I praise the heart, and pity the head of him, May truth shine out, stand ever before us!" There is indeed one remarkable passage in one of his latest works, La Saisiaz (1878), wherein he plunges into the unfathomable abyss of the Everlasting No; but from this he retrieves himself with triumphant emphasis in the Everlasting Yes. For the rest, the devout and hopeful Christian faith explicitly or implicitly affirmed in such poems as Saul, Karshish, Cleon, Caliban upon Setebos, A Death in the Desert, Instans Tyrannus, Rabbi Ben Ezra, Prospice, the Epilogue, and throughout that stupendous monumental work The Ring and the Book, must surely be clear as noonday to even the most purblind vision. To summarize: I look up to Browning as one of the very few men known to me by their works who, with most cordial energy and invincible resolution, have lived thoroughly throughout the whole of their being, to the uttermost verge of all their capacities, in his case truly colossal; lived and wrought thoroughly in sense and soul and intellect; lived at home in all realms of nature and human nature, art and literature: whereas nearly all of us are really alive in but a small portion of our so much smaller beings, and drag wearily toward the grave our for-the-most-part dead selves, dead from the suicidal poison of misuse and atrophy of disuse. Confident and rejoicing in the storm and stress of the struggle, he has conquered life instead of being conquered by it; a victory so rare as to be almost unique, especially among poets in these latter days. When the end comes which must come, he can well say with his friend Landor, that "indomitable old Roman": "I strove with none, for none was worth my strife; I warmed both hands before the fire of Life ; It fails, and I am ready to depart !" And further, in the consummation of the faith of a lifetime, sing to the My sun sets to rise again." And to his Beloved gone before: "O thou soul of my soul! I shall clasp thee again, And with God be the rest!" X. THE MOORISH FRONT TO THE DUOMO IN "LURIA." Braccio. (Looks to the wall of the tent.) Did he draw that? 132 A Moorish front, nor of such ill design! . . . . In this fine parallel between the people of Florence led in the field by Luria, and the unfinished Cathedral-the pride of the people, 'joined to' a 'Moorish front', the key-note of the play is struck. The reader who does not know Florence, who has not indeed some knowledge of architecture, will hardly perceive how apt is the parallel : he will not realize how fine an instance it affords of Browning's searching intelligence in every matter of art. At Florence, in the small and hardly-visited Museum called 'Opera del Duomo', one may see models and plans relating to the Cathedral of all dates, from the time of Arnolfo (its original designer) until now. The building, it is well known, has remained unfinished. The façade now in course of erection was only commenced in 1875. For more than 500 years the art-loving Florentines impatiently expected its completion, and Florentine artists throughout that time have had it for their highest hope to be found worthy of the work. And, curiously enough, there is, amongst many designs in the Museum which bear witness to this honourable ambition and diligent effort, one1 which accords with our poet's thought "—a fancy, how a Moorish front Might join to, and complete, the body." 1 The description of this plan is as follows: "Progetto per la facciata della Metropolitana di Firenze composto e disegnato nel 1822 dall' Architetto Giovanni Silvestri ed inviato alla T. R. Accademia delle belle Arti.-Giovanni Silvestri e Felice Francolini Architetti dedicano ai loro concittadini. 1833." T It is a design which dwells in the memory. It is imaginative, and more poetical perhaps in conception than any of those which a stricter taste prefers. It is not quite compatible, yet it is not wholly incongruous. The influence of the East was strong upon Arnolfo when, in the late 13th century, he made his plan. His work stands quoted, indeed, as a great example of Italian Gothic, and few would understand, until thus shown, how easily it might be Orientalized. The architect has realized also an idea of Browning's (see 'Old Pictures in Florence'), that the spire which formed part of its original design should be added to the Campanile of Giotto. The Campanile is detached, but its west side is flush with the façade, and practically, where alterations are in question, it must be considered as part of the Cathedral. The tower with the short spire added, small pinnacles or minarets on the shoulders of the façade, and the great dome with its sub-domes in the rear, have an effect almost wholly Eastern. Few, I have said, would realize that the work might so be treated, yet one architect at least has done so, and Browning (now an artist, now a musician, now again an architect, and always a poet) has realized it too. For it is an interesting