{"id":"01KG8AKF81PCYQ8DP64G7C3HR7","cid":"bafkreigp347wsd47fniiupcs3i2w6aixlgavao64ummd3w62oj2z7ldpzi","type":"section","properties":{"description":"# Babbalanja Quotes From The Old Authors Right And Left\n\n## Overview\nThis section, titled \"Babbalanja Quotes From The Old Authors Right And Left,\" is a segment of text extracted from the novel *Mardi*. It is part of Chapter XXII and focuses on a philosophical discussion led by the character Babbalanja, who references various old authors and their sayings. The section spans lines 2870 to 2932 of the source file.\n\n## Context\nThis section is contained within [Chapter XXII of Mardi](arke:01KG8AJQSZDW1CKST31K7C1ZCK), which is titled \"Yoomy Sings Some Odd Verses, And Babbalanja Quotes From The Old Authors Right And Left.\" The chapter itself is part of the larger work *Mardi*, and this specific section is extracted from the file `mardi_vol2.txt`, which is part of the [Melville Complete Works](arke:01KG89HMDZKNY753EZE1CJ8HZW) collection. This section follows the section titled \"Yoomy Sings Some Odd Verses\" and precedes a section that continues the chapter's title.\n\n## Contents\nThe text features a conversation where Babbalanja discusses the nature of fame, reputation, and true merit. He quotes or alludes to several fictional or historical figures, including Rotato, Alla-Malolla, Bardianna, Vavona, Fulvi, and Aldina. The discussion touches upon how individuals are perceived versus their actual selves, the obscurity of genius, and the limitations of public perception. Babbalanja uses these references to illustrate points about how people are often misunderstood or judged superficially, comparing Mardi's limited vision to that of a monster with fixed eyes. The dialogue also includes interjections from other characters like Media, Mohi, and Braid-Beard, who offer their own witty or contrasting perspectives on the topics raised.","description_generated_at":"2026-01-30T20:49:00.454Z","description_model":"gemini-2.5-flash-lite","description_title":"Babbalanja Quotes From The Old Authors Right And Left","end_line":2932,"extracted_at":"2026-01-30T20:48:05.200Z","extracted_by":"structure-extraction-lambda","label":"Babbalanja Quotes From The Old Authors Right And Left","source_file":"01KG89J1954N2G0NAERBNJXEX9","start_line":2870,"text":"Conversation proceeding, Braid-Beard happened to make allusion to one\r\nRotato, a portly personage, who, though a sagacious philosopher, and\r\nvery ambitious to be celebrated as such, was only famous in Mardi as\r\nthe fattest man of his tribe.\r\n\r\nSaid Media, “Then, Mohi, Rotato could not pick a quarrel with Fame,\r\nsince she did not belie him. Fat he was, and fat she published him.”\r\n\r\n“Right, my lord,” said Babbalanja, “for Fame is not always so honest.\r\nNot seldom to be famous, is to be widely known for what you are not,\r\nsays Alla-Malolla. Whence it comes, as old Bardianna has it, that for\r\nyears a man may move unnoticed among his fellows; but all at once, by\r\nsome chance attitude, foreign to his habit, become a trumpet-full for\r\nfools; though, in himself, the same as ever. Nor has he shown himself\r\nyet; for the entire merit of a man can never be made known; nor the sum\r\nof his demerits, if he have them. We are only known by our names; as\r\nletters sealed up, we but read each other’s superscriptions.\r\n\r\n“So with the commonalty of us Mardians. How then with those beings who\r\nevery way are but too apt to be riddles. In many points the works of\r\nour great poet Vavona, now dead a thousand moons, still remain a\r\nmystery. Some call him a mystic; but wherein he seems obscure, it is,\r\nperhaps, we that are in fault; not by premeditation spoke he those\r\narchangel thoughts, which made many declare, that Vavona, after all,\r\nwas but a crack-pated god, not a mortal of sound mind. But had he been\r\nless, my lord, he had seemed more. Saith Fulvi, ‘Of the highest order\r\nof genius, it may be truly asserted, that to gain the reputation of\r\nsuperior power, it must partially disguise itself; it must come down,\r\nand then it will be applauded for soaring.’ And furthermore, that there\r\nare those who falter in the common tongue, because they think in\r\nanother; and these are accounted stutterers and stammerers.’”\r\n\r\n“Ah! how true!” cried the Warbler.\r\n\r\n“And what says the archangel Vavona, Yoomy, in that wonderful drama of\r\nhis, ‘The Souls of the Sages?’—‘Beyond most barren hills, there are\r\nlandscapes ravishing; with but one eye to behold; which no pencil can\r\nportray.’ What wonder then, my lord, that Mardi itself is so blind.\r\n‘Mardi is a monster,’ says old Bardianna, ‘whose eyes are fixed in its\r\nhead, like a whale’s; it can see but two ways, and those comprising but\r\na small arc of a perfect vision. Poets, heroes, and men of might, are\r\nall around this monster Mardi. But stand before me on stilts, or I will\r\nbehold you not, says the monster; brush back your hair; inhale the wind\r\nlargely; lucky are all men with dome-like foreheads; luckless those\r\nwith pippin-heads; loud lungs are a blessing; a lion is no lion that\r\ncan not roar.’ Says Aldina, ‘There are those looking on, who know\r\nthemselves to be swifter of foot than the racers, but are confounded\r\nwith the simpletons that stare.’”\r\n\r\n“The mere carping of a disappointed cripple,” cried Mold. His\r\nbiographer states, that Aldina had only one leg.”\r\n\r\n“Braid-Beard, you are witty,” said Babbbalanja, adjusting his robe. “My\r\nlord, there are heroes without armies, who hear martial music in their\r\nsouls.”\r\n\r\n“Why not blow their trumpets louder, then,” cried Media, that all Mardi\r\nmay hear?”\r\n\r\n“My lord Media, too, is witty, Babbalanja,” said Mohi.\r\n\r\nBreathed Yoomy, “There are birds of divinest plumage, and most glorious\r\nsong, yet singing their lyrics to themselves.”\r","title":"Babbalanja Quotes From The Old Authors Right And Left"},"relationships":[{"peer":"01KG8AJQSZDW1CKST31K7C1ZCK","peer_type":"chapter","predicate":"in"},{"peer":"01KG89J1954N2G0NAERBNJXEX9","peer_type":"file","predicate":"extractedFrom"},{"peer":"01KG89HMDZKNY753EZE1CJ8HZW","peer_type":"collection","predicate":"collection"},{"peer":"01KG8AKF7YX6TYS4DNBD302F1C","peer_type":"section","predicate":"prev"},{"peer":"01KG8AKF82S23PA0TDSJ1YDVY6","peer_type":"section","predicate":"next"}],"ver":3,"created_at":"2026-01-30T20:48:05.377Z","ts":"2026-01-30T20:49:01.090Z","edited_by":{"method":"manual","user_id":"01KFF5C36SQEVDHC9CBNZZJH9K"}}