St。2。thebeautifulbuildingofmine:”Ofalloursenses,hearingseemstobethemostpoetical;andbecauseitrequiresmostimagination。Wedonotsimplylistentosounds,butwhethertheybearticulateorinarticulate,weareconstantlytranslatingthemintothelanguageofsight,withwhichwearebetteracquainted;andthisisaworkoftheimaginativefaculty。”——
`Poetics:anEssayonPoetry’。ByE。S。Dallas。
TheideaexpressedintheaboveextractisbeautifullyembodiedinthefollowinglinesfromColeridge’s`KublaKhan’:——”Itwasamiracleofraredevice,Asunnypleasure-dome,withcavesofice!
AdamselwithadulcimerInavisiononceIsaw:
ItwasanAbyssinianmaid,Andonherdulcimersheplayed,SingingofMountAbora。
CouldIrevivewithinmeHersymphonyandsong,Tosuchadeepdelight’twouldwinme,Thatwithmusicloudandlong,Iwouldbuildthatdomeinair,Thatsunnydome!thosecavesofice!
AndallwhoHEARDshouldSEEthemthere”,etc。
3。
Andanotherwouldmountandmarch,liketheexcellentminionhewas,Ay,anotherandyetanother,onecrowdbutwithmanyacrest,Raisingmyrampiredwallsofgoldastransparentasglass,Eagertodoanddie,yieldeachhisplacetotherest:
Forhigherstillandhigherasarunnertipswithfire,Whenagreatilluminationsurprisesafestalnight——
OutliningroundandroundRome’sdomefromspacetospire
Up,thepinnacledgloryreached,andtheprideofmysoulwasinsight。
4。
Insight?Nothalf!foritseemed,itwascertain,tomatchman’sbirth,Natureinturnconceived,obeyinganimpulseasI;
Andtheemulousheavenyearneddown,madeefforttoreachtheearth,Astheearthhaddoneherbest,inmypassion,toscalethesky:
Novelsplendorsburstforth,grewfamiliaranddweltwithmine,Notapointnorpeakbutfound,butfixeditswanderingstar;
Meteor-moons,ballsofblaze:andtheydidnotpalenorpine,Forearthhadattainedtoheaven,therewasnomorenearnorfar。
5。
Naymore;fortherewantednotwhowalkedintheglareandglow,Presencesplainintheplace;or,freshfromtheProtoplast,Furnishedforagestocome,whenakindlierwindshouldblow,Lurednowtobeginandlive,inahousetotheirlikingatlast;
OrelsethewonderfulDeadwhohavepassedthroughthebodyandgone,Butwerebackoncemoretobreatheinanoldworldworththeirnew:
Whatneverhadbeen,wasnow;whatwas,asitshallbeanon;
Andwhatis,——shallIsay,matchedboth?forIwasmadeperfecttoo。
6。
Allthroughmykeysthatgavetheirsoundstoawishofmysoul,Allthroughmysoulthatpraisedasitswishflowedvisiblyforth,Allthroughmusicandme!Forthink,hadIpaintedthewhole,Why,thereithadstood,tosee,northeprocesssowonder-worth。
HadIwrittenthesame,madeverse——still,effectproceedsfromcause,Yeknowwhytheformsarefair,yehearhowthetaleistold;
Itisalltriumphantart,butartinobediencetolaws,Painterandpoetareproud,intheartist-listenrolled:——
7。
ButhereisthefingerofGod,aflashofthewillthatcan,Existentbehindalllaws:thatmadethem,and,lo,theyare!
AndIknownotif,saveinthis,suchgiftbeallowedtoman,Thatoutofthreesoundsheframe,notafourthsound,butastar。
Consideritwell:eachtoneofourscaleinitselfisnaught;
Itiseverywhereintheworld——loud,soft,andallissaid:
Giveittometouse!Imixitwithtwoinmythought,And,there!Yehaveheardandseen:considerandbowthehead!
8。
Well,itisgoneatlast,thepalaceofmusicIreared;
Gone!andthegoodtearsstart,thepraisesthatcometooslow;
Foroneisassuredatfirst,onescarcecansaythathefeared,Thatheevengaveitathought,thegonethingwastogo。
Nevertobeagain!ButmanymoreofthekindAsgood,nay,betterperchance:isthisyourcomforttome?
Tome,whomustbesavedbecauseIclingwithmymindTothesame,sameself,samelove,sameGod:ay,whatwas,shallbe。
9。
ThereforetowhomturnIbuttothee,theineffableName?
Builderandmaker,thou,ofhousesnotmadewithhands!
What,havefearofchangefromtheewhoarteverthesame?
