St。36。andupgoesthespire:Giotto’splanincludedaspireof100feet,buttheprojectwasabandonedbyTaddeoGaddi,whocarriedontheworkafterthedeathofGiottoin1336。”ThemountainsfromwithoutInsilencelistenforthewordsaidnext。
Whatwordwillmensay,——herewhereGiottoplantedHisCampanilelikeanunperplexedFinequestionheaven-ward,touchingthethingsgrantedAnoblepeople,who,beinggreatlyvexedInact,inaspirationkeepundaunted?”——
Mrs。Browning’s`CasaGuidiWindows’,Pt。I。,vv。66-72。
PictorIgnotus。
[Florence,15。]
Icouldhavepaintedpictureslikethatyouth’sYepraiseso。Howmysoulspringsup!NobarStayedme——ah,thoughtwhichsaddenswhileitsoothes!——
Neverdidfateforbidme,starbystar,Tooutburstonyournight,withallmygiftOffiresfromGod:norwouldmyfleshhaveshrunkFromsecondingmysoul,witheyesupliftAndwidetoheaven,or,straightlikethunder,sunkTothecentre,ofaninstant;oraroundTurnedcalmlyandinquisitive,toscan[10]
Thelicenseandthelimit,spaceandbound,Allowedtotruthmadevisibleinman。
And,likethatyouthyepraiseso,allIsaw,Overthecanvascouldmyhandhaveflung,Eachfaceobedienttoitspassion’slaw,Eachpassionclearproclaimedwithoutatongue:
WhetherHoperoseatonceinalltheblood,A-tiptoefortheblessingofembrace,OrRapturedroopedtheeyes,aswhenherbroodPulldownthenestingdove’shearttoitsplace;[20]
OrConfidencelitswifttheforeheadup,Andlockedthemouthfast,likeacastlebraved,——
Ohumanfaces!hathitspilt,mycup?
WhatdidyegivemethatIhavenotsaved?
NorwillIsayIhavenotdreamedhowwell!
Ofgoing——I,ineachnewpicture,——forth,As,makingnewheartsbeatandbosomsswell,ToPopeorKaiser,East,West,South,orNorth,BoundforthecalmlysatisfiedgreatState,Orgladaspiringlittleburgh,itwent,[30]
Flowerscastuponthecarwhichborethefreight,Througholdstreetsnamedafreshfromtheevent,Tillitreachedhome,wherelearnedageshouldgreetMyface,andyouth,thestarnotyetdistinctAbovehishair,lielearningatmyfeet!——
Oh,thustolive,Iandmypicture,linkedWithloveabout,andpraise,tilllifeshouldend,Andthennotgotoheaven,butlingerhere,Hereonmyearth,earth’severymanmyfriend,Thethoughtgrewfrightful,’twassowildlydear![40]
Butavoicechangedit。GlimpsesofsuchsightsHavescaredme,liketherevelsthroughadoorOfsomestrangehouseofidolsatitsrites!
Thisworldseemednottheworlditwas,before:
Mixedwithmylovingtrustingones,theretrooped……WhosummonedthosecoldfacesthatbegunTopressonmeandjudgeme?ThoughIstoopedShrinking,asfromthesoldieryanun,Theydrewmeforth,andspiteofme……enough!
Thesebuyandsellourpictures,takeandgive,[50]
Countthemforgarnitureandhousehold-stuff,AndwheretheyliveneedsmustourpicturesliveAndseetheirfaces,listentotheirprate,Partakersoftheirdailypettiness,Discussedof,——”ThisIlove,orthisIhate,Thislikesmemore,andthisaffectsmeless!”
WhereforeIchosemyportion。IfatwhilesMyheartsinks,asmonotonousIpaintTheseendlesscloistersandeternalaislesWiththesameseries,Virgin,Babe,andSaint,[60]
Withthesamecoldcalmbeautifulregard,——
Atleastnomerchanttrafficsinmyheart;
Thesanctuary’sgloomatleastshallwardVaintonguesfromwheremypicturesstandapart:
OnlyprayerbreaksthesilenceoftheshrineWhile,blackeninginthedailycandle-smoke,Theymoulderonthedampwall’stravertine,’Midechoesthelightfootstepneverwoke。
So,diemypictures!surely,gentlydie!
Oyouth,menpraiseso,——holdstheirpraiseitsworth?[70]
Blownharshly,keepsthetrumpitsgoldencry?
