Dear,hadtheworldinitscapriceDeignedtoproclaim”Iknowyouboth,Haverecognizedyourplightedtroth,Amsponsorforyou:liveinpeace!”——
HowmanypreciousmonthsandyearsOfyouthhadpassed,thatspeedsofast,Beforewefounditoutatlast,Theworld,andwhatitfears?
2。
HowmuchofpricelesslifewerespentWithmenthateveryvirtuedecks,Andwomenmodelsoftheirsex,Society’strueornament,——
Erewedaredwander,nightslikethis,Throughwindandrain,andwatchtheSeine,AndfeeltheBoulevartbreakagainTowarmthandlightandbliss?
3。
Iknow!theworldproscribesnotlove;
AllowsmyfingertocaressYourlips’contouranddowniness,Provideditsupplyaglove。
Theworld’sgoodword!——theInstitute!
GuizotreceivesMontalembert!
Eh?Downthecourtthreelampionsflare:
Putforwardyourbestfoot!——
St。3。Guizot:FrancoisPierreGuillaumeGuizot,Frenchstatesmanandhistorian,b。1787,d。1874。
Montalembert:CharlesForbesRene,ComtedeMontalembert,Frenchstatesman,orator,andpoliticalwriter,b。1810,d。1870。
GuizotreceivesMontalembert:i。e。,onpurelyconventionalgrounds。
HomeThoughts,fromAbroad。
1。
Oh,tobeinEnglandnowthatApril’sthere,AndwhoeverwakesinEnglandsees,somemorning,unaware,ThatthelowestboughsandthebrushwoodsheafRoundtheelm-treeboleareintinyleaf,WhilethechaffinchsingsontheorchardboughInEngland——now!
AndafterApril,whenMayfollowsAndthewhite-throatbuilds,andalltheswallows!
Hark,wheremyblossomedpear-treeinthehedgeLeanstothefieldandscattersontheclover[10]
Blossomsanddewdrops——atthebentspray’sedge——
That’sthewisethrush:hesingseachsongtwiceoverLestyoushouldthinkhenevercouldrecaptureThefirstfinecarelessrapture!
Andthoughthefieldslookroughwithhoarydew,AndwillbegaywhennoontidewakesanewThebuttercups,thelittlechildren’sdower——Farbrighterthanthisgaudymelon-flower!
{despitethisstanzabeingnumbered1,thereisapparentlyno2。}
HomeThoughts,fromtheSea。
Nobly,noblyCapeSaintVincenttothenorth-westdiedaway;
Sunsetran,onegloriousblood-red,reekingintoCadizBay;
Bluishmidtheburningwater,fullinfaceTrafalgarlay;
Inthedimmestnorth-eastdistance,dawnedGibraltargrandandgray;”HereandheredidEnglandhelpme,——howcanIhelpEngland?”——say,WhosoturnsasI,thisevening,turntoGodtopraiseandpray,WhileJove’splanetrisesyonder,silentoverAfrica。
OldPicturesinFlorence。
1。
ThemornwhenfirstitthundersinMarch,Theeelinthepondgivesaleap,theysay。
AsIleanedandlookedoverthealoedarchOfthevilla-gatethiswarmMarchday,Noflashsnapped,nodumbthunderrolledInthevalleybeneathwhere,whiteandwideAndwashedbythemorningwater-gold,Florencelayoutonthemountain-side——
St。1。washedbythemorningwater-gold:thewateroftheArno,gildedbythemorningsun;”Icanbutmuseinhope,uponthisshoreOfgoldenArno,asitshootsawayThroughFlorence’heartbeneathherbridgesfour。”——
CasaGuidiWindows。
2。
RiverandbridgeandstreetandsquareLaymine,asmuchatmybeckandcall,Throughthelivetranslucentbathofair,Asthesightsinamagiccrystal-ball。
AndofallIsawandofallIpraised,ThemosttopraiseandthebesttoseeWasthestartlingbell-towerGiottoraised:
Butwhydiditmorethanstartleme?——
