Selections from the poetical works of Robert Browning

Contents

My Star, ....

A Face,

My Last Duchess,

I. Give her but a least excuse to love me !

When — wdiere — How — can this arm establish her above me,

If fortune fixed her as my lady there. There already, to eternally reprove me ?

(** Hist ! " said Kate the queen ; But " Oh," cried the maiden, binding her tresses,

*' 'Tis only a page that carols unseen, Crumbling your hounds their messes I")

II

Is she wronged } — To the rescue of her honor.

My heart !

Is she poor.^ — What costs it to become a donor?

Merely an earth to cleave, a sea to part. But that fortune sliould have thrust all this upon her !

(" Nay, list ! " bade Kate the queen ; And still cried the maiden, binding her tresses,

" 'Tis only a page that carols unseen. Fitting your hawks their jesses ! ")

Cristina,

CRISTINA.

I.

She should never have looked at me if she meant I should not

love her !

There are plenty . . . men, you call such, I suppose . . . she

may discover All her soul to, if she pleases, and yet leave much as she found

them : But I'm not so ; and she knew it when she fixed me, glancing

round them.

II.

What .^ To fix me thus meant nothing.^ But I can't tell

(there's my weakness) What her look said !— no vile cant, sure, about '' need to strew^

the bleakness Of some lone shore with its pearl-seed, that the sea feels " — no

" strange yearning That such souls have, most to lavish where there's chance of

least returning."

III

Oh ! we're sunk enough here, God knows ! but not quite so sunk that moments,

Sure though seldom, are denied us, when the spirit's true endowments

Stand out plainly from its false ones, and apprise it if pursuing

Or the right way or the wrong way, to its triumph or undoing.

IV. There are flashes struck from midnights, there are fire-flames

noondays kindle, Whereby piled-up honors perish, whereby swollen ambitions

dwindle ; While just this or that poor impulse, which for once had play

unstifled, Seems the sole work of a lifetime that away the rest have trifled.

V

Doubt you if, in some such moment, as she fixed me, she felt

clearly, Ages past the soul existed, here an age 'tis resting merely, And hence fleets again for ages ; while the true end, sole and

single.

It stops here for is, this love way, with some other soul to

mingle }

VI

Else it loses what it lived for, and eternally must lose it ; Better ends may be in prospect, deeper blisses (if you choose it), But this life's 'end and this love-bliss have been lost here.

Doubt you whether This she felt as, looking at me, mine and her souls rushed

together?

VII. Oh, observe I Of course, next moment, the world's honors, in

derision, Trampled out the light forever. Never fear but there's provision Of the Devil's to quench knowledge, lest we walk the earth in

rapture !

— Making those who catch God's secret, just so much more

prize their capture !

VIII

Such am I: the secret's mine now! She has lost me, 1 have

gained her ; Her soul's mine ; and thus, grown perfect, I shall pass my life's

remainder.

Life will just hold out the proving both our powers, alone and

blended ; And then, come next life quickly! This world's use will have

been ended.

COUNT GISMOND.

AIX IN PROVENCE.

I.

Christ God who savest man, save most Of men Count Gismond who saved me !

Count Gauthier, when he chose his post, Chose time and place and company

To suit it : when he struck at length

My honor, 'twas with all his strength.

II.

And doubtlessly, ere he could draw

All points to one, he must have schemed !

That miserable morning saw Few half so happy as I seemed,

While being dressed in queen's array

To give our tourney prize away.

Count Gisfnond.

A LAST LOOK ON THE MIRROR.

III.

I thought they loved me, did me grace To please themselves : 'twas all their deed.

God makes, or fair or foul, our face : If showing mine so caused to bleed My cousins' hearts, they should have dropped A word, and straight the play had stopped.

IV.

They, too, so beauteous !

Each a queen By virtue of her brow and

breast ; Not needing to be crowned,

I mean, As 1 do. E'en when I

was (h'essed, Had either of them spoke,

instead Of glancing sideways wath

still head !

V.

But no : they let me'^augh, and sing My birthday song quite through, adjust

The last rose in my garland, fling A last look on the mirror, trust

My arms to each an arm of theirs,

And so descend the castle-stairs —

VI.

And come out on the morning troop Of merry friends who kissed my cheek,

And called me queen, and made me stoop Under the canopy — (a streak

That pierced it, of the outside sun,

Powdered with gold its gloom's soft dun) —

VII.

And they could let me take my state And foolish throne amid applause

Of all come there to celebrate

My queen's-day — Oh, I think the cause Of much was, they forgot no crowd Makes up for parents in their shroud !

VIII.

However that be, all eyes were bent

Upon me, when my cousins cast Theirs down ; 'twas time I should present

The victor's crown, but . . . there, 'twill last No long time . . . the old mist again Blinds me as then it did. How vain !

IX

See! Gismond's at the gate, in talk With his two boys : I can proceed.

Well, at that moment, who should stalk Forth boldly — to my face, indeed —

But Gauthier? and he thundered " Stay ! "

And all staid. " Bring no crowns, I say !

X

" Bring torches ! Wind the penance-sheet About her ! Let her shun the chaste,

Or lay herself before their feet ! Shall she, whose body I embraced

A night long, queen it in the day ?

For honor's sake no crowns, I say ! "

XI

I ? What I answered ? As I live,

I never fancied such a thing As answer possible to give.

What says the body when they spring Some monstrous torture-engine's whole Strength on it ? No more says the souL

XII. Till out strode Gismond : then I knew

That I was saved. I never met His face before ; but, at first view,

I felt quite sure that God had set Himself to Satan : who would spend A minute's mistrust on the end.^

Count Gismond.

XIII. He strode to Gauthier, in his

throat Gave him the lie, then struck

his mouth Witli one back-handed blow that

wrote In blood men's verdict then.

North, South, East, West, I looked. The lie

was dead And damned, and truth stood up

instead.

XIV. This most, that I my

Until I sank upon his breast.

glads me

enjoyed The heart o' the joy, with

content In watching- Gismond unalloyed

By any doubt of the event ; God took that on him — I was

bid Watch Gismond for my part :

I did.

XV

Did I not watch him while he let His armorer just brace his greaves.

Rivet his hauberk, on the fret

The while ! His foot . . . my memory leaves

No least stamp out, nor how anon

He pulled his ringing gauntlets on.

XVI

And e'en before the trumpet's sound Was finished, prone lay the false knight.

Prone as his lie, upon the ground : Gismond flew at him, used no sleight

O' the sword, but open-breasted drove,

Cleaving till out the truth he clove.

XVII

Which done, he dragged him to my feet, And said, "Here die, but end thy breath

In full confession, lest thou fleet

From my first to God's second death !

Eurydice to Orpheus,

Say, hast thou Hed ? " And, " I have hed To God and her," he said, and died.

XVIII. Then Gismond, kneehng to me, asked

— What safe my heart holds, though no word

Could I repeat now, if I tasked My powers forever, to a third,

Dear even as you are. Pass the rest

Until I sank upon his breast.

XIX. Over my head his arm he flung

Against the world ; and scarce I felt

His sword (that dripped by me and swung) A little shifted in its belt,

For he began to say the while

How South our home lay many a mile.

XX. So 'mid the shouting multitude

We two walked forth to never more

Return. My cousins have pursued Their life, untroubled as before

I vexed them. Gauthier's dwelling-place

God lighten ! May his soul find grace !