The Complete Poems of Robert Browning - 22 Poetry Collections in One Edition. Robert Browning
“Thus marshalled in the masque! Myself, the while,
“As one of you, am witness, shrink or smile
“At my own showing! Next age — what ‘s to do?
“The men and women stationed hitherto
“Will I unstation, good and bad, conduct
“Each nature to its farthest, or obstruct
“At soonest, in the world: light, thwarted, breaks
“A limpid purity to rainbow flakes,
“Or shadow, massed, freezes to gloom: behold
“How such, with fit assistance to unfold,
“Or obstacles to crush them, disengage
“Their forms, love, hate, hope, fear, peace make, war wage,
“In presence of you all! Myself, implied
“Superior now, as, by the platform’s side,
“I bade them do and suffer, — would last content
“The world… no — that ‘s too far! I circumvent
“A few, my masque contented, and to these
“Offer unveil the last of mysteries —
“Man’s inmost life shall have yet freer play:
“Once more I cast external things away,
“And natures composite, so decompose
“That”… Why, he writes Sordello!
“How I rose,
“And how have you advanced! since evermore
“Yourselves effect what I was fain before
“Effect, what I supplied yourselves suggest,
“What I leave bare yourselves can now invest.
“How we attain to talk as brothers talk,
“In half-words, call things by half-names, no balk
“From discontinuing old aids. To-day
“Takes in account the work of Yesterday:
“Has not the world a Past now, its adept
“Consults ere he dispense with or accept
“New aids? a single touch more may enhance,
“A touch less turn to insignificance
“Those structures’ symmetry the past has strewed
“The world with, once so bare. Leave the mere rude
“Explicit details! ‘t is but brother’s speech
“We need, speech where an accent’s change gives each
“The other’s soul — no speech to understand
“By former audience: need was then to expand,
“Expatiate — hardly were we brothers! true —
“Nor I lament my small remove from you,
“Nor reconstruct what stands already. Ends
“Accomplished turn to means: my art intends
“New structure from the ancient: as they changed
“The spoils of every clime at Venice, ranged
“The horned and snouted Libyan god, upright
“As in his desert, by some simple bright
“Clay cinerary pitcher — Thebes as Rome,
“Athens as Byzant rifled, till their Dome
“From earth’s reputed consummations razed
“A seal, the all-transmuting Triad blazed
“Above. Ah, whose that fortune? Ne’ertheless
“E’en he must stoop contented to express
“No tithe of what ‘s to say — the vehicle
“Never sufficient: but his work is still
“For faces like the faces that select
“The single service I am bound effect, —
“That bid me cast aside such fancies, bow
“Taurello to the Guelf cause, disallow
“The Kaiser’s coming — which with heart, soul, strength,
“I labour for, this eve, who feel at length
“My past career’s outrageous vanity,
“And would, as its amends, die, even die
“Now I first estimate the boon of life,
“If death might win compliance — sure, this strife
“Is right for once — the People my support.”
My poor Sordello! what may we extort
By this, I wonder? Palma’s lighted eyes
Turned to Taurello who, long past surprise,
Began, “You love him — what you ‘d say at large
“Let me say briefly. First, your father’s charge
“To me, his friend, peruse: I guessed indeed
“You were no stranger to the course decreed.
“He bids me leave his children to the saints:
“As for a certain project, he acquaints
“The Pope with that, and offers him the best
“Of your possessions to permit the rest
“Go peaceably — to Ecelin, a stripe
“Of soil the cursed Vicentines will gripe,
“ — To Alberic, a patch the Trevisan
“Clutches already; extricate, who can,
“Treville, Villarazzi, Puissolo,
“Loria and Cartiglione! — all must go,
“And with them go my hopes. ‘T is lost, then! Lost
“This eve, our crisis, and some pains it cost
“Procuring; thirty years — as good I’d spent
“Like our admonisher! But each his bent
“Pursues: no question, one might live absurd
“Oneself this while, by deed as he by word
“Persisting to obtrude an influence where
“‘T is made account of, much as… nay, you fare
“With twice the fortune, youngster! — I submit,
“Happy to parallel my waste of wit
“With the renowned Sordello’s: you decide
“A course for me. Romano may abide
“Romano, — Bacchus! After all, what dearth
“Of Ecelins and Alberics on earth?
“Say there ‘s a prize in prospect, must disgrace
“Betide competitors, unless they style
“Themselves Romano? Were it worth my while
“To try my own luck! But an obscure place
“Suits me — there wants a youth to bustle, stalk
“And attitudinize — some fight, more talk,
“Most flaunting badges — how, I might make clear
“Since Friedrich’s very purposes lie here
“ — Here, pity they are like to lie! For me,
“With station fixed unceremoniously