Withoutthespiritual,observe,thenatural’simpossible;——
noform,nomotion!Withoutsensuous,spiritualisinappreciable;——
nobeautyorpower!Andinthistwofoldspherethetwo-foldmanandstilltheartistisintenselyamanholdsfirmlybythenatural,toreachthespiritualbeyondit,——fixesstillthetypewithmortalvision,topiercethrough,witheyesimmortal,totheantetype,somecalltheideal,——bettercalledthereal,andcertaintobecalledsopresentlywhenthingsshallhavetheirnames。”
Browninghascloselyfollowed,inthemonologue,theart-historian,GiorgioVasari,asthefollowingextractswillshowthetranslationisthatofMrs。JonathanFoster,intheBohnLibrary:——”TheCarmelitemonk,FraFilippodiTommasoLippi1412-1469*1*
wasbornatFlorenceinabye-streetcalledArdiglione,undertheCantoallaCuculia,andbehindtheconventoftheCarmelites。
Bythedeathofhisfatherhewasleftafriendlessorphanattheageoftwoyears,hismotherhavingalsodiedshortlyafterhisbirth。
ThechildwasforsometimeunderthecareofacertainMonaLapaccia,hisaunt,thesisterofhisfather,whobroughthimupwithverygreatdifficultytillhehadattainedhiseighthyear,when,beingnolongerabletosupporttheburdenofhismaintenance,sheplacedhimintheabove-namedconventoftheCarmelites。
Here,inproportionasheshowedhimselfdexterousandingeniousinallworksperformedbyhand,didhemanifesttheutmostdulnessandincapacityinletters,towhichhewouldneverapplyhimself,norwouldhetakeanypleasureinlearningofanykind。TheboycontinuedtobecalledbyhisworldlynameofFilippo,*2*andbeingplacedwithothers,wholikehimselfwereinthehouseofthenovices,underthecareofthemaster,totheendthatthelattermightseewhatcouldbedonewithhim;inplaceofstudying,heneverdidanythingbutdaubhisownbooks,andthoseoftheotherboys,withcaricatures,whereuponthepriordeterminedtogivehimallmeansandeveryopportunityforlearningtodraw。
ThechapeloftheCarminehadthenbeennewlypaintedbyMasaccio,andthisbeingexceedinglybeautiful,pleasedFraFilippogreatly,whereforehefrequenteditdailyforhisrecreation,and,continuallypractisingthere,incompanywithmanyotheryouths,whowereconstantlydrawinginthatplace,hesurpassedalltheothersbyverymuchindexterityandknowledge……Proceedingthus,andimprovingfromdaytoday,hehadsocloselyfollowedthemannerofMasaccio,andhisworksdisplayedsomuchsimilaritytothoseofthelatter,thatmanyaffirmedthespiritofMasacciotohaveenteredthebodyofFraFilippo——
*1*Thedateofbirthdiffersinthebiographies,itbeingvariouslygivenas1400,1406,1410,and1412。Butthelatterappearstobetheonegenerallyaccepted。
*2*Itwascustomary,onenteringaconvent,tochangethebaptismalnameforsomeother。”ItissaidthatFraFilippowasmuchaddictedtothepleasuresofsense,insomuchthathewouldgiveallhepossessedtosecurethegratificationofwhateverinclinationmightatthemomentbepredominant;……Itwasknownthat,whileoccupiedinthepursuitofhispleasures,theworksundertakenbyhimreceivedlittleornoneofhisattention;forwhichreasonCosimode’Medici,wishinghimtoexecuteaworkinhisownpalace,shuthimup,thathemightnotwastehistimeinrunningabout;
buthavingenduredthisconfinementfortwodays,hethenmaderopeswiththesheetsofhisbed,whichhecuttopiecesforthatpurpose,andsohavinglethimselfdownfromawindow,escaped,andforseveraldaysgavehimselfuptohisamusements。
