Introduction to Robert Browning [149]
First, Jove's brow, Juno's eyes were swept away, But Jove's wrath, Juno's pride continued long; At last, will, power, and love discarded these, So law in turn discards power, love, and will. What proveth God is otherwise at least? [420] All else, projection from the mind of man!'
-- 367. And let us ask and answer: John's talk, it must be understood, is with future people, not with the attendants.
368. My book speaks on: that is, to people of all futures, because it cannot pass away.
371. What truth, etc.: that is, truth is soon perverted, obscured, and often turned into positive untruth.
372. Wonders, that would prove doctrine: that is, whose purpose was to prove.
385. Comes to be considered as something outside of, and distinct from, himself. --
"Nay, do not give me wine, for I am strong, But place my gospel where I put my hands.
"I say that man was made to grow, not stop; That help, he needed once, and needs no more, [425] Having grown but an inch by, is withdrawn: For he hath new needs, and new helps to these. This imports solely, man should mount on each New height in view; the help whereby he mounts, The ladder-rung his foot has left, may fall, [430] Since all things suffer change save God the Truth. Man apprehends Him newly at each stage Whereat earth's ladder drops, its service done; And nothing shall prove twice what once was proved. You stick a garden-plot with ordered twigs [435] To show inside lie germs of herbs unborn, And check the careless step would spoil their birth; But when herbs wave, the guardian twigs may go, Since should ye doubt of virtues, question kinds, It is no longer for old twigs ye look, [440] Which proved once underneath lay store of seed, But to the herb's self, by what light ye boast, For what fruit's signs are. This book's fruit is plain, Nor miracles need prove it any more. Doth the fruit show? Then miracles bade 'ware [445] At first of root and stem, saved both till now From trampling ox, rough boar, and wanton goat. What? Was man made a wheelwork to wind up, And be discharged, and straight wound up anew? No! -- grown, his growth lasts; taught, he ne'er forgets: [450] May learn a thousand things, not twice the same. This might be pagan teaching: now hear mine.
-- 424. Here John's answer begins to the questioning and reasoning contained in vv. 370-421.
In vv. 424-434, is contained a favorite teaching of Browning. It appears in various forms throughout his poetry. See the quotation from `Luria', p. 38.
428. This imports solely: this is the one all important thing.
428-430. A similar comparison is used in `Julius Caesar', A. II., S. I., 22-27: . . ."lowliness is young ambition's ladder, Whereto the climber-upward turns his face; But when he once attains the upmost round, He then unto the ladder turns his back, Looks in the clouds, scorning the base degrees By which he did ascend."
452. This might be pagan teaching: that is, even pagan teaching might go so far as this. --
"I say, that as the babe, you feed awhile, Becomes a boy and fit to feed himself, So, minds at first must be spoon-fed with truth: [455] When they can eat, babe's nurture is withdrawn. I fed the babe whether it would or no: I bid the boy or feed himself or starve. I cried once, `That ye may believe in Christ, Behold this blind man shall receive his sight!' [460] I cry now, `Urgest thou, FOR I AM SHREWD, AND SMILE AT STORIES HOW JOHN'S WORD COULD CURE -- REPEAT THAT MIRACLE AND TAKE MY FAITH?' I say, that miracle was duly wrought When, save for it, no faith was possible. [465] Whether a change were wrought i' the shows o' the world, Whether the change came from our minds which see Of shows o' the world so much as and no more Than God wills for His purpose, -- (what do I See now, suppose you, there where you see rock [470] Round us?) -- I know not; such was the effect, So faith grew, making void more miracles Because too
-- 367. And let us ask and answer: John's talk, it must be understood, is with future people, not with the attendants.
368. My book speaks on: that is, to people of all futures, because it cannot pass away.
371. What truth, etc.: that is, truth is soon perverted, obscured, and often turned into positive untruth.
372. Wonders, that would prove doctrine: that is, whose purpose was to prove.
385. Comes to be considered as something outside of, and distinct from, himself. --
"Nay, do not give me wine, for I am strong, But place my gospel where I put my hands.
"I say that man was made to grow, not stop; That help, he needed once, and needs no more, [425] Having grown but an inch by, is withdrawn: For he hath new needs, and new helps to these. This imports solely, man should mount on each New height in view; the help whereby he mounts, The ladder-rung his foot has left, may fall, [430] Since all things suffer change save God the Truth. Man apprehends Him newly at each stage Whereat earth's ladder drops, its service done; And nothing shall prove twice what once was proved. You stick a garden-plot with ordered twigs [435] To show inside lie germs of herbs unborn, And check the careless step would spoil their birth; But when herbs wave, the guardian twigs may go, Since should ye doubt of virtues, question kinds, It is no longer for old twigs ye look, [440] Which proved once underneath lay store of seed, But to the herb's self, by what light ye boast, For what fruit's signs are. This book's fruit is plain, Nor miracles need prove it any more. Doth the fruit show? Then miracles bade 'ware [445] At first of root and stem, saved both till now From trampling ox, rough boar, and wanton goat. What? Was man made a wheelwork to wind up, And be discharged, and straight wound up anew? No! -- grown, his growth lasts; taught, he ne'er forgets: [450] May learn a thousand things, not twice the same. This might be pagan teaching: now hear mine.
-- 424. Here John's answer begins to the questioning and reasoning contained in vv. 370-421.
In vv. 424-434, is contained a favorite teaching of Browning. It appears in various forms throughout his poetry. See the quotation from `Luria', p. 38.
428. This imports solely: this is the one all important thing.
428-430. A similar comparison is used in `Julius Caesar', A. II., S. I., 22-27: . . ."lowliness is young ambition's ladder, Whereto the climber-upward turns his face; But when he once attains the upmost round, He then unto the ladder turns his back, Looks in the clouds, scorning the base degrees By which he did ascend."
452. This might be pagan teaching: that is, even pagan teaching might go so far as this. --
"I say, that as the babe, you feed awhile, Becomes a boy and fit to feed himself, So, minds at first must be spoon-fed with truth: [455] When they can eat, babe's nurture is withdrawn. I fed the babe whether it would or no: I bid the boy or feed himself or starve. I cried once, `That ye may believe in Christ, Behold this blind man shall receive his sight!' [460] I cry now, `Urgest thou, FOR I AM SHREWD, AND SMILE AT STORIES HOW JOHN'S WORD COULD CURE -- REPEAT THAT MIRACLE AND TAKE MY FAITH?' I say, that miracle was duly wrought When, save for it, no faith was possible. [465] Whether a change were wrought i' the shows o' the world, Whether the change came from our minds which see Of shows o' the world so much as and no more Than God wills for His purpose, -- (what do I See now, suppose you, there where you see rock [470] Round us?) -- I know not; such was the effect, So faith grew, making void more miracles Because too