第37章
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  St。36。andupgoesthespire:Giotto’splanincludedaspireof100feet,buttheprojectwasabandonedbyTaddeoGaddi,whocarriedontheworkafterthedeathofGiottoin1336。”ThemountainsfromwithoutInsilencelistenforthewordsaidnext。

  Whatwordwillmensay,——herewhereGiottoplantedHisCampanilelikeanunperplexedFinequestionheaven-ward,touchingthethingsgrantedAnoblepeople,who,beinggreatlyvexedInact,inaspirationkeepundaunted?”——

  Mrs。Browning’s`CasaGuidiWindows’,Pt。I。,vv。66-72。

  PictorIgnotus。

  [Florence,15。]

  Icouldhavepaintedpictureslikethatyouth’sYepraiseso。Howmysoulspringsup!NobarStayedme——ah,thoughtwhichsaddenswhileitsoothes!——

  Neverdidfateforbidme,starbystar,Tooutburstonyournight,withallmygiftOffiresfromGod:norwouldmyfleshhaveshrunkFromsecondingmysoul,witheyesupliftAndwidetoheaven,or,straightlikethunder,sunkTothecentre,ofaninstant;oraroundTurnedcalmlyandinquisitive,toscan[10]

  Thelicenseandthelimit,spaceandbound,Allowedtotruthmadevisibleinman。

  And,likethatyouthyepraiseso,allIsaw,Overthecanvascouldmyhandhaveflung,Eachfaceobedienttoitspassion’slaw,Eachpassionclearproclaimedwithoutatongue:

  WhetherHoperoseatonceinalltheblood,A-tiptoefortheblessingofembrace,OrRapturedroopedtheeyes,aswhenherbroodPulldownthenestingdove’shearttoitsplace;[20]

  OrConfidencelitswifttheforeheadup,Andlockedthemouthfast,likeacastlebraved,——

  Ohumanfaces!hathitspilt,mycup?

  WhatdidyegivemethatIhavenotsaved?

  NorwillIsayIhavenotdreamedhowwell!

  Ofgoing——I,ineachnewpicture,——forth,As,makingnewheartsbeatandbosomsswell,ToPopeorKaiser,East,West,South,orNorth,BoundforthecalmlysatisfiedgreatState,Orgladaspiringlittleburgh,itwent,[30]

  Flowerscastuponthecarwhichborethefreight,Througholdstreetsnamedafreshfromtheevent,Tillitreachedhome,wherelearnedageshouldgreetMyface,andyouth,thestarnotyetdistinctAbovehishair,lielearningatmyfeet!——

  Oh,thustolive,Iandmypicture,linkedWithloveabout,andpraise,tilllifeshouldend,Andthennotgotoheaven,butlingerhere,Hereonmyearth,earth’severymanmyfriend,Thethoughtgrewfrightful,’twassowildlydear![40]

  Butavoicechangedit。GlimpsesofsuchsightsHavescaredme,liketherevelsthroughadoorOfsomestrangehouseofidolsatitsrites!

  Thisworldseemednottheworlditwas,before:

  Mixedwithmylovingtrustingones,theretrooped……WhosummonedthosecoldfacesthatbegunTopressonmeandjudgeme?ThoughIstoopedShrinking,asfromthesoldieryanun,Theydrewmeforth,andspiteofme……enough!

  Thesebuyandsellourpictures,takeandgive,[50]

  Countthemforgarnitureandhousehold-stuff,AndwheretheyliveneedsmustourpicturesliveAndseetheirfaces,listentotheirprate,Partakersoftheirdailypettiness,Discussedof,——”ThisIlove,orthisIhate,Thislikesmemore,andthisaffectsmeless!”

  WhereforeIchosemyportion。IfatwhilesMyheartsinks,asmonotonousIpaintTheseendlesscloistersandeternalaislesWiththesameseries,Virgin,Babe,andSaint,[60]

  Withthesamecoldcalmbeautifulregard,——

  Atleastnomerchanttrafficsinmyheart;

  Thesanctuary’sgloomatleastshallwardVaintonguesfromwheremypicturesstandapart:

  OnlyprayerbreaksthesilenceoftheshrineWhile,blackeninginthedailycandle-smoke,Theymoulderonthedampwall’stravertine,’Midechoesthelightfootstepneverwoke。

  So,diemypictures!surely,gentlydie!

  Oyouth,menpraiseso,——holdstheirpraiseitsworth?[70]

  Blownharshly,keepsthetrumpitsgoldencry?

