”his”,v。5,thesun’s。”Yethuman”,v。6:though`kindred’tothesun,yetproved`human’……`whenthefirstsummons’,etc。”Thisisthesamevoice”,v。11,i。e。,avoiceofthesameimportaswas”thefirstsummons”——oneinvokinghelp。Thenouns”interchange”,”splendour”,”benediction”,vv。17,18,19,areappositivesof”what”,v。17。”Neverconclude”,v。20,tobeconstruedwith”commence”,v。13:”Never[mayI]conclude”。”Theirutmostupandon”,v。23,tobeconstruedwith”yearn”,v。21。”so”,v。23,looksbackto”raisinghandandhead”,etc。”Somewhiteness”……v。25,”Somewanness”……v。26,tobeconstruedwith”blessingback”。
SeeanelaborateanalysisofthisInvocation,byDr。F。J。Furnivall,readattheforty-eighthmeetingoftheBrowningSociety,February25,1887,beingNo。39oftheSociety’sPapers。
But,afterall,thedifficultiesinBrowningwhichresultfromtheconstructionofthelanguage,bethatwhatitmay,arenotthemaindifficulties,ashasbeentoogenerallysupposed。
THEMAINDIFFICULTIESAREQUITEINDEPENDENTOFTHECONSTRUCTION
OFTHELANGUAGE。
Manyreaders,especiallythosewhotakeanintellectualattitudetowardallthings,intheheavensaboveandintheearthbeneath,supposethattheyarepreparedtounderstandalmostanythingwhichisunderstandableifitisonlyPUTright。Thisisamostegregiousmistake,especiallyinrespecttothesubtleandcomplexspiritualexperienceswhichthemoredeeplysubjectivepoetryembodies。
WhatDeQuinceysaysinhispaperonKant,*ofthecomprehensionofthehigherphilosophicaltruths,can,withstillbetterreason,besaidoftheresponsivenesstothehigherspiritualtruths:”Nocomplexorveryimportanttruthwaseveryettransferredinfulldevelopmentfromonemindtoanother:truthofthatcharacterisnotapieceoffurnituretobeshifted;itisaseedwhichmustbesown,andpassthroughtheseveralstagesofgrowth。Nodoctrineofimportancecanbetransferredinamaturedshapeintoanyman’sunderstandingfromwithout:itmustarisebyanactofgenesiswithintheunderstandingitself。”——
*`LetterstoaYoungMan’。LetterV——
Andsoitmaybesaidinregardtotheresponsivenesstothehigherspiritualtruths——Idon’tsayCOMPREHENSIONofthehigherspiritualtruthsthatwordpertainsrathertoanintellectualgrasp,butRESPONSIVENESStothehigherspiritualtruths。Spiritualtruthsmustbespirituallyrespondedto;
theyarenotandcannotbeintellectuallycomprehended。Theconditionofsuchresponsivenessitmayrequirealongwhiletofulfil。
Newattitudesofthesoul,ameta/noia,maybedemanded,beforesuchresponsivenessispossible。Andwhatsomepeoplemayregardinthehigherpoetryasobscure,byreasonofthemodeofitspresentationonthepartofthepoet,maybeonlyrelativelyso——thatis,theobscuritymaybewhollyduetothewrongattitudes,orthenoattitudes,oftheirownsouls,andtothelimitationsoftheirspiritualexperiences。Inthatcase”thepatientmustministertohimself”。
Whileonthesubjectof”obscurity”,ImustnoticeadifficultywhichthereaderatfirstexperiencesinhisstudyofBrowning’spoetry——adifficultyresultingfromthepoet’sfavoriteart-form,thedramaticorpsychologicmonologue。*Thelargestportionofhisvoluminouspoetryisinthisform。Somespeakerismadetorevealhischaracter,and,sometimes,byreflection,ordirectly,thecharacterofsomeoneelse——tosetforthsomesubtleandcomplexsoul-mood,somesupreme,all-determiningmovementorexperienceofalife;or,itmaybe,toRATIOCINATEsubtlyonsomecuriousquestionoftheology,morals,philosophy,orart。Nowitisinstrictlypreservingthemonologuecharacterthatobscurityoftenresults。Amonologueoftenbeginswithastartlingabruptness,andthereadermustreadalongsomedistancebeforehegatherswhatthebeginningmeans。
TakethemonologueofFraLippoLippiforexample。Thesituationisnecessarilyleftmoreorlessunexplained。Thepoetsaysnothing`inpropriapersona’,andnoreplyismadetothespeakerbythepersonorpersonsaddressed。Sometimesalook,agesture,oraremark,mustbesupposedonthepartoftheoneaddressed,whichoccasionsaresponsiveremark。SometimesthespeakerIMPUTES
