Theforestshaddoneit;theretheystood;
Wecaughtforamomentthepowersatplay:
Theyhadmingledusso,foronceandgood,Theirworkwasdone——wemightgoorstay,Theyrelapsedtotheirancientmood。
49。
Howtheworldismadeforeachofus!
HowallweperceiveandknowinitTendstosomemoment’sproductthus,Whenasouldeclaresitself——towit,Byitsfruit,thethingitdoes!——
St。49。”ThoseperiodsoflifewhichappearmostfullofmoralpurposetoMr。Tennyson,areperiodsofprotractedself-control,andthosemomentsstandeminentinlifeinwhichthespirithasstruggledvictoriouslyinthecauseofconscienceagainstimpulseanddesire。WithMr。Browningthemomentsaremostgloriousinwhichtheobscuretendencyofmanyyearshasbeenrevealedbythelightningofsuddenpassion,orinwhicharesolutionthatchangesthecurrentoflifehasbeentakeninrelianceuponthatinsightwhichvividemotionbestows;andthoseperiodsofourhistoryarechargedmostfullywithmoralpurpose,whichtaketheirdirectionfrommomentssuchasthese……Insuchamomentthesomewhatdullyouthof`TheInnAlbum’risesintothejusticiaryoftheHighest;
insuchamomentPolyxenawithherrightwoman’s-manliness,discoverstoCharleshisregalduty,andinfusesintoherweakerhusband,herowncourageofheart[`KingVictorandKingCharles’];andrejoicingintheremembranceofamomentofhighdevotionwhichdeterminedtheissuesofalife,thespeakerof`BytheFireside’exclaims,——
`Howtheworldismadeforeachofus!’”etc——EdwardDowden。
50。
Behatethatfruit,orlovethatfruit,Itforwardsthegeneraldeedofman,AndeachoftheManyhelpstorecruitThelifeoftheracebyageneralplan;
Eachlivinghisown,toboot。
51。
Iamnamedandknownbythatmoment’sfeat;
Theretookmystationanddegree;
Sogrewmyownsmalllifecomplete,Asnatureobtainedherbestofme——
Oneborntoloveyou,sweet!
52。
AndtowatchyousinkbythefiresidenowBackagain,asyoumutelysitMusingbyfire-light,thatgreatbrowAndthespirit-smallhandproppingit,Yonder,myheartknowshow!
53。
So,earthhasgainedbyonemanthemore,Andthegainofearthmustbeheaven’sgaintoo;
Andthewholeiswellworththinkingo’erWhenautumncomes:whichImeantodoOneday,asIsaidbefore。
Prospice——
*`Prospice’lookforwardisachallengetospiritualconflict,exultantwiththecertaintyofvictory,glowingwiththeprospectivejoyofreunionwithonewhomdeathhassentbefore——Mrs。Orr——
Feardeath?——tofeelthefoginmythroat,Themistinmyface,Whenthesnowsbegin,andtheblastsdenoteIamnearingtheplace,Thepowerofthenight,thepressofthestorm,Thepostofthefoe;
Wherehestands,theArchFearinavisibleform,Yetthestrongmanmustgo:
Forthejourneyisdoneandthesummitattained,Andthebarriersfall,[10]
Thoughabattle’stofighteretheguerdonbegained,Therewardofitall。
Iwaseverafighter,so——onefightmore,Thebestandthelast!
Iwouldhatethatdeathbandagedmyeyes,andforbore,Andbademecreeppast。
No!letmetastethewholeofit,farelikemypeersTheheroesofold,Bearthebrunt,inaminutepaygladlife’sarrearsOfpain,darkness,andcold。[20]
Forsuddentheworstturnsthebesttothebrave,Theblackminute’satend,Andtheelements’rage,thefiend-voicesthatrave,Shalldwindle,shallblend,Shallchange,shallbecomefirstapeaceoutofpain,Thenalight,thenthybreast,Othousoulofmysoul!Ishallclasptheeagain,AndwithGodbetherest!——
25。firstapeaceoutofpain:originalreading,”firstapeace,thenajoy”。
Amphibian。
1。
ThefancyIhadto-day,Fancywhichturnedafear!
Iswamfaroutinthebay,Sincewaveslaughedwarmandclear。
2。
Ilayandlookedatthesun,Thenoon-sunlookedatme:
Betweenustwo,nooneLivecreature,thatIcouldsee。
3。
Yes!TherecamefloatingbyMe,wholayfloatingtoo,Suchastrangebutterfly!
Creatureasdearasnew:
4。
BecausethemembranedwingsSowonderful,sowide,Sosun-suffused,werethingsLikesoulandnaughtbeside。
5。
Ahandbreadthoverhead!
