BROWNING'S ITALY (5 page)

Charles defeated and killed him. Charles was enthusiastically welcomed by Guelfic Italy, and was given the crown of the Two Sicilies. Conradin, a lad only sixteen years old came down in the hope of regaining his kingdom, but he, too, was defeated, taken prisoner, and after a mock trial for treason put to death. Thus the Popes prevented the union of the Two Sicilies with the Empire.

From this it will be seen that the really patriotic side, the side most allied to the cause of the people was the side against the Emperor; and just as Browning's Sordello saw that the Guelfs furnished a better im-plement with which to work for the people than the Emperor's faction, so may the real Sordello have regarded Charles of Anjou as a weapon against tyranny, as he was certainly regarded by the Guelfs, and this no doubt is the reason why Dante lauded him as a patriot.

Historical glimpses of the sketches just given, enlivened by the poet's imagination, may be gained from the following passages:

"The tale amounts To this: when at Vicenza both her counts Banished the Vivaresi kith and Irin, Those Maltraversi hung on Ecelin, Reviled him as he followed; he for spite Must fire their quarter, though that self-same night

DAWN OF THE RENAISSANCE 39

Among the flames young Ecelin was born

Of Adelaide, there too, and barely tora From the roused populace hard on the rear, By a poor archer when his chieftain's fear Grew high; into the thick Elcorte leapt, Saved her, and died; no creature left except His child to thank. And when the füll escape Was known — how men impaled from chine to nape Unlucky Prata, all to pieces spurned Bishop Pistore's concubines, and burned Taurello's entire household, flesh and feil, Missing the sweeter prey — such courage well Might claim reward. The orphan, ever since, Sordello, had been nurtured by his prince Within a blind retreat.

" Meanwhile the world rejoiced ('tis time explain)

Because a sudden sickness set it free

From Adelaide. Missing the mother-bee,

Her mountain-hive Romano swarmed; at once

A rusüe-f orth of daughters and of sons

Blackened the Valley. 'I am sick too, old,

Half-crazed I think; what good's the Kaiser's gold

To such an one? God help me! for I catch

My children's greedy sparkling eyes at watch —

"He bears that double breastplate on," they say,

"So many minutes less than yesterday!"

Beside, Monk Hilary is on his knees

Now, sworn to kneel and pray tili God shall please

Exact a punishment for many things

You know, and some you never knew; which brings

To memory, Azzo's sister Beatrix

And Richard's Giglia are my Alberic's

And Ecelin's betrothed; the Count himself

Must get my Palma: Ghibellin and Guelf Mean to embrace each other.' So began Romano's missive to his fighting man Taurello — on the Tuscan's death, away With Friedrich sworn to sail from Naples' bay Next month for Syria. Never thunder-clap Out of Vesuvius' throat, like this mishap Startled him. 'That accursed Vicenza! I Absent, and she selects this time to die! Ho, fellows, for Vicenza!' Half a score Of horses ridden dead, he stood before Romano in his reeking spurs: too late — 'Boniface urged me, Este could not wait,' The chieftain stammered; 'let me die in peace — Forget me! Was it I who craved increase Of rule ? Do you and Friedrich plot your worst Against the Father: as you found me first So leave menow. Forgiye ny»? Palma., «uro

42 BROWNING'S ITALY

Ran best through the locked fingers and linked arms.

And so the night flew on with its alarms

Till in burst one of Palma's retinue;

'Now, Lady!' gasped he. Then arose the two

And leaned into Verona's air, dead-still.

A balcony lay black beneath until

Out, 'mid a gush of torchfire, gray-haired men

Came on it and harangued the people: then

Sea-like that people surging to and fro

Shouted, ' Haie forth the carroch — trumpets, ho,

A flourish! Run it in the ancient grooves!

Back from the bell! Hammer — that whom behooves

May hear the League is up! Peal — learn who list,

Verona means not first of towns break tryst

To-morrow with the League!'

Enough. Now turn — Over the eastern cypresses: discern!

DAWN OF THE RENAISSANCE 41

Her child when he forsook himself and spent

A prowess on Romano surely meant

For his own growth — whither he ne'er resorts

If wholly satisfied (to trust reports)

With Ecelin. So, forward in a trice

Were shows to greet him. ' Take a friend's advice,'

Quoth Naddo, to Sordello 'nor be rash

Because your rivals (nothing can abash

Some f olks) demur that we pronounced you best

To sound the great man's welcome; 'tis a test,

Remember!'

