“This being a fatherly pat o’ the cheek, no more.
“Does he wish her guilty? Were she otherwise
“Would she be locked up, set to say her prayers,
“Prevented intercourse with the outside world,
“And that suspected priest in banishment,
“Whose portion is a further help i’ the case?
“Oh, ay, you all of you want the other thing,
“The extreme of law, some verdict neat, complete,—
“Either, the whole o’ the dowry in your poke (1270)
“With full release from the false wife, to boot,
“And heading, hanging for the priest, beside—
“Or, contrary, claim freedom for the wife,
“Repayment of each penny paid her spouse
“Amends for the past, release for the future! Such
“Is wisdom to the children of this world;
“But we’ve no mind, we children of the light,
“To miss the advantage of the golden mean,
“And push things to the steel point.” Thus the courts.
Console yourselves: ’tis like … an instance, now!
You’ve seen the puppets, of Place Navona, play,—
Punch and his mate,—how threats pass, blows are dealt,
And a crisis comes: the crowd or clap or hiss
Accordingly as disposed for man or wife—
When down the actors duck awhile perdue,
Donning what novel rag-and-feather trim
Best suits the next adventure, new effect:
And,—by the time the mob is on the move,
With something like a judgment pro and con,— (1290)
There’s a whistle, up again the actors pop
In t’other tatter with fresh-tinseled staves,
To re-engage in one last worst fight more
Shall show, what you thought tragedy was farce.
Note, that the climax and the crown of things
Invariably is, the devil appears himself,
Armed and accoutred, horns and hoofs and tail!
Just so, nor otherwise it proved—you’ll see:
Move to the murder, never mind the rest!
I’ the breathing-space,—of wife to convent here,
Priest to his relegation, and himself
To Arezzo,—had resigned his part perforce
To brother Abate, who bustled, did his best,
Retrieved things somewhat, managed the three suits—
Since, it should seem, there were three suits-at-law
Behoved him look to, still, lest bad grow worse:
First civil suit,—the one the parents brought,
Impugning the legitimacy of his wife,
Affirming thence the nullity of her rights: (1310)
This was before the Rota,—Molines,
That’s judge there, made that notable decree
Which partly leaned to Guido, as I said,—
But Pietro had appealed against the same
To the very court will judge what we judge now—
Tommati and his fellows,—Suit the first.
Next civil suit,—demand on the wife’s part
Of separation from the husband’s bed
On plea of cruelty and risk to life—
Claims restitution of the dowry paid, (1320)
Immunity from paying any more:
This second, the Vicegerent has to judge.
Third and last suit,—this time, a criminal one,—
Answer to, and protection from, both these,—
Guido’s complaint of guilt against his wife
In the Tribunal of the Governor,
Venturini, also judge of the present cause.
Three suits of all importance plaguing him,
Beside a little private enterprise
Of Guido’s,—essay at a shorter cut. (1330)
For Paolo, knowing the right way at Rome,
Had, even while superintending these three suits
I’ the regular way, each at its proper court,
Ingeniously made interest with the Pope
To set such tedious regular forms aside,
And, acting the supreme and ultimate judge,
Declare for the husband and against the wife.
Well, at such crisis and extreme of straits,
The man at bay, buffeted in this wise,
Happened the strangest accident of all. (1340)
“Then,” sigh friends, “the last feather broke his back,
“Made him forget all possible remedies
“Save one—he rushed to, as the sole relief
“From horror and the abominable thing.”
“Or rather,” laugh foes, “then did there befall
“The luckiest of conceivable events,
“Most pregnant with impunity for him,
“Which henceforth turned the flank of all attack,
“And bade him do his wickedest and worst.”
—The wife’s withdrawal from the Convertites, (1350)
Visit to the villa where her parents lived,
And birth there of his babe. Divergence here!
I simply take the facts, ask what they show.
Then follow all the signs and silences
Premonitory of earthquake. Paolo first
Vanished, was swept off somewhere, lost to Rome:
(Wells dry up, while the sky is sunny and blue.)
Then Guido girds himself for enterprise,
Hies to Vittiano, counsels with his steward, (1360)
Comes to terms with four peasants young and bold,
And starts for Rome the Holy, reaches her
At very holiest, for ’tis Christmas Eve,
And makes straight for the Abate’s dried-up font,
The lodge where Paolo ceased to work the pipes.
And then, rest taken, observation made
And plan completed, all in a grim week,
The five proceed in a body, reach the place,
—Pietro’s, by the Paolina, silent, lone,
And stupefied by the propitious snow,— (1370)
At one in the evening: knock: a voice “Who’s there?”
“Friends with a letter from the priest your friend.”
At the door, straight smiles old Violante’s self.
She falls,—her son-in-law stabs through and through,
Reaches thro’ her at Pietro—“With your son
“This is the way to settle suits, good sire!”
He bellows
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