Fluid result,—what’s fixable lies forged,
Statute,—the residue escapes in fume,
Yet hangs aloft, a cloud, as palpable
To the finer sense as word the legist welds. (1780)
Justinian’s Pandects only make precise
What simply sparkled in men’s eyes before,
Twitched in their brow or quivered on their lip,
Waited the speech they called but would not come,
These courts then, whose decree your own confirms,—
Take my whole life, not this last act alone,
Look on it by the light reflected thence!
What has Society to charge me with?
Come, unreservedly,—favour nor fear,—
I am Guido Franceschini, am I not? (1790)
You know the courses I was free to take?
I took just that which let me serve the Church,
I gave it all my labour in body and soul
Till these broke down i’ the service. “Specify?”
Well, my last patron was a Cardinal.
I left him unconvicted of a fault—
Was even helped, by way of gratitude,
Into the new life that I left him for,
This very misery of the marriage,—he
Made it, kind soul, so far as in him lay— (1800)
Signed the deed where you yet may see his name.
He is gone to his reward,—dead, being my friend
Who could have helped here also,—that, of course!
So far, there’s my acquittal, I suppose.
Then comes the marriage itself—no question, lords,
Of the entire validity of that!
In the extremity of distress, ’tis true,
For after-reasons, furnished abundantly,
I wished the thing invalid, went to you
Only some months since, set you duly forth (1810)
My wrong and prayed your remedy, that a cheat
Should not have force to cheat my whole life long.
“Annul a marriage? ’Tis impossible!
“Though ring about your neck be brass not gold,
“Needs must it clasp, gangrene you all the same!”
Well, let me have the benefit, just so far,
O’ the fact announced,—my wife then is my wife,
I have allowance for a husband’s right.
I am charged with passing right’s due bound,—such acts
As I thought just, my wife called cruelty, (1820)
Complained of in due form,—convoked no court
Of common gossipry, but took her wrongs—
And not once, but so long as patience served—
To the town’s top, jurisdiction’s pride of place,
To the Archbishop and the Governor.
These heard her charge with my reply, and found
That futile, this sufficient: they dismissed
The hysteric querulous rebel, and confirmed
Authority in its wholesome exercise,
They, with directest access to the facts. (1830)
“—Ay, for it was their friendship favoured you,
“Hereditary alliance against a breach
“I’ the social order: prejudice for the name
“Of Franceschini!”—So I hear it said:
But not here. You, lords, never will you say
“Such is the nullity of grace and truth,
“Such the corruption of the faith, such lapse
“Of law, such warrant have the Molinists
“For daring reprehend us as they do,—
“That we pronounce it just a common case, (1840)
“Two dignitaries, each in his degree
“First, foremost, this the spiritual head, and that
“The secular arm o’ the body politic,
“Should, for mere wrongs’ love and injustice’ sake,
“Side with, aid and abet in cruelty
“This broken beggarly noble,—bribed perhaps
“By his watered wine and mouldy crust of bread—
“Rather than that sweet tremulous flower-like wife
“Who kissed their hands and curled about their feet
“Looking the irresistible loveliness (1850)
“In tears that takes man captive, turns” … enough!
Do you blast your predecessors? What forbids
Posterity to trebly blast yourselves
Who set the example and instruct their tongue?
You dreaded the crowd, succumbed to the popular cry,
Or else, would nowise seem defer thereto
And yield to public clamour though i’the right!
You riddled your eye of my unseemliness,
The noble whose misfortune wearied you,—
Or, what’s more probable, made common cause (1860)
With the cleric section, punished in myself
Maladroit uncomplaisant laity,
Defective in behaviour to a priest
Who claimed the customary partnership
I’ the house and the wife. Lords, any lie will serve!
Look to it,—or allow me freed so far!
Thus far, re-tell the tale told eight months since.
The wife, you allow so far, I have not wronged,
Has fled my roof, plundered me and decamped (1870)
In company with the priest her paramour:
And I gave chase, came up with, caught the two
At the wayside inn where both had spent the night,
Found them in flagrant fault, and found as well,
By documents with name and plan and date,
The fault was furtive then that’s flagrant now,
Their intercourse a long established crime.
I did not take the license law’s self gives
To slay both criminals o’ the spot at the time,
But held my hand,—preferred play prodigy (1880)
Of patience which the world calls cowardice,
Rather than seem anticipate the law
And cast discredit on its organs,—you—
So, to your bar I brought both criminals,
And made my statement: heard their counter-charge
Nay,—their corroboration of my tale,
Nowise disputing its allegements, not
I’ the main, not more than nature’s decency
Compels men to keep silence in this kind,—
Only contending that the deeds avowed (1890)
Would take another colour and bear excuse.
You were to judge between us; so you did.
You disregard the excuse, you breathe away
The colour of innocence and leave guilt black,
“Guilty” is the decision of the court,
And that I stand in consequence untouched,
One white intergity from head to heel.
Not guilty? Why then did you punish them?
True, punishment has been inadequate—
’Tis not I only,
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