Filippo Baldinucci On The Privilege Of Burial Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: A BCBCDEDE FGFGHIHI JKJKLMLM NOOOPOPO QRQROROR OOOOOOOO SOSOOROR QOQOFOFO TUTUVOVO RWRWRRRR QXQXYSYS ROROZRZR A2OA2ORRRR YRYROB2OB2 RC2RC2A2RA2R D2E2 E2OOOO F2G2F2G2H2YH2Y OI2OI2RJ2OJ2 ROROA2YA2Y C2OOORORO K2RK2ROJ2OJ2 L2RL2RORO RI2RI2OM2OM2 OOOOOOOO ROROPOPO OA2OA2OYOY RN2RN2OOOO OJ2OJ2O2RO2R ORORRORO P2J2H2J2RA2RA2 OOOOOB2OB2 C2RC2RORO RJ2OJ2RORO ORORORO FOFOOQ2OR2 S2C2S2C2C2T2C2T2 OU2OU2ROR OC2OC2YOYO RORORJ2RO V2RV2RORO OOOOC2RC2R ROROORO W2RW2RA2OA2O X2C2X2C2Y2OY2O ROROORO T2Z2T2Z2Z2OZ2O OC2OA3OOOO OA2OA2RRRR B3OB3OC2OC2O C3A2C3A2OW2OW2 Z2Z2Z2Z2POP ORORD3FD3F J2RJ2RROR XRXRJ2RJ2R A2OA2OROR C2RC2RRORO RA2RA2YRY OROROOOOA Reminiscence of A D | A |
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No boy we must not so began | B |
My Uncle he's with God long since | C |
A petting me the good old man | B |
We must not and he seemed to wince | C |
And lost that laugh whereto had grown | D |
His chuckle at my piece of news | E |
How cleverly I aimed my stone | D |
I fear we must not pelt the Jews | E |
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When I was young indeed ah faith | F |
Was young and strong in Florence too | G |
We Christians never dreamed of scathe | F |
Because we cursed or kicked the crew | G |
But now well well The olive crops | H |
Weighed double then and Arno's pranks | I |
Would always spare religious shops | H |
Whenever he o'erflowed his banks | I |
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I'll tell you and his eye regained | J |
Its twinkle tell you something choice | K |
Something may help you keep unstained | J |
Your honest zeal to stop the voice | K |
Of unbelief with stone throw spite | L |
Of Laws which modern fools enact | M |
That we must suffer Jews in sight | L |
Go wholly unmolested Fact | M |
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There was then in my youth and yet | N |
Is by our San Frediano just | O |
Below the Blessed Olivet | O |
A wayside ground wherein they thrust | O |
Their dead these Jews the more our shame | P |
Except that so they will but die | O |
Christians perchance incur no blame | P |
In giving hogs a hoist to sty | O |
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There anyhow Jews stow away | Q |
Their dead and such their insolence | R |
Slink at odd times to sing and pray | Q |
As Christians do all make pretence | R |
Which wickedness they perpetrate | O |
Because they think no Christians see | R |
They reckoned here at any rate | O |
Without their host ha ha he he | R |
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For what should join their plot of ground | O |
But a good Farmer's Christian field | O |
The Jews had hedged their corner round | O |
With bramble bush to keep concealed | O |
Their doings for the public road | O |
Ran betwixt this their ground and that | O |
The Farmer's where he ploughed and sowed | O |
Grew corn for barn and grapes for vat | O |
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So properly to guard his store | S |
And gall the unbelievers too | O |
He builds a shrine and what is more | S |
Procures a painter whom I knew | O |
One Buti he's with God to paint | O |
A holy picture there no less | R |
Than Virgin Mary free from taint | O |
Borne to the sky by angels yes | R |
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Which shrine he fixed who says him nay | Q |
A facing with its picture side | O |
Not as you'd think the public way | Q |
But just where sought these hounds to hide | O |
Their carrion from that very truth | F |
Of Mary's triumph not a hound | O |
Could act his mummeries uncouth | F |
But Mary shamed the pack all round | O |
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Now if it was amusing judge | T |
To see the company arrive | U |
Each Jew intent to end his trudge | T |
And take his pleasure though alive | U |
With all his Jewish kith and kin | V |
Below ground have his venom out | O |
Sharpen his wits for next day's sin | V |
Curse Christians and so home no doubt | O |
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Whereas each phiz upturned beholds | R |
Mary I warrant soaring brave | W |
And in a trice beneath the folds | R |
Of filthy garb which gowns each knave | W |
Down drops it there to hide grimace | R |
Contortion of the mouth and nose | R |
At finding Mary in the place | R |
They'd keep for Pilate I suppose | R |
