mouths +open and look him all over, same as if he was a wonder. Niggers is +always talking about witches in the dark by the kitchen fire; but +whenever one was talking and letting on to know all about such things, +Jim would happen in and say, "Hm! What you know 'bout witches?" and +that nigger was corked up and had to take a back seat. Jim always kept +that five-center piece round his neck with a string, and said it was a +charm the devil give to him with his own hands, and told him he could +cure anybody with it and fetch witches whenever he wanted to just by +saying something to it; but he never told what it was he said to it. + Niggers would come from all around there and give Jim anything they +had, just for a sight of that five-center piece; but they wouldn't touch +it, because the devil had had his hands on it. Jim was most ruined for +a servant, because he got stuck up on account of having seen the devil +and been rode by witches. + +Well, when Tom and me got to the edge of the hilltop we looked away down +into the village and could see three or four lights twinkling, where +there was sick folks, maybe; and the stars over us was sparkling ever +so fine; and down by the village was the river, a whole mile broad, and +awful still and grand. We went down the hill and found Jo Harper and +Ben Rogers, and two or three more of the boys, hid in the old tanyard. + So we unhitched a skiff and pulled down the river two mile and a half, +to the big scar on the hillside, and went ashore. + +We went to a clump of bushes, and Tom made everybody swear to keep the +secret, and then showed them a hole in the hill, right in the thickest +part of the bushes. Then we lit the candles, and crawled in on our +hands and knees. We went about two hundred yards, and then the cave +opened up. Tom poked about amongst the passages, and pretty soon ducked +under a wall where you wouldn't a noticed that there was a hole. We +went along a narrow place and got into a kind of room, all damp and +sweaty and cold, and there we stopped. Tom says: + +"Now, we'll start this band of robbers and call it Tom Sawyer's Gang. +Everybody that wants to join has got to take an oath, and write his name +in blood." + +Everybody was willing. So Tom got out a sheet of paper that he had +wrote the oath on, and read it. It swore every boy to stick to the +band, and never tell any of the secrets; and if anybody done anything to +any boy in the band, whichever boy was ordered to kill that person and +his family must do it, and he mustn't eat and he mustn't sleep till he +had killed them and hacked a cross in their breasts, which was the sign +of the band. And nobody that didn't belong to the band could use that +mark, and if he did he must be sued; and if he done it again he must be +killed. And if anybody that belonged to the band told the secrets, he +must have his throat cut, and then have his carcass burnt up and the +ashes scattered all around, and his name blotted off of the list with +blood and never mentioned again by the gang, but have a curse put on it +and be forgot forever. + +Everybody said it was a real beautiful oath, and asked Tom if he got +it out of his own head. He said, some of it, but the rest was out of +pirate-books and robber-books, and every gang that was high-toned had +it. + +Some thought it would be good to kill the _families_ of boys that told +the secrets. Tom said it was a good idea, so he took a pencil and wrote +it in. Then Ben Rogers says: + +"Here's Huck Finn, he hain't got no family; what you going to do 'bout +him?" + +"Well, hain't he got a father?" says Tom Sawyer. + +"Yes, he's got a father, but you can't never find him these days. He +used to lay drunk with the hogs in the tanyard, but he hain't been seen +in these parts for a year or more." + +They talked it over, and they was going to rule me out, because they +said every boy must have a family or somebody to kill, or else it +wouldn't be fair and square for the others. Well, nobody could think of +anything to do--everybody was stumped, and set still. I was most ready +to cry; but all at once I thought of a way, and so I offered them Miss +Watson--they could kill her. Everybody said: + +"Oh, she'll do. That's all right. Huck can come in." + +Then they all stuck a pin in their fingers to get blood to sign with, +and I made my mark on the paper. + +"Now," says Ben Rogers, "what's the line of business of this Gang?" + +"Nothing only robbery and murder," Tom said. + +"But who are we going to rob?--houses, or cattle, or--" + +"Stuff! stealing cattle and such things ain't robbery; it's burglary," + says Tom Sawyer. "We ain't burglars. That ain't no sort of style. We +are highwaymen. We stop stages and carriages on the road, with masks +on, and kill the people and take their watches and money." + +"Must we always kill the people?" + +"Oh, certainly. It's best. Some authorities think different, but +mostly it's considered best to kill them--except some that you bring to +the cave here, and keep them till they're ransomed." + +"Ransomed? What's that?" + +"I don't know. But that's what they do. I've seen it in books; and so +of course that's what we've got to do." + +"But how can we do it if we don't know what it is?" + +"Why, blame it all, we've _got_ to do it. Don't I tell you it's in the +books? Do you want to go to doing different from what's in the books, +and get things all muddled up?" + +"Oh, that's all very fine to _say_, Tom Sawyer, but how in the nation +are these fellows going to be ransomed if we don't know how to do it +to them?--that's the thing I want to get at. Now, what do you reckon it +is?" + +"Well, I don't know. But per'aps if we keep them till they're ransomed, +it means that we keep them till they're dead." + +"Now, that's something _like_. That'll answer. Why couldn't you said +that before? We'll keep them till they're ransomed to death; and a +bothersome lot they'll be, too--eating up everything, and always trying +to get loose." + +"How you talk, Ben Rogers. How can they get loose when there's a guard +over them, ready to shoot them down if they move a peg?" + +"A guard! Well, that _is_ good. So somebody's got to set up all night +and never get any sleep, just so as to watch them. I think that's +foolishness. Why can't a body take a club and ransom them as soon as +they get here?" + +"Because it ain't in the books so--that's why. Now, Ben Rogers, do you +want to do things regular, or don't you?--that's the idea. Don't you +reckon that the people that made the books knows what's the correct +thing to do? Do you reckon _you_ can learn 'em anything? Not by a good +deal. No, sir, we'll just go on and ransom them in the regular way." + +"All right. I don't mind; but I say it's a fool way, anyhow. Say, do +we kill the women, too?" + +"Well, Ben Rogers, if I was as ignorant as you I wouldn't let on. Kill +the women? No; nobody ever saw anything in the books like that. You +fetch them to the cave, and you're always as polite as pie to them; +and by and by they fall in love with you, and never want to go home any +more." + +"Well, if that's the way I'm agreed, but I don't take no stock in it. +Mighty soon we'll have the cave so cluttered up with women, and fellows +waiting to be ransomed, that there won't be no place for the robbers. +But go ahead, I ain't got nothing to say." + +Little Tommy Barnes was asleep now, and when they waked him up he was +scared, and cried, and said he wanted to go home to his ma, and didn't +want to be a robber any more. + +So they all made fun of him, and called him cry-baby, and that made him +mad, and he said he would go straight and tell all the secrets. But +Tom give him five cents to keep quiet, and said we would all go home and +meet next week, and rob somebody and kill some people. + +Ben Rogers said he couldn't get out much, only Sundays, and so he wanted +to begin next Sunday; but all the boys said it would be wicked to do it +on Sunday, and that settled the thing. They agreed to get together and +fix a day as soon as they could, and then we elected Tom Sawyer first +captain and Jo Harper second captain of the Gang, and so started home. + +I clumb up the shed and crept into my window just before day was +breaking. My new clothes was all greased up and clayey, and I was +dog-tired. + + +CHAPTER III. + +WELL, I got a good going-over in the morning from old Miss Watson on +account of my clothes; but the widow she didn't scold, but only cleaned +off the grease and clay, and looked so sorry that I thought I would +behave awhile if I could. Then Miss Watson she took me in the closet +and prayed, but nothing come of it. She told me to pray every day, and +whatever I asked for I would get it. But it warn't so. I tried it. +Once I got a fish-line, but no hooks. It warn't any good to me without +hooks. I tried for the hooks three or four times, but somehow I +couldn't make it work. By and by, one day, I asked Miss Watson to +try for me, but she said I was a fool. She never told me why, and I +couldn't make it out no way. + +I set down one time back in the woods, and had a long think about it. + I says to myself, if a body can get anything they pray for, why don't +Deacon Winn get back the money he lost on pork? Why can't the widow get +back her silver snuffbox that was stole? Why can't Miss Watson fat up? +No, says I to my self, there ain't nothing in it. I went and told the +widow about it, and she said the thing a body could get by praying for +it was "spiritual gifts." This was too many for me, but she told me +what she meant--I must help other people, and do everything I could for +other people, and look out for them all the time, and never think about +myself. This was including Miss Watson, as I took it. I went out in the +woods and turned it over in my mind a long time, but I couldn't see no +advantage about it--except for the other people; so at last I reckoned +I wouldn't worry about it any more, but just let it go. Sometimes the +widow would take me one side and talk about Providence in a way to make +a body's mouth water; but maybe next day Miss Watson would take hold +and knock it all down again. I judged I could see that there was two +Providences, and a poor chap would stand considerable show with the +widow's Providence, but if Miss Watson's got him there warn't no help +for him any more. I thought it all out, and reckoned I would belong +to the widow's if he wanted me, though I couldn't make out how he was +a-going to be any better off then than what he was before, seeing I was +so ignorant, and so