Study Edition · Essay 79
On the Departure of a Guest
Source: From On Nothing and Kindred Subjects (1908). Text from Project Gutenberg #7432. Complete. Archaic verb forms modernized; vocabulary kept and glossed.
Hilaire Belloc, born in France and raised in England, was a poet, historian, politician and a famous writer of comic verse for children. This little piece is not an essay in the usual sense but a short play, an allegory about growing older. The Host is any grown man; the Guest is Youth, who has stayed for years and must now leave, taking many precious things with him. Notice how ordinary details of packing (luggage, pockets, a lost letter) carry a serious meaning, and how the comedy turns sad at the very end.
75 sentences: 53 simple, 17 moderate, 5 complex. Hover a number for its paraphrase; click it for the full note.
Key Vocabulary
- civillypolitely
- gapeto be wide open
- embarrassedawkward and ashamed
- ungraciousrude; not polite
- lingerto stay longer than expected
- opala gemstone that shows changing colours
- plenitudefullness; abundance
- forbearto hold back from doing something
- facilityease in doing things
- diversvarious; several different
- clouta piece of cloth; a rag
- corruptrotten; morally bad
- trinketa small, cheap ornament
- immortalityliving forever
- pettishlyin a sulky, irritable way
The Essay
C’est ma Jeunesse qui s’en va.
Adieu! la très gente compagne—
Oncques ne suis moins gai pour ça
(C’est ma Jeunesse qui s’en va)
Et lon-lon-laire, et lon-lon-là
Peut-être perds; peut-être gagne.
C’est ma Jeunesse qui s’en va.1
(From the Author’s MSS. In the library of the Abbey of Thélème.)2
Host: Well, Youth, I see you are about to leave me, and since it is in the terms of your service by no means to exceed a certain period in my house, I must make up my mind to bid you farewell.3
Youth: Indeed, I would stay if I could; but the matter lies as you know in other hands, and I may not stay.4
Host: I trust, dear Youth, that you have found all comfortable while you were my guest, that the air has suited you and the company?5
Youth: I thank you, I have never enjoyed a visit more; you may say that I have been most unusually happy.6
Host: Then let me ring for the servant who shall bring down your things.7
Youth: I thank you civilly!8 I have brought them down already—see, they are here.9 I have but two, one very large bag and this other small one.10
Host: Why, you have not locked the small one!11 See it gapes!12
Youth (somewhat embarrassed): My dear Host … to tell the truth … I usually put it off till the end of my visits … but the truth … to tell the truth, my luggage is of two kinds.13
Host: I do not see why that need so greatly confuse you.14
Youth (still more embarrassed): But you see—the fact is—I stay with people so long that—well, that very often they forget which things are mine and which belong to the house …15 And—well, the truth is that I have to take away with me a number of things which … which, in a word, you may possibly have thought your own.16
Host (coldly): Oh!17
Youth (eagerly): Pray do not think the worse of me—you know how strict are my orders.18
Host (sadly): Yes, I know; you will plead that Master of yours, and no doubt you are right….19 But tell me, Youth, what are those things?20
Youth: They fill this big bag.21 But I am not so ungracious as you think.22 See, in this little bag, which I have purposely left open, are a number of things properly mine, yet of which I am allowed to make gifts to those with whom I lingered—you shall choose among them, or if you will, you shall have them all.23
Host: Well, first tell me what you have packed in the big bag and mean to take away.24
Youth: I will open it and let you see.25 (He unlocks it and pulls the things out.) I fear they are familiar to you.26
Host: Oh! Youth! Youth!27 Must you take away all of these?28 Why, you are taking away, as it were, my very self!29 Here is the love of women, as deep and changeable as an opal; and here is carelessness that looks like a shower of pearls.30 And here I see—Oh! Youth, for shame!—you are taking away that silken stuff which used to wrap up the whole and which you once told me had no name, but which lent to everything it held plenitude and satisfaction.31 Without it surely pleasures are not all themselves.32 Leave me that at least.33
Youth: No, I must take it, for it is not yours, though from courtesy I forbore to tell you so till now.34 These also go: Facility, the ointment; Sleep, the drug; Full Laughter, that tolerated all follies.35 It was the only musical thing in the house.36 And I must take—yes, I fear I must take Verse.37
Host: Then there is nothing left!38
Youth: Oh! yes!39 See this little open bag which you may choose from!40 Feel it!41
Host (lifting it): Certainly it is very heavy, but it rattles and is uncertain.42
Youth: That is because it is made up of divers things having no similarity; and you may take all or leave all, or choose as you will.43 Here (holding up a clout) is Ambition: Will you have that?…44
Host (doubtfully): I cannot tell….45 It has been mine and yet … without those other things….46
Youth (cheerfully): Very well, I will leave it.47 You shall decide on it a few years hence.48 Then, here is the perfume Pride.49 Will you have that?50
Host: No; I will have none of it.51 It is false and corrupt, and only yesterday I was for throwing it out of window to sweeten the air in my room.52
Youth: So far you have chosen well; now pray choose more.53
