Emblem: the carapace of the great crowned snail is painted with all the flags of the United Nations.
The public is a hibernating bear, hard to awaken and fond of honey.
My neglected duties crowd around me in my dreams, murmuring.
Events are called inevitable only after they have occurred.
As a youth, I sought out decadence; as an elder, I try to avoid decay.
The etiquette of romantic love is as elaborate as that surrounding the Emperor of China.