”St——St，”he’dwhisper，”theCorregidor！”[90] IhadbeenusedtothinkthatpersonageWasonewithlacqueredbreeches，lustrousbelt，Andfeatherslikeaforestinhishat，Whoblewatrumpetandproclaimedthenews，Announcedthebull-fights，gaveeachchurchitsturn，Andmemorizedthemiracleinvogue！
Hehadagreatobservancefromusboys；
Wewereinerror；thatwasnottheman。
I’dlikenow，yethadhaplybeenafraid，Tohavejustlooked，whenthismancametodie，[100]
Andseenwholinedthecleangaygarretsides，Andstoodabouttheneatlowtruckle-bed，Withtheheavenlymannerofrelievingguard。
Herehadbeen，mark，thegeneral-in-chief，Thro’awholecampaignoftheworld’slifeanddeath，DoingtheKing’sworkallthedimdaylong，Inhisoldcoatanduptokneesinmud，Smokedlikeaherring，diningonacrust，——
And，nowthedaywaswon，relievedatonce！
Nofurthershoworneedofthatoldcoat，[110]
Youaresure，foronething！Blessus，allthewhileHowsprucelywearedressedout，youandI！
Asecond，andtheangelsalterthat。
Well，Icouldneverwriteaverse，——couldyou?
Let’stothePradoandmakethemostoftime。”Transcendentalism”：
APoeminTwelveBooks——
*Transcendentalism：apoemintwelvebooks。Itmustbeunderstoodthatthepoetaddressedhaswrittenalongpoemunderthistitle，andabrother-poet，whileadmittingthatitcontains”truethoughts，goodthoughts，thoughtsfittotreasureup”，raisestheobjectionthattheyarenaked，insteadofbeingdraped，astheyshouldbe，insightsandsounds——
Stopplaying，poet！Mayabrotherspeak?
’Tisyouspeak，that’syourerror。Song’sourart：
WhereasyoupleasetospeakthesenakedthoughtsInsteadofdrapingtheminsightsandsounds——
Truethoughts，goodthoughts，thoughtsfittotreasureup！
Butwhysuchlongprolusionanddisplay，Suchturningandadjustmentoftheharp，Andtakingituponyourbreast，atlength，Onlytospeakdrywordsacrossitsstrings?
Stark-nakedthoughtisinrequestenough：[10]
SpeakproseandholloittillEuropehears！
Thesix-footSwisstube，bracedaboutwithbark，Whichhelpsthehunter’svoicefromAlptoAlp——
Exchangeourharpforthat，——whohindersyou?
Buthere’syourfault；grownmenwantthought，youthink；
Thought’swhattheymeanbyverse，andseekinverse；
Boysseekforimagesandmelody，Menmusthavereason——so，youaimatmen。
Quiteotherwise！Objectsthrongouryouth，’tistrue；
Weseeandhearanddonotwondermuch：[20]
Ifyoucouldtelluswhattheymean，indeed！
AsGermanBoehmenevercaredforplantsUntilithapped，a-walkinginthefields，Henoticedallatoncethatplantscouldspeak，Nay，turnedwithloosenedtonguetotalkwithhim。
Thatdaythedaisyhadaneyeindeed——
Colloquizedwiththecowsliponsuchthemes！
WefindthemextantyetinJacob’sprose。
ButbythetimeyouthslipsastageortwoWhilereadingproseinthattoughbookhewrote，[30]
(CollatingandemendatingthesameAndsettlingonthesensemosttoourmind)
Weshuttheclaspsandfindlife’ssummerpast。
Then，whohelpsmore，pray，torepairourloss——
AnotherBoehmewithatougherbookAndsubtlermeaningsofwhatrosessay，——
OrsomestoutMagelikehimofHalberstadt，John，whomadethingsBoehmewrotethoughtsabout?
