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。