J'ai gardé son verre. Daniel Maclise. Wood-engraving, 3 9/16 x 2 ⅞ inches. Source: The Reliques of Father Prout, facing p. 250. [Click on image to enlarge it.]
The facing page, which is formatted in two columns that pair the French and English versions of a poem by Béranger, contains the explanation of these lines, which are more a retelling in English than a translation. The old woman tells her listeners that after her son awakened and made ready for battle, eating coarse bread and “homely wine”, he told her that he was going forth to battle under Napoleon and “strike for all . . . of France’s noble capital!”
“Those were his words: I've treasured up
With pride that same wine-cup;
And for its weight in gold
It never shall be sold!”
Mother! on that proud relic let us gaze
O keep that cup always!
Interestingly, Béranger' poem mentions only the son’s verre — a glass, not a golden “wine-cup.”
[You may use these images without prior permission for any scholarly or educational purpose as long as you link your document to this URL in a web document or cite the Victorian Web in a print one. — George P. Landow]
Bibliography
Yorke, Oliver [Francis Mahoney]. The Reliques of Father Prout, Late P.P. of Watergrasshill, in the county of Cork, Ireland. “With Illustrations by Alfred Croquis, Esq. ([)Daniel Maclise, R.A.)” London, George Bell & Sons, 1886.
Created 7 July 2021