{"id":1009,"date":"2026-09-28T19:59:00","date_gmt":"2026-09-28T18:59:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tseliot.com\/?p=1009"},"modified":"2026-11-08T18:36:37","modified_gmt":"2026-11-08T18:36:37","slug":"a-refutation","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/tseliot.com\/noctes\/a-refutation\/","title":{"rendered":"A Refutation"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n
\n
\n

A Refutation<\/h1>\n<\/header>\n
\n
\n

To the Lethargic Doctor and the Ingenious Master Freyburg1<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Consisting of an Epistle from the Low Countries and a Homily thereon<\/em>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

I<\/h2>\n
\n

There is a pleasure in the pathless waves<\/p>\n

There is a rapture on the deep-sea floor2<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

In vacant inter-continental caves3<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

Whales know, but Coots and Elephants deplore;<\/p>\n

And to emerge upon a foreign shore4<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

To view the foreign ways of foreign nations<\/p>\n

Ought not to be regarded as a bore<\/p>\n

By one who publishes Mass-Observations5<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

Without which nobody can understand Migrations.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

II<\/h2>\n
\n

This is well said by Horace and by Hafiz6<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

But Coots and Elephants love Nature less.<\/p>\n

They hesitate to drink in German caf\u00e9s;<\/p>\n

The reason is, if they would but confess<\/p>\n

That both of them are pedants to excess:<\/p>\n

In youth (long past) they were almighty zealous<\/p>\n

To study German, not to make a mess<\/p>\n

Of German verbs: yet they can\u2019t speak<\/em> as well as<\/p>\n

Whales can in active<\/em> life\u2014which of course makes them jealous[.]<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

III<\/h2>\n
\n

So to mere manuscripts and the routine<\/p>\n

Of reading<\/em> German (at which they are good)<\/p>\n

Leave Coots and Elephants; while those more keen<\/p>\n

To travel<\/em> for the Firm7<\/a><\/sup> through storm or flood<\/p>\n

Those of high-spirited Adventurous blood<\/p>\n

May to the nose be true and Follow Noses<\/em>.<\/p>\n

There is some hope in Coots, whose instincts should<\/p>\n

Praise Whale\u2019s, instead of Elephant\u2019s, psychosis\u2014<\/p>\n

Elephant\u2019s only agile part is his proboscis.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

IV<\/h2>\n
\n

Anent the charge that Whales behave like Fishes,<\/p>\n

Admitted. That harpoon sinks in profound.<\/p>\n

Now once upon a time, at Coot\u2019s own wishes<\/p>\n

Whale left the Sea to look at hallowed Ground<\/p>\n

Obedient, as in proper duty bound<\/p>\n

To any lead from Elephant or Coot.<\/p>\n

Whale watches any Creatures so renowned,<\/p>\n

Patient in being shot at, slow to shoot:<\/p>\n

Observance of his Elders is Whale\u2019s longest suit.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

[F. V. Morley]<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\nNotes<\/summary>\n
    \n
  1. 1.<\/a>\n

    The spelling \u2018Freyberg\u2019 is used in a manuscript draft, Faber K44.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  2. 2.<\/a>\n

    See Lord Byron, Childe Harold\u2019s Pilgrimage<\/em>, Canto IV, verse 178 (ll. 1594\u20135ff.):<\/p>\n

    There is a pleasure in the pathless woods,<\/p>

    There is a rapture on the lonely shore<\/p><\/div>\n<\/li>\n

  3. 3.<\/a>\n

    See TSE, \u2018East Coker\u2019 III:<\/p>\n

    O dark dark dark. They all go into the dark,<\/p>

    The vacant interstellar spaces, the vacant into the vacant<\/p><\/div>\n<\/li>\n

  4. 4.<\/a>\n

    See the song \u2018Give My Regards to Broadway\u2019, by George M. Cohan, a standard that originally featured in his first successful musical play Little Johnny Jones<\/em> (1904):<\/p>\n

    Did you ever see two Yankees part upon a foreign shore<\/p>

    When the good ship\u2019s just about to start for Old New York once more?<\/p><\/div>\n<\/li>\n

  5. 5.<\/a>\n

    JDH note: \u2018Mr F. had issued a book on this new science.\u2019<\/p>\n

    May the Twelfth: Mass-Observation Day Surveys<\/em>, ed. Tom Harrisson and Charles Madge (London: F&F, 1937), observed public activities pertaining to the coronation of George VI.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  6. 6.<\/a>\n

    Kh\u0101jeh Shams-od-D\u012bn Mo\u1e25ammad \u1e24\u0101fe\u1e93-e-Shirazi (c.<\/em> 1325\u201390) \u2013 known by his alias Hafez (\u2018memoriser\/keeper\u2019) or Hafiz \u2013 Persian lyric poet; adherent of Sufism.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  7. 7.<\/a>\n

    JDH note: \u2018Faber & Faber Ltd.\u2019<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/details>\n<\/section>\n<\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    A Refutation To the Lethargic Doctor and the Ingenious Master Freyburg1 Consisting of an Epistle from the Low Countries and a Homily thereon. I There is a pleasure in the pathless waves There is a rapture on the deep-sea floor2 In vacant inter-continental caves3 Whales know, but Coots and Elephants deplore; And to emerge upon […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":9,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1009","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tseliot.com\/noctes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1009","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tseliot.com\/noctes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tseliot.com\/noctes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tseliot.com\/noctes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tseliot.com\/noctes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1009"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/tseliot.com\/noctes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1009\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1104,"href":"https:\/\/tseliot.com\/noctes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1009\/revisions\/1104"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tseliot.com\/noctes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1009"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}