kind of low-down and ornery. + +Pap he hadn't been seen for more than a year, and that was comfortable +for me; I didn't want to see him no more. He used to always whale me +when he was sober and could get his hands on me; though I used to take +to the woods most of the time when he was around. Well, about this time +he was found in the river drownded, about twelve mile above town, so +people said. They judged it was him, anyway; said this drownded man was +just his size, and was ragged, and had uncommon long hair, which was all +like pap; but they couldn't make nothing out of the face, because it had +been in the water so long it warn't much like a face at all. They said +he was floating on his back in the water. They took him and buried him +on the bank. But I warn't comfortable long, because I happened to think +of something. I knowed mighty well that a drownded man don't float on +his back, but on his face. So I knowed, then, that this warn't pap, but +a woman dressed up in a man's clothes. So I was uncomfortable again. + I judged the old man would turn up again by and by, though I wished he +wouldn't. + +We played robber now and then about a month, and then I resigned. All +the boys did. We hadn't robbed nobody, hadn't killed any people, but +only just pretended. We used to hop out of the woods and go charging +down on hog-drivers and women in carts taking garden stuff to market, +but we never hived any of them. Tom Sawyer called the hogs "ingots," + and he called the turnips and stuff "julery," and we would go to the +cave and powwow over what we had done, and how many people we had killed +and marked. But I couldn't see no profit in it. One time Tom sent a +boy to run about town with a blazing stick, which he called a slogan +(which was the sign for the Gang to get together), and then he said he +had got secret news by his spies that next day a whole parcel of Spanish +merchants and rich A-rabs was going to camp in Cave Hollow with two +hundred elephants, and six hundred camels, and over a thousand "sumter" + mules, all loaded down with di'monds, and they didn't have only a guard +of four hundred soldiers, and so we would lay in ambuscade, as he called +it, and kill the lot and scoop the things. He said we must slick up +our swords and guns, and get ready. He never could go after even a +turnip-cart but he must have the swords and guns all scoured up for it, +though they was only lath and broomsticks, and you might scour at them +till you rotted, and then they warn't worth a mouthful of ashes more +than what they was before. I didn't believe we could lick such a crowd +of Spaniards and A-rabs, but I wanted to see the camels and elephants, +so I was on hand next day, Saturday, in the ambuscade; and when we got +the word we rushed out of the woods and down the hill. But there warn't +no Spaniards and A-rabs, and there warn't no camels nor no elephants. + It warn't anything but a Sunday-school picnic, and only a primer-class +at that. We busted it up, and chased the children up the hollow; but we +never got anything but some doughnuts and jam, though Ben Rogers got +a rag doll, and Jo Harper got a hymn-book and a tract; and then the +teacher charged in, and made us drop everything and cut. + + I didn't see no di'monds, and I told Tom Sawyer so. He said there was +loads of them there, anyway; and he said there was A-rabs there, too, +and elephants and things. I said, why couldn't we see them, then? He +said if I warn't so ignorant, but had read a book called Don Quixote, I +would know without asking. He said it was all done by enchantment. He +said there was hundreds of soldiers there, and elephants and treasure, +and so on, but we had enemies which he called magicians; and they had +turned the whole thing into an infant Sunday-school, just out of spite. + I said, all right; then the thing for us to do was to go for the +magicians. Tom Sawyer said I was a numskull. + +"Why," said he, "a magician could call up a lot of genies, and they +would hash you up like nothing before you could say Jack Robinson. They +are as tall as a tree and as big around as a church." + +"Well," I says, "s'pose we got some genies to help _us_--can't we lick +the other crowd then?" + +"How you going to get them?" + +"I don't know. How do _they_ get them?" + +"Why, they rub an old tin lamp or an iron ring, and then the genies +come tearing in, with the thunder and lightning a-ripping around and the +smoke a-rolling, and everything they're told to do they up and do it. + They don't think nothing of pulling a shot-tower up by the roots, and +belting a Sunday-school superintendent over the head with it--or any +other man." + +"Who makes them tear around so?" + +"Why, whoever rubs the lamp or the ring. They belong to whoever rubs +the lamp or the ring, and they've got to do whatever he says. If he +tells them to build a palace forty miles long out of di'monds, and fill +it full of chewing-gum, or whatever you want, and fetch an emperor's +daughter from China for you to marry, they've got to do it--and they've +got to do it before sun-up next morning, too. And more: they've got +to waltz that palace around over the country wherever you want it, you +understand." + +"Well," says I, "I think they are a pack of flat-heads for not keeping +the palace themselves 'stead of fooling them away like that. And what's +more--if I was one of them I would see a man in Jericho before I would +drop my business and come to him for the rubbing of an old tin lamp." + +"How you talk, Huck Finn. Why, you'd _have_ to come when he rubbed it, +whether you wanted to or not." + +"What! and I as high as a tree and as big as a church? All right, then; +I _would_ come; but I lay I'd make that man climb the highest tree there +was in the country." + +"Shucks, it ain't no use to talk to you, Huck Finn. You don't seem to +know anything, somehow--perfect saphead." + +I thought all this over for two or three days, and then I reckoned I +would see if there was anything in it. I got an old tin lamp and an +iron ring, and went out in the woods and rubbed and rubbed till I sweat +like an Injun, calculating to build a palace and sell it; but it warn't +no use, none of the genies come. So then I judged that all that stuff +was only just one of Tom Sawyer's lies. I reckoned he believed in the +A-rabs and the elephants, but as for me I think different. It had all +the marks of a Sunday-school. +""" + + +# Excerpt from "The Call of the Wild", by Jack London. +# Text from project Gutenberg, public domain. +text3_call_of_the_wild = b""" +Chapter I. Into the Primitive + +"Old longings nomadic leap, +Chafing at custom's chain; +Again from its brumal sleep +Wakens the ferine strain." + + +Buck did not read the newspapers, or he would have known that trouble +was brewing, not alone for himself, but for every tide-water dog, +strong of muscle and with warm, long hair, from Puget Sound to San +Diego. Because men, groping in the Arctic darkness, had found a yellow +metal, and because steamship and transportation companies were booming +the find, thousands of men were rushing into the Northland. These men +wanted dogs, and the dogs they wanted were heavy dogs, with strong +muscles by which to toil, and furry coats to protect them from the +frost. + +Buck lived at a big house in the sun-kissed Santa Clara Valley. Judge +Miller's place, it was called. It stood back from the road, half hidden +among the trees, through which glimpses could be caught of the wide +cool veranda that ran around its four sides. The house was approached +by gravelled driveways which wound about through wide-spreading lawns +and under the interlacing boughs of tall poplars. At the rear things +were on even a more spacious scale than at the front. There were great +stables, where a dozen grooms and boys held forth, rows of vine-clad +servants' cottages, an endless and orderly array of outhouses, long +grape arbors, green pastures, orchards, and berry patches. Then there +was the pumping plant for the artesian well, and the big cement tank +where Judge Miller's boys took their morning plunge and kept cool in +the hot afternoon. + +And over this great demesne Buck ruled. Here he was born, and here he +had lived the four years of his life. It was true, there were other +dogs, There could not but be other dogs on so vast a place, but they +did not count. They came and went, resided in the populous kennels, or +lived obscurely in the recesses of the house after the fashion of +Toots, the Japanese pug, or Ysabel, the Mexican hairless, -- strange +creatures that rarely put nose out of doors or set foot to ground. On +the other hand, there were the fox terriers, a score of them at least, +who yelped fearful promises at Toots and Ysabel looking out of the +windows at them and protected by a legion of housemaids armed with +brooms and mops. + +But Buck was neither house-dog nor kennel-dog. The whole realm was his. +He plunged into the swimming tank or went hunting with the Judge's +sons; he escorted Mollie and Alice, the Judge's daughters, on long +twilight or early morning rambles; on wintry nights he lay at the +Judge's feet before the roaring library fire; he carried the Judge's +grandsons on his back, or rolled them in the grass, and guarded their +footsteps through wild adventures down to the fountain in the stable +yard, and even beyond, where the paddocks were, and the berry patches. +Among the terriers he stalked imperiously, and Toots and Ysabel he +utterly ignored, for he was king, -- king over all creeping, crawling, +flying things of Judge Miller's place, humans included. + +His father, Elmo, a huge St. Bernard, had been the Judge's inseparable +companion, and Buck bid fair to follow in the way of his father. He was +not so large, -- he weighed only one hundred and forty pounds, -- for his +mother, Shep, had been a Scotch shepherd dog. Nevertheless, one hundred +and forty pounds, to which was added the dignity that comes of good +living and universal respect, enabled him to carry himself in right +royal fashion. During the four years since his puppyhood he had lived +the life of a sated aristocrat; he had a fine pride in himself, was +even a trifle egotistical, as country gentlemen sometimes become +because of their insular situation. But he had saved himself by not +becoming a mere pampered house-dog. Hunting and kindred outdoor +delights had kept down the fat and hardened his muscles; and to him, as +to the cold-tubbing races, the love of water had been a tonic and a +health preserver. + +And this was the