首页 >出版文学> An Introduction to the Study of Robert Browning’s>第47章
  Atthemealwesittogether:
  `Salvetibi!’ImusthearWisetalkofthekindofweather,Sortofseason,timeofyear:
  `Notaplenteouscork-crop:scarcelyDarewehopeoak-galls,Idoubt:
  What’stheLatinnamefor”parsley”?’
  What’stheGreeknameforSwine’sSnout?
  3。
  Whew!We’llhaveourplatterburnished,Laidwithcareonourownshelf!
  Withafire-newspoonwe’refurnished,Andagobletforourself,RinsedlikesomethingsacrificialEre’tisfittotouchourchaps——
  MarkedwithL。forourinitial!
  He-he!Therehislilysnaps!
  4。
  SAINT,forsooth!WhilebrownDoloresSquatsoutsidetheConventbankWithSanchicha,tellingstories,Steepingtressesinthetank,Blue-black,lustrous,thicklikehorse-hairs,——Can’tIseehisdeadeyeglow,Brightas’twereaBarbarycorsair’s?
  Thatis,ifhe’dletitshow!
  5。
  Whenhefinishesrefection,KnifeandforkheneverlaysCross-wise,tomyrecollection,AsdoI,inJesu’spraise。
  ItheTrinityillustrate,Drinkingwateredorange-pulp——
  InthreesipstheArianfrustrate;
  Whilehedrainshisatonegulp——
  St。5。theArian:afollowerofAriusdied336A。D。,whodeniedthattheSonwasco-essentialandco-eternalwiththeFather。
  6。
  Oh,thosemelons?Ifhe’sableWe’retohaveafeast!sonice!
  OnegoestotheAbbot’stable,Allofusgeteachaslice。
  Howgoonyourflowers?Nonedouble?
  Notonefruit-sortcanyouspy?
  Strange!——AndI,too,atsuchtrouble,Keepthemclose-nippedonthesly!
  7。
  There’sagreattextinGalatians,Onceyoutriponit,entailsTwenty-ninedistinctdamnations,Onesure,ifanotherfails:
  IfItriphimjusta-dying,Sureofheavenassurecanbe,SpinhimroundandsendhimflyingOfftohell,aManichee?——
  St。7。textinGalatians:chap。5,vv。19-21,whereareenumerated”theworksoftheflesh”。Thereareseventeennamed;
  heusestwenty-nineindefinitely;it’scommoninFrenchtousetrente-six36foranyprettybignumber。
  IfItriphim:WhatifI;andsoinnextstanza。
  aManichee:afollowerofMani,whoaimedtouniteParseeism,orParsism,withChristianity。
  8。
  Or,myscrofulousFrenchnovelOngraypaperwithblunttype!
  Simplyglanceatit,yougrovelHandandfootinBelial’sgripe:
  IfIdoubledownitspagesAtthewofulsixteenthprint,Whenhegathershisgreengages,Opeasieveandslipitin’t?
  9。
  Or,there’sSatan!——onemightventurePledgeone’ssoultohim,yetleaveSuchaflawintheindentureAshe’dmisstill,pastretrieve,Blastedlaythatrose-acaciaWe’resoproudof!Hy,Zy,Hine……
  ’St,there’sVespers!PlenagratiaAve,Virgo!Gr-r-r——youswine!——
  St。9。Hy,Zy,Hine:representthesoundofthevesperbell。
  Holy-CrossDay。
  OnwhichtheJewswereforcedtoattendanAnnualChristianSermoninRome——
  *”ByabullofGregoryXIII。intheyear1584,allJewsabovetheageoftwelveyearswerecompelledtolisteneveryweektoasermonfromaChristianpriest;usuallyanexpositionofsomepassagesoftheOldTestament,andespeciallythoserelatingtotheMessiah,fromtheChristianpointofview。Thisburdenisnotyetwhollyremovedfromthem;andtothisday,severaltimesinthecourseofayear,aJewishcongregationisgatheredtogetherinthechurchofS。AngeloinPescheria,andconstrainedtolistentoahomilyfromaDominicanfriar,towhom,unlesshiszealhaveeatenuphisgoodfeelingsandhisgoodtaste,theceremonymustbeaspainfulastohishearers。
