μεταμορφώσεις

[Jeff Bernstein]

inaccessae formonsitatis admiratione stupidi et admoventes oribus suis dexteram primore digito in erectum pollicem residente

 

Apuleius, Metamorphoses, 4.28

 

Next day, an asthmatic woman, coarsely painted, garrulous, garlicky, with an almost farcical Provencal accent and a black moustache above a purple lip, took me to what was apparently her own domicile, and there, after explosively kissing the bunched tips of her fat fingers to signify the delectable rosebud quality of her merchandise, she theatrically drew aside a curtain to reveal what I judged was that part of the room where a large and unfastidious family usually slept.

 

Lolita, 1.6

 

[Jeff Bernstein]

The Elements of Typographic Style

Robert Bringhurst

2001

[Jeff Bernstein]

Canto 18

How the Wulf & the Bere were arestyd by the labour of Reynart the foxe.

 

1

 

Isengrim came proudly over the field

     before the King, and thanked the Queen, and spoke

     to her majesty about dangerous Reynard;

     and as he spoke Isengrim grew in ire

     until his mood became as hot as fire.

     The King saw his conduct, and disapproved,

     so he had the Wolf and Bear arrested.

     What happened next, ye never saw mad dogs

do more harm than was done to them in punishment.

 

2

 

They were both tied up so tightly that all

     the night they could move neither hand nor foot.

     They might barely roar, or only just snarl,

     but neither of them moved even a joint.

     Now hear how the Fox did. How he hated

     those two! He sought audience of the Queen,

     and began, “It behooves me” (said the Fox)

     to bear a beggar’s pouch on my pilgrimage.”

So he asked her if he might strip off the Bear’s skin.

 

3

 

He laboured so to the Queen that he got leave

     to have as much of Bruno’s skin to make

     thereof a small pouch to wear on his back;

     to wit, skin a foot long and a foot broad.

     Then was he ready, if he had four strong shoes.

     Now hear what the Fox did to get those shoes.

     “Madam” (he said) “I am your pilgrim. Sir

     Isengrim hath four strong shoes which were good

for my feet, if he would let me have two of them.”

 

4

 

“If he would let have two of them” (said Fox)

     I would very busily think on your soul

     along the way, for it’s right I should think

     and pray for them that do me good.

     Thus may ye do your soul good if ye will.

     And also if ye might get of my aunt,

     Dame Ersewynde, two of her shoes also;

     she may well give them to you, for she goes

but little out, but abideth always at home.”

 

                                                            5

 

Then said the Queen, “Reynard, you behooveth

     such shoes; ye may not be well without them.

     They shall be good for you, to protect your feet

     from all the sharp mountains and stony rocks.

     Ye will find no better shoes than what the Wolf

     and his wife both wear, which are good and strong.

     Though it should touch their life, Sir Isengrim

     and Ersewynde shall give you two shoes each,

so you might well accomplish your high pilgrimage.”

 

 

Next : How Isegrim and his wyf Ereswyn muste suffre her shois to be plucked of, and how Reynard dyde on the shoys for to goo to Rome wyth.

[Jeff Bernstein]

[Jeff Bernstein]

[Jeff Bernstein]

[Jeff Bernstein]

REDRUM

 

Might the door’s geometry suggest (among all else) an overhead shot of a cross lodged in the earth?

 

The shot embodies the claustrophobic vibe of THE CORNER

 

Enter into the cage; into entrapment

 

If the rule you followed brought you to this . . .

 

This is TERMINUS.

 

“The end of the line.”

 

“Wake up, time to . . .”

 

The opposite of the infinite openess of the Monolith shot.

 

A wake-up call to the grateful Spectator.

[Jeff Bernstein]

 

[Jeff Bernstein]

evidence of book manufacture

The g gathering, for example, has a punched hole, equivalent to tool marks on fine handmade furniture.

Signature marks for the gatherings :

The title page; and the final page :

 

 

[Jeff Bernstein]

Dali.

[Jeff Bernstein]

"It takes two pieces of wood."

