Robert Browning

“ A thousand guilders! Come, take fifty!
X.
The Piper's face fell, and he cried
No trifling! I can't wait, beside!
I've promised to visit by dinner time
Bagdat, and accept the prime
Of the Head-Cook's pottage, all he's rich in,
For having left, in the Caliph's kitchen,
Of a nest of scorpions no survivor:
With him I proved no bargain driver,
With you, don't think I'll bate a stiver!
And folks who put me in a passion
May find me pipe after another fashion."
XI.
"How?" cried the mayor, "d'ye think I brook
Being worse treated than a cook? ”

“ For I intend to get to God,
⁠For 'tis to God I speed so fast,
For in God's breast, my own abode,
⁠Those shoals of dazzling glory past,
I lay my spirit down at last.
I lie where I have always lain,
⁠God smiles as he has always smiled ”

“ Swarming in ghastly wretchedness,
Whose life on earth aspired to be
⁠One altar-smoke, so pure!—to win
If not love like God's love to me,
⁠At least to keep his anger in,
And all their striving turned Lo sin! ”

“ Care not for the cowards! Care
Only to put aside thy beauteous hair
My blood will hurt. The Three I do not scorn
To death, because they never lived: but I
Have lived indeed, and so— (yet one more kiss) —can die! ”

“ With ray-like florets round a disk-like face.
Men nobly call by many a name the Mount,
As over many a land of theirs its large
Calm steadfast front, like a triumphal targe
Is reared, and still with old names, fresh names vie,
Each to its proper praise and own account:
Men call the Flower, the Sunflower, sportively. ”

“ The mass of Browning's work offers itself readily for division into three clearly defined periods, and it is matter for congratulation that the product of the first period, that which terminated in 1864 with the publication of "Dramatis Personæ," embraces the greater part of Browning's poetry which is most calculated to become generally admired, and to take a firm and lasting hold upon popular appreciation. ”

“ What I answered? As I live,
⁠I never though there was such 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. ”

“ Trampled out the light for ever:
⁠Never fear but there's provision
Of the Devil's to quench knowledge
⁠Lest we walk the earth in rapture!
Making those who catch the secret
⁠Just so much more prize their capture. ”

“ Oh, sir, she smiled, no doubt,
Whene'er I passed her; but who passed without
Much the same smile? This grew; I gave commands;
Then all smiles stopped together. There she stands
As if alive. Will't please you rise? ”

“ And ate the cheeses out of the vats,
⁠And licked the soup from the cooks' own ladles,
Split open the kegs of salted sprats,
Made nests inside men's Sunday hats,
And even spoiled the women's chats,
⁠By drowning their speaking
⁠With shrieking and squeaking
In fifty different sharps and flats.
III.
At last the people in a body
⁠To the town Hall came flocking:
'Tis clear, cried they, our mayor's a noddy;
⁠And as for our Corporation—shocking
To think we buy gowns lined with ermine
For dolts that can't or won't determine
What's like to rid us of our vermin! ”

“ With no work done, but great works undone,
Where scarce twenty knew his name.
Why not, then, have earlier spoken,
Written, bustled? Who's to blame
If your silence kept unbroken?
"True, but there were sundry jottings,
Stray-leaves, fragments, blurrs and blottings,
Certain first steps were achieved
Already which (is that your meaning?)
Had well borne out whoe'er believed
In more to come!" But who goes gleaning
Hedgeside chance-glades, while full-sheaved
Stand cornfields by him? Pride, o'erweening
Pride alone, puts forth such claims
O'er the day's distinguished names. ”

“ A mesh of water-weeds about
Its prow, as if he unaware
Had struck some quay or bridge-foot stair;
That I may throw a paper out
As you and he go underneath.
There's Zanze's vigilant taper; safe are we! ”

“ Do I glide unespied
As I ride, as I ride?
iii.
As I ride, as I ride,
When an inner voice has cried,
The sands slide, nor abide
(As I ride, as I ride)
O'er each visioned Homicide
That came vaunting (has he lied?) ”

“ That miserable morning saw
⁠Few half so happy as I seemed,
While being dressed in Queen's array
To give our Tourney prize away.
iii.
I thought they loved me, did me grace
⁠To please themselves; 'twas all their deed;
God makes, or fair or foul, our face ”

