The day was waning2. And, as after many a tale of ghosts, around their forest fire, Hungarian gipsies silent sit; watching the ruddy glow kindling4 each other's faces;—so, now we solemn sat; the crimson5 West our fire; all our faces flushed.
"Testators!" then cried Media, when your last wills are all round settled, speak, and make it known!"
"Mine, my lord, has long been fixed," said Babbalanja.
"And how runs it?"
"Fugle-fogle—"
"Hark ye, intruding6 Azzageddi! rejoin thy merry mates below;—go there, and wag thy saucy7 tail; or I will nail it to our bow, till ye roar for liberation. Begone, I say."
"My lord, I think he's gone. And now, by your good leave, I'll repeat old Bardianna's Will. It's worth all Mardi's hearing; and I have so studied it, by rote9 I know it."
"Attend my lord:—-'Anno Mardis 50,000,000, o.s. I, Bardianna, of the island of Vamba, and village of the same name, having just risen from my yams, in high health, high spirits, and sound mind, do hereby cheerfully make and ordain11 this my last will and testament.
"'Imprimis:
"'Item. Since, in divers12 ways, verbally and otherwise, my good friend Pondo has evinced a strong love for me, Bardianna, as the owner and proprietor13 of all that capital messuage with the appurtenances, in Vamba aforesaid, called 'The Lair14,' wherein I now dwell; also for all my Bread-fruit orchards15, Palm-groves16, Banana-plantations, Taro- patches, gardens, lawns, lanes, and hereditaments whatsoever17, adjoining the aforesaid messuage;—I do hereby give and bequeath the same to Bomblum of the island of Adda; the aforesaid Bomblum having never expressed any regard for me, as a holder18 of real estate.
"'Item. My esteemed19 neighbor Lakreemo having since the last lunar eclipse called daily to inquire after the state of my health: and having nightly made tearful inquiries20 of my herb-doctor, concerning the state of my viscera;—I do hereby give and bequeath to the aforesaid Lakreemo all and sundry21 those vegetable pills, potions, powders, aperients, purgatives22, expellatives, evacuatives, tonics23, emetics24, cathartics, clysters, injections, scarifiers, cataplasms, lenitives, lotions25, decoctions, washes, gargles, and phlegmagogues; together with all the jars, calabashes, gourds26, and galipots, thereunto pertaining28; situate, lying, and being, in the west-by-north corner of my east-southeast crypt, in my aforesaid tenement29 known as 'The Lair.'
"'Item. The woman Pesti; a native of Vamba, having oftentimes hinted that I, Bardianna, sorely needed a spouse30, and having also intimated that she bore me a conjugal31 affection; I do hereby give and bequeath to the aforesaid Pesti:—my blessing32; forasmuch, as by the time of the opening of this my last will and testament, I shall have been forever delivered from the aforesaid Pesti's persecutions.
"'Item. Having a high opinion of the probity33 of my worthy34 and excellent friend Bidiri, I do hereby entirely35, and wholly, give, will, grant, bestow36, devise, and utterly37 hand over unto the said Bidiri, all that tenement where my servant Oram now dwelleth; with all the lawns, meadows, uplands and lowlands, fields, groves, and gardens, thereunto belonging:—IN TRUST NEVERTHELESS to have and to hold the same for the sole use and benefit of Lanbranka Hohinna, spinster, now resident of the aforesaid island of Vamba.
"'Item. My fast friend Doldrum having at sundry times, and in sundry places, uttered the prophecy, that upon my decease his sorrow would be great; I do hereby give and bequeath to the aforesaid Doldrum, ten yards of my best soft tappa, to be divided into handkerchiefs for his sole benefit and behoof.
"'Item. My sensible friend Solo having informed me, that he intended to remain a bachelor for life; I give and devise to the aforesaid Solo, the mat for one person, whereon I nightly repose38.
"'Item. Concerning my private Arbor39 and Palm-groves, adjoining, lying, and being in the isle40 of Vamba, I give and devise the same, with all appurtenances whatsoever, to my friend Minta the Cynic, to have and to hold, in trust for the first through-and-through honest man, issue of my neighbor Mondi; and in default of such issue, for the first through-and-through honest man, issue of my neighbor Pendidda; and in default of such issue, for the first through-and-through honest man, issue of my neighbor Wynodo: and in default of such issue, to any through-and-through honest man, issue of any body, to be found through the length and breadth of Mardi.
"'Item. My friend Minta the Cynic to be sole judge of all claims to the above-mentioned devise; and to hold the said premises41 for his own use, until the aforesaid person be found.
"'Item. Knowing my devoted42 scribe Marko to be very sensitive touching43 the receipt of a favor; I willingly spare him that pain; and hereby bequeath unto the aforesaid scribe, three milk-teeth, not as a pecuniary44 legacy45, but as a very slight token of my profound regard.
"'Item. I give to the poor of Vamba the total contents of my red- labeled bags of bicuspids and canines46 (which I account three-fourths of my whole estate); to my body servant Fidi, my staff, all my robes and togas, and three hundred molars in cash; to that discerning and sagacious philosopher my disciple47 Krako, one complete set of denticles, to buy him a vertebral bone ring; and to that pious48 and promising49 youth Vangi, two fathoms of my best kaiar rope, with the privilege of any bough50 in my groves.
"'All the rest of my goods, chattels51 and household stuff whatsoever; and all my loose denticles, remaining after my debts and legacies52 are paid, and my body is out of sight, I hereby direct to be distributed among the poor of Vamba.