  Tastessweetthewaterwithsuchspecksofearth?——

  3。ah,thoughtwhichsaddenswhileitsoothes:thethoughtsaddenshimthathehasnotrealizedhiscapabilities,andsootheshimthathehasresistedthetemptationstoearthlyfame,andbeentruetohissoul。

  14-22。hecouldhaveexpressedHope,Rapture,Confidence,andallotherpassions,inthehumanface,eachclearproclaimedwithoutatongue。

  23。hathitspilt,mycup?:thecupofhismemory。

  24。WhatdidyegivemethatIhavenotsaved?:hehasretainedalltheimpressionshehasreceivedfromhumanfaces。

  25etseq。:NorwillIsayIhavenotdreamedhowwellIhavedreamed!ofgoingforthineachnewpicture,asitwenttoPopeorKaiser,etc。,makingnewheartsbeatandbosomsswell。

  34。thestarnotyetdistinctabovehishair:hisfamenothavingyetshonebrightlyout;”his”refersto”youth”。

  35。lielearning:andshouldlie。

  41。Butavoicechangedit:thevoiceofhissecretsoul。

  67。travertine:coatingoflime;properlyalimestone。

  Lat。,`lapisTiburtinus’,foundnearTibur,nowTivoli。

  AndreadelSarto。

  [Called”TheFaultlessPainter”。]

  Butdonotletusquarrelanymore,No,myLucrezia!bearwithmeforonce:

  Sitdownandallshallhappenasyouwish。

  Youturnyourface,butdoesitbringyourheart?

  I’llworkthenforyourfriend’sfriend,neverfear,Treathisownsubjectafterhisownway,Fixhisowntime,accepttoohisownprice,AndshutthemoneyintothissmallhandWhennextittakesmine。Willit?tenderly?

  Oh,I’llcontenthim,——butto-morrow,Love![10]

  Ioftenammuchwearierthanyouthink,Thiseveningmorethanusual:anditseemsAsif——forgivenow——shouldyouletmesitHerebythewindow,withyourhandinmine,AndlookahalfhourforthonFiesole,Bothofonemind,asmarriedpeopleuse,Quietly,quietlytheeveningthrough,Imightgetupto-morrowtomyworkCheerfulandfreshasever。Letustry。

  To-morrow,howyoushallbegladforthis![20]

  Yoursofthandisawomanofitself,Andmine,theman’sbaredbreastshecurlsinside。

  Don’tcountthetimelost,neither;youmustserveForeachofthefivepictureswerequire:

  Itsavesamodel。So!keeplookingso——

  Myserpentiningbeauty,roundsonrounds!——

  Howcouldyoueverprickthoseperfectears,Eventoputthepearlthere!oh,sosweet——

  Myface,mymoon,myeverybody’smoon,Whicheverybodylooksonandcallshis,[30]

  And,Isuppose,islookedonbyinturn,Whileshelooks——noone’s:verydear,noless。

  Yousmile?why,there’smypicturereadymade,That’swhatwepainterscallourharmony!

  Acommongraynesssilverseverything,——

  Allinatwilight,youandIalike——You,atthepointofyourfirstprideinmeThat’sgone,youknow——butI,ateverypoint;

  Myyouth,myhope,myart,beingalltoneddownToyondersoberpleasantFiesole。[40]

  There’sthebellclinkingfromthechapel-top;

  Thatlengthofconvent-wallacrossthewayHoldsthetreessafer,huddledmoreinside;

  Thelastmonkleavesthegarden;daysdecrease,Andautumngrows,autumnineverything。

  Eh?thewholeseemstofallintoashape,AsifIsawalikemyworkandselfAndallthatIwasborntobeanddo,Atwilight-piece。Love,weareinGod’shand。

  Howstrangenow,looksthelifehemakesuslead;[50]

  Sofreeweseem,sofetteredfastweare!

  Ifeelhelaidthefetter:letitlie!

  Thischamber,forexample——turnyourhead——

  Allthat’sbehindus!Youdon’tunderstandNorcaretounderstandaboutmyart,Butyoucanhearatleastwhenpeoplespeak:

  Andthatcartoon,thesecondfromthedoor——Itisthething,Love!sosuchthingsshouldbe:

  BeholdMadonna!——Iamboldtosay。

  IcandowithmypencilwhatIknow,[60]

  WhatIsee,whatatbottomofmyheartIwishfor,ifIeverwishsodeep——

  Doeasily,too——whenIsay,perfectly,Idonotboast,perhaps:yourselfarejudge,WholistenedtotheLegate’stalklastweek;

  AndjustasmuchtheyusedtosayinFrance。

  Atanyrate’tiseasy,allofit!

  Nosketchesfirst,nostudies,that’slongpast:

  Idowhatmanydreamof,alltheirlives,——Dream?strivetodo,andagonizetodo,[70]

  Andfailindoing。IcouldcounttwentysuchOntwiceyourfingers,andnotleavethistown,Whostrive——youdon’tknowhowtheothersstriveTopaintalittlethinglikethatyousmearedCarelesslypassingwithyourrobesafloat,——

  Yetdomuchless,somuchless,Someonesays,Iknowhisname,nomatter——somuchless!

