Complete Poetic and Dramatic Works of Robert Browning

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1895 Excerpt: ...To Rome, as if the road burned underneath! Reach Rome, then hold my head in pledge, pay The run and the risk to heart's content I' Just that, I said,--then, in another tick of time. Sprang, was beside her, she and I alone. So it began, our flight through dusk to clear, Through day and night and day again to night Once more, and to last dreadful dawn of all. Sirs, how should I lie quiet in my grave Unless you suffer me wring, drop by drop. My brain dry, make a riddance of the drench Of minutes with a memory in each. Recorded motion, breath or look of hers. Which poured forth would present you one pure glass. Mirror you plain--as God's sea, glassed in gold, His saints--the perfect soul Pompilia? Men, You must kuow that a man gets drunk with truth Stagnant inside him! Oh, they 've killed her, Sirs! Can I be calm? Calmly! Each incident Proves, I maintain, that action of the flight For the true thing it was. The first faint scratch 0' the stone will test its nature, teach its worth To idiots who name Parian--coprolite. After all, I shall give no glare--at best Only display you certain scattered lights Lamping the rush and roll of the abyss: Nothing but here and there a fire-point pricks Wavelet from wavelet: well! For the first hour We both were silent in the night, I know: Sometimes I did not see nor understand. Blackness engulfed me,--partial stupor, say--Then I would break way, breathe through the surprise. And be aware again, and see who sat In the dark vest with the white face and hands. I said to myself--"I have caught it, I conceive The mind o' the mystery: 't is the way they wake And wait, two martyrs somewhere in a tomb Each by each as their blessing was to die; Some signal they are promised and expect,--When to arise before the trumpet scares: So,...