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At last they will not brook not they | Q |
Longer such outrage on their tribe | X |
So in some hole and corner lay | Q |
Their heads together how to bribe | X |
The meritorious Farmer's self | Y |
To straight undo his work restore | S |
Their chance to meet and muse on pelf | Y |
Pretending sorrow as before | S |
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Forthwith a posse if you please | R |
Of Rabbi This and Rabbi That | O |
Almost go down upon their knees | R |
To get him lay the picture flat | O |
The spokesman eighty years of age | Z |
Gray as a badger with a goat's | R |
Not only beard but bleat 'gins wage | Z |
War with our Mary Thus he dotes | R |
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'Friends grant a grace How Hebrews toil | A2 |
Through life in Florence why relate | O |
To those who lay the burden spoil | A2 |
Our paths of peace We bear our fate | O |
But when with life the long toil ends | R |
Why must you the expression craves | R |
Pardon but truth compels me friends | R |
Why must you plague us in our graves | R |
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'Thoughtlessly plague I would believe | Y |
For how can you the lords of ease | R |
By nurture birthright e'en conceive | Y |
Our luxury to lie with trees | R |
And turf the cricket and the bird | O |
Left for our last companionship | B2 |
No harsh deed no unkindly word | O |
No frowning brow nor scornful lip | B2 |
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'Death's luxury we now rehearse | R |
While living through your streets we fare | C2 |
And take your hatred nothing worse | R |
Have we once dead and safe to bear | C2 |
So we refresh our souls fulfil | A2 |
Our works our daily tasks and thus | R |
Gather you grain earth's harvest still | A2 |
The wheat for you the straw for us | R |
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'What flouting in face what harm | D2 |
In just a lady borne from bier | E2 |
By boys' heads wings for leg and arm ' | - |
You question Friends the harm is here | E2 |
That just when our last sigh is heaved | O |
And we would fain thank God and you | O |
For labor done and peace achieved | O |
Back comes the Past in full review | O |
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'At sight of just that simple flag | F2 |
Starts the foe feeling serpent like | G2 |
From slumber Leave it lulled nor drag | F2 |
Though fangless forth what needs must strike | G2 |
When stricken sore though stroke be vain | H2 |
Against the mailed oppressor Give | Y |
Play to our fancy that we gain | H2 |
Life's rights when once we cease to live | Y |
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'Thus much to courtesy to kind | O |
To conscience Now to Florence folk | I2 |
There's core beneath this apple rind | O |
Beneath this white of egg there's yolk | I2 |
Beneath this prayer to courtesy | R |
Kind conscience there's a sum to pouch | J2 |
How many ducats down will buy | O |
Our shame's removal sirs Avouch | J2 |
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'Removal not destruction sirs | R |
Just turn your picture Let it front | O |
The public path Or memory errs | R |
Or that same public path is wont | O |
To witness many a chance befall | A2 |
Of lust theft bloodshed sins enough | Y |
Wherein our Hebrew part is small | A2 |
Convert yourselves ' he cut up rough | Y |
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Look you how soon a service pair | C2 |
Religion yields the servant fruit | O |
A prompt reply our Farmer made | O |
So following 'Sirs to grant your suit | O |
Involves much danger How Transpose | R |
Our Lady Stop the chastisement | O |
All for your good herself bestows | R |
What wonder if I grudge consent | O |
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'Yet grant it since what cash I take | K2 |
Is so much saved from wicked use | R |
We know you And for Mary's sake | K2 |
A hundred ducats shall induce | R |
Concession to your prayer One day | O |
Suffices Master Buti's brush | J2 |
Turns Mary round the other way | O |
And deluges your side with slush | J2 |
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'Down with the ducats therefore ' Dump | L2 |
Dump dump it falls each counted piece | R |
Hard gold Then out of door they stump | L2 |
These dogs each brisk as with new lease | R |
Of life I warrant glad he'll die | O |
Henceforward just as he may choose | R |
Be buried and in clover lie | O |