manner of dog Buck was in the fall of 1897, when the +Klondike strike dragged men from all the world into the frozen North. +But Buck did not read the newspapers, and he did not know that Manuel, +one of the gardener's helpers, was an undesirable acquaintance. Manuel +had one besetting sin. He loved to play Chinese lottery. Also, in his +gambling, he had one besetting weakness -- faith in a system; and this +made his damnation certain. For to play a system requires money, while +the wages of a gardener's helper do not lap over the needs of a wife +and numerous progeny. + +The Judge was at a meeting of the Raisin Growers' Association, and the +boys were busy organizing an athletic club, on the memorable night of +Manuel's treachery. No one saw him and Buck go off through the orchard +on what Buck imagined was merely a stroll. And with the exception of a +solitary man, no one saw them arrive at the little flag station known +as College Park. This man talked with Manuel, and money chinked between +them. + +"You might wrap up the goods before you deliver 'm," the stranger said +gruffly, and Manuel doubled a piece of stout rope around Buck's neck +under the collar. + +"Twist it, an' you'll choke 'm plentee," said Manuel, and the stranger +grunted a ready affirmative. + +Buck had accepted the rope with quiet dignity. To be sure, it was an +unwonted performance: but he had learned to trust in men he knew, and +to give them credit for a wisdom that outreached his own. But when the +ends of the rope were placed in the stranger's hands, he growled +menacingly. He had merely intimated his displeasure, in his pride +believing that to intimate was to command. But to his surprise the rope +tightened around his neck, shutting off his breath. In quick rage he +sprang at the man, who met him halfway, grappled him close by the +throat, and with a deft twist threw him over on his back. Then the rope +tightened mercilessly, while Buck struggled in a fury, his tongue +lolling out of his mouth and his great chest panting futilely. Never in +all his life had he been so vilely treated, and never in all his life +had he been so angry. But his strength ebbed, his eyes glazed, and he +knew nothing when the train was flagged and the two men threw him into +the baggage car. + +The next he knew, he was dimly aware that his tongue was hurting and +that he was being jolted along in some kind of a conveyance. The hoarse +shriek of a locomotive whistling a crossing told him where he was. He +had travelled too often with the Judge not to know the sensation of +riding in a baggage car. He opened his eyes, and into them came the +unbridled anger of a kidnapped king. The man sprang for his throat, but +Buck was too quick for him. His jaws closed on the hand, nor did they +relax till his senses were choked out of him once more. + +"Yep, has fits," the man said, hiding his mangled hand from the +baggageman, who had been attracted by the sounds of struggle. "I'm +takin' 'm up for the boss to 'Frisco. A crack dog-doctor there thinks +that he can cure 'm." + +Concerning that night's ride, the man spoke most eloquently for +himself, in a little shed back of a saloon on the San Francisco water +front. + +"All I get is fifty for it," he grumbled; "an' I wouldn't do it over +for a thousand, cold cash." + +His hand was wrapped in a bloody handkerchief, and the right trouser +leg was ripped from knee to ankle. + +"How much did the other mug get?" the saloon-keeper demanded. + +"A hundred," was the reply. "Wouldn't take a sou less, so help me." + +"That makes a hundred and fifty," the saloon-keeper calculated; "and +he's worth it, or I'm a squarehead." + +The kidnapper undid the bloody wrappings and looked at his lacerated +hand. "If I don't get the hydrophoby -- " + +"It'll be because you was born to hang," laughed the saloon-keeper. +"Here, lend me a hand before you pull your freight," he added. + +Dazed, suffering intolerable pain from throat and tongue, with the life +half throttled out of him, Buck attempted to face his tormentors. But +he was thrown down and choked repeatedly, till they succeeded in filing +the heavy brass collar from off his neck. Then the rope was removed, +and he was flung into a cagelike crate. + +There he lay for the remainder of the weary night, nursing his wrath +and wounded pride. He could not understand what it all meant. What did +they want with him, these strange men? Why were they keeping him pent +up in this narrow crate? He did not know why, but he felt oppressed by +the vague sense of impending calamity. Several times during the night +he sprang to his feet when the shed door rattled open, expecting to see +the Judge, or the boys at least. But each time it was the bulging face +of the saloon-keeper that peered in at him by the sickly light of a +tallow candle. And each time the joyful bark that trembled in Buck's +throat was twisted into a savage growl. + +But the saloon-keeper let him alone, and in the morning four men +entered and picked up the crate. More tormentors, Buck decided, for +they were evil-looking creatures, ragged and unkempt; and he stormed +and raged at them through the bars. They only laughed and poked sticks +at him, which he promptly assailed with his teeth till he realized that +that was what they wanted. Whereupon he lay down sullenly and allowed +the crate to be lifted into a wagon. Then he, and the crate in which he +was imprisoned, began a passage through many hands. Clerks in the +express office took charge of him; he was carted about in another +wagon; a truck carried him, with an assortment of boxes and parcels, +upon a ferry steamer; he was trucked off the steamer into a great +railway depot, and finally he was deposited in an express car. + +For two days and nights this express car was dragged along at the tail +of shrieking locomotives; and for two days and nights Buck neither ate +nor drank. In his anger he had met the first advances of the express +messengers with growls, and they had retaliated by teasing him. When he +flung himself against the bars, quivering and frothing, they laughed at +him and taunted him. They growled and barked like detestable dogs, +mewed, and flapped their arms and crowed. It was all very silly, he +knew; but therefore the more outrage to his dignity, and his anger +waxed and waxed. He did not mind the hunger so much, but the lack of +water caused him severe suffering and fanned his wrath to fever-pitch. +For that matter, high-strung and finely sensitive, the ill treatment +had flung him into a fever, which was fed by the inflammation of his +parched and swollen throat and tongue. + +He was glad for one thing: the rope was off his neck. That had given +them an unfair advantage; but now that it was off, he would show them. +They would never get another rope around his neck. Upon that he was +resolved. For two days and nights he neither ate nor drank, and during +those two days and nights of torment, he accumulated a fund of wrath +that boded ill for whoever first fell foul of him. His eyes turned +blood-shot, and he was metamorphosed into a raging fiend. So changed +was he that the Judge himself would not have recognized him; and the +express messengers breathed with relief when they bundled him off the +train at Seattle. + +Four men gingerly carried the crate from the wagon into a small, +high-walled back yard. A stout man, with a red sweater that sagged +generously at the neck, came out and signed the book for the driver. +That was the man, Buck divined, the next tormentor, and he hurled +himself savagely against the bars. The man smiled grimly, and brought a +hatchet and a club. + +"You ain't going to take him out now?" the driver asked. + +"Sure," the man replied, driving the hatchet into the crate for a pry. + +There was an instantaneous scattering of the four men who had carried +it in, and from safe perches on top the wall they prepared to watch the +performance. + +Buck rushed at the splintering wood, sinking his teeth into it, surging +and wrestling with it. Wherever the hatchet fell on the outside, he was +there on the inside, snarling and growling, as furiously anxious to get +out as the man in the red sweater was calmly intent on getting him out. + +"Now, you red-eyed devil," he said, when he had made an opening +sufficient for the passage of Buck's body. At the same time he dropped +the hatchet and shifted the club to his right hand. + +And Buck was truly a red-eyed devil, as he drew himself together for +the spring, hair bristling, mouth foaming, a mad glitter in his +blood-shot eyes. Straight at the man he launched his one hundred and +forty pounds of fury, surcharged with the pent passion of two days and +nights. In mid air, just as his jaws were about to close on the man, he +received a shock that checked his body and brought his teeth together +with an agonizing clip. He whirled over, fetching the ground on his +back and side. He had never been struck by a club in his life, and did +not understand. With a snarl that was part bark and more scream he was +again on his feet and launched into the air. And again the shock came +and he was brought crushingly to the ground. This time he was aware +that it was the club, but his madness knew no caution. A dozen times he +charged, and as often the club broke the charge and smashed him down. + +After a particularly fierce blow, he crawled to his feet, too dazed to +rush. He staggered limply about, the blood flowing from nose and mouth +and ears, his beautiful coat sprayed and flecked with bloody er. +Then the man advanced and deliberately dealt him a frightful blow on +the nose. All the pain he had endured was as nothing compared with the +exquisite agony of this. With a roar that was almost lionlike in its +ferocity, he again hurled himself at the man. But the man, shifting the +club from right to left, coolly caught him by the under jaw, at the +same time wrenching downward and backward. Buck described a complete +circle in the air, and half of another, then crashed to the ground on +his head and chest. + +For the last time he rushed. The man struck the shrewd blow he had +purposely withheld for so long, and Buck crumpled up and went down, +knocked utterly senseless. + +"He's no slouch at dog-breakin', that's wot I say," one of the men on +the wall cried enthusiastically. + +"Druther break cayuses any day, and twice on Sundays," was the reply of +the driver, as he climbed on the wagon and started the horses. + +Buck's senses came back to him, but not his strength. He lay where he +had fallen, and