From the other trick, the torture inside there!
I confess all—let it be understood—
And deny nothing! If I baffle you so,
Can so fence, in the plenitude of right,
That my poor lathen dagger puts aside
Each pass o’ the Bilboa, beats you all the same,— (850)
What matters inefficiency of blade?
Mine and not hers the letter,—conceded, lords!
Impute to me that practice!—take as proved
I taught my wife her duty, made her see
What it behoved her see and say and do,
Feel in her heart and with her tongue declare,
And, whether sluggish or recalcitrant,
Forced her to take the right step, I myself
Marching in mere marital rectitude!
And who finds fault here, say the tale be true? (860)
Would not my lords commend the priest whose zeal
Seized on the sick, morose, or moribund,
By the palsy-smitten finger, made it cross
His brow correctly at the critical time?
—Or answered for the inarticulate babe
At baptism, in its stead declared the faith,
And saved what else would perish unprofessed?
True, the incapable hand may rally yet,
Renounce the sign with renovated strength,—
The babe may grow up man and Molinist,— (870)
And so Pompilia, set in the good path
And left to go alone there, soon might see
That too frank-forward, all too simple- strait
Her step was, and decline to tread the rough,
When here lay, tempting foot, the meadow-side,
And there the coppice called with singing-birds!
Soon she discovered she was young and fair,
That many in Arezzo knew as much,—
Yes, this next cup of bitterness, my lords,
Had to begin go filling, drop by drop, (880)
Its measure up of full disgust for me,
Filtered into by every noisome drain—
Society’s sink toward which all moisture runs.
Would not you prophesy—“She on whose brow is stamped
“The note of the imputation that we know,—
“Rightly or wrongly mothered with a whore,—
“Such an one, to disprove the frightful charge,
“What will she but exaggerate chastity,
“Err in excess of wifehood, as it were,
“Renounce even levities permitted youth, (890)
“Though not youth struck to age by a thunderbolt?
“Cry ‘wolf’ i’ the sheepfold, where’s the sheep dares bleat,
“Knowing the shepherd listens for a growl?”
So you expect. How did the devil decree?
Why, my lords, just the contrary of course!
It was in the house from the window, at the church
From the hassock,—where the theatre lent its lodge,
Or staging for the public show left space,—
That still Pompilia needs must find herself
Launching her looks forth, letting looks reply (900)
As arrows to a challenge; on all sides
Ever new contribution to her lap,
Till one day, what is it knocks at my clenched teeth
But the cup full, curse- collected all for me?
And I must needs drink, drink this gallant’s praise,
That minion’s prayer, the other fop’s reproach,
And come at the dregs to—Caponsacchi! Sirs,
I,—chin deep in a marsh of misery,
Struggling to extricate my name and fame
And fortune from the marsh would drown them all, (910)
My face the sole unstrangled part of me,—
I must have this new gad-fly in that face,
Must free me from the attacking lover too!
Men say I battled ungracefully enough—
Was harsh, uncouth and ludicrous beyond
The proper part o’ the husband: have it so!
Your lordships are considerate at least—
You order me to speak in my defence
Plainly, expect no quavering tuneful trills
As when you bid a singer solace you,— (920)
Nor look that I shall give it, for a grace,
Stans pede in uno:—you remember well
In the one case, ’tis a plainsong too severe,
This story of my wrongs,—and that I ache
And need a chair, in the other. Ask you me
Why, when I felt this trouble flap my face,
Already pricked with every shame could perch,—
When, with her parents, my wife plagued me too,—
Why I enforced not exhortation mild
To leave whore’s-tricks and let my brows alone, (930)
With mulct of comfits, promise of perfume?
“Breathed threatenings, rage and slaughter!” What you will!
And the end has come, the doom is verily here,
Unhindered by the threatening. See fate’s flare
Full on each face of the dead guilty three!
Look at them well, and now, lords, look at this!
Tell me: if on that day when I found first
That Caponsacchi thought the nearest way
To his church was some half-mile round by my door, (940)
And that he so admired, shall I suppose,
The manner of the swallows’ come-and- go
Between the props o’ the window over-head,—
That window happening to be my wife’s,—
As to stand gazing by the hour on high,
Of May-eves, while she sat and let him smile,—
If I,—instead of threatening, talking big,
Showing hair-powder, a prodigious pinch,
For poison in a bottle,—making believe
At desperate doings with a bauble-sword, (950)
And other bugaboo-and-baby-work,—
Had, with the vulgarest household implement,
Calmly and quietly cut off, clean thro’ bone,
But one joint of one finger of my wife,
Saying “For listening to the serenade,
“Here’s your ring-finger shorter a full third:
“Be certain I will slice away next joint,
“Next time that anybody underneath
“Seems somehow to be sauntering as he hoped
“A flower would eddy out of your hand to his (960)
“While you please fidget with the branch above
“O’ the rose-tree in the terrace!”—had I done so,
Why, there had followed a quick sharp scream, some pain,
Much calling for plaister, damage to the dress,
A somewhat sulky countenance next day,
Perhaps reproaches,—but
| Previous chapter/page | Back | Home | Email this | Search | Discuss | Bookmark | Next chapter/page |