The public weal, which hangs to the law, which holds
By the Church, which happens to be through God himself.
Humbly I helped the Church till here I stand,—
Or would stand but for the omoplat, you see!
Bidden qualify for Rome, I, having a field,
Went, sold it, laid the sum at Peter’s foot: (250)
Which means—I settled home-accounts with speed,
Set apart just a modicum should suffice
To keep the villa’s head above the waves
Of weed inundating its oil and wine,
And prop roof, stanchion wall o’ the palace so
It should keep breath i’ the body, hold its own
Amid the advance of neighbouring loftiness—
(People like building where they used to beg)—
Till succoured one day,—shared the residue
Between my mother and brothers and sisters there, (260)
Black-eyed babe Donna This and Donna That,
As near to starving as might decently be,
—Left myself journey-charges, change of suit,
A purse to put i’ the pocket of the Groom
O’ the Chamber of the patron, and a glove
With a ring to it for the digits of the niece
Sure to be helpful in his household,—then
Started for Rome, and led the life prescribed.
Close to the Church, though clean of it, I assumed
Three or four orders of no consequence, (270)
They cast out evil spirits and exorcise,
For example; bind a man to nothing more,
Give clerical savour to his layman’s-salt,
Facilitate his claim to loaf and fish
Should miracle leave, beyond what feeds the flock,
Fragments to brim the basket of a friend—
While, for the world’s sake, I rode, danced, and gamed,
Quitted me like a courtier, measured mine
With whatsoever blade had fame in fence,
—Ready to let the basket go its round (280)
Even though my turn was come to help myself,
Should Dives count on me at dinner-time
As just the understander of a joke
And not immoderate in repartee.
Utrique sic paratus, Sirs, I said
“Here,” (in the fortitude of years fifteen,
So good a pedagogue is penury)
“Here wait, do service,—serving and to serve!
“And, in due time, I nowise doubt at all,
“The recognition of my service comes. (290)
“Next year I’m only sixteen. I can wait.”
Saw meanwhile many a denizen o’ the dung
Hop, skip, jump o’er my shoulder, make him wings
And fly aloft,—succeed, in the usual phrase.
Every one soon or late comes round by Rome:
Stand still here, you’ll see all in turn succeed.
Why, look you, so and so, the physician here,
My father’s lacquey’s son we sent to school,
Doctored and dosed this Eminence and that, (300)
Salved the last Pope his certain obstinate sore,
Soon bought land as became him, names it now:
I grasp bell at his griffin-guarded gate,
Traverse the half-mile avenue,—a term,
A cypress, and a statue, three and three,—
Deliver message from my Monsignor,
With varletry at lounge i’ the vestibule
I’m barred from, who bear mud upon my shoe.
My father’s chaplain’s nephew, Chamberlain,—
Nothing less, please you!—courteous all the same, (310)
—He does not see me though I wait an hour
At his staircase-landing ’twixt the brace of busts,
A noseless Sylla, Marius maimed to match,
My father gave him for a hexastich
Made on my birth-day,—but he sends me down,
To make amends, that relic I prize most—
The unburnt end o’ the very candle, Sirs,
Purfled with paint so prettily round and round,
He carried in such state last Peter’s day,—
In token I, his gentleman and squire, (320)
Had held the bridle, walked his managed mule
Without a tittup the procession through.
Nay, the official,—one you know, sweet lords!—
Who drew the warrant for my transfer late
To the New Prisons from Tordinona,—he
Graciously had remembrance—“Francesc … ha?
“His sire, now—how a thing shall come about!—
“Paid me a dozen florins above the fee,
“For drawing deftly up a deed of sale
“When troubles fell so thick on him, good heart, (330)
“And I was prompt and pushing! By all means!
“At the New Prisons be it his son shall lie,—
“Anything for an old friend!” and thereat
Signed name with triple flourish underneath.
These were my fellows, such their fortunes now,
While I—kept fasts and feasts innumerable,
Matins and vespers, functions to no end
I’ the train of Monsignor and Eminence,
As gentleman-squire, and for my zeal’s reward
Have rarely missed a place at the table- foot (340)
Except when some Ambassador, or such like,
Brought his own people. Brief, one day I felt
The tick of time inside me, turning-point
And slight sense there was now enough of this:
That I was near my seventh climacteric,
Hard upon, if not over, the middle life,
And, although fed by the east-wind, fulsome- fine
With foretaste of the Land of Promise, still
My gorge gave symptom it might play me false;
Better not press it further,—be content (350)
With living and dying only a nobleman,
Who merely had a father great and rich,
Who simply had one greater and richer yet,
And so on back and back till first and best
Began i’ the night; I finish in the day.
“The mother must be getting old,” I said,
“The sisters are well wedded away, our name
“Can manage to pass a sister off, at need,
“And do for dowry: both my brothers thrive—
“Regular priests they are, nor, hat-like, ’bide (360)
“’Twixt flesh and fowl with neither privilege.
“My spare revenue must keep me and mine.
“I am tired: Arezzo’s air is good to breathe;
“Vittiano,—one limes flocks of thrushes
| Previous chapter/page | Back | Home | Email this | Search | Discuss | Bookmark | Next chapter/page |