life of robert browning(罗伯特·布朗宁传)-第31部分
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the poet's habitual and exclusive one。〃
The large charity； the liberal human sympathy； the keen critical
acumen of this essay； make one wish that the author had spared us a
〃Sludge the Medium〃 or a 〃Pacchiarotto〃； or even a 〃Prince Hohenstiel…
Schwangau〃； and given us more of such honourable work in 〃the other
harmony〃。
Glad as the Brownings were to be home again at Casa Guidi； they
could not enjoy the midsummer heats of Florence； and so went to the
Baths of Lucca。 It was a delight for them to ramble among the chestnut…
woods of the high Tuscan forests； and to go among the grape…vines where
the sunburnt vintagers were busy。 Once Browning paid a visit to that
remote hill…stream and waterfall； high up in a precipitous glen； where；
more than three…score years earlier； Shelley had been wont to amuse
himself by sitting naked on a rock in the sunlight； reading ‘Herodotus'
while he cooled； and then plunging into the deep pool beneath him to
emerge； further up stream； and then climb through the spray of the
waterfall till he was like a glittering human wraith in the middle of a
dissolving rainbow。
Those Tuscan forests； that high crown of Lucca； must always have
special associations for lovers of poetry。 Here Shelley lived； rapt in his
beautiful dreams； and translated the ‘Symposium' so that his wife might
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share something of his delight in Plato。 Here； ten years later； Heine
sneered； and laughed and wept； and sneered again drank tea with 〃la
belle Irlandaise〃； flirted with Francesca 〃la ballerina〃； and wrote
alternately with a feathered quill from the breast of a nightingale and with
a lancet steeped in aquafortis： and here； a quarter of a century afterward；
Robert and Elizabeth Browning also laughed and wept and 〃joyed i' the
sun；〃 dreamed many dreams； and touched chords of beauty whose
vibration has become incorporated with the larger rhythm of all that is
high and enduring in our literature。
On returning to Florence （Browning with the MS。 of the greater part of
his splendid fragmentary tragedy； 〃In a Balcony〃； composed mainly while
walking alone through the forest glades）； Mrs。 Browning found that the
chill breath of the ‘tramontana' was affecting her lungs； so a move was
made to Rome； for the passing of the winter （1853…4）。 In the spring their
little boy； their beloved 〃Pen〃；* became ill with malaria。 This delayed their
return to Florence till well on in the summer。 During this stay in Rome
Mrs。 Browning rapidly proceeded with 〃Aurora Leigh〃； and Browning
wrote several of his 〃Men and Women〃； including the exquisite ‘Love
among the Ruins'； with its novel metrical music； ‘Fra Lippo Lippi'； where
the painter； already immortalised by Landor； has his third warrant of
perpetuity； the ‘Epistle of Karshish' （in part）； ‘Memorabilia' （composed on
the Campagna）； ‘Saul'； a portion of which had been written and published
ten years previously； that noble and lofty utterance； with its trumpet…like
note of the regnant spirit； the concluding part of 〃In a Balcony〃； and ‘Holy
Cross Day' besides； probably； one or two others。 In the late spring （April
27th） also； he wrote the short dactylic lyric； ‘Ben Karshook's Wisdom'。
This little poem was given to a friend for appearance in one of the then
popular ‘Keepsakes' literally given； for Browning never contributed to
magazines。 The very few exceptions to this rule were the result of a
kindliness stronger than scruple： as when （1844）； at request of Lord
Houghton （then Mr。 Monckton Milnes）； he sent ‘Tokay'； the ‘Flower's
Name'； and ‘Sibrandus Schafnaburgensis'； to 〃help in making up some
magazine numbers for poor Hood； then at the point of death from
hemorrhage of the lungs； occasioned by the enlargement of the heart；
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which had been brought on by the wearing excitement of ceaseless and