WhenCosimofoundthatthepainterhaddisappeared,hecausedhimtobesought,andFraFilippoatlastreturnedtohiswork,butfromthattimeforwardCosimogavehimlibertytogoinandoutathispleasure,repentinggreatlyofhavingpreviouslyshuthimup,whenheconsideredthedangerthatFraFilippohadincurredbyhisfollyindescendingfromthewindow;andeverafterwardslaboringtokeephimtohisworkbykindnessonly,hewasbythismeansmuchmorepromptlyandeffectuallyservedbythepainter,andwaswonttosaythattheexcellenciesofraregeniuswereasformsoflightandnotbeastsofburden。”
AFace。
Thespeakerimaginestheheadofabeautifulgirlheknows,”painteduponabackgroundofpalegold,suchastheTuscan’searlyartprefers”,anddetailsthepictureashewouldhaveit。
TheBishopordershisTomb。
TheBishopordershisTombatSt。Praxed’sChurch。*
[Rome,15。]——
*Firstpublishedin`Hood’sMagazine’,March,1845,No。III。,vol。iii。,pp。237-239,underthetitle`TheTombatSt。Praxed’sRome,15——’。”Thispoemand`TheFlightoftheDuchess’weresentbyBrowningtohelpmakeupthenumbersofthemagazinewhileHoodlaydying。”——
Furnivall’s`BibliographyofRobertBrowning’,p。48——
ThedyingBishoppleadswithhisnaturalsonsthattheygivehimthesumptuoustombtheystandpledgedto,——suchatombaswillexcitetheenvyofhisoldenemyGandolf,whocheatedhimoutofafavoritenicheinSt。Praxed’sChurch,bydyingbeforehim,andsecuringitforhistomb。
Itisnotnecessarytosupposethatthenaturalsonsarepresent。
His,perhaps,deliriousmindisoccupiedwiththepreciousmarblesandstonesandotherluxurieshehaslovedtomuch,andwithhisoldrivalandenemy,Gandolf。
JohnRuskin,inhis`ModernPainters’Vol。IV。,chap。XX。,Section32,remarks:——”RobertBrowningisunerringineverysentencehewritesoftheMiddleAges;alwaysvital,right,andprofound;
sothatinthematterofart,……thereishardlyaprincipleconnectedwiththemediaevaltemper,thathehasnotstruckuponinthoseseeminglycarelessandtooruggedrhymesofhis。
Thereisacuriousinstance,bytheway,inashortpoem*1*
referringtothisverysubjectoftombandimagesculpture;
allillustratingjustoneofthosephasesoflocalhumancharacterwhich,thoughbelongingtoShakespeare’sownage,he[Shakespeare]
nevernoticed,becauseitwasspeciallyItalianandun-English;
connectedalsocloselywiththeinfluenceofmountainsontheheart,andthereforewithourimmediateinquiries。*2*ImeanthekindofadmirationwithwhichasouthernartistregardedtheSTONEheworkedin;
andthepridewhichpopulaceorpriesttookinthepossessionofpreciousmountainsubstance,workedintothepavementsoftheircathedrals,andtheshaftsoftheirtombs——
*1*`TheBishopordershisTombinSt。Praxed’sChurch’。
*2*`TheMountainGlory’,thesubjectofthechapterfromwhichthisistaken——”Observe,Shakespeare,inthemidstofarchitectureandtombsofwood,orfreestone,orbrass,naturallythinksofGOLDasthebestenrichingandennoblingsubstanceforthem;inthemidstalsoofthefeveroftheRenaissancehewrites,aseveryoneelsedid,inpraiseofpreciselythemostviciousmasterofthatschool——
GiulioRomano*;butthemodernpoet,livingmuchinItaly,andquitoftheRenaissanceinfluence,isablefullytoenterintotheItalianfeeling,andtoseetheeviloftheRenaissancetendency,notbecauseheisgreaterthanShakespeare,butbecauseheisinanotherelement,andhasseenotherthings……
Winter’sTale’,V。2。106。
IknownootherpieceofmodernEnglish,proseorpoetry,inwhichthereissomuchtold,asintheselines[`TheBishopordershisTomb’],oftheRenaissancespirit,——itsworldliness,inconsistency,pride,hypocrisy,ignoranceofitself,loveofart,ofluxury,andofgoodLatin。ItisnearlyallthatIsaidoftheCentralRenaissanceinthirtypagesofthe`StonesofVenice’
