Introduction to Robert Browning [39]
no difficulty at all; for in Latin, the relations of words are more independent of their collocation, being indicated by their inflections.
The meaning of the parenthesis is, and, independently of the context, a second glance takes it in (the wonder is, Mr. Hutton didn't take it in), -- "To be themselves made by him [to] act, Not each of them watch Sordello acting."
There are two or three characteristics of the poet's diction which may be noticed here: --
1. The suppression of the relative, both nominative and accusative or dative, is not uncommon; and, until the reader becomes familiar with it, it often gives, especially if the suppression is that of a subject relative, a momentary, but only a momentary, check to the understanding of a passage.
The following examples are from `The Ring and the Book': -- "Checking the song of praise in me, had else Swelled to the full for God's will done on earth." I. The Ring and the Book, v. 591. i.e., which had (would have) else swelled to the full, etc. "This that I mixed with truth, motions of mine That quickened, made the inertness malleolable O' the gold was not mine," -- I. The Ring and the Book, v. 703. "Harbouring in the centre of its sense A hidden germ of failure, shy but sure, Should neutralize that honesty and leave That feel for truth at fault, as the way is too." I. The Ring and the Book, v. 851. "Elaborate display of pipe and wheel Framed to unchoak, pump up and pour apace Truth in a flowery foam shall wash the world." I. The Ring and the Book, v. 1113. "see in such A star shall climb apace and culminate," III. The Other Half Rome, v. 846. "Guido, by his folly, forced from them The untoward avowal of the trick o' the birth, Would otherwise be safe and secret now." IV. Tertium Quid, v. 1599. "so I Lay, and let come the proper throe would thrill Into the ecstasy and outthrob pain." VI. Giuseppe Caponsacchi, v. 972. "blind? Ay, as a man would be inside the sun, Delirious with the plentitude of light Should interfuse him to the finger-ends" -- X. The Pope, 1564. "You have the sunrise now, joins truth to truth." X. The Pope, 1763. "One makes fools look foolisher fifty-fold By putting in their place the wise like you, To take the full force of an argument Would buffet their stolidity in vain." XI. Guido, 858.
Here the infinitive "To take" might be understood, at first look, as the subject of "Would buffet"; but it depends on "putting", etc., and the subject relative "that" is suppressed: "an argument [that] would buffet their stolidity in vain."
"Will you hear truth can do no harm nor good?" XI. Guido, 1915. "I who, with outlet for escape to heaven, Would tarry if such flight allowed my foe To raise his head, relieved of that firm foot Had pinned him to the fiery pavement else!" XI. Guido, 2099. i.e., "that firm foot [that] had (would have) pinned." . . ."ponder, ere ye pass, Each incident of this strange human play Privily acted on a theatre, Was deemed secure from every gaze but God's," -- XII. The Book and the Ring, v. 546. "As ye become spectators of this scene -- * * * * * -- A soul made weak by its pathetic want Of just the first apprenticeship to sin, Would thenceforth make the sinning soul secure From all foes save itself, that's truliest foe," -- XII. The Book and the Ring, v. 559. i.e., "sin, [that] would." "Was he proud, -- a true scion of the stock Which bore the blazon, shall make bright my page" -- XII. The Book
The meaning of the parenthesis is, and, independently of the context, a second glance takes it in (the wonder is, Mr. Hutton didn't take it in), -- "To be themselves made by him [to] act, Not each of them watch Sordello acting."
There are two or three characteristics of the poet's diction which may be noticed here: --
1. The suppression of the relative, both nominative and accusative or dative, is not uncommon; and, until the reader becomes familiar with it, it often gives, especially if the suppression is that of a subject relative, a momentary, but only a momentary, check to the understanding of a passage.
The following examples are from `The Ring and the Book': -- "Checking the song of praise in me, had else Swelled to the full for God's will done on earth." I. The Ring and the Book, v. 591. i.e., which had (would have) else swelled to the full, etc. "This that I mixed with truth, motions of mine That quickened, made the inertness malleolable O' the gold was not mine," -- I. The Ring and the Book, v. 703. "Harbouring in the centre of its sense A hidden germ of failure, shy but sure, Should neutralize that honesty and leave That feel for truth at fault, as the way is too." I. The Ring and the Book, v. 851. "Elaborate display of pipe and wheel Framed to unchoak, pump up and pour apace Truth in a flowery foam shall wash the world." I. The Ring and the Book, v. 1113. "see in such A star shall climb apace and culminate," III. The Other Half Rome, v. 846. "Guido, by his folly, forced from them The untoward avowal of the trick o' the birth, Would otherwise be safe and secret now." IV. Tertium Quid, v. 1599. "so I Lay, and let come the proper throe would thrill Into the ecstasy and outthrob pain." VI. Giuseppe Caponsacchi, v. 972. "blind? Ay, as a man would be inside the sun, Delirious with the plentitude of light Should interfuse him to the finger-ends" -- X. The Pope, 1564. "You have the sunrise now, joins truth to truth." X. The Pope, 1763. "One makes fools look foolisher fifty-fold By putting in their place the wise like you, To take the full force of an argument Would buffet their stolidity in vain." XI. Guido, 858.
Here the infinitive "To take" might be understood, at first look, as the subject of "Would buffet"; but it depends on "putting", etc., and the subject relative "that" is suppressed: "an argument [that] would buffet their stolidity in vain."
"Will you hear truth can do no harm nor good?" XI. Guido, 1915. "I who, with outlet for escape to heaven, Would tarry if such flight allowed my foe To raise his head, relieved of that firm foot Had pinned him to the fiery pavement else!" XI. Guido, 2099. i.e., "that firm foot [that] had (would have) pinned." . . ."ponder, ere ye pass, Each incident of this strange human play Privily acted on a theatre, Was deemed secure from every gaze but God's," -- XII. The Book and the Ring, v. 546. "As ye become spectators of this scene -- * * * * * -- A soul made weak by its pathetic want Of just the first apprenticeship to sin, Would thenceforth make the sinning soul secure From all foes save itself, that's truliest foe," -- XII. The Book and the Ring, v. 559. i.e., "sin, [that] would." "Was he proud, -- a true scion of the stock Which bore the blazon, shall make bright my page" -- XII. The Book