Host: I will have this—and this—and this.54 I will take Health (takes it out of the bag), not that it is of much use to me without those other things, but I have grown used to it.55 Then I will take this (takes out a plain steel purse and chain), which is the tradition of my family, and which I desire to leave to my son.56 I must have it cleaned.57 Then I will take this (pulls out a trinket), which is the Sense of Form and Colour.58 I am told it is of less value later on, but it is a pleasant ornament …59 And so, Youth, goodbye.60
Youth (with a mysterious smile): Wait—I have something else for you (he feels in his ticket pocket); no less a thing (he feels again in his watch pocket) than (he looks a trifle anxious and feels in his waistcoat pockets) a promise from my Master, signed and sealed, to give you back all I take and more in Immortality! (He feels in his handkerchief pocket.)61
Host: Oh! Youth!62
Youth (still feeling): Do not thank me!63 It is my Master you should thank.64 (Frowns.) Dear me!65 I hope I have not lost it!66 (Feels in his trousers pockets.)67
Host (loudly): Lost it?68
Youth (pettishly): I did not say I had lost it!69 I said I hoped I had not … (feels in his great-coat pocket, and pulls out an envelope).70 Ah! Here it is!71 (His face clouds over.) No, that is the message to Mrs. George, telling her the time has come to get a wig …72 (Hopelessly): Do you know I am afraid I have lost it!73 I am really very sorry—I cannot wait.74 (He goes off.)75
Sentence Notes
In plain English: “It is my Youth that is going away. / Goodbye, my very dear companion! / I'm never any less cheerful for that / (It is my Youth that is going away) / And tra-la-la, and tra-la-lee, / Perhaps I lose, perhaps I win. / It is my Youth that is going away.”
Why this phrase is worth keeping: The refrain sets the theme in advance: the departure of youth, met with a shrug and a song.
Reference & context: A French poem in old-fashioned style written by Belloc himself. Its refrain keeps returning, like a song. “Oncques” is Old French for “never.” “Lon-lon-laire” is nonsense singing, like “tra-la-la.”
In plain English: (From the author's manuscripts, kept in the library of the Abbey of Thélème.)
Reference & context: A joke source. The Abbey of Thélème is the imaginary pleasure-abbey in Rabelais's Gargantua (1534), whose only rule is “Do what you will.” MSS is short for manuscripts.
In plain English: Host: Well, Youth, I see you're about to leave me, and since your terms of service don't allow you to stay in my house beyond a certain time, I must accept saying goodbye.
Why this phrase is worth keeping: Youth is a servant on a fixed contract: a neat way of saying youth cannot be kept.
In plain English: Youth: I really would stay if I could, but as you know, it's not up to me, and I'm not allowed to.
In plain English: Host: I hope, dear Youth, that you've been comfortable as my guest, and that you liked the air and the company?
In plain English: Youth: Thank you, I've never enjoyed a visit more; you could say I've been unusually happy.
In plain English: Host: Then let me ring for the servant to bring your luggage down.
In plain English: Youth: Thank you kindly!
In plain English: I've already brought them down; look, here they are.
In plain English: I only have two, one very big bag and this little one.
In plain English: Host: Oh, you haven't locked the small one!
In plain English: Look, it's wide open!
In plain English: Youth (a little embarrassed): My dear Host... to be honest... I usually leave this until the end of my visits... but the truth... the truth is, my luggage is of two kinds.
In plain English: Host: I don't see why that should fluster you so much.
In plain English: Youth (even more embarrassed): But you see, the fact is, I stay with people so long that, well, they often forget which things are mine and which belong to the house...
In plain English: And, well, the truth is that I have to take with me a number of things that... in short, you may have thought were yours.
Why this phrase is worth keeping: The central idea: the gifts of youth were only ever on loan.
In plain English: Host (coldly): Oh!
In plain English: Youth (eagerly): Please don't think badly of me; you know how strict my orders are.
In plain English: Host (sadly): Yes, I know; you'll blame that Master of yours, and no doubt you're right...
Reference & context: Youth's “Master” is probably Time, or God.
In plain English: But tell me, Youth, what are these things?
In plain English: Youth: They fill this big bag.
In plain English: But I'm not as rude as you think.
In plain English: Look, in this little bag, which I've left open on purpose, are some things that really belong to me, but which I'm allowed to give as presents to the people I stayed with; you can choose from them, or have them all if you like.
In plain English: Host: Well, first tell me what you've packed in the big bag and plan to take.
In plain English: Youth: I'll open it and show you.
In plain English: (He unlocks it and takes the things out.) I'm afraid you'll recognize them.
In plain English: Host: Oh, Youth! Youth!
In plain English: Do you have to take all of these?
In plain English: Why, you're taking away my very self!
In plain English: Here is romantic love, as deep and as changeable as an opal; and here is a carefree spirit, like a shower of pearls.
Why this phrase is worth keeping: Each loss of youth is pictured as a jewel being packed away.
Reference & context: An opal shows different colours as it is turned in the light.