[Jeff Bernstein]

"Well-read Humbert!" (1.17)

 

Keats, Endymion (1817) / Elston Press

Reynard the Fox (1481)

 

scrip (n.) : Now archaic or historical. A small bag or pouch, esp. one carried by a pilgrim, shepherd, or beggar. (OED)

[Jeff Bernstein]

w / m

 

"O Hearkener to the loud clapping shears,

(W)hile ever and anon to his shorn peers

A ram goes bleating: (W)inder of the horn,

(W)hen snouted (w)ild-boars routing tender corn

Anger our huntsman: Breather round our farms,

To keep off milde(w)s, and all (w)eather harms:

Strange ministrant of undescribed sounds,

That come a s(w)ooning over hollo(w) grounds,

And (w)ither drearily on barren moors:

Dread opener of the mysterious doors

Leading to universal kno(w)ledge–see,

Great son of Dryope,

The many that are come to pay their vo(w)s

(W)ith leaves about their bro(w)s!

 

Endymion, 1.279–91.

[Jeff Bernstein]

Thinner

Blank page before title page.

[Jeff Bernstein]

Canto 18

How Isegrim and his wyf Ereswyn muste suffre her shois to be plucked of, and how Reynard dyde on the shoys for to goo to Rome wyth.

 

 

1

 

Thus did the false pilgrim Reynard the Fox

     acquire shoes for his feet, courtesy

     of Isengrim the Wolf, who smothered his snarls

     while skin was stripped from the soles of his feet

     from the claws right down to the bloody part

     inside, the nerves and sinews and ligaments

     sticking to the clacking interlaying bones.

     Ye never saw a roasting fowl lay

so helpless as noble Isengrim did that day.

 

2

 

When Isengrim was unshod, and his feet

     bled, then had his wife Dame Ersewynde

     to lie down in the grass with heavy heart;

     and there she too had her hinder feet skinned,

     and she lost her shoes, as the saying went.

     Then was Reynard glad, and said to his Aunt

     tenderly, “Dearest Auntie, how much hurt

     ye have suffered for my sake, which I regret,

except for this. Of all my kin I love you best—”

 

3

 

“—Therefore cheerfully I’ll wear your shoes.

     Ye shall be partner of my pilgrimage;

     really, then, you should smile about this.

     Ye shall share in the glory of the grace

     that I shall journey to over the seas

     and receive, in your shoes.” Dame Ersewynde

     was so full of woe she could barely speak,

     and said, “Ah, Reynard, I pray God revenge

this evil!” But the Fox had already turned away.

 

4

 

Sir Isengrim and his friend Sir Bruno

     lay frowning on the grass and held their peace,

     both tied up and wounded and bleeding sore.

     Had Tibert the Cat been there, he would have

     been suffering alongside them, in such wise

     that he would not have escaped without shame

     and hurt. But the Cat had made himself scarce,

    correctly judging the situation harmful

to his paws, which his new “friend” Reynard would have flayed.

[Jeff Bernstein]

The Kingis Quair
Vale Press, 1903.
Printed on Kelmscott handmade paper.
“Composed in the fount called The King’s Fount, designed by Charles Ricketts, and printed under his supervision.”

[Jeff Bernstein]

The Twelve Moneths and Christmas Day from ‘Fantastickes’ by Nicolas Breton (1626)

Bruce Roberts

1951

Roberts. This book had its origin in a whim of mine to make an entire volume ‘with my own hands'.

[Jeff Bernstein]

XXI Welsh Gypsy folk-tales
Newtown : Gregynog Press, MCMXXXIII.

[Jeff Bernstein]

5

 

The following day, when the sun rose, Reynard

     greased the shoes he received from Isengrim

     and Ersewynde his wife, and put them on,

     and bound them to his feet; then, feeling good

     about himself, went forth to King and Queen,

     and smiling cheerfully addressed them :

      “God bless you both, Lord and Lady!” (he said)

      “O King, I desire that my bearskin scrip,

and a staff, be blessed, as befits a pilgrim for Rome.”

 

6

 

“Now a bit more about that staff” (said Fox)

     “I wouldn’t mind a round knob of ivory

     on its head, and an elegant finish

     through the lathe befitting a Pilgrim’s staff;

     and surely the wood comes from the Holy Land,

     a stave from a palm tree of Judaea,

     and one hearty enough to last my walk—

     an expensive one from Jerusalem.

But by your leave I’ll do without a scratchy robe.”

