Explore "Prologue to "Zobeide"" by Oliver Goldsmith on Textopian. Read with annotations and highlights.
IN these bold times, when Learning's sons explore / The distant climate and the savage shore; / When wise Astronomers to India steer, / And quit for Venus, many a brighter here; / While Botanists, all cold to smiles and dimpling, / Forsake the fair, and patiently-go simpling; / When every bosom swells with wond'rous scenes, / Priests, cannibals, and hoity-toity queens: / Our bard into the general spirit enters, / And fits his little frigate for adventures: / With Scythian stores, and trinkets deeply laden, / He this way steers his course, in hopes of trading- / Yet ere he lands he 'as ordered me before, / To make an observation on the shore.
Where are we driven? our reck'ning sure is lost! / This seems a barren and a dangerous coast. / -- what a sultry climate am I under! / Yon ill foreboding cloud seems big with thunder. / (_Upper Gallery._) / There Mangroves spread, and larger than I've seen 'em- / (_Pit._) / Here trees of stately size-and turtles in 'em- / (_Balconies._) / Here ill-condition'd oranges abound- / (_Stage._) / And apples (_takes up one and tastes it_), bitter apples / strew the ground. / The place is uninhabited, I fear! / I heard a hissing-there are serpents here! / O there the natives are-a dreadful race! / The men have tails, the women paint the face! / No doubt they're all barbarians. -Yes, 'tis so, / I'll try to make palaver with them though; / (_Making signs._) / 'Tis best, however, keeping at a distance.