Hewitha”lookyou！”ventsabraceofrhymes，Andintherebreaksthesuddenroseherself，[40]
Overus，under，rounduseveryside，Nay，inandoutthetablesandthechairsAndmustyvolumes，Boehme’sbookandall，——
Buriesuswithaglory，youngoncemore，Pouringheavenintothisshuthouseoflife。
Socome，theharpbacktoyourheartagain！
Youareapoem，thoughyourpoem’snaught。
Thebestofallyoushowedbefore，believe，Wasyourownboy-faceo’erthefinerchordsBent，followingthecherubatthetop[50]
ThatpointstoGodwithhispairedhalf-moonwings——
22。GermanBoehme：JacobBoehme(orBehmen)，ashoemakerandafamoustheosophist，b。1575，atOldSeidenberg，avillagenearGoerlitz；d。1624。The24thverseofthepoem，”Henoticedallatoncethatplantscouldspeak”，mayrefertoaremarkableexperienceofBoehme，relatedinDr。HansLassenMartensen’s`JacobBoehme：hislifeandteaching，orstudiesintheosophy：
translatedfromtheDanishbyT。RhysEvans’，London，1885：”Sittingonedayinhisroom，hiseyefelluponaburnishedpewterdish，whichreflectedthesunshinewithsuchmarvelloussplendorthathefellintoaninwardecstasy，anditseemedtohimasifhecouldnowlookintotheprinciplesanddeepestfoundationsofthings。
Hebelievedthatitwasonlyafancy，andinordertobanishitfromhismindhewentoutuponthegreen。Buthereheremarkedthathegazedintotheveryheartofthings，theveryherbsandgrass，andthatactualnatureharmonizedwithwhathehadinwardlyseen。”
Martensen，inhisbiography，followsthatbyFrankenberg，inwhichtheexperiencemaybegivenmoreindetail。
37-40。himofHalberstadt，John：”ItisnotathinkerlikeBoehme，whowillcompensateusforthelostsummerofourlife；butamagicianlikeJohnofHalberstadt，whocan，atanymoment，conjurerosesup。””The`magic’symbolized，isthatofgenuinepoetry；butthemagician，or`Mage’，isanhistoricalperson；andthespecialfeatimputedtohimwasrecordedofothermagiciansintheMiddleAges，ifnotofhimself。
`JohannesTeutonicus，acanonofHalberstadhtinGermany，afterhehadperformedanumberofprestigiousfeatsalmostincredible，wastransportedbytheDevilinthelikenessofablackhorse，andwasbothseenandheardupononeandthesameChristmasday，tosaymassinHalberstadht，inMayntz，andinCologne’
(`Heywood’sHierarchy’，Bk。IV。，p。253)。The`prestigiousfeat’
ofcausingflowerstoappearinwinter，wasacommonone。”——
Mrs。SutherlandOrr’s`HandbooktotheworksofRobertBrowning’，p。209。
Itmaybesaidthattheadvicegiveninthispoem，Browninghasnotsufficientlyfollowedinhisownpoetry。Onthispoint，awriterinthe`BritishQuarterlyReview’(Vol。23，p。162)justlyremarks：”Browning’sthoughtisalwaysthatofapoet。Subtle，nimble，andpowerfulasistheintellect，andvariousasisthelearning，allismanifestedthroughtheimagination，andcomesforthshapedandtintedbyit。Thus，evenintheforegoingpassages[citedfrom`Transcendentalism’and`BishopBlougram’sApology’]，wherethematterisalmostaspurelyasitcanbetheproduceofthemereunderstanding，itisstillevidentthatthemethodofthethoughtispoetic。Thenotionstaketheformofimages。
Forexample，thepoetmeanstosaythatProseisagoodandmightyvehicleinitsway，butthatitisnotPoetry；
