BROWNING'S ITALY (29 page)

The Medici, whom we have seen bef ore as the patrons of leaming and art connoisseurs, have a record of eleven murders in their f amily in a space of fifty years.

"In Cenciaja" Browning plunges into a dis-cussion, it must be confessed not exactly poetic, of certain details of the Cenci story. The crim-inoiogy of this family furnishes as good an example as any of the sort of family history possible at that time. In the story as usually told, Beatrice arouses sympathy for the crime in which she was implicated with her brothers of

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the murder of their father because of her father's outrageous treatment of her. Browning takes Shelley's "Cenci" as his starting point, and begs leave to teil how it came to pass that at the last the clemency of the Pope was changed to sternness.

CENCIAJA

Ogni cencio vuol entrare in bucato

— Italian Proverb

May I print, Shelley, how it came to pass

That when your Beatrice seemed — by lapse

Of many a long month since her sentence feil —

Assured of pardon for the parricide —

By intercession of stanch friends, or, say,

By certain pricks or conscience in the Pope

Conniver at Francesco Cenci's guilt, —

Suddenly all things changed and Clement grew

"Stern," as you state, "nor to be moved nor bent,

But said these three words coldly *She must die; 9

Subjoining 'Pardon? Paolo Santa Croce

Murdered his mother also yestereve,

And he is fled: ehe shatt not flee at leastl'"

— So, to the letter, sentence was fulfilled ?

Shelley, may I condense verbosity

That lies before me, into some few words

Of English, and illustrate your süperb

Achievement by a rescued anecdote,

No great things, only new and true beside ?

As if some mere familiär of a house f

Should venture to aocost the group at gaze

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Before its Titian, famed the wide world through,

And Supplement such pictured masterpiece

By whisper, "Searching in the archives here,

I found the reason of the Lady's fate,

And how by accident it came to pass

She wears the halo and displays the palm:

Who, haply, eise had never suffered — no,

Nor graced our gallery, by consequence."

Who loved the work would like the little news:

Who lauds your poem lends an ear to me

Relating how the penalty was paid

By one Marchese delT Oriolo, called

Onofrio Santa Croce otherwise,

For his complicity in matricide

With Paolo his own brother, — he whose crime

And flight induced "those three words — 'She must die*.

Thus I unroll you then the manuscript.

"God's justice"— (of the multiplicity Of such Communications extant still, Recording, each, injustice done by God In person of his Vicar-upon-earth, Scarce one but leads off to the seifsame tune) — "God's justice, tardy though it prove perchance, Rests never on the track until it reach Delinquency. In proof I cite the case Of Paolo Santa Croce."

Many times The youngster, — having been importunate That Marchesine Costanza, who remained His widowed mother, should supplant the heir Her eider son, and Substitute himself In sole possession of her faculty, —

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PICTURES OF SOCIAL LIFE 295

And meeting just as often with rebuff, — Blinded by so exorbitant a lust Of gold, the youngster straightway tasked his wits, Casting about to kill the lady — thus.

He first, to cover his inquity, Writes to Onofrio Santa Croce, then Authoritative lord, acquainting him Their mother was contamination — wrought Like hell-fire in the beauty of their House By dissoluteness and abandonment Of soul and body to impure delight. Moreover, since she suffered from disease, Those Symptoms which her death made manifest Hydroptic, he affirmed were fruits of sin About to bring confusion and disgrace Upon the ancient lineage and high fame O' the family, when published. Duty bound, He asked his brother — what a son should do ?

Which when Marchese delT Oriolo heard By letter, being absent at his land, Oriolo, he made answer, this, no more: "It must behoove a son, — things haply so, — To act as honor prompts a cavalier And son, perform his duty to all three, Mother and brothers" — here advice broke off.

By which advice informed and fortified, As he professed himself — since bound by birth To hear God's voice in primogeniture — Paolo, who kept his mother Company In her domain Subiaco, straightway dared His whole enormity of enterprise,

And, falling on her, stabbed the lady dead;

Whose death demonstrated her innocence,

And happened, — by the way, — since Jesus Christ

Died to save man, just sixteen hundred years.

