thegoodfellas/blogset-br huggingface dataset:
Yuletideand New Years with such a fine crowd.Who here in this house thinks he has what it takes, has bold blood and a brashhead, and dares to stand his ground, giving stroke for stroke?Here! I shall give him this gilded blade as my gift; this heavy ax shall behis, to handle as he likes, and I shall stand here bare of armor, and brave thefirst blow.If anyone's tough enough to try out my game,let him come here quickly and claim his weapon!I give up all rights; he will get it for keeps.I'll stand like a tree trunk -- he can strike at me once, if you'll grant methe right to give as good as I get in play. But later is soon enough, a fullyear and a day. Get up, if you think you're rough, let's see what you dare tosay!"(14)If at first he had stunned them, now they sat stone-still: the whole hall, bothhigh and low.The mounted man moved in his saddle, glared a red glance grimly about, archedhis bushy brows, all brilliant and green, his beard waving as he waited for oneman to rise,to call or came forward. He coughed loudly,stretched slowly, and straightened to speak."Hah! They call this King Arthur's house,a living legend in land after land?Where have your pride and your power gone,your bragging boasts, your big words?The glories and triumphs of the Round Tablehave toppled at the touch of one man's words!What? Fainting with fear, when no fight is offered?"He let out a laugh so loud that Arthur wincedwith shame; the blood shot to his flushed faceand churned with rage and raised a storm until their hearts all burned. Allking in face and form, he reached that rider, turned,(15)and said, "Look here, by heaven! Have you lost your mind?If you want to be mad, I will make you welcome!Nobody I know is bowled over by your big words, so help me God! Hand me that ax--I will grant you the gift you beg me to give!"He leaped lightly up and lifted it from his hand. Then the man dismounted,moving proudly, while Arthur held the ax, both hands on the haft, hefted itsternly, considered his stroke.That burly man bulked big and tall,a head higher than anyone in the house.He stood there hard-faced, stroking his beard,impassively watching as he pulled off his coat, no more moved or dismayed byhis mighty swings than anybody would be if somebody brought him a bottle ofwine.Gawain, sitting by the queen, could tell the king his mind: "Lord, hearwell what I mean,and let this match be mine."(16)"Grant leave, good lord," said Gawain to the king, "to stir frommy seat and stand by your side; that I might rise without rudeness from thistable without fear of offending your fair queen, and come before your court asa counselor should.It is plainly improper, as people know well,to point this proposal at the prince himself.Though you may be eager to act for yourself,there are so many bold knights on the benches all about, none more masterful inmind maybe than move move under heaven, nor many built better for
the field ofbattle.Of all your men of war I am the weakest and least wise, and my life littleenough to lose, if you look at it clearly.My only honor is that you are my uncle; my only boast is that my body carriesyour blood.Since this whole matter is such a mockery, it is not meant for you; and I amfirst on the field: let this folly be mine.If my claim is uncalled-for let the court judge; I will bear the blame."They huddled hushed around and all advised the same: respect the royal crown, andgive Gawain the game.(17)Then the king commanded him to rise and come forward, and he stood quickly,walked with stately steps to kneel before the king and claim his weapon. Arthurhanded it over and held up his hand to give him God's blessing. With a gladsmile he charged him to be hardy in heart. "Cousin, careful," hesaid, "cut him but once. And if you teach him truly, I trust you will findyou can bear the blow that he brings you later."Gawain went to the warrior, weapon in hand,not the least bit bashful, as bold as can be.Then the Green Knight said to Gawain,"We should go over our agreement before we begin. First, knight, I wouldknow your name,told truly as one I can trust." "My name is Gawain," he said,"I give it in good faith,as I will give you a blow and bear what comes after.At this time in twelve months I will take a blow back from what weapon youwish, but from no other knight alive."The other answering spoke, "Sir Gawain: good. I derive great pleasure fromthe strokeyour hardy hands will drive."