Tastessweetthewaterwithsuchspecksofearth?——
3。ah,thoughtwhichsaddenswhileitsoothes:thethoughtsaddenshimthathehasnotrealizedhiscapabilities,andsootheshimthathehasresistedthetemptationstoearthlyfame,andbeentruetohissoul。
14-22。hecouldhaveexpressedHope,Rapture,Confidence,andallotherpassions,inthehumanface,eachclearproclaimedwithoutatongue。
23。hathitspilt,mycup?:thecupofhismemory。
24。WhatdidyegivemethatIhavenotsaved?:hehasretainedalltheimpressionshehasreceivedfromhumanfaces。
25etseq。:NorwillIsayIhavenotdreamedhowwellIhavedreamed!ofgoingforthineachnewpicture,asitwenttoPopeorKaiser,etc。,makingnewheartsbeatandbosomsswell。
34。thestarnotyetdistinctabovehishair:hisfamenothavingyetshonebrightlyout;”his”refersto”youth”。
35。lielearning:andshouldlie。
41。Butavoicechangedit:thevoiceofhissecretsoul。
67。travertine:coatingoflime;properlyalimestone。
Lat。,`lapisTiburtinus’,foundnearTibur,nowTivoli。
AndreadelSarto。
[Called”TheFaultlessPainter”。]
Butdonotletusquarrelanymore,No,myLucrezia!bearwithmeforonce:
Sitdownandallshallhappenasyouwish。
Youturnyourface,butdoesitbringyourheart?
I’llworkthenforyourfriend’sfriend,neverfear,Treathisownsubjectafterhisownway,Fixhisowntime,accepttoohisownprice,AndshutthemoneyintothissmallhandWhennextittakesmine。Willit?tenderly?
Oh,I’llcontenthim,——butto-morrow,Love![10]
Ioftenammuchwearierthanyouthink,Thiseveningmorethanusual:anditseemsAsif——forgivenow——shouldyouletmesitHerebythewindow,withyourhandinmine,AndlookahalfhourforthonFiesole,Bothofonemind,asmarriedpeopleuse,Quietly,quietlytheeveningthrough,Imightgetupto-morrowtomyworkCheerfulandfreshasever。Letustry。
To-morrow,howyoushallbegladforthis![20]
Yoursofthandisawomanofitself,Andmine,theman’sbaredbreastshecurlsinside。
Don’tcountthetimelost,neither;youmustserveForeachofthefivepictureswerequire:
Itsavesamodel。So!keeplookingso——
Myserpentiningbeauty,roundsonrounds!——
Howcouldyoueverprickthoseperfectears,Eventoputthepearlthere!oh,sosweet——
Myface,mymoon,myeverybody’smoon,Whicheverybodylooksonandcallshis,[30]
And,Isuppose,islookedonbyinturn,Whileshelooks——noone’s:verydear,noless。
Yousmile?why,there’smypicturereadymade,That’swhatwepainterscallourharmony!
Acommongraynesssilverseverything,——
Allinatwilight,youandIalike——You,atthepointofyourfirstprideinmeThat’sgone,youknow——butI,ateverypoint;
Myyouth,myhope,myart,beingalltoneddownToyondersoberpleasantFiesole。[40]
There’sthebellclinkingfromthechapel-top;
Thatlengthofconvent-wallacrossthewayHoldsthetreessafer,huddledmoreinside;
Thelastmonkleavesthegarden;daysdecrease,Andautumngrows,autumnineverything。
Eh?thewholeseemstofallintoashape,AsifIsawalikemyworkandselfAndallthatIwasborntobeanddo,Atwilight-piece。Love,weareinGod’shand。
Howstrangenow,looksthelifehemakesuslead;[50]
Sofreeweseem,sofetteredfastweare!
Ifeelhelaidthefetter:letitlie!
Thischamber,forexample——turnyourhead——
Allthat’sbehindus!Youdon’tunderstandNorcaretounderstandaboutmyart,Butyoucanhearatleastwhenpeoplespeak:
Andthatcartoon,thesecondfromthedoor——Itisthething,Love!sosuchthingsshouldbe:
BeholdMadonna!——Iamboldtosay。
IcandowithmypencilwhatIknow,[60]
WhatIsee,whatatbottomofmyheartIwishfor,ifIeverwishsodeep——
Doeasily,too——whenIsay,perfectly,Idonotboast,perhaps:yourselfarejudge,WholistenedtotheLegate’stalklastweek;
AndjustasmuchtheyusedtosayinFrance。
Atanyrate’tiseasy,allofit!
Nosketchesfirst,nostudies,that’slongpast:
Idowhatmanydreamof,alltheirlives,——Dream?strivetodo,andagonizetodo,[70]
Andfailindoing。IcouldcounttwentysuchOntwiceyourfingers,andnotleavethistown,Whostrive——youdon’tknowhowtheothersstriveTopaintalittlethinglikethatyousmearedCarelesslypassingwithyourrobesafloat,——
Yetdomuchless,somuchless,Someonesays,Iknowhisname,nomatter——somuchless!