  Inthesamespiritofvulgarpersecution,thereisuponthegableofachurch,oppositeoneofthegatesoftheGhetto,afrescopaintingoftheCrucifixion,and,underneath,aninscriptioninHebrewandLatin,fromthe2dand3dversesofthe65thchapterofIsaiah——
  `Ihavespreadoutmyhandsallthedayuntoarebelliouspeople,whichwalkethinawaythatwasnotgood,aftertheirownthoughts;
  apeoplethatprovokethmetoangercontinuallytomyface。’”——
  GeorgeS。Hillard’sSixMonthsinItaly。1853。——
  [”NowwascomeaboutHoly-CrossDay,andnowmustmylordpreachhisfirstsermontotheJews:asitwasofoldcaredforinthemercifulbowelsoftheChurch,that,sotospeak,acrumb,atleast,fromherconspicuoustablehereinRome,shouldbe,thoughbutonceyearly,casttothefamishingdogs,under-trampledandbespitten-uponbeneaththefeetoftheguests。
  Andamovingsightintruth,this,ofsomanyofthebesottedblindrestifandready-to-perishHebrews!nowmaternallybrought——nayforHesaith,`Compelthemtocomein’,haled,asitwere,bytheheadandhair,andagainsttheirobstinatehearts,topartakeoftheheavenlygrace。Whatawakening,whatstrivingwithtears,whatworkingofayeastyconscience!Norwasmylordwantingtohimselfonsoaptanoccasion;witnesstheabundanceofconversionswhichdidincontinentlyrewardhim:thoughnottomylordbealtogethertheglory。”——DiarybytheBishop’sSecretary,1600。]
  WhattheJewsreallysaid,onthusbeingdriventochurch,wasrathertothiseffect:——
  1。
  Fee,faw,fum!bubbleandsqueak!
  BlessedestThursday’sthefatoftheweek。
  Rumbleandtumble,sleekandrough,Stinkingandsavory,smugandgruff,Takethechurch-road,forthebell’sduechimeGivesusthesummons——’tissermon-time!
  2。
  Boh,here’sBarnabas!Job,that’syou?
  UpstumpsSolomon——bustlingtoo?
  Shame,man!greedybeyondyouryearsTohandselthebishop’sshaving-shears?
  Fairplay’sajewel!Leavefriendsinthelurch?
  Standonalineereyoustartforthechurch!
  3。
  Higgledypiggledy,packedwelie,Ratsinahamper,swineinasty,Waspsinabottle,frogsinasieve,Wormsinacarcass,fleasinasleeve。
  Hist!squareshoulders,settleyourthumbsAndbuzzforthebishop——herehecomes。
  4。
  Bow,wow,wow——aboneforthedog!
  IlikenhisGracetoanacornedhog。
  What,aboyathisside,withthebloomofalass,Tohelpandhandlemylord’shour-glass!
  Didsteverbeholdsolitheachine?
  Hischeekhathlapslikeafresh-singedswine。
  5。
  Aaron’sasleep——shovehiptohaunch,Orsomebodydealhimadiginthepaunch!
  Lookatthepursewiththetasselandknob,Andthegownwiththeangelandthingumbob!
  What’sheat,quotha?readinghistext!
  Nowyou’vehiscurtsey——andwhatcomesnext?
  6。
  Seetoourconverts——youdoomedblackdozen——
  Nostealingaway——norcognorcozen!
  Youfive,thatwerethieves,deserveitfairly;
  Youseven,thatwerebeggars,willlivelesssparely;
  Youtookyourturnanddippedinthehat,Gotfortune——andfortunegetsyou;mindthat!
  7。
  Giveyourfirstgroan——compunction’satwork;
  Andsoft!fromaJewyoumounttoaTurk。
  Lo,Micah,——theselfsamebeardonchinHewasfourtimesalreadyconvertedin!
  Here’saknife,clipquick——it’sasignofgrace——
  Orheruinsusallwithhishanging-face。
  8。
  Whomnowisthebishopa-leeringat?
  Iknowapointwherehistextfallspat。
  I’lltellhimto-morrow,awordjustnowWenttomyheartandmademevowTomeddlenomorewiththeworstoftrades:
  Letsomebodyelseplayhisserenades!
  9。
  Groanalltogethernow,whee——hee——hee!
  It’sa-work,it’sa-work,ah,woeisme!
