首页 >出版文学> An Introduction to the Study of Robert Browning’s>第34章
  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。