Well said Esaias 'stiff necked Jews ' | - |
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Off posts without a minute's loss | R |
Our Farmer once the cash in poke | I2 |
And summons Buti ere its gloss | R |
Have time to fade from off the joke | I2 |
To chop and change his work undo | O |
The done side make the side now blank | M2 |
Recipient of our Lady who | O |
Displaced thus had these dogs to thank | M2 |
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Now boy you're hardly to instruct | O |
In technicalities of Art | O |
My nephew's childhood sure has sucked | O |
Along with mother's milk some part | O |
Of painter's practice learned at least | O |
How expeditiously is plied | O |
A work in fresco never ceased | O |
When once begun a day each side | O |
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So Buti he's with God begins | R |
First covers up the shrine all round | O |
With hoarding then as like as twins | R |
Paints t'other side the burial ground | O |
New Mary every point the same | P |
Next sluices over as agreed | O |
The old and last but spoil the game | P |
By telling you Not I indeed | O |
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Well ere the week was half at end | O |
Out came the object of this zeal | A2 |
This fine alacrity to spend | O |
Hard money for mere dead men's weal | A2 |
How think you That old spokesman Jew | O |
Was High Priest and he had a wife | Y |
As old and she was dying too | O |
And wished to end in peace her life | Y |
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And he must humor dying whims | R |
And soothe her with the idle hope | N2 |
They'd say their prayers and sing their hymns | R |
As if her husband were the Pope | N2 |
And she did die believing just | O |
This privilege was purchased Dead | O |
In comfort through her foolish trust | O |
'Stiff necked ones ' well Esaias said | O |
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So Sabbath morning out of gate | O |
And on to way what sees our arch | J2 |
Good Farmer Why they hoist their freight | O |
The corpse on shoulder and so march | J2 |
'Now for it Buti ' In the nick | O2 |
Of time 'tis pully hauly hence | R |
With hoarding O'er the wayside quick | O2 |
There's Mary plain in evidence | R |
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And here's the convoy halting right | O |
Oh they are bent on howling psalms | R |
And growling prayers when opposite | O |
And yet they glance for all their qualms | R |
Approve that promptitude of his | R |
The Farmer's duly at his post | O |
To take due thanks from every phiz | R |
Sour smirk nay surly smile almost | O |
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Then earthward drops each brow again | P2 |
The solemn task's resumed they reach | J2 |
Their holy field the unholy train | H2 |
Enter its precinct all and each | J2 |
Wrapt somehow in their godless rites | R |
Till rites at end up waking lo | A2 |
They lift their faces What delights | R |
The mourners as they turn to go | A2 |
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Ha ha he he On just the side | O |
They drew their purse strings to make quit | O |
Of Mary Christ the Crucified | O |
Fronted them now these biters bit | O |
Never was such a hiss and snort | O |
Such screwing nose and shooting lip | B2 |
Their purchase honey in report | O |
Proved gall and verjuice at first sip | B2 |
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Out they break on they bustle where | C2 |
A top of wall the Farmer waits | R |
With Buti never fun so rare | C2 |
The Farmer has the best he rates | R |
The rascal as the old High Priest | O |
Takes on himself to sermonize | R |
Nay sneer 'We Jews supposed at least | O |
Theft was a crime in Christian eyes ' | - |
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'Theft ' cries the Farmer 'Eat your words | R |
Show me what constitutes a breach | J2 |
Of faith in aught was said or heard | O |
I promised you in plainest speech | J2 |
I'd take the thing you count disgrace | R |
And put it here and here 'tis put | O |
Did you suppose I'd leave the place | R |
Blank therefore just your rage to glut | O |
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'I guess you dared not stipulate | O |
For such a damned impertinence | R |
So quick my graybeard out of gate | O |
And in at Ghetto Haste you hence | R |
As long as I have house and land | O |
To spite you irreligious chaps | R |
Here shall the Crucifixion stand | O |