aquestion;andthereaderissometimesobligedtostopandconsiderwhetheraquestionisimputedbythespeakertotheoneheisaddressing,orisadirectquestionofhisown。Thisisoftenthecasethroughout`TheRingandtheBook’。Buttotheinitiated,thesefeaturesofthemonologuepresentlittleornodifficulty,andtheyconducetogreatcompactnessofcomposition——
aclosenessoftexturewhichthereadercomesintimetoenjoy,andtoprefertoamorelooselywovendiction。
*Thedramaticmonologuediffersfromasoliloquyinthis:
whilethereisbutonespeaker,thepresenceofasilentsecondpersonissupposed,towhomtheargumentsofthespeakerareaddressed。
PerhapssuchasituationmaybetermedanoveltyofinventioninourPoet。Itisobviousthatthedramaticmonologuegainsoverthesoliloquyinthatitallowstheartistgreaterroominwhichtoworkouthisconceptionofcharacter。Wecannotgazelongatasolitaryfigureonacanvas,howeverpowerfullytreated,withoutfeelingsomeneedofrelief。Inthesamewayasoliloquycomp。thegreatsoliloquiesofShakespearecannotbeprotractedtoanygreatlengthwithoutwearyingthelistener。Thethoughtsofamaninself-communionareapttoruninacertaincircle,andtoassumeamonotony。Theintroductionofasecondpersonactingpowerfullyuponthespeakerthroughout,drawsthelatterforthintoamorecompleteandvariedexpressionofhismind。
Thesilentpersoninthebackground,whomaybeallthetimemasterofthesituation,suppliesapowerfulstimulustotheimaginationofthereader——Rev。Prof。E。Johnson’s”Paperon`BishopBlougram’sApology’”`BrowningSoc。Papers’,Pt。III。,p。279——
Themonologueentitled`MyLastDuchess。Ferrara’isagoodexampleoftheconstitutionofthisart-form。Itisoneofthemostperfectinartistictreatment,andexhibitsallthefeaturesIhavejustnoticed。
Originally,thismonologueandthatnowentitled`CountGismond。
AixinProvence’,hadthecommontitle,`ItalyandFrance’,theformerbeingNo。I。Italy;thelatter,No。II。France。Thepoet,nodoubt,afterwardthoughtthattheDukeoftheonemonologue,andtheCountoftheother,couldnotjustlybepresentedasrepresentatives,respectively,ofItalyandFrance。
Ingivingthemonologuesnewtitles,`MyLastDuchess’and`CountGismond’,headdedtotheone,`Ferrara’,andtotheother,`AixinProvence’,thuslocallyrestrictingtheorderofcharacterwhichtheyseverallyrepresent。
In`MyLastDuchess’,thespeakerisasoullessVIRTUOSO——
anaturalproductofaproud,arrogant,andexclusivearistocracy,ontheonehand,andontheother,ofanoldandeffetecity,likeFerrara,whereart,ratherthanministeringtosoul-lifeandtruemanlinessofcharacter,hasbecomeanendtoitself——
isvaluedforitsownsake。
TheDukeisshowing,withtheweakprideofthemerevirtuoso,aportraitofhislastDuchess,tosomeonewhohasbeensenttonegotiateanothermarriage。Weseethatheishavinganentertainmentorreceptionofsomekindinhispalace,andthathehaswithdrawnfromthecompanywiththeenvoytothepicture-galleryonanupperfloor。Hehaspulledasidethecurtainfrombeforetheportrait,andinremarkingontheexpressionwhichtheartist,FraPandolf,hasgiventotheface,heismadetorevealafiendishjealousyonhispart,occasionedbythesweetnessandjoyousnessofhislateDuchess,who,hethought,shouldshowinterestinnothingbuthisownfossilizedself。”Shehad,”hesays,”aheart——
howshallIsay?——toosoonmadeglad,tooeasilyimpressed;
shelikedwhate’ershelookedon,andherlookswenteverywhere。
Sir,’twasallone!Myfavouratherbreast,thedroppingofthedaylightintheWest,theboughofcherriessomeofficiousfoolbrokeintheorchardforher,thewhitemulesherodewithroundtheterrace——allandeachwoulddrawfromheraliketheapprovingspeech,orblush,atleast。Shethankedmen,——good!