Well,lessismore,Lucrezia:Iamjudged。
ThereburnsatruerlightofGodinthem,Intheirvexedbeatingstuffedandstopped-upbrain,[80]
Heart,orwhate’erelse,thangoesontopromptThislow-pulsedforthrightcraftsman’shandofmine。
Theirworksdropgroundward,butthemselves,Iknow,Reachmanyatimeaheaventhat’sshuttome,Enterandtaketheirplacetheresureenough,Thoughtheycomebackandcannottelltheworld。
Myworksarenearerheaven,butIsithere。
Thesuddenbloodofthesemen!ataword——
Praisethem,itboils,orblamethem,itboilstoo。
I,paintingfrommyselfandtomyself,[90]
KnowwhatIdo,amunmovedbymen’sblameOrtheirpraiseeither。SomebodyremarksMorello’soutlinethereiswronglytraced,Hishuemistaken;whatofthat?orelse,Rightlytracedandwellordered;whatofthat?
Speakastheyplease,whatdoesthemountaincare?
Ah,butaman’sreachshouldexceedhisgrasp,Orwhat’saheavenfor?Allissilver-gray,Placidandperfectwithmyart:theworse!
IknowbothwhatIwantandwhatmightgain;[100]
Andyethowprofitlesstoknow,tosigh”HadIbeentwo,anotherandmyself,Ourheadwouldhaveo’erlookedtheworld!”Nodoubt。
Yonder’saworknow,ofthatfamousyouthTheUrbinatewhodiedfiveyearsago。
’Tiscopied,GeorgeVasarisentitme。
Well,Icanfancyhowhediditall,Pouringhissoul,withkingsandpopestosee,Reaching,thatheavenmightsoreplenishhim,Aboveandthroughhisart——foritgivesway;[110]
Thatarmiswronglyput——andthereagain——
Afaulttopardoninthedrawing’slines,Itsbody,sotospeak:itssoulisright,Hemeansright——that,achildmayunderstand。
Still,whatanarm!andIcouldalterit:
Butalltheplay,theinsightandthestretch——
Outofme,outofme!Andwhereforeout?
Hadyouenjoinedthemonme,givenmesoul,WemighthaverisentoRafael,Iandyou。
Nay,Love,youdidgiveallIasked,Ithink——[120]
MorethanImerit,yes,bymanytimes。
Buthadyou——oh,withthesameperfectbrow,Andperfecteyes,andmorethanperfectmouth,Andthelowvoicemysoulhears,asabirdThefowler’spipe,andfollowstothesnare——
Hadyou,withthesethesame,butbroughtamind!
Somewomendoso。Hadthemouththereurged”Godandtheglory!nevercareforgain。
Thepresentbythefuture,whatisthat?
Liveforfame,sidebysidewithAgnolo![130]
Rafaeliswaiting:uptoGod,allthree!”
Imighthavedoneitforyou。Soitseems:
Perhapsnot。AllisasGodover-rules。
Beside,incentivescomefromthesoul’sself;
Therestavailnot。WhydoIneedyou?
WhatwifehadRafael,orhasAgnolo?
Inthisworld,whocandoathing,willnot;
Andwhowoulddoit,cannot,Iperceive:
Yetthewill’ssomewhat——somewhat,too,thepower——
Andthuswehalf-menstruggle。Attheend,[140]
God,Iconclude,compensates,punishes。
’Tissaferforme,iftheawardbestrict,ThatIamsomethingunderratedhere,Poorthislongwhile,despised,tospeakthetruth。
Idarednot,doyouknow,leavehomeallday,ForfearofchancingontheParislords。
Thebestiswhentheypassandlookaside;
Buttheyspeaksometimes;Imustbearitall。
Wellmaytheyspeak!ThatFrancis,thatfirsttime,AndthatlongfestalyearatFontainebleau![150]
Isurelythencouldsometimesleavetheground,Putontheglory,Rafael’sdailywear,Inthathumanegreatmonarch’sgoldenlook,——
OnefingerinhisbeardortwistedcurlOverhismouth’sgoodmarkthatmadethesmile,Onearmaboutmyshoulder,roundmyneck,Thejingleofhisgoldchaininmyear,Ipaintingproudlywithhisbreathonme,Allhiscourtroundhim,seeingwithhiseyes,SuchfrankFrencheyes,andsuchafireofsouls[160]
Profuse,myhandkeptplyingbythosehearts,——
And,bestofall,this,this,thisfacebeyond,Thisinthebackground,waitingonmywork,Tocrowntheissuewithalastreward!
Agoodtime,wasitnot,mykinglydays?
Andhadyounotgrownrestless……butIknow