Costanza was of aspect beautiful

Exceedingly, and seemed, although in age

Sixty about, to fax surpass her peers

The coetaneous dames, in youth and grace.

Done the misdeed, its author takes to flight, Foiling thereby the justice of the world: Not God's however, — God, be sure, knows well The way to clutch a culprit. Witness here! The present sinner, when he least expects, Snug-comered somewhere i' the Basilicate, Stumbles upon his death by violence. A man of blood assaults a man of blood And slays him somehow. This was afterward: Enough, he promptly met with his deserts, And, ending thus, permits we end with him, And push forthwith to this important point — His matricide feil out, of all the days, Precisely when the law-procedure closed Respecting Count Francesco Cenci's death Chargeable on his daughter, sons and wife. "Thus patricide was matched with matricide," A poet not inelegantly rhymed: Nay, fraticide — those Princes Massimi! — Which so disturbed the spirit of the Pope That all the likelihood Rome entertained Of Beatrice's pardon vanished straight, And she endured the piteous death.

Now see The sequel — what effect commandment had

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For strict inquiry into this last case,

When Cardinal Aldobrandini (great

His efficacy — nephew to the Pope)

Was bidden crush — ay, though his very hand

Got soil i 9 the act — crime spawning everywhere!

Because, when all endeavor had been used

To catch the aforesaid Paolo, all in vain —

Make perquisition," quoth our Eminence,

Throughout his now deserted domicile! Ransack the palace, roof and floor, to find If haply any scrap of writing, hid In nook or corner, may convict — who knows ? — Brother Onofrio of intelligence With brother Paolo, as in brotherhood Is but too likely: crime spawns everywhere."

And, every cranny searched accordingly, There comes to light — O lynx-eyed Cardinal! — Onofrio's unconsidered writing-scrap, The letter in reply to Paolo's prayer, The word of counsel that — things proving so, Paolo should act the proper knightly part, And do as was incumbent on a son, A brother — and a man of birth, be sure!

Whereat immediately the officers Proceeded to arrest Onofrio — found At football, child's play, unaware of härm, Safe with his friends, the Orsini, at their seat Monte Giordano; as he left the house He came upon ihe watch in wait for him Set by the Barigel, — was caught and caged.

News of which capture being, that same hour, Conveyed to Rome, forthwith our Eminence

Commands Taverna, Governor and Judge,

To have the process in especial care,

Be, first to last, not only president

In person, but inquisitor as well,

Nor trust the by-work to a Substitute:

Bids him not, squeamish, keep the bench, but scrub

The floor of Justice, so to speak, — go try

His best in prison with the criminal:

Promising, as reward for by-work done

Fairly on all-fours, that, success obtained

And crime avowed, or such connivency

With crime as should procure a decent death —

Himself will humbly beg — which means, procure —

The Hat and Purple from his relative

The Pope, and so repay a diligence

Which, meritorious in the Cenci-case,

Mounts plainly here to Purple and the Hat.

Whereupon did my lord the Governor So masterfully exercise the task Enjoined him, that he, day by day, and week By week, and month by month, from first to last Toiled for the prize: now, punctual at his place, Played Judge, and now, assiduous at his post, Inquisitor — pressed cushion and scoured plank, Early and late. Noon's fervor and night's chill, Naught moved whom morn would, purpling, make amends! So that observers laughed as, many a day, He left home, in July when day is flame, Posted to Tordinona-prison, plunged Into a vault where daylong night is ice, There passed his eight hours on a Stretch, content, Examining Onofrio: all the stress Of all examination steadily

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Converging into one pin-point, — he pushed Tentative now of head and now of heart. As when the nut-hatch taps and tries the nut This side and that side tili the kernel sound, — So did he press the sole and Single point

— "What was the very meaning of the phrase 'Do as beseems an honored cavalier? '"

Which one persistent question-torture, — plied Day by day, week by week, and month by month, Morn, noon and night, — fatigued away a mind Grown imbecile by darkness, solitude, And one vivacious memory gnawing there As when a corpse is coffined with a snake:

— Fatigued Onofrio into what might seem Admission that perchance his judgment groped So blindly, feeling for an issue — aught