Alloftheseamyown,Itownedtheskyinstead;
Bothofuswerealone。
6。
Inevershalljoinitsflight,Fornaughtbuoysfleshinair。
Ifittouchthesea——goodnight!
Deathsureandswiftwaitsthere。
7。
CantheinsectfeelthebetterForwatchingtheuncouthplayOflimbsthatslipthefetter,Pretendastheywerenotclay?
8。
UndoubtedlyIrejoiceThattheaircomportssowellWithacreaturewhichhadthechoiceOfthelandonce。Whocantell?
9。
WhatifacertainsoulWhichearlyslippeditssheath,AndhasforitshomethewholeOfheaven,thuslookbeneath,10。
Thuswatchonewho,intheworld,Bothlivesandlikeslife’sway,NorwishesthewingsunfurledThatsleepintheworm,theysay?
11。
ButsometimeswhentheweatherIsblue,andwarmwavestemptTofreeone’sselfoftether,Andtryalifeexempt12。
Fromworldlynoiseanddust,InthespherewhichoverbrimsWithpassionandthought,——why,justUnabletofly,oneswims!
13。
Bypassionandthoughtupborne,Onesmilestoone’sself——”TheyfareScarcebetter,theyneednotscornOursea,wholiveintheair!”
14。
EmancipatethroughpassionAndthought,withseaforsky,Wesubstitute,inafashion,Forheaven——poetry:——
St。14。for:insteadof。
15。
Whichsea,toallintent,Givesfleshsuchnoon-disportAsafinerelementAffordsthespirit-sort。
16。
Whatevertheyare,weseem:
Imaginethethingtheyknow;
Alldeedstheydo,wedream;
Canheavenbeelsebutso?
17。
Andmeantime,yonderstreakMeetsthehorizon’sverge;
Thatistheland,toseekIfwetireordreadthesurge:——
St。17。Wecanreturnfromtheseaofpassionandthought,thatis,poetry,oradeepspiritualstate,tothesolidlandagain,ofmaterialfact。
18。
Landthesolidandsafe——
Towelcomeagainconfess!
When,highanddry,wechafeThebody,anddonthedress——
St。18。Man,inhisearthlife,cannotalwaysbe”highcontemplative”,andindulgein”bravetranslunarythings”;hemustwelcomeagain,itmustbeconfessed,”landthesolidandsafe”。”Otherheightsinotherlives,Godwilling”`OneWordMore’。
19。
Doesshelook,pity,wonderAtonewhomimicsflight,Swims——heavenabove,seaunder,Yetalwaysearthinsight?——
St。19。doesshe:the”certainsoul”in9thSt。,”whichearlyslippeditssheath”。
JamesLee’sWife。
I。JamesLee’sWifespeaksattheWindow——
*Intheoriginaled。,1864,theheadingtothissectionwas`AttheWindow’;changedined。of1868——
1。
Ah,Love,butaday,Andtheworldhaschanged!
Thesun’saway,Andthebirdestranged;
Thewindhasdropped,Andthesky’sderanged:
Summerhasstopped——
St。1。Ah,Love,butaday:Rev。H。J。Bulkeley,inhispaperon`JamesLee’sWife’`BrowningSoc。Papers’,iv。,p。457,explains,”Oneday’sabsencefromhimhascausedtheworldtochange。”
It’sbettertounderstandthatsomethinghasoccurredtocausetheworldtochangeinasingleday;thatJamesLeehasmadesomenewrevelationofhimself,whichcausesthewife’shearttohavemisgivings,andwiththesemisgivingscomestheeagerdesireexpressedinSt。3,toshowherlove,whenhereturns,morestronglythanever。
2。
Lookinmyeyes!
Wiltthouchangetoo?
ShouldIfearsurprise?
ShallIfindaughtnewIntheoldanddear,Inthegoodandtrue,Withthechangingyear?
3。
Thouartaman,ButIamthylove。
Forthelake,itsswan;
Forthedell,itsdove;
Andforthee——oh,haste!
Me,tobendabove,Me,toholdembraced。
II。BytheFireside。
1。
Isallourfireofshipwreckwood,Oakandpine?
Oh,fortheillshalf-understood,ThedimdeadwoeLongagoBefallenthisbittercoastofFrance!
Well,poorsailorstooktheirchance;
Itakemine。
2。
AruddyshaftourfiremustshootO’erthesea;
Dosailorseyethecasement——muteDrenchedandstark,Fromtheirbark——
Andenvy,gnashtheirteethforhateO’thewarmsafehouseandhappyfreight——Theeandme?
3。
Godhelpyou,sailors,atyourneed!
Sparethecurse!
Forsomeships,safeinportindeed,Rotandrust,Runtodust,Allthroughwormsi’thewood,whichcrept,Gnawedourheartsoutwhileweslept:
Thatisworse。