“’Tis late: but when I break in presently
“One will be found outlingering the rest
“For promise of a posset,—one whose shout
“Would raise the dead down in the catacombs, (1590)
“Much more the city-watch that goes its round.
“When did I ever turn adroitly up
“To sun some brick embedded in the soil,
“And with one blow crush all three scorpions there?
“Or Pietro or Violante shambles off—
“It cannot be but I surprise my wife—
“If only she is stopped and stamped on, good!
“That shall suffice: more is improbable.
“Now I may knock!” And this once for my sake
The impossible was effected: I called king, (1600)
Queen and knave in a sequence, and cards came,
All three, three only! So, I had my way,
Did my deed: so, unbrokenly lay bare
Each tænia that had sucked me dry of juice,
At last outside me, not an inch of ring
Left now to writhe about and root itself
I’ the heart all powerless for revenge! Henceforth
I might thrive: these were drawn and dead and damned.
Oh Cardinal, the deep long sigh you heave
When the load’s off you, ringing as it runs (1610)
All the way down the serpent-stair to hell!
No doubt the fine delirium flustered me,
Turned my brain with the influx of success
As if the sole need now were to wave wand
And find doors fly wide,—wish and have my will,—
The rest o’ the scheme would care for itself: escape?
Easy enough were that, and poor beside!
It all but proved so,—ought to quite have proved,
Since, half the chances had sufficed, set free
Any one, with his senses at command, (1620)
From thrice the danger of my flight. But, drunk,
Redundantly triumphant,—some reverse
Was sure to follow! There’s no other way
Accounts for such prompt perfect failure then
And there on the instant. And day o’ the week,
A ducat slid discreetly into palm
O’ the mute post-master, while you whisper him—
How you the Count and certain four your knaves,
Have just been mauling who was malapert,
Suspect the kindred may prove troublesome, (1630)
Therefore, want horses in a hurry,—that
And nothing more secures you any day
The pick o’ the stable! Yet I try the trick,
Double the bribe, call myself Duke for Count,
And say the dead man only was a Jew,
And for my pains find I am dealing just
With the one scrupulous fellow in all Rome—
Just this immaculate official stares,
Sees I want hat on head and sword in sheath,
Am splashed with other sort of wet than wine, (1640)
Shrugs shoulder, puts my hand by, gold and all,
Stands on the strictness of the rule o’ the road!
“Where’s the Permission?” Where’s the wretched rag
With the due seal and sign of Rome’s Police,
To be had for asking, half-an-hour ago?
“Gone? Get another, or no horses hence!”
He dares not stop me, we five glare too grim,
But hinders,—hacks and hamstrings sure enough,
Gives me some twenty miles of miry road
More to march in the middle of that night (1650)
Whereof the rough beginning taxed the strength
O’ the youngsters, much more mine, such as you see,
Who had to think as well as act: dead- beat,
We gave in ere we reached the boundary
And safe spot out of this irrational Rome,—
Where, on dismounting from our steeds next day,
We had snapped our fingers at you, safe and sound,
Tuscans once more in blessed Tuscany,
Where the laws make allowance, understand
Civilised life and do its champions right! (1660)
Witness the sentence of the Rota there,
Arezzo uttered, the Granduke confirmed,
One week before I acted on its hint,—
Giving friend Guillichini, for his love,
The galleys, and my wife your saint, Rome’s saint,—
Rome manufactures saints enough to know,—
Seclusion at the Stinche for her life,
All this, that all but was, might all have been,
Yet was not! baulked by just a scrupulous knave
Whose palm was horn through handling horses’ hoofs (1670)
And could not close upon my proffered gold!
What say you to the spite of fortune? Well,
The worst’s in store: thus hindered, haled this way
To Rome again by hangdogs, whom find I
Here, still to fight with, but my pale frail wife?
—Riddled with wounds by one not like to waste
The blows he dealt,—knowing anatomy,—
(I think I told you) one to pick and choose
The vital parts! ’Twas learning all in vain!
She too must shimmer through the gloom o’ the grave, (1680)
Come and confront me—not at judgment-seat
Where I could twist her soul, as erst her flesh,
And turn her truth into a lie,—but there,
O’ the death-bed, with God’s hand between us both,
Striking me dumb, and helping her to speak,
Tell her own story her own way, and turn
My plausibility to nothingness!
Four whole days did Pompilia keep alive,
With the best surgery of Rome agape
At the miracle,—this cut, the other slash, (1690)
And yet the life refusing to dislodge,
Four whole extravagant impossible days,
Till she had time to finish and persuade
Every man, every woman, every child
In Rome of what she would: the selfsame she
Who, but a year ago, had wrung her hands,
Reddened her eyes and beat her breasts, rehearsed
The whole game at Arezzo, nor availed
Thereby to move one heart or raise one hand!
When destiny intends you cards like these, (1700)
What good of skill and preconcerted play?
Had she been found dead, as I left her dead,
I should have told a tale brooked no reply:
You scarcely will suppose me found at fault
With that advantage! “What brings me to Rome?
“Necessity to claim and take my wife:
“Better, to claim and take my new-born babe,—
“Strong in paternity a fortnight old,
“When ’tis at strongest: warily I work,
“Knowing the machinations of my foe;
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