In plain English: And here I see (Oh, Youth, shame on you!) you're taking that silky fabric that used to wrap everything up, which you once told me had no name, but which made everything inside it feel full and satisfying.
Why this phrase is worth keeping: The nameless silk is the glow that youth gives to all experience; Belloc wisely refuses to name it.
In plain English: Without it, pleasures surely aren't quite themselves.
In plain English: At least leave me that.
In plain English: Youth: No, I have to take it, because it isn't yours, though I was too polite to tell you until now.
In plain English: These are going too: Ease, which soothed everything like ointment; Sleep, which was like a drug; and Full Laughter, which put up with every foolishness.
Why this phrase is worth keeping: Each gift gets a little label, like items on a packing list.
In plain English: Laughter was the only musical thing in the house.
In plain English: And I must take, yes, I'm afraid I must take Poetry.
Reference & context: Many people write poetry when young and stop later. Belloc, a poet, makes this the cruellest loss.
In plain English: Host: Then there's nothing left!
In plain English: Youth: Oh yes, there is!
In plain English: Look at this little open bag you can choose from!
In plain English: Feel how heavy it is!
In plain English: Host (lifting it): It's certainly very heavy, but it rattles and feels unreliable.
Why this phrase is worth keeping: The gifts of middle age are weighty but uneven, not smooth like youth's silk.
In plain English: Youth: That's because it's full of all sorts of things that aren't alike; you can take them all, leave them all, or pick what you like.
In plain English: Here (holding up a rag) is Ambition. Would you like that?
Why this phrase is worth keeping: Ambition, so grand a word, appears as a rag.
In plain English: Host (doubtfully): I don't know...
In plain English: It used to be mine, and yet... without those other things...
In plain English: Youth (cheerfully): All right, I'll leave it.
In plain English: You can decide about it a few years from now.
In plain English: Next, here is the perfume called Pride.
In plain English: Would you like that?
In plain English: Host: No, I don't want any of it.
In plain English: It's fake and rotten, and only yesterday I wanted to throw it out of the window to freshen the air in my room.
Why this phrase is worth keeping: A perfume that makes the air worse: pride only seems sweet.
In plain English: Youth: So far you've chosen well; now please choose some more.
In plain English: Host: I'll take this, and this, and this.
In plain English: I'll take Health (taking it out of the bag), not that it's much use without the other things, but I've got used to it.
Why this phrase is worth keeping: A comic, very human reason for keeping one's health.
In plain English: Then I'll take this (taking out a plain steel purse and chain), which is my family's tradition, and which I want to pass on to my son.
Reference & context: Belloc, a devout Catholic and lover of old customs, valued inherited tradition highly.
In plain English: I'll have to get it cleaned.
Why this phrase is worth keeping: Tradition, kept but neglected in youth, now needs polishing.
In plain English: Then I'll take this (pulling out a small ornament), which is the appreciation of shape and colour.
In plain English: I'm told it's worth less later in life, but it's a nice thing to have...
In plain English: And so, Youth, goodbye.
In plain English: Youth (smiling mysteriously): Wait, I have something else for you (he feels in his ticket pocket); nothing less (he feels in his watch pocket again) than (looking a little worried, he feels in his waistcoat pockets) a promise from my Master, signed and sealed, to give you back everything I'm taking, and more, in eternal life! (He feels in his handkerchief pocket.)
Why this phrase is worth keeping: The grandest promise in the piece is interrupted by comic fumbling in pockets.
Reference & context: The promise is of heaven, the Christian hope of eternal life, where all that was lost will be restored.
In plain English: Host: Oh, Youth!
In plain English: Youth (still searching): Don't thank me!
In plain English: It's my Master you should thank.
In plain English: (He frowns.) Oh dear!
In plain English: I hope I haven't lost it!
In plain English: (He feels in his trouser pockets.)
In plain English: Host (loudly): Lost it?
In plain English: Youth (irritably): I didn't say I'd lost it!
In plain English: I said I hoped I hadn't... (he feels in his overcoat pocket and pulls out an envelope).
In plain English: Ah! Here it is!
In plain English: (His face darkens.) No, that's the note to Mrs. George telling her it's time to get a wig...
Why this phrase is worth keeping: A tiny comic glimpse of youth's other job: leaving everyone, and the evidence of age arriving.
In plain English: (Hopelessly): You know, I'm afraid I really have lost it!
In plain English: I'm truly very sorry, but I can't wait.
Why this phrase is worth keeping: Youth never waits: the joke and the sadness meet in the last line.
In plain English: (He leaves.)
Reference & context: The ending leaves it open whether the promise of immortality exists: Youth cannot find it, but does not say it is not real.
Fun Fact
Belloc's best-selling books were not his serious histories but his comic Cautionary Tales for Children (1907), including “Matilda, Who told Lies, and was Burned to Death” and “Jim, Who ran away from his Nurse, and was eaten by a Lion.” He was also elected to Parliament in 1906, and once told voters: “If you reject me on account of my religion, I shall thank God that He has spared me the indignity of being your representative.”