"hereround is't holied!"

(550.8-552.34)  I tackled a slightly longer passage (well, three-quarters of a page extra) for today's reading -- the penultimate reading of this third chapter in the third Book of the Wake -- in order to cover the full penultimate paragraph of HCE's address (through Shaun) to the four young chaps.  It's a dense one and took a bit longer than I had anticipated, but taking the extra time today (and shortening length of tomorrow's reading) was worth the benefit of what I guess I could call "narrative coherency."

Anyway, after ALP became a jewel in the eyes of the patrons of HCE's pub, HCE fed her "spiceries for her garbage breath."  These include spices, of course, but also nuts, vegetables, meats, sweets, and coffee.  HCE says that it was all "food convenient herfor, to pass them into earth" (maybe good food for the digestive system?).  He also gave her powder and oils for her skin, as well as a variety of grooming devices (which seem geared toward her genital areas, including "clubmoss and wolvesfoot for her more moister wards").  Within their home hung hand-painted portraits of Dublin (and world) elite, particularly the city's "lewd mayers and our lairdie meiresses."  ALP would show off her legs dancing the "bloodanoobs" (the Blue Danube) while HCE, "the lumpty thumpty of our interloopings" (remember, he's Humpty Dumpty), "fell clocksure off my ballast."  As she stood in her underwear before her window, the men outside "admired her in camises." This thought prompts HCE to speculate that he could've been a great designer of women's lingerie, noting that "were I our pantocreator would theirs be tights for the gods."

But HCE's good intentions weren't entirely focused upon ALP.  He explains that "I said to the shiftless prostitute, let me be our fodder; and to rodies and prater brothers; Chau, Camerade!"  He brought about improvements to the city so that "all be made alive."  He made an outhouse ("an erdcloset with showne ejector") for ALP, universities for the students, terminals for the travelers, and Catholic and Protestant cathedrals ("twinminsters, the pro and the con") for the faithful.  He also "pushed," or inspired, a number of architects and city planners that he goes on to name.

Finally (or, "thirdly"), he "did reform and restore for my smuggy piggiesknees, my sweet coolocked, my auburn coyquailing one" St. Patrick's Cathedral ("her paddyplace on the crossknoll with massgo bell").  A joyful noise rang inside this central church, and all proclaimed, "May all have mossyhonours!" (or, may the lord have mercy on us).  To this, the four young chaps each shout, "Hoke!" (as McHugh notes, "hail!" in German).