butthankedsomehow——Iknownothow——asifsherankedmygiftofanine-hundred-years-oldnamewithanybody’sgift。”
Herfreshinterestinthings,andthesweetsmileshehadforall,duetoageneroussoul-life,provedfataltothelovelyDuchess:”Ohsir,shesmiled,nodoubt,whene’erIpassedher;butwhopassedwithoutmuchthesamesmile?Thisgrew;Igavecommands;
thenallsmilesstoppedtogether。”
Hesucceeded,andheseemstobeproudofit,inshuttingoffallherlife-currents,pure,andfresh,andsparkling,astheywere,andwemustsupposethatshethansankslowlyanduncomplaininglyaway。
Whatadeeppathosthereisin”thenallsmilesstoppedtogether”!*——
*”Igavecommands”certainlymustnotbeunderstoodtomeancommandsforherdeath,asitisunderstoodbythewriterofthearticlesin`TheSaintPaul’sMagazine’forDecember,1870,andJanuary,1871。
{SeePreface:NotetotheThirdEdition。}——
Thecontemptiblemeannessandselfishnessofjealousywereneverexhibitedwithgreaterpower,thantheyareexhibitedinthisshortmonologue——apowerlargelyduetotheartistictreatment。
ThejealousyofLeontes,in`TheWinter’sTale’,ofShakespeare,isnobilityitself,incomparisonwiththeDuke’s。Howdistinctly,whileindirectly,thesweetDuchessis,withafewmasterlytouches,placedbeforeus!Thepoetshowshisartisticskillespeciallyinhisindirect,reflectedportraitures。
Thisshortcomposition,comprisingasitdoesbutfifty-sixlines,is,ofitself,sufficienttoprovethepoetaconsummateartist。
Tennyson’sTECHNIQUEisquiteperfect,almost”faultilyfaultless”,indeed;butinnooneofhiscompositionshasheshownanequaldegreeofart-power,inthehighestsenseoftheword。
{`MyLastDuchess’}”That’smylastDuchesspaintedonthewall,Lookingasifshewerealive。IcallThatpieceawonder,now:FraPandolf’shandsWorkedbusilyaday,andthereshestands。
Will’tpleaseyousitandlookather?Isaid,`FraPandolf’bydesign:forneverreadStrangerslikeyouthatpicturedcountenance,Thedepthandpassionofitsearnestglance,ButtomyselftheyturnedsincenoneputsbyThecurtainIhavedrawnforyou,butI
Andseemedastheywouldaskme,iftheydurst,Howsuchaglancecamethere;so,notthefirstAreyoutoturnandaskthus。Sir,’twasnotHerhusband’spresenceonly,calledthatspotOfjoyintotheDuchess’cheek:perhapsFraPandolfchancedtosay`HermantlelapsOvermylady’swristtoomuch’,or`PaintMustneverhopetoreproducethefaintHalf-flushthatdiesalongherthroat’:suchstuffWascourtesy,shethought,andcauseenoughForcallingupthatspotofjoy。ShehadAheart——howshallIsay?——toosoonmadeglad,Tooeasilyimpressed;shelikedwhate’erShelookedon,andherlookswenteverywhere。
Sir,’twasallone!Myfavouratherbreast,ThedroppingofthedaylightintheWest,TheboughofcherriessomeofficiousfoolBrokeintheorchardforher,thewhitemuleSherodewithroundtheterrace——allandeachWoulddrawfromheraliketheapprovingspeech,Orblush,atleast。Shethankedmen,——good!butthankedSomehow——Iknownothow——asifsherankedMygiftofanine-hundred-years-oldnameWithanybody’sgift。Who’dstooptoblameThissortoftrifling?EvenhadyouskillInspeech——whichIhavenot——tomakeyourwillQuitecleartosuchanone,andsay,`JustthisOrthatinyoudisgustsme;hereyoumiss,Orthereexceedthemark’——andifsheletHerselfbelessonedso,norplainlysetHerwitstoyours,forsooth,andmadeexcuse,——E’enthenwouldbesomestooping;andIchooseNevertostoop。Ohsir,shesmiled,nodoubt,Whene’erIpassedher;butwhopassedwithoutMuchthesamesmile?Thisgrew;Igavecommands;
Thenallsmilesstoppedtogether。ThereshestandsAsifalive。Will’tpleaseyourise?We’llmeetThecompanybelow,then。Irepeat,TheCountyourmaster’sknownmunificenceIsamplewarrantthatnojustpretenceOfminefordowrywillbedisallowed;
Thoughhisfairdaughter’sself,asIavowedAtstarting,ismyobject。Nay,we’llgoTogetherdown,sir。NoticeNeptune,though,Tamingasea-horse,thoughtararity,WhichClausofInnsbruckcastinbronzeforme!*——
*ClausofInnsbruckandalsoFraPandolfv。3areimaginaryartists。