Men and Women

Author:Browning, Robert [Browning, Robert]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: Poetry
Publisher: manybooks.net

Thyrsus: the ivy-coiled staffer spear stuck in a pine-cone, symbol of Bacchic orgy. These, with the other Pagan tokens and pictures, mingle oddly but significantly with the references to the Saviour, Saint Praxed, and Moses. See also line 92, where Saint Praxed is confused with the Saviour, in the mind of the dying priest. Saint Praxed, the virgin daughter of a Roman Senator and friend of Saint Paul, in whose honor the Bishop's Church is named, is again brought forward in lines 73-75 in a queer capacity which pointedly

illustrates the speaker and his time.

66. Travertine: see note "Pictor Ignotus," 67.

68. jasper: a dark green stone with blood-red spots, susceptible of high polish.

77. Tully's: Marcus Tullius Cicero (106-46 B. C.).

79. Ulpian: a Roman jurist (170-228 A. D.), belonging to the degenerate age of Roman literature.

99. <Elucescebat>: he was illustrious; formed from <elucesco>, an inceptive verb from <eluceo>: in post classic Latin.

102. Else I give the Pope my villas: perhaps a threat founded on the custom of Julius II and other popes, according to Burckhardt, of enlarging their power "by making themselves heirs of the cardinals and clergy . . . Hence the splendor of tile tombs of the prelates . . . a part of the plunder being in this way saved from the hands of the Pope."

108. A vizor and a Term: a mask, and a bust springing from a square pillar, representing the Roman god Terminus, who presided over boundaries.

BISHOP BLOUGRAM'S APOLOGY

1855

No more wine? then we'll push back chairs and talk.

A final glass for me, though: cool, i' faith!

We ought to have our Abbey back, you see.

It's different, preaching in basilicas,

And doing duty in some masterpiece

Like this of brother Pugin's, bless his heart!

I doubt if they're half baked, those chalk rosettes,

Ciphers and stucco-twiddlings everywhere;

It's just like breathing in a lime-kiln: eh?

These hot long ceremonies of our church 10 Cost us a little--oh, they pay the price,

You take me--amply pay it! Now, we'll talk.

So, you despise me, Mr. Gigadibs.

No deprecation--nay, I beg you, sir!

Beside 't is our engagement: don't you know,

I promised, if you'd watch a dinner out,

We'd see truth dawn together?--truth that peeps

Over the glasses' edge when dinner's done,

And body gets its sop and holds its noise

And leaves soul free a little. Now's the time: 20 Truth's break of day! You do despise me then.

And if I say, "despise me"--never fear!

1 know you do not in a certain sense--

Not in my arm-chair, for example: here,

I well imagine you respect my place

(<Status, entourage>, worldly circumstance)

Quite to its value--very much indeed:

--Are up to the protesting eyes of you

In pride at being seated here for once--

You'll turn it to such capital account! 30 When somebody, through years and years to come,

Hints of the bishop--names me--that's enough:

"Blougram? I knew him"--(into it you slide)

"Dined with him once, a Corpus Christi Day,

All alone, we two; he's a clever man:

And after dinner--why, the wine you know--

Oh, there was wine, and good!--what with the wine . . .

'Faith, we began upon all sorts of talk!

He's no bad

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