(18)"Gad!" the Green Knight said. "Sir Gawain, I am glad that yourfist will fetch me the fun I hoped to find.You have quickly retold in trustworthy wordsa correct account of the contract I asked of the king, save one stipulationthat I must state: let it stand as your oath that you will seek me yourself,and search anywhere you feel I may be found to fetch back the same wages I ampaid today before this proud court.""Where should I look?" Gawain asked, "Where do you live?""By Him that made me, your house is not known to me, neither do I knowyou, knight, nor your court nor your name.But teach me truly, tell me where to find youand I shall work my wits out to win my way there. I give my plain promise; Ipledge you my word.""That is enough for a New Year's pledge; you need say no more,"-- So the green man answered gracious Gawain --"If I'm telling the truth, why, when I've taken your tap, and you'velopped me lovingly, you'll learn at once of my house and my home and how I amnamed.Then you can try my hospitality and be true to our compact.Or I'll have no words to waste, which would be well for you: you'd relax inthis land, and not look for me further.But stop!Take up the grim tool you need, and show me how you chop.""Gladly, sir," he said, "Indeed,"and gave the ax a strop.(19)The
green knight got ready, feet firm on the ground; leaned his head a littleto let the cheek show, and raised the rich riot of his hairso the nape of his neck was naked and exposed. Gawain held the ax highoverhead,his left foot set before him on the floor, swung swiftly at the soft flesh sothe bit of the blade broke through the bones, crashed through the clear fat andcut it in two, and the brightly burnished edge bit into the earth.The handsome head fell, hit the ground, and rolled forward; they fended it offwith their feet.The red blood burst bright from the green body, yet the fellow neither falterednor fellbut stepped strongly out on sturdy thighs,reached roughly right through their legs,grabbed his graceful head and lifted it from the ground, ran to his horse,caught hold of the reins, stepped in the stirrup, strode into the saddle, thehead dangling by the hair from his hand, and seated himself as firmly in thesaddle as if he were unhurt, though he sat on his horse without a head.He swiveled his bulk about;the ugly stump still bled.They gaped in fear and doubtbecause of the words he said.(20)For he held the head up evenly in his hand,turned the face toward the top of the high table, and the eyelids lifted andlooked on them all while the mouth moved, making these words: "Gawain, getready to go as you have promised, Seek me out, sir; search till you find me assworn here in this hall where all these knights heard. I charge you, come asyou chose to the Green Chapel to get as good as you gave -- you've got itcoming and will be paid promptly when another year has passed.Many men know me as the Knight of the Green Chapel, so search faithfully andyou'll not fail to find me.Come, or be called a faithless coward!"He roared like a raging bull, turned the reins,and drove for the door, still dangling the head,while fire flashed from the horse's feet as if its hooves were flints.Where he went no one knew, nor could they name the country he came from nor hiskin.What then?The king and Gawain grinned and laughed at the Green Knight when they knew fullwell it had been a portent to their men.(21)Though High King Arthur's heart was heavy with wonder he let no sign of it beseen, but said aloud with a king's courtesy to his lovely queen: "Belovedlady, never let this dismay you. It is good to get such games at Christmas, lightinterludes, laughter and song,or the whole court singing carols in chorus.But truly, I can turn now to my table and feast; as my word is good, I havewitnessed a wonder."He turned to Sir Gawain and tactfully said,"Hang up your ax; it has cut all it can."It was attached to a tapestry above the high table for all men to marvel on whomight see it there, as a true token of a tale of wonder.Then they sat in their seats to resume their feast, Gawain and the kingtogether, while good men served them the rarest, dearest
delicacies in doubleportions, with whole batteries of the best foods, and the singing of bards.The day finished, and their feast was filled with joy andzest.Sir Gawain, have a care to keep your courage for the test, and do the deedyou've dared.You've begun: now brave the rest.