Doubtthatthypowercanfilltheheartthatthypowerexpands?
Thereshallneverbeonelostgood!Whatwas,shallliveasbefore;
Theevilisnull,isnaught,issilenceimplyingsound;
Whatwasgood,shallbegood,with,forevil,somuchgoodmore;
Ontheearththebrokenarcs;intheheaven,aperfectround。
10。
Allwehavewilledorhopedordreamedofgood,shallexist;
Notitssemblance,butitself;nobeauty,norgood,norpowerWhosevoicehasgoneforth,buteachsurvivesforthemelodist,Wheneternityaffirmstheconceptionofanhour。
Thehighthatprovedtoohigh,theheroicforearthtoohard,Thepassionthatleftthegroundtoloseitselfinthesky,AremusicsentuptoGodbytheloverandthebard;
Enoughthathehearditonce:weshallhearitby-and-by。
11。
Andwhatisourfailureherebutatriumph’sevidenceForthefulnessofthedays?Havewewitheredoragonized?
Whyelsewasthepauseprolongedbutthatsingingmightissuethence?
Whyrushedthediscordsin,butthatharmonyshouldbeprized?
Sorrowishardtobear,anddoubtisslowtoclear,Eachsufferersayshissay,hisschemeofthewealandwoe:
ButGodhasafewofuswhomhewhispersintheear;
Therestmayreasonandwelcome;’tiswemusiciansknow——
St。11。Andwhatisourfailurehere:”Aslongaseffortisdirectedtothehighest,thataim,thoughitisoutofreach,isthestandardofhope。Theexistenceofacapacity,cherishedandquickened,isapledgethatitwillfindscope。
Thepunishmentofthemanwhohasfixedallhisthoughtsuponearth,apunishmentfeltonreflectiontobeoverwhelminginviewofpossibilitiesofhumanity,isthecompletestgratificationofdesiresunworthilylimited:——”`ThouartshutOutoftheheavenofspirit;glutThysenseupontheworld:’tisthineForever——takeit!’`EasterDay’,xx。。
Ontheotherhand,thesoulwhichhasfoundinsuccessnotrestbutastarting-point,whichrefusestoseeinthefirst-fruitsofapartialvictorythefulnessofitsrightfultriumph,haseverbeforeitasustainingandelevatingvision:——”`Whatstopsmydespair?
This:——’tisnotwhatmanDoeswhichexaltshim,butwhatmanWoulddo!’`Saul’,18。”`WhatIaspiredtobe,Andwasnot,comfortsme;
AbruteImighthavebeen,butwouldnotsinki’thescale。’”
`RabbiBenEzra’,7——Rev。Prof。WestcottonBrowning’sViewofLife`BrowningSoc。Papers’,iv。,405,406。
12。
Well,itisearthwithme;silenceresumesherreign:
Iwillbepatientandproud,andsoberlyacquiesce。
Givemethekeys。Ifeelforthecommonchordagain,Slidingbysemitones,tillIsinktotheminor,——yes,AndIbluntitintoaninth,andIstandonalienground,SurveyingawhiletheheightsIrolledfromintothedeep;
Which,hark,Ihavedaredanddone,formyresting-placeisfound,TheCMajorofthislife:so,nowIwilltrytosleep。”Touchhimne’ersolightly。”
[EpiloguetoDramaticIdyls。SecondSeries。]——
*See`PagesfromanAlbum’,in`TheCenturyIllustratedMonthlyMagazine’
Scribner’s,forNovember1882,pp。159,160,whereisgivenafac-simileofthepoet’sMs。oftheseversesandofthetenversesheafterwardsadded,inresponse,itseems,toacarpingcritic——”Touchhimne’ersolightly,intosonghebroke:
Soilsoquick-receptive,——notonefeather-seed,NotoneflowerdustfellbutstraightitsfallawokeVitalizingvirtue:songwouldsongsucceedSuddenasspontaneous——proveapoet-soul!”
Indeed?
Rock’sthesong-soilrather,surfacehardandbare:
Sunanddewtheirmildness,stormandfrosttheirrageVainlybothexpend,——fewflowersawakenthere:
Quietinitscleftbroods——whattheafterageKnowsandnamesapine,anation’sheritage。
Memorabilia。
1。
Ah,didyouonceseeShelleyplain,Anddidhestopandspeaktoyou,Anddidyouspeaktohimagain?
Howstrangeitseems,andnew!
2。
Butyouwerelivingbeforethat,Andalsoyouarelivingafter;
AndthememoryIstartedat——
Mystartingmovesyourlaughter!
