Aristophanes' Apology Author:Robert Browning Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: But proves some rose was rifled, though its ghost Scarce lingers with w.hat promised musk and myrrh. No need of farther squeezing ! What remains Can only be Bala... more »ustion, just her speech ! Ah, but—because speech serves a purpose still !— He ended with that flourish. I replied, Fancy myself your Aristonumos ? Advise me, rather, to remain myself, Balaustion,—mindful what mere mouse confronts The forest-monarch Aristophanes ! I who, a woman, claim no quality Beside the love of all things loveable Created by that power pre-eminent In knowledge, as in love I stand perchance, —You, the consummately-creative ! How Should I, then, dare deny submissive trust To any process aiming at result Such as you say your songs are pregnant with ? Result, all judge : means, let none scrutinize Save those aware how glory best is gained By daring means to end, ashamed of shame, Constant in faith that only good works good, While evil yields no fruit but impotence ! Graced with such plain good, I accept the means ! Nay, if result itself in turn become Means,—who shall say ?—to ends still loftier yet,— Though still the good prove hard to understand, The bad still seemingly predominate,— Never may I forget which order bears The burden, toils to win the great reward, And finds, in failure, the grave punishment, So, meantime, claims of me a faith I yield ! Moreover, a mere woman, I recoil From what may prove man's-work permissible, Imperative. Rough strokes surprise : what then ? Some lusty armsweep needs must cause the crash Of thorn and bramble ere those shrubs, those flowers, We fain would have earth yield exclusively, Are sown, matured, are garlanded for boys And girls, who know not how the growth wa...« less