from there he watched the man in the red sweater. + +"'Answers to the name of Buck,'" the man soliloquized, quoting from the +saloon-keeper's letter which had announced the consignment of the crate +and contents. "Well, Buck, my boy," he went on in a genial voice, +"we've had our little ruction, and the best thing we can do is to let +it go at that. You've learned your place, and I know mine. Be a good +dog and all 'll go well and the goose hang high. Be a bad dog, and I'll +whale the stuffin' outa you. Understand?" + +As he spoke he fearlessly patted the head he had so mercilessly +pounded, and though Buck's hair involuntarily bristled at touch of the +hand, he endured it without protest. When the man brought him water he +drank eagerly, and later bolted a generous meal of raw meat, chunk by +chunk, from the man's hand. + +He was beaten (he knew that); but he was not broken. He saw, once for +all, that he stood no chance against a man with a club. He had learned +the lesson, and in all his after life he never forgot it. That club was +a revelation. It was his introduction to the reign of primitive law, +and he met the introduction halfway. The facts of life took on a +fiercer aspect; and while he faced that aspect uncowed, he faced it +with all the latent cunning of his nature aroused. As the days went by, +other dogs came, in crates and at the ends of ropes, some docilely, and +some raging and roaring as he had come; and, one and all, he watched +them pass under the dominion of the man in the red sweater. Again and +again, as he looked at each brutal performance, the lesson was driven +home to Buck: a man with a club was a lawgiver, a master to be obeyed, +though not necessarily conciliated. Of this last Buck was never guilty, +though he did see beaten dogs that fawned upon the man, and wagged +their tails, and licked his hand. Also he saw one dog, that would +neither conciliate nor obey, finally killed in the struggle for +mastery. + +Now and again men came, strangers, who talked excitedly, wheedlingly, +and in all kinds of fashions to the man in the red sweater. And at such +times that money passed between them the strangers took one or more of +the dogs away with them. Buck wondered where they went, for they never +came back; but the fear of the future was strong upon him, and he was +glad each time when he was not selected. + +Yet his time came, in the end, in the form of a little weazened man who +spat broken English and many strange and uncouth exclamations which +Buck could not understand. + +"Sacredam!" he cried, when his eyes lit upon Buck. "Dat one dam bully +dog! Eh? How moch?" + +"Three hundred, and a present at that," was the prompt reply of the man +in the red sweater. "And seem' it's government money, you ain't got no +kick coming, eh, Perrault?" + +Perrault grinned. Considering that the price of dogs had been boomed +skyward by the unwonted demand, it was not an unfair sum for so fine an +animal. The Canadian Government would be no loser, nor would its +despatches travel the slower. Perrault knew dogs, and when he looked at +Buck he knew that he was one in a thousand -- "One in ten t'ousand," he +commented mentally. + +Buck saw money pass between them, and was not surprised when Curly, a +good-natured Newfoundland, and he were led away by the little weazened +man. That was the last he saw of the man in the red sweater, and as +Curly and he looked at receding Seattle from the deck of the _Narwhal_, +it was the last he saw of the warm Southland. Curly and he were taken +below by Perrault and turned over to a black-faced giant called +Francois. Perrault was a French-Canadian, and swarthy; but Francois was +a French-Canadian half-breed, and twice as swarthy. They were a new +kind of men to Buck (of which he was destined to see many more), and +while he developed no affection for them, he none the less grew +honestly to respect them. He speedily learned that Perrault and +Francois were fair men, calm and impartial in administering justice, +and too wise in the way of dogs to be fooled by dogs. + +In the 'tween-decks of the _Narwhal_, Buck and Curly joined two other +dogs. One of them was a big, snow-white fellow from Spitzbergen who had +been brought away by a whaling captain, and who had later accompanied a +Geological Survey into the Barrens. He was friendly, in a treacherous +sort of way, smiling into one's face the while he meditated some +underhand trick, as, for instance, when he stole from Buck's food at +the first meal. As Buck sprang to punish him, the lash of Francois's +whip sang through the air, reaching the culprit first; and nothing +remained to Buck but to recover the bone. That was fair of Francois, he +decided, and the half-breed began his rise in Buck's estimation. + +The other dog made no advances, nor received any; also, he did not +attempt to steal from the newcomers. He was a gloomy, morose fellow, +and he showed Curly plainly that all he desired was to be left alone, +and further, that there would be trouble if he were not left alone. +"Dave" he was called, and he ate and slept, or yawned between times, +and took interest in nothing, not even when the _Narwhal_ crossed Queen +Charlotte Sound and rolled and pitched and bucked like a thing +possessed. When Buck and Curly grew excited, half wild with fear, he +raised his head as though annoyed, favored them with an incurious +glance, yawned, and went to sleep again. + +Day and night the ship throbbed to the tireless pulse of the propeller, +and though one day was very like another, it was apparent to Buck that +the weather was steadily growing colder. At last, one morning, the +propeller was quiet, and the _Narwhal_ was pervaded with an atmosphere +of excitement. He felt it, as did the other dogs, and knew that a +change was at hand. Francois leashed them and brought them on deck. At +the first step upon the cold surface, Buck's feet sank into a white +mushy something very like mud. He sprang back with a snort. More of +this white stuff was falling through the air. He shook himself, but +more of it fell upon him. He sniffed it curiously, then licked some up +on his tongue. It bit like fire, and the next instant was gone. This +puzzled him. He tried it again, with the same result. The onlookers +laughed uproariously, and he felt ashamed, he knew not why, for it was +his first snow. + + +Chapter II. The Law of Club and Fang + +Buck's first day on the Dyea beach was like a nightmare. Every hour was +filled with shock and surprise. He had been suddenly jerked from the +heart of civilization and flung into the heart of things primordial. No +lazy, sun-kissed life was this, with nothing to do but loaf and be +bored. Here was neither peace, nor rest, nor a moment's safety. All was +confusion and action, and every moment life and limb were in peril. +There was imperative need to be constantly alert; for these dogs and +men were not town dogs and men. They were savages, all of them, who +knew no law but the law of club and fang. + +He had never seen dogs fight as these wolfish creatures fought, and his +first experience taught him an unforgetable lesson. It is true, it was +a vicarious experience, else he would not have lived to profit by it. +Curly was the victim. They were camped near the log store, where she, +in her friendly way, made advances to a husky dog the size of a +full-grown wolf, though not half so large as she. There was no warning, +only a leap in like a flash, a metallic clip of teeth, a leap out +equally swift, and Curly's face was ripped open from eye to jaw. + +It was the wolf manner of fighting, to strike and leap away; but there +was more to it than this. Thirty or forty huskies ran to the spot and +surrounded the combatants in an intent and silent circle. Buck did not +comprehend that silent intentness, nor the eager way with which they +were licking their chops. Curly rushed her antagonist, who struck again +and leaped aside. He met her next rush with his chest, in a peculiar +fashion that tumbled her off her feet. She never regained them, This +was what the onlooking huskies had waited for. They closed in upon her, +snarling and yelping, and she was buried, screaming with agony, beneath +the bristling mass of bodies. + +So sudden was it, and so unexpected, that Buck was taken aback. He saw +Spitz run out his scarlet tongue in a way he had of laughing; and he +saw Francois, swinging an axe, spring into the mess of dogs. Three men +with clubs were helping him to scatter them. It did not take long. Two +minutes from the time Curly went down, the last of her assailants were +clubbed off. But she lay there limp and lifeless in the bloody, +trampled snow, almost literally torn to pieces, the swart half-breed +standing over her and cursing horribly. The scene often came back to +Buck to trouble him in his sleep. So that was the way. No fair play. +Once down, that was the end of you. Well, he would see to it that he +never went down. Spitz ran out his tongue and laughed again, and from +that moment Buck hated him with a bitter and deathless hatred. + +Before he had recovered from the shock caused by the tragic passing of +Curly, he received another shock. Francois fastened upon him an +arrangement of straps and buckles. It was a harness, such as he had +seen the grooms put on the horses at home. And as he had seen horses +work, so he was set to work, hauling Francois on a sled to the forest +that fringed the valley, and returning with a load of firewood. Though +his dignity was sorely hurt by thus being made a draught animal, he was +too wise to rebel. He buckled down with a will and did his best, though +it was all new and strange. Francois was stern, demanding instant +obedience, and by virtue of his whip receiving instant obedience; while +Dave, who was an experienced wheeler, nipped Buck's hind quarters +whenever he was in error. Spitz was the leader, likewise experienced, +and while he could not always get at Buck, he growled sharp reproof now +and again, or cunningly threw his weight in the traces to jerk Buck +into the way he should go. Buck learned easily, and under the combined +tuition of his two mates and Francois made remarkable progress. Ere +they returned to camp he knew enough to stop at "ho," to go ahead at +"mush," to swing wide on the bends, and to keep clear of the wheeler +when the loaded sled shot downhill at their heels. + +"T'ree vair' good dogs," Francois told Perrault. "Dat Buck, heem pool +lak hell. I tich heem queek as anyt'ing." + +By afternoon, Perrault, who was in a hurry