The Statue and the Bust, of Browning (Classic Reprint)

Excerpt from The Statue and the Bust, of Browning<br><br>Robert Browning<br><br>That selfsame instant, underneath,<br>The Duke rode past in his idle way,<br>Empty and fine like a swordless sheath.<br><br>Gay he rode, with a friend as gay.<br>Till he threw his head back - "Who is she"<br>- "A bride the Riccardi brings home today."<br><br>Hair in heaps lay heavily<br>Over a pale brow spirit-pure -<br>Carved like the heart of a coal-black tree.<br><br>Crisped like a war-steed's encolure -<br>And vainly sought to dissemble her eyes<br>Of the blackest black our eyes endure.<br><br>And lo, a blade for a knight's emprise<br>Filled the fine empty sheath of a man, -<br>The Duke grew straightway brave and wise.<br><br>He looked at her, as a lover can;<br>She looked at him, as one who awakes:<br>The past was a sleep, and her life began.<br><br>Now, love so ordered for both their sakes,<br>A feast was held that selfsame night<br>In the pile which the mighty shadow makes.<br><br>(For Via Larga is three-parts light.<br>But the palace overshadows one.<br>Because of a crime which may God requite!<br><br>To Florence and God the wrong was done.<br>Through the first republic's murder there<br>By Cosimo and his cursed son.)<br><br>The Duke (with the statue's face in the square)<br>Turned in the midst of his multitude<br>At the bright approach of the bridal pair.<br><br>Face to face the lovers stood<br>A single minute and no more,<br>While the bridegroom bent as a man subdued -<br><br>About the Publisher<br><br>Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com<br><br>This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.