 

7

 

So the Lion King sent for Bellyn the Ram;

     and when he came, the King said, “Sir Bellyn,

     ye shall do mass before Reynard, blessing him

     who shall go on pilgrimage; also find

     a walking staff for him.” The Ram answered,

     “My Lord, I dare not do that, for the Fox said

     he suffers the Pope’s curse.” Then answered

     the King, “Remember the words of the learned

Geoffrey of Anjou, a name everyone knoweth.”

 

8

 

“If a Beast sins” (said the King) “or mayhap,

     if he do as many sins as all the world holds,

     if he forsakes those sins, if he obeys

     the priest, then God will forgive the corrupt,

     no matter how deplorable the sin,

     no matter how evil the corruption,

     no matter how wicked and treasonous,

no matter how iniquitous and unrighteous—”

 

9

 

“—But God will forgive; this is what we believe.

     So Reynard now goes over the sea to Rome,

     to clear his soul of all his many sins.”

     Then answered Bellyn the Ram to the King,

     “I will do nor little nor much unless

     ye promise I face no harm before Bishop

     Prendelor and archdeacon Loosewynde

     and Sir Rapianus his official.”

Now the King became angry with Bellyn the Ram.

 

10

 

“I answer you nothing” (roared the King)

     and should hang you rather than ask again.”

     When the Ram saw the anger of the King

     he quaked for fear as he went to the altar;

     and he sang in his books with gusto, and read

     over the bowed head of Reynard all the words

     that he thought little of, except that they

     would serve to secure the worship thereof;

and Bellyn the Ram said all his service devoutly.

[Jeff Bernstein]

11

 

So the Ram said his service devoutly;

     then he hung around Reynard’s neck the scrip

     made of bearskin; and he put an ivory-

     tipped staff into his hand. Now was the Fox   

     ready for his journey. Grief was in his face

     as he looked toward the King with great

     sorrow, with large tears dropping from his eyes,

     as if the Fox was sorrowful to depart;

but all that was theatre on the cunning Fox’s part.

 

12

 

If Reynard felt any sorrow at heart,

    ’twas for the reason that no one else there

     felt the misfortune and misery he’d brought

     on Isengrim the Wolf and Bruno the Bear.

     He’d have everyone in Court feel the fear.

     Nevertheless he stood before them all

     and appealed to them all to pray for his soul,

     just as he would pray for all of them; mene-tyme

Reynard itched to go, for he knew himself guilty.

[Jeff Bernstein]

London : The Gogmagog Press, mcm lxiij.

[Jeff Bernstein]

[Jeff Bernstein]

13

 

“Ah, Reynard” (said the Lion King) “I am sorry

     ye be so hasty, and will no longer tarrie.”

     “Ah, my Lord” (said the Fox) “one should never tarrie

     to do good works. I pray you give me leave

     to go, for it is time, and my pilgrimage

     awaits.” The Lion King said, “God be with ye,

     Reynard,” and commanded the Court to see

    him on his way, except for the Wolf and Bear,

who both lay bound up fast in ropes at hands and feet.

 

14

 

But there were none there the Fox felt sorry for,

     and if ye had seen how Reynard went off

     with scrip on shoulder, and in hand his staff,

     and his shoes on his feet, ye would have laughed.

     Outwardly he went looking distinguished,

     yet he laughed in his heart as they watched him,

     they who would have otherwise seen him hanged.

     And as for the King who had hated him,

he’d humiliated himself. Reynard was aces high.

 

15

 

As he goeth out through the shining Court

     Reynard asked of all the Beasts small and great,

     who would share in the glory of his pardon,

     to pray for him. Many cheeks ran with tears

     as they watched the holy pilgrim depart,

     and all said that they would remember him.

     So Reynard went from the King, and the heart

     of each Beast there beat hard in a grey gloom;

and the Fox hurried, fearing his laughter would come.

 

16

 

On the way he turned to Cuwart the Hare

     and Bellyn the Ram, and said, “Ah, my friends,

     shall we walk together a bit? Ye two

     never made me angry. Ye both be good

     to walk with, genteel and honourable;

     no Beast I know of ever said an unkind word

     about you. And you live on leaves and grass,

     which I once did, when I was a recluse.”

With such flattery Reynard led them to Malperdy.

 

 

Next : How Kywart the hare was slayn by the foxe

[Jeff Bernstein]

[Jeff Bernstein]