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THOUGHTS: Southey's roasted rats
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Matt Roth writes:
In March 06 Don Johnson addressed Kinbote's commentary to 376-377, where
Kinbote says "Southey liked a roasted rat for supper — which is
especially comic in view of the rats that devoured his Bishop."
Don said, in part, "The first part of the sentence ("Southey liked a
roasted rat for supper") is more obscure. Although Southey was at times
insane, I have not found any reference to his appetite for "roasted
rats"--but then I am no Southey expert."
I believe the reference Don was looking for can be found in Southey and
Coleridge's _Omniana; Or, Horae Otiosiores_. Southey puts forth "Three
methods of lessening the number of rats," the first of which is to
"introduce them at the table as a delicacy....Rat pye would be as good
as Rook pye; and four tails intertwisted like the serpent of the delphic
tripod, and rising into a spiral obelisk, would crest the crust more
fantastically than pigeon's feet." Pretty amusing. Would VN have been
interested in the four tails, delphic tripod, or spiral obelisk?
Matt
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In March 06 Don Johnson addressed Kinbote's commentary to 376-377, where
Kinbote says "Southey liked a roasted rat for supper — which is
especially comic in view of the rats that devoured his Bishop."
Don said, in part, "The first part of the sentence ("Southey liked a
roasted rat for supper") is more obscure. Although Southey was at times
insane, I have not found any reference to his appetite for "roasted
rats"--but then I am no Southey expert."
I believe the reference Don was looking for can be found in Southey and
Coleridge's _Omniana; Or, Horae Otiosiores_. Southey puts forth "Three
methods of lessening the number of rats," the first of which is to
"introduce them at the table as a delicacy....Rat pye would be as good
as Rook pye; and four tails intertwisted like the serpent of the delphic
tripod, and rising into a spiral obelisk, would crest the crust more
fantastically than pigeon's feet." Pretty amusing. Would VN have been
interested in the four tails, delphic tripod, or spiral obelisk?
Matt
Search the archive: http://listserv.ucsb.edu/archives/nabokv-l.html
Search archive with Google:
http://www.google.com/advanced_search?q=site:listserv.ucsb.edu&HL=en
Contact the Editors: mailto:nabokv-l@utk.edu,nabokv-l@holycross.edu
Visit Zembla: http://www.libraries.psu.edu/nabokov/zembla.htm
View Nabokv-L policies: http://web.utk.edu/~sblackwe/EDNote.htm