to be on the trail with his +despatches, returned with two more dogs. "Billee" and "Joe" he called +them, two brothers, and true huskies both. Sons of the one mother +though they were, they were as different as day and night. Billee's one +fault was his excessive good nature, while Joe was the very opposite, +sour and introspective, with a perpetual snarl and a malignant eye. +Buck received them in comradely fashion, Dave ignored them, while Spitz +proceeded to thrash first one and then the other. Billee wagged his +tail appeasingly, turned to run when he saw that appeasement was of no +avail, and cried (still appeasingly) when Spitz's sharp teeth scored +his flank. But no matter how Spitz circled, Joe whirled around on his +heels to face him, mane bristling, ears laid back, lips writhing and +snarling, jaws clipping together as fast as he could snap, and eyes +diabolically gleaming -- the incarnation of belligerent fear. So terrible +was his appearance that Spitz was forced to forego disciplining him; +but to cover his own discomfiture he turned upon the inoffensive and +wailing Billee and drove him to the confines of the camp. + +By evening Perrault secured another dog, an old husky, long and lean +and gaunt, with a battle-scarred face and a single eye which flashed a +warning of prowess that commanded respect. He was called Sol-leks, +which means the Angry One. Like Dave, he asked nothing, gave nothing, +expected nothing; and when he marched slowly and deliberately into +their midst, even Spitz left him alone. He had one peculiarity which +Buck was unlucky enough to discover. He did not like to be approached +on his blind side. Of this offence Buck was unwittingly guilty, and the +first knowledge he had of his indiscretion was when Sol-leks whirled +upon him and slashed his shoulder to the bone for three inches up and +down. Forever after Buck avoided his blind side, and to the last of +their comradeship had no more trouble. His only apparent ambition, like +Dave's, was to be left alone; though, as Buck was afterward to learn, +each of them possessed one other and even more vital ambition. + +That night Buck faced the great problem of sleeping. The tent, +illumined by a candle, glowed warmly in the midst of the white plain; +and when he, as a matter of course, entered it, both Perrault and +Francois bombarded him with curses and cooking utensils, till he +recovered from his consternation and fled ignominiously into the outer +cold. A chill wind was blowing that nipped him sharply and bit with +especial venom into his wounded shoulder. He lay down on the snow and +attempted to sleep, but the frost soon drove him shivering to his feet. +Miserable and disconsolate, he wandered about among the many tents, +only to find that one place was as cold as another. Here and there +savage dogs rushed upon him, but he bristled his neck-hair and snarled +(for he was learning fast), and they let him go his way unmolested. + +Finally an idea came to him. He would return and see how his own +team-mates were making out. To his astonishment, they had disappeared. +Again he wandered about through the great camp, looking for them, and +again he returned. Were they in the tent? No, that could not be, else +he would not have been driven out. Then where could they possibly be? +With drooping tail and shivering body, very forlorn indeed, he +aimlessly circled the tent. Suddenly the snow gave way beneath his fore +legs and he sank down. Something wriggled under his feet. He sprang +back, bristling and snarling, fearful of the unseen and unknown. But a +friendly little yelp reassured him, and he went back to investigate. A +whiff of warm air ascended to his nostrils, and there, curled up under +the snow in a snug ball, lay Billee. He whined placatingly, squirmed +and wriggled to show his good will and intentions, and even ventured, +as a bribe for peace, to lick Buck's face with his warm wet tongue. + +Another lesson. So that was the way they did it, eh? Buck confidently +selected a spot, and with much fuss and waste effort proceeded to dig a +hole for himself. In a trice the heat from his body filled the confined +space and he was asleep. The day had been long and arduous, and he +slept soundly and comfortably, though he growled and barked and +wrestled with bad dreams. + +Nor did he open his eyes till roused by the noises of the waking camp. +At first he did not know where he was. It had snowed during the night +and he was completely buried. The snow walls pressed him on every side, +and a great surge of fear swept through him -- the fear of the wild thing +for the trap. It was a token that he was harking back through his own +life to the lives of his forebears; for he was a civilized dog, an +unduly civilized dog, and of his own experience knew no trap and so +could not of himself fear it. The muscles of his whole body contracted +spasmodically and instinctively, the hair on his neck and shoulders +stood on end, and with a ferocious snarl he bounded straight up into +the blinding day, the snow flying about him in a flashing cloud. Ere he +landed on his feet, he saw the white camp spread out before him and +knew where he was and remembered all that had passed from the time he +went for a stroll with Manuel to the hole he had dug for himself the +night before. + +A shout from Francois hailed his appearance. "Wot I say?" the +dog-driver cried to Perrault. "Dat Buck for sure learn queek as +anyt'ing." + +Perrault nodded gravely. As courier for the Canadian Government, +bearing important despatches, he was anxious to secure the best dogs, +and he was particularly gladdened by the possession of Buck. + +Three more huskies were added to the team inside an hour, making a +total of nine, and before another quarter of an hour had passed they +were in harness and swinging up the trail toward the Dyea Canyon. Buck +was glad to be gone, and though the work was hard he found he did not +particularly despise it. He was surprised at the eagerness which +animated the whole team and which was communicated to him; but still +more surprising was the change wrought in Dave and Sol-leks. They were +new dogs, utterly transformed by the harness. All passiveness and +unconcern had dropped from them. They were alert and active, anxious +that the work should go well, and fiercely irritable with whatever, by +delay or confusion, retarded that work. The toil of the traces seemed +the supreme expression of their being, and all that they lived for and +the only thing in which they took delight. + +Dave was wheeler or sled dog, pulling in front of him was Buck, then +came Sol-leks; the rest of the team was strung out ahead, single file, +to the leader, which position was filled by Spitz. + +Buck had been purposely placed between Dave and Sol-leks so that he +might receive instruction. Apt scholar that he was, they were equally +apt teachers, never allowing him to linger long in error, and enforcing +their teaching with their sharp teeth. Dave was fair and very wise. He +never nipped Buck without cause, and he never failed to nip him when he +stood in need of it. As Francois's whip backed him up, Buck found it to +be cheaper to mend his ways than to retaliate. Once, during a brief +halt, when he got tangled in the traces and delayed the start, both +Dave and Sol-leks flew at him and administered a sound trouncing. The +resulting tangle was even worse, but Buck took good care to keep the +traces clear thereafter; and ere the day was done, so well had he +mastered his work, his mates about ceased nagging him. Francois's whip +snapped less frequently, and Perrault even honored Buck by lifting up +his feet and carefully examining them. + +It was a hard day's run, up the Canyon, through Sheep Camp, past the +Scales and the timber line, across glaciers and snowdrifts hundreds of +feet deep, and over the great Chilcoot Divide, which stands between the +salt water and the fresh and guards forbiddingly the sad and lonely +North. They made good time down the chain of lakes which fills the +craters of extinct volcanoes, and late that night pulled into the huge +camp at the head of Lake Bennett, where thousands of goldseekers were +building boats against the break-up of the ice in the spring. Buck made +his hole in the snow and slept the sleep of the exhausted just, but all +too early was routed out in the cold darkness and harnessed with his +mates to the sled. + +That day they made forty miles, the trail being packed; but the next +day, and for many days to follow, they broke their own trail, worked +harder, and made poorer time. As a rule, Perrault travelled ahead of +the team, packing the snow with webbed shoes to make it easier for +them. Francois, guiding the sled at the gee-pole, sometimes exchanged +places with him, but not often. Perrault was in a hurry, and he prided +himself on his knowledge of ice, which knowledge was indispensable, for +the fall ice was very thin, and where there was swift water, there was +no ice at all. + +Day after day, for days unending, Buck toiled in the traces. Always, +they broke camp in the dark, and the first gray of dawn found them +hitting the trail with fresh miles reeled off behind them. And always +they pitched camp after dark, eating their bit of fish, and crawling to +sleep into the snow. Buck was ravenous. The pound and a half of +sun-dried salmon, which was his ration for each day, seemed to go +nowhere. He never had enough, and suffered from perpetual hunger pangs. +Yet the other dogs, because they weighed less and were born to the +life, received a pound only of the fish and managed to keep in good +condition. + +He swiftly lost the fastidiousness which had characterized his old +life. A dainty eater, he found that his mates, finishing first, robbed +him of his unfinished ration. There was no defending it. While he was +fighting off two or three, it was disappearing down the throats of the +others. To remedy this, he ate as fast as they; and, so greatly did +hunger compel him, he was not above taking what did not belong to him. +He watched and learned. When he saw Pike, one of the new dogs, a clever +malingerer and thief, slyly steal a slice of bacon when Perrault's back +was turned, he duplicated the performance the following day, getting +away with the whole chunk. A great uproar was raised, but he was +unsuspected; while Dub, an awkward blunderer who was always getting +caught, was punished for Buck's misdeed. + +This first theft marked Buck as fit to survive in the hostile Northland +environment. It marked his