"'Ultimo. I give and bequeath to all Mardi this my last advice and counsel:—videlicet: live as long as you can; close your own eyes when you die.
"'In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my right hand; and hereunto have caused a true copy of the tattooing54 on my right temple to be affixed55, during the year first above written.
"'By me, BARDIANNA.'"
"Babbalanja, that's an extraordinary document," said Media.
"Bardianna was an extraordinary man, my lord."
"The will is all codicils; all after-thoughts; Ten thoughts for one act, was Bardianna's motto."
"Left he nothing whatever to his kindred?"
"Prom his will, he seems to have lived single."
"Yes: Bardianna never sought to improve upon nature; a bachelor he was born, and a bachelor he died."
"According to the best accounts, how did he depart, Babbalanja?" asked Mohi.
"With a firm lip, and his hand on his heart, old man."
"His last words?"
"Calmer, and better!"
"Where think you, he is now?"
"In his Ponderings. And those, my lord, we all inherit; for like the great chief of Romara, who made a whole empire his legatee; so, great authors have all Mardi for an heir."
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1
testament
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| n.遗嘱；证明 | |
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2
waning
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| adj.（月亮）渐亏的，逐渐减弱或变小的n.月亏v.衰落( wane的现在分词 )；（月）亏；变小；变暗淡 | |
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3
kin
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| n.家族，亲属，血缘关系；adj.亲属关系的，同类的 | |
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kindling
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| n. 点火, 可燃物 动词kindle的现在分词形式 | |
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5
crimson
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| n./adj.深(绯)红色(的)；vi.脸变绯红色 | |
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6
intruding
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| v.侵入，侵扰，打扰( intrude的现在分词)；把…强加于 | |
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7
saucy
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| adj.无礼的；俊俏的；活泼的 | |
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rumbled
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| 发出隆隆声，发出辘辘声( rumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 轰鸣着缓慢行进； 发现…的真相； 看穿（阴谋） | |
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rote
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| n.死记硬背，生搬硬套 | |
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10
fathoms
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| 英寻( fathom的名词复数 ) | |
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ordain
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| vi.颁发命令；vt.命令，授以圣职，注定，任命 | |
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12
divers
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| adj.不同的；种种的 | |
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proprietor
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| n.所有人；业主；经营者 | |
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lair
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| n.野兽的巢穴；躲藏处 | |
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15
orchards
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| （通常指围起来的）果园( orchard的名词复数 ) | |
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groves
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| 树丛，小树林( grove的名词复数 ) | |
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17
whatsoever
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| adv.（用于否定句中以加强语气）任何；pron.无论什么 | |
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18
holder
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| n.持有者，占有者；(台，架等)支持物 | |
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esteemed
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| adj.受人尊敬的v.尊敬( esteem的过去式和过去分词 )；敬重；认为；以为 | |
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inquiries
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| n.调查( inquiry的名词复数 )；疑问；探究；打听 | |
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sundry
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| adj.各式各样的，种种的 | |
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purgatives
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| 泻剂( purgative的名词复数 ) | |
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tonics
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| n.滋补品( tonic的名词复数 )；主音；奎宁水；浊音 | |
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emetics
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| n.催吐药( emetic的名词复数 ) | |
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lotions
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| n.洗液，洗剂，护肤液( lotion的名词复数 ) | |
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gourds
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| n.葫芦( gourd的名词复数 ) | |
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gourd
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| n.葫芦 | |
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28
pertaining
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| 与…有关系的，附属…的，为…固有的(to) | |
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tenement
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| n.公寓；房屋 | |
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spouse
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| n.配偶(指夫或妻) | |
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31
conjugal
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| adj.婚姻的，婚姻性的 | |
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32
blessing
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| n.祈神赐福；祷告；祝福，祝愿 | |
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probity
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| n.刚直；廉洁，正直 | |
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worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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bestow
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| v.把…赠与，把…授予；花费 | |
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utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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repose
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| v.(使)休息；n.安息 | |
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arbor
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| n.凉亭；树木 | |
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40
isle
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| n.小岛，岛 | |
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premises
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| n.建筑物，房屋 | |
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42
devoted
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| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
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43
touching
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| adj.动人的，使人感伤的 | |
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44
pecuniary
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| adj.金钱的；金钱上的 | |
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45
legacy
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| n.遗产，遗赠；先人(或过去)留下的东西 | |
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46
canines
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| n.犬齿( canine的名词复数 )；犬牙；犬科动物 | |
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47
disciple
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| n.信徒，门徒，追随者 | |
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48
pious
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| adj.虔诚的；道貌岸然的 | |
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49
promising
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| adj.有希望的，有前途的 | |
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50
bough
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| n.大树枝，主枝 | |
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51
chattels
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| n.动产，奴隶( chattel的名词复数 ) | |
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52
legacies
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| n.遗产( legacy的名词复数 )；遗留之物；遗留问题；后遗症 | |
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53
revoke
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| v.废除，取消，撤回 | |
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54
tattooing
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| n.刺字，文身v.刺青，文身( tattoo的现在分词 )；连续有节奏地敲击；作连续有节奏的敲击 | |
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55
affixed
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| adj.[医]附着的，附着的v.附加( affix的过去式和过去分词 )；粘贴；加以；盖（印章） | |
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56
codicils
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| n.遗嘱的附件( codicil的名词复数 ) | |
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57
stump
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| n.残株，烟蒂，讲演台；v.砍断，蹒跚而走 | |
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