Introduction to Robert Browning [73]
who: And now was the time to revisit her tribe. Abroad and afar they went, the two, And let our people rail and gibe At the empty hall and extinguished fire, As loud as we liked, but ever in vain, Till after long years we had our desire, And back came the Duke and his mother again.
5.
And he came back the pertest little ape That ever affronted human shape; [100] Full of his travel, struck at himself. You'd say, he despised our bluff old ways? -- Not he! For in Paris they told the elf That our rough North land was the Land of Lays, The one good thing left in evil days; Since the Mid-Age was the Heroic Time, And only in wild nooks like ours Could you taste of it yet as in its prime, And see true castles with proper towers, Young-hearted women, old-minded men, [110] And manners now as manners were then. So, all that the old Dukes had been, without knowing it, This Duke would fain know he was, without being it; 'Twas not for the joy's self, but the joy of his showing it, Nor for the pride's self, but the pride of our seeing it, He revived all usages thoroughly worn-out, The souls of them fumed-forth, the hearts of them torn-out: And chief in the chase his neck he perilled, On a lathy horse, all legs and length, With blood for bone, all speed, no strength; [120] -- They should have set him on red Berold With the red eye slow consuming in fire, And the thin stiff ear like an abbey spire!
-- 101. struck at himself: astonished at his own importance.
119. lathy: long and slim.
6.
Well, such as he was, he must marry, we heard; And out of a convent, at the word, Came the lady, in time of spring. -- Oh, old thoughts they cling, they cling! That day, I know, with a dozen oaths I clad myself in thick hunting-clothes Fit for the chase of urox or buffle [130] In winter-time when you need to muffle. But the Duke had a mind we should cut a figure, And so we saw the lady arrive: My friend, I have seen a white crane bigger! She was the smallest lady alive, Made in a piece of nature's madness, Too small, almost, for the life and gladness That over-filled her, as some hive Out of the bears' reach on the high trees Is crowded with its safe merry bees: [140] In truth, she was not hard to please! Up she looked, down she looked, round at the mead, Straight at the castle, that's best indeed To look at from outside the walls: As for us, styled the "serfs and thralls", She as much thanked me as if she had said it, (With her eyes, do you understand?) Because I patted her horse while I led it; And Max, who rode on her other hand, Said, no bird flew past but she inquired [150] What its true name was, nor ever seemed tired -- If that was an eagle she saw hover, And the green and gray bird on the field was the plover, When suddenly appeared the Duke: And as down she sprung, the small foot pointed On to my hand, -- as with a rebuke, And as if his backbone were not jointed, The Duke stepped rather aside than forward, And welcomed her with his grandest smile; And, mind you, his mother all the while [160] Chilled in the rear, like a wind to nor'ward; And up, like a weary yawn, with its pulleys Went, in a shriek, the rusty portcullis; And, like a glad sky the north-wind sullies, The lady's face stopped its play, As if her first hair had grown gray; For such things must begin some one day.
-- 130. urox: wild bull; Ger. `auer-ochs'. buffle: buffalo.
7.
In a day or two she was well again; As who should say, "You labor in vain! This is all a jest against God, who meant [170] I should ever be, as I am, content And glad in his sight; therefore, glad I will be." So, smiling as at first went she.
8.
She was active, stirring, all fire -- Could not rest, could not tire -- To a stone she might have given life! (I myself loved once, in my day) -- For a shepherd's, miner's, huntsman's wife, (I had a wife, I know what I say) Never in all the world such an one! [180] And here was plenty to be done, And
5.
And he came back the pertest little ape That ever affronted human shape; [100] Full of his travel, struck at himself. You'd say, he despised our bluff old ways? -- Not he! For in Paris they told the elf That our rough North land was the Land of Lays, The one good thing left in evil days; Since the Mid-Age was the Heroic Time, And only in wild nooks like ours Could you taste of it yet as in its prime, And see true castles with proper towers, Young-hearted women, old-minded men, [110] And manners now as manners were then. So, all that the old Dukes had been, without knowing it, This Duke would fain know he was, without being it; 'Twas not for the joy's self, but the joy of his showing it, Nor for the pride's self, but the pride of our seeing it, He revived all usages thoroughly worn-out, The souls of them fumed-forth, the hearts of them torn-out: And chief in the chase his neck he perilled, On a lathy horse, all legs and length, With blood for bone, all speed, no strength; [120] -- They should have set him on red Berold With the red eye slow consuming in fire, And the thin stiff ear like an abbey spire!
-- 101. struck at himself: astonished at his own importance.
119. lathy: long and slim.
6.
Well, such as he was, he must marry, we heard; And out of a convent, at the word, Came the lady, in time of spring. -- Oh, old thoughts they cling, they cling! That day, I know, with a dozen oaths I clad myself in thick hunting-clothes Fit for the chase of urox or buffle [130] In winter-time when you need to muffle. But the Duke had a mind we should cut a figure, And so we saw the lady arrive: My friend, I have seen a white crane bigger! She was the smallest lady alive, Made in a piece of nature's madness, Too small, almost, for the life and gladness That over-filled her, as some hive Out of the bears' reach on the high trees Is crowded with its safe merry bees: [140] In truth, she was not hard to please! Up she looked, down she looked, round at the mead, Straight at the castle, that's best indeed To look at from outside the walls: As for us, styled the "serfs and thralls", She as much thanked me as if she had said it, (With her eyes, do you understand?) Because I patted her horse while I led it; And Max, who rode on her other hand, Said, no bird flew past but she inquired [150] What its true name was, nor ever seemed tired -- If that was an eagle she saw hover, And the green and gray bird on the field was the plover, When suddenly appeared the Duke: And as down she sprung, the small foot pointed On to my hand, -- as with a rebuke, And as if his backbone were not jointed, The Duke stepped rather aside than forward, And welcomed her with his grandest smile; And, mind you, his mother all the while [160] Chilled in the rear, like a wind to nor'ward; And up, like a weary yawn, with its pulleys Went, in a shriek, the rusty portcullis; And, like a glad sky the north-wind sullies, The lady's face stopped its play, As if her first hair had grown gray; For such things must begin some one day.
-- 130. urox: wild bull; Ger. `auer-ochs'. buffle: buffalo.
7.
In a day or two she was well again; As who should say, "You labor in vain! This is all a jest against God, who meant [170] I should ever be, as I am, content And glad in his sight; therefore, glad I will be." So, smiling as at first went she.
8.
She was active, stirring, all fire -- Could not rest, could not tire -- To a stone she might have given life! (I myself loved once, in my day) -- For a shepherd's, miner's, huntsman's wife, (I had a wife, I know what I say) Never in all the world such an one! [180] And here was plenty to be done, And