Life of Robert Browning

第20章

itmustbemixedwithalloytogainthenecessarypowerofresistance。

Theringonceformedandembossed,thealloyisdisengaged,andapuregoldornamentremains。Mr。Browning’smaterialwasalsoinadequatetohispurpose,thoughfromadifferentcause。

ItwastooHARD。Itwas`purecrudefact’,secretedfromthefluidbeingofthemenandwomenwhoseexperienceithadformed。Initsexistingstateitwouldhavebrokenupundertheartisticattempttoweldandroundit。

Hesuppliedanalloy,thealloyoffancy,orashealsocallsit

ofonefactmore:thisfactbeingtheechoofthosepastexistencesawakenedwithinhisown。Hebreathedintothedeadrecordthebreathofhisownlife;andwhenhisringofevidencehadre-formed,firstinelastictheninsolidstrength,heredelicatelyincised,therebroadlystampedwithhumanthoughtandpassion,hecouldcastfancyaside,andbidhisreadersrecogniseinwhathesetbeforethemunadulteratedhumantruth。“Mrs。Orr。

Ontheafternoonofthedayonwhichhemadehispurchasehereadthebookfromendtoend。“ASpiritlaughedandleaptthrougheverylimb。“Themidsummerheatshadcausedthunder-cloudstocongregateaboveVallombrosaandthewholevalleyofArno:

andtheairinFlorencewaspainfullysultry。ThepoetstoodbyhimselfonhisterraceatCasaGuidi,andashewatchedthefireflieswanderingfromtheenclosedgardens,andthesheet-lightningsquiveringthroughtheheatedatmosphere,hismindwasbusyinrefashioningtheoldtaleoflovelessmarriageandcrime。

“BeneathI’thestreet,quickshownbyopeningsoftheskyWhenflamefellsilentlyfromcloudtocloud,RicherthanthatgoldsnowJoverainedonRhodes,Thetownsmenwalkedbytwosandthrees,andtalked,Drinkingtheblacknessindefaultofair

Abusyhumansensebeneathmyfeet:

Whileinandouttheterrace-plants,androundOnebranchoftalldatura,waxedandwanedThelamp-flyluredthere,wantingthewhiteflower。“

Scenebyscenewasre-enacted,thoughofcourseonlyincertainessentialdetails。ThefinalfoodfortheimaginationwasfoundinapamphletofwhichhecameintopossessionofinLondon,whereseveralimportantmattersweregivenwhichhadnoplaceinthevolumehehadpickedupinFlorence。

Much,farthegreaterpart,ofthefirst“book“isinteresting!

Itismereverse。Asverse,even,itisoftensoinvolved,somusiclessoccasionally,sobanalnowandagain,soinartisticincolouraswellasinform,thatonewould,havingapprehendeditsexplanatoryinterest,passonwithoutregret,wereitnotforthenobleclosethepassionate,out-wellinglinesto“thetruestpoetIhaveeverknown,“thebeautifulsoulwhohadgivenheralltohim,whom,butfouryearsbeforehewrotethesewords,hehadlaidtorestamongthecypressesandilexesoftheoldFlorentinegardenofthedead。

“OlyricLove,halfangelandhalfbirdAndallawonderandawilddesire,

Boldestofheartsthateverbravedthesun,Tooksanctuarywithintheholierblue,Andsangakindredsoulouttohisface,

Yethumanatthered-ripeoftheheart

WhenthefirstsummonsfromthedarklingearthReachedtheeamidthychambers,blanchedtheirblue,Andbaredthemoftheglorytodropdown,Totoilforman,tosufferortodie,

Thisisthesamevoice:canthysoulknowchange?

Hailthen,andhearkenfromtherealmsofhelp!

NevermayIcommencemysong,mydueToGodwhobesttaughtsongbygiftofthee,Exceptwithbentheadandbeseechinghand

Thatstill,despitethedistanceandthedark,Whatwas,againmaybe;someinterchangeOfgrace,somesplendouroncethyverythought,Somebenedictionancientlythysmile:

Neverconclude,butraisinghandandheadThitherwhereeyes,thatcannotreach,yetyearnForallhope,allsustainment,allreward,Theirutmostupandon,soblessingbackInthosethyrealmsofhelp,thatheaventhyhome,Somewhitenesswhich,Ijudge,thyfacemakesproud,Somewannesswhere,Ithink,thyfootmayfall!“

Thereafter,forcloseuponfivethousandwords,thepoemdescendsagaintothelevelofaversifiedtale。Itissavedfromruinbysubtletyofintellect,strikingdramaticverisimilitude,anextraordinaryvigour,andoccasionallinesofrealpoetry。

