--Left playing with the rescript's white wax seal To scrutinize Sordello head and heel. He means to yield assent sure? No, alas! All he replied was, "What, it comes to pass That poesy, sooner than politics, Makes fade young hair?" To think such speech could fix Taurello! Then a flash of bitter truth: So fantasies could break and fritter youth That he had long ago lost earnestness, Lost will to work, lost power to express [Sidenote: But to will and to do are different:] The need of working! Earth was turned a grave: No more occasions now, though he should crave Just one, in right of superhuman toil, To do what was undone, repair such spoil, Alter the past--nothing would give the chance! Not that he was to die; he saw askance Protract the ignominious years beyond To dream in--time to hope and time despond, Remember and forget, be sad, rejoice As saved a trouble; he might, at his choice, One way or other, idle life out, drop [Sidenote: He may sleep on the bed he has made.] No few smooth verses by the way--for prop, A thyrsus, these sad people, all the same, Should pick up, and set store by,--far from blame, Plant o'er his hearse, convinced his better part Survived him. "Rather tear men out the heart O' the truth!"--Sordello muttered, and renewed His propositions for the Multitude. But Salinguerra, who at this attack Had thrown great breast and ruffling corselet back To hear the better, smilingly resumed His task; beneath, the carroch's warning boomed; He must decide with Tito; courteously He turned then, even seeming to agree With his admonisher--"Assist the Pope, Extend Guelf domination, fill the scope O' the Church, thus based on All, by All, for All-- Change Secular to Evangelical"-- Echoing his very sentence: all seemed lost, When suddenly he looked up, laughingly almost, To Palma: "This opinion of your friend's-- For instance, would it answer Palma's ends? Best, were it not, turn Guelf, submit our Strength"-- (Here he drew out his baldric to its length) --"To the Pope's Knowledge--let our captive slip, Wide to the walls throw ope our gates, equip Azzo with ... what I hold here! Who'll subscribe To a trite censure of the minstrel tribe Henceforward? or pronounce, as Heinrich used, 'Spear-heads for battle, burr-heads for the joust!' --When Constance, for his couplets, would promote Alcamo, from a parti-colored coat, To holding her lord's stirrup in the wars. Not that I see where couplet-making jars With common sense: at Mantua I had borne This chanted, better than their most forlorn Of bull-baits,--that's indisputable!" Brave! Whom vanity nigh slew, contempt shall save! All's at an end: a Troubadour suppose