The Chronicle

A BALLAD.

MARGARITA first possest,

If I remember well, my brest,

Margarita first of all;

But when awhile the wanton maid

With my restless heart had play’d,

Martha took the flying ball.

Martha soon did it resign

To the beauteous Catharine.

Beauteous Catharine gave place

(Though loth and angry she to part

With the possession of my heart)

To Eliza’s conquering face.

Eliza till this hour might reign,

Had she not evil counsels ta’en.

Fundamental laws she broke,

And still new favorites she chose,

Till up in arms my passions rose,

And cast away her yoke.

Mary then, and gentle Anne,

Both to reign at once began;

Alternately they sway’d;

And sometimes Mary was the fair,

And sometimes Anne the Crown did wear,

And sometimes both I obey’d.

Another Mary then arose

And did rigorous laws impose;

A mighty tyrant she!

Long, alas! should I have been

Under that iron-scepter’d queen,

Had not Rebecca set me free.

When fair Rebecca set me free,

‘Twas then a golden time with me:

But soon those pleasures fled;

For the gracious princess dy’d,

In her youth and beauty’s pride,

And Judith reigned in her stead.

One month, three days, and half an hour,

Judith held the soveraign power:

Wondrous beautiful her face!

But so weak and small her wit,

That she to govern was unfit,

And so Susanna took her place.

But when Isabella came,

Arm’d with a resistless flame,

And th’ artillery of her eye;

Whilst she proudly march’d about,

Greater conquests to find out,

She beat out Susan by the bye.

But in her place I then obey’d

Black-ey’d Bess, her viceroy-maid;

To whom ensu’d a vacancy:

Thousand worse passions than possest

The interregnum of my breast;

Bless me from such an anarchy!

Gentle Henriette then,

And a third Mary, next began;

Then Joan, and Jane, and Audria;

And then a pretty Thomasine,

And then another Katharine,

And then a long et cætera.

But should I now to you relate,

The strength and riches of their state;

The powder, patches, and the pins,

The ribbons, jewels, and the rings,

The lace, the paint, and warlike things,

That make up all their magazines;

If I should tell the politic arts

To take and keep men’s hearts;

The letters, embassies, and spies,

The frowns, and smiles, and flatteries,

The quarrels, tears, and perjuries

(Numberless, nameless, mysteries!)

And all the little lime-twigs laid,

By Machiavel the waiting-maid;

I more voluminous should grow

(Chiefly if I like them should tell

All change of weathers that befell)

Than Holinshed or Stow.

But I will briefer with them be,

Since few of them were long with me.

An higher and a nobler strain

My present Emperess does claim,

Heleonora, first o’ th’ name;

Whom God grant long to reign!

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Poems in English 

• Владимир Высоцкий – Песня Кэрролла by Владимир Высоцкий
• Владимир Высоцкий – Песня Алисы by Владимир Высоцкий
• Владимир Высоцкий – Песенка про ребёнка-поросёнка by Владимир Высоцкий
• Владимир Высоцкий – Песенка-представление орлёнком Эдом Атаки Гризли by Владимир Высоцкий
• Владимир Высоцкий – В плен, приказ, не сдаваться by Владимир Высоцкий
• Владимир Высоцкий – В младенчестве нас матери пугали by Владимир Высоцкий
• Владимир Высоцкий – В куски разлетелася корона by Владимир Высоцкий
• Владимир Высоцкий – В этом доме большом раньше пьянка была by Владимир Высоцкий
• Владимир Высоцкий – В далёком созвездии Тау Кита by Владимир Высоцкий
• Владимир Высоцкий – В белье плотной вязки by Владимир Высоцкий
• Владимир Высоцкий – Утренняя гимнастика by Владимир Высоцкий
• Владимир Высоцкий – Упрямо я стремлюсь ко дну by Владимир Высоцкий
• Владимир Высоцкий – Ублажаю ли душу романсом by Владимир Высоцкий
• Владимир Высоцкий – У профессиональных игроков by Владимир Высоцкий
• Владимир Высоцкий – У нас вчера с позавчера by Владимир Высоцкий
• Владимир Высоцкий – У Наполеона Ватерлоо есть хотя б by Владимир Высоцкий
• Владимир Высоцкий – У меня было сорок фамилий by Владимир Высоцкий
• Владимир Высоцкий – У Доски, где почётные граждане by Владимир Высоцкий
• Владимир Высоцкий – Тюменская нефть by Владимир Высоцкий
• Владимир Высоцкий – Тот, кто раньше с нею был by Владимир Высоцкий

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Yandex – the best search engine for searches in Russian (and the best overall image search engine, in any language, anywhere)

Qwant – the best search engine for searches in French, German as well as Romance and Germanic languages.

Ecosia – a search engine that supposedly… plants trees

Duckduckgo – the real alternative and a search engine that actually works. Without much censorship or partisan politics.

Yahoo– yes, it’s still around, amazingly, miraculously, incredibly, but now it seems to be powered by Bing.

 

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