Jonathan SwiftA Modest Proposal for preventing the children of poorpeople in Ireland, from being a burden on their parents or country, and formaking them beneficial to the publick1729 It is a melancholy object to those, who walk throughthis great town, or travel in the country, when they see the streets, the roadsand cabbindoors crowded with beggars of the female sex, followed by three,four, or six children, all in rags, and importuning every passenger for analms. These mothers instead of being able to work for their honest livelihood,are forced to employ all their time in stroling to beg sustenance for theirhelpless infants who, as they grow up, either turn thieves for want of work, orleave their dear native country, to fight for the Pretender in Spain, or sellthemselves to the Barbadoes.I think it is agreed by all parties, that thisprodigious number of children in the arms, or on the backs, or at the heels oftheir mothers, and frequently of their fathers, is in the present deplorablestate of the kingdom, a very great additional grievance; and therefore whoevercould find out a fair, cheap and easy method of making these children sound anduseful members of the commonwealth, would deserve so well of the publick, asto have his statue set up for a preserver of the nation.But my intention is very far from being confined toprovide only for the children of professed beggars: it is of a much greaterextent, and shall take in the whole number of infants at a certain age, who areborn of parents in effect as little able to support them, as those who demandour charity in the streets.As to my own part, having turned my thoughts for manyyears, upon this important subject, and maturely weighed the several schemes ofour projectors, I have always found them grossly mistaken in their computation.It is true, a child just dropt from its dam, may be supported by her milk, fora solar year, with little other nourishment: at most not above the value of twoshillings, which the mother may certainly get, or the value in scraps, by herlawful occupation of begging; and it is exactly at one year old that I proposeto provide for them in such a manner, as, instead of being a charge upon theirparents, or the parish, or wanting food and raiment for the rest of theirlives, they shall, on the contrary, contribute to the feeding, and partly tothe cloathing of many thousands.There is likewise another great advantage in my scheme,that it will prevent those voluntary abortions, and that horrid practice ofwomen murdering their bastard children, alas! too frequent among us,sacrificing the poor innocent babes, I doubt, more to avoid the expence thanthe shame, which would move tears and pity in the most savage and inhumanbreast.Thenumber of souls in this kingdom being usually reckoned one million and a half,of these I calculate there may be about two hundred thousand couple whose wivesare breeders; from which number I subtract thirty thousand couple, who are ableto maintain their own children, (although I apprehend there cannot be so many,under the present distresses of the kingdom) but this
being granted, there willremain an hundred and seventy thousand breeders. I again subtract fiftythousand, for those women who miscarry, or whose children die by accident ordisease within the year. There only remain an hundred and twenty thousandchildren of poor parents annually born. The question therefore is, How thisnumber shall be reared, and provided for? which, as I have already said, underthe present situation of affairs, is utterly impossible by all the methodshitherto proposed. For we can neither employ them in handicraft or agriculture;we neither build houses, (I mean in the country) nor cultivate land: they canvery seldom pick up a livelihood by stealing till they arrive at six years old;except where they are of towardly parts, although I confess they learn therudiments much earlier; during which time they can however be properly lookedupon only as probationers: As I have been informed by a principal gentleman inthe county of Cavan, who protested to me, that he never knew above one or twoinstances under the age of six, even in a part of the kingdom so renowned forthe quickest proficiency in that art.Iam assured by our merchants, that a boy or a girl before twelve years old, isno saleable commodity, and even when they come to this age, they will not yieldabove three pounds, or three pounds and half a crown at most, on the exchange;which cannot turn to account either to the parents or kingdom, the charge ofnutriments and rags having been at least four times that value.I shall now therefore humbly propose my own thoughts,which I hope will not be liable to the least objection. I have been assured bya very knowing American of my acquaintance in London, that a young healthychild well nursed, is, at a year old, a most delicious nourishing and wholesomefood, whether stewed, roasted, baked, or boiled; and I make no doubt that itwill equally serve in a fricasie, or a ragoust.I do therefore humbly offer it to publickconsideration, that of the hundred and twenty thousand children, alreadycomputed, twenty thousand may be reserved