  Well,lessismore,Lucrezia:Iamjudged。

  ThereburnsatruerlightofGodinthem,Intheirvexedbeatingstuffedandstopped-upbrain,[80]

  Heart,orwhate’erelse,thangoesontopromptThislow-pulsedforthrightcraftsman’shandofmine。

  Theirworksdropgroundward,butthemselves,Iknow,Reachmanyatimeaheaventhat’sshuttome,Enterandtaketheirplacetheresureenough,Thoughtheycomebackandcannottelltheworld。

  Myworksarenearerheaven,butIsithere。

  Thesuddenbloodofthesemen!ataword——

  Praisethem,itboils,orblamethem,itboilstoo。

  I,paintingfrommyselfandtomyself,[90]

  KnowwhatIdo,amunmovedbymen’sblameOrtheirpraiseeither。SomebodyremarksMorello’soutlinethereiswronglytraced,Hishuemistaken;whatofthat?orelse,Rightlytracedandwellordered;whatofthat?

  Speakastheyplease,whatdoesthemountaincare?

  Ah,butaman’sreachshouldexceedhisgrasp,Orwhat’saheavenfor?Allissilver-gray,Placidandperfectwithmyart:theworse!

  IknowbothwhatIwantandwhatmightgain;[100]

  Andyethowprofitlesstoknow,tosigh”HadIbeentwo,anotherandmyself,Ourheadwouldhaveo’erlookedtheworld!”Nodoubt。

  Yonder’saworknow,ofthatfamousyouthTheUrbinatewhodiedfiveyearsago。

  ’Tiscopied,GeorgeVasarisentitme。

  Well,Icanfancyhowhediditall,Pouringhissoul,withkingsandpopestosee,Reaching,thatheavenmightsoreplenishhim,Aboveandthroughhisart——foritgivesway;[110]

  Thatarmiswronglyput——andthereagain——

  Afaulttopardoninthedrawing’slines,Itsbody,sotospeak:itssoulisright,Hemeansright——that,achildmayunderstand。

  Still,whatanarm!andIcouldalterit:

  Butalltheplay,theinsightandthestretch——

  Outofme,outofme!Andwhereforeout?

  Hadyouenjoinedthemonme,givenmesoul,WemighthaverisentoRafael,Iandyou。

  Nay,Love,youdidgiveallIasked,Ithink——[120]

  MorethanImerit,yes,bymanytimes。

  Buthadyou——oh,withthesameperfectbrow,Andperfecteyes,andmorethanperfectmouth,Andthelowvoicemysoulhears,asabirdThefowler’spipe,andfollowstothesnare——

  Hadyou,withthesethesame,butbroughtamind!

  Somewomendoso。Hadthemouththereurged”Godandtheglory!nevercareforgain。

  Thepresentbythefuture,whatisthat?

  Liveforfame,sidebysidewithAgnolo![130]

  Rafaeliswaiting:uptoGod,allthree!”

  Imighthavedoneitforyou。Soitseems:

  Perhapsnot。AllisasGodover-rules。

  Beside,incentivescomefromthesoul’sself;

  Therestavailnot。WhydoIneedyou?

  WhatwifehadRafael,orhasAgnolo?

  Inthisworld,whocandoathing,willnot;

  Andwhowoulddoit,cannot,Iperceive:

  Yetthewill’ssomewhat——somewhat,too,thepower——

  Andthuswehalf-menstruggle。Attheend,[140]

  God,Iconclude,compensates,punishes。

  ’Tissaferforme,iftheawardbestrict,ThatIamsomethingunderratedhere,Poorthislongwhile,despised,tospeakthetruth。

  Idarednot,doyouknow,leavehomeallday,ForfearofchancingontheParislords。

  Thebestiswhentheypassandlookaside;

  Buttheyspeaksometimes;Imustbearitall。

  Wellmaytheyspeak!ThatFrancis,thatfirsttime,AndthatlongfestalyearatFontainebleau![150]

  Isurelythencouldsometimesleavetheground,Putontheglory,Rafael’sdailywear,Inthathumanegreatmonarch’sgoldenlook,——

  OnefingerinhisbeardortwistedcurlOverhismouth’sgoodmarkthatmadethesmile,Onearmaboutmyshoulder,roundmyneck,Thejingleofhisgoldchaininmyear,Ipaintingproudlywithhisbreathonme,Allhiscourtroundhim,seeingwithhiseyes,SuchfrankFrencheyes,andsuchafireofsouls[160]

  Profuse,myhandkeptplyingbythosehearts,——

  And,bestofall,this,this,thisfacebeyond,Thisinthebackground,waitingonmywork,Tocrowntheissuewithalastreward!

  Agoodtime,wasitnot,mykinglydays?

  Andhadyounotgrownrestless……butIknow

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