Unless you down with cash perhaps ' | - |
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So snickered he and Buti both | F |
The Jews said nothing interchanged | O |
A glance or two renewed their oath | F |
To keep ears stopped and hearts estranged | O |
From grace for all our Church can do | O |
Then off they scuttle sullen jog | Q2 |
Homewards against our Church to brew | O |
Fresh mischief in their synagogue | R2 |
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But next day see what happened boy | S2 |
See why I bid you have a care | C2 |
How you pelt Jews The knaves employ | S2 |
Such methods of revenge forbear | C2 |
No outrage on our faith when free | C2 |
To wreak their malice Here they took | T2 |
So base a method plague o' me | C2 |
If I record it in my Book | T2 |
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For next day while the Farmer sat | O |
Laughing with Buti in his shop | U2 |
At their successful joke rat tat | O |
Door opens and they're like to drop | U2 |
Down to the floor as in there stalks | R |
A six feet high herculean built | O |
Young he Jew with a beard that balks | R |
Description 'Help ere blood be spilt ' | - |
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Screamed Buti for he recognized | O |
Whom but the son no less no more | C2 |
Of that High Priest his work surprised | O |
So pleasantly the day before | C2 |
Son of the mother then whereof | Y |
The bier he lent a shoulder to | O |
And made the moans about dared scoff | Y |
At sober Christian grief the Jew | O |
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'Sirs I salute you Never rise | R |
No apprehension ' Buti white | O |
And trembling like a tub of size | R |
Had tried to smuggle out of sight | O |
The picture's self the thing in oils | R |
You know from which a fresco's dash | J2 |
Which courage speeds while caution spoils | R |
'Stay and be praised sir unabashed | O |
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'Praised ay and paid too for I come | V2 |
To buy that very work of yours | R |
My poor abode which boasts well some | V2 |
Few specimens of Art secures | R |
Haply a masterpiece indeed | O |
If I should find my humble means | R |
Suffice the outlay So proceed | O |
Propose ere prudence intervenes ' | - |
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On Buti cowering like a child | O |
These words descended from aloft | O |
In tone so ominously mild | O |
With smile terrifically soft | O |
To that degree could Buti dare | C2 |
Poor fellow use his brains think twice | R |
He asked thus taken unaware | C2 |
No more than just the proper price | R |
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'Done ' cries the monster 'I disburse | R |
Forthwith your moderate demand | O |
Count on my custom if no worse | R |
Your future work be understand | O |
Than this I carry off No aid | O |
My arm sir lacks nor bone nor thews | R |
The burden's easy and we're made | O |
Easy or hard to bear we Jews ' | - |
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Crossing himself at such escape | W2 |
Buti by turns the money eyes | R |
And timidly the stalwart shape | W2 |
Now moving doorwards but more wise | R |
The Farmer who though dumb this while | A2 |
Had watched advantage straight conceived | O |
A reason for that tone and smile | A2 |
So mild and soft The Jew believed | O |
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Mary in triumph borne to deck | X2 |
A Hebrew household Pictured where | C2 |
No one was used to bend the neck | X2 |
In praise or bow the knee in prayer | C2 |
Borne to that domicile by whom | Y2 |
The son of the High Priest Through what | O |
An insult done his mother's tomb | Y2 |
Saul changed to Paul the case came pat | O |
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'Stay dog Jew gentle sir that is | R |
Resolve me Can it be she crowned | O |
Mary by miracle oh bliss | R |
My prevent to your burial ground | O |
Certain a ray of light has burst | O |
Your vale of darkness Had you else | R |
Only for Mary's sake an pursed | O |
So much hard money Tell oh tell's ' | - |
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Round like a serpent that we took | T2 |
For worm and trod on turns his bulk | Z2 |
About the Jew First dreadful look | T2 |
Sends Buti in a trice to skulk | Z2 |
Out of sight somewhere safe alack | Z2 |
But our good Farmer faith made bold | O |
And firm with Florence at his back | Z2 |
He stood while gruff the gutturals rolled | O |