putintoasmanylines,Browning’sbeingalsotheantecedentwork。
TheworstofitisthatthiskindofconcentratedwritingneedssomuchSOLUTIONbeforethereadercanfairlygetthegoodofit,thatpeople’spatiencefailsthem,andtheygivethethingupasinsoluble;though,truly,itoughttobetothecurrentofcommonthoughtlikeSaladin’stalisman,dippedinclearwater,notsolublealtogether,butmakingtheelementmedicinable。”
ProfessorDowden,inregardtoMr。Browning’sdoctrinesonthesubjectofart,remarks:——”Itisalwaysinanunfavorablelightthathedepictsthevirtuosoorcollector,who,consciousofnounsatisfiedaspirationssuchasthosewhichmaketheartist’sjoyandsorrow,restsinthevisibleproductsofart,andlooksuptonothingaboveorbeyondthem……TheunbelievingandworldlyspiritofthedyingBishop,whoordershistombatSt。Praxed’s,hissenseofthevanityoftheworldsimplybecausetheworldispassingoutofhisreach,theregretfulmemoryofthepleasuresofhisyouth,theenviousspitetowardsGandolf,whorobbedhimofthebestpositionforatomb,andthedreadlesthisreputedsonsshouldplayhimfalseandfailtocarryouthisdesigns,areunitedwithaperfectappreciationofRenaissanceart,andaluxurioussatisfaction,whichevenadeath-bedcannotdestroy,inthesplendorofvoluptuousformandcolor。Thegreatlumpoflapislazuli,”`BigasaJew’sheadcutoffatthenape,Blueasaveino’ertheMadonna’sbreast’,mustpoisebetweenhissculpturedknees;theblackbasaltmustcontrastwiththebas-reliefinbronzebelow:——”`St。Praxedinaglory,andonePanReadytotwitchtheNymph’slastgarmentoff’;
theinscriptionmustbe`choiceLatin,pickedphrase,Tully’severyword’。”
AToccataofGaluppi’s。
ThespeakerislisteningtoaToccataofGaluppi’s,andthemusictellshimofhowtheylivedonceinVenice,wherethemerchantswerethekings。
HewasneveroutofEngland,yetit’sasifheSAWitall,throughwhatisaddressedtotheearalone。
Butthemusicdoesmorethanreflectthelifeofmirthandfollywhichwasledinthegayandvoluptuouscity。Ithasanundertoneofsadness;itslesserthirdssoplaintive,itssixthsdiminished,sighonsigh,tellthevotariesofpleasuresomething;
itssuspensions,itssolutions,itscommiseratingsevenths,awakeninthemthequestionoftheirholdonlife。Thatquestionthemusicanswers。
AbtVogler。
Afterhehasbeenextemporizinguponthemusicalinstrumentofhisinvention。
TheAbbeGeorgJosephVoglerwasbornatWuerzburgBavaria,June15,1749;appointedKappelmeistertotheKingofSweden,in1786。Whileinthiscapacity,the”musicalinstrumentofhisinvention”,calledtheOrchestrion,wasconstructed;*
wenttoLondonwithhisorgan,in1790,andgaveaseriesofsuccessfulconcerts,realizingsome1200Pounds,andmakinganameasanorganist;commissionedtoreconstructtheorganofthePantheonontheplanofhisOrchestrion;andlater,receivedlikecommissionsatCopenhagenandatNeuRuppininPrussia;
foundedaschoolofmusicatCopenhagen,andpublishedtheremanyworks;in1807wasappointedbytheGrandDuke,LouisI。,KappelmeisteratDarmstadt;foundedtherehislastschool,twoofhispupilsbeingWeberandMeyerbeer;diedin1814。
BrowningpresentsVoglerasagreatextemporizer,inwhichcharacterheappearstohavebeenthemostfamous。Forafurtheraccount,seeMissEleanorMarx’spaperontheAbbeVogler,fromwhichtheabovefactshavebeenderived`BrowningSoc。Papers’,Pt。III。,pp。339-343。HerauthoritiesareFetis’s`Biogr。Univ。desMusiciens’
andNisard’s`Viedel’AbbeVogler’。