With semblance of an issue from the toils Cast of a sudden round feet late so free, He possibly might have envisaged, scarce Recoiled from — even were the issue death

— Even her death whose life was death and worse! Always provided that the charge of crime,

Each jot and tttle of the charge were true. In such a sense, belike, he might advise His brother to expurgate crime with . . . well, With blood, if blood, must follow on "the course Taken as might beseem a cavalier"

Whereupon process ended, and report Was made without a minute of delay To Clement, who, because of those two crimes O' the Massimi and Cenci flagrant late, Must needs impatiently desire result

Result obtained, he bade the Govemor Summon the Congregation and despatch. Summons made, sentence passed accordingly — Death by beheading. When his death-decree Was intimated to Onofrio, all Man could do — that did he to save himself. T was much, the having gained for his defense The Advocate o' the Poor, with natural help Of many noble friendly persons fain To disengage a man of family, So young too, from his grim entanglement: But Cardinal Aldobrandini ruled There must be no diversion of the law. Justice is justice, and the magistrate Bears not the sword in vain. Who sins must die.

So, the Marchese had his head cut off, With Rome to see, a concourse infinite, In Place Saint Angelo beside the Bridge: Where, demonstrating magnanimity Adequate to his birth and breed, — poor boy! — He made the people the accustomed speech, Exhorted them to true faith, honest works, And special good behavior as regards A parent of no matter what the sex, Bidding each son take warning from himself. Truly, it was considered in the boy Stark staring lunacy, no less, to snap So piain a bait, be hooked and hauled ashore By such an angler as the Cardinal! Why make confession of his privity To Paolo's enterprise ? Mere sealing Ups — Or, better, saying "When I counseled him 'To do as night beseem a cavalier,'

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What could I mean but 'Hide our parent's shame

As Christian ougkt, by aid of Holy Church!

Bury ü in a convent — ay 9 beneath

Enougk dotation to prevent iis ghost

Front tronbling earthV " Mere saying thus, — 't is piain,

Not only were his life the recompense.

But he had manifestly proved himself

True Christian, and in lieu of punishment

Got praise of all men! — so the populace.

Anyhow, when the Pope made promise good (That of Aldobrandini, near and dear) And gave Taverna, who had toiled so much, A CardinaTs equipment, some such word As this from mouth to ear went saucily: "Taverna's cap is dyed in what he drew From Santa Croce's veins!" So joked the world.

I add: Onofrio left one child behind, A daughter named Valeria, dowered with grace Abundantly of soul and body, doomed To life the shorter for her father's fate. By death of her, the Marquisate returned To that Orsini House from whence it came: Oriolo having passed as donative To Santa Croce from their ancestors.

And no word more? By all means! Would you know The authoritative answer, when folk urged "What made Aldobrandini, hound-like stanch, Hunt out of life a harmless simpleton ?" The answer was — "Hatred implacable, By reason they were rivals in their love." The Cardinal's desire was to a dame

Whose favor was Onofrio's. Pricked with pride,

The simpleton must ostentatiously

Display a ring, the Cardinal's love-gift,

Given to Onofrio as the lady's gage:

Which ring on finger, as he put forth hand

To draw a tapestry, the Cardinal

Saw and knew, gift and owner, old and young;

Whereon a f ury entered him — the fire

He quenched with what could quench fire only — blood.

Nay, more: "there want not who affirm to boot,

The unwise boy, a certain festal eve,

Feigned ignorance of who the wight might be

That pressed too closely on him with a crowd.

He Struck the Cardinal a blow: and then,

To put a face upon the incident,

Dared next day, snug as ever, go pay court

I' the Cardinal's antechamber. Mark and mend,

Ye youth, by this example how may greed

Vainglorious operate in worldly souls!"

So ends the chronicler, beginning with

" God's justice, tardy though it prove perchance,

Rests never tili it reach delinquency."

Ay, or how otherwise had come to pass

That Victor rules, this present year, in Rome ? "

In a manuscript volume containing the "Re-lations of the Cenci affair with other memorials of Italian crime," Browning found what he called the " Cenciaja," namely, a story which divulges the true reason of the sudden change of attitude toward Beatrice. It was lent to him by Sir J. Simeon; who, he writes, "published