excessive literary toil。〃 As ‘Ben Karshook's Wisdom'； though it has been
reprinted in several quarters； will not be found in any volume of
Browning's works； and was omitted from 〃Men and Women〃 by accident；
and from further collections by forgetfulness； it may be fitly quoted here。
Karshook； it may be added； is the Hebraic word for a thistle。
I。
〃‘Would a man 'scape the rod？' Rabbi Ben Karshook saith； ‘See
that he turns to God The day before his death。'
‘Ay； could a man inquire When it shall come！' I say。 The Rabbi's eye
shoots fire ‘Then let him turn to…day！'
II。
Quoth a young Sadducee； ‘Reader of many rolls； Is it so certain we
Have； as they tell us； souls？'
‘Son； there is no reply！' The Rabbi bit his beard： ‘Certain； a soul have
_I_ WE may have none；' he sneer'd。
Thus Karshook； the Hiram's…Hammer； The Right…Hand Temple
column； Taught babes their grace in grammar； And struck the simple；
solemn。〃
* So…called； it is asserted； from his childish effort to pronounce a
difficult name （Wiedemann）。 But despite the good authority for this
statement； it is impossible not to credit rather the explanation given by
Nathaniel Hawthorne； who； moreover； affords the practically definite
proof that the boy was at first； as a term of endearment； called 〃Pennini〃；
which was later abbreviated to 〃Pen〃。 The cognomen； Hawthorne states；
was a diminutive of 〃Apennino〃； which was bestowed upon the boy in
babyhood because he was very small； there being a statue in Florence of
colossal size called 〃Apennino〃。
＇See Mrs。 Orr's 〃Life and Letters of Robert Browning〃 （now online）
for a different opinion。 A。 L。； 1996。＇
It was in this year （1855） that 〃Men and Women〃 was published。 It is
difficult to understand how a collection comprising poems such as 〃Love
among the Ruins〃； 〃Evelyn Hope〃； 〃Fra Lippo Lippi〃； 〃A Toccata of
Galuppi's〃； 〃Any Wife to any Husband〃； 〃Master Hugues of Saxe…Gotha〃；
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〃Andrea del Sarto〃； 〃In a Balcony〃； 〃Saul〃； 〃A Grammarian's Funeral〃； to
mention only ten now almost universally known； did not at once obtain a
national popularity for the author。 But lovers of literature were simply
enthralled： and the two volumes had a welcome from them which was
perhaps all the more ardent because of their disproportionate numbers。
Ears alert to novel poetic music must have thrilled to the new strain which
sounded first 〃Love among the Ruins〃； with its Millet…like opening
〃Where the quiet…coloured end of evening smiles； Miles and miles On the
solitary pastures where our sheep Half asleep Tinkle homeward through
the twilight； stray or stop As they crop Was the site once of a city great
and gay 。 。 。〃
Soon after the return to Florence； which； hot as it was； was preferable
in July to Rome； Mrs。 Browning wrote to her frequent correspondent Miss
Mitford； and mentioned that about four thousand lines of 〃Aurora Leigh〃
had been written。 She added a significant passage： that her husband had
not seen a single line of it up to that time significant； as one of the
several indications that the union of Browning and his wife was indeed a
marriage of true minds； wherein nothing of the common bane of
matrimonial life found existence。 Moreover； both were artists； and；
therefore； too full of respect for themselves and their art to bring in any
way the undue influence of each other into play。
By the spring of 1856； however； the first six 〃books〃 were concluded：
and these； at once with humility and pride； Mrs。 Browning placed in her
husband's hands。 The remaining three books were written； in the summer；
in John Kenyon's London house。
It was her best； her fullest answer to the beautiful dedicatory poem；
〃One Word More〃； wherewith her husband； a few months earlier； sent
forth his 〃Men and Women〃； to be for ever associated with 〃E。 B。 B。〃
I。
〃There they are； my fifty men and women Naming me the fifty
poems finished！ Take them； Love； the book and me together： Where the
heart lies； let the brain lie also。
。 。 。 。 。
XVIII。