fact that Browning has not seen the design I have just described, which embodies so precisely the ideas expressed in his verse. If I should ever be called upon to say 'why I like Mr. Browning,' I should reply perhaps, first of all, because of his power of divining and revealing the deep secrets of art. The object of my note will be accomplished if it causes others to feel with me, in yet one instance more, this great and beneficent power. Not quite compatible, nor yet wholly incongruous, we have seen, was the façade proposed "A Moorish front, nor of such ill design," says the poet. And not wholly incongruous either was this idea of a Moorish leader for the Florentines. A foreigner he was, no doubt, and much to be said against him; still in the genius of Florence there was something not utterly repugnant to a stranger's yoke. In the lines of their Duomo too was there not this same thing (an artist had said it once), which told them that they might choose as well perhaps a Moorish façade as any of a hundred of native design? ERNEST RADFORD. XI. THE ORIGINAL OF DRAMATIC IDYLS (SERIES I), 1879, p. 109-143. "The | Life and Death | of | Mr. Badman, | Presented | To the World in a | familiar | Dialogue | Between | Mr. Wiseman, | And | Mr. Attentive. By John Bunyan, | the Author of the Pilgrims Progress. London, | Printed by J. A. for Nath. Ponder at the Peacock in the Poultrey, near | the Church. 1680. p. 23 (p. 34, Paisley, 1866).1 The Story of old Tod. *Young Thieves take notice. Wife[man]. Since you are entred upon Storyes, I alfo will tell you one, the which, though I heard it not with mine own Ears, yet my author I dare believe. *It is concerning one old Tod, that was hanged about Twenty years agoe, or more, at Hartford, for being a Thief. The Story is this : "At a Summer Affizes holden at Hartfort, while the Judge was fitting upon the Bench, comes this old Tod into the Court, cloathed in a green Suit, with his Leathern Girdle in his hand, his bofom open, and all on a dung fweat, as if he had run for his Life; and being come in, he fpake aloud as follows: My Lord, faid he, Here is the Gallows by rob- veryeft Rogue that breaths upon the face of the earth. I have been a Thief from a Child: When I was but a little one, I gave my felf to rob Orchards, and to do other fuch like wicked things, and I have continued a Thief ever fince. My Lord, there has not been a Robbery committed thus2 many years, within fo many miles of this place, but I have either been at it, or privy to it. Old Tod began his way to the bing of Orchards and the like. 1 Bunyan states the purpose of the book in "The Author to the Reader.Courteous Reader, As I was considering with my self what I had written concerning the Progress of the Pilgrim from this World to Glory; and how it had been acceptable to many in this Nation: It came again into my mind to write, as then, of him that was going to Heaven, so now, of the Life and Death of the Ungodly, and of their travel from this world to Hell. The which in this I have done, and have put it, as thou seest, under the Name and Title of Mr. Badman, a Name very proper for such a Subject: I have also put it into the form of a Dialogue, that I might with more ease to my self, and pleasure to the Reader, perform the work."-F. 2 Orig, thus: 3rd ed. 1696, this. "The Judge thought the fellow was mad, but after fome conference with fome of the Juftices, they agreed to Indict him; and so they did, of feveral felonious Actions; to all which he heartily confeffed Guilty, and fo was hanged with his wife at the fame time." "Attentive]. This is a remarkable ftory indeed, and you think it is a true one. Wife. It is not only remarkable, but pat to our purpose. This Thief, like Mr. Badman, began his Trade betimes; he began too where Mr. Badman began, even at robbing of Orchards, and other fuch things, which brought him, as you may perceive, from fin to fin, till at last it brought him to the publick fhame of fin, which is the Gallows. "As for the truth of this Story, the Relator told me that he was at the fame time himfelf in the Court, and ftood within less than two yards of old Tod, when he heard him aloud to utter the words." The above1, as 'Mr. Wiseman' has it, is "not only remarkable, but pat to our purpose." See also Froude's little book on Bunyan (“English Men of Letters " Series, 1880), p. 5. "These stories and these experiences were Bunyan's early mental One of them which had deeply impressed the imagination of the Midland counties, was the Story of 'Old Tod.'' food. Browning must have invented the idea that Old Tod's (i. e. Ned Bratts's) conversion was due to Bunyan's writings. ERNEST W. RADFORD. The story of 'Old Tod', which he had read in his boyhood, was distinctly in Browning's mind when he wrote Ned Bratts at the Splugen, far from books. Ivan Ivanovitch was written at the same place and altitude.-F. 1 I have alterd the 1866 text to that of the 1st edn., 1680.-F. |