I abandoned myself to the life, and developed the misconception that the secret of John Barleycorn lay in going on mad drunks, rising through the successive stages that only an iron constitution could endure to final stupefaction and swinish unconsciousness.
The swinish drunkenness in which I had lived for months (this was accompanied by the sense of degradation and the old feeling of conviction of sin) was the last and best, and I could see for myself what it was worth.
They tried to groan and beg for mercy, but forthwith emitted the most awful grunting and squealing that ever came out of swinish throats.
At last, when the swinish uproar resounded through the palace, and when he saw the image of a hog in the marble basin, he thought it best to hasten back to the vessel, and inform the wise Ulysses of these marvelous occurrences.
But, such was the virtue of the snow-white flower, instead of wallowing down from his throne in swinish shape, or taking any other brutal form, Ulysses looked even more manly and king-like than before.
Each of these creatures, despite its human form, its rag of clothing, and the rough humanity of its bodily form, had woven into it--into its movements, into the expression of its countenance, into its whole presence--some now irresistible suggestion of a hog, a
swinish taint, the unmistakable mark of the beast.
And as to truth, I said, is not a soul equally to be deemed halt and lame which hates voluntary falsehood and is extremely indignant at herself and others when they tell lies, but is patient of involuntary falsehood, and does not mind wallowing like a
swinish beast in the mire of ignorance, and has no shame at being detected?
I, however, say unto you: To the swine all things become
swinish!
Mrs Gowan with a gentle melancholy upon her, occasioned by her son's being reduced to court the
swinish public as a follower of the low Arts, instead of asserting his birthright and putting a ring through its nose as an acknowledged Barnacle, headed the conversation at dinner on the evil days.
Assuredly, in his worse than
swinish state (for swine at least fatten on their guzzling, and make themselves good to eat), he was a pretty object for any eyes.
Both expressed their opinion that a more independent, a more enlightened, a more public- spirited, a more noble-minded, a more disinterested set of men than those who had promised to vote for him, never existed on earth; each darkly hinted his suspicions that the electors in the opposite interest had certain
swinish and besotted infirmities which rendered them unfit for the exercise of the important duties they were called upon to discharge.
A broken complexion, a
swinish look, ungenerous acts and the want of due knowledge,--all blab.