To jealousy,—jealousy of whom but just
This very Caponsacchi! How suits here
This with the other alleged motive, Prince?
Would Guido make a terror of the man
He meant should tempt the woman, as they charge?
Do you fright your hare that you may catch your hare?
Consider too the charge was made and met (920)
At the proper time and place where proofs were plain—
Heard patiently and disposed of thoroughly
By the highest powers, possessors of most light,
The Governor, for the law, and the Archbishop
For the Gospel: which acknowledged primacies,
’Tis impudently pleaded, he could warp
Into a tacit partnership with crime—
He being the while, believe their own account,
Impotent, penniless and miserable!
He further asks—Duke, note the knotty point!— (930)
How he,—concede him skill to play such part
And drive his wife into a gallant’s arms,—
Could bring the gallant to play his part too
And stand with arms so opportunely wide?
How bring this Caponsacchi,—with whom, friends
And foes alike agree, throughout his life
He never interchanged a civil word
Nor lifted courteous cap to—how bend him,
To such observancy of beck and call,
—To undertake this strange and perilous feat (940)
For the good of Guido, using, as the lure,
Pompilia whom, himself and she avouch,
He had nor spoken with nor seen, indeed,
Beyond sight in a public theatre,
When she wrote letters (she that could not write!)
The importunate shamelessly- protested love
Which brought him, though reluctant, to her feet,
And forced on him the plunge which, howsoe’er
She might swim up i’ the whirl, must bury him
Under abysmal black: a priest contrive (950)
No mitigable amour to ’e hushed up,
But open flight and noon-day infamy?
Try and concoct defence for such revolt!
Take the wife’s tale as true, say she was wronged,—
Pray, in what rubric of the breviary
Do you find it registered the part of a priest
That to right wrongs he skip from the church-door,
Go journeying with a woman that’s a wife,
And be pursued, o’ertaken, and captured … how?
In a lay-dress, playing the sentinel (960)
Where the wife sleeps (says he who best should know)
And sleeping, sleepless, both have spent the night!
Could no one else be found to serve at need—
No woman—or if man, no safer sort
Than this not well-reputed turbulence?
He, being the stranger and the astonished one,
Yet received protestations of her love
From lady neither known nor cared about:
Love, so protested, bred in him disgust (970)
After the wonder,—or incredulity,
Such impudence seeming impossible.
But, soon assured such impudence might be,
When he had seen with his own eyes at last
Letters thrown down to him i’ the very street
From behind lattice where the lady lurked,
And read their passionate summons to her side—
Why then, a thousand thoughts swarmed up and in,—
How he had seen her once, a moment’s space,
Observed she was so young and beautiful, (980)
Heard everywhere report she suffered much
From a jealous husband thrice her age,—in short
There flashed the propriety, expediency
Of treating, trying might they come to terms,
—At all events, granting the interview
Prayed for, and so adapted to assist
Decision as to whether he advance,
Stand or retire, in his benevolent mood.
Therefore the interview befell at length;
And at this one and only interview, (990)
He saw the sole and single course to take—
Bade her dispose of him, head, heart, and hand,
Did her behest and braved the consequence,
Not for the natural end, the love of man
For woman whether love be virtue or vice,
But, please you, altogether for pity’s sake—
Pity of innocence and helplessness!
And how did he assure himself of both?
Had he been the house-inmate, visitor,
Eye-witness of the described martyrdom (1000)
So, competent to pronounce its remedy
Ere rush on such extreme and desperate course,
Involving such enormity of harm,
Moreover, to the husband judged thus, doomed
And damned without a word in his defence?
But no,—the truth was felt by instinct here!
—Process which saves a world of trouble and time,
And there’s his story: what do you say to it,
Trying its truth by your own instinct too,
Since that’s to be the expeditious mode? (1010)
“And now, do hear my version,” Guido cries:
“I accept argument and inference both.
“It would indeed have been miraculous
“Had such a confidency sprung to birth
“With no more fanning from acquaintanceship
“Than here avowed by my wife and this priest.
“Only, it did not: you must substitute
“The old stale unromantic way of fault,
“The commonplace adventure, mere intrigue
“In the prose form with the unpoetic tricks, (1020)
“Cheatings and lies: they used the hackney chair
“Satan jaunts forth with, shabby and serviceable,
“No gilded jimcrack-novelty from below,
“To bowl you along thither, swift and sure.
“That same officious go-between, the wench
“That gave and took the letters of the two,
“Now offers self and service back to me:
“Bears testimony to visits night by night
“When all was safe, the husband far and away,—
“To many a timely slipping out at large (1030)
“By light o’ the morning- star, ere he should wake,
“And when the fugitives were found at last,
“Why, with them were found also, to belie
“What protest they might make of innocence,
“All documents yet wanting, if need were,
“To establish
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