St。2。thestartlingbell-towerGiottoraised:theCampanileoftheCathedral,orDuomo,ofFlorenceLaCattedralediS。MariadelFiore,begunin1334。”ThecharacteristicsofPowerandBeautyoccurmoreoflessindifferentbuildings,someinoneandsomeinanother。
Butalltogether,andallintheirhighestpossiblerelativedegrees,theyexist,asfarasIknow,onlyinonebuildingoftheworld,theCampanileofGiotto。”——Ruskin。
Butwhydiditmorethanstartleme?:There’sarumor”thatacertainpreciouslittletabletwhichBuonarottieyedlikealover”hasbeendiscoveredbysomebody。Ifthisrumoristrue,thespeakerfeelsthatGiotto,whomhehassoloved,hasplayedhimfalse,innotfavoringhimwiththepreciousfind。SeeSt。30。”TheopinionwhichhiscontemporariesentertainedofGiotto,asthegreatestgeniusintheartswhichItalyinthatagepossessed,hasbeenperpetuatedbyDanteinthelinesinwhichtheilluminator,Oderigi,says:——”`InpaintingCimabuefainhadthoughtTolordthefield;nowGiottohasthecry,Sothattheother’sfameinshadeisbrought’
Dante,`Purg。’xi。93。”GiottodiBondonewasbornatDelColle,avillageinthecommuneofVespignanonearFlorence,accordingtoVasari,A。D。1276,butmoreprobablyA。D。1266。HewentthroughhisapprenticeshipunderCimabue,andpractisedasapainterandarchitectnotonlyinFlorence,butinvariouspartsofItaly,infreecitiesaswellasinthecourtsofprinces……OnApril12,1334,GiottowasappointedbythecivicauthoritiesofFlorence,chiefmasteroftheCathedralworks,thecityfortifications,andallpublicarchitecturalundertakings,inaninstrumentofwhichthewordingconstitutesthemostaffectionatehomagetothe`greatanddearmaster’。GiottodiedJanuary8,1337。”——
WoltmannandWoermann’sHistoryofPainting。
ForagoodaccountoftheCampanile,seeSusanandJoannaHorner’s`WalksinFlorence’,v。I,pp。62-66;Art。in`Macmillan’sMag。’,April,1877,bySidneyColvin,——`Giotto’sGospelofLabor’。
3。
Giotto,how,withthatsoulofyours,Couldyouplaymefalsewholovedyouso?
SomeslightsifacertainheartenduresYetitfeels,Iwouldhaveyourfellowsknow!
I’faith,IperceivenotwhyIshouldcareTobreakasilencethatsuitsthembest,ButthethinggrowssomewhathardtobearWhenIfindaGiottojointherest。
4。
OnthearchwhereolivesoverheadPrinttheblueskywithtwigandleafThatsharp-curledleafwhichtheynevershed,’Twixtthealoes,Iusedtolearninchief,Andmarkthroughthewinterafternoons,ByagiftGodgrantsmenowandthen,Inthemilddeclineofthosesunslikemoons,WhowalkedinFlorence,besideshermen——
St。4。ByagiftGodgrantsmenowandthen:thegiftofspiritualvision。
5。
Theymightchirpandchaffer,comeandgoForpleasureorprofit,hermenalive——
Mybusinesswashardlywiththem,Itrow,Butwithemptycellsofthehumanhive;——
Withthechapter-room,thecloister-porch,Thechurch’sapsis,aisleornave,Itscrypt,onefingersalongwithatorch,Itsfacesetfullforthesuntoshave。
6。
Whereverafrescopeelsanddrops,WhereveranoutlineweakensandwanesTillthelatestlifeinthepaintingstops,StandsOnewhomeachfainterpulse-tickpains:
One,wishfuleachscrapshouldclutchthebrick,Eachtingenotwhollyescapetheplaster,——Alionwhodiesofanass’skick,ThewrongedgreatsoulofanancientMaster——
St。6。”HeseestheghostsoftheearlyChristianmasters,whoseworkhasneverbeendulyappreciated,standingsadlybyeachmoulderingItalianFresco。”——Dowden。
7。
Foroh,thisworldandthewrongitdoes!