3。
Icrossedamoor,withanameofitsownAndacertainuseintheworld,nodoubt,Yetahand’s-breadthofitshinesalone’Midtheblankmilesroundabout:
ForthereIpickedupontheheatherAndthereIputinsidemybreastAmoultedfeather,aneagle-feather!
Well,Iforgettherest。
HowitstrikesaContemporary。
Ionlyknewonepoetinmylife:
Andthis,orsomethinglikeit,washisway。
YousawgoupanddownValladolid,Amanofmark,toknownexttimeyousaw。
HisveryserviceablesuitofblackWascourtlyonceandconscientiousstill,Andmanymighthavewornit,thoughnonedid:
Thecloak,thatsomewhatshoneandshowedthethreads,Hadpurpose,andtheruff,significance。
Hewalked,andtappedthepavementwithhiscane,[10]
Scentingtheworld,lookingitfullinface:
Anolddog,baldandblindish,athisheels。
Theyturnedup,now,thealleybythechurch,Thatleadsnowhither;now,theybreathedthemselvesOnthemainpromenadejustatthewrongtime。
You’dcomeuponhisscrutinizinghat,MakingapeakedshadeblackerthanitselfAgainstthesinglewindowsparedsomehouseIntactyetwithitsmoulderedMoorishwork,——
Orelsesurprisetheferrelofhisstick[20]
Tryingthemortar’stemper’tweenthechinksOfsomenewshopa-building,Frenchandfine。
Hestoodandwatchedthecobblerathistrade,Themanwhosliceslemonsintodrink,Thecoffee-roaster’sbrazier,andtheboysThatvolunteertohelphimturnitswinch。
Heglancedo’erbooksonstallswithhalfaneye,Andfly-leafballadsonthevendor’sstring,Andbroad-edgebold-printpostersbythewall。
Hetooksuchcognizanceofmenandthings,[30]
Ifanybeatahorse,youfelthesaw;
Ifanycursedawoman,hetooknote;
Yetstaredatnobody,——youstaredathim,Andfound,lesstoyourpleasurethansurprise,Heseemedtoknowyouandexpectasmuch。
So,nexttimethataneighbor’stonguewasloosed,Itmarkedtheshamefulandnotoriousfact,Wehadamongus,notsomuchaspy,Asarecordingchief-inquisitor,Thetown’struemasterifthetownbutknew![40]
Wemerelykeptagovernorforform,WhilethismanwalkedaboutandtookaccountOfallthought,saidandacted,thenwenthome,AndwroteitfullytoourLordtheKingWhohasanitchtoknowthings,heknowswhy,Andreadstheminhisbedroomofanight。
Oh,youmightsmile!therewantednotatouch,Atangof……well,itwasnotwhollyease,Asbackintoyourmindtheman’slookcame。
Strickeninyearsalittle,suchabrow[50]
Hiseyeshadtoliveunder!——clearasflintOneithersideo’theformidablenoseCurved,cutandcoloredlikeaneagle’sclaw。
HadhetodowithA。’ssurprisingfate?
WhenaltogetheroldB。disappeared,AndyoungC。gothismistress,——was’tourfriend,HislettertotheKing,thatdiditall?
Whatpaidthebloodlessmanforsomuchpains?
OurLordtheKinghasfavoritesmanifold,Andshiftshisministrysomeonceamonth;[60]
Ourcitygetsnewgovernorsatwhiles,——
Butneverwordorsign,thatIcouldhear,Notified,tothismanaboutthestreets,TheKing’sapprovalofthoselettersconnedThelastthingdulyatthedeadofnight。
Didthemanlovehisoffice?FrownedourLord,Exhortingwhennoneheard——”Beseechmenot!
Toofarabovemypeople,——beneathme!
Isetthewatch,——howshouldthepeopleknow?
Forgetthem,keepmeallthemoreinmind!”[70]
Wassomesuchunderstanding’twixtthetwo?
Ifoundnotruthinonereportatleast——
Thatifyoutrackedhimtohishome,downlanesBeyondtheJewry,andascleantopace,YoufoundheatehissupperinaroomBlazingwithlights,fourTitiansonthewall,Andtwentynakedgirlstochangehisplate!
Poorman,helivedanotherkindoflifeInthatnewstuccoedthirdhousebythebridge,Fresh-painted,rathersmartthanotherwise![80]
Thewholestreetmighto’erlookhimashesat,Legcrossingleg,onefootonthedog’sback,PlayingadecentcribbagewithhismaidJacynth,you’resurehernamewaso’erthecheeseAndfruit,threeredhalvesofstarvedwinter-pears,OrtreatofradishesinApril。Nine,Ten,struckthechurchclock,straighttobedwenthe。
Myfather,likethemanofsensehewas,Wouldpointhimouttomeadozentimes;