“ Dear loory, may his beak retain
Ever its delicate rose stain
As if the wounded lotus-blossoms
Had marked their thief to know again!
xii.
Stay longer yet, for others' sake
Than mine! what should your chamber do? ”

“ Hi sface, the murdered prince full pardon breathed
To his rash sire. Whereat Athenai wails.
⁠So I, who ne'er forsake my votaries,
Lest in the cross-way none the honey-cake
Should tender, nor pour out the dog's hot life ”

“ A film the mother-eagle's eye
⁠When her bruised eaglet breathes:
"You're wounded!" "Nay," his soldier's pride
⁠Touched to the quick, he said:
"I'm killed, Sire!" And, his Chief beside,
⁠Smiling the boy fell dead. ”

“ II.—CLOISTER. (Spanish.)
i.
Gr-r-r—there go, my heart’s abhorrence!
⁠Water your damned flower-pots, do!
If hate killed men, Brother Lawrence,
⁠God’s blood, would not mine kill you!
What? your myrtle-bush wants trimming? ”

“ It is little to the purpose, that such is actually one of the most familiar of the many Rabbinical {and Patristic) acceptations of the phrase; because I confess that, letting authority alone, I supposed the bare words, in such juxtaposition, would sufficiently convey the desired meaning. 'Faith and good works' is another fancy, for instance, and perhaps no easier to arrive at: yet Giotto placed pomegranate fruit in the hand of Dante, and Raffaelle crowned his Theology (in the 'Camera della Segnatura') with blossoms of the same ”

“ Boot, saddle, to horse, and away!
II.
Ride past the suburbs, asleep as you'd say;
Many's the friend there, will listen and pray
"God's luck to gallants that strike up the lay,
(Cho.) "Boot, saddle, to horse, and away!" ”

“ Who found me in wine you drank once?
(Cho.) King Charles, and who'll do him right now?
(Cho.) King Charles, and who's ripe for fight now?
(Cho. ) Give a rouse: here's, in Hell's despite now,
(Cho. ) King Charles! ”

“ To the Devil that prompts 'em their treasonous parles!
Cavaliers, up! Lips from the cup,
Hands from the pasty, nor bite take nor sup
Till you're (Chorus) marching along, fifty-score strong,
Great-hearted gentlemen, singing this song. ”

“ In three sips the Arian frustrate;
⁠While he drains his at one gulp!
vi.
Oh, those melons! If he's able
⁠We're to have a feast; so nice!
One goes to the Abbot's table,
⁠All of us get each a slice.
How go on your flowers? None double? ”

“ And out of the houses the rats came tumbling.
Great rats, small rats, lean rats, brawny rats,
Brown rats, black rats, gray rats, tawny rats,
Grave old plodders, gay young friskers,
⁠Fathers, mothers, uncles, cousins,
Cocking tails and pricking whiskers,
⁠Families by tens and dozens,
Brothers, sisters, husbands, wives—
Followed the Piper for their lives. ”

“ Published„ "Bells and Pomegranates" No. 1 ("Pippa Passes") 1841
Published "Bells and Pomegranates" No. 2 ("King Victor and King Charles") 1842
Published "Bells and Pomegranates" No. 3 ("Dramatic Lyrics") ”

“ Married Elizabeth Barrett Barrett 12th September 1846 Robert Wiedemann Barrett Browning born 9th March 1849
Published "Christmas Eve and Easter Day" 1850
Printed privately "Cleon" 1855
Printed„ privately„ "The Statue and the Bust" 1855
Published "Men and Women" 1856
Mrs. ”

“ By Mary E. Burt. 8vo. 1877
"Sordello, a Story from Robert Browning." By Frederick May Holland. 8vo. 1881
"The Browning Society's Papers" (1881–1896) . Thirteen Parts. 8vo. 1896
"Stories from Browning." By Frederick May Holland, 8vo. 1882
"Robert Browning. The Thoughts of a Poet on Art and Faith." By Howard S. Pearson. 4to. 1885
"A Handbook to the Works of Robert Browning." By Mrs. Sutherland Orr. 8vo. 1885 [Several times reprinted, with revisions.]
Miss Alma Murray's 'Constance' in Robert Browning's 'In a Balcony.'" By B. L. Moseley, LL.B. 8vo. ”