andhowdoestheconceptionshapeitselfinhismind?Why，inanimage。AllatonceitisnotProsethatisthoughtabout，butahugesix-footspeaking-trumpetbracedroundwithbark，throughwhichtheSwisshuntershelptheirvoicesfromAlptoAlp——
Poetry，ontheotherhand，beingnosuchbigandblaringinstrument，butaharptakentothebreastofyouthandsweptbyecstaticfingers。
AndsowiththeimagesofBoehmeandhisbook，andJohnofHalberstadtwithhismagicrose——stillaconcretebodytoenshrineanabstractmeaning。”
ApparentFailure。”Weshallsoonloseacelebratedbuilding。”——ParisNewspaper。
1。
No，forI’llsaveit！Sevenyearssince，IpassedthroughParis，stoppedadayToseethebaptismofyourPrince；
Saw，mademybow，andwentmyway：
Walkingtheheatandheadacheoff，ItooktheSeine-side，yousurmise，ThoughtoftheCongress，Gortschakoff，Cavour’sappealandBuol’sreplies，Sosaunteredtill——whatmetmyeyes?——
St。1。ToseethebaptismofyourPrince：thePrinceImperial，sonofNapoleonIII。andtheEmpressEugenie，bornMarch16，1856。
theCongress：theCongressofParis。
Gortschakoff：PrinceAlexanderMichaelowitschGortschakoff；
whilerepresentingRussiaattheCourtofVienna，hekeptAustrianeutralduringtheCrimeanWar。
Cavour：CountCamilloBensodiCavour，Italianstatesman，b。1810；
attheCongressofParis，broughtforwardthequestionofthepoliticalconsolidationofItaly，whichledtotheinvasionofItalybytheAustrians，whoweredefeated；d。6thJune，1861。
Buol：KarlFerdinandvonBuol-Schauenstein，Austriandiplomatist，andministerofforeignaffairsfrom1852to1859。
2。
OnlytheDoriclittleMorgue！
Thedead-housewhereyoushowyourdrowned：
Petrarch’sVauclusemakesproudtheSorgue，YourMorguehasmadetheSeinerenowned。
Onepaysone’sdebtinsuchacase；
Ipluckedupheartandentered，——stalked，KeepingatolerablefaceComparedwithsomewhosecheekswerechalked：
Letthem！NoBriton’stobebalked！——
St。2。Petrarch’sVauclusemakesproudtheSorgue：
FontainedeVaucluse，acelebratedfountain，inthedepartmentofVaucluse，inSouthernFrance，thesourceoftheSorgues。
ThevillagenamedafteritwasforsometimetheresidenceofPetrarch。
3。
Firstcamethesilentgazers；next，Ascreenofglass，we’rethankfulfor；
Last，thesight’sself，thesermon’stext，ThethreemenwhodidmostabhorTheirlifeinParisyesterday，Sokilledthemselves：andnow，enthronedEachonhiscoppercouch，theylayFrontingme，waitingtobeowned。
Ithought，andthink，theirsin’satoned。
4。
Poormen，Godmade，andallforthat！
Thereverencestruckme；o’ereachheadReligiouslywashungitshat，Eachcoatdrippedbytheowner’sbed，Sacredfromtouch：eachhadhisberth，Hisbounds，hisproperplaceofrest，WholastnighttenantedonearthSomearch，wheretwelvesuchsleptabreast，——
Unlesstheplainasphalteseemedbest。
5。
Howdidithappen，mypoorboy?
YouwantedtobeBuonaparteAndhavetheTuileriesfortoy，Andcouldnot，soitbrokeyourheart?
You，oldonebyhisside，Ijudge，Were，redasblood，asocialist，Aleveller！DoestheEmpiregrudgeYou’vegainedwhatnoRepublicmissed?
Bequiet，andunclinchyourfist！
6。
Andthis——why，hewasredinvain，Orblack，——poorfellowthatisblue！
Whatfancywasit，turnedyourbrain?
Oh，womenweretheprizeforyou！
Moneygetswomen，cardsanddiceGetmoney，andill-luckgetsjustThecoppercouchandoneclearniceCoolsquirtofwatero’eryourbust，Therightthingtoextinguishlust！
