第46章
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  Heavenopenedtoasoulwhileyetonearth,Earthforcedonasoul’susewhileseeingheaven:

  Themaniswitlessofthesize,thesum,Thevalueinproportionofallthings,Orwhetheritbelittleorbemuch。

  DiscoursetohimofprodigiousarmamentsAssembledtobesiegehiscitynow,Andofthepassingofamulewithgourds——

  ’Tisone!Thentakeitontheotherside,Speakofsometriflingfact,——hewillgazerapt[150]

  WithstuporatitsverylittlenessFarasIsee,asifinthatindeedHecaughtprodigiousimport,wholeresults;

  Andsowillturntoustheby-standersIneverthesamestupornotethispoint,Thatwe,too,seenotwithhisopenedeyes。

  Wonderanddoubtcomewronglyintoplay,Preposterously,atcrosspurposes。

  Shouldhischildsickenuntodeath,——why,lookForscarceabatementofhischeerfulness,[160]

  Orpretermissionofthedailycraft!

  Whileaword,gesture,glancefromthatsamechildAtplayorintheschoolorlaidasleep,Willstartlehimtoanagonyoffear,Exasperation,justaslike。DemandThereasonwhy——”’tisbutaword,”object——”Agesture”——heregardstheeasourlordWholivedthereinthepyramidalone,Lookedatusdoesthoumind?when,beingyoung,Webothwouldunadvisedlyrecite[170]

  Somecharm’sbeginning,fromthatbookofhis,AbletobidthesunthrobwideandburstAllintostars,assunsgrownoldarewont。

  ThouandthechildhaveeachaveilalikeThrowno’eryourheads,fromunderwhichyebothStretchyourblindhandsandtriflewithamatchOveramineofGreekfire,didyeknow!

  Heholdsonfirmlytosomethreadoflife——

  Itisthelifetoleadperforcedly

  Whichrunsacrosssomevast,distractingorb[180]

  Ofgloryoneithersidethatmeagrethread,Which,consciousof,hemustnotenteryet——

  Thespirituallifearoundtheearthlylife:

  Thelawofthatisknowntohimasthis,Hisheartandbrainmovethere,hisfeetstayhere。

  SoisthemanperplextwithimpulsesSuddentostartoffcrosswise,notstraighton,Proclaimingwhatisrightandwrongacross,Andnotalong,thisblackthreadthroughtheblaze——”Itshouldbe”balkedby”hereitcannotbe”。[190]

  Andofttheman’ssoulspringsintohisfaceAsifhesawagainandheardagainHissagethatbadehim”Rise”,andhedidrise。

  Something,aword,aticko’thebloodwithinAdmonishes:thenbackhesinksatonceToashes,whowasveryfirebefore,InsedulousrecurrencetohistradeWherebyheearnethhimthedailybread;

  Andstudiouslythehumblerforthatpride,Professedlythefaultierthatheknows[200]

  God’ssecret,whileheholdsthethreadoflife。

  IndeedtheespecialmarkingofthemanIspronesubmissiontotheheavenlywill——

  Seeingit,whatitis,andwhyitis。

  ’Sayeth,hewillwaitpatienttothelastForthatsamedeathwhichmustrestorehisbeingToequilibrium,bodylooseningsoulDivorcedevennowbyprematurefullgrowth:

  Hewilllive,nay,itpleasethhimtoliveSolongasGodplease,andjusthowGodplease。[210]

  HeevenseekethnottopleaseGodmoreWhichmeaneth,otherwisethanasGodplease。

  Hence,IperceivenotheaffectstopreachThedoctrineofhissectwhate’eritbe,Makeproselytesasmadmenthirsttodo:

  Howcanhegivehisneighbortherealground,Hisownconviction?Ardentasheis——

  Callhisgreattruthalie,why,stilltheold”BeitasGodplease”re-assurethhim。

  Iprobedthesoreasthydiscipleshould:[220]”How,beast,”saidI,”thisstolidcarelessnessSufficeththee,whenRomeisonhermarchTostampoutlikealittlesparkthytown,Thytribe,thycrazytaleandtheeatonce?”

  Hemerelylookedwithhislargeeyesonme。

  Themanisapathetic,youdeduce?