for breed, whereof only one fourthpart to be males; which is more than we allow to sheep, black cattle, or swine,and my reason is, that these children are seldom the fruits of marriage, acircumstance not much regarded by our savages, therefore, one male will besufficient to serve four females. That the remaining hundred thousand may, at ayear old, be offered in sale to the persons of quality and fortune, through thekingdom, always advising the mother to let them suck plentifully in the lastmonth, so as to render them plump, and fat for a good table. A child will maketwo dishes at an entertainment for friends, and when the family dines alone,the fore or hind quarter will make a reasonable dish, and seasoned with alittle pepper or salt, will be very good boiled on the fourth day, especiallyin winter.I have reckoned upon a medium, that a child just bornwill weigh 12 pounds, and in a solar year, if tolerably nursed, encreaseth to28 pounds. I grant this food will be somewhat dear, and therefore very properfor landlords,
who, as they have already devoured most of the parents, seem tohave the best title to the children.Infants flesh will be in season throughout the year,but more plentiful in March, and a little before and after; for we are told bya grave author, an eminent French physician, that fish being a prolifick dyet,there are more children born in Roman Catholick countries about nine monthsafter Lent, the markets will be more glutted than usual, because the number ofPopish infants, is at least three to one in this kingdom, and therefore it willhave one other collateral advantage, by lessening the number of Papists amongus.I have already computed the charge of nursing abeggars child (in which list I reckon all cottagers, labourers, andfourfifths of the farmers) to be about two shillings per annum, rags included;and I believe no gentleman would repine to give ten shillings for the carcassof a good fat child, which, as I have said, will make four dishes of excellentnutritive meat, when he hath only some particular friend, or his own family todine with him. Thus the squire will learn to be a good landlord, and growpopular among his tenants, the mother will have eight shillings neat profit,and be fit for work till she produces another child.Those who are more thrifty (as I must confess the timesrequire) may flea the carcass; the skin of which, artificially dressed, willmake admirable gloves for ladies, and summer boots for fine gentlemen.Asto our City of Dublin, shambles may be appointed for this purpose, in the mostconvenient parts of it, and butchers we may be assured will not be wanting;although I rather recommend buying the children alive, and dressing them hotfrom the knife, as we do roasting pigs.A very worthy person, a true lover of his country, andwhose virtues I highly esteem, was lately pleased, in discoursing on thismatter, to offer a refinement upon my scheme. He said, that many gentlemen ofthis kingdom, having of late destroyed their deer, he conceived that the wantof venison might be well supplyd by the bodies of young lads and maidens, notexceeding fourteen years of age, nor under twelve; so great a number of bothsexes in every country being now ready to starve for want of work and service:And these to be disposed of by their parents if alive, or otherwise by theirnearest relations. But with due deference to so excellent a friend, and sodeserving a patriot, I cannot be altogether in his sentiments; for as to themales, my American acquaintance assured me from frequent experience, that theirflesh was generally tough and lean, like that of our schoolboys, by continualexercise, and their taste disagreeable, and to fatten them would not answer thecharge. Then as to the females, it would, I think, with humble submission, be aloss to the publick, because they soon would become breeders themselves: Andbesides, it is not improbable that some scrupulous people might be apt tocensure such a practice, (although indeed very unjustly) as a little borderingupon cruelty, which, I confess, hath always been with me the strongestobjection against any project, how well soever intended.But in order to
justify my friend, he confessed, thatthis expedient was put into his head by the famous Salmanaazor, a native of theisland Formosa, who came from thence to London, above twenty years ago, and inconversation told my friend, that in his country, when any young personhappened to be put to death, the executioner sold the carcass to persons ofquality, as a prime dainty; and that, in his time, the body of a plump girl offifteen, who was crucified for an attempt to poison the Emperor, was sold to hisimperial majestys prime minister of state, and other great mandarins of thecourt in joints from the gibbet, at four hundred crowns. Neither indeed can Ideny, that if the same use were made of several plump young girls in this town,who without one single groat to their fortunes, cannot stir abroad without achair, and appear at a playhouse and assemblies in foreign fineries which theynever will pay for; the kingdom would not be the worse.Some persons of a desponding spirit are in greatconcern about