Robert Browning - The Complete Poems of Robert Browning - 22 Poetry Collections in One Edition

“‘Nothing remains,’ Taurello said, ‘but wait

“‘Some rash procedure: Palma was the link,

“‘As Agnes’ child, between us, and they shrink

“‘From losing Palma: judge if we advance,

“‘Your father’s method, your inheritance!’

“The day I was betrothed to Boniface

“At Padua by Taurello’s self, took place

“The outrage of the Ferrarese: again,

“The day I sought Verona with the train

“Agreed for, — by Taurello’s policy

“Convicting Richard of the fault, since we

“Were present to annul or to confirm, —

“Richard, whose patience had outstayed its term,

“Quitted Verona for the siege.

”And now

“What glory may engird Sordello’s brow

“Through this? A month since at Oliero slunk

“All that was Ecelin into a monk;

“But how could Salinguerra so forget

“His liege of thirty years as grudge even yet

“One effort to recover him? He sent

“Forthwith the tidings of this last event

“To Ecelin — declared that he, despite

“The recent folly, recognized his right

“To order Salinguerra: ‘Should he wring

“‘Its uttermost advantage out, or fling

“‘This chance away? Or were his sons now Head

“‘O’ the House?’ Through me Taurello’s missive sped;

“My father’s answer will by me return.

“Behold! ‘For him,’ he writes, ‘no more concern

“‘With strife than, for his children, with fresh plots

“‘Of Friedrich. Old engagements out he blots

“‘For aye: Taurello shall no more subserve,

“‘Nor Ecelin impose.’ Lest this unnerve

“Taurello at this juncture, slack his grip

“Of Richard, suffer the occasion slip, —

“I, in his sons’ default (who, mating with

“Este, forsake Romano as the frith

“Its mainsea for that firmland, sea makes head

“Against) I stand, Romano, — in their stead

“Assume the station they desert, and give

“Still, as the Kaiser’s representative,

“Taurello licence he demands. Midnight —

“Morning — by noon tomorrow, making light

“Of the League’s issue, we, in some gay weed

“Like yours, disguised together, may precede

“The arbitrators to Ferrara: reach

“Him, let Taurello’s noble accents teach

“The rest! Then say if I have misconceived

“Your destiny, too readily believed

“The Kaiser’s cause your own!”

And Palma’s fled.

Though no affirmative disturbs the head,

A dying lamp-flame sinks and rises o’er,

Like the alighted planet Pollux wore,

Until, morn breaking, he resolves to be

Gate-vein of this heart’s blood of Lombardy,

Soul of this body — to wield this aggregate

Of souls and bodies, and so conquer fate

Though he should live — a centre of disgust

Even — apart, core of the outward crust

He vivifies, assimilates. For thus

I bring Sordello to the rapturous

Exclaim at the crowd’s cry, because one round

Of life was quite accomplished; and he found

Not only that a soul, whate’er its might,

Is insufficient to its own delight,

Both in corporeal organs and in skill

By means of such to body forth its Will —

And, after, insufficient to apprise

Men of that Will, oblige them recognize

The Hid by the Revealed — but that, — the last

Nor lightest of the struggles overpast, —

Will, he bade abdicate, which would not void

The throne, might sit there, suffer he enjoyed

Mankind, a varied and divine array

Incapable of homage, the first way,

Nor fit to render incidentally

Tribute connived at, taken by the by,

In joys. If thus with warrant to rescind

The ignominious exile of mankind —

Whose proper service, ascertained intact

As yet, (to be by him themselves made act,

Not watch Sordello acting each of them)

Was to secure — if the true diadem

Seemed imminent while our Sordello drank

The wisdom of that golden Palma, — thank

Verona’s Lady in her citadel

Founded by Gaulish Brennus, legends tell:

And truly when she left him, the sun reared

A head like the first clamberer’s who peered

A-top the Capitol, his face on flame

With triumph, triumphing till Manlius came.

Nor slight too much my rhymes — that spring, dispread,

Dispart, disperse, lingering over head

Like an escape of angels! Rather say,

My transcendental platan! mounting gay

(An archimage so courts a novice-queen)

With tremulous silvered trunk, whence branches sheen

Laugh out, thick-foliaged next, a-shiver soon

With coloured buds, then glowing like the moon

One mild flame, — last a pause, a burst, and all

Her ivory limbs are smothered by a fall,

Bloom-flinders and fruit-sparkles and leaf-dust,

Ending the weird work prosecuted just

For her amusement; he decrepit, stark,

Dozes; her uncontrolled delight may mark

Apart —

Yet not so, surely never so

Only, as good my soul were suffered go

O’er the lagune: forth fare thee, put aside —

Entrance thy synod, as a god may glide

Out of the world he fills, and leave it mute

For myriad ages as we men compute,

Returning into it without a break

O’ the consciousness! They sleep, and I awake

O’er the lagune, being at Venice.

Note,

In just such songs as Eglamor (say) wrote

With heart and soul and strength, for he believed

Himself achieving all to be achieved

By singer — in such songs you find alone

Completeness, judge the song and singer one,

And either purpose answered, his in it

Or its in him: while from true works (to wit

Sordello’s dream-performances that will

Never be more than dreamed) escapes there still

Some proof, the singer’s proper life was ‘neath

The life his song exhibits, this a sheath

To that; a passion and a knowledge far

Transcending these, majestic as they are,

Smouldered; his lay was but an episode

In the bard’s life: which evidence you owed

To some slight weariness, some looking-off

Or start-away. The childish skit or scoff

In “Charlemagne,” (his poem, dreamed divine

In every point except one silly line

About the restiff daughters) — what may lurk

In that? “My life commenced before this work,”

(So I interpret the significance

Of the bard’s start aside and look askance)

“My life continues after: on I fare

“With no more stopping, possibly, no care

“To note the undercurrent, the why and how,

“Where, when, o’ the deeper life, as thus just now.

“But, silent, shall I cease to live? Alas

“For you! who sigh, ‘When shall it come to pass

“‘We read that story? How will he compress

“‘The future gains, his life’s true business,

“‘Into the better lay which — that one flout,

“‘Howe’er inopportune it be, lets out —

“‘Engrosses him already, though professed

“‘To meditate with us eternal rest,

“‘And partnership in all his life has found?’“

‘T is but a sailor’s promise, weather-bound:

“Strike sail, slip cable, here the bark be moored

“For once, the awning stretched, the poles assured!

“Noontide above; except the wave’s crisp dash,

“Or buzz of colibri, or tortoise’ splash,

“The margin ‘s silent: out with every spoil

“Made in our tracking, coil by mighty coil,

“This serpent of a river to his head

“I’ the midst! Admire each treasure, as we spread

“The bank, to help us tell our history