adaptability, his capacity to adjust himself +to changing conditions, the lack of which would have meant swift and +terrible death. It marked, further, the decay or going to pieces of his +moral nature, a vain thing and a handicap in the ruthless struggle for +existence. It was all well enough in the Southland, under the law of +love and fellowship, to respect private property and personal feelings; +but in the Northland, under the law of club and fang, whoso took such +things into account was a fool, and in so far as he observed them he +would fail to prosper. + +Not that Buck reasoned it out. He was fit, that was all, and +unconsciously he accommodated himself to the new mode of life. All his +days, no matter what the odds, he had never run from a fight. But the +club of the man in the red sweater had beaten into him a more +fundamental and primitive code. Civilized, he could have died for a +moral consideration, say the defence of Judge Miller's riding-whip; but +the completeness of his decivilization was now evidenced by his ability +to flee from the defence of a moral consideration and so save his hide. +He did not steal for joy of it, but because of the clamor of his +stomach. He did not rob openly, but stole secretly and cunningly, out +of respect for club and fang. In short, the things he did were done +because it was easier to do them than not to do them. + +His development (or retrogression) was rapid. His muscles became hard +as iron, and he grew callous to all ordinary pain. He achieved an +internal as well as external economy. He could eat anything, no matter +how loathsome or indigestible; and, once eaten, the juices of his +stomach extracted the last least particle of nutriment; and his blood +carried it to the farthest reaches of his body, building it into the +toughest and stoutest of tissues. Sight and scent became remarkably +keen, while his hearing developed such acuteness that in his sleep he +heard the faintest sound and knew whether it heralded peace or peril. +He learned to bite the ice out with his teeth when it collected between +his toes; and when he was thirsty and there was a thick scum of ice +over the water hole, he would break it by rearing and striking it with +stiff fore legs. His most conspicuous trait was an ability to scent the +wind and forecast it a night in advance. No matter how breathless the +air when he dug his nest by tree or bank, the wind that later blew +inevitably found him to leeward, sheltered and snug. + +And not only did he learn by experience, but instincts long dead became +alive again. The domesticated generations fell from him. In vague ways +he remembered back to the youth of the breed, to the time the wild dogs +ranged in packs through the primeval forest and killed their meat as +they ran it down. It was no task for him to learn to fight with cut and +slash and the quick wolf snap. In this manner had fought forgotten +ancestors. They quickened the old life within him, and the old tricks +which they had stamped into the heredity of the breed were his tricks. +They came to him without effort or discovery, as though they had been +his always. And when, on the still cold nights, he pointed his nose at +a star and howled long and wolflike, it was his ancestors, dead and +dust, pointing nose at star and howling down through the centuries and +through him. And his cadences were their cadences, the cadences which +voiced their woe and what to them was the meaning of the stiffness, and +the cold, and dark. + +Thus, as token of what a puppet thing life is, the ancient song surged +through him and he came into his own again; and he came because men had +found a yellow metal in the North, and because Manuel was a gardener's +helper whose wages did not lap over the needs of his wife and divers +small copies of himself. +""" + + +# Excerpt from "The Prince", by Machiavelli. +# Text from project Gutenberg, public domain. +text4_the_prince = b""" +CHAPTER I -- HOW MANY KINDS OF PRINCIPALITIES THERE ARE, AND BY WHAT +MEANS THEY ARE ACQUIRED + +All states, all powers, that have held and hold rule over men have been +and are either republics or principalities. + +Principalities are either hereditary, in which the family has been long +established; or they are new. + +The new are either entirely new, as was Milan to Francesco Sforza, or +they are, as it were, members annexed to the hereditary state of the +prince who has acquired them, as was the kingdom of Naples to that of +the King of Spain. + +Such dominions thus acquired are either accustomed to live under a +prince, or to live in freedom; and are acquired either by the arms of +the prince himself, or of others, or else by fortune or by ability. + + +CHAPTER II -- CONCERNING HEREDITARY PRINCIPALITIES + +I will leave out all discussion on republics, inasmuch as in another +place I have written of them at length, and will address myself only to +principalities. In doing so I will keep to the order indicated above, +and discuss how such principalities are to be ruled and preserved. + +I say at once there are fewer difficulties in holding hereditary states, +and those long accustomed to the family of their prince, than new +ones; for it is sufficient only not to transgress the customs of his +ancestors, and to deal prudently with circumstances as they arise, for a +prince of average powers to maintain himself in his state, unless he +be deprived of it by some extraordinary and excessive force; and if he +should be so deprived of it, whenever anything sinister happens to the +usurper, he will regain it. + +We have in Italy, for example, the Duke of Ferrara, who could not have +withstood the attacks of the Venetians in '84, nor those of Pope Julius +in '10, unless he had been long established in his dominions. For the +hereditary prince has less cause and less necessity to offend; hence it +happens that he will be more loved; and unless extraordinary vices cause +him to be hated, it is reasonable to expect that his subjects will be +naturally well disposed towards him; and in the antiquity and duration +of his rule the memories and motives that make for change are lost, for +one change always leaves the toothing for another. + + +CHAPTER III -- CONCERNING MIXED PRINCIPALITIES + +But the difficulties occur in a new principality. And firstly, if it be +not entirely new, but is, as it were, a member of a state which, taken +collectively, may be called composite, the changes arise chiefly from +an inherent difficulty which there is in all new principalities; for +men change their rulers willingly, hoping to better themselves, and this +hope induces them to take up arms against him who rules: wherein they +are deceived, because they afterwards find by experience they have +gone from bad to worse. This follows also on another natural and common +necessity, which always causes a new prince to burden those who have +submitted to him with his soldiery and with infinite other hardships +which he must put upon his new acquisition. + +In this way you have enemies in all those whom you have injured in +seizing that principality, and you are not able to keep those friends +who put you there because of your not being able to satisfy them in the +way they expected, and you cannot take strong measures against them, +feeling bound to them. For, although one may be very strong in armed +forces, yet in entering a province one has always need of the goodwill +of the natives. + +For these reasons Louis the Twelfth, King of France, quickly occupied +Milan, and as quickly lost it; and to turn him out the first time it +only needed Lodovico's own forces; because those who had opened the +gates to him, finding themselves deceived in their hopes of future +benefit, would not endure the ill-treatment of the new prince. It is +very true that, after acquiring rebellious provinces a second time, +they are not so lightly lost afterwards, because the prince, with +little reluctance, takes the opportunity of the rebellion to punish the +delinquents, to clear out the suspects, and to strengthen himself in the +weakest places. Thus to cause France to lose Milan the first time it was +enough for the Duke Lodovico(*) to raise insurrections on the borders; +but to cause him to lose it a second time it was necessary to bring +the whole world against him, and that his armies should be defeated and +driven out of Italy; which followed from the causes above mentioned. + + (*) Duke Lodovico was Lodovico Moro, a son of Francesco + Sforza, who married Beatrice d'Este. He ruled over Milan + from 1494 to 1500, and died in 1510. + +Nevertheless Milan was taken from France both the first and the second +time. The general reasons for the first have been discussed; it remains +to name those for the second, and to see what resources he had, and what +any one in his situation would have had for maintaining himself more +securely in his acquisition than did the King of France. + +Now I say that those dominions which, when acquired, are added to an +ancient state by him who acquires them, are either of the same country +and language, or they are not. When they are, it is easier to hold them, +especially when they have not been accustomed to self-government; and +to hold them securely it is enough to have destroyed the family of the +prince who was ruling them; because the two peoples, preserving in other +things the old conditions, and not being unlike in customs, will live +quietly together, as one has seen in Brittany, Burgundy, Gascony, and +Normandy, which have been bound to France for so long a time: and, +although there may be some difference in language, nevertheless the +customs are alike, and the people will easily be able to get on amongst +themselves. He who has annexed them, if he wishes to hold them, has only +to bear in mind two considerations: the one, that the family of their +former lord is extinguished; the other, that neither their laws nor +their taxes are altered, so that in a very short time they will become +entirely one body with the old principality. + +But when states are acquired in a country differing in language, +customs, or laws, there are difficulties, and good fortune and great +energy are needed to hold them, and one of the greatest and most real +helps would be that he who has acquired them should go and reside there. +This would make his position more secure and durable, as it has made +that of the Turk in Greece, who, notwithstanding all the other measures +taken by him for holding that state, if he had not settled there, would +not have been able to keep it. Because, if one is on the spot, disorders +are seen as they spring up, and one can quickly remedy them; but if one +is not at hand, they are heard of only when they are great, and then one +can no longer remedy them. Besides this, the country is not pillaged +by your officials; the subjects are satisfied by prompt recourse to the +prince; thus, wishing to be good, they have more cause to love him, and +wishing to be otherwise, to fear him. He who would attack that state +from the outside must have the utmost caution; as long as the prince +resides there it can only be wrested from him with the greatest +difficulty. + +The other and better course is to send colonies to one or two places, +which may be as keys to that state, for it is necessary either to do +this or else to keep there a great number of cavalry and infantry. A +prince does not spend much on colonies, for with little or no expense he +can send them out and keep them there, and he offends a minority only of +the citizens from whom he takes lands and houses to give them to the new +inhabitants; and those whom he offends, remaining poor and scattered, +are never able to injure him; whilst the rest being uninjured are easily +kept quiet, and at the same time are anxious not to err for fear it +should happen to them as it has to those who have been despoiled. In +conclusion, I say that these colonies are not costly, they are more +faithful, they injure less, and the injured, as has been said, being +poor and scattered, cannot hurt. Upon this, one has to remark that men +ought either to be well treated or crushed, because they can avenge +themselves of lighter injuries, of more serious ones they cannot; +therefore the injury that is to be done to a man ought to be of such a +kind that one does not stand in fear of revenge. + +But in maintaining armed men there in place of colonies one spends much +more, having to consume on the garrison all the income from the +state, so that the acquisition turns into a loss, and many more are +exasperated, because the whole state is injured; through the shifting +of the garrison up and down all become acquainted with hardship, and +all become hostile, and they are enemies who, whilst beaten on their +own ground, are yet able to do hurt. For every reason, therefore, such +guards are as useless as a colony is useful. + +Again, the prince who holds a country differing in the above respects +ought to make himself the head and defender of his less powerful +neighbours, and to weaken the more powerful amongst them, taking care +that no foreigner as powerful as himself shall, by any accident, get +a footing there; for it will always happen that such a one will be +introduced by those who are discontented, either through excess of +ambition or through fear, as one has seen already. The Romans were +brought into Greece by the Aetolians; and in every other country where +they obtained a footing they were brought in by the inhabitants. And the +usual course of affairs is that, as soon as a powerful foreigner enters +a country, all the subject states are drawn to him, moved by the hatred +which they feel against the ruling power. So that in respect to those +subject states he has not to take any trouble to gain them over to +himself, for the whole of them quickly rally to the state which he has +acquired there. He has only to take care that they do not get hold of +too much power and too much authority, and then with his own forces, and +with their goodwill, he can easily keep down the more powerful of them, +so as to remain entirely master in the country. And he who does not +properly manage this business will soon lose what he has acquired, and +whilst he does hold it he will have endless difficulties and troubles. + +The Romans, in the countries which they annexed, observed closely these +measures; they sent colonies and maintained friendly relations with(*) +the minor powers, without increasing their strength; they kept down the +greater, and did not allow any strong foreign powers to gain authority. +Greece appears to me sufficient for an example. The Achaeans and +Aetolians were kept friendly by them, the kingdom of Macedonia was +humbled, Antiochus was driven out; yet the merits of the Achaeans and +Aetolians never secured for them permission to increase their power, nor +did the persuasions of Philip ever induce the Romans to be his friends +without first humbling him, nor did the influence of Antiochus make them +agree that he should retain any lordship over the country. Because the +Romans did in these instances what all prudent princes ought to do, +who have to regard not only present troubles, but also future ones, for +which they must prepare with every energy, because, when foreseen, it is +easy to remedy them; but if you wait until they approach, the medicine +is no longer in time because the malady has become incurable; for it +happens in this, as the physicians say it happens in hectic fever, +that in the beginning of the malady it is easy to cure but difficult to +detect, but in the course of time, not having been either detected or +treated in the beginning, it becomes easy to detect but difficult to +cure. Thus it happens in affairs of state, for when the evils that arise +have been foreseen (which it is only given to a wise man to see), they +can be quickly redressed, but when, through not having been foreseen, +they have been permitted to grow in a way that every one can see them, +there is no longer a remedy. Therefore, the Romans, foreseeing troubles, +dealt with them at once, and, even to avoid a war, would not let them +come to a head, for they knew that war is not to be avoided, but is only +to be put off to the advantage of others; moreover they wished to fight +with Philip and Antiochus in Greece so as not to have to do it in Italy; +they could have avoided both, but this they did not wish; nor did that +ever please them which is forever in the mouths of the wise ones of our +time:--Let us enjoy the benefits of the time--but rather the benefits of +their own valour and prudence, for time drives everything before it, and +is able to bring with it good as well as evil, and evil as well as good. + + (*) See remark in the introduction on the word + "intrattenere." + +But let us turn to France and inquire whether she has done any of the +things mentioned. I will speak of Louis(*) (and not of Charles)(+) as +the one whose conduct is the better to be observed, he having held +possession of Italy for the longest period; and you will see that he +has done the opposite to those things which ought to be done to retain a +state composed of divers elements. + + (*) Louis XII, King of France, "The Father of the People," + born 1462, died 1515. + + (+) Charles VIII, King of France, born 1470, died 1498. + +King Louis was brought into Italy by the ambition of the Venetians, who +desired to obtain half the state of Lombardy by his intervention. I +will not blame the course taken by the king, because, wishing to get a +foothold in Italy, and having no friends there--seeing rather that every +door was shut to him owing to the conduct of Charles--he was forced to +accept those friendships which he could get, and he would have succeeded +very quickly in his design if in other matters he had not made some +mistakes. The king, however, having acquired Lombardy, regained at once +the authority which Charles had lost: Genoa yielded; the Florentines +became his friends; the Marquess of Mantua, the Duke of Ferrara, the +Bentivogli, my lady of Forli, the Lords of Faenza, of Pesaro, of +Rimini, of Camerino, of Piombino, the Lucchese, the Pisans, the +Sienese--everybody made advances to him to become his friend. Then could +the Venetians realize the rashness of the course taken by them, which, +in order that they might secure two towns in Lombardy, had made the king +master of two-thirds of Italy. + +Let any one now consider with what little difficulty the king could have +maintained his position in Italy had he observed the rules above laid +down, and kept all his friends secure and protected; for although they +were numerous they were both weak and timid, some afraid of the Church, +some of the Venetians, and thus they would always have been forced to +stand in with him, and by their means he could easily have made himself +secure against those who remained powerful. But he was no sooner in +Milan than he did the contrary by assisting Pope Alexander to occupy the +Romagna. It never occurred to him that by this action he was weakening +himself, depriving himself of friends and of those who had thrown +themselves into his lap, whilst he aggrandized the Church by adding much +temporal power to the spiritual, thus giving it greater authority. And +having committed this prime error, he was obliged to follow it up, so +much so that, to put an end to the ambition of Alexander, and to prevent +his becoming the master of Tuscany, he was himself forced to come into +Italy. + +And as if it were not enough to have aggrandized the Church, and +deprived himself of friends, he, wishing to have the kingdom of Naples, +divided it with the King of Spain, and where he was the prime arbiter in +Italy he takes an associate, so that the ambitious of that country and +the malcontents of his own should have somewhere to shelter; and whereas +he could have left in the kingdom his own pensioner as king, he drove +him out, to put one there who was able to drive him, Louis, out in turn. + +The wish to acquire is in truth very natural and common, and men always +do so when they can, and for this they will be praised not blamed; but +when they cannot do so, yet wish to do so by any means, then there is +folly and blame. Therefore, if France could have attacked Naples with +her own forces she ought to have done so; if she could not, then she +ought not to have divided it. And if the partition which she made with +the Venetians in Lombardy was justified by the excuse that by it she got +a foothold in Italy, this other partition merited blame, for it had not +the excuse of that necessity. + +Therefore Louis made these five errors: he destroyed the minor powers, +he increased the strength of one of the greater powers in Italy, he +brought in a foreign power, he did not settle in the country, he did not +send colonies. Which errors, had he lived, were not enough to injure +him had he not made a sixth by taking away their dominions from the +Venetians; because, had he not aggrandized the Church, nor brought Spain +into