按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
〃Grateful to me is sleep； to be of stone
More grateful； while the wrong and shame endure；
To see not； feel not； is a benediction；
Therefore awake me not； oh； speak in whispers。〃
MICHAEL ANGELO。
Ah； Messer Bindo； the calamities；
The fallen fortunes； and the desolation
Of Florence are to me a tragedy
Deeper than words； and darker than despair。
I； who have worshipped freedom from my cradle；
Have loved her with the passion of a lover；
And clothed her with all lovely attributes
That the imagination can conceive；
Or the heart conjure up； now see her dead；
And trodden in the dust beneath the feet
Of an adventurer！ It is a grief
Too great for me to bear in my old age。
BINDO。
I say no news from Florence： I am wrong；
For Benvenuto writes that he is coming
To be my guest in Rome。
MICHAEL ANGELO。
Those are good tidings。
He hath been many years away from us。
BINDO。
Pray you； come in。
MICHAEL ANGELO。
I have not time to stay；
And yet I will。 I see from here your house
Is filled with works of art。 That bust in bronze
Is of yourself。 Tell me； who is the master
That works in such an admirable way；
And with such power and feeling？
BINDO。
Benvenuto。
MICHAEL ANGELO。
Ah？ Benvenuto？ 'T is a masterpiece！
It pleases me as much； and even more；
Than the antiques about it； and yet they
Are of the best one sees。 But you have placed it
By far too high。 The light comes from below；
And injures the expression。 Were these windows
Above and not beneath it； then indeed
It would maintain its own among these works
Of the old masters； noble as they are。
I will go in and study it more closely。
I always prophesied that Benvenuto；
With all his follies and fantastic ways；
Would show his genius in some work of art
That would amaze the world； and be a challenge
Unto all other artists of his time。
＇They go in。
IV
IN THE COLISEUM
MICHAEL ANGELO and TOMASO DE CAVALIERI
CAVALIERI。
What have you here alone； Messer Michele？
MICHAEL ANGELO。
I come to learn。
CAVALIERI。
You are already master；
And teach all other men。
MICHAEL ANGELO。
Nay； I know nothing；
Not even my own ignorance； as some
Philosopher hath said。 I am a schoolboy
Who hath not learned his lesson； and who stands
Ashamed and silent in the awful presence
Of the great master of antiquity
Who built these walls cyclopean。
CAVALIERI。
Gaudentius
His name was； I remember。 His reward
Was to be thrown alive to the wild beasts
Here where we now are standing。
MICHAEL ANGELO。
Idle tales。
CAVALIERI。
But you are greater than Gaudentius was；
And your work nobler。
MICHAEL ANGELO。
Silence； I beseech you。
CAVALIERI。
Tradition says that fifteen thousand men
Were toiling for ten years incessantly
Upon this amphitheatre。
MICHAEL ANGELO。
Behold
How wonderful it is！ The queen of flowers；
The marble rose of Rome！ Its petals torn
By wind and rain of thrice five hundred years；
Its mossy sheath half rent away； and sold
To ornament our palaces and churches；
Or to be trodden under feet of man
Upon the Tiber's bank； yet what remains
Still opening its fair bosom to the sun；
And to the constellations that at night
Hang poised above it like a swarm of bees。
CAVALIERI。
The rose of Rome； but not of Paradise；
Not the white rose our Tuscan poet saw；
With saints for petals。 When this rose was perfect
Its hundred thousand petals were not Saints；
But senators in their Thessalian caps；
And all the roaring populace of Rome；
And even an Empress and the Vestal Virgins；
Who came to see the gladiators die；
Could not give sweetness to a rose like this。
MICHAEL ANGELO。
I spake not of its uses； but its beauty。
CAVALIERI。
The sand beneath our feet is saturate
With blood of martyrs； and these rifted stones
Are awful witnesses against a people
Whose pleasure was the pain of dying men。
MICHAEL ANGELO。
Tomaso Cavalieri； on my word；
You should have been a preacher； not a painter！
Think you that I approve such cruelties；
Because I marvel at the architects
Who built these walls； and curved these noble arches？
Oh； I am put to shame； when I consider
How mean our work is； when compared with theirs！
Look at these walls about us and above us！
They have been shaken by earthquake； have been made
A fortress； and been battered by long sieges；
The iron clamps； that held the stones together；
Have been wrenched from them； but they stand erect
And firm； as if they had been hewn and hollowed
Out of the solid rock； and were a part
Of the foundations of the world itself。
CAVALIERI。
Your work； I say again； is nobler work；
In so far as its end and aim are nobler；
And this is but a ruin； like the rest。
Its vaulted passages are made the caverns
Of robbers； and are haunted by the ghosts
Of murdered men。
MICHAEL ANGELO。
A thousand wild flowers bloom
From every chink； and the birds build their nests
Among the ruined arches； and suggest
New thoughts of beauty to the architect；
Now let us climb the broken stairs that lead
Into the corridors above； and study
The marvel and the mystery of that art
In which I am a pupil； not a master。
All things must have an end； the world itself
Must have an end； as in a dream I saw it。
There came a great hand out of heaven； and touched
The earth； and stopped it in its course。 The seas
Leaped； a vast cataract； into the abyss；
The forests and the fields slid off； and floated
Like wooded islands in the air。 The dead
Were hurled forth from their sepulchres； the living
Were mingled with them； and themselves were dead；
All being dead； and the fair； shining cities
Dropped out like jewels from a broken crown。
Naught but the core of the great globe remained；
A skeleton of stone。 And over it
The wrack of matter drifted like a cloud；
And then recoiled upon itself； and fell
Back on the empty world； that with the weight
Reeled； staggered； righted； and then headlong plunged
Into the darkness； as a ship； when struck
By a great sea； throws off the waves at first
On either side； then settles and goes down
Into the dark abyss； with her dead crew。
CAVALIERI。
But the earth does not move。
MICHAEL ANGELO。
Who knows？ who knowst？
There are great truths that pitch their shining tents
Outside our walls； and though but dimly seen
In the gray dawn； they will be manifest
When the light widens into perfect day。
A certain man； Copernicus by name；
Sometime professor here in Rome； has whispered
It is the earth； and not the sun； that moves。
What I beheld was only in a dream；
Yet dreams sometimes anticipate events；
Being unsubstantial