  Itbegan,whenaherdofus,pickedandplaced,WerespurredthroughtheCorso,strippedtothewaist;
  Jewbrutes,withsweatandbloodwellspentTousherinworthilyChristianLent。
  10。
  Itgrew,whenthehangmanenteredourbounds,Yelled,prickedusouttohischurchlikehounds:
  Itgottoapitch,whenthehandindeedWhichguttedmypurse,wouldthrottlemycreed:
  Anditoverflows,when,toeventheodd,MenIhelpedtotheirsins,helpmetotheirGod。
  11。
  Butnow,whilethescapegoatsleaveourflock,Andtherestsitsilentandcounttheclock,SinceforcedtomusetheappointedtimeOnthesepreciousfactsandtruthssublime,——
  Letusfitlyemployit,underourbreath,InsayingBenEzra’sSongofDeath。
  12。
  ForRabbiBenEzra,thenighthedied,Calledsonsandsons’sonstohisside,Andspoke,”Thisworldhasbeenharshandstrange;
  Somethingiswrong:thereneedethachange。
  Butwhat,orwhere?atthelastorfirst?
  Inonepointonlywesinned,atworst——
  St。12。RabbiBenEzra:seebiographicalsketchsubjoinedtotheArgumentoftheMonologueentitled`RabbiBenEzra’。
  13。”TheLordwillhavemercyonJacobyet,AndagaininhisborderseeIsraelset。
  WhenJudahbeholdsJerusalem,Thestranger-seedshallbejoinedtothem:
  ToJacob’shouseshalltheGentilescleave,SotheProphetsaithandhissonsbelieve。
  14。”Ay,thechildrenofthechosenraceShallcarryandbringthemtotheirplace:
  InthelandoftheLordshallleadthesame,Bondsmenandhandmaids。Whoshallblame,Whentheslavesenslave,theoppressedoneso’erTheoppressortriumphforevermore!
  15。”Godspoke,andgaveusthewordtokeep:
  Badeneverfoldthehandsnorsleep’Midafaithlessworld,——atwatchandward,TillChristattheendrelieveourguard。
  ByhisservantMosesthewatchwasset:
  Thoughnearuponcock-crow,wekeepityet。
  16。”Thou!ifthouwasthe,whoatmid-watchcame,Bythestarlight,namingadubiousname!
  Andif,tooheavywithsleep——toorashWithfear——Othou,ifthatmartyr-gashFellontheecomingtotakethineown,AndwegavetheCross,whenweowedtheThrone——
  17。”ThouarttheJudge。Wearebruisedthus。
  But,theJudgmentover,joinsideswithus!
  Thinetooisthecause!andnotmorethineThanours,istheworkofthesedogsandswine,Whoselifelaughsthroughandspitsattheircreed,Whomaintaintheeinword,anddefytheeindeed!
  18。”WewithstoodChristthen?BemindfulhowAtleastwewithstandBarabbasnow!
  Wasouroutragesore?Buttheworstwespared,Tohavecalledthese——Christians,hadwedared!
  Letdefiancetothempaymistrustofthee,AndRomemakeamendsforCalvary!
  19。”Bythetorture,prolongedfromagetoage,Bytheinfamy,Israel’sheritage,BytheGhetto’splague,bythegarb’sdisgrace,Bythebadgeofshame,bythefelon’splace,Bythebranding-tool,thebloodywhip,AndthesummonstoChristianfellowship,——
  St。19。Ghetto:theJews’quarterinRome,Venice,andothercities。
  ThenameissupposedtobederivedfromtheHebrew`ghet’,meaningdivision,separation,divorce。
  20。”WeboastourproofthatatleasttheJewWouldwrestChrist’snamefromtheDevil’screw。
  ThyfacetookneversodeepashadeButwefoughttheminit,Godouraid!
  Atrophytobear,aswemarch,thybandSouth,East,andontothePleasantLand!”
  [ThelatePopeabolishedthisbadbusinessofthesermon——R。B。]——
  ThelatePope:GregoryXVI。
  Saul。
  1。
  SaidAbner,”Atlastthouartcome!EreItell,erethouspeak,Kissmycheek,wishmewell!”ThenIwishedit,anddidkisshischeek。
  Andhe,”SincetheKing,Omyfriend,forthycountenancesent,Neitherdrunkennoreatenhavewe;noruntilfromhistentThoureturnwiththejoyfulassurancetheKinglivethyet,Shallourlipwiththehoneybebright,withthewaterbewet。
  Foroutoftheblackmid-tent’ssilence,aspaceofthreedays,Notasoundhathescapedtothyservants,ofprayernorofpraise,TobetokenthatSaulandthespirithaveendedtheirstrife,Andthat,faintinhistriumph,themonarchsinksbackuponlife。[10]
  2。”Yetnowmyheartleaps,Obeloved!God’schildwithhisdewOnthygraciousgoldhair,andthoseliliesstilllivingandblueJustbrokentotwineroundthyharp-strings,asifnowildheatWerenowragingtotorturethedesert!”