Retrospectively,apartfromtheinterest,oftenstrainedtotheutmost,mostreaders,Ifancy,willrecallwithlingeringpleasureonlytheopeningof“TheOtherHalfRome“,thedescriptionofPompilia,“withthepatientbrowandlamentablesmile,“withflower-likebody,inwhitehospitalarrayachildwitheyesofinfinitepathos,“whetheraflowerorweed,ruined:whodiditshallaccounttoChrist。“

InthesethreeintroductorybookswehavetheviewofthemattertakenbythosewhosidewithCountGuido,ofthosewhoareallforPompilia,andofthe“superiorperson“,impartialbecausesuperciliouslyindifferent,thoughsufficientlyinterestedto“opine“。

Intheensuingthreebooksamuchhigherpoeticlevelisreached。

Inthefirst,Guidospeaks;inthesecond,Caponsacchi;thethird,thatlustrousopalsetmidwayinthe“Ring“,isPompilia’snarrative。

Herethethreeprotagonistsliveandmovebeforeoureyes。

Thesixthbookmaybesaidtobetheheartofthewholepoem。

TheextremeintellectualsubtletyofGuido’spleastandsquiteunrivalledinpoeticliterature。Incomparingit,foritspoeticbeauty,withothersections,thereadermustbearinmindthatinapoemofadramaticnaturethedramaticproprietiesmustbedominant。

ItwouldbeobviouslyinappropriatetomakeCountGuidoFranceschinispeakwiththedignityofthePope,withtheexquisitepathosofPompilia,withtheardour,likesuppressedmoltenlava,ofCaponsacchi。

Theself-defenceofthelatterisasuperbpieceofdramaticwriting。

Onceortwicetheflamingvolcanoofhisheartburstsupwarduncontrollably,aswhenhecries

“No,sirs,Icannothavetheladydead!

Thaterectform,flashingbrow,fulguranteye,Thatvoiceimmortal(oh,thatvoiceofhers!)

ThatvisionofthepaleelectricswordAngelsgoarmedwiththatwasnotthelastO’thelady。Come,Iseethroughit,youfind,Knowthemanoeuvre!AlsoherselfsaidIhadsavedher:doyoudaresayshespokefalse?

Letmeseeformyselfifitbeso!“

Thanthepoignantpathosandbeautyof“Pompilia“,thereisnothingmoreexquisiteinourliterature。Itstandsalone。HereatlastwehavethepoetwhoistheLancelottoShakespeare’sArthur。

Ittakesasupremeeffortofgeniustobeassimpleasachild。

Howmarvellously,afterthealmostsublimehypocrisyoftheendofGuido’sdefence,afterthebeautifuldignityofCaponsacchi’sclosingwords,culminatingabruptlyintheheart-wrungcry,“Ogreat,just,goodGod!

miserableme!“howmarvellouslycomesuponthereaderthedelicate,tearfultendernessoftheinnocentchild-wife

“Iamjustseventeenyearsandfivemonthsold,And,ifIlivedonedaymore,threefullweeks;

’Tiswritsointhechurch’sregister,LorenzoinLucina,allmynamesAtlength,somanynamesforonepoorchild,FrancescaCamillaVittoriaAngelaPompiliaComparinilaughable!“

Onlytwowritersofouragehavedepictedwomenwiththatimaginativeinsightwhichisatoncemorecomprehensiveandmoreilluminativethanwomen’sowninvisionofthemselvesRobertBrowningandGeorgeMeredith,butnoteventhelatter,mostsubtleanddelicateofallanalystsofthetragi-comedyofhumanlife,hassurpassed“Pompilia“。

ThemeetingandtheswiftuprisingoflovebetweenLucyandRichard,in“TheOrdealofRichardFeveral“,is,itistrue,withinthehighestreachofproseromance:butbetweeneventheloftiestheightofproseromanceandthealtitudesofpoetry,thereisanimpassablegulf。

Andasitiswithsimplicitysoitiswithtenderness。

Onlythesternlystrongcanbesupremelytender。Andinfinitelytenderisthepoetryof“Pompilia“

“Oh,howgoodGodisthatmybabewasborn,Betterthanborn,baptisedandhidawayBeforethishappened,safefrombeinghurt!

ThathadbeensinGodcouldnotwellforgive:

HEWASTOOYOUNGTOSMILEANDSAVEHIMSELF“

orthelineswhichtellhowasalittlegirlshegaveherrosesnottothespickandspanMadonnaoftheChurch,buttothepoor,dilapidatedVirgin,“atourstreet-cornerinalonelyniche,“

withthebabethathadsatuponherkneesbrokenoff:

orthatpassage,withitsexquisitenaivete,wherePompiliarelateswhyshecalledherboyGaetano,becauseshewished“nooldnameforsorrow’ssake,“sochosethelatestadditiontothesaints,electedonlytwenty-fiveyearsbefore

“So,carefuller,perhaps,Toguardanamesakethanthoseoldsaintsgrow,Tiredoutbythistime,seemyownfivesaints!“

orthese

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