that vast number of poor people, who are aged, diseased, ormaimed; and I have been desired to employ my thoughts what course may be taken,to ease the nation of so grievous an incumbrance. But I am not in the leastpain upon that matter, because it is very well known, that they are every daydying, and rotting, by cold and famine, and filth, and vermin, as fast as canbe reasonably expected. And as to the young labourers, they are now in almostas hopeful a condition. They cannot get work, and consequently pine away fromwant of nourishment, to a degree, that if at any time they are accidentallyhired to common labour, they have not strength to perform it, and thus thecountry and themselves are happily delivered from the evils to come.I have too long digressed, and therefore shall returnto my subject. I think the advantages by the proposal which I have made areobvious and many, as well as of the highest importance. For first, as I havealready observed, it would greatly lessen the number of Papists, with whom weare yearly overrun, being the principal breeders of the nation, as well as ourmost dangerous enemies, and who stay at home on purpose with a design todeliver the kingdom to the Pretender, hoping to take their advantage by theabsence of so many good Protestants, who have chosen rather to leave theircountry, than stay at home and pay tithes against their conscience to anepiscopal curate.Secondly, The poorer tenants will have somethingvaluable of their own, which by law may be made liable to a distress, and helpto pay their landlords rent, their corn and cattle being already seized, andmoney a thing unknown.Thirdly, Whereas the maintainance of an hundredthousand children, from two years old, and upwards, cannot be computed at lessthan ten shillings a piece per annum, the nations stock will be therebyencreased fifty thousand pounds per annum, besides the profit of a new dish,introduced to the tables of all gentlemen of fortune in the kingdom, who haveany refinement in taste. And the money will circulate among our selves, thegoods
wherein we differ even from Laplanders, and the inhabitantsof Topinamboo: Of quitting our animosities and factions, nor acting any longerlike the Jews, who were murdering one another at the very moment their city wastaken: Of being a little cautious not to sell our country and consciences fornothing: Of teaching landlords to have at least one degree of mercy towardstheir tenants. Lastly, of putting a spirit of honesty, industry, and skill intoour shopkeepers, who, if a resolution could now be taken to buy only ournative goods, would immediately unite to cheat and exact upon us in the price,the measure, and the goodness, nor could ever yet be brought to make one fairproposal of just dealing, though often and earnestly invited to it.Therefore I repeat, let no man talk to me of these andthe like expedients, till he hath at least some glympse of hope, that therewill ever be some hearty and sincere attempt to put them into practice. But, asto my self, having been wearied out for many years with offering vain, idle,visionary thoughts, and at length utterly despairing of success, I fortunatelyfell upon this proposal, which, as it is wholly new, so it hath something solidand real, of no expence and little trouble, full in our own power, and wherebywe can incur no danger in disobliging England. For this kind of commodity willnot bear exportation, and flesh being of too tender a consistence, to admit along continuance in salt, although perhaps I could name a country, which wouldbe glad to eat up our whole nation without it.After all, I am not so violently bent upon my ownopinion, as to reject any offer, proposed by wise men, which shall be foundequally innocent, cheap, easy, and effectual. But before something of that kindshall be advanced in contradiction to my scheme, and offering a better, Idesire the author or authors will be pleased maturely to consider two points.First, As things now stand, how they will be able to find food and raiment fora hundred thousand useless mouths and backs. And secondly, There being a roundmillion of creatures in humane figure throughout this kingdom, whose wholesubsistence put into a common stock, would leave them in debt two million ofpounds sterling, adding those who are beggars by profession, to the bulk offarmers, cottagers and labourers, with their wives and children, who arebeggars in effect; I desire those politicians who dislike my overture, and mayperhaps be so bold to attempt an answer, that they will first ask the parentsof these mortals, whether they would not at this day think it a great happinessto have been sold for food at a year old, in the manner I prescribe, andthereby have avoided such a perpetual scene of misfortunes, as they have sincegone through, by the oppression of landlords, the impossibility of paying rentwithout money or trade, the want of common sustenance, with neither house norcloaths to cover them from the inclemencies of the weather, and the mostinevitable prospect of intailing the like, or greater miseries, upon theirbreed for ever.I profess, in the sincerity of my heart, that I havenot the