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'Ay sir a miracle was worked | O |
By quite another power I trow | C2 |
Than ever yet in canvas lurked | O |
Or you would scarcely face me now | A3 |
A certain impulse did suggest | O |
A certain grasp with this right hand | O |
Which probably had put to rest | O |
Our quarrel thus your throat once spanned | O |
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'But I remembered me subdued | O |
That impulse and you face me still | A2 |
And soon a philosophic mood | O |
Succeeding hear it if you will | A2 |
Has altogether changed my views | R |
Concerning Art Blind prejudice | R |
Well may you Christians tax us Jews | R |
With scrupulosity too nice | R |
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'For don't I see let's issue join | B3 |
Whenever I'm allowed pollute | O |
I and my little bag of coin | B3 |
Some Christian palace of repute | O |
Don't I see stuck up everywhere | C2 |
Abundant proof that cultured taste | O |
Has Beauty for its only care | C2 |
And upon Truth no thought to waste | O |
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''Jew since it must be take in pledge | C3 |
Of payment ' so a Cardinal | A2 |
has sighed to me as if a wedge | C3 |
Entered his heart ' this best of all | A2 |
My treasures 'Leda Ganymede | O |
Or Antiope swan eagle ape | W2 |
Or what's the beast of what's the breed | O |
And Jupiter in every shape | W2 |
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'Whereat if I presume to ask | Z2 |
'But Eminence though Titian's whisk | Z2 |
Of brush have well performed its task | Z2 |
How comes it these false godships frisk | Z2 |
In presence of what yonder frame | P |
Pretends to image Surely odd | O |
It seems you let confront The Name | P |
Each beast the heathen called his god ' | - |
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'Benignant smiles me pity straight | O |
The Cardinal 'Tis Truth we prize | R |
Art's the sole question in debate | O |
These subjects are so many lies | R |
We treat them with a proper scorn | D3 |
When we turn lies called gods forsooth | F |
To lies' fit use now Christ is born | D3 |
Drawing and coloring are Truth | F |
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'Think you I honor lies so much | J2 |
As scruple to parade the charms | R |
Of Leda Titian every touch | J2 |
Because the thing within her arms | R |
Means Jupiter who had the praise | R |
And prayer of a benighted world | O |
He would have mine too if in days | R |
Of light I kept the canvas furled ' | - |
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'So ending with some easy gibe | X |
What power has logic I at once | R |
Acknowledged error in our tribe | X |
So squeamish that when friends ensconce | R |
A pretty picture in its niche | J2 |
To do us honor deck our graves | R |
We fret and fume and have an itch | J2 |
To strangle folk ungrateful knaves | R |
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'No sir Be sure that what's its style | A2 |
Your picture shall possess ungrudged | O |
A place among my rank and file | A2 |
Of Ledas and what not be judged | O |
Just as a picture and because | R |
I fear me much I scarce have bought | O |
A Titian Master Buti's flaws | R |
Found there will have the laugh flaws ought ' | - |
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So with a scowl it darkens door | C2 |
This bulk no longer But makes | R |
Prompt glad re entry there's a score | C2 |
Of oaths as the good Farmer wakes | R |
From what must needs have been a trance | R |
Or he had struck he swears to ground | O |
The bold bad mouth that dared advance | R |
Such doctrine the reverse of sound | O |
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Was magic here Most like For since | R |
Somehow our city's faith grows still | A2 |
More and more lukewarm and our Prince | R |
Or loses heart or wants the will | A2 |
To check increase of cold 'Tis 'Live | Y |
And let live Languidly repress | R |
The Dissident In short contrive | Y |
Christians must bear with Jews no less ' | - |
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The end seems any Israelite | O |
Wants any picture pishes poops | R |
Purchases hangs it full in sight | O |
In any chamber he may choose | R |
In Christ's crown one more thorn we rue | O |
In Mary's bosom one more sword | O |
No boy you must not pelt a Jew | O |
O Lord how long How long O Lord | O |
Robert Browning
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