Theyaresafeinheavenwiththeirbackstoit,TheMichaelsandRafaels,youhumandbuzzRoundtheworksof,youofthelittlewit!
Dotheireyescontracttotheearth’soldscope,NowthattheyseeGodfacetoface,Andhaveallattainedtobepoets,Ihope?
’Tistheirholidaynow,inanycase。
8。
Muchtheyreckofyourpraiseandyou!
Butthewrongedgreatsouls——cantheybequitOfaworldwheretheirworkisalltodo,Whereyoustylethem,youofthelittlewit,OldMasterThisandEarlytheOther,NotdreamingthatOldandNewarefellows:
Ayoungersucceedstoanelderbrother,DaVincisderiveingoodtimefromDellos——
St。8。Muchtheyreckofyourpraiseandyou!:theMichaelsandRafaels。LeonardodaVincib。atVinci,intheVald’Arno,belowFlorence,1452;”inhimthetwolinesofartisticdescent,tracingfromclassicRomeandChristianByzantium,meet。”——Heaton’s`HistoryofPainting’。DellodiNiccoloDelli,painterandsculptor,fl。firsthalf15thcent。
9。
Andherewhereyourpraisemightyieldreturns,Andahandsomewordortwogivehelp,Here,afteryourkind,themastiffgirns,Andthepuppypackofpoodlesyelp。
What,notawordforStefanothere,Ofbrowonceprominentandstarry,CalledNature’sApeandtheworld’sdespairForhispeerlesspainting?seeVasari。——
St。9。”StefanoisextolledbyVasariashavingleftGiottohimselffarbehind,butitisverydifficulttoascertainwhatwerereallyhisworks。”——Heaton。”StefanoappearsfromLandinio’sCommentaryonDantetohavebeencalled`scimiadellanatura’,theapeofnature,whichseemstorefertothestrongrealistictendenciescommontotheschool。”——WoltmannandWoermann’sHistoryofPainting。
GiorgioVasari,anItalianpainterofArezzo,b。1512,d。1574;
authorof`Vitede’piuexcellentipittoriscultoriedarchitettori’。
Florence,1550。
10。
TherestandstheMaster。Study,myfriends,Whataman’sworkcomesto!Soheplansit,Performsit,perfectsit,makesamendsForthetoilingandmoiling,andthen,`sictransit’!
Happierthethriftyblind-folklabor,Withupturnedeyewhilethehandisbusy,Notsidlingaglanceatthecoinoftheirneighbor!
’Tislookingdownwardmakesonedizzy。
11。”Ifyouknewtheirworkyouwoulddealyourdole。”
MayItakeuponmetoinstructyou?
WhenGreekArtranandreachedthegoal,Thusmuchhadtheworldtoboast`infructu’——
TheTruthofMan,asbyGodfirstspoken,Whichtheactualgenerationsgarble,Wasre-uttered,andSoulwhichLimbsbetoken
AndLimbsSoulinformsmadenewinmarble——
St。11。”Ifyouknewtheirwork”,etc。:Thespeakerimputesthisremarktosomeone;themeaningis,ifyoureallyknewtheseoldChristianpainters,youwoulddealthemyourmiteofpraise,damnthem,perhaps,withfaintpraise,andnomore。Thepoetthenproceedstoinstructthisperson。
12。
So,yousawyourselfasyouwishedyouwere,Asyoumighthavebeen,asyoucannotbe;
Earthhere,rebukedbyOlympusthere:
AndgrewcontentinyourpoordegreeWithyourlittlepower,bythosestatues’godhead,Andyourlittlescope,bytheireyes’fullsway,Andyourlittlegrace,bytheirgraceembodied,Andyourlittledate,bytheirformsthatstay。
13。
Youwouldfainbekinglier,say,thanIam?
Evenso,youwillnotsitlikeTheseus。
Youwouldproveamodel?TheSonofPriamHasyettheadvantageinarms’andknees’use。
You’rewroth——canyouslayyoursnakelikeApollo?
You’regrieved——stillNiobe’sthegrander!
Youlive——there’stheRacers’friezetofollow:
Youdie——there’sthedyingAlexander。