  Contrariwise,helovesbotholdandyoung,Ableandweak,affectstheverybrutesAndbirds——howsayI?flowersofthefield——

  Asawiseworkmanrecognizestools[230]

  Inamaster’sworkshop,lovingwhattheymake。

  Thusisthemanasharmlessasalamb:

  Onlyimpatient,lethimdohisbest,Atignoranceandcarelessnessandsin——

  Anindignationwhichispromptlycurbed:

  AswhenincertaintravelIhavefeignedTobeanignoramusinourartAccordingtosomepreconceiveddesign,Andhappedtoheartheland’spractitionersSteepedinconceitsublimedbyignorance,[240]

  Prattlefantasticallyondisease,Itscauseandcure——andImustholdmypeace!

  Thouwiltobject——WhyhaveInoterethisSoughtoutthesagehimself,theNazareneWhowroughtthiscure,inquiringatthesource,Conferringwiththefranknessthatbefits?

  Alas!itgrievethme,thelearnedleechPerishedinatumultmanyyearsago,Accused,——ourlearning’sfate,——ofwizardry,Rebellion,tothesettinguparule[250]

  Andcreedprodigiousasdescribedtome。

  Hisdeath,whichhappenedwhentheearthquakefellPrefiguring,assoonappeared,thelossTooccultlearninginourlordthesageWholivedthereinthepyramidalone,Waswroughtbythemadpeople——that’stheirwont!

  Onvainrecourse,asIconjectureit,Tohistriedvirtue,formiraculoushelp——

  Howcouldhestoptheearthquake?That’stheirway!

  Theotherimputationsmustbelies:[260]

  Buttakeone,thoughIloathtogiveitthee,Inmererespectforanygoodman’sfame。

  Andafterall,ourpatientLazarusIsstarkmad;shouldwecountonwhathesays?

  Perhapsnot:thoughinwritingtoaleech’Tiswelltokeepbacknothingofacase。

  Thismansocuredregardsthecurer,then,As——Godforgiveme!whobutGodhimself,Creatorandsustaineroftheworld,Thatcameanddweltinfleshonitawhile![270]——

  ’Sayeththatsuchanonewasbornandlived,Taught,healedthesick,brokebreadathisownhouse,Thendied,withLazarusby,foraughtIknow,Andyetwas……whatIsaidnorchooserepeat,Andmusthavesoavouchedhimself,infact,InhearingofthisveryLazarusWhosaith——butwhyallthisofwhathesaith?

  Whywriteoftrivialmatters,thingsofpriceCallingateverymomentforremark?

  Inoticedonthemarginofapool[280]

  Blue-floweringborage,theAlepposort,Aboundeth,verynitrous。Itisstrange!

  Thypardonforthislongandtediouscase,Which,nowthatIreviewit,needsmustseemUndulydwelton,prolixlysetforth!

  NorImyselfdiscerninwhatiswritGoodcauseforthepeculiarinterestAndaweindeedthismanhastouchedmewith。

  Perhapsthejourney’send,thewearinessHadwroughtuponmefirst。Imethimthus:[290]

  IcrossedaridgeofshortsharpbrokenhillsLikeanoldlion’scheekteeth。OuttherecameAmoonmadelikeafacewithcertainspotsMultiform,manifold,andmenacing:

  Thenawindrosebehindme。SowemetInthisoldsleepytownatunaware,ThemanandI。Isendtheewhatiswrit。

  Regarditasachance,amatterriskedTothisambiguousSyrian:hemaylose,Orsteal,orgiveittheewithequalgood。[300]

  Jerusalem’sreposeshallmakeamendsFortimethisletterwastes,thytimeandmine;

  Tillwhen,oncemorethypardonandfarewell!

  TheveryGod!think,Abib;dostthouthink?

  So,theAll-Great,weretheAll-Lovingtoo——

  So,throughthethundercomesahumanvoiceSaying,”OheartImade,aheartbeatshere!

  Face,myhandsfashioned,seeitinmyself!

  Thouhastnopowernormay’stconceiveofmine:

  ButloveIgavethee,withmyselftolove,[310]

  Andthoumustlovemewhohavediedforthee!”

  ThemadmansaithHesaidso:itisstrange——

  1。Karshish……ToAbib。{thatis,phrasefinishesonline7。}

  17。snake-stone:acertainkindofstonesupposedtobeefficaciouswhenplaceduponthebiteofasnake,inabsorbingorcharmingawaythepoison。

  21。MyjourneyingswerebroughttoJericho:i。e。,inhislastletter。

  28。Vespasian:T。FlaviusSabinusVespasianus,Romanemperor,A。D。70-79;sentbyNeroin66toconductthewaragainsttheJews;

  whenproclaimedemperor,lefthissonTitustocontinuethewar。

  24-33。hisardentscientificinteresthascausedhimtobravealldangers。

  49。TheSyrianrunagate:perhapsI’mwritingfornothingintrustingmylettertohim。

  60。Thouhadst:wouldsthave。

  Zoar:oneofthe”citiesoftheplain”,S。E。oftheDeadSeaGen。19:22。

  65-78。Thoughhe’sdeeplyimpressedwiththesubject,heapproachesitwithextremediffidence,writingtothe”all-sagacious”Abib。