Italy, it would have been very reasonable and necessary to humble +them; but having first taken these steps, he ought never to have +consented to their ruin, for they, being powerful, would always have +kept off others from designs on Lombardy, to which the Venetians would +never have consented except to become masters themselves there; also +because the others would not wish to take Lombardy from France in order +to give it to the Venetians, and to run counter to both they would not +have had the courage. + +And if any one should say: "King Louis yielded the Romagna to Alexander +and the kingdom to Spain to avoid war," I answer for the reasons given +above that a blunder ought never to be perpetrated to avoid war, because +it is not to be avoided, but is only deferred to your disadvantage. And +if another should allege the pledge which the king had given to the +Pope that he would assist him in the enterprise, in exchange for the +dissolution of his marriage(*) and for the cap to Rouen,(+) to that I +reply what I shall write later on concerning the faith of princes, and +how it ought to be kept. + + (*) Louis XII divorced his wife, Jeanne, daughter of Louis + XI, and married in 1499 Anne of Brittany, widow of Charles + VIII, in order to retain the Duchy of Brittany for the + crown. + + (+) The Archbishop of Rouen. He was Georges d'Amboise, + created a cardinal by Alexander VI. Born 1460, died 1510. + +Thus King Louis lost Lombardy by not having followed any of the +conditions observed by those who have taken possession of countries and +wished to retain them. Nor is there any miracle in this, but much that +is reasonable and quite natural. And on these matters I spoke at Nantes +with Rouen, when Valentino, as Cesare Borgia, the son of Pope Alexander, +was usually called, occupied the Romagna, and on Cardinal Rouen +observing to me that the Italians did not understand war, I replied +to him that the French did not understand statecraft, meaning that +otherwise they would not have allowed the Church to reach such +greatness. And in fact it has been seen that the greatness of the Church +and of Spain in Italy has been caused by France, and her ruin may be +attributed to them. From this a general rule is drawn which never or +rarely fails: that he who is the cause of another becoming powerful +is ruined; because that predominancy has been brought about either by +astuteness or else by force, and both are distrusted by him who has been +raised to power. + + +CHAPTER IV -- WHY THE KINGDOM OF DARIUS, CONQUERED BY ALEXANDER, DID NOT +REBEL AGAINST THE SUCCESSORS OF ALEXANDER AT HIS DEATH + +Considering the difficulties which men have had to hold to a newly +acquired state, some might wonder how, seeing that Alexander the +Great became the master of Asia in a few years, and died whilst it +was scarcely settled (whence it might appear reasonable that the whole +empire would have rebelled), nevertheless his successors maintained +themselves, and had to meet no other difficulty than that which arose +among themselves from their own ambitions. + +I answer that the principalities of which one has record are found to +be governed in two different ways; either by a prince, with a body +of servants, who assist him to govern the kingdom as ministers by his +favour and permission; or by a prince and barons, who hold that dignity +by antiquity of blood and not by the grace of the prince. Such barons +have states and their own subjects, who recognize them as lords and hold +them in natural affection. Those states that are governed by a prince +and his servants hold their prince in more consideration, because in all +the country there is no one who is recognized as superior to him, and +if they yield obedience to another they do it as to a minister and +official, and they do not bear him any particular affection. + +The examples of these two governments in our time are the Turk and the +King of France. The entire monarchy of the Turk is governed by one lord, +the others are his servants; and, dividing his kingdom into sanjaks, he +sends there different administrators, and shifts and changes them as +he chooses. But the King of France is placed in the midst of an ancient +body of lords, acknowledged by their own subjects, and beloved by them; +they have their own prerogatives, nor can the king take these away +except at his peril. Therefore, he who considers both of these states +will recognize great difficulties in seizing the state of the Turk, +but, once it is conquered, great ease in holding it. The causes of the +difficulties in seizing the kingdom of the Turk are that the usurper +cannot be called in by the princes of the kingdom, nor can he hope to be +assisted in his designs by the revolt of those whom the lord has around +him. This arises from the reasons given above; for his ministers, being +all and bondmen, can only be corrupted with great difficulty, and +one can expect little advantage from them when they have been corrupted, +as they cannot carry the people with them, for the reasons assigned. +Hence, he who attacks the Turk must bear in mind that he will find him +united, and he will have to rely more on his own strength than on the +revolt of others; but, if once the Turk has been conquered, and routed +in the field in such a way that he cannot replace his armies, there +is nothing to fear but the family of this prince, and, this being +exterminated, there remains no one to fear, the others having no credit +with the people; and as the conqueror did not rely on them before his +victory, so he ought not to fear them after it. + +The contrary happens in kingdoms governed like that of France, because +one can easily enter there by gaining over some baron of the kingdom, +for one always finds malcontents and such as desire a change. Such men, +for the reasons given, can open the way into the state and render the +victory easy; but if you wish to hold it afterwards, you meet with +infinite difficulties, both from those who have assisted you and from +those you have crushed. Nor is it enough for you to have exterminated +the family of the prince, because the lords that remain make themselves +the heads of fresh movements against you, and as you are unable either +to satisfy or exterminate them, that state is lost whenever time brings +the opportunity. + +Now if you will consider what was the nature of the government of +Darius, you will find it similar to the kingdom of the Turk, and +therefore it was only necessary for Alexander, first to overthrow him in +the field, and then to take the country from him. After which victory, +Darius being killed, the state remained secure to Alexander, for the +above reasons. And if his successors had been united they would have +enjoyed it securely and at their ease, for there were no tumults raised +in the kingdom except those they provoked themselves. + +But it is impossible to hold with such tranquillity states constituted +like that of France. Hence arose those frequent rebellions against the +Romans in Spain, France, and Greece, owing to the many principalities +there were in these states, of which, as long as the memory of them +endured, the Romans always held an insecure possession; but with the +power and long continuance of the empire the memory of them passed +away, and the Romans then became secure possessors. And when fighting +afterwards amongst themselves, each one was able to attach to himself +his own parts of the country, according to the authority he had assumed +there; and the family of the former lord being exterminated, none other +than the Romans were acknowledged. + +When these things are remembered no one will marvel at the ease with +which Alexander held the Empire of Asia, or at the difficulties which +others have had to keep an acquisition, such as Pyrrhus and many more; +this is not occasioned by the little or abundance of ability in the +conqueror, but by the want of uniformity in the subject state. + + +CHAPTER V -- CONCERNING THE WAY TO GOVERN CITIES OR PRINCIPALITIES WHICH +LIVED UNDER THEIR OWN LAWS BEFORE THEY WERE ANNEXED + +Whenever those states which have been acquired as stated have been +accustomed to live under their own laws and in freedom, there are three +courses for those who wish to hold them: the first is to ruin them, the +next is to reside there in person, the third is to permit them to live +under their own laws, drawing a tribute, and establishing within it an +oligarchy which will keep it friendly to you. Because such a government, +being created by the prince, knows that it cannot stand without +his friendship and interest, and does it utmost to support him; and +therefore he who would keep a city accustomed to freedom will hold it +more easily by the means of its own citizens than in any other way. + +There are, for example, the Spartans and the Romans. The Spartans held +Athens and Thebes, establishing there an oligarchy; nevertheless they +lost them. The Romans, in order to hold Capua, Carthage, and Numantia, +dismantled them, and did not lose them. They wished to hold Greece as +the Spartans held it, making it free and permitting its laws, and did +not succeed. So to hold it they were compelled to dismantle many +cities in the country, for in truth there is no safe way to retain them +otherwise than by ruining them. And he who becomes master of a city +accustomed to freedom and does not destroy it, may expect to be +destroyed by it, for in rebellion it has always the watchword of liberty +and its ancient privileges as a rallying point, which neither time +nor benefits will ever cause it to forget. And whatever you may do or +provide against, they never forget that name or their privileges unless +they are disunited or dispersed, but at every chance they immediately +rally to them, as Pisa after the hundred years she had been held in +bondage by the Florentines. + +But when cities or countries are accustomed to live under a prince, and +his family is exterminated, they, being on the one hand accustomed to +obey and on the other hand not having the old prince, cannot agree in +making one from amongst themselves, and they do not know how to govern +themselves. For this reason they are very slow to take up arms, and a +prince can gain them to himself and secure them much more easily. But +in republics there is more vitality, greater hatred, and more desire +for vengeance, which will never permit them to allow the memory of their +former liberty to rest; so that the safest way is to destroy them or to +reside there. +"""