Mojo, The Bard, & Me

 

O boys, this story

The world may read in me: my body’s markt

With Roman swords; and my report was once

First with the best of note: Cymbeline loved me;

And when a soldier was the theme, my name

Was not far off:

-Belarius

Cymbeline           Act III, Scene iii, Line 57

 

This is the first scene in which we encounter Belarius and his two sons (who are not really his sons) Guiderius and Arviragus. These two are actually the sons of the king, Cymbeline. Belarius stole them, when they were itty bitty tots, when he got unjustly banished and he raised them as his own in the wilderness. With today’s lines he is talking to the boys about his younger days of being a soldier in service to the king.

Whilst that’s pretty good for context, perhaps to appreciate these lines fully I need to give you the lines that preface these. The boys (actually young men) are complaining to Belarius that they have been raised in the wilderness and they want to experience civilization. Belarius responds,

 

How you speak!

Did you but know the city’s usuries,

And felt them knowingly: the art o’the court,

As hard to leave as keep; whose top to climb

Is certain falling, or so slippery that

The fear’s as bad as falling: the toil o’the war,

A pain that only seems to seek out danger

I’the name of fame and honour; which dies i’the search;

And hath as oft a slanderous epitath

As record of fair act; nay, many times

Doth ill deserve by doing well; what’s worse,

Must court’sy at the censure:-- O boys, this story

The world may read in me: my body’s markt

With Roman swords; and my report was once

First with the best of note: Cymbeline loved me;

And when a soldier was the theme, my name

Was not far off: then was I as a tree

Whose boughs did bend with fruit: but in one night,

A storm or robbery, call it what you will,

Shook down my mellow hangings, nay, my leaves,

And left me bare to weather.

 

Apparently Belarius has not the highest regard for life in the civilized world. On the other hand, he did get betrayed, slandered, and banished. So that’s not so good, is it? 

So there’s a lot to unpack there. I think I’ll let you do some of your own unpacking. It’s all pretty easy to read and understand. So read it again and see what it makes you think about. Go ahead. I will too.

Okay, well I thought of lots of things reading those lines, and I started browsing through my pics for something that was appropriate for any one of my thoughts about this passage. But unfortunately (or not) I came across this pic and really liked it, and thought you might too. I think this is Ernie, but I get the names mixed up so I might be wrong. In any event, he's lying across my lap, and he doesn't seem to be worried about any of the things that Belarius is talking about. And maybe that's just the best way to be.