  82。exhibition:usedinitsmedicalsenseofadministeringaremedy。

  103。fume:vaporishfancy。

  106。Assaffrontingeth:Chauceruses”saffron”metaphoricallyasaverb:——”AndinLatynIspekeawordesfewe,Tosaffronwithmypredicacioun,Andfortostirementodevocioun。”——`ThePardoner’sPrologue’。

  113。Think,couldWEpenetratebyanydrug。

  141,142。”Browninghasdrawntheportraitureofonetowhomtheeternalissensiblypresent,whosespirithasgainedprematurelyabsolutepredominance:……andtheresultis……abeing`ProfessedlythefaultierthatheknowsGod’ssecret,whileheholdsthethreadoflife’vv。200,201。Lazarustherefore,whilehemovesintheworld,haslostallsenseofproportioninthingsabouthim,allmeasureofandfacultyofdealingwiththatwhichswayshisfellows。Hehasnopowerorwilltowinthemtohisfaith,buthesimplystandsamongmenasapatientwitnessoftheoverwhelmingrealityofthedivine:awitnesswhoseauthorityisconfessed,evenagainsthisinclination,bythestudentofnature,whoturnsagainandagaintothephenomenonwhichheaffectstodisparage。”InthiscrucialexampleBrowningshowshowtheexclusivedominanceofthespiritdestroysthefulnessofhumanlife,itsusesandpowers,whileitleavesapassivelife,crownedwithanunearthlybeauty。

  Ontheotherhand,heshowsinhisstudyofCleonthattherichestresultsofearthinartandspeculation,andpleasureandpower,areunabletoremovefromlifethedesolationoffinalgloom……Thecontrastisofthedeepestsignificance。

  TheJewishpeasantenduresearth,beinginpossessionofheaven:

  theGreekpoet,inpossessionofearth,feelsthatheaven,somefuturestate,`UnlimitedincapabilityForjoy,asthisisindesireforjoy’,isanecessityforman;butno,`Zeushasnotyetrevealedit;andalas,Hemusthavedoneso,wereitpossible!’

  Butwemustnotpausetofollowoutthecontrastintodetails。

  Itisenoughtoseebroadlythatfleshandspiriteachclaimrecognitioninconnectionwiththeirproperspheres,inorderthatthepresentlifemaybearitstrueresult。”——Rev。Prof。Westcotton`Browning’sViewofLife’`B。Soc。Papers’,IV。,pp。401,402。

  166。object:offerinopposition;seev。243。

  167。ourlord:somesageunderwhomtheyhadlearned;seev。254。

  174。Thouandthechildhave:i。e。,forhim,Lazarus。

  177。Greekfire:seeGibbon,chap。52。{aflammableliquid,keptsosecretthatitsexactconstitutionisstillunknown。}

  281。Aleppo:acityofSyria;theblue-floweringboragewassupposedtopossessvaluablemedicinalvirtuesandexhilaratingqualities。

  301。Jerusalem’sreposeshallmakeamends:hewillavailhimselfofittowriteabetterletterthanthisone。

  AMartyr’sEpitaph。

  From`EasterDay’。

  Iwasbornsickly,poor,andmean,Aslave:nomiserycouldscreenTheholdersofthepearlofpriceFromCaesar’senvy;thereforetwiceIfoughtwithbeasts,andthreetimessawMychildrensufferbyhislaw;

  Atlastmyownreleasewasearned:

  Iwassometimeinbeingburned,ButatthecloseaHandcamethroughThefireabovemyhead,anddrew[10]

  MysoultoChrist,whomnowIsee。

  Sergius,abrother,writesformeThistestimonyonthewall——

  Forme,Ihaveforgotitall。

  SoliloquyoftheSpanishCloister。

  1。

  Gr-r-r——therego,myheart’sabhorrence!

  Wateryourdamnedflower-pots,do!

  Ifhatekilledmen,BrotherLawrence,God’sblood,wouldnotminekillyou!

  What?yourmyrtle-bushwantstrimming?

  Oh,thatrosehaspriorclaims——

  Needsitsleadenvasefilledbrimming?

  Helldryyouupwithitsflames!

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