• •••••••

"One more day, One eve — appears Verona! Many a group, (You mind) instructed of the osprey's swoop On lynx and ounce, was gathering — Christendom Sure to receive, whate'er the end was, from The evening's purpose cheer or detriment, Since Friedrich only waited some event Like this, of Ghibellins establishing Themselves within Ferrara, ere, as King Of Lombardy, he'd glad descend there, wage Old warfare with the Pontiff, disengage His barons from the burghers, and restore The rule of Charlemagne, broken of yore By Hildebrand.

I' the palace, each by each, Sordello sat and Palma; little speech At first in that dim closet, face with face (Despite the tumult in the market-place) Exchanging quick low laughters: now would rush Word upon word to meet a sudden flush, A look left off, a shifting lips' surmise — But for the most part their two histories

Ran best through the locked fingers and linked anns.

And so the night flew on with its alarms

Till in burst one of Palma's retinue;

'Now, Lady!' gasped he. Then arose the two

And leaned into Verona's air, dead-still.

A balcony lay black beneath until

Out, 'mid a gush of torchfire, gray-haired men

Came on it and harangued the people: then

Sea-like that people surging to and fro

Shouted, ' Haie forth the carroch — trumpets, ho,

A flourish! Run it in the ancient grooves!

Back from the bell! Hammer — that whom behooves

May hear the League is up! Peal — learn who list,

Verona means not first of towns break tryst

To-morrow with the League!'

Enough. Now tum — Over the eastern cypresses: discern! Is any beacon set a-glimmer ?

Rang The air with shouts that overpowered the clang Of the incessant carroch, even: 'Haste — The candle 's at the gateway! ere it waste, Each soldier stand beside it, armed to march With Tiso Sampier through the eastern arch!' Ferrara's succored, Palma!"

Here is a fine picture of Ferrara during the struggle in which Richard had been seized, and following it a little later, a description of Taurello's palace, the one he had built for Retrude, and in which Richard is imprisoned. The description shows Browning in one of his most poetic moods.

DAWN OF THE RENAISSANCE 43

"Meantime Ferrara lay in rueful case;

The lady-city, for whose sole embrace

Her pair of suitors struggled, feit their anns

A brawny mischief to the fragile charms

They tugged for — one discovering that to twist

Her tresses twice or thrice about his wrist

Secured a point of vantage — one, how best

He 'd parry that by planting in her breast

His elbow spike — each party too intent

For noticing, howe'er the battle went,

The conqueror would but have a corpse to kiss.

'May Boniface be duly damned for this!'

— Howled some old Ghi belli n, as up he tu med, From the wet heap of rubbish where they burned His house, a little skull with dazzling teeth:

* A boon, sweet Christ — let Salinguerra seethe

In hell forever, Christ, and let myself

Be there to laugh at him!' — moaned some young Guelf

Stumbling upon a shrivelled hand nailed fast

To the charred lintel of the doorway, last

His father stood within to bid him speed.

The thoroughfares were overrun with weed

— Docks, quitchgrass, loathly mallows no man plants. The stranger, none of its inhabitants

Crept out of doors to taste fresh air again, And ask the purpose of a splendid train Admitted on a morning; every town Of the East League was come by envoy down To treat for Richard's ransom: here you saw The Vicentine, here snowy oxen draw The Paduan carroch, its vermilion cross On its white field. A-tiptoe o'er the fosse Looked Legate Montelungo wistfully After the flock of steeples he might spy

In Este's time, gone (doubts he) long ago

To mend the ramparts: sure the laggards know

The Pope's as good as here! They paced the streets

More soberly. At last, 'Taurello greets

The League/ announced a pursuivant, — 'will match

Its courtesy, and labors to dispatch

At earliest Tito, Friedrich's Pretor, sent

On pressing matters from his post at Trent,

With Mainard Count of Tyrol, — simply waits

Their going to receive the delegates.'"

" Our dropping Autumn morning clears apace,

And poor Ferrara puts a softened face

On her misfortunes. Let us scale this tall

Huge foursquare line of red brick garden-wall

Bastioned within by trees of every sort

On three sides, slender, spreading, long and short;

Each grew as it contrived, the poplar ramped,

The fig-tree reared itself, — but stark and cramped,

Made fools of, like tamed lions: whence, on the edge,

Running 'twixt trunk and trunk to smooth one ledge

Of shade, were shrubs inserted, warp and woof,

Which smothered up that variance. Scale the roof

Of solid tops, and o'er the slope you slide

Down to a grassy space level and wide,

Here and there dotted with a tree, but trees

Of rarer leaf, each foreigner at ease,

Set by itself: and in the centre spreads,

Borne upon three uneasy leopards' heads,

A laver, broad and shallow, one bright spirt

Of water bubbles in. The walls begirt

With trees leave off on either hand; pursue

Your path along a wondrous avenue

Those walls abut on, heaped of gleamy stone,

DAWN OF THE RENAISSANCE 45

With aloes leering everywhere, gray-grown

From many a Moorish summer: how they wind

Out of the fissures! likelier to bind

The building than those rusted cramps which drop

Already in the eating sunshine. Stop,

You fleeting shapes above there! Ah, the pride

Or eise despair of the whole country-side!

A ränge of statues, swarming o'er with wasps,

God, goddess, woman, man, the Greek rough-rasps

In crumbling Naples marble — meant to look

Like those Messina marbles Constance took

Delight in, or Taurello's seif conveyed

To Mantua for his mistress, Adelaide,

A certain fönt with caryatides

Since cloistered at Goito; only, these'

Are up and doing, not abashed, a troop

Able to right themselves — who see you, stoop

Their arms o' the instant after you! Unplucked

By this or that, you pass; for they conduct

To terrace raised on terrace, and, between,

Creatures of brighter mould and braver mien

Than any yet, the choicest of the Isle

No doubt. Here, left a sullen breathing-while,

Up-gathered on himself the Fighter stood

For his last fight, and, wiping treacherous blood

Out of the eyelids just held ope beneath

Those shading fingers in their iron sheath,

Steadied his strengths amid the buzz and stir

Of the dusk hideous amphitheatre

At the announcement of his over-match

To wind the day's diversion up, dispatch

The pertinacious Gaul: while, limbs one heap,

The Slave, no breath in her round mouth, watched leap

Dart after dart forth, as her hero's car

Clove dizzily the solid of the war — Let coil about his knees for pride in him. We reach the farthest terrace, and the grim San Pietro Palace stops us.

Such the State Of Salinguerra's plan to emulate Sicilian marvels, that his girlish wife Retrude still might lead her ancient life In her new home: whereat enlarged so much Neighbors upon the novel princely touch He took, — who here imprisons Boniface. Here must the Envoys come to sue for grace; And here, emerging from the labyrinth Below, Sordello paused beside the plinth Of the doo^-pilla^. , ' ,

Wholly imaginative is the scene where Sordello tries to persuade Taurello to give up the Ghibelline side for the Guelf side. De-spite the fact that his arguments fail to con-vince, Taurello suddenly throws the imperial badge on Sordello's neck, with the idea that he, once being Palma's husband, will bear her burdens as head of the Romano house.

It will be remembered that Ecelin II re-tired to a monastery, and married his two sons to Guelf wives and proposed to marry Palma to a Guelf husband.

Ecelin has also given his best land to the Pope as a sop to allow him to divide the rest of it between his sons, so Taurello's work of thirty years is lost, and he feels a younger

DAWN OF THE RENAISSANCE 47

person is needed to hold up the Ghibelline cause. Palma, not yet married to Richard, is his only hope of a head to the Romano house. The climax of the scene is Palma's revelation that Sordello is really Taurello's son.

"My poor Sordello! what may we extort By this, I wonder ? Palma's lighted eyes Turned to Taurello who, long past surprise, Began, 'You love him — what you'd say at large Let me say briefly. First, your father's charge To me, his friend, peruse: I guessed indeed You were no stranger to the course decreed. He bids me leave his children to the saints: As for a certain project, he acquaints The Pope with that, and offers him the best Of your possessions to permit the rest Go peaceably — to Ecelin, a stripe Of soil the cursed Vicentines will gripe, — To Alberic, a patch the Trevisan Clutches already; extricate, who can, Treville, Villarazzi, Puissolo, Loria and Cartiglione! — all must go, And with them go my hopes. Tis lost, then! Lost This eve, our crisis, and some pains it cost Procuring; thirty years — as good I'd spent Like our admonisher! But each his bent Pursues: no question, one might live absurd One's seif this while, by deed as he by word Persisting to obtrude an influence where Tis made account of, much as . . . nay, you fare With twice the fortune, youngster! — I submit, Happy to parallel my waste of wit